Back in the days of early motherhood, when I had yet to find my voice in matters of child rearing, […]

The time had come to update the bedroom. It had a tired, heavy look, and I was surprised my teenage […]

Mashed potatoes are ghosts. White frothy ghosts  of grandmothers who taught mothers who taught daughters  how much milk and butter […]

Anyone who has carved a mango will appreciate this, as well as those who don’t really know how to tackle […]

You’ve heard of the Constant Gardener? I am the Inconsistent Gardener. I’m planting and digging when I can, and my […]

In this section I try to get unconventional with the way I view food. I love to eat, so, in […]

I fell in love with raw cuisine when I was first introduced to kale chips. However, as I state in […]

I discovered much to my dismay, that the best way I could weed in my garden was bare-handed.  I needed […]

A friend just called me a little Susie Homemaker. I wondered if she meant it as a complement or if […]

In spite of benign neglect as I took care of my aging mother this year, I was still gifted with […]

This is a real treat. No, I am not completely a raw foodist, but I believe, as a wife and […]

I don’t know about you, but I felt pretty sluggish and full of gunk after Thanksgiving.  I generally feel that […]

It’s been a long winter for everyone, but none more so than the wildlife, surviving without benefit of home and […]

Have you ever been with people you care for but, no matter how hard you try, you find yourself in […]

As I read over my last blog, The Only Way Out of a No-Win Situation, I sensed victim mentality rearing […]

Certain global movements say this is the time of a great shift in society. This is the time to shed […]

“Let’s see if you can hold your breath long enough to pick up all the rings,” I shouted at my […]

When I’m being good, eating whole foods and feeling better about my choices, I still get the hankering for something […]

You may have thought with a sigh that your brownie-eating days are over.  I am delighted to tell you that […]

I’m a sucker for Middle Eastern Foods, which is not my heritage, but I crave it nonetheless.  The only problem […]

I was influenced from a very young age by the ubiquitous Barbie Doll. She isn’t as popular today, and that […]

Put this in the “good to know” column.  I worked so hard gardening and landscaping around the house this spring […]

The first day of a diet clean-up is usually productive, and it was for me.  I am down 1 1/2 […]

I got on the scales and was down another half-pound, and had to remind myself that this kind of fast […]

It is my delight to tell you that I’m not having the sugar cravings I used to have. That’s because […]

I am happy to report I didn’t have a weight gain today, which I thought might happen with the potatoes […]

It’s the start of my husband’s summer vacation week, and I slipped a little bit…Just how little? You can determine […]

An interesting note:  I colored my hair this morning and I started sneezing multiple times and getting a runny nose. […]

Well, our B&B gave us a breakfast so meager I could find nothing to eat:  banana bread and sugary fruit […]

Brunch:  The same B&B breakfast awaited us this morning as yesterday, so we went to our old favorite breakfast hangout, […]

Breakfast:  I got my money’s worth out of Morning Star yesterday as I saved half my omelet for today. I […]

Breakfast:   Right across from our hotel was an Original Pancake House. While I refrained from having pancakes, I did have a […]

Breakfast:  The pancake house across the street was just too convenient, and I did a little better this morning with […]

Breakfast:  Breakfast at the hotel wasn’t stellar, with runny eggs and Italian sausage. Loose eggs, I am told, is the […]

Well, I had to pay the piper for my indulgences, and I certainly did. My nose has been stuffy for […]

Well I’m down a pound, which is gratifying but let’s face it; pounds quickly added can be lost more easily […]

Have you ever gotten on the bathroom scale and wish you hadn’t?  I’m hearing, “All the time!” Right?  How often […]

I needed to face facts; I have all the symptoms of the sugar-holic. I’m sure you can tell this by […]

This is my go-to salad dressing.  Why?  It’s got just the right amount of healthy sweet and savory tastes, two […]

Some of you are going to get on me for this… BREAKFAST:  3 oz. chicken breast with garlic sauce.  I […]

Hey!  I’m over what I consider Hump Day.  Seems for me when I have dieted in the past my hardest […]

Things are getting increasingly easier, almost routine.  I’m aware that the standard school of thought is that it takes at […]

I’m actually getting a sense of equibrium today. I feel comfortable with my food choices; they satisfy me and I’m […]

I should always listen to my own advice.  I’ve written a blog on whether you should weigh yourself every day, […]

Readers might be wondering, since I consider the plant-based diet to be healthiest, why am I eating meat at almost […]

I’ve actually lost a pound from yesterday.  Will it stay off?  How much of that is water weight?  This is […]

There are those who would say that when you are on a roll, when you have a project that is […]

I knew this day could be trouble, so I started off being a good doobie. BREAKFAST:  We were on the […]

BREAKFAST:  Started the morning off with fruit, which is best. Morning is the ideal time to eat fruit alone for […]

Back home and motivated to quickly get off the 1 1/2 pounds I gained this weekend. BREAKFAST:  Coffee smoothie. Decaf […]

It’s a taste that is perfect for fall.  The flavors meld beautifully and, on a crisp autumn day, seem to […]

Excuses.  I kept giving myself excuses.  Just a half a donut.  Just a taste of this or that.  Not only […]

I have said several times that this is not a blog about losing weight.  That said, it is important to […]

I miss tuna.  I grew up eating tunafish (as my Mom called it) sandwiches right through my elementary and high school […]

Here I go again, but this time I think I know what I’ve been doing wrong. I’ve been viewing this […]

So far, so good. No hunger. Still working off that holiday food fest: BREAKFAST: Ate at lunchtime. Think I’m on […]

I’ve been reading about Hormesis, the exposure to low-level stressors to improve cell health and increase mitochondria.  I think expanding […]

Well, my “fasting window” (see Day 3 post) was 14 hours, two hours shorter than I’d like it to be, […]

Well, I guess some progress is being made:  I was down a quarter pound from yesterday, even though I ate […]

I’m on a roll, so I can’t be discouraged if I don’t drop at least a little weight every day. […]

BREAKFAST/LUNCH (see preceding pages for creating hormesis): Ate remaining salad from last night. 3.5 oz chicken with garlic sauce SNACK: […]

Now I know these results are not normal, and I won’t be able to sustain this kind of weight loss […]

BREAKFAST:  10:45 Made the tea mentioned in yesterday’s post. It was warm and satisfying, probably from the healthy fats included […]

I hope my luck stays with me.  So far I haven’t had any cravings, especially for the dreaded sugar.  I […]

Last night’s foray into the world of dining out with my new meal plan went fairly well.  I didn’t lose […]

This is the day the devil was sitting on my shoulder.   I had the rest of a salad I […]

I was feeling punk all day, and not just because I was up an entire pound from yesterday.  I was […]

“My dress…exploded,” I explained to a skeptical group at one of my husband’s black tie events.  We were late, and […]

Up a pound yesterday, back down today.  The metabolism does not adjust steadily. It’s important to remind myself not to […]

This was a big challenge today, but I passed the test. It was a bit of a risk since I […]

I was hoping it would last forever, but hunger came to call for the first time on this, the 16th […]

I thought so.  I was up 1/2 pound, even though I was relatively good yesterday.  Ok- yes I had those […]

Looking at my previous posts, I hope no-one reading these gets the idea that I think these meals are well-balanced […]

Well, I guess I should have seen that coming.  It was bound to catch up with me.  I had been […]

Today I ate out and was a little bit naughty…not as naughty as I could have been, but I didn’t […]

Tried to make up for unfortunate eating yesterday by being good today: BREAKFAST:  12:00 Chicken breast cubed on greens and […]

I was REALLY hungry today, possibly because of the alcohol two days ago and the scone catching up with me. […]

On Day 19 I reached my lowest weight loss since the beginning. However, I have gained a pound and a […]

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been trying intermittent fasting, by waiting to have my first meal between 11:00 and noon […]

It took me this long to get back down to my lowest mark on this 30-day journey…8 days of frogging […]

It seems I have turned a corner.  The foods I’m choosing seem to satisfy me for the longer times between […]

Today I faced a challenge I failed at earlier this month.  Back to the hotel I went, with its exclusive […]

Here’s a good question:  Is an emotional eater and a nervous eater one and the same?  I’ve been thinking that […]

I lost nine pounds over 27 days. Of course, that was before yesterday’s debacle of eating junk and/or fatty foods […]

My self-challenge is complete. The goal was to write down what I ate, no matter what. I accomplished that goal. […]

There’s an old saying:  “That which does not kill you makes you stronger. ” That phrase makes the most sense […]

This recipe is quick and easy for rushed dinners, as long as the bacon is cooked ahead of time. It’s […]

Want two smoothies that help me over colds, give me energy, and reduce inflammation?  Thought so. These are gonna do […]

Want to have a multitude of flavors in one bite? May I introduce you to Bánh Mi. The name comes […]

I started the day sluggishly, with no energy and serious brain fog. I had trouble concentrating all day. The reason […]

Well, I made it through Day One a little out-of-sorts.  Day two was better, mostly due to better energy, and […]

Feeling better every day; a little cleaner, a little more energy, a little more desire to exercise, which is by […]

I relished my final potato today. Tomorrow I’ll move on to all smoothies and juices. That’s fine with me. I […]

I was surprised I was hungrier today, but not hungry enough to break my forward progress. Today I started a […]

I had a slipup today, but not a really big one. It’s still within the realm of appropriateness.  I sneaked […]

I had been following a program that is starting to use fruit too heavily.  Don’t get me wrong; i love […]

What a mistake not going to the grocery store and doing my prep on Sunday, so  I was out early […]

Yesterday was my hungriest day yet, so I am continuing to make my own modifications to the detox plan I […]

I am on day ten and weighed myself this morning. 6 3/4 pounds released.  On Phase Two- days 5-7 I […]

Down another half-pound, 7 1/4 total for my work.  Honestly, it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.  […]