Annie: Weigh-in week 11

Before I get too excited about having had a good loss the week of Christmas, I have to recognize that I'll probably atone for my sins next week.

I planned far in advance to give myself Christmas Day off - that holiday is just too much about food in my family (deli meat subs for lunch, shortbreads and other sweets, and of course the major turkey dinner, which I was cooking this year), and I wanted to prove to myself that I could give myself the latitude to enjoy the day and then get right back on program (this is a problem I've had in the past).

So I enjoyed Christmas and all its calorie/carb/fat-laden goodness.

But then I was in a very, very bad place. I was jonesing.

Christmas night, after it was all over and I sat with Husband and my visiting parents in the living room, I couldn't stop thinking about the huge container of leftover gravy chilling in the fridge. It was easily the best gravy I've ever made (which I also said at Thanksgiving, now that I think about it - I'm getting really good at gravy, it turns out... dzam!)

You see, our family also has a Boxing Day hot-turkey-sandwiches-with-gravy tradition, to which I've added in recent years the most sinful fries you could imagine, from a local greasy spoon.

I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted that hot turkey and fries. Christmas night, and then again Boxing Day as I drove home from taking my parents to the airport, I thought about it again.

Then I talked on the phone to the faithful Mo, who gave me great advice: freeze the gravy in little bags in single-serving-sized portions, then pull one out when you have some points to spare for a quick poutine or something.  Brilliant!

Except I didn't do it. I called Husband and asked him to pick up the sinful fries on his way home from work. He (gently and without judgement, I have to add) challenged me, asking if I was sure I wanted to do this, but I promised him it was just for this one dinner, then I'd be back on program -- and the treadmill -- on Monday.

So we had the hot turkey sandwiches, and fries, and gravy... and I was sated.

I went to bed feeling like crap, and was up in the night with the once-familiar but long since forgotten night sweats that are not related to hormones but, rather, excessive digestive effort... and woke up this morning full of renewed commitment.

Mae is coming over in a little while to play with Child while I get back on my treadmill, then we're having a fabulous Points+ friendly lunch of leftover turkey (of course!) salad made with fat free mayo, cocktail rye breads (3 pieces for 2 Points+!), raw carrots and the Hungry Girl Sweet Caramelized Onion Dip. It'll be a yummy, fresh, satisfying lunch for under 8 Points+, at least 4 of which I'll work off on the treadmill.

I feel great - and will have to remember how much I enjoyed this weekend's sins, as well as how much I didn't enjoy last night's atonement, when they show up on the scale next week.

Lost this week: 3.2
Lost so far: 32.2
Still remaining: 67.8
Activity points earned this week: 17
Weeks to go: 41