ifyourstomachoffendsyou

Great dress, Laura. You look fantastic. I think those who are on this thread recognize compulsive eating as an addiction and the band as just a tool not a cure. We need a place where we can be honest about the things that drive us into the food. We need a place where we'll receive compassion and honesty, humor and support. Self-honesty is the key. Maybe there are those who can't be really honest or handle others honesty. All we can have is compassion, pray for them, and hope that on their journey they come to their own realization of what it takes to change their lives. Cheri

Walked for an hour today at almost 4 mph. Hung when I got home. So far so good. Femme One. I put diet hot cocoa in my coffee if I'm having a chocolate craving, especially at night. I also drink dark chocolate protein drinks at least once a day. Other than that, I don't keep any in the house. Sometimes people bring it to work. If I've been doing real well with my food I might have just a little, so I don't feel deprived, but I have to be very careful because chocolate messes with my brain more than anything else. It's safe for me in the two forms I mentioned. Both take a while to drink so by the time I'm done with them the craving is gone or they actually prevent the craving. But a piece of chocolate can go down the hatch in seconds and I just inhale them. By the time the craving is satisfied I've consumed a thousand calories in 5 minutes. The diet hot chocolate from Swiss Miss is only 25 calories. Cheri

Jewell, it takes a while to get the water retention from the surgery off. I'm sure our Dr. knows that. I'm doing fine after my fall. Hung again last night and felt an adjustment in my lower back--that definitely helped my hip last night. Going back on full anti-inflammatories seems to be helping all over. The heating pad is definitely helping my neck and TMJ. I did my stretches in bed this morning and I feel pretty good all over. I'm going to church now and I'm going to the community center to walk later. That'll tell me whether I still have nerve compression in my neck, as soon as I start swinging my arms. If it hurts I'll walk but barely move my arms, especially my shoulders. Keeping my shoulders still seems to prevent the neck from pressing on the nerve bundle leading across my upper back and shoulders. It's amazing to me how over the years with the osteo and spinal arthritis how much I've learned about my body and where pain is actually coming from and what I need to do to adjust. The weight loss has helped significantly but I'll always have the arthritis and I'll have bad periods. In the past, the pain could drive me back into the food. Glad I have the band to keep that in check. Cheri

Bread can cause you to pb because it keeps expanding in your pouch, or it makes you feel stuck. I avoid it pretty much. Be cautious with all pastries, crackers, breadings, etc. Also some people can't handle rice or pasta. All of these are simple carbs (unless whole grain) and should be limited anyway.

Love the pictures of Nels and weddings and all. Got some pain in the neck going on when walking. Radiates across my upper back. Went back on full dose of antiinflammatories. Gotta hang more and do my special stretches while falling asleep in bed. Probably been a bunch of posts since I started writing. I got busy and was talking to my daughter. Just now I fell. Tripped over a laundry basket in the dark. The amazing thing is that I launched myself and landed nice and flat with my arm straight out in front of me and my head turned to the side on top of it, legs straight so not on my fake knees, didn't jam my back or my neck or hit my head on the floor. This is a major return of coordination. Scraped my little finger a little. May have a bruise on my foot and possibly my boob which now sticks out farther than my stomach. So, hopefully, no major repercussions. I did the same fall I would use going after a ball on first base or digging up a volleyball. The last few times I fell I could not get my arms in front of me fast enough to protect my head. Got banged up pretty good on my face. Not this time. What a difference 67 lbs and walking my a$$ off makes. Was able to eat quite a bit of chopped sirloin meat tonight with only cheese and mustard on it without pbing which tells me I'm in definite need of a fill. There was barely any grease in the pan so it was very lean. It didn't stay in my stomach either because I was hungry soon afterwards and I've had very few carbs today. I'm 3 lbs from goal which I'm sure I'll meet by Feb 2 which is when my fill is scheduled. Seems like every 7 or 8 lbs off makes me need another fill but I usually wait 10 lbs between. Cheri

Skirts-the only skirts I'll wear have to swirl around my ankles, I hate pantyhose and knee highs. My calves and ankles have always been thin but now, even my ankles have varicose vein "bruises" and the calves and thighs have "bruises", "grapes", and "ropes". Yuck! Just about as ugly as those "pigs". We've got racoons tearing things up around here. I'm half a block from a forest so we've got a lot of deer too who like to eat my flowers in the summer and bushes in the winter. They trample my flowers and under my crabapple tree when the tree's apples are ripe and falling. The hostas are like lettuce. I work hard on my gardens so I'm not real appreciative. I just call this place the Flory fruit and salad buffet for animals. I keep night time temp mid-60's and my husband and I have dual-controlled electric blankets but they don't warm my pillow. I really keep the temp low on the blanket or I get hot flashes but I thought I'd sleep last night with a heating pad behind my neck and on my side on my jaw. I took Tylenol to supplement my reduced anti-inflammatory, and of course no work today so I didn't have that on my mind. I ended up sleeping great. My neck feels great now I'm waiting to see what kind of day my jaw is going to have. Haven't been eating things that require a lot of chewing. I think the TMJ was triggered by having to hold my mouth open so long while the dentist and technicians worked on putting in my crown. It doesn't seem like the pain would be located where it is if it were from the tooth. Anyway, today's the only day I really can get to the community center and walk, so, I'm off. Cheri

Melissa, acid reflux. I was told by my big name tummy esophagus Dr. to also avoid chocolate, anything tomato, OJ and other high acid fruit and drinks, and any carbonation. These either relax the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach allowing food to creep up, or they're high acid which creeps up the esophagus. Carbonation forces acid up the esophgus. Coffee and tea also not good for reflux, especially later in the day and evening. Best natural cure is Kiefer, which is like yoghurt only more powerful. If you can't find it, get some yoghurt. I got the vanilla flavored so no fruit acids. Calmed my system, re-introduced good bacteria. Highly recommended by my physician sister. Definitely call your Dr. Went out to eat tonight to an Asian fusion kind of place. More Thai, Vietnamese than Chinese. Had Emerald Chicken, which is basically chicken with peanut sauce on spinach leaves. Sprinkle a few peanuts, what I think were Wasabi peas, mushrooms, red peppers. Yummy. Similar taste to Satay chicken but spicier. Didn't put it on rice. Did drink it with water because I wanted to enjoy it and not pb. My husband ate 2/3rds of it but I've been craving it and it was a real treat. Jewell, go on the internet and look up humor, jokes, whatever. Read them for yourself. Then maybe everytime your #@$%MIL says something mean, tell her a joke. She won't have a clue, but you'll get double laugh time out of it. Today, I remembered a card my brother sent my sister long ago. Made me laugh. I posted it as my FB status. It said: Those of you who think you're perfect are very annoying to those of us who are. I also love this one: Of all the things I've lost in life, I miss my mind the most. Try that the next time your MIL questions your sanity. LOL. Gotta go hang. My neck hurts and my back and hips have been waking me up at night. Could be because I cut my antiinflammatories in half. Or it could be from my jaw (at least my neck) because of the temporary crown. Might need a root canal. Could also be remnants from that cold I had over Christmas. Feels like my glands have not returned to normal. Hoping the hanging will help the hip and back. Usually does. Haven't been hanging upside down as much because I haven't been hurting but I have a very high tolerance for pain and pain is what makes me remember to hang. See you tomorrow. Cheri

Jewell hang in there. Everytime your MIL opens her mouth picture it stuffed with the food you're not eating. Whatever she says just say things like, "Oh, that's an interesting viewpoint." Oh, is that what you believe." "You could be right." "Gotta go lay down." "See you later." Don't be her audience. Or you could put your fingers in your ears and go "la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-I can't hear you."

Doesn't pay real well, and, of course, no insurance.

My husband is the one who helps me stay on track with my life and I have an assistant at work who does the same for me there. She's the reason I'm not buried in paperwork and actually have time to teach. Your DH is lucky to have you.

Not published yet. Linda's published. Very cool. I wished someone lived close to me. If you do come to Chicago/NW Indiana area be sure to let me know. Sorry I can't respond to everyone's post, but I am reading them and feel for all going through various griefs and difficulties and joys. Just thought of a better description of my bra color. Cafe au lait.

I love rhubarb. Especially with strawberry, so probably great with all berries. My dad used to cook it to mush and add lots of sugar and strawberry Jello. It does need a lot of sugar to be edible unless combined with other things. Lauri, hope its closer to Chicago. Man, took forever to read your posts. Linda, thanks for the info. Got one story that tells about my grandsons and I going for a walk and the moon was out and because he wanted to play with us. It's actually a true story and when we sat down to drink our chocolate milk my grandson said, "Look Grandma, the moon has a chocolate milk mustache." Another one is a rhyming story of twins who fall asleep and dream about being dancing fairies. I also wrote a story where I use different flowers and different milk shake flavors to explain why people come in different colors and flavors. If I could make a living writing, I would. However, since its really hard to make enough, I'm enrolling in Sped courses. I only need 3 to get the endorsement on my teaching certificate. Hopefully I can take them this summer. Then I just keep taking more courses to get my Masters. That should make me more employable. They can pay me less to start because I don't have my Masters. That's actually a draw. Hey, everyone's posting bra color on FB for breast cancer awareness. So, for today, nude/beige.

Hi all, We're expecting the snow starting late tonight sometime and continuing throughout tomorow till Friday am. Four to five ". Also getting colder after the storm. My room was cold today even though a little warmer outside. I layer for work because I never know how cold my room will be. Since I exercise at work I need to be able to just wear one of my stretch cotton tops, then I add a sweater if needed. I think my room was colder today because it got up to +20 so the kids got to go outside and play at recess. That means cold air sweeping into the basement and sucking the hot air out of my room. Tomorrow's going to be 24 with the snow so I know the kids will go outside and my room will actually be colder. My husband got hired by Guardian Security today and is starting next Wednesday. Can work as many hours as he wants. He's going to just supplement social security for now, but can easily go full-time. They see him as a potential supervisor or other bigger job. He was the only applicant who showed up in a suitcoat and tie and a resume and cover letter as well as a well-filled out application. He listed his job for the last year as doing whatever his wife told him to do. LOL. Everyone else was told they'd be called if needed but he was immediately pulled in for an interview. I wrote the promotional letter for Roseland CHristian School last night and have gotten great feedback from it. I was told it was very powerful and sure to generate income for the school. Hope so. I'm really tired tonight. I was in bed by 10 last nite but did the replay thing in my brain of the letter I wrote and couldn't fall asleep. Hopefully I'l crash tonight and sleep through the night. I'm trying to decide between an endorsement and Masters in Sped or an endorsement and Masters in Reading. Had a temporary crown put in last week and am having jaw pain but I think its at least partly TMJ. We'll see what its like when I go in for the permanant crown next week. If its the tooth I'll need a root canal. Yuck and double yuck. Ran out of vitamin D a week ago and I can feel the loss of energy. My husband bought some for way too much money today so he's taking it back tomorrow. Walgreen's didn't have any more of the buy 1 get 1 free so instead of taking a rain check or going to another Walgreen's he paid big bucks. That's the kind of thing that totally exasperates me. He knows I hate wasting money but still thinks he's pleasing me by buying for me and paying too much. Aargh. He's very excited about going back to work. I can already see a difference in his outlook. He's also agreed to be the sound man for a band made up of the only thing close to friends he has in our church. They're all musicians so they're used to overly sensitive blow hot and cold people. They'd gently maintain a little contact with him and accept him back whenever he'd initiate contact. They may even let him play guitar with them at times. He has a problem with sticking to the beat, but he has some songs he's written that they might be interested in playing. One country song is actually very good. So, thank you God. I never told Ken he had to go out and get a job, I just started talking in front of other people about how he could make $15,000 a year without losing his social security, so if I lost my job we'd still have a source of income. I just assumed he was going to do it in casual conversation with him, so he secretly started investigating and found that security jobs are always hiring. Then he bought the gun he needed and found out where and when to train. So when he told me about it, it was already in the works. I'd asked a few people for prayer because his curmudgeon mood was affecting our relationship. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Jewel, glad you're doing so well. Janet, the bean thing sounds like a delicious mushie. I really liked refried Beans, especially with jalopena, with a little low fat Mexican cheese sprinkled on top. Really filled me up. Still makes my mouth Water.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 Why High Protein/Low Carb for the Band? It is my understanding that high protein/low carb works because protein doesn't shoot your blood sugar up. It has something to do with your insulin levels. You store more food as fat if you raise your blood sugar levels. If you don't, you don't store food as fat. Your muscles burn it off instead. You can eat more and store less. The protein stops your cravings because you haven't raised your blood sugar. It's absorbed by your system much more slowly, giving you a constant source of energy rather than a big boost and then a drop-off and its burned off more steadily by your muscles. Also, sugary, simple carb foods like candy, cookies, potatos, white rice, bread and so on, dissolve easily and are often combined with fat so they slide through the pouch quickly leaving you hungry and craving food because your pouch is empty plus you've shot up your blood sugar which increases cravings. Most fruit also contains simple sugars that shoot up your blood sugar, so, though better for you than refined sugars, they can only be had in very limited quantities or combined with a meal that's high in protein to keep your blood sugar level. Protein, when not combined with a lot of sauces or moisture or carbs and other sliders, stays in your pouch making you feel full much longer. So protein works on several levels.When you eat even too many vegetables you don't leave enough room in your pouch for the protein you need to live. And veggies are carbs. Most take a little longer than sugar to break down in your system, but some, like carrots, are full of sugar. If you're not getting enough protein, your body will burn muscle instead of fat. More than anything else, your body needs protein. You will start to lose your hair and your nails if you're not getting enough while losing weight. Fat isn't nearly as bad for you as simple carbs when you're on high protein because you don't store it. So cholesterol actually goes down for people who eat a lot of meat, including red meat. And red meat actually helps raise your good cholesterol as does exercise.Whole grains and vegetables will also digest more slowly and not shoot up your blood sugar and may have some protein or good fats in them. However, again, they take up space in your pouch and limit the room you need for protein. So limit them. That's why bariatric surgeons insist on high protein low carb diets. They work with the metabolism and they work with the band. I'm sure others could explain the blood sugar and insulin part more clearly than I did, but that's my basic understanding. The only diets on which I lost weight and felt great were high protein low carb diets. Now I've got the band to help me stay on that food protocol. That's why my blood sugar has improved so much. It's not just the weight lost. I'm now below the borderline range. It's not just the quantity of food. It's not just the total number of calories. You can actually eat more calories on a high protein low carb don't worry so much about the fat diet and lose more weight than on a low calorie, no fat or a low calorie but it doesn't matter what you eat diet. Now, only really rigid people are able to maintain this diet all the time. That's why I have days where I allow myself treats. But they don't do damage as long as I limit them and as long as the majority of the time I'm following the high protein, low carb protocol. For foods that aren't protein, if you want to know if they'll shoot your blood sugar up or not, check the glycemic index. Also, diabetics learn to keep their blood sugar stable by the way they combine foods and by eating small amounts more frequently. Just remember, hi-fiber foods, though low on the glycemic index, fill your pouch and swell and can leave you without enough room for the protein you need. Many nuts and seeds are a perfect combination of low glycemic carb, protein, and the kinds of oil that are good for you. I eat little spoonfuls of shelled, roasted, slightly salted sunflower seeds a few times throughout the day when I'm at work. These give me a constant flow of energy without shooting up my blood sugar. Legumes, which are low on the glycemic index, (dry beans cooked like pinto, black, chili, white, navy, etc. have protein as well as high fiber, low glycemic carbs) but are all to easy to turn into sliders because they're usually in soups or soupy, saucy mixtures so they don't keep your pouch filled. Plus the sauces are often more full of sugar than you realize. Tomatoes have a lot of sugar. So do onions. Refried beans aren't as moisturized and will stay in your pouch longer. That's why they're on the list of mushies you can start eating a couple of days after surgery. Low-glycemic carbs are the things I'm planning on increasing in the maintenance stage. Still high protein first, but more fibrous vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. I just have to remember, a little of these goes a long way, and I still have to eat protein first. Starchy foods like white potatoes, white rice, pasta, and definitely breads and pastries, crackers and any kind of chips, even if they're whole grain, are going to be very occasional treats, or just a taste with my meal. These are all items that tend to increase cravings for carbs because they are one step away from simple sugars (you can actually taste them turning into sugar as your saliva combines with them) and they increase blood sugar. Since my band limits portion size with protein as long as I don't turn my protein into sliders, and I know which foods to keep out of my house, avoid, or limit to occasional treats, I don't have to spend a lot of time worrying about counting calories, points, weighing or measuring, counting fat grams, or even counting carbs. That simplifies things for me and because of my ADHD I need to have a very simple food plan in order to succeed. If I find myself able to eat too much dense protein at a sitting, then I know I need a fill. Everybody's different, but knowledge is power. This is what works for me. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 Why High Protein/Low Carb for the Band? It is my understanding that high protein/low carb works because protein doesn't shoot your blood sugar up. It has something to do with your insulin levels. You store more food as fat if you raise your blood sugar levels. If you don't, you don't store food as fat. Your muscles burn it off instead. You can eat more and store less. The protein stops your cravings because you haven't raised your blood sugar. It's absorbed by your system much more slowly, giving you a constant source of energy rather than a big boost and then a drop-off and its burned off more steadily by your muscles. Also, sugary, simple carb foods like candy, cookies, potatos, white rice, bread and so on, dissolve easily and are often combined with fat so they slide through the pouch quickly leaving you hungry and craving food because your pouch is empty plus you've shot up your blood sugar which increases cravings. Most fruit also contains simple sugars that shoot up your blood sugar, so, though better for you than refined sugars, they can only be had in very limited quantities or combined with a meal that's high in protein to keep your blood sugar level. Protein, when not combined with a lot of sauces or moisture or carbs and other sliders, stays in your pouch making you feel full much longer. So protein works on several levels.When you eat even too many vegetables you don't leave enough room in your pouch for the protein you need to live. And veggies are carbs. Most take a little longer than sugar to break down in your system, but some, like carrots, are full of sugar. If you're not getting enough protein, your body will burn muscle instead of fat. More than anything else, your body needs protein. You will start to lose your hair and your nails if you're not getting enough while losing weight. Fat isn't nearly as bad for you as simple carbs when you're on high protein because you don't store it. So cholesterol actually goes down for people who eat a lot of meat, including red meat. And red meat actually helps raise your good cholesterol as does exercise.Whole grains and vegetables will also digest more slowly and not shoot up your blood sugar and may have some protein or good fats in them. However, again, they take up space in your pouch and limit the room you need for protein. So limit them. That's why bariatric surgeons insist on high protein low carb diets. They work with the metabolism and they work with the band. I'm sure others could explain the blood sugar and insulin part more clearly than I did, but that's my basic understanding. The only diets on which I lost weight and felt great were high protein low carb diets. Now I've got the band to help me stay on that food protocol. That's why my blood sugar has improved so much. It's not just the weight lost. I'm now below the borderline range. It's not just the quantity of food. It's not just the total number of calories. You can actually eat more calories on a high protein low carb don't worry so much about the fat diet and lose more weight than on a low calorie, no fat or a low calorie but it doesn't matter what you eat diet. Now, only really rigid people are able to maintain this diet all the time. That's why I have days where I allow myself treats. But they don't do damage as long as I limit them and as long as the majority of the time I'm following the high protein, low carb protocol. For foods that aren't protein, if you want to know if they'll shoot your blood sugar up or not, check the glycemic index. Also, diabetics learn to keep their blood sugar stable by the way they combine foods and by eating small amounts more frequently. Just remember, hi-fiber foods, though low on the glycemic index, fill your pouch and swell and can leave you without enough room for the protein you need. Many nuts and seeds are a perfect combination of low glycemic carb, protein, and the kinds of oil that are good for you. I eat little spoonfuls of shelled, roasted, slightly salted sunflower seeds a few times throughout the day when I'm at work. These give me a constant flow of energy without shooting up my blood sugar. Legumes, which are low on the glycemic index, (dry beans cooked like pinto, black, chili, white, navy, etc. have protein as well as high fiber, low glycemic carbs) but are all to easy to turn into sliders because they're usually in soups or soupy, saucy mixtures so they don't keep your pouch filled. Plus the sauces are often more full of sugar than you realize. Tomatoes have a lot of sugar. So do onions. Refried beans aren't as moisturized and will stay in your pouch longer. That's why they're on the list of mushies you can start eating a couple of days after surgery. Low-glycemic carbs are the things I'm planning on increasing in the maintenance stage. Still high protein first, but more fibrous vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. I just have to remember, a little of these goes a long way, and I still have to eat protein first. Starchy foods like white potatoes, white rice, pasta, and definitely breads and pastries, crackers and any kind of chips, even if they're whole grain, are going to be very occasional treats, or just a taste with my meal. These are all items that tend to increase cravings for carbs because they are one step away from simple sugars (you can actually taste them turning into sugar as your saliva combines with them) and they increase blood sugar. Since my band limits portion size with protein as long as I don't turn my protein into sliders, and I know which foods to keep out of my house, avoid, or limit to occasional treats, I don't have to spend a lot of time worrying about counting calories, points, weighing or measuring, counting fat grams, or even counting carbs. That simplifies things for me and because of my ADHD I need to have a very simple food plan in order to succeed. If I find myself able to eat too much dense protein at a sitting, then I know I need a fill. Everybody's different, but knowledge is power. This is what works for me. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

Apples, how can you do anything but chill where you live? LOL. Been ranging between -2 and +18 around here. Linda, I've written a couple of children's stories but am overwhelmed by trying to find a reputable agent. If my job falls apart (which looks more and more likely) its one of the things I've thought of doing while part-time teaching or tutoring. I have an idea for another story but I got too busy and sick over Christmas to follow through. Right now I'm going to put together some promotional verbage for Roseland Christian School. Appeal letters with good stories about the kids we teach. I'm a story teller. Julie, I hope the MRI is on your neck too and not just your shoulder, since the pain could be coming from there. food good today, but I'm hungry so I'm glad I scheduled a fill. Can't get in till Feb. 2. By then I may be hanging on by my fingernails if I continue losing weight. I climbed stairs at school for 20 minutes before and after teaching. Yesterday I did an hour before school. Sunday I vegged and Saturday I walked fast for an hour and then combined climbing up and down the stairs leading to the walking track with going more slowly around the track for another half an hr. So may CBL later tonight but gotta go now. Cheri

Man, lots of posts while I was writing. Julie, remember what Great's been going through and how she's learning to deal with hurtful people. "Leave them alone, and they'll come home, dragging their tails behind them." JB sorry about your baby. But now you've got us. Grieve all you need. Tired. Cheri

I am a teacher. You can probably tell by my posts. I am a remedial teacher. I teach academically at-risk students on the south side of Chicago. All my students are African-American and many are at risk of being drawn into the destructive street culture that is so powerful on the south side. I improve their reading and math and have been trying to add study skills to the mix. I build relationships with the kids over time and that's what makes me so effective. I teach at a wonderful Christian school that has fallen on hard times, due partly to the economy and partly to the mismanagement of the previous administration. Everything is being very well run now but we are still paying a major financial price for previous bad decisions. I'd love to keep working there but we need a major infusion of cash to stay open. If we can weather this year and make it one more year I think we'll make the turn-around. I was just relating the story of one of my early students to the promotions committee. She had fallen asleep in my class and I started giving her the standard lecture about the need to get enough sleep in order to do well in school when she said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Flory. I live in a really bad neighborhood, and the gunshots keep me awake at night." I had another student, a fourth grader, who pulled up his pants leg to show me his gun shot scar. He'd been sitting in the park with his dog when a drive-by sent a shot his way. His dog ran into the street and was killed by a car. He ended his story by saying,"It was a very bad day." This is a boy who'd also recently lost his mom and step-dad to cancer--within a year of each other. His older sister became his guardian and struggled to keep him out of the Chicago Public Schools and send him to us. He came in fourth grade and was not yet reading. These are the students I teach. Cheri

I'm getting another fill Feb. 2. I have no clue how many CC's I've got. My Dr.s look at how much barium is going through the band under a flouroscope and add enough to get it to a certain point. Actually its pretty cool to see the picture. Mine don't take it out each time and add it back in. They think its hard on the band. And everyone has a different number of fills and different amounts to reach their sweet spot. You can have too much filled so that you can't eat healthy food at all, just sliders. Then you can end up gaining weight. Wierd.

Read all posts. Gotta go back to school for mtg. Loved all the pics. Jewel glad its over. Keep coming back for continued support. Gotta go.

I also woke up early cause had to go back to work today. I'll get there early and do my walk the halls, climb the 47 stairs, circle the gym thing. Also I needed to set up a couple things on internet and send them to myself at school. Have a great day everyone. Cheri

I know they use Dawn to clean birds up and other animals after oil spills. So it tackles the worst oils and grease. They ought to advertise it for clothes. Grease in cotton knits has always been the hardest to get out. By the time its out the outfit just isn't the same, but just spotting it with the Dawn really works. Cheri

Had a great time with my grandkids. Was happy to have them over and happy to see them get picked up. Back to work tomorrow. I have discovered that Dawn dishwashing detergent removes grease spots better than anything I've ever tried before in stretch cotton tops. Doesn't take out the color either. Which is great because that's mostly what I bought. Some great styles, including by Vera Wang in cotton knit. Cheri