You're very motivating and encouraging!!:D Not sure what we should post in this thread? I will say I'm having a good day. DH and DS are gone cleaning out in-laws garage so we can store some stuff there in prep for a move. So DD and I are doing some cleaning out and packing ourselves. I am getting rid of SO. MUCH. STUFF. It feels really good! I got to reminisce over some old pics and saved keepsakes too. That's always nice and didn't make me too melancholy! I have been right on track with my foods today too. No exercise but that's because I'm busting my booty around the house. I am off right now to down my vitamins, drink 16oz of water and take a shower. Then I'll have a cup of tea. That should get me through my 3pm slump where I might normally go looking for sugar!:tongue_smilie:

Right there with ya!!! Congrats on your 35 so far Rebecca!!!

Hey Kristi! You know, I don't have much in the way of secrets and tips to pass on. Medifast is working for me because I don't have to think much. 5 small meals/snacks are already done for me, so when I'm in my normal routine I don't have to think about food at all. And I'm not really hungry on MF. Don't know why, maybe it's all the protein. I have done some batch cooking so that my family still eats an sometimes I do eat my "lean and green" meal with them. Like last night I made them spaghetti and meatballs, so for me I made a big bowl of green beans and chicken, and put a bit of the sauce on mine. So it doesn't seem like I am deprived. I do that kind of stuff so we can still eat as a family but I'm not eating the carby things they are. My real challenge is nights and weekends. I am working on curbing my habit of late night eating, so I usually save one of my MF meals for after dinner. Weekends are tough because when DH is home my routine is different and we tend to eat out more. Sometimes, like yesterday, when he got burgers I just had him not get me anything and it was fine. Other times I do stick to salads. I have sometimes allowed myself a "cheat" meal, but I still try to stick in moderation. Like if we decide to have pizza, I make myself my huge salad and have one piece of pizza. PM me if you want more specifics on Medifast. This works for me because I do better if I'm not focused on food and counting calories or points all the time. It's a behavior modification thing. I totally can see how it won't work for many people, but it seems to be working for my personality. BUT, I have to get my butt moving! I'll never keep it off long term if I don't find a way to make exercise a priority!

Thanks for mentioning that Melanie! I have these on my list but I don't like that kind of stuff in books. S$x is fine if it's not to explicit, but abuse is something I can't handle well. Sounds like I should skip these.

I'll join in. I'm back on track with Medifast. I started in October and have lost almost 30 # so far. But December was really rough. The stress of family and the holidays pointed me straight for the pantry and fridge (and liquor cabinet sometimes too!). I feel good that the next several months don't have any big food holidays coming and I can just put my head down and get on with it! I HATE exercise, but I am going to work on walking several times a week and will try some videos too. I have Tae Bo which is fun, and I can rent some from the library. After we move I will see about maybe joining the Y - depends on how the budget shapes up. I have a LOT to lose too, but I am not going to think about that right now. My focus is 20 pounds because when I hit that goal it will be 50 lost and my reward is a new bike (and probably a few new clothes).

I LOVED Innocent Traitor!!! I'll keep an eye out for your review of Once and Future King. You must be an English Hist Fiction lover like me! :D

I'm halfway through The Illuminator. It's about a man in 14th c England who is an artist and is contracted to illuminate a copy of scripture for the Catholic church, but is also secretly illuminating (more simply) a copy of scripture for Wycliffe in common English. So far I am loving it, but I need to pick up the pace because the library wants it back eventually I'm sure.:glare: I am also reading Spirit Led Eating that I got from PBS. It's by a psychologist who has lost weight by imposing some eating rules he found in scripture. We'll see. I always take this stuff with a grain of salt. HA! No pun intended!:D I have waiting Portrait of an Unknown Woman, which I had better get to because the library wants it back too! It's about an unknown woman in a portrait done by Holbein of Sir Tomas More's family. Can't wait to dig into it!

Wanted to come back in and say thanks for this!!! I signed up for her newsletter, read through some blog entries and downloaded the January calendar page. She has a great small, very doable action item for each day. I'm going to hang it on my fridge and check off each day when I do the thing she suggests. Today she wants me to rethink my entryway (so some days are just getting you to focus on a space and think about it's purpose and how it's fulfilling that purpose). But I already have a leg up on tomorrow "Declutter some decorations you didn't use". DONE!:D Thanks, Audrey, this was a great find!

As I mentioned in the other thread, we're moving, so I got rid of a ton today. Took down Christmas and got rid of some of it that I don't put up. Loaded the back of my van for donation/sale: 2 outgrown kids bikes, 2 old printers, one old scanner, one old fax machine, a bag of shoes, and an old monitor. Then the backyard has at least 10 trashbags full of stuff: old letterhead, old pieces from DHs portfolio, old paperwork, junk-junk-junk. We feel like we accomplished a LOT today!:D

I'll join in too! Although we will be moving, probably by February, so I will likely pitch/donate/sell 365 things by the end of January!:001_huh::lol: It feels really good! The back of my van is already full and waiting to go to Goodwill. We're majorly downsizing and I feel like it will be a wonderful fresh start!:D

I teared up also. Such beautiful work! And a treasure for that family! Maybe this can be a side-shoot of your business. Being able to bless people like that in their time of need is truly a gift.

This is precisely the kind of abuse a friend of mine suffered at the hands of 2 different uncles for most of her tween/teen years. Right in the midst of large family gatherings. She was paralyzed with fear and led to believe it was normal. It's terrifying to think of my dd in a situation like this. She is so shy and timid that it scares me to death she will be victimized and be too scared to say anything. Is it any wonder I am a helicopter mom with her? Joanne, I am so sorry you had to deal with this in the midst of everything you are going through. I hope you find your inner warrior and feel like you can do something to get the message across that this behavior is not acceptable.:grouphug:

OH! SO AWFUL!!! SEE< I'M SHOUTING ABOUT IT!!!! :lol:

I agree with this review. We saw it last night and while I was thoroughly entertained by the visuals, the "message" was distracting. I don't think it had to be SO obvious. Worship and protect mother earth!!! Not that I disagree with protecting the earth, and not that I don't think there are those doing it harm, but this was OVER THE TOP! :iagree:My dh saw the correlation to the anti-Iraq war sentiment where I saw it more with the anti-colonialism sentiment. Maybe those are similar in a way. That's so funny that you said that! My dh called it "Dances with Wolves in Space"!!:lol: All in all I thought it was an entertaining experience if for nothing but the stunning visuals. I have never seen anything like it. I was enchanted from the beginning. The part of our experience that I didn't like was that we went to see it in a theater that serves dinner while you watch the movie. It was very difficult to eat salad in the dark with 3D glasses on!!:tongue_smilie:

My doc said a similar thing. I had my dd sort of late, 34, with no problems whatsoever. Then we waited a while and enjoyed her while trying to decide on more. I was a full time working mom and just couldn't figure out how to do it all. But we finally started trying for another and I had secondary infertility. Lots of drugs and interventions, and 2 miscarriages later, and I finally was pg with my son. Then I developed preeclampsia and almost died at 29 weeks. They had to deliver my son at that time and he spent 7 weeks in the NICU. My doc looked at me with all the earnestness she could muster and said "I think you need to pray about this, but as your doctor I can not advise you to have any more children." So, we're done. It wasn't even until my son was about 3 that I was finally able to be at home with my kids, so I don't know how I would have juggled daycare, etc. I do feel at peace about it. As a good friend says "MY quiver is full".:D

My poor DH and his Saints. Things were going along so nicely. It was the loss to the dreaded and hated Cowboys that did him in. As for now we will watch Texas in the Rose Bowl and hope for a win until we can next cheer our beloved Drew Brees!:D

That is HILARIOUS, I say unto you. :lol:

I don't eat weird foods as a rule, knowingly that is. I am now not allowing myself to open this thread again.:ack2::leaving: :tongue_smilie:

Charlotte's Web

Well, if you are up and alone I'd probably rent a couple of good movies that no one but me wants to see, and order a pizza or other treat. I'd even have some champagne! Might as well make it special for yourself. Then you can text everyone you know Happy New Year when the moment strikes!

I'm finishing The Illuminator right now and will count Portrait of an Unknown Woman for my January read. Hey, maybe I'll even get in 2 in January. I liked the goal I heard someone else state of one fiction and one non-fiction. My goal for my non-fiction for January will be Spirit Led Eating. It is January after all!:D

DS is taking Poly-Vi-Sol liquid as a multi vit and to up his vit D levels. I don't think it's high enough (only 800 iu's/day) but that's what the doc has him on. DD just takes a chewable multi. I'd like to put them both on Omegas but they won't swallow those big oil capsules.:glare: I'm on Omegas, B 6, B12, 5000 iu of D, and potassium. DH takes the same but no potassium. He's not as regular about it but I'm trying. I might have to look into the liquid. He's a big baby about swallowing pills but really needs the Omegas for heart health (he's on Lipitor and his triglycerides are pretty bad) and he badly needs the B's for energy. He seems so tired all the time.

That was very helpful, but for me it rec'd the Regenerest products and I am concerned since several of you said it caused a bad reaction. I'm trying to see if I can request a sample but that page won't load. Anyway, thanks for the link. I need to get better about my skin care routine!

So my understanding is that you don't need to buy the student books if you want to save $$. Is that true?

I would have loved a little get away with girlfriends. My 40th is close to my 20th anniversary and for that I of course opted for DH. But for my 40th I would have LOVED a fun weekend away or small cruise with girlfriends.