I previously thought when it comes to my issues with mucus and breathing that I was alone. Like most of you, I have been through the bouts with all the doctor visits over the past months. I have been to the pulminologist, the E.r, had three chest x-rays all clear, had an endoscopy, ct scan, and even an ultrasound. It keeps me in amazement that each test tells me nothing is wrong. I felt confused hoping each time that i would be told "we found the problem," only for the doctor to tell me it might be stress related and possibly in my head. After spending enough money to fund a small war, I finally went to the dentist. I had not known before that gum disease or periondental disease could cause many malfunctions within the body. One being respiritory and lung malfunction. it seems that the teeth and gums can cause the body to produce toxins that invade the blood and organs... especially the lungs. These toxins cause the body to produce excess mucus. Especially for those of us who have been living with asma, bronchitis, or any form of copd. So, please, if yo have gone to every length and have found what seems to be no answer, go to a dentist and have them check for gum disease. If you have it, chances are it has caused your respiratory issue. (This should be noted that this is stated as an opinion and your individual results may vary). GO SEE YOUR DENTIST... PLEASE

eDiets is successful. My understanding is it gives you a balanced diet. I use weight watchers. Same idea. I also use the posting here for motivation and friendship. Whatever you choose - try to find something you can live with. Look for flexibility, choice and balanced eating - especially if you have a lot to lose or want to relearn your living habits. Everyone is different. Anyone else care to share? McPeg

Reading this (although it's several years old) is really interesting because I have a 6 year old cat who reads for all the world like the one in this original post! She's rotund and has difficulty cleaning herself on her back and rear end due to her short, tubby stature. She has a very fine, thick undercoat and a long top coat (almost like wool) She also looks a little deshevilled and the fur across the top of her back is usually oily... and she has dandruff! Although only in that spot on her lower back. The rest of her fur is immaculately groomed and maintained, although thick and woolly. Missy however, fortunately LOVES to be brushed and we also shave her rear end on a fairly regular basis to prevent a build up of nasties as tends to happen with her as she has difficulty cleaning that area. I suppose my biggest concerns for our baby girl are that she is itchy where the dandruff affects her and she also has the tendency to emit a rather pungeant odour as a result of her inability to maintain her nether regions and her naturally oily/flakey skin. She's due for her annual vaccinations so I intend to raise this issue with the vet when we take her along but wondered if anyone else had experienced these problems and what they've found (if anything) works.

I lost 30 lbs by following a modest calorie counting regime. My goal weight was nothing extreme for my age or body type. I looked good, fit back in to a lot of clothes I had not been able to wear for about a decade. My motivation was the same as you guys, I wanted to stave off high cholesterol and other heart disease issues that run in my family. Plus not have to buy a whole new wardrobe! But I gained most of it back, almost entirely due to hunger pangs. I just got sick of having to fight them off constantly. And I know it wasn't due to me not eating enough food or nutrition. I found it difficult to focus on other things because of the hunger. Weird. I sure would like to take a pill that caused me not to have the hunger pangs, but I would worry about the other side effects. I think that's why so many models and Hollywood actors smoke all the time, although are rarely photographed smoking. It reduces their appetite. I'm not a fan of the movie "Notting Hill" but I vividly remember Julia Roberts character describing what it was like to be a famous actress and saying, "I'm hungry all the time." The camera puts on ten pounds, so you have to fight to stay a little underweight to fit the norm as a movie star. Here's the exact quote: "I've been on a diet every day since I was nineteen, which basically means I've been hungry for a decade."