Ahoy! The side excursion (5 day pouch test) is ready to sail!

And you have been missed. Are you still knee deep in snow and freezing your arse off? Still cold down here but no snow left! Saw a car come through from Spokane a couple of days ago. Looks like it had been in a drift!

Thanks, Karen, that is very nice to hear.

Yes, in between hot flashes I am FREEZING my BUTT off (wi**** was that easy) If we didn't have our wood stove we would freeze, really. We have the furnace on up past 70 and it says it's only 68-69. In the kitchen tempereter says 63. Only by the stove does it get to 70. Snow is still on the trees as hasn't been warm enough to melt and the snow is heavy so doesn't blow off like usual. I also take hot baths. I would love a hot tub about now.

Okay, so far so good but evening is the real tell tale for me! I'm drinkinig my 3rd shake and chewing the ice. Had a cup of chicken bouillion earlier and will probably have one before bed.

I know I can have as many shakes as necessary but 3 seems to be about my limit. I'll probably hit the hot tub and then try to sedate myself with Tylenol PM so that the night time passes!~

Hope all my crewmates are doing well. Day One is passing. We are women; we are strong, we will survive!!!!

Did chew the hell out of a piece of sugarfree gum today. Chewed it until I about had lockjaw!! But ya do what  ya gotta do!!!

Evening is my hard time too, but so is work. I can keep busy at work tho.
I really do feel hungry, my stomach even growls and I can only drink so many protein shakes. I do know that some of it was head hunger. I dare not walk on the treadmill for I will faint away dead I'm sure. Need to wait to start that again till I can get some solid food in me.

Day two, here we come!

Okay, fellow, crew! 

Here I am..on my THIRD day since I ACCIDENTALLY started on Saturday, January 1st.  I almost caved the first night...but I made it throw...distracted myself with music and mandalas...okay..then I took a GRAVOL and zonked out...I rarely succumb to those unless I've had a completely sleepless night.

Day 2(Sunday):

I slept in...wheew!  Got up..took a LONNNNNG shower and washed my hair, gave myself a pedicure and stripped the bedding of our bed, changed the towels and cleaned the upstairs bathroom..that killed some time so I headed downstairs to the kitchen.  I made myself a hot chocolate protein drink and read the newspapers that had piled up over the holidays.

After a second cup of chai, I packed up homemade soup for Mother and off I went to Chippawa....about 45 minute drive to Mom's SeniorCare facility...I stay for dinner every Sunday but yesterday, I managed to say "no, thank you" except for tea.

Now, had they said "My goodness, you're lookin' a mighty peaked, you need to eat!" there would have been no argument from me but fortunately they didn't so I didn't. I got home and was happy that the guys had already eaten, all the treats were gone except for the last of the french toast casserole and Derek had already claimed that!

Evenings are my most difficult times as I stay up late and JB is asleep upstairs so it was a struggle but I somehow managed...*happy proud-of-me smile*

Day 3 (Monday):

Monday, thank goodness! I slept in (on purpose) so that I had to get up and rush off to swimming...had my hot chocolate protein drink then gassed up the car on the way into the city and did three hours of water-jogging in the pool.  Back home, another hot chocolate protein drink, then chai (2 cups) then went upstairs and changed into "comfies", felt cold and slipped under the covers...laid there for an hour, never sleeping but resting...got up, dressed again to go out, made dinner(something I don't care for anyways) and left immediately for my LifePath Core Group meeting.  Headed home 3 hours later and had another hot chocolate protein drink- yes, I'd decided to do THREE days of liquids...why? I must be a masochist....but I considered this and decided that, after 62 years, it was time that I said NO! to my "head hunger" and YES! to me.

Tomorrow: I get soup!

No measurable loss in weight yet BUT my stockings are not near as tight around my ankles today! and that's a GOOD thing as Martha would say!

Nancy B

Good for you.  I didn't struggle I just took it easy.  I am a beginer so I am doing what is comfortable.  I have not kicked in the exercise yet.  I have a bad knee and it slips.  Not sure how much I should do. I think I will knee surgery.  Putting it off till I get my Lap Band around March. I am doing the 5 day diet.So far so good.     Doris QC.