6710 is absolutely right. Take it from a girl who was chomping at the bit 2 years ago to get out of that house, to get to college to get to be independent. I now call my mom at least twice a day. It's over 2 hours from here to her house, I go there at least every other weekend. Sometimes I take random trips during the week to see her after I get off work, even if I can only stay for a few hours. Your kids will ALWAYS need you, just because they don't live at home doesn't mean you don't have as much to do as a mom. Sometimes it means there's more to do. My mom stays busy doing things for me, and she still has 4 kids at home. Just because they leave the house, they still know where home is. And home is wherever their mommy is.

I haven't even looked. My coach didn't name a specific sea salt to buy. My dad used to work in the salt industry and told me that salt is salt is salt. What's packaged as sea salt is most likely not 100% sea salt. I just bought the Morton's brand and have had no issues with it.

I finally found with WF marshmallow and chocolate dipping sauce. Any suggestions on how to use them are welcome. I felt like I found the holy grail of IP and now I don't know what to do with it.

So here's my biggest NSV yet (only 3 1/2 weeks in though).

*Warning - this got kinda long-winded, sorry*

I was feeling super depressed yesterday, I have no idea why, and the weather matched my mood- dreary. It was saturday afternoon, my hubby was working on his car and I was stuck inside with the kids, one sleeping the other one wouldn't. I SO wanted to eat bad (tasty) things to make myself feel better (I know it's a lie and it wont really make me feel better except in the really short term, but it feels impossible to think long term in those moments). I felt like I barely had an ounce of willpower left to resist. It was very interesting though, because this time, I knew it wasn't hunger, and I wasn't craving anything specific either, it was just that I wanted a good feeling to replace the bad. It still surprises me how well this diet is able to isolate issues like that. I held on till my hubby came inside, grabbed my dinner told my hubby he could order pizza or something, and I went downstairs to read a book I had just borrowed (also so I wouldn't smell the pizza). I allowed myself to get lost in the book all evening while my DH fed and bathed the kids and put them to bed. And in the end, no cheat. I know I didn't truely deal with the emotional eating issue, just distracted myself, but I can't believe I didn't give in, considering how close I know I was. And it felt good this morning to be on the other side, with a headache though from all the reading (and crying - it was that kind of a book).

Then this morning a got a little reward, after bouncing back between 185 to 186 for the last 4-5 days, there was a 183.7 staring back at me.

So if any of you out there have trouble with emotional eating. Be encouraged that the mood/emotion will pass, just do your best to hold off till you're on the other side, you can do it. I wish I had better advice than that, but that's all I got right now.

Thanks for 'listening'.

Good Job Becca distracting yourself!!! and the weight loss! I am am emotional eater and know exactly what you mean!!! I have to distract myself when I feel myself being "drawn" to the kitchen, looking for something to eat when I am not hungry.
I'm waiting for my energy level to boost, today is only day 10 for me on IP..

Thanks, Novak. I'm looking forward to "things looking a lot clearer." Thanks for the uplifting words.

I know you're right. I'm sure this will pass. Thank you for taking time to share your story with me. It really meant a lot to me.

Your little dresses and shorts are so cute. Thanks for sharing them with me. I am not a seamstress, but I do think I might own a little sewing machine that my dh grandmother gave me, so perhaps I will check the website out after the boy leaves and I don't know what to do with myself. Thanks again.

Well, I hope it is TOM. Good golly man, I had some retail therapy today. Had a mani/pedi, took Gypsy (my little peek a tzu) to the groomer, bought clothes for granddaughter (my little sunshine), bought Tervis Tumblers for just about every member of family (if you don't know what they are, check them out http://www.tervis.com/Main.aspx?gcli...FQLEsgodNnndlA - they are wonderful - and I love the lid with the straw hole for all the water I have to drink), a Micasa (Wind Song collection) center piece bowl for my daughter and future son n law (they are getting married in April), and my face wash from Sephora. SO I am feeling a bit better, broke, but better!

I know you're right, I do have 2 daughters, and daughters are different then sons. They bought houses 3 doors apart in a neighborhood that's 10 minutes from my house. I hear from my girls all the time!!! I'm still not sure how it will be for the boy. Thanks for the support.

Way to go, Becca! That's a great reward!!! We almost weigh the same... I am hanging around 180 right now. Can't wait for the 170s.

Becca so many of us are emotional eaters--that's what got us here in the first place. Remembering back, I think the years I was a mom with small children were some of the most stressful of my life. I was ALWAYS tired, ALWAYS feeling like I lived on the back burner, ALWAYS worried about something. In circumstances like that, your defenses go down, and all you want is someone to nurture YOU, rather than you always being the nurturer. That is great your husband helps with the kids; mine was a saint that way. And don't get me wrong, I adored my kids and would give anything for one more day with my son (now 21) as a three-year-old or my daughter (25) in first grade. They are magical years, and they evaporate so quickly. But they are also demanding and exhausting and you are living in a gilded cage. So be kind to yourself. You did great with the book, btw. Congratulations.

I found this frightful picture that demonstrates, all too graphically, the difference between 5 lb. of fat & 5 lb. of muscle... helps me to understand, I hope it helps anybody else who's having trouble visualizing why it's said that muscle weighs more than fat...

A huge "thanks" to TaylorMayde on the radish chips. I made them tonight and they're probably my new favorite! I love the taste.....they really do taste like french fries!! I thought I was cheating. Thanks again!

Drizzle them on ....(hmm thinking here) ........celery? or eat with spoon as is.. lol

I see that many of you Started the 20 lbs by Labor Day Challenge. (7/2 - 9/6) ..Is it too late for me to Join In?? I started IP July 9th at 226.4, lost 7.2 pounds first week, I weigh in on fridays..
If not, I"ll join in on the next one.............thx

So sorry to hear about your feelings of depression. I'm envious of your having daughters along with your son. I have three boys, and they are great, but I always wanted a little girl. Enough that I dressed my oldest son like a little girl and curled his hair when he was a year old and took pictures. Probably warped him for life. I finally have a 6-year-old granddaughter to spoil along with 5 grandsons. She actually lives right next door, and I'm getting to do all the girly things I didn't get to do with the boys. My 24-year-old son still lives at home--and probably always will--as he has autism and will always have the mentality of a 7-year-old. Thank goodness for my mom. He likes to visit her a lot. He says he has 2 houses and 2 moms. It gives my husband and me time alone so we can pretend to have an empty nest sometimes.

I hope you start feeling better soon. Once TOM passes. And remember that our serotonin levels are low when we aren't eating carbs. You'll figure things out for yourself. It's amazing how busy I stay without my kids home. My daughters-in-law are always asking what I do to occupy myself. It makes me laugh.

Soon2Be

i do remember people making some type of candy with these...or maybe it was with the caramel..did you check the recipe thread? they'd probably be yummy added to pudding shakes, just an idea.

I'm soooo sorry. I must have mixed you up with someone else. I have a pituitary tumor, so my memory is not what it used to be.

Your lab (I presume) looks just like my parents old lab "Dino". As you can tell, I have a golden retriever and a black lab (not pictured). Great dogs - aren't they?

I'm still plugging along, went to Boston this weekend and stuck with the diet, which I usually manage to do pretty well. YOU are doing really well! Keep up whatever your doing, cause its working!

I used the mm creme on my jello. To me it had too much of a chemical taste so probably won't buy it again. I like the chocolate syrup on top of my jello and added to the chocolate drink packets to boost the flavor. Not sure if the sauce is the right consistency to do this or not.