I agree with Michael. And this is one type of shopping where it's worth driving to a large metropolitan area. Check hospital auxilary shops and similar thrift stores that are sponsored, their prices are usually much lower since they don't *have* to make a profit to pay the rent or salaries. For best quality, find thrift and second-time-around stores located in or very near the wealthier neighborhoods. Buy just barely enough to see you through the next few months ~~ which is a lot less than most people think! Coats and dresses are often superb buys at the thrift store; just look over each item carefully for stains. Separates will give you more of a feeling of variety; label each piece alphabetically and then wear blouse A with slacks A, then slacks B, etc. (A+A, A+B, A+C; B+A, B+B, B+C; C+A, C+B, C+C) Adding 2 complementary jackets will greatly increase the number of combinations. If you wear a common shoe size, remember that it's okay to buy used shoes. Use Lysol disinfectant spray on the interior. Check shoe repair shops for pairs that weren't picked up ~~ they are often sold for the cost of the repair. If you aren't comfortable with re-use, go on-line and buy one pair for dress and one pair for casual. Depending on your job's dress requirement, you may be okay with 2 pairs of casual; wear on alternate days. Cheap shoes are perfectly okay as long as you are careful to get those made with arch supports and the fit is good. I buy brand-names on-line and save at least 50% more than local big shoe stores. Pants can be remodeled if you are patient, but it's actually easier to adapt a simple pattern and use the material that way. (Medium skill required.) Remove the waistband, open the side seams, and lay the pattern over the material, positioning so as to minimize sewing requirements. That is, the pattern's center seam mark sits on the sewn seam [or center of pants front/back] and you use the cutting line to cut the fabric, left side and then flip pattern to right side. This will shorten the waist and adapt the crotch to the smaller size -- but be aware that the method does not work with all patterns or on all pants. IMO, it's easier to find good slacks in a thrift shop!

Hi everyone!!! I didn't step on the scale this morning...oops. Will do it when I get home. But just wanted to say good morning to you all! Still not back on my diet, or exercise regime. But worked in the yard for 12 hours on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. Yes, we finished at 10pm on Sunday...had the spotlights out and everything! I figure pushing a wheelbarrow full of concrete for two hours should be better calorie burning than anything else I could do!! Will weigh tonight :) Skinny (goal-jeans) are still able to be zipped and buttoned but are not comfortable. Still want to target my hips/thighs area. But, all other clothes are fitting great, which I feel is the real testimony to weight loss rather than the actual poundage. Also, many are recognizing my weight loss. And they want to know my secret... LOL! 1. Eat fewer calories (not less food!!!) 2. Burn more calories Of course, it can't be that simple, but it is. One of my office mates started her low-carb diet at the same time, but does not exercise very much, and deprives herself of food so is hungry and binges. Also, does not count calories... hmmm... six months later, she's still the same weight. She offered me her low-carb cookbook, but with recipes in there that call for six tablespoons of butter I declined. :)

Rhizo: I'm glad that you brought that up. Thanks. I re-post the info. on grapefruit interaction below. Grainlady: I'm so lucky to have your valuable info. THANK YOU. I agree that homemade probiotics (Kefir, sauerkraut) is best. Long-shelf storage at the store DECREASE the number of viable bacteria. Some yogurt have artificial sugar added (aspartame, sucralose, sorbitol) ... these sugar-substitute are known to INCREASE the bad bacteria, and ZAP out the good bacteria. Men's Health has an excellent article on how certain medications mixed with certain food/drink can have a deadly effect & toxic: http://www.menshealth.com/health/ 1. Limes and cough medicine. You may have heard not to drink grapefruit juice with some prescriptions, including cholesterol-lowering statins. But limes, pomelos, and Seville oranges—although not the more-common navel and Valencia varieties—also may block an enzyme that breaks down statins and other drugs, including the cough suppressant dextromethorphan ... this includes hallucinations and sleepiness; in statins, you may sustain severe muscle damage. 2. Dairy products and antibiotics. Some antibiotics, including Cipro, bind to calcium, iron, and other minerals in milk-based foods. “This prevents the absorption of the antibiotics, ultimately decreasing their ability to fight infections,” Gullickson says. When you get a new prescription for acne or an infection, ask if the drug falls into a class known as tetracyclines or flouroquinolones. If so, avoid milk, yogurt, and cheese 2 hours before and after taking the pills. 3. Smoked meats and antidepressants. Check the label on your happy pills. If they belong to a class called monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs—brand names Marplan, Nardil, Emsam, or Parnate—combining them with foods rich in the amino acid tyramine can cause life-threatening spikes in blood pressure, says Gullickson. Unfortunately, the list of no-nos includes not only summer sausage and smoked salmon, but also red wine, sauerkraut, hot dogs, aged cheeses, soy sauce, and draft or home-brewed beer. 4. Chocolate and Ritalin. Besides caffeine, chocolate also contains a stimulant called theobromine, says Tom Wheeler, Pharm.D. (It’s the reason chocolate harms dogs—canine bodies can’t break it down.) Combining all these stimulants in humans can potentially lead to erratic behavior and seizures. 5. Apple juice and allergy meds. Nix the nectar from apples, oranges, and grapefruits if you take Allegra (fexofenadine) for hay fever—at least within 4 hours of swallowing the pill, Gullickson advises. The resulting lack of absorption makes Allegra up to 70 percent less effective; lay off these juices while taking the antibiotics Cipro or Levaquin, the thyroid medication Synthroid, or the allergy and asthma treatment Singulair, Gullickson says. 6. Cinnamon and warfarin. People taking the blood-thinning medication warfarin—prescribed to prevent or treat clots—have long been warned to keep their intake of vitamin K steady, says Wolfe. This means you shouldn’t change your weekly intake of foods like leafy greens or broccoli; because vitamin K plays a key role in clotting, doing so could affect the thickness of your blood. But there’s another risk. Cassia cinnamon, the kind on most American grocery-store shelves, contains high levels of a compound called coumarin that can thin blood and potentially cause liver damage, says Eric Newman, M.D 7. Alcohol and acetaminophen. Resist the urge to wash down your Tylenol with a cold one—your body uses the same enzyme to break down the two substances. http://www.menshealth.com/health/

my clothes were getting tighter and i just refused to 'give in' and buy a bigger size. TBH, i was not heavy but i just refused to fall into 'oh we are older, its just what happens' category. my friend introduced me to THM and it changed everything. basicallly, you do not mix your healthy carbs and fat in the same meal. eg.: eggs with bacon/sausage and 1/2 avocado OR egg whites with veggies on sprouted bread chicken thighs with buttered veggie (broccoli) OR white meat chicken over a bed of lettuce with cucumbers, toms peppers etc and a light dressing (not heavy oils) or on a low-carb wrap/pita it does take some thought, but once you get the hang of it, its easy and automatic. i eat no white anything. no sugar, i do use Truvia. i eat mostly berries as they are least amount of natural sugar. i eat every 3-4 hours, not in between, this is good for your digestion and metabolism. i do have Hashimoto's for about 25-30 years now, and actually my med dose has recently gone down and my thryoid is not as swollen. my Endo is very pleased. i do my best! to not eat after dinner. i walk 5 days a week (3-4 miles), Follow the THM plan and use their recipes which are fabulous. Even DH likes them! BP is perfect, Cholestrol is 180 although my LDL is a slightly above 100, always was since my 30's - genetics?? i am not saying everyone is the same, but this diet lifestyle really works for me. good luck to everyone!