Hi TooSweet, thank you, I read it all.  Read my 3 new posts today, I'm doing better.  With you all here for me, I can't fail.  I have cut out the smoothies for now, but that does give me MUCH less phytonutrients.  Oh well, I can have some berries back after some weight loss...or when I reach goal.  I am sensitive to sugars, very.  I would like the recipe for the muffins you are talking about please.  I don't eat gluten, but they prob. don't have any, please tell me that one.  Please read what I ate today, I posted it, and tell me what I did.  The brand of cacao is Navitas Naturals raw, organice cocao powder, I love it.  I only use 1 TBSP, which makes it only 1 net carb.  I can use less of it too.  Perhaps I'm starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel now.  I'm traveling to Vegas next week, I will do the right snacks.  I ordered (online) some low carb, xylitol sweetened jelly and ketchup...and some crackers that are zero carb and gluten free.  Yay!  A little expensive, but I'll let you know how they are.  I am keeping track of my blood sugar and hope to lower my insulin soon like I could last year when I was 173.  Right now, I'm prob. around 210, I refuse to weigh, so I'm not sure, but I can tell, due to my experience wth how I feel at certain weights.  I'm only 5'1".  I want to lose at least 80 lbs.  As for the exercise, I need it.  I've been sedentary for many months now.  I finally got my husband (who's depressed because he's been laid off for over a year) to take a walk with me today in the freezing air...at least five minutes, it's a start.  I will continue and keep adding time.  I used to work out, so I have muscle memory going for me.  I have a strong body, but I've been ruining my health badly all my life, but esp. these last few months.  Again, thank goodness for all of you.  Tell me how I did and if you are able to see my other 3 postings from today.

I'm eating it now, it's incredible.  Put all this in a large Magic bullet cup or you can whisk it if you want:
2 cloves garlic (pressed), 1 tsp. dry mustard powder, 2 TBSP. lemon juice (I use more), 1 & 1/2 tsp. Worcester sauce, 1 cup grated parm or reggiano cheese, 1/2 cup olive oil (mix reg. and lite...I like the lite oil, but I mix the 2), spoon of mayo in place of egg, 5 anchovy fillets (dry them...don't worry if you hate anchovies, these are amazing in the dressing) or some anchovy paste (fillets better...pat them dry), 2 & 1/2 TBP. water, black pepper to taste.  This is delicious.  I'm eating it right now over romaine lettuce and fresh spinach.  ENJOY!!!

Hi Morgan, of COURSE I want to lose this weight, I don't think I sound like I don't want to.  If so, that is not the truth.  I want to and badly.  The shakes I make aren't what you think.  They are whey powder, which is 1.5 carbs, with decaf coffee (0 carbs), flax and chia (I need to have something in me that will help me poop and these are virtually carb-less, a little unsweetened almond milk, a little half and half, some raw cacao (1 carb), stevia.  How does this not fit into my eating plan?  It does.  Aren't I allowed 20 grams per day?  So, why would I give these shakes up?  They make a great small meal.

Thank you to all of you for your replies to me, I appreciate it.  I wrote Doug and Sherri an "I give up" email today, but as they are busy people, I am turning to the forum for help.  Yes, I'm an emotional eater.  I also still have a raging sweet tooth that is very hard to deal with and a lot of hunger prob. due to my diabetes. I think I would make the cheesecake or other desserts and not be able to stop.  I know sugar is death, but I can't seem to know how much to eat, when to eat and what to eat.  If I eat when I hungry, like this morning after that binge and less than 3 hours sleep, I am pretty full now.  I had 12 carbs for my breakfast meal.  I figured out the whey shakes I like to make are 6 carbs. Here is the email I sent to them asking for help, it is entitled "I give up", Sherri advised me to post to the forum so here it goes:

I did look at the boards at sweets and snacks, but I don't use Splenda.  Sherri, I am feeling awful this morning.  I feel like crap.  I was going ok for about 5 days, low carb, no sugars or very low carb eating.  The only carbs I was eating was Suzie's thin cakes (6 net carbs per 3 crackers, they are like thin rice cakes, not made of rice) on which I put turkey, mayo, sprouts and cheese,  In my whey shakes, I made those with a bit of unsweetened almond milk, MRM all natural whey powder (very low in carb), 1/4 cup or so of half and half, raw cacao powder, chia seeds, flax meal, decaf coffee.  I would drink that about twice per day, have a green smoothie with greens, avocado, berries and a lean and green meal.  I am always hungry and always have a raging sweet tooth.  I ended up having a binge all last night.  I wasn't even hungry.  It started after a good dinner of hot wings that I made with celery and blue cheese. I baked them, rolled them in parm cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder, tossed in Frank's hot sauce with some butter, they were great.  Then I lost control.  Had a whey shake because I wanted something sweet and I use stevia in those.  Then I have more turkey and cheese crackers/thin cakes with mayo and sprouts...then in the middle of the night, I had more thin cakes with peanut butter and blackberry JELLY...I woke up just now feeling horrible.  I can't lose weight.  I'm so fat.  I can't do this.  I am going to die, Sherri.  I am diabetic, my sugars are out of control.  The only thing that works for me is to eat horrible Medifast shakes and starve to death with those and a lean and green each day.  That is all mapped out for me, but it makes me starve.  The Medifast is garbage, made of fructose, having 10 grams of sugar in each packet.  I am at a total loss and have now given up.  I'm a mess, I honestly feel no one cares and that I can't do this.  I feel even if I'm eating meat and greens, which I DON'T LIKE, my body won't lose the weight.  I feel people care at the boards and that you and Doug care, then I feel no one cares anymore because I am a failure.
 
I'm very depressed.
 
Thank you for your ear.
 
Marian

Hi TooSweet, I forgot to tell you.  I write down everything I eat, every day for years now and the time I eat it.  Also whatever else goes in my mouth (well....food that is! LOL)...Hey, I'm a pro comedienne, I can get away with saying that!  Yes, I'm biting the bullet, very hard, craving sugar madly.  But I am making some whey shakes with stevia and raw cacao, that helps!  Please keep writing.  I tried to put my photo on my profile on here, but it didn't take.  Thank you, Marian

Thank you TooSweet, great recipes.  As for the smoothies, I really do try to omit the bananas most of the time and stick to just berries and lots of greens.  I do want very much to stay away from sucralose (Spenda) as it's 2 molecules away from a being a pesticide.  I only use stevia when I can.  Do you ever use Atkins bars?  I know they have crap sweeteners in them, but perhaps for on the go?  I was on Medifast for some time and although I lost weight on it, I was deathly starving the whole time and that's because the stuff is full of fructose, first ingredient.  I have to keep listening to all of you, keep reading things, etc. to learn what to do in a healthier way.  I appreciate it.  I'd love to know your story!

 I am one of the readers who DOES know about sugar and has ignored it and done it anyway; who lacks discipline.  I'm very reluctant to go to the forum for help, I tend to like to isolate and do things myself.  I feel awful and dejected.  I am always, always hungry (even if I eat high protein, low carb, albeit less hungry with that) and I have a raging sweet tooth.  I feel there's probably no hope for me.  I'm getting fatter and fatter having succeeded and failed for years and years.  Eating over the traumas in my life.  I'm turning 53 on January 28th and  with the diabetes I have and the very fat belly (I think I have had diabetes a LOT longer than when it was diagnosed as have many people), I feel I am doomed.  I don't think I can do it.  I also don't like Splenda (only Stevia) and I worry about getting phytonutrients (I drink green smoothies, but with higher sugar fruits in them, along with the berries...but lots of different greens), and that is NOT low carb.  I am very full of systemic inflammation for years now (high CRP), which will kill me in the long run.  I am someone who does better if I know what to eat and when...that's it...just tell me what to eat and when to eat it, I do better with that kind of structure.  This is my first posting, I appreciate any feedback.  I'm not adept at technology, so please tell me how to read your replies to me when you post...please let me know at mozart8181@comcast.net