What if someone had a blog and no one read it? I guess that's what this is. If I died tonight in my sleep, these words would just be out there forever I guess without anyone knowing that they were ever written. What's the point? On the other hand, somehow the thought that some part of me that no one knows about will live on forever is kind of exhilarating! Christmas is fast approaching. We are having a different Christmas this year in the sunny southwest with Jessie and Lizzie and her husband Tony and our brand new granddaughter, Grace Ann. We will fly to Las Vegas on Christmas Day and then go to our condo in Palm Springs the next day for 10 days and then back to Vegas before flying home. We decided not to have a real tree. Emil found an old artificial one that we used to use in the basement in the garage and put that up while I was in Vegas helping Liz with the baby. I put up lights but that is about as far as it's gotten. I guess I don't see the point in pulling out all the boxes of decoration for a few days only to have to put it away again. Lazy. So we are paying the price by not feeling like it's a "real" Christmas. So what is a real Christmas? It certainly isn't found in all those boxes of ornaments and decorations. They are steeped in tradition and we always smile and remember Christmases gone by when we dig in and start decorating, but that's not Christmas. Not really. Christmas is family and we are having Christmas together and it most certainly is real. I have to remind myself of this when I feel sad that we don't have the fragrance of a real tree that we cut ourselves as we have done the past 30 years. I have to remind myself of this when I look on my mantel and don't find my creche. It's fine. We will be together and that's real and exciting and I can't wait!

Happy May Day! Looser sweater, lighter pockets and Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!

Today dawned dreary, blustery and cold! A fine start for May - NOT! It barely broke 40 degrees today and tomorrow promises to be about the same. It feels more like March than May! Blech! It's hard to be "up" on days like this - it just gets to you after a winter like we had this year. My biggest thrill this morning was putting on a sweater I wore a lot this winter and seeing that it just hung on me -YAY! All my jeans have a little bit of spandex in them so they basically fit (though looser) - now I don't even have to unsnap and unzip them to go the bathroom! TMI, right? Well it comes in handy when you're in a hurry and I often am after drinking my 6 glasses of water!

We went on an errand to Red Wing this afternoon (a charming river town about 60 miles south of here). As I said, the day was yuck so it wasn't the kind of road trip where you wanted to go on a walk. We decided to stop at a casino on our way home for buffet lunch/dinner at 4. Now that's a challenge! All this yummy food and I'm on a diet! I am proud to say that I stayed "legal" by making the hugest salad with items that were allowed on the diet and topped with Hidden Valley Nonfat dressing. I had some turkey and chicken. I had to take the skin and breading off the chicken but I did and the pile of that gross stuff was bigger than the chicken I ate. I can do this - I really can! I wish that I could say I had the same kind of luck at the casino as I had at the buffet but ala ...! We left 2 hours later with full bellies and lighter pockets.

We were just settling in for a long winter's night and a German Netflix movie when the news that Obama was making an annoucement tonight appeared on Facebook. We tried the networks but they were still running the usual programs so tuned to CNN where we first heard that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Wow, at last! I hope that means that our boys will be coming home soon. I know it's naive to think that this will end all the troubles but it gives hope to the idea that peace could return.

I'm doing the 17 Day Diet - and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

So, I know it's been a long time since I blogged and maybe we will catch up later, or maybe we won't. It's kind of like that sound in the forest that no one hears - who cares whether we catch up anyway? Who reads this drivel?

I guess I am blogging because I feel like writing about my experience with this diet - from the book "17 Day Diet" by Dr Mike Moreno. I have been on it for about 3 weeks now - didn't want to write about it before because it would be too embarrassing to admit it was one MORE thing I started and quit if it didn't work out. But it IS working out! I am amazed - I am dieting and losing weight and not feeling deprived or tempted to cheat. WOW! That in itself says a lot. I have tried a number of diets over the years - Weight Watchers, Weight Loss Clinic, Diet Center, and the most repulsive one ever - liquid protein diet. I never finished any of them - did lose weight with Weight Loss Clinic (mom gave me a copy of the diet, I didn't actually pay for the program) and the Liquid Protein Diet (GAG!). Weight Watchers was always a game to see how much I could cheat early in the week and still lose weight by weigh in.

The 17 day diet is done in 3 cycles that are repeated until you reach your goal weight and then you do the 4th maintenance cycle. I am a long way away from there!

The first cycle is designed to get all the toxins out of your body - eating good foods (no processed, fast food crap) and gets you started with good eating habits and losing weight quickly from the first day. You are allowed to eat unlimited protein (fish, chicken, turkey, eggs), unlimited vegetables (there is a list of allowed vegetables and my favorites are all on there), 2 servings of fruit/ day before 2 pm, 2 probiotics (non fat yogurt and Kefir), lemon juice in the morning when you wake up, green tea with every meal and 8 glasses of water and 17 mins of exercise/day. Simple. No "exchange this" for "that" crap like WW (that was just way too much trouble for me). I ordered the book on Amazon and had it the next day (Gotta love that Prime Shipping!) and decided to give it a try. So for a cash outlay of $13 I had a diet I thought I could follow. No meeting and joining fees, no hours spent at meetings, no food orders .. this seemed like I REALLY could do it!

From the start I felt better - no cravings, no hunger and I lost about 3 lbs overnight! I didn't count how many times I had to get up to pee but I am sure it was hourly. So now I was psyched! I continued to lose throughout the 17 days of cycle 1 (ok I have to 'fess up that I cheated on Easter so added a day to make up). Grand total lost: 13 pounds!! Hooray!

The book has suggested meal plans but I never follow them. I Googled for "17 day diet recipes" and joined a Facebook group. This all added to my success. The Facebook group is great support - you get a couple of people "liking" every time you post!

I started Cycle 2 today - get to add generous portions of lean red meat (yay) and 2 "approved" starches before 2 pm on Cycle 2 days (these alternate with Cycle 1 days). I added oatmeal for breakfast and small baked potato for lunch (potato didn't taste so great). I almost had to force myself to get my second fruit in before 2 because I was so full!

Emil is eating some of the diet recipes with me but doesn't follow it when he is away and supplements with things like freshly baked baguette. The amazing thing is that I don't even feel tempted to sneak a piece of bread (and I am the 'bread with my SLAB of butter" kind of gal)!

So, here we go! Off to the races and (hopefully) a new me by the end of the summer! I will report back and share recipes and tips...just in case any one is watching!