Hello from sunny Corvallis!

Two new people--welcome! I think we're an incredibly cool group of supportive people, and we hope you'll stick around. I, too, had 100 lbs. to lose, and managed to get off 82 of it until the holidays hit. Got back to work and, like SunnyD, shed about half of my 7 lb. gain. However, this moving thing always causes me to self-medicate with food (I looked back at the last three times I've moved and each time the minute we found out we were moving, I started to eat uncontrollably--it's pathetic ), and I'm sad to say, I had to buy a new pair of pants in a bigger size. I'm bummed, but determined to get to my goal of 100 lbs. lost this year. We're planning on giving reducing/eliminating sugar a shot because we've all been impressed with Bluet's results and good health. In fact, thinking about it, she's the healthiest darn person on this thread, and I want to be just like her!

SunnyD, hope you're feeling a whole lot better now and are able to get up and around. I've read a little about IBS and have heard that you really, really have to watch what you eat or all heck breaks loose. Yeah, I could have lived my whole life without knowing about that particular weird fantasy life. Haven't seen the previews for this week's show, but will have to check it out before I watch. Sometimes I flip to Extreme Makeover because it's such a happy show with people transforming their lives and feeling better about themselves.

Will you all forgive me if I don't respond to everyone's post? I'm tired, and the setup for the laptop is uncomfortable. After fussing around with who was going to drive the truck and how to work getting my son back to Seattle, we ended up with my DH driving the truck, and my DS driving me and all the pets in his truck. It was definitely a comfortable ride, except for the meowing and whining. Okay, and my son's driving was a bit much for me, but we made it all in one piece.

I realized we went from a 2400 s.f. house in Boise to a 1300 s.f. house in Seattle, and now we're in a 790 s.f. apartment. Now that's downsizing! The major problem was where to put the cat boxes! The first night we were there, we had to put the cats in the second bedroom (which will be my DH's office) because my son had to sleep on the couch. The cats would have been all over him all night if we hadn't shut them up. About 5:00 am, I was awakened by a noise that I thougth was the cats banging on the door a little bit. I eventually went back to sleep, but heard the noise again about 6:00 am. After getting up an hour later, I went to feed and let the cats out and saw that they had dug up about a 50 cent sized piece of carpet from around the door. Aargh! We're there 24 hours and they've managed to destroy the place! Then my dog was on a barking jag and we realized we couldn't go anyplace without taking him because he'd disturb the neighbors. Apartment living definitely is not for me.

But the good news is that we put an offer down on a house. We should know by 6:00 pm tonight. Cross your fingers for us.

Oh, Charlotte, I had to laugh when you asked SunnyD if she had a good VD. When I was growing up, VD meant something other than Valentine's Day!

Good Morning,

Welcome Msmuffet, anything new feels awkward, but your post looked just fine to me. I hope you stay around for awhile to give us a try. You will find a lot of compasionate loving support here.

Mary, are you still around, if so check in with us. Just jump right in and join our conversations about important things and not so important things.

I tried getting onto the internet last night and was not able to. Very frustrating. Ran a virus check on my computer, nothing showed up, so I hope it was just something with the server. (I am at work, talking about my computer at home.)

All Right!!!!! Sheila is back..........Sheila, please, please tell us that the home you put a bid on is the victorian of your dreams...please, please , please. Apartment dwelling is the pits, we did that the first year we were married. UGH!

Hey, Sunny, three days away from the thread is a no, no. Aw shucks, I do it all the time too. Miss you when you are not around though.

Charlotte, thank goodness SIL's Dad is back, things have to turn around for the better for SIL soon. After what he has done for our country, it is not fair that he should have to struggle.

Now that Sheila is back, I think the first thing everyone should do is either go to the library, or go to thr RR site, or a bookstore and pick up a copy of the book Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen Des Maisons. Provided you want to try the no sugar, healthy eating way. Reading the first several chapters of this book will help you understand the theory of body chemistry and starting step one of the program which is to have breakfast within the first hour of rising, and have in that breakfast enough protein and carbohydrates for your body weight. Now the next thing you might tell me is, I don't eat breakfast, don't even like breakfast. Well, this is absolutely nothing new to me kids, I hated breakfast, breakfast made me ill, but now I never, ever miss breakfast no matter what. You will find in Kathleen's books recipes for protein shakes, a lot of people drink those. I am not a shake person, I have cottage cheese with Bob's Red Mill Oatmeal raw. The oatmeal has 5 different whole grains and flaxseed which contains omega 3. I just mix the cottage cheese and oatmeal together and that is my breakfast fast and easy. Better than an ole' doughnut, don't you think Charlotte? I am no means an expert or am try to convince you I am an expert. All I know is I feel better when I am steady on the program and I was eventually able to lose twenty pounds and keep it off for two years now. As we read the books together and work the program together, and consult the RR website we will all learn more about healthy eating.

Gotta get back to work. Yea!!! Sheila is back!!!!....Love ya guys....Bonnie

Hi, y'all!

Charlotte, that's wonderful news about your SIL's Dad. We've been lucky with noise because I haven't heard a darn thing from either side. Hopefully they can't hear when I shout "No!" at my cats who are enjoying clawing the carpet and furniture. So when is your appointment??

Bluet, no, not the house of my dreams, but liveable and comfortable nonetheless. I could have had the house of my dreams, but it wouldn't have been in the town of my dreams so I chose the town over the house. Last night we went to the library to get cards and I tried to get the Potatoes Not Prozac book, but it was on the "hold shelf." I put a second hold on it so I'm not sure when I'll get it. Doughnut vs. raw oatmeal and cottage cheese?? Hhmm. Of course, I haven't had a doughnut in years, but cottage cheese and oatmeal?? How about an egg white omelet with fat free cheese? That's what I had this morning.

Now, SunnyD, your breakfast sounds pretty good. What is a rice protein shake, though? You know, I think it's going to be hard for me to give up Splenda. I'm going to have to wean myself off a couple of things that I enjoy that contain Splenda. More snow where you are? Well, snow shoveling is good exercise, right? Will you get mad if I tell you it was 70 degrees here yesterday? That was a record high for the day. It was actually 72 degrees over at the coast, which is amazing. There was a photo of a guy sunbathing on the sand.

Well, we got the house! The realtor called around 10:00 am and gave us the news. The home inspection is scheduled for Monday. It's got a shake roof with some moss growing on it so I know that's going to be something we want fixed. We're trying to think about where we want the cat boxes. Our cats are strictly inside kitties so the cat box question is critical. At our last two houses, we had laundry rooms, which were perfect, but this house has the washer/dryer hookup in a closet-type arrangement. It does have a garage, however, so we're thinking of putting in a cat door to the garage, and hoping they'll learn to use it. Our first set of cats would actually go to the garage door and ask to be let out. The only problem was inevitably someone would come home and open the garage and the cat would run out.

Finally got a decent night's sleep last night. Too much stress, worry, and car noise. One of our friend's here had a cancer scare, but found out Tuesday it's not cancer--yippee! Tuesday was a good day because he found that out, and we found out about our house.

Tomorrow we're going to check out water aerobics at a nearby health club. Hope the instructor is good. Instructors always make a difference. I went back to Weight Watchers (which I don't think is incompatible with the Radiant Recovery so I'll be ready to go as soon as I get that book!) yesterday. Not the best leader so I'm going to shop around. Having a good leader is as important as having a good aerobics instructor.

Have a great day everyone! I'll be vegging out in front of the TV tonight.

Good Afternoon,

Here's the deal...you never have to give up sugar or splenda, if you choose not to. I chose to, and it is fine with me. You must remember to have your sugar with one of your three meals, thats all, don't have sugar alone. If you do eat sugar alone you will spike yourself and crave more sugar to get that beta endorphine high. ( Self medicating with sugar) What you ladies had for breakfast is just fine, as long as you have enough protein for your body weight. To determine what enough protein is divide you weight by 6 and you will get the total amount of grams of protein that you should have at each meal. So say for instance you weigh 150 pounds, divide 150 x 6 which equals 25 grams of protein at each meal, about the size of your fist. Along with that protein you should have a complex carb, I eat Natural Ovens Bread, 5 Grain Oatmeal, baked potato with the skin on. Right now that is all you have to do, have breakfast within one hour of your feet hitting the floor each morning and get your blood sugar stabilized, to cut down on cravings and grazing. Have that breakfast everyday until it becomes so solid you would never think of starting your day without it. At that point, step 2 is journaling what you eat, when you eat and your feelings. By doing the journaling you will be able to define how you feel when you don't get enough protein, when you have allowed your beta endorphines to spike, so that eventually you will be able to read your body and know when you are not on track. But, right now all you need to do is concentrate on breakfast with enough protein and complex carbs. If you can't get (PNP) Potatoes Not Prozac, try to get (SARP) The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program by Kathleen Des Maisons. www.radiantrecovery.com is the web site.

Sheila you sound so upbeat, that is so fantastic. I really do like raw oatmeal and cottage cheese every morning. It is a no-brainer breakfast, I don't have to think about it. I am truly a sugar senstitive person (a SS) I am always in a hurry, need to get it done kind a gal. I am glad you got your house. I see another move coming.

Sunny, Carrie Underwood is my favorite for Idol. I was very disappointed for the kids that were voted off last night, especially those two darling little All American boys. what was the nation thinking? Looking forward to Survivor tonight. Thank goodness that annoying singing woman was voted off, she proboably is a sweetheart, but jeeze, the singing, the singing would have driven me nuts. I did not understand why no one picked the blonde guy, he must have really offended someone. I had hear a rumor that CSI focuses on a group of over weight woman and a skinny man in Las Vegas and that Katherin and Warrick start a love affair. I hope you are feeling better today. Hopefully radiant recovery will be of help to you.

Charlotte, I am just waiting for you to answer Sunny and Sheila's questions about your health. If you want that doughnut every morning have it with enough protein for your body weight.

Computer at home is still not working right.

Gotta go back to work guys, really ran over my lunch break this time.

Love.......Bonnie