Yes, feeling misrepresented is a bit annoying at times. :glare: Thanks. Nope, no that desperate. I'll wait till his books are super-cheap on the Kindle. Not paying too high of a price for them. I love seeing your posts on this thread. :grouphug: Haven't read any James Patterson in a very long while. My problem is that I don't remember which ones I've read and which ones I haven't. :tongue_smilie: I loved Nothing to Envy. Hope you like it if you decide on that.

Rosie, this was on my wish list and I took it off a few days ago or so. Wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I have yet to read any books by him. His Kindle books are in the slightly more expensive category. I refuse to pay that much unless if I'm quite desperate.

Finished two books this week. The Devil in the White City - I'd give it 2 Stars (just okay, nothing to write home about) - the good thing is that I now know that I won't be spending any more of my $ or time on his other books, which previously, I had been wondering about. An Unexpected Twist - free Kindle book - very short read - more like a short story. Andy Borowtiz is very funny. I love his stuff on my FB News Feed. :D Not for everyone, I must say. I'd give this one 3 Stars. I do look forward to reading other books by him.

Thanks, Susan. :)

Thank you :). I think I just downloaded a relatively cheap indie book recently. Is there any easy way, a trick, to finding indie books versus the rubbish-y stuff? :D My taste is relatively broad. I like all sorts of stuff. Some of my favorite authors are Isabel Allende, Khaled Hosseini, Fannie Flagg, Maeve Binchy, and a whole bunch of others. The usual Costco hardcover/bestseller stuff, but also stuff that's slightly less known - The Housekeeper and the Professor or Nothing to Envy, for example. I got Cybill Disobedience and it was fine. But most of the free books on Kindle that I have downloaded are, for the most part, certainly not ones that I would normally pay full price for.

I absolutely loved this. I think that so far, it's been my favorite read of the year.

Just saw this on my pinterest board and thought of this thread. :D Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode. :lol:

:grouphug: Jenny, so very sorry. :grouphug: There are lots of books, etc. out there and it can be so overwhelming. Some ways of helping: Just listen. Don’t judge and don't offer advice, just listen if one decides to open up to you. Cleaning for a Reason is a non-profit organization that offers free professional housecleaning services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer http://www.frommourningtodancing.blogspot.com/ HOW TO MOST HELP SOMEONE WITH CANCER is a helpful blog HOME Take a meal or two. A hot meal is always nice, but sometimes a meal prepared ahead of time and taken out of the freezer and (re)heated can be more convenient than waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to show up with your dinner. And while it’s always wonderful to have someone fix anything, it’s also a blessing to have people ask if there’s anything specific that they’re hungry for or have had too much of. And then take the meal(s) in disposable containers. They do not need to be bothered with trying to return dishes (even if they are labeled) to their owners. If you must use non-disposable containers, then it’s probably best if you call to find out when you can pick them up or expect that it could be a few months before they get returned to you. Gift cards and certificates from favorite local restaurants, those that deliver are often best. Gift cards from the local pharmacy and grocery store Books and DVDs if you know what is liked or gift cards for those too. Funny movies are often appreciated also. Be there for the long haul. It seems like people come out of the woodwork after the initial diagnosis, but they do not always stick it through to the end when the person still needs help. While it’s nice of people to ask, “How can I help you?â€, it’s much more practical to say, “I’d like to do ________________ for you. When would be a good time for you?†And then do it!!! Offer to clean their house. Feel free to offer to clean a specific area, or ask what needs to be done the most. Offer to do their laundry. Run errands for her. A lot of people think about bringing meals, but not many people think about toilet paper, toothpaste and trash bags. For me, grocery/household shopping just plain wore me out – and that was just the list making process!!! If you’re making a run to the store, why not call and ask if there’s anything you can pick up for her? Offer to go with her to treatments and doctor’s appointments. Chemo treatments can last for several hours. It’s really nice to have someone go with her to keep her company or go get lunch for if she’s going to be stuck there for hours. And with radiation treatments, while you may have to sit in a waiting room by yourself while she disappears to the “restricted area,†she might appreciate having someone with her to break up the monotony of going by herself each day. Keep your visits short – no longer than 15 minutes when they seem tired Massage OR Gift Certificate for one Candles Send cards regularly – so many love receiving them Depending on how she’s feeling, invite her out for lunch or her family over for dinner. Randomly getting flowers (after the chemo stage) or a "thinking of you" note is nice. Do not give nice books of cancer survivors HOSPITAL Lip balm is the #1 request for drying air in hospitals Comfy fuzzy socks Care kit with things to combat nausea - Lemon drops, ginger snaps, Chinese ginger candy, ginger ale, soda crackers A few things to avoid in your care packages: Cooking magazines for the chemo patient – may very likely have aversions to certain foods, if not all food, and looking at food in a magazine is probably the last thing she wants to do. Highly scented items As with food, she may be having aversions to certain scents. Books, magazines and articles containing “inspirational†cancer testimonies – She may be interested later, but while going through treatment, she’s probably wants to think about things other than cancer. Those who get chemo are often easily chilled. This is especially true when chemo causes hair loss. You may want to see if you can find the fluffiest, softest scarf and hat for her, and maybe even a snuggly throw, Pashmina/cozy wrap Hand lotions, bath products, anything nice-smelling Flowers are usually a no-no – the scents make some feel ill Offer to do “at home†things – water plants, look after a pet, or pick up mail THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK What NOT to Say: If you have ANYTHING negative at all to say…DON’T SAY IT!!! Don’t tell the patient about all the people you know who have been through what she’s going through and what all they went through. I assure you, she doesn’t want to hear it, and you saying it will NOT be encouraging. If you are in the healthcare profession, unless she has asked for your advice, please don’t give it to her. She probably already has a medical team working on her behalf to help her get better. Additional unsolicited advice tends to only cause information overload. Don’t ask her what her prognosis is. For starters, she may not have even had this discussion with her doctor. Again, as far as she is concerned, she’s hoping for the best and any discussion may only serve to discourage her. If you must ask this question, ask it of another family member – even then, they may not be able to answer. What to Say: Keep things positive. Keep in mind that a diagnosis of cancer is not necessarily a death sentence. The patient is looking for words of hope. Tell her you’re praying for her. Tell her that she’s strong and she can beat this disease. If you know people who have beaten this disease, tell her so in a general way without giving too many specifics (i.e. “My mother went through this 10 years ago and is living a full life today.â€). If she asks for details, feel free to share, but don’t assume she wants to know all the details. Tell her how you’d like to help her. (And then do it!) Phone Calls & Email If someone else answers the phone, take a moment to chat with them first to get a feel for whether or not the patient is up to talking on the phone. If you are just calling for an update, you don’t always need to talk to the patient to find out how they are doing. Limit your call to a few minutes, and don’t leave it to the patient to tell you when she’s ready to end the conversation. She doesn’t want to appear rude, but talking on the phone can wear a person out. If the patient has email, this is a great way to communicate your thoughts and prayers or to ask how you can help. If you absolutely need a reply, don’t be offended if it takes a day or two. If she has a blog, read it! If she has taken the time to update people in that type of forum, then help her out by checking there before calling to find out the latest. Honestly, it gets really old having to repeat yourself over and over and over. Remember that the patient is still a person and his family are still people who don't need or want every. single. conversation. to be centered on the diagnosis. Sometimes not treating them like a cancer patient (or the family member of one) is the right thing to do. Above all else, she probably just wants to be treated like normal. Although her life has changed, she is still the same wonderful person she was before cancer grabbed hold of her body, and she doesn’t want you to forget that fact. Anything you can do to help bring a sense of normalcy to her will be most appreciated. Try to keep conversations normal. Find ways of having conversations that will cheer them up. Laughter is one of the best medicines there is.

I ordered the New Atkins book and the Low-Carb Recipe book. Also going to start reading as much as I can from the Atkins site until the books get here. At the end of this month, I'll start off with the Taubes diet plan (in his book & from a Reader's Digest article on his site) until the book gets here. Books take a while to get here. Thank you all so very much. :grouphug: Yep. :glare: Thanks for the Suzanne Somers book suggestion. May look into it later also. Debbie, thank you so much for your very helpful post. Yes, I'm now at a point in my life where cardio is great for my overall health, heart health, etc. - but not so much for weight loss. Did you eat high fat or just high protein? I know that they're closely related. Just wondering. Did you eat the Taubes/Atkins style? I guess that after a while on most plans, we often tend to stall. At least for me anyway. Yes, I think they have the Strong Women Stay Strong book here. Finding books here is a small miracle ;). I've heard of it. I have lots of weights DVDs and look forward to working out more regularly and consistently again. I like the idea of a short sequence. I do have weights and an exercise ball. This is what concerns me a bit. I don't particularly care to use xylitol, erythritol, and other stuff I can barely pronounce. I'm very skeptical about the long-term effects of such stuff in my body. :001_huh: and I don't think I can even find such things here. Definitely can't get whey protein here. I'd rather a healthier/more natural approach. I also disagree with nitrate-rich stuff - bacon, hot dogs, etc. that Taubes promotes. I will use grass-fed local liver, eggs, etc. And as much as I love bacon, I won't eat it too often. I can't get my mind off the fact that such stuff could be cancer-causing, etc. Susan, this looks interesting. Thank you for sharing. :) Quick question: if one registers, does one get a ton of annoying emails? I'm so tired and fed up of another site that sends me endless emails and will not stop however much I tell them. :glare: I have mixed feelings about Mercola. Like with most, I agree with some of his stuff, but not with all.

Swimming is great for posture. Rebounding is wonderful also. Yoga is bound to be beneficial. Dance classes? I wouldn't recommend weights for a child. Just me. I googled and found some info. My ds doesn't have the greatest posture either. Good reminder for me also. I find it very hard to keep nagging and reminding when the person does not wish to change. :glare: http://www.ehow.com/how_5641044_improve-child_s-posture.html http://www.ehow.com/way_5179365_posture-exercises-kids.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/80190-improve-childs-posture/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/183160-help-for-childrens-posture/ HTH.

Yes, no sales tax, but property and income taxes are high. Closest thing to average European city than most other American cities I've been to. Very socially conscious and politically correct. Ptld itself is very Democrat. It's sort of similar San Fran & Berkeley - but of course, much smaller. Similar in ways of tolerance and politically, a bit. Very walkable city - much like NY in that way. The suburbs are different. Most families live in the suburbs, obviously. I do not recommend Gresham. Public transport is very good there. Again, l love everything about there, except the weather. I cannot stand all that NW rain, etc. It's a city with fabulous coffee and great bookstores - Powells, etc. - lots and lots of reading and artsy movie theaters also (last I was there). :D

Oh, and btw, I much prefer Ptld to Tacoma. Just my 2 cents. :D

Stacia, I know that you and your dh would love, love, love Ptld. :D I used to live there and, given what I know of you both, yes, would like it a lot. Yes, all the things that you listed are there. I don't know much about the homeschooling part, since I was an undergrad then, but the rest - it's a fabulous place. The only thing that I personally dislike is the weather, but I know that for you guys, that's fine. I'm excited for you both and hope that the right doors open if they're meant to. :grouphug:

I wish that the free books were good ones. I have yet to find a very good free book. Most of them are really quite weird - the sort that I wouldn't want to read unless if I was paid to do so. Does anyone know about this?

Your post is a very helpful one. Yes, I am now convinced that I should read Atkins. As someone who's had success with hcg, mainly because I read and read and read about it, I realize the importance of actually reading up on a plan thoroughly before embarking on it. So thank you for this reminder. :) I'm going to order the Atkins book and probably the Low Carb Recipe one that freeindeed linked. Until the Akins book arrives, which always takes a while in this part of the world, I think I'll try Gary Taubes's plan from his book and a Reader's Digest article (on his site). This is so encouraging to hear. I don't have a huge amount to lose. I love hearing how it doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. :D Yes, thank you for this reminder. I definitely need to read the book.

We live here in the Caribbean, and yes, this is how pretty much everyone here says it. Yes. Some other replies. Love your new avatar. You're gorgeous. :) Just to make some of you smile.

I apologize greatly if I sound like I'm whining and complaining. I am often quite guilty of that. :glare: I'm only trying to process and make a decision with this thread. I appreciate everyone's kind responses and patience. Not sure about the exact long-term/maintenance approach to take. Thank you. :grouphug:

:iagree: I highly recommend his book. Personally, I've never had a cholesterol, etc. problem - but my best readings were at at time in my life when I happened to be low-carb and ate liver or eggs every single morning. I was on a low-carb.high-fat diet without even thinking about it much. I avoided sugar for the most part. This was the healthiest time of my life. This thread has info on his more helpful book and approach.

Wendy, thank you. All that you mentioned are my concerns also. * Staying strict with it over the long-term - the very idea worries me :glare: * Cooking separate meals. I hate cooking as it is. Never mind, anything extra. * Eating out, particularly in this part of the world. * And here, it would be a bit rude and weird to take my own food to an event. I could see myself doing it for a short while, but after some time, I really don't think I could do it permanently. Amy, yep. This, I think, may very well be the case for me also. I think that as I get older, I keep needing to eliminate more and more things, to be more strict. When I was in my teens and 20s, I could eat pretty much what I wanted and workout. Then my 30s hit, and the sort of NoS approach worked. Eat less and still workout. Now, in my 40s, I have to eat much, much less. By the time I hit my 50s and 60s and up, I may very likely have to resort to 3 jars of baby food a day. :001_huh: :lol: This is encouraging to hear. Good for you! :D I love success stories. Not cheating over the long-term - I wish I had that discipline. I definitely don't. I can avoid cheating for several weeks, or a few months, but not long-term, not permanently. Eating out here - few places, other than the very expensive ones cater to this sort of diet. And again, taking my own food would be a bit rude here and awkward. Thank you for the links to those books. I've been considering the exact same ones. I keep going back and forth on them. I even placed an order for both of them a few days ago and then canceled. I can't decide. On the one hand, I am convinced that it could work. On the other, I loathe cooking ... Decisions, decisions ... :confused: Those are hard to come by in this part of the world. I avoid flax, but the others are definitely hard to find and far more costly. Sometimes I see them here on the shelves, and most times I don't. Susan, this sounds interesting and very similar to Steak Days on hcg. I've had success with hcg, but have never (due to life circumstances) been able to successfully implement P3 and P4. Thank you. Maybe I just need to weigh myself daily, eat as low-carb as is practically possible and appealing, and do Steak Days as needed.

Amy, I loved The Housekeeper and the Professor. It's one of my favorites for the year also. :) BTW, I like your rating system and, if you don't mind, I may use this also.

As much as I'd like to vote, I can't. I'm not American.

Stretching Yoga Heat - showers, etc. I LOVE Tiger Balm. :D

Wow! Great job! :D I like this and it's what appeals to me. Since I don't have a tremendous amount to lose and my main goal now is to lose a bit more, but most importantly, maintenance, I would love to do something that has structure, flexibility, and is practical. In an ideal world, I would really love to spend hours cooking up healthy meals every day and following low-carb to a perfect t, but at this point in my life, I just can't do that. Thank you so much for your very helpful guidelines. :) Yes, this has been my thought also. This is what I would really love to do - to be able to hopefully combine both approaches - NoS and Taubes. :grouphug: and thank you for your sweet and kind words. The older I get, the less I see results from exercise. I no longer lose from exercise. I used to be able to. Exercise makes me feel great, healthy, and look toned, but as far as actual pounds and weight loss go, it does nothing. If you've read Gary Taubes's book, and I highly recommend it, you'll see why. I also have lots of links about this. Exercise is great for health purposes, but when it comes to weight loss, it often makes me hungrier (not necessarily immediately, but over the long-term), particularly when intense and/or when done for longer than 45 minutes. I have found that when I have a significant amount to lose, I need the more extreme approaches. I get discouraged when I lose nothing or very little. I like a big jump-start, and then something more moderate once I get to my goal or close to it. Exactly. I can't really see myself eating very low carb and no sweets forever. I think I could handle a combination of NoS/low-carb (not no-carb, but low-carb) over the long-term. I hope I can ;). That way, I could have some carbs on the weekend, for example, or for special occasions. I keep coming across this and have often considered it. I'll read up on this also. Thank you. :) Great job! This is encouraging. I would love to be able to do this. Yes. Thank you for that reminder. I usually am quite vigilant about research and reading. Good reminder. :) I hope I can do this. I hope I'll be one of those who can handle small portions of carbs. And yes, it is so much about portion size. I cannot stand that sort of thing. Mind you, I also don't particularly love complicated cooking/cooking that takes too much time. Thanks again everyone. Love your helpful replies. :D

Looks absolutely gorgeous, Stacia :). Guess I won't be getting the Kindle version of this. :lol:

Thank you again, everyone. I love your helpful replies. :) Donna, the book looks good, but at this point in my life, I really can't commit all that time and energy to food prep and cooking. Thank you anyway. Adding it to my wish list for sometime in the future. Good to know. Thank you for getting back to me on this. The fact that you would continue with it is an encouraging sign. :) Thanks for your other helpful info also. :grouphug: At this point in my life, I don't have a lot of weight to lose - 10 pounds or less - would be nice. But otherwise, not killing myself over it. It's the keeping it off that's the hard part. I've lost over 20 pounds since January. Maintenance is the challenge. Always has been. :glare: Your post was very helpful and no, you never need to apologize for long posts. I'm the queen of long posts, trust me. :D I may very well give the NoS another go. Simple is what I need at this point in my life. But I also want effective, so if I do go this route, obviously, I hope it works. I went on the site before and read everything. I may try again. :) Not much time to read (in depth) and reply to the other posts, but hope to later today or so. Really do appreciate everyone's feedback. Thank you!