Hi Scissors and everyone else too! What a crazy week. Quite a few day trips out with friends. It has been challenging because we had a few meals. I try to choose salad and soup normally. One day I was really hungry at lunch from all the running around and ordered a veggie burger. It was so good and so filling I was still full at dinner so I had a couple of small apples and yogurt. I agree that 5 pounds can be a lot to many of us. It is for me too because I am not a big woman. Once I am settled into making lifestyle changes for the better it is a slow journey for me. At least this time round I am enjoying my changes. I feel so much better taking care of myself, enjoying my meals and snacks. I learning to really love foods that are new choices for me. Low fat cottage cheese is one of them. And using more spices when I cook to change things around. What's a new habit that is making a difference for you? Daily soup is new for me. It really helps curb my appetite and gets more protein and fiber in my day. Beans, pulses, seasonal veggies, spices - so many choices, so many flavours. Did you know that having a soup, even a light soup, helps you eat less? It can also help add more nutrients to your daily food choices? I'm happy to share and hope those out there lurking will consider joining me. Let's keep with our goals. If you have a hard day, try to get a time out somewhere and give yourself a break. Slow down if you can while you eat and take the time to really taste and enjoy your meal. Life can be so fast paced that meals get rushed. Rushing through a meal people tend to eat more because it takes about 20 minutes for the food to register in our bodies. Have some "Me Time" today. Don't you deserve it? I believe so. Join me and put one foot forward. We can do this. Take things one step at a time, one step forward. Don't give up on yourself. Take all the time you need to reach your goal. I'm in this for life - are you? Cheers, Peggy

I feel like my life is tied to those books. They represent who I am. Is that why it's so hard for me to weed them out? Yes, that *IS* why it's so hard for you to weed them out. You don't want to let go of all of those identities. Thinking through that issue may help you. Are you *really* someone who will start a business? Or are you someone who will pipe-dream about it only (that's acceptable, btw; are don't need to act on every dream). I would say, don't go by cost. (do a Google search on "sunk cost"--the money is spent, don't worry about how much it was, bcs it's never coming back) Go by, "how much difference would it make in my life if I wanted them but didn't have them?" Will you be able to find info like it, in a book from the library? (even if the ones you donate aren't there)? Starting a business--there are tons of books in the library about that. Organizing--personally, I find doing it to be more useful than reading about it. Medical--I'd have said keep the ones you'd look in if someone was sick or injured in the middle of the night or weekend, but honestly I find very credible info on the Internet now, in just as much detail as you'd get from most of those books. How to write--are you writing? might you look up a grammatical turn of phrase? I might keep reference books. Diet--are there any details in those books that isn't covered by: "eat less, move around more"? LOL I would bet that you could get rid of nearly all of them.

Thank you everyone for all your support. I am very happy to have spent the time asking the question. There are lots of titles listed that I completely overlooked and many that I will have to look into. My mom lives in the philippines and is old fashioned. She spent lots of time teaching and helping others as a social worker so maybe those 20th century country tales so I appreciate your suggestions Liz and Yoyobon. Thank you Ccrdmrbks. I am trying to relate to how my mom is feeling right now but I can't imagine it. We just celebrated my eldest sister's marriage last week so I think her emotions must be quite a mixture as well. Miss Read sounds promising. A friend highly reccomended Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe a long time back simply as a read to enjoy but I haven't gotten around to it. Anyone know if it would be appropriate for the situation? Comedy is an interesting idea. Though it may be hard to find something she relates to. I'll ask her and see if she has any favourites. Thank you all again so much, I've got all the titles written down and am going to do some research now! Take care and God bless! : )

Add me to the list of people who find help and comfort in fiction ... although I do read (and write/edit) self-help books. When my mother died several years ago, I ended up with such horrendous back pain that I finally just went to bed for several weeks (maybe not the best approach). I found two things that helped: Fiction: While I was unable to do much of anything but lay in bed, I read stacks of books. And Rosefolly is right, it's not so much the title or subject of the book, but the fact that while reading you're transported out of your own physical or emotional pain for a time. The only two titles I can remember reading during that time are: The Liar's Club by Mary Karr and Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem ... still one of my favorite books. Non-fiction: The book that actually led to my back getting better was Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by John Sarno, M.D. I later talked to a physician friend and told her about the book. She said: "I know that book. It cured my back pain a couple of years ago."