lydia -- the 100+ food Elisa test sounds very interesting. I may give that a try, eventually. I'm convinced that I have quite a few food allergies. I used to throw up when I was given white milk as a child. Never drank any once my mother figured out the cause. Except in elementary school when I was forced by a teacher and I threw up. Funny how I was able to drink chocolate milk, though. I read later (as an adult) that in fact the chocolate in chocolate milk reduces the allergic reaction. Anyway, regarding food allergies, I know I'm sensitive to wheat though I'm not a celiac. I am also sensitive to dairy. (Ask me why I can't give up my goatsmilk yoghurt, this is the last frontier for me, hope to give it up eventually.) I subscribed to the test at http://www.enterolab.com/ which is where I got the results about wheat and dairly. The test was expensive. I think over $300.00. Glad I did it though. Sounds like the Elisa test may give you the same results plus some. This food allergy thing is tricky, I think. One of our dogs now it seems has food allergies. I asked the vet to test and she said that testing for food allergies is not very reliable (for dogs). I wonder if this is true for humans? A food elimination diet was the only thing she could recommend plus eating only a particular type of dog food that was "engineered to have a small enough molecule size so it doesn't trigger the allergic reactions" (her words). I was amazed and am wondering if raw food has "smaller molecules" than cooked food, HA, HA. Perhaps moite's methods that she got from her doctor about measuring her pulse rate may be the best way. I'm going the simple route with this raw food diet (for now) because it meets many other needs also. I had a great day yesterday. I went the whole day without the "wave of tiredness" that comes over me every day after lunch. I hope it wasn't an anomaly. Bad news is that with the raw food diet, there is a "detox phase" initially where some claim that you are ridding your system of toxins. The detox phase can produce acne which is what I just got yesterday. I haven't had a pimple on my face for many years but I have two now. Oh well. If my energy level stays good, I'll have to add that as one more reason why I'm glad I found this diet. I was craving cooked food day before yesterday but managed to get by without it. Hopefully those days will get less in number. This was kind of like craving a cigarette after quitting, as I remember it many years ago. Keep us posted about your food allergies. I'm becoming more and more convinced that for some of us, they are literally killing us or are reducing our quality of life (for some of us) to a very very large extent producing chronic problems and diseases that mainstream medicine doesn't have a clue. In my case, I definitely feel like I've become a guinea pig for trying out different "cures". I'm hoping that raw food will by my answer. I realize that because there is no definite proof, I could be wrong on this but as my DH says, it's gotta be better than being so overweight and hungry all the time. We were killing ourselves eating cooked food so how could this be any worse.

Koolkelli, I think I can definitely help you! Based on the information you provided in your profile, it sounds like you have a high muscle mass (aka, 170lbs at just 4'11", yet only a size 12 and having a 'muscular frame but not looking bad'). It sounds like you are a 'solid girl' who builds muscle easily and still has some left over from more intense training days (this will actually work to your advantage). I am exactly like you- the same build and used to have the same problem. You do eat the right foods, but certainly too much! My thinking was like this at one time too, how can you feel guilty about eating an entire plate of broccoli or whole grain pasta? They are good for you! But too much of anything is bad, even when it is healthy food. I used to clear a plate, any plate that was put in front of me regardless of how hungry I was. You are not alone, but this is a bad habit that you must learn to break. Your out of control eating is a sign that you have a fast metabolism and burn quickly, but you constantly tax your metabolism with too much (good) food. There are a few things in your diet and lifestyle that you must correct that will fix this. First of all, you are always hungry, which means you are never satisfied. Eating the right foods that are both healthy AND satisfying will be critical in your weight loss journey. You will want to incorporate a high amount of healthy fats (monounsaturated fats specifically) that are heart healthy and will also satisfy your cravings. These will also keep you full longer. I have found that the flat belly diet or paleo diet work great to assist with this. Your lack of energy is attributed to your overeating: I know I have struggled with this as well- I was very well known to come home from work each day and immediately raid the fridge because I was starving, only to then be too full to workout. I would sometimes make myself workout anyway, but would find myself tired and sluggish and struggling with energy. This occured at other times in the day too when I would eat a large meal and then not have energy to do other tasks. Your body is focusing on digesting all the food which slows the rest you down. Don't do this to yourself- stop at 80% full! You don't need to feel obligated to finish any plates, just eat what is the right amount for you. You will learn over time what is the correct amount your body needs. A few tips that will be crucial to you: 1) Cut the sugar! This is killing you (lots to read about this online, sugar causes cravings, mood swings, spikes in blood sugar witch affects your hormones, impairs your immune system, reduces healing time, etc- once you cut this out you will find yourself having more self control and not an out of control appetite). Sugar is found in many processed food souces (table sugar, syrups, lactose sugars in milk, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, etc). 2) Exercise MUST be the number one priority in your journey. Specifically cardio. I would recommend HIIT training (which is high intensity interval training-- this burns the most fat in the least time- you can do just a 20 minute workout a day for great results). Add in fun strength training workouts too to keep you motivated: Try aerial yoga, yoga, silk, rock climbing, etc, 3) Keep a food log. If you have to write everything down, you are less likely to keep eating (as this gets soooo old after a while!). You will also be more aware of what you are eating which is necessary to understand what and when and (ultimately) why you eat how much you do. 4) Music! Music will help push you through your workouts so you you push yourself as far as you can. It's like having a personal trainer or good friend to yell at you :) These tips should help- don't stress, if you COMMIT and do the right this (as I've outlined above), you WILL lose weight, no doubt. But you must be willing to put the work in to achieve the results. I have faith in you, this worked for me and I'm so happy to be down to a normal, healthy and comfortable weight! Good luck!

I started this diet Oct 7th and have found it very easy, I have lost 12 lbs. I take 2-TBSP Extra Light Olive Oil, in the morning and at night time (No eating for 1-hr before and 1-hr after as required). This is truly one of the easiest diet's I have been on. I do not feel hungry at all and do not hate doing the diet. Usually diets bore me, this one does not...I can litterally eat what I want without restriction! Of course, it helps to count calories if you really want a stronger weight loss, so I am maintaining myself and not going over board, but it's not a big deal...if I want to splurge,I do! I just make sure to continue the oil the next day and go back to counting those calories, it's hassle free. I have not felt left out, food neglected or starved at any point and I can actually go out to dinner with my husband without the guilt of falling off my diet! Also another benefit, my skin and hair look better, my skin appears healthier and my hair seems shinnier as well. This is truly a Bliss diet for me, I have 45 lbs to go...but it will be a piece of cake because of the Shangri-la Diet! I love this diet :)

It looks to me like your underwatering--by a lot. It takes a lot of water and energy for the fine roots to transport it all the way up those loooong stems; if it's rootbound it will have a lot of woody roots that don't take up water, making it important that all the fine roots have a chance to do their job. Stick a thin sharp stick into the pot, all the way to the bottom. How's the soil moisture? Remember, overwatering isn't good, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't water enough to moisten all the soil! If i were you, I'd start by giving it a really thorough soak until a fair amount of water comes out the bottom. When the water stops draining, tilt the pot 45 degrees (lean it against a fence or wall) to let as much residual water to drain out. gardengal, wouldn't it be better to stabilize the plant before replanting? I'd think you'd want the tree to be healthy before replanting, especially if all it needed was several days of hydration. Feel free to correct me, though, because I know bupkes about planting trees.