Thanks! (And a Little Update)

First of all, thanks to all of you for your support and advice. I needed it this week. I can say that things have definitely been better, and the cravings are not so bad anymore. I did have sugar during the week - just in moderation. Mostly in the form of hot chocolate, something I crave in the fall. I also found this tasty treat - chocolate granola. I love bear naked granola because it is low in sugar, is all natural, and it tastes yummy. I think this is a great way to curb/satisfy my need for chocolate without going over board. I bought some dark chocolate squares to help ward off the cravings as well.

Now for the real splurge. I bought an incline trainer/treadmill. I've been looking at these for the last few months. NordicTrack makes them, and I kept going to their website hoping for a sale. No such luck. So I checked Craig's List several times. Still no luck. Then, on a whim, I decided I'd look on ebay. I found one for about 700-800 dollars less than the retail price! And it was new...I think it might have been a floor model. But what really makes me proud? I put it together all by myself - no easy feat - I can tell you!!! This thing is HEAVY!!! The day it arrived, it took me over an hour just to get it out of the box. Then I had to go to class. I just figured I'd have to call a friend to come over to help. And then I realized that I didn't want to wait, that I wanted to get to using it. And so I put it together.
And of course I've been using it ever since. I ran three and a half miles today. I was shocked at both the length of the speed of my run. I chalk that up to doing stairs. So before this came, my workouts were in the stairwell of my building. I honestly believe that if you want to build up some stamina, start doing stairs!

I'm still looking for advice and support...any ideas you throw my way will be much appreciated!