It's great to see that ALL of you guys are doing well! Even with a setback here and there, you're still committed to losing weight, and that's good. Learn from the setbacks, and endeavor to minimize them.

It's interesting to read about the psychological phenomenon that a couple of you have experienced. At first, I thought "what would be causing that?" and thought maybe it's just a result of thinking differently with your new attitude and better diet, and maybe a bit of apprehension regarding whether or not you'll be able to stick with as your new lifestyle. But then I remembered... As a college student, I had started to minor in psychology, until I had to take some silly course about the chemistry of the brain, whereupon I lost interest and dropped the minor. But as it turns out, the chemistry of the brain plays a major role in our behavior and perceptions, and variations change those behaviors and perceptions. Witness the introduction of a wide array of psycho-pharmaceuticals in recent decades. So it's quite possible that your change in diet really is affecting how your brain is working. 18MaynardStreet may be able to shed some light on that. But I would guess that, like getting used to a new pair of glasses, you probably will consciously or unconsciously adjust, and the "odd" feelings will eventually go away.

Back to the topic... My otherwise-decent food and drink routine went straight out the window over the past week. I ate way too much dessert-type stuff, starting with things like raspberry filled coffee cake in the morning and going downhill from there, and having a generous share of Scotch and some nice wine before and after more than one huge dinner. Tenderloin, ham, and gyros didn't help my cholesterol any, either. And, I'll admit it, snacks during the 990 mile drive back from Wisconsin didn't include salad, broccoli, or baked chicken. But I'm happy to say that at least I know I'm eating and drinking poorly, and that after Friday, I'll have had enough of living loose. Yes, Saturday, not Monday, I'll be going back to a better lifestyle. Monday is hard enough without complicating things! lol

Checking the clock, I see that it's 12:16 am on January 1, 2010. Happy New Year to all on the MF forum! Why am I sitting here instead of being at the party? Did I mention the 990 mile drive? Yes. Did I mention the sledding incident, where I had a nasty tumble which resulted in me having to type with my pinky taped to my ring finger and a complete inability to bend my torso obliquely without pain? Now you know! lol