hi Barb - my thoughts and prayers are going in your direction if you need to go to rehab then go - get the most that you can out of it and please take care of yourself - you need to get healthy. I am so glad that you're going into this with a strong, positive attitude - that is a necessity. Be well - take care and we're here whenever you need us! Love, Linda

I think one of my biggest problems is that I am bored - I'm not even sure WHAT to eat anymore - I make sure that I get at least 80 grams of protein in every day - that's about all I really make sure of now. I walk thru the grocery store aimlessly looking for things that I can/will eat and I walk out with the same old stuff...living alone I don't go out of my way to really cook for myself. Now that it's getting chilly at night I have found myself making soup for dinner - (just soup - sometimes tomato soup, sometimes chicken soup) - I am looking forward to making a pot of chilly and packing it up in the freezer - I wish I was adventurous with food but I'm not - I think I'm just too afraid to venture out of my norm. Donna - Kerri (my oldest - she turned 22 on Wed) goes to school up in Rochester - it's about a 7 hour drive from me - I haven't seen her since mid august - she lives, goes to school and works up there fulltime now - she is living with her boyfriend - and it's hard for me to get up there and her to come home because of our work hours...I can't wait to see her. Erin (my youngest - she's 20) is studying abroad in Rome this semester and will be home on Dec 17th...she'll leave again on January 15th for a semester in Ireland - I am so proud of both of them and I miss them terribly... I am looking forward to this weekend - even with all the driving! hugssssssss....Linda

Linda, thanks for sharing your menu. You're right, you are like me - not much going on there. I need to expand. I'm going to try real hard to do better. I eat about the same as you. Have fun this weekend! I envy you being able to visit your daughter. I love to visit mine, but it looks like we won't be going home for Christmas so it will be sometime maybe first quarter. Oh well. Have fun, love donna

Hi Pam, I hope they enjoy it. It was very timely for me. love donna

I'm not really sure I have a comfort food anymore - I have slacked so bad on excersize that I can't even trade that I am going away this weekend (it's my daughter's 22nd birthday and I am going to spend the weekend with her up in Rochester NY) - Monday starts a new day for me - completely back to basics. I am going to do protein shakes and salad for 5 days and go to the gym every day right after work (I'm cutting out my 2 cups of caffeine in the mornings so I may be pretty mean ). It's amazing how simply we can fall out of our routine...I was going to the gym 5 days and walking 3 - 5 miles each weekend day and then I got sick and had to have surgery - that was over a MONTH ago and I still haven't gotten back on track! (bad bad BAD Linda ) I am like Donna in a lot of ways - I don't eat all that much food. I can't seem to fit it in. A typical day for me goes as follows: Breakfast (6:45 a.m.) 1/2 package Quaker Weight Control Instant Oatmeal 8 a.m. - coffee w/ protein 9:30 a.m. - coffee w/ protein Lunch (12:30ish) 2 slices american cheese and a pear OR lettuce w/ shredded cheese and a little dressing 2:30ish an apple or a pear (if I didn't have one at lunch) and a protein shake Dinner (6:00ish) a piece of chicken or fish w/ a serving of vegies Snack (9 p.m.) coffee with protein I was getting around 100 oz of water a day b4 I went off track - now I am LUCKY if I drink 34 oz... I need to get back to basics and get back on track - I have 25 more pounds to lose to where I will be completely happy and ready for maintenance and falling off the way I have it's not going to happen... I can't seem to find the motivation to get back to the gym or even go for a walk (now that it's dark outside by 5 p.m. AND cold) - I WILL get my a$$ back to the gym on Monday after work - it's a promise I HAVE to keep for myself! So Shel - I would love to trade something with someone - I'm just not sure what to trade - but anything that will help turn this downward spiral around works for me! hugsssssss....Linda