ABS32013

Thank you! I will check it out!!

When I am making a recipe that calls for beef broth (and don't want to make it), I usually sub mushroom broth or chicken broth. Some people are able to find beef bones at a good price to make their own beef broth. Not me. Even the bones are expensive in the Boston area.

Some people see a considerable difference by eating more cooked veggies and cutting back or eliminating the raw veggies.

I'm so sorry about this. Please try not to be upset. I get it, though. Last time we showed up at my in-law's house, my FIL said something to the effect that I was disappearing before their eyes. I had no idea what to say. Is that supposed to be a compliment, an insult, something else? I think that when these statements are made, what it really comes down to is that the speakers are projecting their own insecurities onto us and/or internalizing our efforts to better ourselves and viewing them as condemnations of the speakers' own life choices. There are other issues, as well, where people want to keep others in the little boxes where they've categorized them (i.e, heavy people, thin people, rich people, poor people, etc.) because they have certain ways of relating to and dealing with those categories. All that is to say that other people like to put their $&%^ onto others. Does it stink? Yes. Should we perpetuate these issues? Perhaps not, but I have to admit, my preferred method is to avoid getting into discussions about how much I've lost or how much I'd like to lose. I keep that kind of detail to myself. I think you're right to be focused on feeling strong and healthy, and maybe that's how you leave it when people ask you about your weight loss. Just my 2 cents. Mainly, I just wanted you to know that your post spoke to me. I feel sad that you were made to feel bad or defensive about your choices. I've read many of your posts and you're such a great contributor. Take care! Alyson

Alliath - that is hilarious!!

I'm curious - does the shredded sweet potato oxidize from sitting around in the fridge? Even if it does, I'd imagine it doesn't affect the taste, just the appearance. I struggle with the morning routine, too. I'm already up quite early (~5:30), and from there it's a mad dash** of getting showered, coifed, made up, unloading dishwasher, making breakfasts and lunches (2 kids, 1 husband, me), getting dressed, giving hugs and kisses and running out the door. It's not ideal, but I usually have a few bites of breakfast with my coffee and then the rest of my breakfast once I get to my office. ** "mad dash" might make it sound like I'm quick at this. Don't be fooled. It takes me about 2 hours to do all that and get out of the house. Then it's about a 40 minute commute. So, waiting until I get to work would be way too long to go without food from wake-up time. Now, I could make this all easier on myself by doing more the night before, but there's plenty to be done then, too. It may sound like it, but I'm not really complaining. A lot of what takes up my time is preparing fresh food for my family and myself, and that's a really good thing. Now, if I had a housekeeper to deal with the dishes and laundry and stuff, that would be cool ;-)

Oh, well, if the pack says it's healthy... Perhaps she'd like to buy this bridge I have in my portfolio. Ugh.

(all true for me) - They crave cabbage (ok, not all the time, but sometimes!). - They have packed lunch to take to a hair appointment. - They feel like a moron for taking so long to realize that there was a whole extra drawer available in which to store food in the fridge. Who needs a dairy drawer?

Ha! Kew and I are on the same wavelength.

Making your own per peoples' suggestions above is definitely more budget-friendly, but I thought I'd add that U.S. Wellness meats sells sugar-free breakfast sausage. If you order a couple packages of SF sausage and bacon, you'll easily hit the threshold for free shipping. http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok

Ha! The proof is in the (non-dairy, post-W30) pudding!

Background - I can't say for certain that I have endometriosis, but in the past, my periods have been extremely heavy and accompanied by significant pain and discomfort. My reproductive endocrinologist "presumptively diagnosed" me with endometriosis - basically, the symptoms and inability to get pregnant pointed in that direction, but there was no need to do the laproscopic surgery to confirm diagnosis because I was going to do IVF, in any event. (That was a few years ago, and after 3 egg retrievals and 4 transfers (3 fresh, 1 frozen/thawed), I had wonderful twin daughters.) Since W30 - Since my W30 and sticking quite close to W30 rules post-W-30, my periods have been lighter and much less painful. No pain meds, no heating pads, no curling up on the couch! Good luck to you, Megan. Hopefully you'll experienced decreased pain soon!

Had a conversation with a dear friend who has spent too many years drinking the Weight Watchers Kool-Aid. She is very interested in how I've changed my eating habits (although, I suspect, too focused on weight loss and not a clean diet and the many other benefits). When I mentioned that I use coconut oil for cooking, she commented on how bad it is for you. A few minutes later, she recounted a tale from a recent trip with her boys to McDonald's. Umm.... Same friend recently mentioned that the grocery store eggs (i.e., factory-farmed) are "healthier" than the farm eggs because the factory chickens have been bred to produce eggs with less cholesterol. This all makes me rather sad, actually. So much bad information out there. I'm not pushing or evangelizing, though. I did have to mention the bit about there being old research out there on hydrogenated coconut oil. I just kept my mouth shut about the eggs.