hi Sherrie, oh that is not even the half of the drama and stress of the last year..My step daughter who I adore went back to Belgium and tackled some big big stuff..we just found out that her step dad had raped her when she was 10 yrs old and he has been beating her Mom and sisters..she went back to Belgium and walked into a police station alone and laid charges against him..she is so strong and I am so proud of her but she had to give up her final year of high school to do this..she will be coming back this summer permanently and then we are going to try to get her mom and sisters to move to canada
soooo much, I could go on and on but the gist of it is, my ex never stopped dating for our 7 yrs of marriage and he has some mental illness, but refuses to get diagnosed...so ongoing chaos each and every time he visits the kids, whichi luckily is not too often

so ya stress and drama is pretty high..I am very strong and have realized that and thru all the therapy etc..I know that I am worth it, just having a reallly really hard time with the exercise..I know it will get easier as the kids get older.so tonight me and the kids are going to try P90x dvd together*LOL*

u guys are really supportive!!! much appreciated

it's something i've always had a problem with and i've been really trying lately to get more liquid in, but it's still really really hard for me!!


Me, too!  I've been at this weight loss bidness for ten years and I STILL have a hard time drinking all of tha****er.  When I first got started, I thought I was going to have to stay home forever cuz I was peeing everywhere in town.  Good news, once your body adjusts, it's not that bad.  It's definitely a project for people like us to get into the routine, bu****er is so vital to us that it's definitely worth the effort. 

This is what Colette had to say about drinking water, she's a nutritionist.

 Drinking water and losing weight go hand in hand for reasons that vary from flushing toxins out of the body to replenishing lost electrolytes and fluids after physical activity. 
It seems simple enough, but for many of us, the so-called 8 x 8 rule—drinking eight 8-ounce glasses a day means drinking a lot more water than we are accustomed to. Add to that the head-spinning decision of which type to drink—spring? filtered? mineral? flavored? seltzer?—and the mere thought of water can make you parched. 
A Healthy Habit 
Drinking water, isn’t just important for weight loss; it’s vital to anyone seeking to slow the aging process and lead a healthier lifestyle. The trouble is, we read and hear it so often that we barely pay attention. So now hear this: Drinking an adequate amount of water is probably one of the most important changes you’ll ever make to your dietary habits. If you’re still not convinced, take a gander at the dozens of testimonials on this site from folks who say that switching from sugary drinks to lots and lots of plain old water was one of the keys to their triumph over excess pounds and other health problems. 
Next to oxygen, water is the most important nutrient that passes through our digestive system. 
For starters, inadequate hydration is one way our bodies age faster. It causes cells to produce free radicals, which then destroy other cells. Circulation suffers as well, meaning less blood flow to the kidneys. When the kidneys cannot function properly, wastes and toxins accumulate in the body. One way to fight constipation is through increased water consumption. . 
Drinking water helps you lose weight by detoxifying the body of impurities that have been stored in our fat cells. Some people confuse thirst with hunger, but if they are well-hydrated, this risk is diminished. 
In other words, you might think you need to eat something when your body is actually craving water. By making sure you get enough water, you won’t find yourself in the mood to snack so often. 

Good afternoon, FlyGirl...are you still basking in the afterglow?  ;-)

I'm proud that after getting on the scale this morning and gaining FOUR POUNDS for no reason, I didn't freak out and go into a shark eating frenzy.  Back in the day, that is exactly what would have happened.  I would have thought, what is the point of staying on a diet if I'm just going to gain weight.  Now that I know it's just my hormones fluctuating, I don't let it get to me anymore.  Something interesting that I've found is that when the hormones go crazy on me it's best to just do aerobics and skip the strength training until they work themselves out.  I guess that's what this journey is all about, listening to what your body is saying and just go with the flow.

Mary

There was a girl who used to post here, Andrea (Dr, Andy), and she went through that program.  Her results were AMAZING.

From news letter sent to me daily from below.  I think they are connected to Duke University but not sure.  www.dukediet.com.

Established in 1969 in Durham, North Carolina, the Duke Diet & Fitness Center is one of the most renowned residential weight-management centers in the world. The intensive immersion program is designed to help people not only lose weight but gain self-awareness, skills, and knowledge for lasting