malaster.....I understand your wanting to get the book from the library but may I suggest you buy a used copy from either ebay or amazon.com? You will find you need to refer to the book a lot especially in the beginning and you may feel bad keeping it out of the library for so long...on the other hand you may not even get it from the library if the reader is doing the same thing! I bought mine through amazon, it was used but I got the hardcover and paid 11.00 total with shipping!! Not a bad deal at all....just a thought..

Also...to my helpers out there...down another 1/2 pound as of yesterday...haven't weighed in today yet..but I feel good!! I did buy the chocolate proetien powder from GNC and it tastes much better than the vanilla so thanks for the tip..it has about 17 grams protein and 2 carbs per serving so I used two scoops to really push the protein...

I want to ask again ..has anyone donated blood as stated in the book to reduce the iron in your blood? And if so did it help?

Sorry I'm not responding, tmajic, but I've never done that so I can't speak to it. Perhaps you should try to find some sites dedicated to the issue to talk to others there?

Good suggestion about the book. Mine has tons of bookmarks and those little post-it markers strewn throughout...I reference it a LOT.

I just started giving blood on a regular basis, but I did not have my iron levels checked before and after. I may ask the doc to include checking serum ferritin levels at my next checkup. Then check it again in a year.

When my iron was low, my Dr. said to avoid drinking tea as it can bind your iron.

Here's a website that discusses that, along with donating as treatment..
https://www.healthe.com.au/portal/p...AEMOCHROMATOSIS

Good luck.

ETA: Also, if you smoke it can increase your iron. That might even be true if you are just around a lot of smoke.

For a buzz in the morning I’m on Irish cream coffee, ice, half and half cream and vanilla protein whey all blended into a yummy caffeine-charged deceivingly sweet beverage. I get 32 grams of protein maybe 2 or 3 carbs and no sugar!

Songberrie, what is a DH

And WendyOH thanks for telling me about this page – I don’t understand the thread thing yet but the search engine landed me here. How long did it take to drop the 20 lbs? That is my precise goal.

I think it is time to buy a scale – I’ve never owned one but if I want to track my progress it is unavoidable. I’m afraid it will be irresistible to step on it every time I enter the washroom – perhaps a necessary evil as long as I don’t become obsessed with a number.

I must think of food as nutrition and not simply as pleasure (repeat mantra)

Hi Curvy me. Welcome! Nice idea with the protein powder and coffee drink. I do so like my coffee drinks, what a great idea!

DH is (dear husband) - so you'll see people say DH, DW, DD, DS (for spouses and children and such)

Yeah, the scale is simply another resource (there is another thread just a few lines down from this one where we were just discussing the scale). Be sure to measure and watch how your clothes fit too.

Good mantra, but I've tried to tweak mine to incorporate both...find foods that are pleasurable that give the best nutrition! I'm such a foodie, I have to at least try!

Welcome and good luck!

Hey Curvey Me-glad to have you here! I realized a long time ago that since I don't eat sugar, that I don't look at food the same. I'm so obsessed with my running now that I look at food as nutrition. I bought a digital scale a while back and I love it. It does tend to show all the little fluctuations that my regular scale didn't. I can eat right on tract and it will show me up 3 to 5 pounds, then it will drop back down. I weigh every morning.

Hi Songberrie! Sounds like you're doing great! I agree that I see food as nutrition more, although I am still SUCH a "foodie". I love food, I've just become a real snob about it. LOL

Good news, I guess I finally got a "whoosh" of my own...of sorts. I finally dropped past 180. Well, 180 was the big deal and today I clocked in at 179.2...but whatever, it's all good. The scale is finally catching up with what I thought I was doing so right!

Lisa- I think scales have a mind of their own sometimes! There are days when I feel skinnier and the scale shows I'm up 2 pounds and I haven't changed anything in my diet! I think it's just hormonal changes and stuff. It just reinforeses that ya got to stick to the plan! I like that, food snob! lol I think I do that too!

Today is my long run. I'm hoping to get in 28 miles in the mountains. My legs should be feeling it tonight! I'll start tapering down after today and next Monday my long runwill be 15-20 miles.

Well, I have great news. My gym workouts are going exceptionally well and I can now do 5 push-ups...REAL, no knees or modifications, push-ups! LOL

Oh, and the scale is hovering around 176 too. BONUS! I should probably post something on our thread about how long it took to lose weight because it feels like I'm finally hitting my stride...

OK, Lisa,

I have changed my avitar, now it is time for you to stop your hiding pretty face behind that camera! Come on now, put up a new avitar, PLEASE. See, I asked nice, trying to be a good example to my grandsons. L to R Grant, 7, Quinn, 1, and Drew, 4, when picture was taken about a year ago.

I somehow thought I should "show" my "senior citizen" status,since most of the rest of y'all are much younger. Do you think that will garner me any better respect?!? LOL!

Larry- Hey, I respect you! You always have great advice! Good picture! I have 2 grandkids, 2yrs and 6 months. I love that old saying - if I knew having grandkids would be so much fun, I would have had them first!

Well, I got my 28 miles in on Mon, actually 28 1/2! It was all in the mountains, gorgeous, but once I stopped my legs ached! I put in 10 miles yesterday and I just got back from laps at the pool. After I get the kids to school I'll do my sprints on the treadmill at the gym.

Lisa- way to go with the pushups! You're going to have some great looking arms to show off when the weather gets nice! It's amazing how hard it is to do regular pushups!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Larry, I love your avatar! And I'm giggling at your comment about the camera because you are the second person on this board to ask me to get rid of the damn camera!

Larry, you could've had a cartoon of Popeye there and we would've respected you (he does eat spinach, that I agree with, otherwise I think he's been weight training imbalanced). You always have such sage advice and you KNOW you stuff! The fact that this WOL has been to be healthy and to enjoy those adorable grandchildren is just all the more heartwarming.

For the record, I have a gallery with more photos of myself without a camera blocking my face. I just enjoyed the one with the camera as my avatar because it was "me". You really think I should change it?

Today I was doing the "superman"...which is balancing on my stomach on a bosu ball (looks like a half-sphere) and stretching out my arms and legs. Because I'm such a goof, I suddenly thought of being a superhero and how my phrase would be "Protein Power!" (you know, versus 'up, up and away' or whatever). ROFL

Ok, but in all seriousness, I wanted to just pop in with one more update before I have to be away from the forums until early next week (hosting a mini-photography conference with a handful of photogs at our home). Today, I did 10 push-ups in a row and the a few more sets of 5. I'm feeling SO strong and so excited and I just know that this WOE is the perfect, perfect compliment to the strength training I'm doing!! Just wanted to share...

Take care everyone. Eat well and be well!

LISAZ8605...I would love to hear how long it took you to lose the weight...and did you start very slowly and have a WHOOSH??? I am so sorry to keep whining here on this post but I am still not experiencing any weight loss!! This will be week 4 of total commitment and still hovering at the 1 pound loss mark...come on people one pound in a month!!! OK now this week I started something new....protein powder shakes for breakfast...one for lunch with tuna, mayo and lettuce then dinner including a meat( chicken, pork chops or fish) and a veggie, (green beans, zuchinni, turnip, cauliflower,broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms)....I am planning to do this for another week and seeing if it helps....