I am not familiar with Boys in the boat but have enjoyed: The Mitford series by Jan Karon The #1 Ladies detective club by Alexander McCall Smith Diane

I'm in...lots to do before we travel 15 hours in the car tomorrow! To Do: Laundry - sheets, towels, clothes for trip - DONE Pack all clothes - DONE Have DS 2 clean boys bathroom and tv room - DS needs to redo Have DS 1 clean boys bedroom - DONE Go to Grocery store for drinks/snacks for the road-DONE Withdraw $ from bank -DONE Charge cell phone/kindle -DONE Pack all electronics - DONE Give keys/garage door opener to dogsitter - Dogsitter will be here at 5:00pm Clean out refrigerator - DH said he would do Vacuum interior of car-Too tired, don't care anymore! Fill up Gas tank - DONE Clean our bathroom - DONE Pack all gifts - DONE Have DH set up pump up air mattress for housesitter - DH still needs to do take out trash - DH took care of this - DONE Get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids so I don't get sick :laugh:

I asked for Nature's organic lavender lotion, a warm winter coat (I have a short medium warm coat, but wanted something warmer...it gets cold here!) a massage, kindle gift certificate, starbucks gift card and pajamas. I wanted to give lots of ideas so that I will be surprised on Christmas morning.

Well, I am getting my mom a pretty chenille throw blanket in a deep red and a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream (things to keep her warm). Dad is getting a pair of nice slippers and a watch. Diane

We use this as well. I researched quite a bit and this came up as one of the best options by price and nutritional value for our dog.

Saw this in the news this morning and it made my day! I am so happy for him and his family! http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/06/politics/jimmy-carter-cancer-free/index.html

I like to do a variation of the Harley Pasternak's breakfast smoothie; 5 almonds 1 banana 1 small apple cored 3/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt 1/2 cup nonfat milk 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping handful of organic baby spinach 1 stalk celery Ice This is one of my favorite smoothies. Delicious and filling. Enjoy :)

I really enjoy Lipton's decaf honey lemon green tea. Smells and tastes delicious.

Thanks for the replies! No new medications, however I noticed that one of the causes could be stress. Lots of family stress the last few days AND I happened to be holding a cold drink within a few minutes of symptoms each time. Guess I need to start wearing gloves when I drink my frappacinos😀

So, in the past 3 days I have had the upper part of the middle finger on my right hand start to tingle and essentially lose circulation. The nail bed becomes completely white (surrounding nails are normal pinkish color) and it feels like someone has tied a tight string around it. I completely freaked me out the first time it happened and I had to massage my finger for a minute or two before it went back to normal. While it was going on the first thought that came into my head was that I was going to have to go to the ER or else I would lose the tip of my finger (yes, I know sounds crazy, but it really scared me) It happened to me again today. Both times I had been driving and was carrying my keys in that hand. I do work on the computer all day for work and have had some tingly issues in my right hand in the past but none recently. Any thoughts or similar experiences? I am not quite sure what to do or what type of doctor to see. Suggestions are welcome! Thanks! Diane

I'm doing 17 day diet,,so take it for what it's worth. Breakfast -Scrambled eggs with a dash of parmesan cheese and peppers, green tea Lunch - Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, vinagrette and grilled chicken, green tea snack - sliced peach covered in non-fat plain greek yogurt with cinnamon sprinkled on it dinner - turkey meatloaf, steamed brocolli, sliced tomatoes, green tea

Another good alternative if you are out and about and need to get something quickly on the go is Chipotle. I have gotten their salad with grilled chicken, veggies (grilled onions and peppers) and pico. It is super yummy and works with the plan. Another possible alternative would be tokyo joe's. I believe you can alternate the rice/noodle grilled chicken bowl with additional veggies. It can be hard to eat on the go but there are some good options out there!

Congratulations on making it through your 2nd day and hopefully through your third! I can especially relate to your statement about how you gained weight when you tried to convince yourself you could eat anything in moderation. I have done that myself....a lot! Especially with chips and sour cream and onion dip. I feel like I can do this diet because it is initially strict (which is what I need to have a certain level of accountability) and then slowly adds additional foods in that are still good for my body and not just processed junk. I have a hard time counting calories ( I find myself obsessing over food), so I appreciate a plan that has simple guidelines that make sense. Best wishes!

Best wishes for continued success! I love it when my favorite clothes start to fit again!

How did your first day go Teachermom? I have found that I do best when I have meals planned and don't leave anything to chance. I have had a few difficult nights where the thought of more protein and veggies is unbearable, but for the most part am following the program. I did find some fish that is not only tolerable but actually quite tasty. I bought some honey smoked salmon (it is pricey) and have been enjoying that in addition to the ground turkey and chicken breast. Lunch today was honey smoked salmon, steamed broccoli and half an apple. It was filling and actually quite tasty. It is interesting how quickly sweets become too sweet on this plan. I made my son a chocolate milkshake last night and licked the spoon after dishing out the ice cream into the blender. The chocolate taste was way too sweet for me. I had no desire for more. I may not have lost a lot of pounds at this point but my tummy is flatter and I don't feel self-conscience when I am wearing form fitting shirts. Good luck to everyone!

Well, I made the mistake of getting on the scale before the end of the first 17 day cycle (I am on day 11) and it doesn't appear that I have lost any weight :confused1: The good news is that I can see a difference in my face and stomach (or am I just imagining it :huh: ). I am going to continue with the plan because I don't feel like I have much choice. I do want to feel and look better and eating this way will at least keep me from gaining..right? I will be glad to move on to additional cycles. It will be nice to have a variety of lean meat to eat instead of just chicken and turkey (I don't like any fish). I haven't missed chips or soft drinks, but would love to have a slice of that whole foods chocolate cake I passed on last week :lol: Hoping for better luck with the scale next week!

Yes, you are allowed up to 2 tablespoons of flax seed or olive oil every day in cycle 1.

Hi Alexigail! It is going good for the most part...we had a dinner party last night and I did cheat . Had a tablespoon of guacamole, a teaspoon of cheese dip and corn muffin. Everything else was part of the plan (grilled chicken breast, salad, strawberries). I didn't have the angel food cake or vanilla ice cream so I did consider that a "win". Back on board this morning. Had eggs with peppers and a teaspoon of grated parmesan along with with my green tea. I am now eating left over salad and grilled chicken for lunch. Best wishes for you on your weight loss journey!

Thank you for the info! Good to know. When I got married I weighed 104. Pre-baby (12 years ago) I weighed 113. I definitely felt a bit underweight at 104 and just about right at 113. I haven't been below 120 in about 6 years... I am on day 5 and am feeling good! I have made one slight change to the program in that I have decaf green tea in place of caffeinated tea. I was having difficulty at night sleeping and was feeling toxically tired the next day. The last thing my family needs is me on a diet with no sleep :lol: I am enjoying the energy I have and am really enjoying my meals. It is amazing to me that when I eat the proper food how little I crave the foods I shouldn't have (there was a birthday party this week with a chocolate fudge cake from whole foods that I passed on). Looking forward to seeing the weight loss at the end of Cycle 1. I am refraining getting on the scale until then as I want to remain motivated.

I have been reading this thread the last several months and have finally gotten the motivation needed to start Cycle 1. I started exercising regularly the last month, but have been having a difficult time eating healthy. I am hoping that by starting out with a refrigerator full of "approved" food and a plan in place that I can jump start my weight loss. I am currently 5'1'' and 132 pounds and would like to get down to approximately 110 (pre-pregnancy weight). I am 44 years old so not sure if this is reasonable weight, but am willing to give it a try and make the necessary changes to my diet.

Hugs to you! I am sorry they treated you that way. I am 44 went to my OBGYN for my annual mammogram exam a few days ago and apparently sat in the wrong waiting section. The nurse came around the corner looking for me, saw another patient and said "Are you Diane...oh no you can't be you're not that old." Made my day. Not!

Rice Krispy treat. I could eat the whole pan!

I have always enjoyed His Girl Friday (?) I think that is the name of it with Cary Grant. Lots quick verbal sparring with Rosalind Russel. An older movie for sure but lots of fun.

We are changing things up this Christmas as well! Christmas Eve Dinner: Steak Baked potatoes with all the fixins Salad Key Lime Pie Christmas Day we will be doing appetizers and snack type food as we didn't want to to a formal dinner: Pioneer Woman's recipe for cheese ball with club, wheat and vegetable crackers Veggie tray with onion dip Buffalo wings rotel dip with tortilla chips Guacamole dip pumpkin pie, apple pie, homemade christmas cookies