Greetings, all

Well, I thought I'd post this as a topic to see if there are any of you folks out there with some advice, stories to share, or - at the very least - some commiseration on the subject of gaining or losing extra pounds.

<sigh>

Back in 2002/2003, with a combo of the Atkins low-carb program, and weight-training at the local gym, I managed to lose just over 50 lbs and reach a goal weight I'd pursued since my chubby highschool years.



However, in the same year, I was in a motor vehicle accident that brought about a sneaky health problem, (fibromyalgia) which didn't fully make itself known until last year, when I was at last forced to leave the working life and apply for a disability pension.

Well, call it depression, call it boredom, or call it Jupiter transiting the first house, but over this winter, I put on 25 pounds of my former loss.



I recently was inspired to give weight loss another try, and went down 8 pounds, only to remain stabilized and unable to lose any more.

Not to sound overly obsessive or anything - but this REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!!

Anyway, I could use a few online buddies who can offer some support, information, or good wishes... any takers?

Tara

So, what... y'all supermodels or somethin'?

<kidding>

I'm thinking of trying that red/orange/yellow "eat only these colours/visualization" thing that Linda recommended in her Star Signs book; anyone else ever give that a whirl?

(At this point, I'm willing to try anything... which doesn't say much about my willpower these days, does it? ACK! Oh well, when you're off work due to illness, and on a "Food Bank" budget, eating the 'regular' diet-type food is next to impossible, but I DO know my colours!)

Tara

Hey Tara

I hear ya on the ups and downs! I've been UP for most of my life, and WAY UP for most of my twenties, and its only been since the birth of my last baby that I was able to find a plan that worked for me and has helped me get within spitting distance of my goal. I wish I could share a neat trick or a magic food, but I really don't think its out there. What worked for me in the end was the plain old, eat less / exercise more routine. I lost 50lbs over two years - it was very gradual, and some people hate that, but my hope is that by going slow I've givin my body time to adjust and re-set its metabolism and I believe this will make it harder to put the weight back on.

Would love to share tips and tricks though, because now that I'm done breastfeeding, I'm really finding it hard to shift that last bit. I guess hormones were on my side too, for some of that big weight-loss.

Its a hard road though, and frustrating, and since I tend to be an emotional eater, when I get frustrated and disappointed then it becomes a viscous circle where I end up over-eating....

Let me know if you start the colour diet - I've always been curious about it!

Love and Luck
Terri

Hiya Terri!

Thanks for writing back, it's good to know I'm not the only one around here who's enduring the struggle of the "ups and downs."

Oh yah! I'm an emotional eater too, by far. Goes back to my childhood, when I would escape problems in my family by choosing to eat everything in my bedroom. This eventually grew to me eating in "secret," which I'm still inclined to do. It's not uncommon for me to eat a salad and chicken out for dinner with friends, then come home and eat an entire box of Saltines!

And congrats on your weight loss! Stories like yours are very encouraging for me. And you know, you're right; I'd be willing to bet the only thing that will help me get through this is the simple plan of eating less and exercising more. I've been attempting to count calories lately; but damn, that system hurts the brain! (And do you KNOW how many calories are in saltines? sheesh!)

Anyway, my budget at the moment doesn't lend enough money to follow the low-carb program which usually works for me, so I have to look at other options. When I was on Atkins before, it worked like a charm! It not only helped in losing weight, but made me feel fantastic! My blood type is one that doesn't take well to grains and most fruits & vegetables; I find that the more lean meats and rough greens I eat, the better. After I reached my goal (I began in 2002, and reached my target weight in 2003) I kept up with the basics of the program, and added here and there some complex carbohydrates to maintain my weight.

But <sigh> it was the fibromyalgia that halted EVERYTHING. Not only does particular weight-training exercise, (and some days, even WALKING) hurt my muscles and joints, but this syndrome also affects my metabolism and blood sugar levels. ACK! It makes losing weight so difficult and stressfull.

And considering I've discovered I hate counting calories, I thought perhaps - since I've tried everything else - I'd give Linda's colour plan a try.

I'll let you know how it goes... and whether or not I stick to it!

Tara

Hey

What you said about eating in secret as a child sounds so familiar! I used to do stuff like that too - grab a whole box of crackers from the kitchen and then sneak them upstairs and eat the whole thing in one sitting. Or go to the bakery and buy boxes of pastries etc., and go to the park alone and eat them all. That was around ages 9 - 10, when my dad stopped visiting (my parents split up when I was 6), my mom re-married and I was hitting puberty. I wasn't really fat then or anything, but definately larger than most girls my age, and more developed, and that was an awkward time for me. I still have those tendancies too, to eat alot and eat it alone. I can relate to going out for a "healthy" dinner, and then coming home and topping it off with whatever else is on hand.
Those are the habits that I really have to consciously try and keep in check, and its not always easy!

As for affording the good food - I can relate to that as well. I'm on my own now with three kids to feed, and though I feel blessed because I know I am better off thanmost single moms, its still a challange to feed the kids well, buy the stuff that's better for me for my weight-loss and still be able to pay the rent! A couple sugesstions that work for me....FARMER'S MARKETS!!!! Usually good selections of very fresh, sometimes organic, and often much-less expensive produce than the stores. BEANS, PEAS AND LENTILS!!!! High-fibre, low fat and cheap cheap cheap! WHOLE CHICKENS!!!! A whole chicken costs LESS than two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and thenyou get the dark meat too (awesome shreddred for wraps, or mixed with rice and beans) and if you're really ambitious, you get the bones for making stock too. I guess some of that stuff makes for sense for me, cooking for a family, than it might for a person on their own. I buy bulk of everything I know we like / use (cereal, oatmeal, paper towels, crackers, snack bars) and although I pay more at the time, the price per unit is usually about half of what you pay for the smaller sizes. I also buy crazy amounts of any of sale meat and then bag it into 1lb lots and freeze it. Ground beef, bacon, chicken etc. I'll stop now, but I could talk about this forever, because its something near and dear to me - eating well on a budget - so much so that I'm actually thinking of writing a cookbook for families in this situation. It bothers me alot, to see how families on welfare and low incomes feel forced to buy the cheaper "frankenfoods" for their kids...

Good luck with everything!!!

Love,
Terri

Hey back

Wow, do we ever have much in common regarding the "roots" of our over-eating! My own folks split when I was 4, then my younger brother and I spent numerous months going back and forth from Mom & Dad while they battled over custody. (It was brutal; my mother was physically and emotionally abusive and my father fought tooth and nail to get us, but in the end lost out.)

Mom remarried when I was 6, and while I liked my stepfather, (he became my "rock" in the teenage years) by that time I had become a stressed-out, alternatively severely quiet and raging temper-tantrum-prone child. I ate in my bedroom all the time, scarfing down crackers and cookies, reading my Nancy Drew books by candlelight.

To this day, as you yourself mentioned, those habits are still hard to beat. <sigh> Whenever I'm feeling neglected or angry, nothing seems to fill the void and "comfort" as much as a good book and a side of oatmeal raisin cookies.

The hardest part of putting half of the weight back on has been the depression... which leads me to wanting to comfort myself more. ACK! It's so frustrating. I read in a journal about fibromyalgia the other day that most of the sufferer's of this syndrome put on an average of 32 pounds, due to changes in their metabolism, lack of sleep and proper muscle repair, etc., and THIS cheered me some, but still...

ANYWAY! You've made some awesome suggestions, thank you very much! In the small town I live in, there is only one small grocery store, and while the prices aren't too bad, the selection is minimal. I try with each monthly pay to buy meat, but it's so damn expensive, and blows my budget so much that I have to use the food bank.

(Canned brown beans... ICK, and saltine crackers... DANGER!)

BUT, you mentioned Farmer's Markets, and THAT's one thing we do have a fair bit of in this area. I'm in a tiny Mennonite Community in northern Ontario, and there are lots of farmers who sell their beef, chicken, and eggs at wonderful prices. The key is to find out where they live! So, I'm gonna ask around...

And keep your fingers crossed for me, my disability pension appeal hearing comes up on July 8th, and if it's approved (I'm 98% certain it will be) I shall have a LOT more money each month to spend, thank god and goddess.

At that time, I hope to do as you recommended, and stock up on meats as much as possible, and get lots of fibre & vitamin-full vegetables. SOMEHOW, I'll beat this!

And say, you mentioned you were thinking of putting together a book!? That's a fabulous idea, Terri. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, and while I don't have children, I believe that both single-parent families and just plain "singles" like myself would benefit from your advice! It's really sad to see the young ones becoming obese so early, living on that "frankenfood" diet, as you put it.

And keep up with your suggestions! I bet there's others out in our CE cyberworld who would benefit from your advice!

Whew, now, about my own plan: For a couple of days now, I've been contemplating a fasting regimen that has worked as a good detox for me in the past. I drink lots of green & black tea, and plenty of distilled water, and fast for four days. I believe I'm gonna give it a try before I attempt to change some bad eating habits. At the moment, I'm so bloody bloated and suffering from water-retention I feel like a barba-mama... (Remember that cartoon?)

Talk soon
Tara

DETOX! NOw, THAT's a word I need to hear this morning!!! I had a little party here last night and I feel woefully bloated now (one of my friends is an awesome baker and she brought a decadent cherry tart - what's a girl to do? ) and of course there was beer and wine, and a little more wine, and one-last-glass-before-bed, and the final, oh-ok-if-you-insist-then-just-ONE-more... LOL and now there's me here the next day, bloated, headache and getting ready for work. :rolleyes:

I have trouble with fasting detoxes - though I know people like them, and they seem to work really well. But when I feel like this I go all fruits & veggies and drink some of the green plus / wheatgrass smoothie things at the mall where I work. They taste VILE, but they seem to really give a good boost. I should do that today, because tomorrow is my son's graduation from elementary school and we're all going out for dinner. Restaurants can be a real mine field, and I LOVE eating eating out, but its too easy to undo a whole weeks worth of careful eating and exercise in one meal...

Anyway, great news about the Mennonites in your area, if you can get hooked into some of their sales (don't alot of the famrs have little roadside stands?) then you can probably get lovely stuff at a great price.

Sending you good vibes for your hearing too....

Love,
Terri

PS - LMAO at "barbra-moma" LOL LOL LOL
Totally remember those guys, but haven't thought of them in years......clickety click, barbra trick!

Hey Terri, How's your head?

First thing, congrats on that fabulous teacher's comment about your son Thomas. (I read that other thread you began about his graduation.) You must be quite proud - what a powerful confirmation; I too would prefer to hear things like that instead of a report card with straight A's. A strong moral code will hold him in good stead his entire life, a perfect report card is a piece of paper. I hope you have a great time at the graduation dinner - stay away from crackers!

And "clickety-click, barbra-trick!" YES!!! I could not remember the catch-phrase from that old cartoon! I LOVED it when I was younger.

(Although now I have to wonder just what the creator's were smokin' when they came up with the idea )

Anyway, about my fast: It was over FAST, virtually before it began.

I tried, but when it got to dinner time, my blood sugar levels started screaming. <sigh>. I had some noodles with butter and basil, and a couple of bran muffins. GEEEEZ.

I know, I know, that doesn't sound too bad, I guess, but I'm most disappointed in my non-existent willpower. I keep trying to drum up the same enthusiasm I felt before when I lost all of that weight, but it's pretty much non-existent these days...

The voice on my left shoulder says, "Ahhh, wait until your disability hearing; then you'll have the money to follow the program that works best for you."

The voice on my right shoulder says, "If you wait any longer, you won't have any clothing to wear to the disability hearing."



On a good note, however, I've found a farmer who sells eggs at half the price they are in the store, and because I don't have a car, one of my neighbours promised they'd pick up some chicken for me on their next Farmer's Market run. (Apparently there's one in a nearby town, with awesome prices!)

Well, the library is closing up where I come to chat online... talk later!

Tara

Hi again

Hope the graduation was a great time.

Now, guess what? Yesterday something happened to me which was very cool. I had been sitting down watching television, and glanced over at my bookcase, where my eyes fell upon a book entitled "Book of Shadows," written by Phyllis Curott, a Wiccan High Priestess who shares her own personal experiences in the religion.

(You're thinking... what the HECK does this have to do with weight-loss, right? )

Well, something made me reach over and grab it, and I did this thing I like to call "Search & Rescue," where I open a book at random to any page, to see if there's a message for me.

I pulled it open to read of a group of women performing a healing ritual for another of their friends, and in this ritual they were requesting the guidance of Higeiah, ancient Greek goddess of health.

Suddenly, (and this blew my mind with the swiftness of it) I was drawn up out of my seat, and into my kitchen. Almost without being aware of it, (but VERY aware at the same time, if that makes sense) I began systematically going through the food in my cupboards and fridge, pulling out all of the food items that I "no longer wanted in my body."

It was so strange... I know, perhaps now you'll find me strange, Terri, to write of this, but it was WILD.

To make a long story short, I cleaned out my kitchen of all the foods that have been unhealthy for me for so long; the refined sugars and flours, the sodium-laden processed foods, the empty calories of low-nutrient "food bank" CRAP and left only the foods that I - or rather, my body - wanted me to keep.

It was quite interesting. I discovered that 1) not only am I alone responsible for the garbage I put into my mouth, but 2) I actually DO have the resources to purchase food that's good for me.

You see, while I was doing this - thanks to the guidance of Higeiah, I'm fairly certain - I became aware of a few things: When I pulled out the box of crackers, and the bag of cookies, I realized that instead, I could have purchased chicken. When I pulled out the bag of flour, the bag of sugar, the bag of chocolate chips, I realized that the money spent on these could have been used for pork chops.

So, let's just say I had a moment of responsibility.

At any rate, I feel great today. A lot more focussed than I have been, for sure. There wasn't much food left over after I did this, but there's ENOUGH, and that's all that matters. And it's healthy stuff, which makes a big difference. No more temptations, or blame placed on my budget.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this with ya.

Tara

HEY!

That sounds AWESOME!!!!! I love it - I have done the "search and rescue" thing too...in fact, years ago one of my first spiritual teachers told me how he would often browse the new age section of a book store and just grab the book that first came to his interest and do the same thing, always believing that the page he opened was something he was meant to read. I'm glad to hear that it worked so well for you! There's something so empowering about remembering that we always have control / responsibility. I got myself into a difficult situation with my ex tonight, and ended up really sad after the whole thing, and realized that it was because (once again) I'd given him my power. I do that in alot of areas of my life, in a werid way my relationship with him is so much like my relationship with food, or even my relationship with my parents. I often tend to give my own power away, and always suffer for it. I really think (for me) the key to loose the last bit of weight I am going for and keeping it off is to learn that lesson. But damn, I'm finding it hard!

Graduation was great - I'll post more about it on the other thread....I ate a "decent" meal, vegetarian Thai curry. Skipped dessert... I think, for a celebration meal I aquitted myself quite well, so "YEA!!!!: for me. Now I have to navigate the pitfalls of the summer season....BBQs, wine, kids home asking for McDonalds...eeeeeekkkk Summer always seems like it should be easier to live healthy, and yet its more challanging for me than the Christmas holidays. Christams is just one big meal - how much damage can that do? But summer holidays hold so many pitfalls that I'll need to be extra conscious of my goals. I'm glad I've found you to talk to about it - its really energizing and motivating. Thanks for listening!

Love,
Terri

Hiya Terri!

Hey, that's so cool you've done the Search & Rescue bit too! It really does help in a quick moment, doesn't it? I'm so pleased that it happened to me. Truth be told, I've been so damn depressed about the weight-gain lately, I had rather "shut myself off," to all signs of aid. This occuring to me opened up the possibilities again.

And today is my second day without the crackers!! After my "kichen-cupboard purge," I had "leftovers" of some lean chicken burgers, (no buns! The buns went to the garbage after I dumped water all over 'em, haha), some lettuce and onion, a few eggs, and half a pound of ground beef. It's gonna be salad and meat alone for the next few days until my monthly paycheque arrives, and it's a little daunting, but I know I can do it!!

At least, I'm feeling more positive about it anyway. You're right - it's great to have someone to talk to about this; it keeps me on track. I'm glad we're opening ourselves up to one another about this frustrating but rewarding journey. I've no doubt that this summer we'll both reach our goals!

And yikes, I hear ya about summer being a tough one for losing weight. It's funny, most of the people around me say that WINTER is the time they put on weight, but it's always been the exact opposite for me. Summer is McDonalds & Pizza, beer and wine, ice cream cones and birthday cakes, fried chicken & "fish 'n chip" picnics on the beach... <sigh> My mouth is watering just thinking of it, haha...

My hat goes off to you for dealing with it all, AND three kids! "Mommy, I hear the ice cream man!"

Hang in there!

And you know, you brought up something that really got me thinking... about how you've connected your relationship with food to other relationships in your life. I too am beginning to see where I "give away my power." I did it as a child, and also with plenty of my adult relationships too. I'm saddened to hear that you've had to fight this in dealing with your ex, but glad that you're aware of it. I feel for ya there, my friend. Most of my life I've tried to avoid conflict, (maybe because I was so tired of hearing arguments and battles on the homefront as a child) and so I grew up a "people-pleaser" and a "peacemaker," choosing to avoid arguments wherever possible, and choosing to make everyone around me happy so I wouldn't hear them fight.

To this day, even when I'm not involved in conflict, when I see or hear it occuring, I tend to "freeze up" and become anxious; I drop whatever I'm doing and attempt to help smooth things over.

Or, in the middle of a battle I'm MEANT to fight, I walk away, refusing to "engage," often to the detriment of my own feelings of self-worth. ARGHHH!

(And once I walk away, I drown my anger at myself in a box of cookies! Yah, the very same thing I used to do when I was a child. It's funny how we carry these same childhood habits into our adulthood, eh?)

GEEEEEZ!!

Anyway, I'm thinking that together, if we can share our thoughts as we have been, we'll both be able to shed those last few pounds of "childhood," eh? I'm rooting for the both of us!

Talk soon,
Tara

Hey Tara and Terri,
I can relate to your issues about food, about confrontation, and about giving your power away. I do the same things and have spent a lifetime trying to make that change. I either shut down and walk away or stand there crying while my mind shuts down leaving me baffled and feeling silly. Wounds suffered in childhood can be the hardest to heal but it sounds like you guys are on your way. The only thing that I can add from my experience of overeating is to keep a journal of how you feel while you're eating. I realized I was an emotional eater and understanding that I still had no idea what to do to change that. I figured that if I was going to self medicate with food I might as well vent emotionally as well. I am still a little paranoid about any one finding this journal and reading it but I do it any way because it seems to work. I need fewer cupcakes when I let the emotions rage onto the page because it gets it out of my head and heart and onto the page.

So there is my sound bite. I wish you both peace and luck with your struggles. You are most definitely not alone.


Joy

Hiya Joy!

Thanks for the "sound bite."

Y'know, that's a great idea about keeping a journal on how you're feeling while eating; I may have to start that! I keep a daily journal already, but usually what I'm writing in it is,

"Well, geeeeez, I over-ate AGAIN."

It's not yet occured to me to write WHILE I'm eating, or before, even. It's an awesome idea! When I get the urge to "snack," most times I'm feeling pretty anxious about something, or distracting from a feeling. I eat to avoid dealing with it, hoping it will go away...

But it never does.

Lately I've been attempting to keep a food journal as well, to see if there's any reason for my choosing the various foods I do. The illuminating factor has been that I sometimes "cheat" in writing it down!

"If it's not in my food journal, I didn't eat it..."

Of course, that's pretty self-defeating, <sigh> but I'm working on it!

It's great to have a place to talk about this, however... I'm glad that you felt inspired to join this thread!

Tara

Hi Tara, Terri & Joy,

I can't think of too many women (people for that matter) that can't identify with at least part of what you ladies have talked about here. Thanks for being brave enough to share about it. It helps when you work the buddy system like Tara & Terri are here. My girlfriend Brenda & I have started doing the same thing. We also began stretching/yoga today. Were going to do this on Tues & Thurs mornings after she drops her son off at school.

So far for me being alcohol free for 10 days now (that and making healthier food choices) has made a world of difference already. All that bloating/water weight is gone.

Keep up the good work!

Hey Kel,

Welcome to the "weighting" thread!

It is great to have buddies to help you through the rough patches... way to go on going alcohol free, that's a tough one! My budget doesn't really allow for "cold and frostys" these days but every now and again I indulge, and pop open a can in the sun.

But it sure does mess up the diet, though... ARGH.

I've just read that a '5' personal year can bring a tendency to overindulge, so I'm gonna have to work really hard to make healthy choices this upcoming year. Hopefully my determination to get back to my goal weight will override the numerological and astrological forecasts!

Damn, it was so frustrating to watch the weight creep up again... remember how hard I struggled to lose it in the first place, back in 2002? Geeez.

The good part is now at least I KNOW it can be done, I guess!

So, are you following any particular weight-loss plan? If you come across any great tips, feel free to share them here!

Tara

Hey Tara,

Drinking lots of water is key. I've noticed that when I am retaining water in most cases it's because I haven't been drinking enough water.

For me a high protein diet works best. The less carbs and refined sugars I eat the better. I try to get my carbs from fruits and vegatables. I know the fruits are higs in carbs, but they have so many good nutrients, so I don't feel guilty when I eat them. When we crave sweets what our body really wants are the natural sugars we get from fruits. So the next time you get a sweet tooth eat a piece of fruit.

For some people the high protein/low carb diet dosen't work too well for them. This is the case with my sister-in-law who does very well with weight watchers. I think there is really something to the eat right 4 your type diet based on blood types. I am type O and high protein is reccomended, but it says to avoid beef. I used to eat beef but always got bloated and had indigestion after eating it. I gave it up about 3 years ago and don't have that problem anymore.

As for the alcohol, I haven't quit quit, but am avoiding it unless there's something going on over the weekend... like today for example. We were invited to a dinner party where I'm sure there will be alhohol. I'll most likely have some because it will be our first time at these peoples house and other people we haven't met yet will be there. Believe it or not, I am shy (well, I am a ) until I get to know people better, so a little booze will help loosen me up.

I was reading about how you lost all that weight in 2002, but don't remember you talking about it at the time. Was it after we met in May? Well, at least you know what worked for you, so it's just getting in the right state of mind and sticking to your guns. As you know it is best to start a diet during the 1st or 2nd quarter of the moon and I believe while in a fixed sign for the determination factor.

I'm sure I haven't told you anything you didn't already know, but this is what popped off the top of my head.

Hi Ladies,

I'm back with a book reccomendation...

This is a book written in 1990 that was highly reccomended by a friend. She said it changed her life.

I couldn't remember the author, so I looked it up at Barnes & Noble. They have it available used for $1.99. It's titled "It's Not What You're Eating, It's What's Eating You: The 28 Day Plan To Heal Hidden Food Addiction" by Janet Greeson. I also noticed that she had a follow up book titled "Food For Love: Healing The Food, Sex, Love & Intimacy Relationship" which is also available used for the same price.

Hiya Kelly

Thanks for the book recommendation... the title sounds like it would be very useful for me right now. As strange as it sounds, despite things going very well in my life at the moment - waiting for the money sucks, but at least I KNOW it's coming - I'm feeling VERY anxious and disturbed about something, and not entirely sure what it is.

It's a feeling of discontent that is manifesting in my eating habits... I'm trying very hard to eat less, but while on what I call "The Food Bank Diet," (think: canned crap) I'm finding it very difficult to get my appetite and needs satisfied, and so, unfortunately, I find myself eating MORE crap just to feel as though I've received enough nutrients. And because I HATE canned food, I'm both disgusted and unhappy with it at the same time, regardless of how much I eat.

Because of my history, I know it's linked to emotional eating, and a sense of "never having enough," which is a familiar concept that resides in other areas of my life; be it money, sex or sleep!

I'm hoping that once I have more money in my account each month, I'll be able to get back to the high protein/low carb plan that has always worked well for me, and satisfied my hunger as well.

Oh, and yeah, about my weight loss back in 2002, before we met in May... it was the fall of 2001 that I got a gym membership and began weight-training, and when we met, I had lost 40 lbs. Once I came home... had the car accident in July... over those summer months, I lost another 10 lbs and reached my goal weight. I was soooooo pleased, 'cause I had struggled since my teenage years to lose that weight.

I managed to keep it maintained until last year, when I stopped working and moved here. It's such a huge bummer.

So, what's eating me? I'm depressed and discouraged, and stuck in "diet limbo," waiting and waiting and weighting... ARGH!

Tara

hey all,

Well, an interesting thing has occured to me as of this past week, and I thought I'd share it... And nope, no money yet; this event is strictly diet-related.

Anyway, this same thing happened once before, back in 2003. After being on the Atkins program for some time, (basically meats and veggies) one day I woke up, went to the grocery store to pick up my usual list of supplies, and when I hit the meat section, just about threw up.

Suddenly, the sight of ANY meat product at all turned my stomach. Likewise, the thought of eating it, or eggs or dairy, for that matter, swiftly made my belly roll over in nausea.

So... to make a long story short, I became a vegetarian. Virtually overnight.

In fact, not long after that, about the only thing I could eat was yogurt, almonds, figs or dates, and dry cereal. And occasionally, my body would let me eat an apple.

Weird, eh?

Anyway, I was like this for roughly a year, perhaps a bit longer. Then, just as suddenly, I woke up one day after having dreamt of a steak dinner, and when I went to the grocery store, that's all I wanted to eat.

Now, it has happened AGAIN. Probably as a result of all the cheap proteins, (think: hotdogs... blechh) and processed crap-in-a-can that I've been eating desperately the past year on a meagre budget.

So, I went grocery shopping today, and picked up: you guessed it, yogurt, Vector cereal, (at least it's got vitamins and minerals in it) and some apples. These items are about the ONLY THING I can "stomach" the thought of eating at the moment.

Anyone else ever had this happen to them? I wonder now if I'm going to become a full-fledged vegetarian in the near future... or, maybe just one for a year.

Tara

P.S. WOW, check this out... Dunno if y'all have heard about this, but there has been a major recall on Maple Leaf meat products; just heard it on tonight's news. Apparently, it's been pulled off the shelves as of 6 days ago, but I just heard of it today.

Pretty darn wild that a few days ago, I gave up meat.

Wish I could use this odd psychic ability in other areas of my life.

Tara

Tara,

No, I can't say that I've ever experienced what you've gone through twice now. Good luck on the meatless path. I don't think I could ever go completely vegatarian because I would find it too hard to get the high protein my body needs on a complete vegatarian diet. I don't like many of the veggies that are high in protein.

Hey, on a different, but related subject (since you brought up planning a trip to New England), I was wondering if you ever heard of Sybil Leek? She used to be the chief witch in England before she settled in New England in the mid 60's. I'm sure she has since passed since she was in her 40's or 50's when she came here to settle. I was reading about her visit to check out a few witch covens in the US in the book I've been trying to finish for ages now (I'm finally on the last chapter). In case you're wondering, it's "Yoga, Youth, And Reincarnation" by Jess Stearn.

Hi All

I have a good link to share that is very related to this thread. It's all about dieting and has many nice features. I found out about it through a patient who asked me if I could go there to get her some information there on foods high in fiber.

It's www.sparkpeople.com