Hello. Actually exercise has now been determined to be of little importance in weight loss. In toning, yes, absolutely, but not loss. I lost 50lbs last year from Christmas to May simply by following the WW online diet. I'm not able to exercise aside from walking a block or so, so exercise was not part of my diet. So for anyone who simply cannot exercise, or hates it, :), don't ever think you can't diet and lose weight simply by cutting calories. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/upshot/to-lose-weight-eating-less-is-far-more-important-than-exercising-more.html

Hi Helen, Base on my experience diet programs really works if the willingness of person to lose weight is there. I also tried so many exercise and other weight lost programs to reduce my excess weight but nothing happened. Not until I obliged myself to be disciplined and more eager to achieve my goal. Imagine when I was single I use to weigh 96 lbs and I am so slim before. But when I became a housewife I cook different kinds of dishes that my husband loves and before I know it from a waist of 24 it became 36 and I can't believe it when I saw myself in a video that I walk like a pinguin because I'm too big. It was the start of my perseverance to lose weight. Thanks

Lonepiper, how many months along are you? I didn't gain any weight either for the first 3 months, I actually lost weight too. Then 4-5 months, I had only gained around ten pounds. By the time I was 7 months though, I had gained 30. Owch! Listen to your doctor, unless you have other concerns with his advice. We're all individuals, as long as your baby is healthy I think there shouldn't be any worry about actual poundage gained. Some people don't hardly gain any weight. Some get as big as a house. The main thing to remember is that your baby is taking from you everything they need. Good nutrition is important for the baby, yes, but the baby will take what it needs from you. You need to replinish your supply for your health, so the baby will have more to take and not leave you depleted. Baby Center says: How much weight should I gain during my pregnancy? It depends on your height and weight, or body mass index (BMI), before you conceived. You can calculate your BMI here. If pre-pregnancy weight was in the healthy range for your height according to your healthcare provider (a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9), you should gain between 25 and 35 pounds, gaining 2 to 5 pounds in the first trimester and about 1 pound per week for the rest of your pregnancy for the optimal growth of your baby. If you were underweight for your height at conception (a BMI below 18.5), you should gain 28 to 40 pounds. If you were overweight for your height (a BMI of 25 to 29.9), you should gain 15 to 25 pounds. If you were obese (a BMI of 30 or higher), you should gain no more than 15 pounds. If you're having twins you should gain about 35 to 45 pounds. If you fall into any of these four categories, talk to your healthcare provider about how much you should gain each month.

Msgirl: mineral oil is effective in controlling rose-scale pest. Khalid asked excellent questions in his thread "organic treatment ...", so I re-post some info. here. Johnson Baby oil is the same as mineral oil, except it reeks of perfume. Very effective against thrips and scale according to the New Zealand research (see Khalid's thread). http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3453227/organic-treatment-against-pests-and-fungus-in-zone-9a?n=40 "Mineral oils sprayed onto citrus trees can control a wide range of pests, including mites, aphids, psyllids, leafminers and scale. The control effect of the oil is mainly by suffocation, when the oil moves into the spiracles (breathing holes) of the insects. Recently, it has been shown that the oil also controls insects by modifying their behavior. For example, female leafminers do not lay eggs on leaves where there are oil deposits. Mineral oil may also reduce the level of transmission of virus diseases by aphids Advantages of Oil Spray Oils have several advantages compared to chemical insecticides. Their main benefit is that they are broad-spectrum. They control a wide range of pests, as well as fungus diseases such as black spot and greasy spot. They are even effective against the eggs of aphids, mites and some moths. Furthermore, they are easy to handle and relatively safe to the grower applying them. They dissipate quickly after spraying. Mineral oils also kill any algae growing on the trees and fruit, leaving them clean." http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&id=20110711110304