Dear Nicole and Teena--
Welcome!

I can relate to both of you, since I am starting too.

Nicole, I'm almost the exact same size as you and also a mother of three. After the third, nothing ever came off, or rather it did , but returned with a vengeance. After my third child I was 140 and here I am many diets later with nearly 60 lbs more. Most of my adult life I was 120, so this is not something I've been able to get used to--size 16s and 18s.

The good news is that this Schwarzbein food is wholesome and well balanced. Being liberal with the fats seems to help a lot.

Homeschooling does nothing to relieve the stress of motherhood, either, but your bravery is commendable!

I agree with everything Teena said about Schwarzbein.

Good snacks I like:
Organic celery with good quality peanut butter.
Cream cheese inside of a slice of ham or roast beef.
Peanuts with salsa on them.
Olives and cheese.
Avocado, salsa and chicken.
Deviled eggs with Hellmans or Best Blue Ribbon real mayonnaise--( good mayo, not the cheesy kind with sugar, low fat crud)

Have you heard about Ron Rosedale, MD? I checked out people who are following his diet, which is also rich in fats,and they're losing quickly.

On Schwarzbein and high fat I'm currently losing about 1/10th to 2/10s of a pound a day--in a week that adds up to a pound.

The main thing is that I'm not suffering like I was on Weight Watchers--the fat deprivation made me permanently hungry and high carbs stalled me everytime.