A Heavy Lift

You know what weighs a lot? OK. That might be a little too open-ended! How about there's a reason scrapbookers keep chiropractors and massage therapists in business – and it's not all because we hunch over for days on end.

We also pack what seems like the equivalent of this lady's stuff into these wheeled carts and I'd estimate they weigh about 40-50 pounds each. (First we have to unpack the stuff from the last camp since we didn't open the cart since. Apparently I had FOUR paper trimmers in there from February! I mean I brought one for my sister but that's a bit of overkill.) 

And yes, it's nice these scrapbooking carts have wheels, but there is still the heavy lift into your vehicle, then out when you get to camp. Then repeat it all at the end of the weekend.

You'd think if we used supplies, the carts would be lighter but really we're just transferring the loose paper onto a page in the album cart. Sort of like taking stuff out of your overweight suitcase at the airport and putting it in your carry-on. IT'S ALL ON THE SAME PLANE!

I thought I'd get smart this time and, in an effort to save my back, load up one heavy cart per night for 3 nights. While I was at it, I knew I wouldn't be using my Cricut in the next few evenings, so that got loaded too.

I even have my bedding and towel packed in there. "Don't forget your pillow, Robyn! Don't forget your pillow!!" In fact, I think I'll put a reminder on my phone for 8 a.m. Friday!

Needless to say, this heavy lifting (with the poor posture) is why we've had a massage therapist at camp for probably the last 10 years. Mind you, it's an extra fee, but so worth it to work on some of those knots while they're taking shape! Cannot wait. I'm already overdue for one. Good thing I booked two – one on Friday and one on Sunday.

Hey it's my weekend. My retreat!

P.S. Hubby did offer to lift the other carts tonight. But I'm not quite that organized. Good thing I have 3 more sleeps.

But... Did You Die?

So, I did a thing yesterday. I was finally well enough (read: could breathe without coughing) to join the lunchtime fitness class I signed up for in the fitness center at work.

I could say it was challenging because I missed the first two weeks. But in reality, it was challenging because I missed the first two ... forevers. Mercy! I am so out of shape!

The class is called Reps and Sets. As in using weights, etc, and repeating. I guess that's what a "set" is? All I know is 80 squats, 40 lunges, 30 chest presses, and 24 hours later... OUCH! It was by sheer coincidence that I had my monthly chiropractor appointment today. Oh, I love her! She brought out the big vibrating massage thing and hit every muscle in my lower back and glute. Ouch but good!

Of course, that wasn't the worst part of the 30-minute workout. That came when we had to do sit-ups. Just normal sit-ups, except nothing to anchor our feet, just using those core muscles to get up and down. Guess who couldn't do one? 

This girl! The one without core muscles! 

I just laid back on my mat trying to hold back the shameful tears stinging my eyes. Full disclosure: I didn't die in my workout – but I might have cried. At least after pouring out my soul and hopelessness over my meno-induced weight gain and out-of-shapeness, my fitness instructor gave me a hug. A sweaty one, but I needed it.

She also is meeting with me next week to see if we can work out a plan to reverse my misfortune. I could casually say, "I'll try anything!" But if I had that type of commitment, I wouldn't be in my current predicament. 

And unfortunately, I've learned the post-workout pain doesn't really take effect until the SECOND day. If I don't blog tomorrow, it's because I can't lift my arms enough to reach the keyboard!

Be careful out there. And don't judge yourself by what you can and cannot do. Applaud yourself for trying!

Tough Love

When I came across this a few minutes ago, it certainly hit close to home. Pardon me for being deeply honest and vulnerable here.

I read this and for the 8,000th time wonder how I can be 50+ years old and still haven't found a way to love myself – riotously, deeply, profoundly, or otherwise. 

Yes, it's sad. I also know I'm not the only one. And that's sad, too.

I can talk out one side of my mouth saying God loves us just the way we are, while the committee in my head is whispering in my other ear, "You failed. Again. You set out to lose weight and get in shape so you'd look great in your vacation pictures. And you couldn't stick with it. Again."

I admit I have two major downfalls. One, I place too much emphasis on weight as a measure of self-worth. And the second downfall is that I can't resist sweets! What a disastrous duo. It's like a never-ending hamster wheel I keep spinning and can't seem to jump off.

The struggle IS real. 

It's like I know I need to walk a mile but I forget that it takes 2,000 steps to get there. And I have to take them in order. No short cuts. The question is, what is at the end of that mile for me? Is it the ideal weight, perfect job, self-love, or something else?

I think if we like ourselves, work up to loving ourselves and finding the good inside, then other blessings will come with it. Am I ready? Are you ready?

Maybe this vacation is just what I need to clear my head so there's only room for one voice to take up residency. 

Let's fall in love and make this year the best one yet!

What's Behind Door No. 3?

You'd be surprised what you can live without once you've lived without it for 2 years and haven't missed it.

Since the lovely pandemic hit while I was on vacation that first week in March 2020, I didn't realize my last day in the office before it was actually my last day... for 2-plus years. Therefore, I didn't take everything I needed from my desk, the little fridge in our department or my locker in our fitness center.

From my desk, I realized I only needed my computer and really didn't need paper documents. I haven't printed anything out in 2 years so there's no sense resuming that habit. You're welcome, Mother Earth. As for the fridge, someone disposed of what was left of my daily essential coffee creamer for me. Good call. As for the locker... well that went untouched until today.

Our fitness center finally reopened now that we're repopulating the office. I was a little nervous wondering what was behind door No. 3. Or in this case, door No. 168. I knew I'd have sneakers in there but hoped to god I didn't have some once-sweaty-now-crusty sports bra or socks. I was prepared for it...

And oh-so relieved when I only left the shoes in there – with deodorizer balls in them to boot – and the essentials like shower gel, deo, perfume, and hairspray! That turned my pew into a PHEW! And the shoes are in decent shape. I mean, we'll see when I put them on, but they should work OK after sitting around doing nothing all this time.

That's right. I did not work out. I just was checking the status of the locker so I could reserve it for another year. Don't judge me. Getting there was the first step, right?

I've already beat myself up plenty in the past week knowing that I had 800-some days to reinvent myself but instead, come back to the office out of shape – and out of clothes that fit nicely. Ugh.

If only I liked spinach or kale as much as I like ice cream! 

Strong Hold

I demonstrated my power today. Well my growing power. As in strength. Been taking some strength-building classes and while my body isn't reflecting changes yet, I have graduated from my starting 3-pound dumbbell to a 15-pounder!

Part of today's challenge was pushing this sled...

This is pushing 320 pounds – or the equivalent of Sean Rhyan pictured above, the offensive lineman the Packers drafted in the 3rd round a few weeks ago. Sit down, Sean. I can push you around! Not very far. But I can do it!

And there you have my accomplishment of the day. 

Well, that and getting half a baby blanket crocheted tonight. Because even though I've been planning for a baby shower I'm co-hosting Saturday, I forgot about the gift part. Gonna have to use my newfound strength for some power hooking tomorrow night!

With great power comes great responsibility.

Circle of Pandemic Life

For some of us, it turns out the circle in the Circle of Life during a pandemic is actually what shape our bodies become. The Quarantine 15 is a real thing. And I've got it.

Since this fun began a year ago, our church has been closed for worship. Instead we've had our services online through Facebook Live and YouTube or on TV through public access. The only one's present at services are the pastor, her husband, the organist, any guest singers, the reader, and the sound booth people. Today I was the reader so I got to go in person.

It was nice to be back! 

The first struggle after having to set an alarm was finding finding something "grown-up" to wear. I think I've only had to wear "real life" clothes a handful times in the 381 days I've been home-ish. All I can tell you is something is wrong with my closet. It shrunk my clothes!

I squeezed into something and found out later that I was on-camera after all, just the scripture words were on screen with my voice.

Next time I won't waste my time curling my hair. Ha. But I did realize with my tight clothes and my double chin that this would be my last post-church latte treat for a while. 

I took a walk around the lake to get some steps in (while hubby golfed outside actually). Still am going to have to figure out something to prevent this Quarantine 15 from sliding up to 20 or worse! Any ideas? Please don't tell me it's something hard like eating right and exercising!

Welcome to the Do-Over

Happy New Year! For those of us who make resolutions – or annually remake the ones that never stick (all of them) – we got a second chance this year. A mulligan. A bye. A free pass. A do-over.

So don't judge yourself for what you failed to accomplish in 2020. I feel no guilt for blaming the pandemic. C'mon. Everybody's doing it.

Upon closer inspection – hindsight is 2020 after all – I see that the pandemic was only a symptom of the problem. A problem known as Robyn the Lazy.

Yup. I mean seriously. I had plenty of extra available time for at least 9 months of 2020 to do something. Be more active. Be active at all. I literally had over 300 days to reinvent myself. And I blew it.

So we are in New Year's Resolution Land – also known as Brutal Self-Examination Day – with a Quarantine 15 to shed, a brand new mostly empty calendar to fill (or not), and a second chance. 

What will I do about it? 

I know from experience (aka failures) that I can't change overnight nor should I try to. Too much at once leads to frustration and impatience for lack of immediate results. That's my issue anyway. 

So I'll start with ramping up hydration (that's serious) and ramping up my steps from the sloth-like 2,000 daily to that realistically attainable 10,000.

Started today by doing snow hills at Lake Wazeecha. Well, that wasn't on purpose. Was walking around the lake and much of the path wasn't plowed or stomped down yet. It was a serious arm-pumping workout at times trudging through that snow. I was sweating and I was panting. Like the out-of-shape kind of panting – not COVID-related at all. Definitely the toughest workout of the year. (You knew I'd use that dad joke humor.) 

Will I turn one day into a streak?

We'll see where 2021 takes us. Based on experience – surviving 2020 – I plan to take it one day or one step at a time. And hope I don't slip and fall flat on my as-pirations for 2021. 

Let's try this again, shall we?

The Cat-O Diet

I learned something new today based on kitty's annual checkup. First of all, she's 15 years old – a geriatric in cat years – so I shouldn't really call her "kitty." Even though the vet says she's so healthy there's no way she could be 15!

The second thing I realized is that all this time I thought the new diet faze was the Keto Diet, when it's actually the Cat-O Diet. Here's proof...

Wouldn't you love it if in the past 8 years you only gained one pound?! That's insane. Actually jealous of the princess.

Apparently, I need to try a steady diet of boring dry food and no treats. Absolutely no treats. It works for her! Probably would work for me, too. But it doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it?

No shame in being a little fluffy. That also works for her!

Simultaneously Downsizing and Upsizing

It's always a fun time at the annual physical. Said no one ever. I knew going into it today that I had gained back the weight I lost before last year's visit. But that wasn't the worst of it. In a nutshell, I'm shorter and fatter than a year ago.

Wait. Shorter?? Well, allegedly.

The nurse-medical-type lady took my weight and height. She said I was 5 feet, 1 3/4 inches. Not 5' 2" as previously reported. (Or the 5' 3" on my driver's license, for that matter.) Before I could demand a recount, she says, "Oh that happened to me, too. I lost an inch and I'm only 45."

Oh, I feel so bad for you, Miss 5'8" Nurse Lady that you aren't 5'9" anymore. Sigh...

Anyway, my doctor was nice and even said, "I'm not going to pick on you about your weight. I probably have the same BMI." I'm allegedly in an "overweight but healthy enough" range that I should live 5-8 years longer. Longer than who or what, I don't know.

Also, my cholesterol is dang good. So this King Cone diet is good for something, I guess!

In fact, I went there to celebrate. Hey, I passed the physical, so cheers to good health!

Now I just have to find the right flavor to make me taller...

The Sideways Shuffle

Did you know "bikini season" is right around the corner? Not that I've worn one since I was 7 years old, but still, the message these days is: Are you ready for it?!

One word: Nope.

All these ads are guilting me into remembering that if I had started and stayed dedicated to some sort of plan months ago, I'd be in a good place right now. But no. I have no willpower. I love my sweets. And I don't want to waste money getting caught up in one of those "eat right and exercise" schemes.

Those never work, do they?

Yeah. I know. They do and that's what you should do. And you'll reach your goals, oh so gradually. Which is never quick enough for Ms. Impatient here. So I say screw it and grab a peanut butter cup or whatever treat is within arm's length. Or even a short drive. No end to my reserves of non-willpower.

That's why I tend to shuffle side to side with my goals rather moving forward.

After getting disgusted not finding something to wear this weekend that fit good and looked good, I shook myself awake and declared I need to do something. As it states above: The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

OK. Decision made. Not staying. Now... ACTION!

My goal today was to not eat treats at work – no matter whose birthday it was or what was sitting around in candy dishes. When I chose grilled chicken over the "totchos" covered with ground beef and melted cheese for lunch, I demanded a high five from a co-worker. That was a big accomplishment right there because the bad stuff looked sooooo good!

I also got my 10,000 steps in today. High five myself!

But I also grabbed a Schwan's Root Beer Float bar tonight and ate that without blinking – or thinking. After I threw the stick away, I was like, "Oh yeah, that's right. I wasn't going to eat stuff like that today."

Unfortunately, since there's some sort of law you can only start diets on a Monday, I'll have to wait a week, force myself to eat graduation cake this weekend and start after the holiday.

I'm kidding. And it's not a "diet" or I'll quit. Just gotta get moving – even baby steps forward are steps forward – and make more wise choices. We're almost to the season of fresh fruit and veggies. That'll help.

Unfortunately, it comes right after the season of frosting. But I'll find ways to balance it out so I'm ready for one-piece swimsuit season at some point.

Are you ready? Did you do something today that deserves a high five? Celebrate the small stuff, friends. Let's keep moving forward together.

Spring-Loaded Trap

Another day. Another trap!

Around mid-afternoon it was 29 degrees and "felt like" 19. Still, according to the calendar, it's the first day of spring.

Our local Dairy Queen was trying to (well, they succeeded) to entice customers with a free cone today. While supplies last! A first day of spring trap, to be sure.

You know I'm an ice cream snob and much prefer the hard stuff over soft serve. But it was conveniently on my way to and from my after-work stops. Had a meeting a church and needed a new audio book from the library. Both less than two blocks away from DQ. So yeah, my car did slow down.



But then I saw just enough of a line that I kept on going. Swear to God.

I reminded myself that when I went to Weight Watchers today I registered a small loss. So why sabotage it for lowly soft serve? I can wait 'til the weekend to blow it, as usual.

But for real, I am 2 for 2 on the sugar traps this week. Please don't push my luck. Pretty sure my willpower has gone the way of winter.

Buh-bye.

My Halo is Slipping

To the concerned citizens who fear I've been kidnapped by the Cake Boss or jumped my frozen ship in favor of frosting: No, I am still in love with ice cream. And yes, it is still my No. 1 choice!

In fact, the flavor of the day comes with some great advice! Is that not awesome? And a girl could hit bottom and not feel guilty at all...

Because Halo Top ice cream is only 240 calories per pint. As if people sit around eating a whole pint.

If I were, this wouldn't be a bad choice. It's creamy and tasty and does not taste diet-y. I only had two spoonfuls (I swear) but when I resume eating (after typing, perhaps), I'll let you know if it was as yummy from top to bottom.

Don't ask if it was expensive. I didn't even look. It was recommended (well, mentioned) at Weight Watchers so I was just thrilled to find it at Wal-Mart and had to check it out.

And yes, that is the only advice I have followed at Weight Watchers for quite some time. So my Halo Top is looking good, my actual halo is slipping.

Right down to the bottom.

Thank God tomorrow is a new flavor... I mean a new day!!

How Now, Brown Cow

 

Moo-ve over, teenagers. If you want to learn the art of selfies, just ask a cow.

I HERD some great photo tips today while I was out for a walk in the neighborhood. Since not everyone can do the super model runway walk like this cutie above, there are ways to work the angle for in-cow-dible results.

Just ask my Bess friend Bess.

Not to fat shame her, but whoa, Bessie. Lay off the high-carb grass. She's a beautiful, brown-eyed babe but you might not know it from this angle. Nice calves, but... what a heifer (not exactly).

Now, to make the moo-la, here's the straight-on sultry look. There's the Divine Bovine we know and love. In fact, the skinny shamers are like, eat a sandwich, Bess. You're skin and bones!

When taking a close-up selfie, always focus in on your best feature.

Or not.

I know. She'll kill me when she sees this! Glad she was a good sport about it.

Another thing I learned at Camera Cow-llege...

Ever notice how cows eat salad all day and they are still hefty? Cameras don't lie. I am totally putting my diet out to pasture.

At the End of the Day

When your morning starts off with a late arrival at work because you were delayed cleaning up Princess poop piles at home, you know it's going to be a bad day. When the workload is so crazy busy you don't have time for lunch or my self-mandated walk breaks, you know it's not going to get much better.

But when you step out of the office at the end of the day and look at the sky, you know that none of that mattered. It's still a special day from God.

Why can't we be more like these cows? "Yes, it's only 20 degrees. But look at the view!"

Even with the broken mess of our lives in the foreground, there is still a backdrop of beauty and grace.

I need to remember that on days, well weeks, when I'm letting the stress clutter my view of the big picture. The big, beautiful picture!

Cat diarrhea and deadlines are not worth the stress. Few things are.

I have a lovely, fluffy cat. I have a wonderful hubby, son and stepsons. I have a job. I don't have to stand out in the frozen temperatures to find a meal or place to sleep. I have a mom and all 7 of my creative and giving siblings. I'm fighting weight gain and anxiety, but in general, I have my health. I have the coolest, most amazing friends on the planet. And I have God.

At the end of the day, I guess I have it all.

Just needed to look up.

Uphill Battles

It's been said that we cannot pretend to know another person's journey until we've walked a mile in their shoes. Or perhaps, pedaled a mile on their bicycle.

I came across this gentleman this morning on my commute to work. It was windy and the temperature was hovering around 15 degrees – the high for the day.

I could only imagine what a frigid uphill battle he was facing on this stretch of road. In fact, this may have been the easy part of his journey. In jeans and flannel jacket, he wasn't dressed for recreational exercise. But I have no idea where he was headed or how long it would take him to get there.

Or if he was even struggling. Maybe he was exhilarated by the below-freezing breeze. Maybe he just had to get to his next-door neighbor's.

We don't know. We can guess. But we really don't know.

I've had my share of uphill battles. Some I've made public and some, not so much. Each and every day there is something that appears in the form of an uphill climb. It might be a little hill, or it might be insurmountable. My goal is to level off some of those big hills so that I am on a steady course.

It IS a battle. I try to hand it over to God. But I don't always let him take it. He reminds me that He doesn't make junk. He doesn't care if I am a size 6 or size 16. He loves me as I am. And I need to love myself.

Can you imagine how freeing it would be if the bike was going in the other direction and we were coasting down hill?

That's what it must be like when one is at peace with herself. I can't pretend to know. I can only imagine.

But I hope to get there one day.

Square 2.0

Let's just pretend for a moment that January never happened. Today, February 1, is a new year, new month, new start. That's what was rattling around in my head today as I took the Walk of Shame.

Now this wasn't your ordinary Walk of Shame. (What kind of girl do you take me for?) This was the walk back into the 7 a.m. Weight Watchers meeting after 4 months OFF, ashamed at how much weight I gained back. Ashamed I failed myself. Ashamed I didn't stick with it. Ashamed I am almost back at square one.

On a positive note, since there allegedly is no such thing as "going back to square one," as indicated above, then I am only going back to, say, Square 2.0. Hopefully as an improved, more dedicated version of myself.

I can't categorically say we've all been there (at 1 or 2.0), but I would hazard a guess that a good number of us have – whether it involved weight loss or some other goal. What is beyond frustrating for me is that I found a program that worked in a natural, healthy way and I was the one who screwed up when I quit working it.

It's been a depressing few months as my midsection has gotten wider, my clothes have gotten tighter, the scale numbers have gone up, and my self-esteem has gone down. No one but me has declared my value is tied to a number on a scale or a piece of clothing. I have so many blessings in my life yet I have such a hard time moving my sense of self-worth beyond the scale.

Am I the only one wired like this?

It's obviously a sign I need to get a handle on some things besides my love handles!

The fact I used a Taco John's token to scratch off the code for my free Weight Watchers e-tools might be an indication of what a hot mess I am. But I excel at being a hot mess and turning myself into a mild mess. Just gotta START.

I'm changing the calendar. Not looking back. And hopefully this Square 2.0 upgrade will yield some better results.

One square at a time.

Human Connection

Some days it feels so good to just be human. While I did not sleep in today, I did eat some really good food that would be classified by dietitians as BAD. But I brought the leftover Christmas Monster Cookies to work so we could all be human together!

I ran on the treadmill Sunday and Tuesday and went to kickboxing on Monday. The only reason I skipped tonight's class is that Jim and I had a funeral visitation to attend for a wonderful man from my church. He and his wife were just a few months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary so I feel so badly for her. Very sad.

When I got home, I finally got some one-on-one time with college boy. At Jim's suggestion, I kidnapped him and took him to a local establishment that has a BBQ Ribs Special on Wednesday nights.

He had the ribs and I had a pizza burger (again, bad choices) but neither one of us gave a thought to something named "Buffalo Sweat." Not sure how the name would attract anyone to try it. I'll stick with buffalo chicken and that's it!

Was nice to have a mother-son date. Short but sweet. He's still home another 10 days but I may need to kidnap him at least one more time. Not that I am going to hear any deep, dark secrets.

Just need that HUMAN connection. Don't we all?

Friday the Negative 13th

Who in their right mind would brave minus 13-degree temperatures at 5:30 a.m. (aka O Dark 30) to go to kickboxing class? Oh probably the same person who fumbled around in the dark the previous morning looking for a pair of jeans that still fit.

Yep. Cold and darkness be damned. This girl needed to burn some calories!

And yeah, I did warm up in class but the outside temps sure didn't warm up much today. Got just a degree or two above zero and that was it.

This afternoon while I was working, Jim and Carter headed over to Green Bay to watch one of Carter's classmates play hoops for the St. Norbert Green Knights. She was surprised to see them so I am glad they went to cheer her on!

Meanwhile, I worked and then decided I would treat myself to some hoops, too. Last night we watched the Assumption boys beat Pittsville at Pittsville. Tonight the Lady Royals hosted Marathon. Quite the aggressive game. We played tough defense but unfortunately our shots weren't going in. So the girls lost 55-40.

Had to have something to do with it being Friday the -13 right?

After the game I took the long way home to treat myself to a sound and light show. I cracked the window open and didn't hear much sound so I just snapped some pictures quickly because, well, yes it was freaking frigid out and who in their right mind has their window open?

They had lights on the house, garage and front yard, including several light trees and Olaf the snowman from the Disney movie Frozen. Frozen... that's appropriate!

Here's a play on words: Olaf yellow snow! Get it? I love yellow snow! Yes, my immature mind combined with my car's angle made me think the snowman was peeing.

Wow. This cold air really does a number on me!

Think I better crawl under some warm covers and quit while I'm ahead.

Do you want to build a snowman...

By Snacks-ident

This has been such a tough week of work. And by work, I mean working on getting the junk / bad / crap / yummy sugary food out of the house so I can start that annual health kick January 1st.

Well, I have been sharing it. Does that count?

I even wanted to start this "lifestyle" before the end of the year. Get a step ahead. I went so far as to my FitBit back on. Do you know that it only registers steps and activity if you actually MOVE?! Like anything else, a FitBit isn't going to help you lose weight. Not if it's on your wrist and your legs aren't moving. And definitely not if you are eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas Tree while you're walking.

Who knew, right?

We'll see if I can come to my senses in the next 24-48 hours. This downward spiral to Fluffsville did not happen overnight or by accident. More like snacks-ident.

Good thing it's almost all out of the house! Just too full to finish the job right now.

Winner, Winner, What's for Dinner?

Two of my best and, at the same time, worst traits are that I am competitive and predictable.

As noted above, December sort of is just a month-long eating contest. Darn my competitive nature. I think I am totally winning!

Which brings me to predictable. I won't even bother looking back at past blogs from the last 6 or 7 Decembers. I can almost guarantee. I can almost predict, rather, that I was having issues with the holiday graze craze. It really is the most wonderful time of the year when it comes to home-baked treats. Oh my gosh. So many yummy, yummy choices. So much mint and chocolate, too. Where to start?

Where to stop? Can I stop?

I think my will power goes right down the drain with my energy and extra cash this time of year. The other day I actually stopped at Culver's for an eggnog shake because I heard McDonald's was out and I considered it a crime if I didn't have one before Christmas. It goes against the law of Christmas cheer or something.

Was it worth it? Probably not.

I did the usual berating of oneself when one is eating like Elf.

That might have played into why I actually got up for 5:40 a.m. kickboxing on Friday. Alas, the martial arts center was closed the next 3 days. So I continued to eat my way through the long Christmas weekend and am coming up for air today.  

Sadly, I can't seem to break the cycle. Am I the only one? My thought pattern is something like this. I try to eat right for the most part and exercise when I can. Just enough of both disciplines for me to feel like I DESERVE these treats this one time of the year. Anyone else feel that?

I won't sugarcoat it – though that might be tasty – but this means there is some level of emotional eating going on here. I deserve this because I am stressed and need it or I have been good and earned it. Either way, it's not because of needed nourishment.

The other bit (not bite) of bad news about this "one time of the year" is that "one time" equals a month! OK, let's be honest. More like 6 weeks spanning from Turkey Day to New Year's Day. Not good, folks.

Obviously, you and I are not the only big "winners" in this competition. Why else would all the diet and exercise products be on sale for New Year's?

Let's just accept it and enjoy the rest of the year. We're into the 6th week here. Can't undo the choices we've made. And frankly, there weren't too many bad ones. Most were delicious beyond measure!

Keep on winning. We have all of January to be big losers. Plus, there's kind of only one way to get rid of these treats around here.

Open wide and say "Ahh-m-m-m."

Winner. Winner. What's for dinner?