I really don't get too many pregnancy cravings, usually. Early in this pregnancy I wanted Cheetos all the time! They didn't even have to be name-brand, just cheese puffs was fine. Fortunately, that craving went away several months ago.

Last night I was having a weird night. I didn't want to stay awake, but I didn't feel like going to sleep. I didn't want to lay around, but I also didn't feel up to doing any projects. I also felt like eating something, but nothing sounded good.

Finally after giving it some thought, the only thing that sounded good was a fruit smoothie. Of course it was about 10:30 and everything was closed. I remembered we had frozen strawberries and ice cubes, then also remembered that we had some apple juice in the fridge (juice around here is pretty scarce). My wonderful daughter blended those ingredients up for an awesome smoothie!

And the fact that it cost NOTHING was the best part of all!

Dh and I were just talking about our Sleep Number (Select Comfort) bed. We LOVE it!! We purchased it from the company more than 5 years ago and purchased one that had been returned for some reason (cheaper than brand new, but still has a 20-yr warranty).

Anyway, neither one of us regrets spending $600+ on it. It has been worth every penny. When we were on vacation, my back was acting up terribly. Traditional beds are too hard and have no "give". I was SO happy to get back to my bed.

So what have you spent money on that you have no regrets about, and why??

I'm tired of watching/worrying about every bite I eat. I'm tired of watching/worrying about every dime I spend. Grrh! LOL I guess I'm in a mood today. Call it pregnancy hormones! My poor family.

I want to eat what I want to eat and not worry so much about what the scale says. I have things I need to sell on eBay, yet am having the hardest time doing it.

How do you all get over times like this???

I know some of you are thinking, "Duh!" But as I was walking my 2 miles today, I was thinking about how much I don't like to work at exercising. I'd like to exercise, get fit and then never have to exercise again. Actually, I'd like to exercise for 1 week and have it work for me for the rest of my life.

Financially speaking, I'd just like the debt to be gone *poof* (like I'd want the excess weight to be gone), but it doesn't work that way.

It takes WORK - daily - to chip away at the debt. It takes WORK - daily - to chip away at the extra pounds. The reward will all be worth it and will take a little work to maintain, but the REALLY HARD WORK is now.

I know this topic isn't exactly "financial" in nature, but it could actually one's finances a great deal! A person of healthy weight can save on health care, chiropractic, etc. A person whose cravings aren't out of control doesn't buy junk food (at least not a lot of it). A person who is physically active uses less gasoline if he/she is able to bike or walk places instead of taking a vehicle.

So now that I've made a "financial" case for being at a healthy weight, how does one GET and STAY there?? I've struggled with weight my entire life, starting as a child all the way through until now. There were times that I was at a healthy weight, but that was usually after starving myself and exercising like crazy. Is that really what it takes? Or are there things that average-sized people do that I'm missing?

I am attempting to walk 2 miles FAST every day and have been staying away from grains and dairy (just to see if these things are affecting my body adversely). I feel pretty good when doing these things and maybe this is my answer.

I guess this is my question: Is there anyone who has struggled with weight and found a LIFESTYLE answer. Not a crash diet or a pharmacy pill that when you discontinue using them the weight piles on. I'm looking for tips that can be used for a LIFETIME and help attain and maintain a healthy weight.

Please share!

**Update to Entry**
Someone asked about why I'm limiting grains and dairy. The reason is because I don't feel good when I eat them. And this includes the good grains (home-ground, homemade wheat bread, etc). The dairy that I really do well with is the homemade kefir and yogurt. So I do have a smoothie sometimes in the morning. I am going to see how I do with the brown rice, as well.