Thanks for the good thoughts everyone. My friend is in my mind constantly. I'll see her when we go to New England for Thanksgiving, but I so wish I could do something to help now. Her daughter is staying with her for the next couple of weeks, which will be a great comfort. Her son is the campaign manager for a congressional candidate in Maryland, so he needs to be there until the election, though he's been back and forth several times and probably will continue that way.

Robin, I hear you on the weight vs. body composition/shape. I could wear a smaller size jeans if I could get my waistline to cooperate! When I was younger it was always my hips and thighs that kept me in a size, often with a waist that needed belting. I'm working on the nutrition today, as my cold is progessing nicely and breathing may be an issue for cardio. Hopefully it'll be done before I leave for Texas next week. I mean, that's a vacation! As opposed to my most recent trips which were for work.

Lily - glad you're feeling better,and better still that your foot is improving!

to everyone. I'm off to meet a cable guy, and maybe I'll just stay home and take a nap - it's what I feel like doing!

Hi everyone. I am having trouble with one particular food. Peanut butter. I can't seem to regulate the appropriate amount of it. When I eat it, I crave sweets. It is on my particular eating plan, but I eat too much of it. Since I limit my bread intake, I always want bread with it, which is hard for me to resist. Today when I bought groceries, I just didn't buy any. I thought maybe just being without it for a while would help. I had gotten into the habit of eating it every day, sometimes on bread and sometimes just from a spoon. My biggest problem was knowing that it was available and knowing how easy it was to make no-bake cookies with it. (Which I always over-eat on). Does anyone know the name of a natural peanut butter that may not have sugar and not cause me to have such intense cravings? I have not gained weight from it, but have eaten so much of it that I didn't get in my other appropriate foods for the day, such as my veggies.

Lily, natural pb does not have any sugar added. There's a whole thread on peanut butter on the Whole Foods Lifestyle area. My grocery store has a grinder where you can get as much or as little as you like. A good way to start. I found it took getting used to the texture of the natural stuff, the flavor is great!

Lily, my dear, you certainly aren't the only one who has trouble controlling PB! I buy the natural kind with only peanuts and salt as ingredients (watch out because there are 'natural' brands with sugars added) - but I still can have a lot of trouble stopping at the appropriate amount. For me, it doesn't have anything to do with sugar; it's just the nature of PB.

There have been times I don't buy it at all, though I know it's a healthy fat. Right now, I've been OK with having it around but I always measure out a portion.

If you don't want to eat bread with PB, how about crispy apple slices with a tablespoon of PB?

I was famished last night so I got out a couple premade protein pancakes and put peanutbutter on them. It was good!

Hey girls, just thought I'd pop in and say hi ...

Lilly, PB can be a binge food for me too, I also eat the natural kind. I really like PB on celery as a snack...

My favorite natural peanut butter is Smucker's Natural. It's available pretty much at all our grocery stores. Can't say that you won't crave it for sure, though! It's pretty good!

Good morning everyone,

Sounds like everyone is doing well.

I am rather perplexed with my nasty scale. It jumped up 3lbs last week and it won't go back down
- no TOM on the horizon
-haven't been an angel - but neither have I been extremely overindulgent.
-I know it takes 3500 extra calories to gain a lb. and that hasn't happened.
-ARRRGH!

I know I shouldn't let a number effect my mood...but it does.

-S

Hi everyone, thanks for the advice on the peanut butter. I'll try the natural one this next time and see if it helps any. If not, I'll limit to buying only one jar a month. I used to eat it a lot during childhood and had went yrs. without eating it. Now, I seem to really crave it. If I eat it early in the afternoon, then I will want to skip dinner and have a peanut butter sandwich instead. I know that it is OK for me to eat it some, but not to the exclusivity of my other foods. I do like it on celery or apple slices too.

Perimenomausal middle of the night post!
I've been sitting here for almost an hour and am just now starting to fade. Guess where you'll find me at about 2 this afternoon? Snoring!
The cat is loving this and is so nice and cozy on my lap.

Me too.

But Meg, I went back to bed. Did you?

Heck no, I went to the gym.

(maybe a nap this afternoon?)

I had to get up to take my car to the shop before 8 and walked home ... not quite the gym but ambitious for me in the morning

Hi, I just wanted to say that I have now went 5 days without peanut butter and have been 100% perfectly on program with no cravings at all. This must have really been a "trigger" or "sensitive" food for me. I was starting to think that maintaining was going to be impossible for me, because I felt like I was starving. I don't feel this way anymore. I'm having plenty of protein, veggies, fruit and salad, with some dairy and whole wheat and I am again satisfied with my food. I am getting on the average of 1500 calories per day and I feel like I am full. Another plus, I was able to start walking again today on my treadmill , after the recent sinus infection and bronchitis.