I can relate to this. I have been having serious dental work and it seems the perfect time to start my own diet. I won't confess to how bad my teeth are or how much weight I want to lose, but I will admit after changing my eating habits to mostly liquid because of all my dental surgery and gum treatments I find that my jaw makes funny noises when I use it. I also have arthritis and joint problems so at first I thought this was another symptom; I also have oestoperosis. My doctors,dentist and oral surgeon did not suggest the obvious. I am not using my jaw. It is cramping up from not being used. Just recently I have been making faces at my children (they are full grown two college students and two college graduates; they are puzzled by my strange behavior but not shocked) I love making faces at my husband who has not been sympathetic to what I am going through with all these dental surgeries but instead seems only upset with the expense of it all(we have no dental insurance).

It has been very comforting for me to release my emotions and at the same time to be exercising my jaw; it has also come in handy to make these faces while I am driving stuck in traffic in New York. No one is cutting me off now and drivers are staying out of my way.

I admire your strength to prepare lovely meals and then not eat them. My family only find fresh fruit and vegetables and yogurt in the fridge. I have been living mostly on Japanese vegetable tofu soups. (a wonderful new discovery for me a person who usually hates tofu and vegetables) It is delicious, filling, inexpensive and very comforting.

Recently my husband a real meat eater has joined me. He rarely eats vegetables; it is a nice change for him. The rest of my family for the most part is vegetarian and manage to prepare their own foods. Now if I could get them to do their own laundry and pay their own bills I would be set free. They need to be launched and the umbilical cord nees to be cut.