:iagree: I had a breast thermogram done a few months ago. I had been eating far more soy than usual. They could see that I had. Told me to stop and gave me pics showing the difference in when people stop taking it. Amazing. Please, please, please share what she tells you. :D I'm also on the same diet - no soy whatsoever. They also told me to avoid flax, as well as giving me a non-synthetic, all-natural, organic progesterone cream. I know that milk is very bad for raising estrogen levels and increasing breast cancer risks. Milk is not good, for the most part. Pretty bad for anything. And I love the stuff, but hardly ever have it anymore.

Strider, great tips. Thank you. :)

Lots more info than you probably want here. Skin cells flake and slough off the body all the time, normally skin go through the cycle of dying and being replaced once a month. If this process is sped up and the skin cells aren't removed, you get dandruff. Although the real causes of dandruff are still unknown, most theories involve the sebaceous glands being plugged, or overproducing. Get your Omega-3s – oysters, beef, pork, chicken legs, a good fish oil, such as Carlson's - 3000 mg daily - helps to relieve itching and inflammation. Dandruff is connected to an unhealthy digestive system – eat more plain yogurt, garlic, and oregano Get more zinc. Zinc is essential for healthy hair and for preventing and treating dandruff. Get zinc from foods such as lean beef, chicken, and chickpeas. B12: Liver, beef, pork, eggs, yogurt Vitamin F: Vegetable Oils, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts B6: Liver, Legumes, Whole Grain Cereals, Fish Selenium: Bran, Wheat Germ, Broccoli, Onions, Tomatoes, Tuna Avoid/Watch Out For: Dairy Products (other than plain yogurt) Irritating Shampoos or Soaps Sugar Fried Foods Chocolate Do not pick or scratch your scalp. One key point is whatever dandruff shampoo one uses (ACV, etc.) - to LEAVE IT ON the scalp for at least 30 minutes, if possible. Let it really soak in. That's what always works for me.

Known this for years, but thought to share for anyone who's interested.

I love this thread and all the great suggestions. This one is a really nice book and has a recipe in between every chapter. Absolutely delicious recipes.

Is this religious and do you have a link for it? Thanks.

Stacia, thanks for the blog link. As you may know, we haven't started The Hobbit yet, but hope to this year. Have the same study guide and it looks good. I do appreciate you mentioning that that site has a Christian world view. I wish I knew this beforehand for many programs, sites, and links that I often visit. I don't have a problem with some Christian content, but as someone here on these boards once said so wisely, "I like to add my faith in, not have to correct things we don't believe; so we use secular curricula now." :)

I would love a book list/s or resources that list books by grade level with a main focus on British literature. Dh and I love Charles Dickens, Jane Ausen, and so on. I found this thread helpful, but I would love to find a list, if there is one of recommended books by grade level with British Lit. Thank you.

I feel the same way as you do, or, should I say, felt the same way ... I now realize that my dc need all the help they can get, particularly my dd who tends to be off in her own planet at times ;). I recently got this series for both my dc and so far, so good. Really liking them. Teaches them outlining, as well as a whole bunch of other great stuff. I got mine from Rainbow Resource, however.

:iagree: ETA: It also depends on the kid's age. When my dc were very small, as well as the fact that here, no one opens their gifts at bday parties, my dc didn't. Once they were about 7 or 8, they would open them at the party, and were, by then, better equipped to handle the courtesies, etiquette, etc. Now, there are no more parties. They're too old for them. Birthdays are family events with one or two friends and that's it. :)

This is wonderful. Thank you for starting this. :grouphug: Are there any groups that we can no longer join, or, better yet, which groups are still open for joining? I know that I would like to join For the Long Haul, or whatever it's called ... and maybe a few others.

About two years ago or so, I lost lots of weight and jump started the whole process by setting mini-goals as well as rewards. I marked my calendar in 6-week intervals and set myself goals such as the following (or what you already have, which are great tips, btw). Work on one thing at a time. Change one thing at a time. Trying to change everything at once is a recipe for disaster. Change things a little at a time to create permanent new habits. You have to come up with something that is going to work for you individually. Everyone has different habits and challenges. I looked at my diet and bad habits and then I wrote them down. I prioritized my bad habit list from worst to least worst. Then I worked on each major issue for at least 6 weeks. They say that it takes 6 weeks for something to become a habit. I marked my calendar. For example, a list might look like this. Consuming sugar and HFCS Eating when frustrated or trapped No exercise Not enough fiber Eating after 8 PM Not drinking enough water Not enough vegetables in diet Consuming dairy Drinking soda Going to bed too late For me, sugar was and normally continues to be my major weight culprit. I have succeeded most when I limit it. Then I gradually worked on my other challenges. Most of us cannot fix all these things in a day, a week, or even a month. After my first good habit was established, then I worked on the next and then the next. You might try making a checklist for yourself of your daily goals. Asking yourself the "hard/specific questions" and put it on your fridge. Someone suggested the following: M___Tues__Wed__Thur__Fri__S__Sun__(space for check marks) Did you walk briskly 20 minutes today? Did you drink 3 glasses of water at breakfast/lunch/dinner today? Did you eat fiber today? Did you reach for a healthy snack today? Did you avoid high fat foods today? Anyway, this helps some. You need to decide how you will reward yourself in a healthful manner. I kept a l log of how many days I worked out and how many days I ate no sugar, for example (or whatever I was focusing on) and according to a certain number, I treated myself – to either a new fitness DVD, a facial, a massage, or a book. You can reward yourself with whatever makes you happy :D. I made a list of different rewards to keep me motivated each month. But don’t reward yourself with food! ;)

http://www.footsmart.com/ is my favorite.

:iagree: I didn't care for it much. Didn't feel that I learned anything particularly new.

:iagree: Love her. Wish I could meet her someday. I've been enjoying her since I was a teen.

That's how I felt about it also. Get past the first 60-70 pages. The graphic stuff didn't bother me much at all. I also skimmed through it. "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (particularly the latter) were far more emotionally wrenching for me, than Dragon Tattoo.

2 sports bras to wear on top of one another if you're well endowed.

Not to negate what you say and have experienced ... I have come to believe that most weight and even most health problems can be solved over time. Starving oneself is not healthy. BTDT. I pretty much wrote the exact same post on another homeschooling forum a few years ago :grouphug:. Trust me, pretty much the exact same words. I was where you are. I was obese. I then, with a LOT of work, effort, tears, and sweat - got to where I was at a very good weight. I got to a point where the desire to lose weight was so strong, that nothing was going to stop me. I still fluctuate if I don't watch it. I realize that this is a lifelong struggle with me. It will never go away. Right now, I'm on the hcg diet and feel very hopeful for the first time in a very long time. I'm losing, but am not patting myself on the back by any means. Losing is relatively easy. It's the keeping off that's the hard part. 95% of those who lose end up gaining it all back and more. I'm usually in that 95%, but I cannot for the life of me give up or ever lose hope. I have to keep at it. It's a health issue. I need to be around for my kids and hopefully grandkids. Many on the hcg plan start off at very obese levels - needing to lose LOTS of weight. They're in it for life. I've also heard great things about Eat to Live from others who are like you and I - who have such a hard time losing. There's another program that I just heard about on another forum - one that I'm very interested in for when I finish hcg, if I need a change - intermittent fasting. If anyone here wants to know more, let me know. I'm still learning about it. It seems to be very do-able. No hunger, no lack of nutrients, etc. But I know that you're probably not looking for advice. Neither. I try to avoid extremes if I can ... not always successful. 1. Eat what you want and eat as much as you want and be happy and healthy - I don't believe that I personally can eat what I want and as much as I want and be healthy. I might be happy temporarily, but that happiness would very soon fade. What I want to eat and how much I want to eat are quite different to what I should be doing in order to be healthy. 2. Eat almost nothing while you have no energy to even get up and have your hair fall out - BTDT. Not the hair falling out, however. This messes with one's metabolism and energy level. This is not healthy. This is not where one should be. Right now, on the 2nd phase of hcg - I am eating almost nothing (or it appears like almost nothing compared to how much I was eating before) - 500 calories a day - yet I have even more energy believe it or not than usual, no hair loss, and no hunger (yet). I always take special supplements for preventing hair loss, however, as do many. I'm cautiously skeptical, however. I'll see how it all goes once I complete it and after. When it comes to weight loss struggles, there is no magic wand. Wish there was. ETA: Something else that just came to mind. This may not be what anyone wants to hear. Sorry to upset ... years ago I heard something on the radio. At a dinner, where one of the guests was a survivor of a WW2 concentration camp, the topic of weight and weight struggles came up. Everyone was saying the usual - how they can't lose because of x, y, z - poor metabolism, genetics, you name it. The concentration camp survivor was silent throughout, until he said how all of these are pretty much excuses, and how people of all different weights entered the camps. But after a certain time, the food deprivation was the great equalizer. Every. single. person. will lose weight on so few calories. No one stayed obese or overweight on those camps. The weight came off for every one of them. Some may lose weight slower. But the weight will come off regardless of genes, metabolism, blood type, etc. I just believe that hope is essential.

:iagree: I wish it weren't so, but the sad fact is that it's so true.

I was always skeptical, but now I absolutely love the Key To series. They can be done pretty much independently. Very engaging, thorough, lots of drill. We really like them. Very user-friendly.

:iagree: We love these and we've gone through quite a few programs. These are our favorite so far. I wish I could find something very similar for when we complete these. Mind Benders were fine at first, but as Lori here once said, "they teach only a single, limited type of logic and develop only a single type of puzzle-solving skill. We found that doing a wide variety of logic and critical thinking puzzles from grades 3-8 was what was most helpful for developing those skills our students used in middle school/high school to be able to compare/contrast, analyze, see patterns and processes, etc. in algebra, history, science, literature, etc. -- as well as preparing our students for a formal Logic course in high school." We don't particularly care for Dr. Funster's Creative Thinking Puzzlers.

Time, Energy, Money, Patience - to me all are needed in order to have children. Time - I don't have more time to spend. Two is perfect for us. Plus, we're blessed to have a girl and a boy. I homeschool both and wouldn't dream of having more. The age difference would also not be something I'm in favor of. I like the fact that our two are close in age. Energy - I no longer have the energy that I did say, 10 years ago. Money - short supply. Patience - short supply. ETA: We did go back and forth many times on having a third, back when our children were very young. But once we made our decision, we were set, happy, and content.

No time to post a reply right now. Just offering :grouphug:. I would choose the former - eat and be happy. I'll try my best to get back to you by tomorrow. I hope that my post didn't upset or offend you in any way. That's not my intention at all. I'm the queen of weight ups and downs. Ever since children, my weight has constantly fluctuated. Never mind how it gets harder and harder as we get older. :grouphug:

Haven't yet had time to read all the replies, but will soon. One thing that came to mind just now, look for a short ingredient list. I love Nature's Way - good prices, great product (as far as I can tell for quite some time), and short ingredient list. I can't afford very expensive supplements, particularly since we take quite a lot of them. Nature's Way is on vitacost as are many others. I love the reviews. Very helpful. Vitacost also has the best prices that I have seen.

This just goes to show that every body is different. I could have written most of this up 2 or so years ago. Most of this applied to me even until a year ago. Great health and fitness,yet I was overweight and/or obese even (not saying that you are). I could also outwalk and beat most at many activities. I so agree with you, but the sad fact is that society is weight-obsessed. I have to pay MUCH more health insurance than my dh, simply because of gender and weight. I'm much healthier than him. I workout more than he does. None of that matters, with the insurance companies. They want me to be under 139 pounds. I haven't been that low since before dc. Insurance companies and the medical profession only look at weight. They don't care how often or how much I exercise. They don't look for body fat% or fitness level. Society is the same way. Even when I exercised like mad, I looked toned and buff, but I still looked overweight. I have pictures to prove it. I know it's not the end-all and be-all. But even with all the exercise, my joints would often hurt, plantar fascitis, etc. I don't like skinny and I'll never be skinny. But I know that I could stand to lose some. The older I get, the easier my health and well-being will be if I lose weight. I just read something and I wish I could find it, that BMI is actually a greater predictor of heart disease than aerobic capacity. Didn't exactly make me happy. Also, in order to prevent bre@st cancer, one needs to ideally be within 12 pounds of the ideal weight. Not thrilled about that either. I totally agree with you. I hate weight. I often tell myself, the whole thing is shallow and meaningless. It's just a number after all. But the older I get, the more I realize that it is somewhat important. It's not everything, but it matters. I agree that skinny is not always healthy and fat is not always unhealthy. As I'm getting older, weight is no longer a vanity issue, as it was say before marriage and kids. It's health. Just one example: my 70-year-old mom has recently started having arthritis in her knees. Her physician said that she's actually lucky that it started so late and that it's only because she has no excess weight. I know a few people who are not much older than me and who have arthritis or the beginnings of it primarily because of excess weight. In general, unfortunately (trust me, I'm not thrilled about this myself), the leaner we are and the trimmer our waistline (since waist measurement is a fabulous predictor of overall health), the better our overall health. My suggestion: be happy, be content :grouphug:, don't worry about weight, perhaps focus more on waist measurement. The more I have read and keep reading, the more I realize that waist measurement is KEY. As a good friend just wrote: "My goal is to get my waist under the 33" -- Everything I read leads me to believe that the most important factor for health is your waist size-- not an arbitrary number on a scale. In my reading I have discovered that the fat around your mid-section actually acts as an organ--secreting hormones and disrupting your health. It adheres to your internal organs. It is not good. That is what I want gone." I have been thinking that weight and waist measurement are very closely related. I don't think I have ever been at an ideal weight and had a large waist, or vice versa, had a small waist and weighed a lot. I guess the two do go hand-in-hand ... Just different ways of measuring, I guess. I figure they're both important. I just read this from one of the links below: "As your weight changes, you can expect to lose about 1" from your waistline for each 6-8 lbs of weight loss." This info may be of interest. Because muscle weighs more than fat, many physically fit people are mistakenly classified as "overweight", while they are actually less likely to die young than a "normal" weight individual whose excess weight is mostly fat. BMI’s downfall is that it does not take into account body composition - whether or not excess weight is fat or muscle - which is why fit people often find themselves in the fat category of the BMI rating system. The important thing to consider is how body fat is distributed around the body, as the real problems occur when fat accumulates in the central abdominal region. Some physicians suggest that a waist circumference measurement is more informative, in that it is a direct measure of the part of the body that tends to accumulate fat. Having a waistband of more than 35in in women and 40in in men indicates the highest risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. There is an increased risk of the diseases for women with measurements of more than 32in and men whose measurement is over 37in. Many of us have been programmed to worship a number on the scale, but waist circumference is more important than weight. A large waist can increase your risk of insulin resistance, the body’s inability to process sugars, which raises your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. http://www.collectivewizdom.com/NormalWaistSize.html What is the ideal waist size? As you might expect, recommendations vary. Under the guidelines of the International Diabetes Federation, a normal waistline for a woman is 32 inches or less, and for a man is 38 inches or less. Many doctors are even more stringent, recommending a target of 30 inches or less for a woman and 35 for a man. How to Reduce Your Waist The best way to reduce your waist size is first to get as close as you can to your ideal body weight. In addition to that, research studies have found that certain foods can help you to reduce fat around your abdomen, particularly foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as halibut and salmon. It turns out that your waistline measurement may tell us more about your overall health than any other statistic. Why? All fat is not created equal. And fat around the middle may be the worst fat of all. Your waist line measurement may be the most important indicator of your overall health. There is a direct correlation between the size of your waist and your risk for developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes and, if you are a man, erectile dysfunction. How? In contrast to the popular notion of fat as an inert blob, fat is actually an active substance. Fat leaks a constant stream of hormones into your bloodstream and some of these hormones are quite harmful.