My apologies: I should not have referred to them as cuttings, birdguide, I was just blanking on the word earlier. These are pups I pulled off of the mother plant. They are just tiny versions of the main plant, which gets extremely crowded in its pot. Once pulled off, they root very easily on their own; I just put them into some dry soil for a week or so, then start watering sparingly until I see some growth. You can see some of the larger ones in the pot above are starting to put out pups of their own. Your plants will probably do the same eventually, maybe even this winter! I've grown new plants from leaves with other succulents, but never with haworthias, as the ones I have pup so profusely. The main thing I learned from watching these guys is that a change in appearance doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong ... in this case I think the plants are simply losing their summer tans. Good luck!

Gibby, I come from an alcoholic home, too, and don't drink for the same reason. As you said, I think any addiction can be substituted for another. Kelly, as I said in another thread, deprivation never tends to work for me. The last thing we need is more guilt, and I think the idea of a "detox" is sort of like seeing our bodies and our eating habits as dirty and shameful. I know some people do it w/o that connotation, but it's good to see if this is part of why you want to do it. If so, you may want to reconsider. As for craving vegetables vs. sugar . . .again, using my "look deeper" attitude, think about what you are craving when you want sugar. First of all, remember that most of us DO crave sugar. That is not abnormal. But, is there more? Do you crave energy? Do you feel like you are "treating" yourself when you want the sugar? Again, most of us do like the taste of sugar-- it's programmed into us. Breastmilk is sweet for that reason! I have mentioned that I like the ADDITIVE attitude. So, if you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, go for it! One of the things I learned about myself was that I do like veggies . . .a LOT, but only if they are prepared (vs. just boiled/steamed). For example, I could easily live on veggies the way they are prepared in Ethiopian cuisine. My friend just made a salad with grilled veggies and pesto. I craved it because it was GOOD. Bottom line-- I don't think juicing will cure you of cravings. But, if you want to add more fruits/vegs. into your diet, maybe try preparing them in more interesting ways, as well as juicing, but maybe don't limit yourself to only a juice diet until you have your expectations clearly laid out. (Not saying you don't already.)

gibby3000 - I lost weight because I was basically scared into it. I do run 3 times a week and go to the gym 2 times a week but I was doing that while I was carrying the extra weight. My DH and I were renewing our life insurance in Jan of 2009 and because of our ages at the time (56) we had to have a little check-up by the public health nurse. She dropped by the house and was doing our weight, blood pressure, blood tests and heart monitor. I knew I was carrying extra weight but I didn't know how much. Anyway, she weighed me (I didn't look at the number) and then took my blood pressure and she noted that it was quite high. I didn't know why. I thought to myself - I exercise, and I think I eat properly. But whatever. She took again at the end and it was still high and she commented that it shouldn't be that high. So then I looked at my weight and just about fell out of my chair. I was shocked at what I weighed which was about as much as a man. So I got on the internet and just started researching healthy eating, checked my BMI, looked at calorie counting, looked at what fat is and how many calories are in a pound, etc. What I realized is that I can't and wasn't prepared to exercise anymore so I had to look at my food intake. I don't eat chips, cheezies or any type of junk food (dark chocolate is definitely an issue and continues to be so) but what I was doing was just eating too much food during the day. I was exercising and so used that as an excuse to eat but that attitude does catch up with you eventually. I found out through research that 1 pound has 3500 calories in it and so if I want to lose a pound a week I have to drop 500 calories a day. So, no more mid-morning snack, no more eating dinner leftovers for lunch and no more cheese and crackers in the afternoon. I started eating a sensible, prepared for me by me lunch. Some fruit, some protein and a carbohydrate. I do get hungry mid-afternoon and so I have applesauce with cinnamon. I do prepare sensible dinners but now I don't have seconds. And nothing after dinner and that was the hardest thing to let go of. It took 9 months to lose 42 pounds and I feel so much better and that is what keeps me motivated to keep it off. My running is better, my walking is easier, bending to get things is easier - I just feel so much better and that is the incentive to keep it off. The changes that I made were ones that I knew I could maintain over the long haul. I didn't give up the cream for my coffee because I knew I couldn't give it up for the long term. \\ I think that it's important to only make those changes that you can maintain for the rest of your life and not miss. If you can't give up that cookie at night - cut back someplace else but still count it in your calories, if you can't cut back sugar in your coffee for ever then cut back where you can and not miss it. Eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight shouldn't be or feel like punishment for life. A couple of people have commented about how they blew it one week or were "bad" over the weekend. During this process I gave myself permission for the occasional lapse. I knew it was going to happen because I'm not perfect, I'm not a robot and I'm trying to break a 25 year eating habit. You don't do that without a misstep along the way. Now, I have given myself a 5 pound leeway for those times when I'm away or we have a busy couple of weeks of entertaining. I do weigh myself everyday and do start to regroup if I put on 3 pounds. I don;t beat myself up if that happens because now I have the tools to deal with it. This is just my opinion but I don't believe in these fad diets because they are too hard to maintain as a long-term lifestyle. (I'm not talking about diets relating to gluten allergies or diabetes, etc) Like I said - my opinion.

It is interesting following this thread on NoVa because Chantilly was one relocation site that we specifically turned down due to QOL issues. (We turned down Denver because it was too cold and too far from our sailboat!) I think my DH is related to akkw's DH - very uhhh...frugal. We have never bought the most expensive house or car that we could afford. We get what we need and like, value, quality allowed. We pay off the one credit card every month and max out retirement investments. But we aren't waiting until retirement to use the money we have set aside. We cashed in the boat fund and bought our dream sailboat a couple of years ago when the timing was right, and now find that our used boat is worth more than what we paid for it (unbelievable???). We were able to buy a great house in FL to relocate to, without selling another house. And pretty much whenever we're mentally ready, we'll be able to shut the house up and take off cruising with the kids (boat-schooling). I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I just shake my head when I see my neighbors working overtime hours to pay for their 3 fancy cars (two drivers w/small kids) - they admitted to this folly. And so many friends who are house-poor (friends here in CA) and/or commuting hours a day and later realizing how much of their kids' lives they have missed (mostly friends back there in NoVa). Not even factoring in anybody losing jobs or in poor health. This is just folks who have gotten themselves in a bind due to their choices.