Oh, Cyndi, I feel SOOOOOOOOO sympathetic to your struggle yesterday....and I'm SOOOOOOOO glad your post did not "stay" lost!!!! First of all, when you struggle with weight, it's hard to be around people who can just willy-nilly eat whatever they want and they don't have to battle weight. Second of all, it is SOOOOOOOOO hard to be around the smell and sight of good food and not want some!!!!!!

I'm sure that part of the reason I'm losing weight is b/c my on/off boyfriend Jerry, is in Texas on a long term job and besides, we're sort of "off" right now anyway, LOL, but when he's around or over for dinner or any meal, I have to make him stuff that of course, I want to eat myself. Then, he likes lots of junk food around, and it's hard not to eat it when it's around. I'm very, very fortunate, for now, to be able to be by myself...so I just don't keep tempting stuff in the house. No matter how bad the craving, there's nothing to turn to. I have a feeling that Jerry and I will be back "on" again in not too long (hopefully, this time, for good--we're getting too old for this), and then I'll have to deal with real, real struggle to not eat what he eats..... So, I feel SO sympathetic about you being around your co-workers in the office.

I have the co-worker problem here, too, whether eating in the office or going out (everyone at the table orders really yummy looking, rich stuff, and there I am with my tiny salad.....)...for the last month or so, know what I've done???????? I've taken to going out to lunch BY MYSELF, with a wonderful novel, and get my little healthy salad and enjoy the quiet...reading the novel helps keep my mind off of wanting something MORE FUN than what I have to eat (and helps keep my eyes off of other tables laden with stuff I'm dying to eat)....honestly, it really helps with the lunch problem.

Cyndi, we ALL want to look good....but I think it's important for ALL of us not to let some "standard" be defined for us--and to remember that beauty radiates out of a beautiful heart more than anything else. It's SO easy for me (like you, I am vain, LOL, LOL :D ) to get caught up in stuff like that. But really, what if I got burned in a fire, or had to have a disfiguring surgery, or my body wasted by a disease. Would I be less beautiful, really???? It is so hard for me, and all of us, I think, to remember that....especially with so much "pressure" to "look good." You are so right that the most important thing is for us to be ourselves, to enjoy ourselves and each other and to be as healthy as possible.

My only wish is that your guilt about your breaking the diet hadn't ruined it for you. The piece of cake sounds DELICIOUS and I enjoyed it vicariously, just reading your post. Boy, would I like some CHOCOLATE right now!!