I love oatmeal... the quick oats (not instant, but not steel-cut).

I always add the oats to the pot at the same time as the water so that it ends up thicker. I don't add milk or anything. If you prefer a creamier texture, you can also add some cream of wheat cereal to it, but personally I don't care for it that way.

Here's a list of the different things I add to oatmeal:

- Frozen berries (added while it's cooking so they thaw)
- A spoonful of peanut butter and a sliced up banana
- Maple syrup and raisins
- Jam (if I don't have anything else in the house)
- Diced apples and cinnamon

Well, I can tell you that your living situation will be better than mine was! I shared an 8x8 room with another girl. We were total strangers when we moved in together. We had filled out information sheets so that we could be paired by habits (tidy, messy, night owl, early bird, etc.)

I found that by the end of the week we were really good friends. The university will run a ton of group activities for both your faculty and your dorm building, so there's no problem getting to know people. Even if you're not great friends with your roomies, there's still a whole building of people who you'll be close to within a few months.

I'm about the same age and weight, aiming for the same weight range. I've lost about 20 lbs in the last few months and kept it off up to this point.

You don't need a 'diet' to lose weight. In fact, the most effective way to lose weight is to NOT diet. Watching how many calories you take in is important. I use a site called My Fitness Pal that's free, and has nutrition trackers to help you meet your goals as well as a supportive online community. You punch in your information and they tell you how much you need to eat in order to lose at the rate you want to (up to 2 lbs per week, any more is unhealthy).

As for exercise, find something you enjoy. As of this spring, I'm restarting the Couch to 5K program, which is a program to get you running 5 kilometers from not being able to run at all. I just happened to enjoy it. When I did have a gym membership, there were some fantastic free weights classes that I went to. Most gyms also offer free trial sessions with personal trainers, who can teach you a few moves to get you going. Treadmills and exercise bikes are overrated, and don't offer a whole lot of burn for the time spent. Ellipticals are preferable. If you can't do a lot at first, start with a few minutes and build from there. At home, I use exercise videos or the Wii Fit. Just a little something to get me moving. Whatever you do will help. You don't need to run 5 miles to see a difference.

Good luck! I do seriously suggest that website. It's made a huge difference in how I look at the weight loss journey. I'm a reformed crash dieter :)

Unfortunately, we can't really give you advice on illicit drug use other than "don't do it". Anything else can have negative legal consequences for this site.

Marijuana use is illegal. You can get in serious trouble with the law if you're caught with it in your possession, or if you're caught buying it, especially in the United States. Not only that, but dealers can be really sketchy people, and you can get in even worse trouble if you somehow cross one of them.

The mature way to do it is to come out and tell him the truth.

"I need to end things between us because I just don't feel the same way about you that I used to."

Give him the benefit of a direct admission instead of making him guess what you want.

I do the same thing, only just the hair on my head. Turns out it's a fairly common symptom of OCD. I don't get medicated for it, so really it is a self control thing. The problem is that it's a constant battle because it's an impulse that doesn't really go away.

The best way to help her is to help her notice when she's doing it. I tend to start plucking when I'm bored, stressed out or distracted. If you notice her doing it, just tell her. Try giving her an incentive like a lunch out if she can go for a month, or something of the sort.

If she can replace the habit with something else that also helps. I've taken up knitting, because otherwise I pull out a ton of hair while I'm watching TV. Anything that keeps her hands busy will help. I also found that instead of pulling out hairs, I will stroke a piece of hair instead. Consciously acknowledging the impulse and redirecting it is effective.

Not at all. I moved in with my fiance when I was 19, and we're still together almost 5 years later.

It will be difficult. You're both going to have to get used to each others' bad habits which may be concealed when you're living separately. Maybe he refuses to do the dishes until they need a haircut, or you clip your toenails in front of the TV. It's harder than you might think to get past those little differences.

Separating out chores and financial responsibilities, as well as following a budget, is very difficult. Sometimes 50/50 isn't the fair way to do things, as you will learn. Before moving in together, you should ask a few questions.

- How will rent/utilities be split up? (should whoever earns more pay more?)
- How will you handle shared expenses like furniture or groceries?
- What sort of budget will you guys follow?
- How will you maintain your own separate lives even though you're spending most of your time together?
- Who will do what chores, will they rotate and are there any chores that anyone won't do?

And any others you can think of. If you can get this stuff out of the way before moving in together, it should be smoothish sailing.

Your doctor will want you to do a few things first, because putting you on a sleep medication is a huge deal. Sleep medications are habit forming, meaning that if you start them you likely won't be able to sleep without them ever again.

They'll want you to keep a sleep diary to keep note of when you slept and for how long. They will also want you to cut out all caffeine, and to develop a bedtime routine (turn off the TV, no homework, just quiet activities, warm milk or bedtime tea) to see if that helps. They will also be checking to see if there are other underlying medical conditions that could be causing your insomnia.

So yes, you absolutely should talk to your doctor.

Okay, I'm going to be a little less "doom and gloom" than Peeps. You can't take tampon advice from someone who is on a campaign against them. Now, I personally don't use them any more because I switched to the reusable cups (check out Divacup.com) but I used to.

It hurt because you chose a tampon that was far too high-absorbency for your flow. If it's not saturated enough, it's going to leach all the moisture from your vagina and end up sticking to the walls, which hurts like all get out when you take it out. If you switch to a lower absorbency when you're lighter (like a super light or light flow one) that problem should stop.

As Peeps mentioned, reusable menstrual cups are awesome once you get past the initial ick factor. You can pop it in twice a day (every 12 hours) and rinse in between. It lasts for a year. I found that they're much more comfortable and lower hassle.

If you have anxiety issues with exams, you may be able to get special accommodations through your student disability services department.

I was able to get a doctor's note saying that I have anxiety, and then use that to get a designation as a student with a disability. The disabilities department was able to set it up so that I write exams in a separate room, as well as some other accommodations that are related to other mental health diagnoses.

Most schools should have some sort of system like this in place.

I know it'll kill the romance, but always pee as soon as you can after any contact down below. Trust me, it fixes the problem.

Easy fix.

Despite what the media might have to say about it, a full Brazilian wax is NOT necessary! In fact, a lot of guys I know think it's a little creepy when a girl is totally hairless.

Grab a clean pair of scissors and trim, and if you feel like it give the sides (what would show if you were wearing a bikini) a shave with a new razor. Make sure you do any shaving as close to when you're going to see him as possible... razor burn tends to set in after a day or two, and you don't want to be itchy and bumpy.

As for telling your parents: It's very possible that they already know. No parent really wants to picture their kid having sex, but no parent would give their kid permission to go spend a night unsupervised at their boyfriend's house without assuming there's going to be some hanky-panky.

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I didn't tell my parents. I was on birth control anyhow, so I just didn't see a reason.

If you do want to tell your parents, maybe something along the lines of "Boyfriend and I are thinking of having sex. I really want to be safe, and I want to know what you think" would do nicely. That way they can help you to get on birth control (condoms are effective, but not 100%) and help you deal with the emotional consequences.

Not at all.

In fact, masturbation is a great way to relieve tension without having to worry about STIs or pregnancy.

In order for you to get pregnant, a penis has to be involved.

Look... you're just going to have to get over it.

You have your period, you don't use tampons. Perfectly good excuse. There isn't one otherwise. Any other excuse would require fooling your parents into thinking you have a medical condition, which they would take you to a doctor to confirm.

Your parents probably already know (it's not like pads are the most subtle thing) so just talk to your mom about it. I don't see a reason why you can't talk to her... she does it too, and she'll understand.

You really are going to have to get over your embarrassment sooner or later. What happens when you have a boyfriend/husband? You can't hide it from them. You can't hide it from your gynecologist.

If you really, really don't want to tell anyone, your best bet is to switch from pads to tampons (a light one would do for the hour or so you need to swim) or reusable menstrual cups.

That's just how it is.

You've asked this question 3 times now... I don't think you're going to get the answer you want. That's not how advice works. You get what you get :)

In a month? Sure! But you need a hacksaw and a bottle of whiskey. Drink whiskey, cut off a leg, and you're down 25 lbs in no time at all.

To lose weight at a healthy rate, you're supposed to eat no less than 1200 calories and exercise.

Now, if you're aiming for looking better rather than a specific goal number, why not give a home exercise video a try? I'm working on Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and it's pretty killer. It's supposed to give you a certain degree of results in a month.

It's possible. You have to have been earning wages in an insured job, which you likely were. You also have to have been let go through no fault of your own, and actively seeking work.

If you quit, were discharged for misconduct or refused reasonable work, you will be denied.

http://www.ides.state.il.us/individual/faq2.asp

Looks like you can apply online, too :)

I'm not too sure about that. Birth controls do mess with your hormones, so they may heighten your sensitivity. Worst case scenario, you don't have a change in sensation, but you have the added bonus of extra protection.

If you're having trouble, you may want to consider going to a gynecologist (if you can afford it). You may have an easily corrected issue.

It could technically be either man.

However, December 25th falls on day 5 of your cycle. January 1st falls on day 12. The general assumption is that ovulation (the time when you are most likely to get pregnant) occurs somewhere near day 14. It may happen at any time, or even multiple times during your cycle, so it's not entirely reliable.

So it's more statistically probable that it's Mr. Jan 1, but you can't know until your baby comes and you can do a DNA test to find out for sure.

That's a fantastic way to make yourself ill.

Even while losing weight... scratch that, ESPECIALLY while losing weight, a balanced diet is extremely important.

If you take in nothing but fruits and vegetables, you're eating nothing but fiber and sugar. You're missing out on tons of essential nutrients.

For instance, a certain amount of fat is necessary in your diet. Fats help to keep your hormone production and cellular structures in line.

Protein would also be lacking. If you aren't eating protein, your body will end up processing your tissues to help maintain itself. You can cause serious harm to your organs that way.

The best way to lose weight is to eat less (but no less than 1200 calories a day) and exercise. If you eat too little, your body will be shocked into starvation mode, which means it'll hold on to each and every calorie you take in. You'll end up gaining weight in the end that way. You didn't gain the weight overnight, and you won't lose it overnight.

Unfortunately, we don't know where you live or how many hours you've worked. More information is needed before you can get an answer.

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

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