On the 9th Day

   I hate diets. I am not good at them. I haven't really tried any because I normally cheat after like one hour. Another reason I don't do this for new years resolutions. But that being said, Joe has asked that I participate with him in his "Biggest Loser" competition at school- to lose some unwanted weight. Then he told me he wants to try Dr. Oz's 7-day crash diet. Guess what? It starts today.  So in about 2 hours when I am finally ready for Breakfast, I have to choke down a bowl of oatmeal with fruit on it.  I know that to some of you, that doesn't sound that bad. But for me, who is used to eating cereal or waffles or toast with jam.... this is a real game changer.  I have never liked oatmeal. It's a texture thing with me, so when I say "choke it down", I am pretty sure I'll be reverted back to age 6, when I sat at the dinner table and my father screamed at me to eat that goddamned dinner on my plate or I wasn't getting up, and I sat and cried, and gagged on every bite.

Update: Here is proof. I tried the oatmeal. And have never in my life felt more like I was eating a bowl of vomit. I ate 4 bites and ditched the rest. blech





The rest of the diet doesn't look too bad. No salt. Lots of beans. Lots of veggies and fruit. No meats. Lunch is a big bowl of veggie chili which we made up last night. Has everything but the kitchen sink in it, plus 3 types of beans, so I'm hoping I feel nice and full. Dinner is some bean and cheese enchiladas. there is basically 3 or 4 meals that must be repeated a few times to get through the 7 days. The promise is, 10lbs in 7 days. Yea, we'll see. 10lbs is a lot and I actually would love to lose 10 lbs. Heck I'd like to lose 50 bs.
But I can see from here, the bag of Christmas cookies my Momma sent me home with on the counter in the kitchen. It pains me to have to throw those away.

Ok in all seriousness, I would love some moral support here. I already have such huge doubts but if I could get some real hand-holding, maybe I can do it without killing someone at the end of 7 days. :)



On to the swap stuff.....

On the 9th day of Christmas, Karen Totten  (Starry Road Studio) of Group 1, gifted me some of her handmade ceramic beads!  Beautiful glazed connectors and a small strand of her beads mixed with some African beads and glass.  Love the colors in these! I imagine I'll use them all in one piece!  The beads were wrapped in some gorgeous fabric and I always love to recycled stuff like this so I am showing you the batik she included too!



Melissa Trudinger, our 1 International participant from the UK, sent along a beautiful handcrafted ornament that features a pretty chandelier crystal! That is going to be a gorgeous addition to my tree!! There is also a sweet snowflake pendant! It looks like its porcelain! Beautiful!! thank you!



Comments

  1. I had some success using in iPhone app called My Fitness Pal. It tracks calories and exercise and really helped me understand how each food item adds ups and how even a little bit of exercise can help things stay in balance. Frankly, 10 pounds in one week seems a little crazy. If you decide to use My Fitness Pal, you can add "friends" on the app and help encourage each other. I'm logging back in this week since I've added some holiday pounds. Ahem. Good luck!

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    1. I'll check that app out! Thanks Deb!

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  2. You can do it!! I hope the oatmeal grows on you. I always liked oatmeal until I actually started eating the healthy stuff (and not the sugary/ flavored stuff), now I pretty much gag it down. Diets don't work for me- they screw with my mind and I end up obsessing and failing. BUT, I love LOVE this blog and make it a constant goal to strive for. I feel so much healthier since following some of her "rules" (and lost a little weight too). Check it out..it actually sounds sort of like what you are currently doing.
    http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/
    p.s. at least you eat your bowl of vomit out of pretty pottery ;)

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    1. aww thanks Kylie.... I hope I can. But at this point I'm thinking a. there has got to be an easier and tastier way and b. where the hell did I put those cookies.

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  3. If you wrap them well, Mom's cookies will keep in the freezer for when you need just a little treat...good luck to the two of you (and love the pottery :-)

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  4. I'm not a big fan of oatmeal either but try Trader Joe's steel cut oats. They're frozen in prepackaged serving sizes. I like the oatmeal with sliced bananas. Trust me. I'm a huge texture person and if I can eat the oatmeal you might do OK with it too. Steel cut is better anyways :) Good luck. I'm back on the healthy eating track after my return from Uganda.

    -Yee

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  5. I am with you on the dieting, Miss Lorelei. Ten, fifty or a lot more, I need to do that too. There is a place down the street from where I work that has these smoothie/shakes that I might try. Yea. I know it is no substitute for eating, but my problem isn't eating too much, but too little. I skip too many meals which puts my body in shock so it hoards excess around the middle. I just need to start moving. So that is what I'm doing. I bought Wii Zumba for myself and did almost an hour on the low intensity and my knees were breaking. I also bought season one of The Big Bang Theory and can only watch it if I walk on the treadmill. About a month ago, my husband started walking daily on that contraption in the corner. He is up to 2 1/2 miles now. I need to be more like him. I hope you can find something in the diet that will sustain you. For me, I like oatmeal. Better Oats makes good instant, like maple streusel and cinnamon bun. But I really love Irish steel cut oats. They fill you up. I like to add craisins, banana, walnuts and just a tad bit of brown sugar. Tastes like a cookie. I will be cheering you on! Oh, and those beads are awesome! I can't wait to see how they inspire you. I want to use my little snowflake as a pendant. Enjoy the day. Erin

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    1. trying to cut out all sugar and flour.
      it's H A R D!

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  6. Please share all of your meals-and how it works out! I'd love to try it.
    I've never been one for oatmeal-but about 6 months ago I forced myself and finally got it to where I like it...I use vanilla almond milk (i hate regular milk) and it helps I think. I also make it thicker so it's not goopy...then i add those bluberry raisins and almond slivers-oh, and cinnamon! it masks the blah of the oatmeal :) Try it out! I'd love to try steel cut oats but have heard it takes awhile to make them but I need instant for morning...and yes, don't throw those cookies away! You need little cheats every now and then and they'll save :) Good luck!

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    1. My friend Kelley was just telling me about this coconut almond milk that she uses. interesting. I will look into it!

      Today's meals have sucked so far.

      oatmeal. blech
      Lunch: veggie chili- no salt. no flavor. blech.
      dinner: some bean and veggie burritos with tomato sauce. i'll let ya know how that is.

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  7. I'm with Yee - steel cut oats have an entirely different texture and the flavor is nuttier, and SO much better. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, you can probably get some steel cut oats in the cereal aisle of your grocery. You have to cook them for about half an hour, but it's worth it. They're an entirely different thing from rolled oats and if there's any chance you'll be able to tolerate oatmeal, it's with steel cut. You can make a batch and refrigerate the extra servings for later in the week, but I think you'll be happier with the texture if you make it fresh each day.

    BTW, I don't believe in Draconian dieting. What these diet challenges don't recognize (nor do most physicians) is that if you don't START with a plan for keeping the weight off, there's no point in taking it off in the first place. In my book, taking weight off is 25% of the battle. Keeping it off is 75%. The only diet I know of that incorporates this kind of thinking is Weight Watchers. I did WW last spring, and took of 20+ pounds. It 'reset' my eating patterns - especially when it came to getting me off sugar - and not only has it stayed off, I've dropped 6 more.

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    1. i agree. 100% . joe always gains the weight back on when doing this crazy draconian diets. they never last. ever.

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  8. O.K.my fitness pal is a wonderful app. If you do nothing else, I would try this - it will give you great insight in what you are eating, and then make tiny changes. Freeze the cookies. They will last. Steel cut oatmeal is wonderful. You can put it in a thermos with boiling water the night before (google to find more info) it will be ready the next morning.

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    1. I'm going to try this! Thank you thank you thank you!

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  9. Oatmeal was my yuck food, too. But here's how I now like it - never Quaker Oats, never those instant packages with the added sugar/chemicals/junk. Trader's Joe carries regular and steel cut oats in the tall cylinder cans. I never use milk (another yuck), just water and only half the amount. Then I zap in the microwave for half the time. I like the dryish consistency with a few TJ cranberries, Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon (the best ever), some walnuts and maybe a smidgen of brown sugar. Tastes like an oatmeal cookie and not that vomit looking/inducing mush!
    Yup, I need to lose about 30 pounds. I did it many years ago after reading the Fit For Life book – also a real eye opener. The Weight Watcher’s points chart is a great tool and you don’t need to buy their food. I love Dr. Oz, but what happens after the 7 day diet?
    And then there’s exercise…my hands and arm get a great workout creating jewelry, but not so much for the butt!
    Good luck, Lorelei – you can do it! (And so will I.)
    p.s. – Enjoying the 12 days; such pretty pieces everyone has made and received.

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    1. thank you!!! we'll do it together!!
      maybe a new "weight loss" blog is in order.

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  10. oh gosh I'm the same way about oatmeal, it's a texture thing I'm sure!!!
    onto the 12 days though...what great gifts!!! both given and recieved!!

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    1. thanks! i am glad i am not the only one. oatmeal can rot in Hell.
      :)

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  11. I agree with all, steel cut oats are much better. I hold back just a bit on the water as I like it drier. Don't over stir. I reheat the next day in microwave. 2 minutes 20 seconds is best for mine. Make your own trail mix for the oatmeal and snacks. Make sure that you don't add dried fruits that have sugar on them! Also read the back of cans. Most of the canned beans have sugar in them! Also the tomatoes sauce. Make your own if you can, it is quick and much better. I don't really know why but they do. I lost 28 pounds in 6 weeks just by quiting the sugar and bread. Reading the back of cans and boxes for the added sugar really makes a big difference. I have kept the weight off for over 3 years now. After I lost the weight I added back in the bread every one in awhile. Hope this helps.

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    1. Yikes. I'm not so sure Oatmeal is for me. how bout just a bowl of fruit.

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  12. Anonymous1/02/2013

    I follow your blog but never comment. Your post today prompted me to do so. You can do this diet thing! I began a life altering diet 6 months ago and have currently lost 95 pounds,with about 40 to go. Each person has to find their own path and what works for them. What I am doing might not work for others, but I tried many diets that were working for others but didn't for me. I started with a three week fruit and vegetable cleanse, (very skeptical) it seemed to clean the processed foods from my system and get my body ready for the diet, plus I lost 22 pounds in those three weeks. Something will work, just keep trying and looking around for it! By the way, love your jewelry and admire the style you have developed for yourself. Happy 2013!

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    1. HI Anon!
      WOW 95 lbs! you are an inspiration!!! THanks for being a dedicated blog visitor!

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  13. Shame on "Dr." Oz! Crash/fad diets not only don't work, but aren't good for you. 10 lbs in one week is too much to lose and you'll more than likely gain it all back. Which is so discouraging. Been there, done that. Losing weight is much more successful if you lose a little at a time. You especially want to be healthy if your planning to get pregnant, which means a well balanced diet. I would suggest talking to your doctor or a nutrionist for a healthy weight loss plan, so your body will be nice and healthy for baby!

    I hope you didn't throw out those fat blackberries on the oatmeal - they looked delicious! And don't throw away mom's cookies - just eat them one at a time over a few weeks. You'll enjoy them longer that way too :)

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    1. I think you're right. I really do. Flash diets do not work. Every time Joe does this, he gains the weight back on after several months. We need to make better choices in what we eat. Less processed food too!
      Didn't throw the berries or the cookies away. Keep looking at them longingly. But am doing good so far today. no snacks.

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  14. It actually sounds like a very good nutritional plan (I watched the videos on Dr. Oz's site). It really is an excellent way to eat--high on vegetables and fruits. My biggest problem is that I'm not a huge fan of vegetables. AND I like sugar in my coffee (hate stevia so that's not an option. Plans that tell me I can't have something or I must eat something don't work well for me. Maybe there's another option for breakfast? Like the skinny shake. Try it for 7 days. And if it doesn't quite work for you, keep some of the principles like eating more vegetables and cutting back on dairy and meat. And maybe don't think of it as a diet but making better choices. If nothing else, it will give you a jumpstart and then you can work out a plan you can live with.

    I have so much to lose myself and will most likely count calories while making as many healthy choices as possible. It worked for me once and it should work again (it wasn't the plan that failed me, it was me that failed the plan!). I start on Saturday. If you need a weight loss buddy, let me know.

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    1. yes i do need a buddy! and I think you are right. doing something because someone wants me to without my full attention and total commitment will never work. I think doing smaller things to make better decisions will in the long run, be much more beneficial long term. :)

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  15. OK, I suck at diets too...I'm purposely not reading the other comments here so I can voice my opinion thoughtfully....I F*cking hate OATMEAL. I don't care how healthy it is. It tastes nasty....and yogurt...hate it...I can't eat yogurt...greek, lo-cal, lite, whatever...can't snack on it, can't eat it...I can sub it in recipes when real food is considered, but that's about it.

    When I'm on a "diet" I can't eat bread...or taters....I just have to eat lean meat and veggies and brain-alter myself into that when I'm ready...which I'm not....I like the apps for calorie counting and exercise counting...but I think I'm too much a glutton....gah!

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  16. Anonymous1/02/2013

    Well, the oatmeal might have been yucky, but the bowl and mug are adorable!

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  17. Oh Lorelei I'm not good with diets. Living here in New Orleans it isn't possible. I try to exercise everyday...oh wait...I need to get on the treadmill now! Boooo!!! I feel for you cause I despise oatmeal! YUCK!!! Wishing you the best of luck! ♥

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  18. I'm an amateur evangelist for the Dukan Diet. High protein, low fat, low carbs. Worked like MAGIC for me. Have kept the 40 off for over a year now. I have a giant omelet every day for breakfast or dinner with some sort of turkey bacon or turkey sausage in it and no-fat cottage cheese. The rest of the time it's fish, chicken, non-starch veggies and plain no-fat Fage Greek yogurt with Crystal Light strawberry flavor stirred in. I consumed too many holiday treats last month and the scale bumped up 5 lb. but it will be down to the good number by next week because I am back on track!

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  19. Good luck Lorelei, I know you can do it! I use the "my plate" app on livestrong.com, helped me lose 30lbs last year and am shooting for another 10 this year. I was also exercising to help (need to get back to that). The best part of that app for me was I could put in my own recipes to track calories etc and the other great part was that as long as I worked out I treated myself to dessert that nite :).

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  20. Good luck with the ****, I don't like to even say that word because it makes me hungry. I lost about 25 lbs with Weight Watchers and then gained back about 8 the past 6 months. Having more on the road shows messed up my routine. So its back to the meetings this week, it is really is a lifestyle change and there is no quick fix. The thing that I love about WW is there is nothing that is forbidden, that is the kiss of death for me. It's learning about ups and downs, moderation, knowing the difference between feeling full and satisfied.
    Talk soon???

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  21. 10 pounds in 7 days sounds like too much too fast. Being a visual person, I tried Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss plan. This was quite a few years ago, but I still use some of the tips when I need to shed a few pounds. The book has pictures of things like a bagel vs how much of another food you could eat for the same number of calories. One scoop of ice cream vs 20 fudgesicles.
    It still all comes down to calories in/calories out for me. That way nothing is forbidden. When I need to lose weight I start writing down everything I eat and looking at the calories. Sometimes just knowing I have to write it down will make me not pick up a snack. It has also helped me be creative in finding 100 calorie snacks. Good luck to you. You have a lot of support here!

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  22. My hubby is the only one in our household who can cook oats successfully (I don't have the patience) but they are nice the way he makes them. Our chicken also enjoys eating them raw, so I grateful they stop her squawking too! Your swap looks to have been fun. I love the nuts you put together - the packaging was darling :-)

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  23. No sugar and flour is hard (you are obviously big on understatement)! I've tried that and failed over the course of two decades (Candida diet). It is ambitious and if you can do it your body will thank-you for it, but it is very difficult to sustain. Low sugar + more complex carbs is good, but hey I'm no guru <3

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  24. Dieting can be so difficult!

    I find that I tend to lose weight when I'm *not* dieting. There's something about the stress involved in being *on a diet* that makes me want to shove every cake in a 50 mile radius into my face. I guess when you try to deny yourself something, you're going to want it even more!

    Cutting meat out of your diet is a good way to drop an extra tyre or two - I went meat free for three months this time last year and dropped about 30lbs ! And I was gobbling crisps and chocolate all that time!

    I'm sure you'll do fine, as long as you stay away from oatmeal. And buy plenty of air freshner to counteract the side effects of all those beans... x

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    1. interesting! no meat huh? It is surprising that meat could pack on the weight. The diet joe is doing this week is a no meat diet. But you must have brought in protein from somewhere else, right?

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    2. Legumes have protein. So do fruits and vegetables, just in much smaller amounts. Some heavy meat eaters do consume too much protein.

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  25. i think i will join you and Joe ..i can stand to drop .well..many Lbs..i didn't read thru the comments..but steel cut oats have a different texture..more like barley it takes longer to cook..i make a pot and just reheat a portion in the morning..cinnamon is nice on it too.

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  26. Anonymous1/03/2013

    Back when I was in my 30s (and we won't say when *that* was!), my chiropractor gave me this wondrous diet guaranteed to help me lose my 10 extra pounds....and it did! But I hated it *so* much (fruit for breakfast, when I was ravenous for carbs, etc.) that I promptly boomeranged and gained back 20 (!) miserable, hard-to-lose pounds - yikes!! Everyone's different, but the only thing that's ever worked for me is Weight Watchers because it let me eat what I needed to eat, when I needed to eat it, and was a much healthier diet overall. (Also, I had a dynamite 76-year-old, martini-drinking leader to keep me inspired.) Personally, I'd blow out the oatmeal (and that whole diet) if you hate it. In the end, self-torture never works....

    Kate of the "Lorelei Key Bracelet"

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  27. The thing to remember too is that in trying to cut sugar think about all the "healthy" foods that we might eat lots of but may be high in sugar. Like fruit...yes, it's natural sugar but by overdoing fruit that's not good either. And yogurt. Have you ever looked at the nutritional info? Loaded with sugar!!! We got really good at cutting out sugar - it just takes perseverance and reading labels. You can do it :) After a while you won't even notice the sugar or the carbs (and this is coming from a total carb LOVER!). Everything in moderation is my motto but if trying to cut stuff out you need to start off slowly and work up to it. Going cold turkey is guaranteed to result in failure.

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  28. Okay Lorelei, you have got me pumped...will try the the diet with you so you don't feel alone. I will start next week when my hubby is back to work. He is my biggest downfall when I try to loose weight because he LOVES to eat probably more so than I do! Try to hang in there on the oatmeal, you will get used to it. Later you can probably add some dark chocolate chips or organic peanut butter or nuts to change things up a bit. Starting is always hard but once you start losing the weight, the easier it will be. Nice of your hubby supporting you! I am here for you too! You have a headstart...I will try to catch up! 8) HUGS!

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  29. I too hate oatmeal! But I did manage to lose 68 lbs last year using the Weight Watchers point system. I did it online. I walked almost every day and got up to 5 miles during the summer. And I'm 60 years old! I also gave up alcohol, beef and ate a very healthy low fat diet of fish, chicken, and pork with lots of fruit and veggies and a few wholegrain carbs. Good luck, I enjoy your blog. Kristen

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  30. Your post and all these comments has me breathing a sigh of relief about the oatmeal-texture thing. Oatmeal cookies are my favorite and I love the smell of oatmeal cooking, but as soon as I put the stuff in my mouth I'm gagging on it. (sorry for the graphic) All the comments have me interested in the steel cut oats now. . .hmmmmm.
    The hubs and I aren't big on the fad diets ourselves. We believe that in order to have a permanent weight change, you need to have a permanent diet change. Now, we can't seem to cut the sugar out of our diet yet but are getting there. . .kinda. We've also been doing a low-meat thing as well as juicing (fruits and veggies) for some breakfasts and lunches. Unfortunately, we can be rather weak at times and give in to our cravings so we haven't seen a whole lot of significant weight loss yet. My pants are fitting looser though :D

    Finally, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app for a few weeks myself and really love the challenge of staying under my calorie intake level for the day. As well, I've got a few friends using it too and we are each other's cheerleaders on there. If you do decide to try it out I'm CraftyHope on there too.

    Best of luck on this venture.

    p.s. I do have to say the veggie chili sounds good to me!

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  31. Anonymous1/04/2013

    I highly recommend 'mindful eatting ' as a safe way to lose weight. Pay attention to everything you put in your mouth. Chew it thoroughly, more times than you ever thought possible. Drink plenty of liquids / water during the meal & rest of the day. You will safely lose the weight.

    On the topic of 'textures', my nemisis (sp?) is Lima beans. As a kid, i couldn't leave the table unless I ate some. Yech!!! Then i figured it out. My mom would put a spoonful (of 3) on my plate and i would swallow them whole. That satisfied my father - I ate a spoonful, tho what happened to them in me , I didn't care. To this day i can't see them w/out being reminded.
    As for the oatmeal, i'm sure it doesn't matter what form it is in as long as you eat it. So make mini muffins or cookies or just put a tsp of it in your mouth and swallow it whole ( w/out all the yucky chewing ). Either way you will get the benefits of it thru digestion & isn't that the main reason for eatting it......??..... ==¦==

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  32. Anonymous1/05/2013

    Hi Lorelei, been away, hence commenting a few days late! Glad you like the ornament, it was fun to make! And you're right, the snowflake is porcelain! My Mum made it, she is a potter and I am slowly getting her to work with me on making beads and pendants -- we have lots of ideas!
    Oh, and good luck with the diet, I think I'll be joining you in the next few days.

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  33. I have been running way behind but I just wanted to pop in and offer my sympathies on the oatmeal. The only way I can handle the...ummm...I will be nice and just call it a food is when it is made up in cookies.

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