Weight Loss Program: What I'm Thankful For

I don't know that many people can say what I'm about to say:  I lost a pound at Thanksgiving!  That's right.  A pound.  I'll be honest, I haven't been doing very well the last couple of weeks.  I've felt kind of out of control and I know it's because I've been on an emotional roller coaster.  (I've also had to go into Food Network recovery, because I think it was not helping with my cravings.)  My weight loss has slowed but I must say that my exercise program has excelled.  I'm pushing myself more and feel really strong.   I did a ZUMBA workout with the DVDs today that I haven't done in a while and some of the exercises that I couldn't really do before were really easy for me.  I'm also working out with additional arm weights and that is not really an easy task.  I'm really thankful for ZUMBA and my determination.

I cooked my first Thanksgiving meal this year.  Not my first on program meal but my first meal period!  Here was the menu (no pictures, sorry, there was enough pressure just to get it cooked let alone remembering to take pictures!):  Maple-glazed turkey, quinoa apple-cranberry dressing (minimal fruit content with each portion and is considered a freebie), roasted butternut and acorn squash with cinnamon and nutmeg, ginger-maple glazed carrots, collard greens & kale and pumpkin "pie" with a meringue shell crust.  Except for some picking off of the turkey, especially when I was putting it away & a tiny bit of the skin when it came out of the oven, I ate within the portions that I was supposed to.  I had about 3 oz of turkey (on my plate); 1/8 c mashed potatoes & parsnips (made by my mom and put on my plate before the butter/salt and whatever else was added); 1/8 c butternut-acorn squash; 1/4 c quinoa dressing; 1 c greens; 1/2 c carrots, 1 c or less of spinach salad with apples, pears and balsamic vinegar (probably the most not on plan b/c of the fruit) and then 2 1/2 hours later I had my pumpkin pie for my afternoon snack.  By the way, this was all my lunch so I was also able to follow it up with dinner, which was 2.45 oz of turkey, 1/2 c salad, 1/2 c greens and 1/4 c granola (lighter carb portion).

I'm thankful that I've been cooking enough now that I was able to alter recipes to make them work for my plan and feel like I was having a real Thanksgiving meal.  I'm also thankful that I'm seeing how fulfilling it is to make these changes in my life so that I can be healthier for my son and those I love.

I'm thankful that my size 16s are getting loose.

I'm thankful that I have three giant bags of clothes that I can no longer fit b/ they are too big and that my closets are darn near empty.

I'm thankful that last week , when I learned that I would need to get the same biopsy procedure done that I got last year because my lymph nodes had enlarged again, I didn't really want food, I wanted to go to my ZUMBA class and i did.

I'm thankful that I can see muscle definition forming all over my body.

I'm thankful that I have a family that loves me and enjoys each other's company so that we have drama free holiday get togethers.

I'm thankful tat my son has family who loves him and enjoys his company even when he's waking them up early, biting them and jumping all over them.

I'm thankful that my aunt treated her broke-behind niece and by extension, nephew to the movie "Tangled".

I'm thankful that as long as you're alive, you have second chances.

I'm thankful that my sister is living closer to me and is enjoying her budding new life with someone who loves her.

I'm thankful that my son's teachers called me Wednesday and let me know that his ear was hurting so that we could go to the doctor and get the green play dough out of his ear.

I'm thankful that I'm once again inspired to write my blog.

What are you thankful for?