YOU know,,,,I too have problems during the winter..I think by Feb weight is easier to losel..but we have a friend in the smaller stomachs even now..just live with the plateaus until the spring!!!! Julia

Arthritis strength? Can you take them daily? I have no cartilage and lots of pain...does it help? Julia

Hey, 180 is my goal. I am over 60 yr old tho.... Dont worry sweetheart, I know and we all do, know how hard it is to lose the food and the friend in food. but think about the things you can do now that you couldnt do before! Walk without pain or shortness of breath...cross those legs!!!! Hey I count every blessing because I have only ...only...lost 95 lbs!!! Wow...I could never have done that without surgery! And I have 50 more to go and I will make it. Julia

Hi Anita, I take 2 colace (at least) every day. I take an extra one if I seem to eat alot of cheese one day. Also, and this is what I really think helps me. I take 500mgs of magnesium daily with my calcium. My friend takes 1200 mgs of it daily. It helps our bodies absorb calcium better and its supposed to help get things moving, so you can kill two birds with one stone. I still have a day here and there, but for the most part this works. Good Luck. Kelly 272/186

Good Lord Danielle! Why are you so down? You are not a failure. I think you are doing pretty well with your weight loss. You and I are at about the same weight, and I had a good 30 pounds more than you to lose. They say the fatter you are the faster you will lose. You sound right on track to me. You know you don't want to be fat again. That wouldn't make you happy. If you aren't a dumper on the sweet stuff (I'm not), at least be glad you can taste it whether it's only 4 bites than not taste it at all. Be glad that you can't overdo it on that junk. I've been doing candies for a few months now. I'm glad I can, but so glad I can't eat the whole pound in one sitting. As for your Christmas goal, so what if you make it in January? The point is you WILL make it, and it's still taking a lot less time than the old diet methods. I glanced over your profile and see that you've had some tough times recently and that may be leading into depression. Have a chat with your doctor and see if there's something that will help you. I hit a weight stall about 2 weeks back and decided to get back on track with counting my calories and proteins. I found this very helpful. I lost 4 pounds this past week. I made sure my calories were under 1000 and my proteins were above 60. Also eating different each day helps. More calories one day and less the next. Keeps your body "at attention", it can't get stuck in a rut and hold on to the stored fat. Anyway I've rambled enough. Best of luck to you and cheer up girl!! Amber 296/176/140 -120 pounds!