10.5 lbs. Lost, 24.5 to Go!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pHHsYi5YTiPymN-ksOtK-Gw&output=html

Happy holidays! Even though this post is marked 12-26-09, I'm actually typing this entry on 12-29-09! I've been so busy doing practically nothing. One of the awesome benefits of teaching is the winter, spring, and summer breaks. I only have a few more days to enjoy the time off until I'm back on the grind.

I'm a bit worried about managing my weight this holiday season because of so many opportunities to pig out. There were so many obstacles this latter half of 2009. I had to get through:

• Halloween (candy)
• my son's November birthday (dinner outing, cake, ice cream)
• Thanksgiving (turkey & dressing and all the fixin's)
• and worst of all Christmas (potlucks at work, 2 weeks off work SITTING at the house, cakes, food at family gatherings, etc.)

I've still got to get through New Years b/c my dad wants us to get together. He's a great cook and is doing some of the cooking. I'm trying to start the new year on the right foot, but I don't know how that's going to happen w/ the menu we're planning.

I have to mention that last Wednesday (12-23-09) I "officially" got off my diet/workout regimen. I did well the first few days home sticking to the workout plan exercising on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I was honestly miserable. I was tired of waking up early and fighting the urge of not eating all the bad stuff. So I threw in the towel telling myself it will only be temporary.

Well I have to admit I showed out and indulged! You name it, I ate it! I love food, I dream about food. I think the highlight of my eating was the chocolate chip walnut cookies I made Christmas morning and the below cake recipe I made also that morning. Words can't describe how gooood the carmel fudge cake is. I wouldn't allow myself to take any home from where I took it to our family gathering, but I definitely ate my fair share while there. The last time I made the cake was a few years ago when my college buddy came for a visit. We ate on that cake late at night for what seemed like days laughing and catching up and what not. When she headed home, I stepped on the scale and GAINED 7 pounds. I recently read on the intenet how this recipe has a whopping 2200+ calories. Good grief. The worst part about it is that I don't feel guilty.

........Well now, I'm officially back on the diet. I fought the urge late last night to head to the convenience store to buy pretzels, a chocolate muffin (haven't had those in a LONG time), and grape juice. I would've done it had I not been so sleepy. This morning that craving somewhat subsided and I found the courage to step on the scale and was not as shocked as I thought. At one point my weight had risen to 183.5-- a 5 pound gain since my 12-19-09 weigh in, but this morning I was at 181.5 lbs. --the same as my 12-26-09 recorded weigh in. I didn't get a chance to work out this morning so I'll guess I'll have to do that sometime today in order to get my 5x a week work out in.

Lord knows I've got a stressful first half of 2010 ahead of me w/ work, projects, and certification exams, so I'm bracing myself. I'm convinced that stress alone will help me lose this weight and hopefully not have the opposite effect.