My (Soon-to-Be) Patented Weight-Loss Plan

If I could write a book or get this patented or whatever, I could make a billion dollars with my new weight-loss plan. Are you ready for it?



Go get a job teaching a couple of high school classes.



That's it.

Here's why it works: Who wants to stand in front of a room full of skinny little 15 - 18 year old girls and be the biggest girl in the room? I know I don't. This gives that old phrase "the elephant in the room" new meaning. For years, I've been searching for the motivation to finally lose the 10, ok 15, alright 20 pounds of baby weight that never just fell off me like I wanted it to. I have discovered it.

I thought that my 20th high school reunion would be the perfect motivating factor. It wasn't though. The problem is that I've seen enough pictures of my old classmates on facebook to know that (with very few exceptions) they don't look any better than I do.

Also, even with my extra weight, it has always been a rare situation that I was ever the biggest girl in the room. So, I suppose I never felt self-conscious enough to do the hard work. NOW, however, I am ALWAYS the big girl in my class. It doesn't matter to me that I'm the teacher and they are mere children. These children are as tall as me and, in my mind, I should not be this much bigger than them.

There's also this: I'm old enough to be their VERY YOUNG mother. This realization was the final straw for me. Just because I'm old enough to be their mother, doesn't mean I want to look like their mother. (Not that there's anything wrong with their mothers. The ones I've met are really cute.) I AM, however, okay looking like their VERY YOUNG aunt or their MUCH OLDER sister. This is a compromise I'm willing to make.

I am happy to report that I put on a pair of jeans that I have not worn since last spring, and they buttoned just fine with no bulging over the top - at least when I'm standing up. Ya-hoo. This is real progress. I really don't care or know exactly how much I weigh, I just want my clothes to fit.


P. S. I give all credit to The Princess of Sarcasm for reminding me that I don't want to be the elephant in the room. You'll have to visit her blog to know what I mean.

Ready or Not...

   Well, ready or not, I've got students. Today is our first full day of school. I'm nervous about dealing with people of this age (feels strange calling them children) for the first time. What kind of impression do I want to make with them? I think I'm going to go for "she's nice, but you have to follow her rules." I have to set the right tone with my 6th period class; I pretty much have the ENTIRE 10th grade in my Spanish 1 class. Lord, have mercy! They have got to behave. Two of the boys in that class speak more Spanish than I do with one of them being from SPAIN! (WTH!) Thankfully, both of them seem super nice and respectful, so maybe they will be more helpful to me than trying to point out how little I know.


   Here's a picture of me with Boy 1 and Boy 2 on the first day of school. Aren't they so cute? 

   Any-hoo. No matter how it goes with the students, I must say that I have met some very nice people this week at the school.


   Ya'll take care!


P. S. Mom and Alison, you WILL want to check this out:
http://thepolymathchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08/feasting-friday-win-lunch-in-your.html