Jacqui, the smaller plate theory doesn't work for me. I never eat off a dinner-size plate but I just go back and refill my little plate. My thinking is, "I can have more because I only had that little plateful." It's very hard to cook just for 2 people. I try to do it with some things but then DH will say "Is that all you made?" When he was growing up, there were his parents and 5 boys. His father insisted that his mother always cook extra. He said if the food is gone when they are finished eating, then maybe someone wanted more but there wasn't any more. There had to always be food left when they were done. That doesn't work for me. When there's food left, that's my signal to eat more, whether I need it or not.
When I went on my first ever diet I was very disciplined. My mother would not cook special food for me, so I ate 1 serving of whatever she made for dinner, then I left the table. Very hard for me to do that now.
Poor Ichabod. I hope he isn't in any pain.



I hope your son takes you up on the challenge!
Mars, you didn't do bad with your snacking. All good stuff to snack on and a loss on the scale to boot, GO YOU 
but they use to be really good so I thought. Now I like those Farley or Freshley chocolate cup cakes. They're really good. 
