Lilita, thanks so much for sharing your family story with us...sounds like a lot of fun. Also I found it very interesting to see the way they were eating on maintenance (mental note made of it).

Torchlaker, hang in there. You and your son with get through this together. Instead of using food as a crutch, use the diet!! You can do it!!!!!!!!

Want2run, congrats!!!

Okay all, I tried two more newlifesytlediet's products, the sour cream and onion soy bites (they are shaped like little cherrios) and the cheesy steak sandwich meal. Both are pretty good. The cheese steak meal doesn't have steak in it for all you meat lovers, it is TVP, and needs some salt, but still a nice change from having soups all the times. I look forward to trying more of their products!

Echobaby, here is the vitamin information!!!

Ladies, found vitamins close to what IPs is.

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Calci...tgels/461?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Potas...227-g/777?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Two-Per-Day-Tab...abs/22237?at=0

Echobaby - sweetie...I would NEVER think you are corny. You always make me laugh. In fact, I am looking to YOU for motivation...because you have stayed "clean" this past week. Yup, I always wonder the same thing.....if I knew THEN, would I have done things differently? Our marital problems started when I had my kid (we had been married 10 years before we got pregnant)....but it is a resounding YES! First off, I would be all alone now without my son....but he goes thru phases (don't we all?). Sometimes he is so busy he barely has time for more than an obligatory phone call....but when he is down, he still calls me to talk and for advice. I am so grateful for that...we had some rough times when he was around 22-24 yrs old....but we have always had an open line of communication. He actually DID ask me yesterday if our discussions were bringing me down more.....what could I say? Yeah - of course they are - but who else would he talk to? He doesn't want friends or family to know they are having relationship problems. So I told him "no" - and that I wanted to be there for him. It is time I put on my "big girl panties" - and learn to deal with these stresses. Life is full of stresses....it seems if it is not one thing, it is another. I cannot keep using that as an excuse (same excuse I use for not quitting smoking!).

Hey, speaking of NOT smoking...where is Ottawa??? She quit and is doing the diet!

Lilita - I colorwashed my living room a few years ago....all in pastels (well, actually - all the colors of Torch Lake!!). I am so proud of it.....and the whole room gives me peace! I find myself sitting in the den with the big t.v. and a heated throw now, tho. That was/is the "manly" room I had decorated for Eddie (It has a bunch of "fake" animals on the walls, fishing poles, etc. Since it was already paneled with a beautiful pine (can't remember what it is called) that my dad found....I haven't had the heart to take the "manliness" out of the room.

Hopefully, I am starting out with new resolve today. Even tho the nurse said to stay on Phase II....I will probably drop back to Phase I to drop the 9#.....and at least make goal. THEN I will try Phase II again....I had hoped I would be on Phase 4 or maintenance (are they the same??) by the time I went to St. John....but that may be unrealistic.

So - looking for some advice here. When I plop into my recliner at night....what do I do NOW to keep my hands busy? I tried beading...but I work with small seed beads and have to wear big magnifying glasses PLUS my reader glasses (sucks to get old)...so I get a headache fast trying to watch the t.v. over all the glasses! I have tried to sew at night, but just have no energy for the thought process of putting 2 pieces of fabric together.

AND....I wasn't kidding about the bra. I am fairly new to underwires and I got "big girls." Both underwires that I have (and I was fitted for both of them)...dig into this big blob of fat under my arms (they look like growths or something). The lady told me yesterday that is what "underwires do." Do they really?? Do any of you have bras you especially like (well, Josh...do you??).?

I thank all of you for listening to my whining......I will really try to do better. I am very hard on myself when I think I am "failing". Today, I am going to try to clean up the clutter around the house -- thinking a "cluttered house makes a cluttered mind." My friends hubby called last night and said he would help me look for cars...and I told him NO...that right now, I don't want to look at cars, drive cars, read about cars....etc. Too much on my plate right now.

Oh yeah.....after my drs. appt today (3 month checkup)...I am having a facial. I sprung for a "Clarisonic" for Christmas for myself....and I love it...but since my eyesight is so bad, I cannot remove the blackheads anymore...so I am having my beautician do it. Hopefully, if she gets them all out (maybe there aren't any....I just cannot tell)...and I keep using the Clarisonic, that problem will be solved. I know my dr. swears by the Clarisonic (I think qvc carries it -- I bought mine from my dr.).

Well, there was more advice I was going to ask...but I just went braindead (or cluttered????).

LOL Torchlaker, it was me (Ogdog) who colorwashed...although I could see Lilita doing it too. When you did it was it dark over light or light over dark? Our lady at Lowes screwed up and switched the paints on us so we ended up doing light over dark, which was still a neat effect! I am now trying to figure out what do to with the paneling. Ever hear of pickling?

Bras, don't get me started. I order mind from Layne Bryant as I am a G cup, yes, a G cup...and those suckers just don't go down for me even when I diet. How horrible is that? I want to have a breast reduction once I lose the weight!! There are bras out there with good support that aren't underwire bras....I can't remember the name of them but Layne Bryant has them. Check them out, if you don't like them you can send them back.

Keeping your fingers busy. Maybe try squeezing a stress ball. I'm surprised you don't read more at night too...knowing you love to read!! Do you knit? My mom is retired and thinks that she is going to learn how to knit to keep her hands busy. One night a week I put aside for cooking my IP compliant foods.....while I listen to the TV, that keeps one day busy. And, I allow my dogs on the sofa with me...so I pet them, and pet them, and pet them.

Do you like the Clarisonic? I hear really good things about it! But boy they are expensive.

Now, regarding your "whining". Vent away girl!! That is what we are here for!!! We love you and stand by you!!!!

The summer after I started Georgia Tech (wow... this was 8 years ago...), I worked in the vitamin and supplement department of a local health food store, and absolutely loved it! I remember "Now" brand vitamins were some of my favorites, because they were really high quality, but very inexpensive because the company spends almost no money on advertising or marketing (really, look at how ugly the bottles are :-))

**HAPPY DANCE**

I get to get my hair done, I get to get my hair done...

Elishatamar,

Congratulations! Whooohooooo. I'm so proud of you!!

Atlanta has some wonderful salons. I used to frequent Van Michaels (in all their locations). Where are you going???

Hey, guys...what is a clarisonic?

http://www.clarisonic.com/us/shop/sonic-cleansing-system-mia.php?s_kwcid=TC|7957|clarisonic||S||3742636550& gclid=CPf5j-zX1p8CFRidnAodZCazrQ

Hi there! Sounds like i am not the only one whose "life issues" are making this diet difficult.
I feel i have not been "good" since the 20th of Dec. That is the week i planned to be off (but still be kind of smart!) for christmas. Never expected a family emergency would require travel on boxing day. That week was difficult, due to circumstances. Then we finally had a week at home, but were leaving for mexico the following week. I hate to say it, my attitude that week was kind of 'why bother", just knowing how mexico would be. But, all in all, i tried very hard to get back on track after mexico. We have only been back one week, and went for weigh in last nite, and am exactly where i was when i stopped in december. I should be happy that i did not have major gain, (i lost 4 lbs in the week since mexico that i had gained throughout) But i have not seen a loss on the scale since Dec 20th. I have not gotten out of 180!! I had to purchase more products, and am now feeling like i have to do this right. I do not want to be on IP just to maintain my weight!! I only want to be on IP if i am losing...and i am not at my goal. still have 20 lbs, realistically, 25. I want to maintain my weight on regular food. Used to be i seen a loss every weigh in. those days seem long ago. And the crappy thing? We are travelling for medical reasons tomorrow and are going to be living out of restaurants, and hospital cafeterias for the next week. So frustrating!! so i am afraid i will have another week of maintenance. BUT, after this week is done, I need to see a loss, move to the next level, or i am afraid i will be done. I seen that i could pretty much maintain for the month i was off, and that was some extreme circumstances! (mexico) So the next 2 weeks are going to be crucial for me. I would like to stay on this until april 1st, and meet my goal. So i need a good week next week. That scale HAS to move!! I need the willpower i had back in september!!! Where did it go??? Any advice i would give to the newbies would include not taking extended breaks!! for some reason this is hard to get back on!! but then, other diets, and there have been a few!! once i went off, NEVER went back on. At least this one, I am trying very hard to find that motivation. When the scale stops moving (down!) the focus and motivation seem to dissolve. SO a good week is needed!!! right?!

Before I forget, HAPPY BIRTDHAY MELISSA!!!!!!!!!!!! If I remember it is today yes?

Okay Sandrab, buck up, get back on the horse. You have one more week of maintenance, and look at it that way then no more silly-sallying, you are back on Phase I and you will follow the plan to the T and you WILL SEE THAT SCALE MOVE!!! You enjoyed the diet while you were doing it.....you will enjoy it again, espcially the weightloss that comes with it. Think of that summer dress you want to buy, think of an upcoming vacation this summer that you want be skinny for!! Just put your mind to it and do it!!! We'll be right here to coach you through the tough times. You bought the products, you know they work, so use them the right way!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again, we are here for you.

I know nobody is on...they just put a whole cheese pizza in the breakroom. OMG. I want a piece soooooo bad!! I need to be good, I need to be good, I need to be good!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sandrab, the scale will start moving when you will get back on phase I! We share the struggle with you and will be there! One thing I learned from cheating is that it is harder to get back to the plan after but it is possible! And then the scale will show your success... one day and one meal at a time. I finally hit 163 today, which has been my lowest since... high school?? and know that it will be hard to loose the last 23 pounds but I will do it! I already lost 66 pounds so that makes me 75% done!

Hang in there, make the best choices according to any phase of the program and jump back on as soon as you can!

Hang on Ogdog! Think of all you have lost on IP... is gained in confidence!