I am going to Costco today to get the protein drinks to start liquids for a week. I wonder if I should try to find a better blender that really grinds up ice. Mine always leaves big chunks. I will see what they have.

I will also look for sugar free/lo-cal gum and candy. I am so orally fixated. I have never been able to lose weight w/o something to chew on. When I was 18, I lost a lot of weight and got in great shape. I chewed Hubba Bubba grape sugarless gum constantly. It was sweetened w/ I think moxital or something like that. Not calorie-less, but I was on a pretty lo-cal diet anyway and ran a few miles a day.

I would like to get back into running. That gets me into great shape. Scary to think of going back to that life. It was great, but when I started to slide away from the good habits, I lost all the approbation that had come and felt like such a failure. I never want to feel that way again. I think I am more scared of losing and gaining it back than not losing at all.

For exercise today, I will do 30 minutes on the elliptical when my dh comes home. Or take the kids sledding.

No coffee today. that will help manage the sugar swings.

I found the best thing in the world for shakes. Get the Magic bullit or you can got to CVS like I did and get the off brand. You fill up a cup, put ice in it mix it in the same cup and drink out of the same cup. It mixes great, makes a thick shake and is great for work. The CVS brand is much cheaper and does the samething but not always easy to find. Good luck and God bless.

The only thing I would like to warn you about is the gum...I too was a big gum chewer but most dr's will frown about chewing gum. You do not ever want to swallow it...that would not be good. Just the thought of getting gum stuck..I broke that habit fast!