I will continue to work my heart rate. I feel good after cardio-vascular exercise - whether that activity is a quick paced walk, some jumping jacks, skipping my jump rope or even a light jog. We must trust what we know in our hearts to be true! No pun intended!

Thank you for the helpful information. I have seen the label stevia but this product is called Nu-Stevia. Maybe that is a brand name. The substance tastes like sugar to me. I have removed Sweet & low from my diet & I have tasted this "Nu-Stevia" a few times. Thanks again!

Does anyone have helpful information about the artificial sweetner called "Nu-Stevia"? My husband bought some at Vitamin World to replace his "Equal" sweetner. The information I read on line states that this substance caused "reproduction problems" in labratory rats. My husband is not a rat and we are no longer reproducing. At the same time I am understandably curious.

I might be off course with this observation & I do not mean to state that YOUR husband is -- but SOME men seem intimidated or worried when their wives lose weight -- especially when we receive compliments from our mutual male friends. Our old friend said years ago, "Deb has started to take care of herself. She is losing weight & she has hi-lighted her hair. I think she is on the prowl." Six months later the couple separated. She has never remarried & did not date after their divorce. He dated many women and is now (un)happily married again.

Any time you get duff from your friends - come to Fat Secret. We understand. We will be here to suport you because most of us have gone through the same kinds of hurtful comments. Your digital "friends" at Fat Secret are your friends too! Much Love & Respect!

I know what you mean about restaurants. We eat out too much. I am really GROSSED OUT by some places & I just will not go in these establishments at all. Once we found a fingernail floating in my husband's beer. The waittress said simply, 'That's not mine. My nails are painted red. See?" The manager gave us our dinner for free & gave us a gift card for a second free meal. We did not return -- ever.

Is there a Farmers' Market in your neighborhood? We used to ride our bikes up to the Farmers' Market to buy delicious fresh vegetables. These selections are more budget friendly than supermarket selections. There are so many roadside stands in our area where farmers' children sell beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, & berries.

pam-u-la - Did you see the forum link entitled "Summer Reads"? Just wondering. I thought of you when I saw that topic!

You are entirely welcome. I also understand this circumstance because I am someone who "dropped off the radar" for a year after a discouraging & intimidating experience. I felt guilty about not "being here" for my buddies. Eventually I re-gained the courage to come back. I am so grateful to be welcomed back by the buddies who had missed me while I was gone.

I understand. You long for the reciprocity inherent in the exchange between buddies -- kind of a give & take relationship. The analogy I use to understand this phenomenon is email. There are "bulk mail" items that have gone to the trash folder after a certain number of days. These remain unseen when we check our regular mail. We know that they are there but we do not click on that folder. The buddies on pages 2, 3, or 4 of your buddy list are there. You just don't see them very often. They might receive some kind of inspiration or motivation from you but are very shy about sharing their journal. I have a buddy named teach2read. She does not share her journal, her weight, or her posts. She is very special because she sent me the invitation to Fat Secret. So I keep her in a special place on my buddy list. Hopefully this explanation helps.

Your explanation that diphenhydramine can be taken without the Advil, Tylenol, or Benedryl ingredients serves as a HELPFUL TIP for me. That tip, along with the thought that you are not sure about the way sleep aides affect metabiolism, seemed useful to me. That useful information was the reason for the thanks. So -- thanks again -- just for the provocation of thought.

Thank you Milla Lite - for the tip about metabolisam as it pertains to the contents of these night time sleep aides. I appreciate the advice!

That is a pretty tough work out but stay with it and you will see pretty quick results! I did Jillian's routines a couple of years ago BUT I did not do them 30 days in a row. I did them every other day or so. Work past the soreness and you'll be fine. Also - stay at Level 1 until you reach a state where Level 1 does not feel very challenging any more. Levels 2 & 3 have some moves that scared me as far as INJURY is concerned. I worried that I would twist something!

My husband and I can not seem to "time" our weight loss efforts simultaneously. Either he is competing in a "Biggest Losers" contest at work while I slip into a sedentary state or he is making secret trips to the Dairy Queen while I ride my bike eight miles. If only we could get our stuff together and get healthy TOGETHER! Odd dynamic!

Thanks so much for the helpful advice! I did not know that the active ingredient in TylenolPM and Advil PM is the SAME as in Benadryl! Again -- thank you!

Help! Any tips and pointers about the effects of "sleep aids" on metabolism, weight loss, or overall good health. I am 55 and I often have trouble sleeping. Not often -- but occasionally I take Advil or tylenol PM. What do you all think?

That explanation makes sense. Thanks! My goal is to "wean" myself from Sweet & Low to the extent that I remove it completely from my diet.

Thank you! I like the flavor of Splenda but -- for some reason -- it makes me SWELL -- as if I am allergic to it. I can feel my feet growing puffy like Mickey Mouse! Equal gives me a slight headache sometimes. I will lighten up on the Sweet & Low as much as possible!

Does anyone have insight about the effects of "Sweet & Low" the artificial sweetner in the little pink packet? Wondering about the validity of what I read online. I use one (1) package in my cup of coffee and I sprinkle Sweet & Low into my cooking. I am halfway through Phase I of South Beach - no fruits or starches at all so I don't crave sweets. However - I am curious about any harm I might be doing!

Realizing that I am thirsty for clean, refreshing, sparkling [b]WATER[/b] instead of dark, belching soda makes me [b]SMILE[/b]!:d :d :d :d :d