When I lose a lot of weight quickly, for me, its generally water weight, OR I’ve been very ill. I don’t recommend either of those methods personally. 
I’m sure JYM used a better method.
A friend lost a lot of weight very gradually by cutting all sugar-sweetened beverages from his diet. He used to drink a 12 ounce sweetened iced tea every day with lunch. He lost quite a few pounds over the months by eliminating it and making NO OTHER changes to lifestyle or diet.
My dog saw another dog today and didn’t bark
I’ve only eaten two pieces of Christmas candy so far today–don’t even ask my how many sweets I indulged in yesterday.
Needed a jump start so tried a modified paleo thing. Ate mostly (not entirely) fruits, vegetables, meat, fish. NO WAY am I giving up artificial sweetener in my coffee or eating some weird clarified butter stuff. I am also exercising, but I had to do something to get my head in the game.
Baby kiddo submitted her paper for graduation, got approval from the advisors! The only thing standing between her and her Masters now is “one more paper that’s due tomorrow”!!
No more “ransom notes” from ISIS (Tuition bills)!!!
DD just graduated a semester early with a 3.99/4.0 (she blew the 4.0 with a B+ in a one credit boating class 8-} ), packed herself up and drove over 500 miles home, and will be going to Central America for 8 months to work on a research project.
And we are DONE with tuition payments! 
DS got an internship offer for this summer. It’s an extremely selective internship, and he’s only a sophomore. Proud beyond words.
He will be living large next year on what he saves up.
Got into Duke, didn’t spill the jelly when I made my celebratory sandwich.
Wrote 2 letters to United Customer Service about significant issues on the different flights H and I took with them recently.
For the first letter, got an apology and two $100 certificates. For the second, got an apology and two $150 certificates! Woot! I was pleasantly surprised by their responsiveness! We have a lot of travel for 2016, so will likely stick with United.
My manager came by to tell me today:
It’s confirmed. We’re staying overseas another year.
So proud of D2 finishing her first quarter with all A’s and an A+ after transferring to a top public university this fall.
The road was a little winding to get here, but she is loving everything about her school and major now!
I survived my first semester of my PhD program.
I have been pretty sick, in and out of doctors since before Thanksgiving, but I finished. It was not a good start to my PhD career here, but I am fortunate to have an incredibly understanding advisor who understands how crippling autoimmune diseases can be. I am also fortunate to be, for once, in a financial place in my life when I can handle this.
I haven’t slept in 27 hours and I’m very loopy but I still have some things to do before I sleep.
But I did it 
Please get some sleep, romani! Grad school will get easier, especially when you get done with your mandatory courses.
I will, BB. Have to finish up some mindless course stuff so that a site can go live and then I get to drift off to sleepville!
I am done Christmas shopping and it’s all wrapped except for something arriving in the mail tomorrow.
Also ordered presents for my family in Germany which should get there tomorrow as well.
D1 is taking S and D2 shopping tomorrow and then we are decorating the tree.
I got all As my first semester of college as an engineering major.
On the same day that I mailed out the last tuition payment for undergrad, DS found out that he had been accepted to one of his top choices for grad school.
All I can say is that, in the past, I’d be mailing out the last minute gifts yesterday or today, via overnight. Instead, relatives received them yesterday.
ChoatieCadet validated out of all of the Plebe-killer classes at West Point and was placed into “Jedi” math. He just found out he earned an A+ in the class and got a note from his teacher that it was one of the first given out in years. He’s smiling ear-to-ear.
Surviving calmly w/o triple double drinks every night (but one!) with MIL/FIL’s home and mind numbing stir over nothing…compartmentalizing all of that to enjoy seeing everyone and enjoying Christmas.