Do you think Denise Austin eats pie?

Well, I'm back in the saddle and five pounds heavier! But it was worth it. I'll eat like a normal human being this week and see if I can make a dent in the pie, cobbler, mac and cheese, ambrosia, sweet rolls, etc., I gorged on. Possibly some Denise Austin could be in order.

We had Thanksgiving at my brother's house this year, and he has this great set of living room furniture - some wonderful designer managed to cram 5 recliners into 1 chair, 1 couch and 1 loveseat. It was almost impossible to not have a recliner, what with being able to make the kids move if they happened to be in prime seating real estate. I tell you that living room is recliner heaven! Now, you might be thinking recliners are for old men in jumpsuits (by the by, there's a sale on), but that's just not true. There ain't nuthin better than stuffing yourself silly with rich food, climbing into a cushy expanse of microfiber (or leather if you prefer), snapping up that foot rest, then easin' on back into a barely upright position. A large television with the murmur of a football game you're only half watching, and my friend, that's a nap right there.

Speaking of football, the UT game wasn't a thrashing and I didn't enjoy every minute of it, but I'm glad for the outcome. Vince Young did not have a Vince Young-like day, and you would know that the aggies had their best game of the year, so that combination made the game more of a competition than anyone expected. We still came out on top, but it was uglier than I would've liked. It was uglier than Vince Young would've liked, too, because I saw him a couple of interviews later in the day, and he still looked pretty pissed about his performance. I believe he can kiss that Heisman goodbye for this year. But I think that may be for the best. He's said he'll be back next year, so that means we can all stop talking about the Heisman and Vince's plans and get focused on the team and what they need to do. Colorado had better be prepared because I'm guessing you won't see another repeat of Friday in either of the two games left this season. I believe Texas had put itself on cruise control, and they got their wake-up call.

Well, folks, with that another Thanksgiving is under our belts, and that means it's now officially Christmas season! Onward ho!

Let the feasting begin...almost

Well, the actual Thanksgiving holiday isn't until Thursday, but since people trying to use their vacation time strategically often take off Monday through Wednesday ("For the price of just 3 vacation days - count 'em, folks, I said 3 vacation days - you can have an ENTIRE WEEK away from your office! Don't thank me now - a number you can call for donations will soon appear at the bottom of your screen!"), I consider the holiday in the context of the entire week. This a Holiday Week, so we can talk all things turkey the whole week!

I'm not taking any extra time off this year, but I am using the early days of my holiday week to prepare for the later days of this week. You see, I'm eating light the next 3 days - watching my intake, counting calories, checking my waistband. I do this in anticipation of unrelenting gluttony on Thursday and Friday. What I save now, I can gorge later. And I can't wait!

While I never forget that Thanksgiving is about thanking God for the blessings of this country - our natural resources, our freedom, our opportunity - I also see it as a time to revel with abandon in the things that make this country even GREATER than the Pilgrims could've imagined! It's a time for unregulated intake of excess food and FOOTBALL!!!!! (Pass me a tissue...I need a moment.)

I do not, however, want to undo all the good I've done in recent months in fitting back into clothes that I had once considered abandoning. ("Screw it. I'll just be a size larger. ... Aw, who am I kidding? I can't afford a new wardrobe. Dammit - give me some of that Diet Coke and a rice cake.") Therefore, I must give myself a cushion. I'm not saying I'll starve myself the next 3 days. That would be unhealthy. I will, however, keep a sharp eye - make sure I'm not getting fast and loose with my calories. Be vigilant. Then, on Thursday...the gloves are off! Bring it ON!!!

For anyone interested, the best tool I've found for helping me stay on top of my intake is FitDay.com. I love that site. You can put in all the food you eat and find out how many calories you're taking in, as well as input all your activity to see how many of those calories you're burning. There are nutritional reports and a journal, too. I tried to do the intake and activities both when I first found FitDay, but I have a life, people. I can't spend all day on that damn site. I gave up. But after a few weeks, I went back and JUST did the calories, and I've stuck with it and am right where I want to be weight-wise.

I did some research on the Web for what my daily goal should be regarding calories, and I've stayed within that most days. I don't count calories on the weekend - give myself a break on those two days. And the occasional weekday overload happens. But mostly I stick to it, and I've found that over time, you develop a sense of when you're eating the right amount and when you're not. I learned that portion control was killing me, too. Some stuff I was eating was just fine, but I was eating too much of it. I've always been thin, and it's only been in my 30s I've had to start working at it. I now have to work at it like everyone else, though!

So, I'll be giving FitDay a workout in the next 3 days, then I'm off the charts, baby. Ham (I'm not a huge turkey fan), dressing with gravy, cranberry sauce, yeasty rolls, yams with marshmallows, mac-n-cheese (the kind you bake in the oven), pumpkin pie with Cool Whip...may the feasting be all I envision!