11/25- I have my books and my poetry to protect me; I am shielded in my armor.

Weight Loss for the Week: .5lbs

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I got to go out to Denver to visit my father and stepmother. And, for the first time in years, my brother joined us.  It was so nice to have the family all together for a holiday.  I was able to go out Tuesday night- I thought I was being clever and avoiding the insanity of the Wednesday travelers. I was not so clever since so many other people clearly had the same idea.  Suffice it to say, my second flight was a bit delayed and I did not get in until almost midnight.  Thankfully, my dad was still willing to pick me up at that hour.

It was wonderful being out there during my break.  We went for nice long walks almost every day- something I have hated doing in the past, but looked forward to this year.  We even touched the green gate each time.  My dad claims if you don't touch the green gate that's on part of the path, then your walk doesn't count. 

See, I touched the Green Gate- no worries, we didn't trespass.


For our Thanksgiving meal, we had a total of sixteen, yes sixteen, people.  My stepmom picked up the stragglers, as she called them, from her work and they joined us in celebrating this year.  We had so much food, it was insane.  And it was all so delicious.  Some of it was nutritious, some it of not so much.  I made the Sweet Potato Casserole and the WW version of Squash Casserole.  They were both enjoyed and devoured.  I did fairly well with portion control, until it came time for dessert.  Now, I knew I was pretty close to full, but my dad had made cheesecake and my stepmom had made whipped cream from scratch.  I simply could not pass it up.  I had to do a longer walk the next day to help make up for it.

Aren't we a good-looking family?


We also went shopping for some new clothes and accessories for me.  I hit the jackpot.  I got plenty of cute new clothes, earrings, necklaces, and a purse.  I am very pleased with my haul.  And I am very thankful to my parents for my early Christmas gift.  Now, I can be stylin' for the holidays :)

I had a great time visiting, relaxing, and enjoying all the beautiful views of the Rockies.   And I'm glad that even though I splurged some for the holiday, I was able to counteract it with exercise and was able to lose some weight again this week.

Here's the Squash Casserole Recipe if you would like to try it.

 Squash Casserole Recipe

3 cups Squash

1 tbsp. Chopped Onion

4-5 slices Cooked and Crumbled Turkey Bacon

3 Egg Whites, well beaten

¾ cup Grated Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 stick Margarine

Cook squash until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, butter and onion.  Add well beaten eggs and mix well.  Put layer of squash in baking dish.  Add layer of crumbled bacon and cheese.  Repeat layer.  Add cheese on top.  Bake about 30 minutes.  

November 18- Strong inside, but you don't know it. Good little girls, they never show it. When you open up your mouth to speak, could you be a little weak?

Weight Loss for the Week: 1lb

I cannot believe we are a mere four days away from Thanksgiving now.  This year has gone by so quickly.  I am excited to go to my dad and stepmom's for Thanksgiving and relax and enjoy some family time :) I've already a nice conversation with my stepmom about the meal- I will be making a Weight Watchers version of one of my favorite family recipes, Squash Casserole.  It is also one of my dad's favorites so I hope he enjoys the healthier version of it.

I did more with meal planning and elliptical workouts this week which was very helpful.  That is ever the key- plan ahead with most of the week's meals and make sure to stay active.  It's also nicer on the budget to plan ahead as opposed to eating out a bunch.  That was always my biggest downfall when I was at my heaviest.  I did not want to make my meals ahead of time, I liked eating out and I liked pigging out.  Don't get me wrong, I still like to go out, but I have a better understanding of how to balance my meals and make sure it won't cost me in the long run.

I also continued getting into the holiday mood this week, surprising I know.  The Memphis Zoo hosts Zoo Lights every year for the holidays.  They kicked it off this year with their Tree Lighting on Friday.  I went to the Tree Lighting with my mom and a friend.  Then, my friend and I went through Zoo Lights.  It was such a great way to get in the holiday mood :)

                                                             The Tree Lighting

Some of the Zoo Lights

Now, time for some planning, grading, cleaning, and packing so that I am ready for this short school week and Thanksgiving vacation :)

11/11- Flying down the highway in a makeshift Model TA; it's a beautiful morning and it's going to be a beautiful day

Weight Loss for This Week: 1lb

This week was much more regimented in terms of planning ahead for almost all my meals.  And I made a point to do my elliptical a few times this week.  It definitely helps keep me on track and to stay motivated.  After last week, I knew I needed to do so, especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner.

Work this week was alright, the students are definitely getting a little stir crazy in anticipation of the holiday season and upcoming breaks.  Hopefully, they will get back to staying on track so that the rest of the semester is smooth and bearable.

My weekend has been nice.  I had a nice dinner with a friend Friday night. Saturday morning, my mom and I ended up getting a few new Christmas decorations- don't even pretend to be surprised, it is my favorite holiday. In fact, I may have been listening to a few of my Christmas CD's the past few days.  It's just such a joyful season.  I know I don't want to see anything in the stores before Halloween, but once we're past that, I'm usually okay with it.  I know I should want to wait for Thanksgiving to be over first, but I'm not huge into decorating for Thanksgiving. And there aren't a lot of Thanksgiving tunes or movies, so, I'm definitely about ready for Christmas to be upon us.

I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving though.  I will be going to visit my dad and stepmom :)  It will be the first time my stepmom has seen me since I began losing weight.  I'm excited for her to see me in person instead of just the photos online.

Ok, time to finish prepping and grading :)

11/4- Outcast and girls with ambition, that's what I long to see

Weight Loss for this Week: 0lbs.

So, no weight loss.  Actually, mid-week, it was weight gain.  I ate horribly on Halloween and gained a full pound from that day.  So, I am thankful that went down by today.  Still need to work on not eating so much crap on holidays.  Definitely a lesson to learn before Thanksgiving and Christmas.  There are just so many treats associated with all these holidays.  It really will be a learning experience for me.  I may need to start reading some of the articles WW posts about holiday eating and all that.

Otherwise, this week was alright.  Halloween was a little nuts with the students, but not too bad all things considered.  Plus, I had the day after off- yay for Catholic schools and Holy Days of Obligation!!! It did make Friday kind of odd though.  I was fairly certain it was Monday almost all day. It was a nice feeling by the end of the day that it really was Friday and the weekend really was starting. 

I had a nice weekend.  Saturday morning, my mom and I went all over Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Macy's and I registered for "Apartment Warming" Items- i.e. stuff I can buy over the next few months as I prepare to move out.  Also, stuff the parentals, etc. can consider getting for Christmas :)  I really liked the scanning gun, hehe. Saturday night, I enjoyed a scary movie night at a friend's.  It was fun vegging out and getting a bit scared from a few of the movies and then laughing at others- check out Thankskilling if you ever get the chance. 

Today has been mainly about the prepping and grading.  I'm mostly prepared and caught up, thank goodness. Now, I am ready to get some sleep and start the week.