BW, I'm not sure if it's just because I'm a mod, but I can see join dates in everyone's profile. Yours is Oct 29 2003.

I don't like my 20-lb weight gain, either, but... I dunno about your relatives but I consider the alternative. They're fatter and sicker. I'm in really good health for being 45. I take no joy in that and I'm certainly not bragging; I'm just grateful that at least I found the 'aha' factor, here's why I couldn't just starve myself on a HC/LF diet and be happy and healthy like the mainstream said. I made relative peace with food, learned to cook, and I found the causes behind the non-weight health problems related to the garbage SAD upon which I was raised. If I hadn't adopted this lifestyle and hung around this forum, I'd probably be obese, and on meds for diabetes, arthritis, depression/anxiety, and gawd knows what else.

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Sheryl, I lived in St Catharines for about a decade! Really liked the city, especially the climate. Nice mild winters, "wine country" summers.