I started on the program only 3 days before Thanksgiving last year.  I was really ready to make this work and so I determined that I would bring the turkey and salad and whatever anyone else brought they could have. So that is what I contributed. I ate a lot of turkey and salad and I took a shake and bar and ate those. More than anything I loved enjoying everyone! I got to talk a lot more. I got to look in their eyes. Now many would say, "how did you do that?" For me: I was committed. I told myself...."You have had those foods for 38 years. You know what they taste like and you don't need them this year." I was right. Instead of putting the thoughts "Poor me, I don't get to have,_________and _________," I told myself I am going to lose weight this Thanksgiving. I knew it would work and I was not going to mess up that week by going off and needing to restart. I had invested too much to do that. I knew if I did that I was only extending the time I would be doing this and spending more of my family's money- and we were very poor!