This forum has been very helpful to me and I am glad I found it before starting. Because of what I have read here I decided to take Friday and Monday off and give myself a leisurely 4-day weekend when I start. I want to make sure I do everything I can to get a good start.
I went out this morning and bought some Davinci SF syrups, some Miralax, some Equate brand Lactaid, some salad spritzer, and some SF jello cups. I got some frozen veggies and will get salad fixins later in the week so they are fresh. I still need to get some lean meats and veggie burgers. I will probably start with chicken breasts and veggie patties because I feel safe with both of those. Oh and I still need pickles and celery. I've been checking out the Lean Cuisine section too and copied off some recipes to try with the MF supplements.
Ok, here is a little personal info about me: I am 58, divorced, 2 grown daughters and 3 grandchildren. I work full-time and live alone. In some respects that makes dieting easier since I don't have to cook for anyone else usually but it is also easier to cheat.

I only started gaining since my mid-40s and it has been pretty steady. I gave up cigs in Feb of 2006 and that contributed to the last 20 pounds of my extra padding. I need to lose 50 pounds for health but I want to lose 70. Diabetes is a killer in my family for 3 generations and so far I am the only one for 3 generations who does not have full-blown diabetes. This year I got the label of pre-diabetic and a stern warning so I am trying to beat it back and hold it off. My cholesterol was unacceptable too but I have it down now with meds and giving up the cigs. My blood pressure has been rising but I've been told to lose weight and it will be okay.
Even though I was thin until mid-40s I have battled weight since my teens and did all kinds of crazy things to stay thin. In fact, I am ashamed to say, I started smokin at age 18 because my smoking friends told me it would help me stay thin. It did until I hit menopause.

OK, enough for now. I will start a journal soon and I hope you all will help me get going and keep going because I need support!
Hopebaby