Hi Jules. My sympathy for your mother's illness; my mom has cancer, too. She starts radiation this month.

You said that you're expecting us to say, "you're not really committed to losing weight." I think it's a little different: I think you're not quite accepting the real concequences of "carbitude". (I like inventing words! ) You're seeing it as your "life preserver;" the thing that's getting you through your stressful times; it's calming to you. And heck, it's not like you're drinking or doing drugs, right? It's just food.

The key to me sticking to it is that I've truely accepted that if I want to be healthy and feel good, I can NOT eat the way other people do. Period. It makes me mad sometimes, and sometimes I say "to heck with it" and go off the wagon. But I know that I pay for it. I get very moody, my depression returns, PMS comes back with a vengance, my face breaks out like a 16-yr-old's, and I feel like crap. That's my reality now.

I think if you're willing, you can sit down and really isolate the specific problems you're having, and find a solution. My b/f can't eat meat, either, because of his IBS, but there's still no temptation food in the house. I've figured out what we can both have, or stuff that he can have that doesn't tempt me. He doesn't "suffer", if he wants junk food, he's an adult. He can go get it himself. It's a medical issue for me, and my health is more important to him than junk food.

With respect to the boring-ness, you need to be more creative! Don't feel you have to eat red meat: I hate steak. The only red meat I eat is ground beef, the occasional roast beef, or stew in winter. Don't forget fish, chicken, turkey, etc; and don't forget that you can mix them into dishes. You don't have to eat a big ol' slab of dry meat.

Okay, my "quick reply" has turned into a lecture. Best of luck to you! Even if you're not losing weight, be good to yourself and take care of yourself.