plus the truth about lactose intolerance. did you know that you could actually develop it in mid-life. >> oh. >> there you are. >> and jill martin is here. she's got her "steals & deals" with a mother's day theme. she's got everything from flowers and cookies, diamond and pearl necklaces. all at up to 80% off exclusively for our "today" show viewers. don't eat the cookies. >> they're a little cheaper if they've already been eaten. >> preeaten cookies. >> they're going to catch up with the latest "american idol" contestant who got the boot. we're going to talk to 18-year-old skylar. >> first let's say hello to gymnast shawn johnson. she's joining us now. she won four medals at the last olympics in beijing. a gold on the balance beam and three silvers. now she's hoping to make the u.s. olympic team from london. shawn, good morning to you. >> good morning. good to see you guys. >> you were just 16 years old in beijing. does that feel like a lifetime ago? or does that feel like yesterday? >> it feels like yesterday. to feel like or to think that it's already been four years. the next olympics are in a couple months. i can't believe it. i feel like i was just there on the beam and finishing and i don't know. people still think i'm 16, too. >> it's okay to be forever thought of as 16. >> you've had an exciting few years since beijing. you won your season of "dancing with the stars." i know you had a skiing accident. how hard has it been to get back into olympic fighting shape? >> it's been incredibly hard. overcoming the injuries was the hardest thing i think i've ever had to go through right now. but then i retour a second time. six months later, starting over, coming off of a two-year break, it was a very humbling experience. but nothing makes me feel better than knowing i've made it back. >> u.s. olympic trials, gymnastics trials coming up the end of june. san jose. how is the training going? >> training is going good. trying to take it one day at a time. there's a lot of hurdles that i have to overcome alone the way, but just taking it slow and trying to inch my way there. >> beam is still your event? >> beam is still my event. >> is gold within reach in london? >> i'm not trying to set any expectations or goals. but that's what we work for, of course. >> that's what we're cheering you for. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> good to see you. >> hope you don't strain your neck looking up at savannah. >> i'm probably too tall. >> no you're not. >> we want to go inside -- >> no, no, no. >> -- let's go inside to natalie morales. >> all right. thank you guys very much. in the news this morning the fbi is analyzing an upgraded underwear bomb seized as part of a foiled al qaeda plot to bring down a passenger jet bound for the u.s. officials say a cia operation in yemen uncovered the plan about a month ago and followed it closely before shutting it down. intelligence officials say the bomb had no metal parts to get past security screening. they say it was likely made by the same al qaeda expert who designed the failed 2009 underwear bomb along with devices hidden inside printer cartridges two years ago. author maurice sendak who wrote and illustrated the children's classic "where the wild things are" has died. sendak took generations of children on a wild ruckus along with max, a little boy sent to his room without supper. maurice sendak was 83 everys old. a new ally for gop presidential hopeful mitt romney in the race for the white house. one-time rival rick santorum is now giving his endorsement to romney. in an e-mail overnight santorum asked his supporters to join in the fight to keep president obama from winning a second term. former john edwards speech writer wendy button takes the stand today at edwards' corruption trial. he supportedly told button that he knew nearly $1 million from wealthy donors was used to hide his pregnant mistress during the 2008 presidential campaign. edwards now claims he did not know about the money. and legal proceedings are now under way in the deadly boating accident that killed two tourists on a sight seeing duck boat in philadelphia back in 2010. a 250 foot barge drove right over the small tourist boat, sinking it. the operators of both ships want a judge to rule that they're not responsible. the victims' families are arguing that they should be held accountable for the loss of their young loved ones. the producer of finely textured beef commonly known as pink slime is closing processing plants in three states this month, in the wake of the backlash against the ammonia treated product. beef products inc. says the criticism against the filler is unfounded as it meets federal food safety standards and has been in use for years. supermodel linda evangelista settled her child support case monday with french billionaire francois-henri pinault. the amount was not disclosed but evangelista had estimated the cost of caring for their 5-year-old son at $46,000 a month. pinault is currently married to actress salma hayek. and the event known as the oscars of the east coast lit up the metropolitan museum of art in new york city last night. fashion stars and a-list celebrities did their best to impress on the red carpet at the met's costume institute gala. beyonce was one of the evening's most stunning head turners in her givenchy couture gown which was oh, so revealing. let's go back outside to al for a check of your weather. >> i came upstairs. but that's okay, natalie. all right, let's see what we've got for you for today. we're talking about wet weather moving in to the northeast slowly but surely, step by step. we've got a risk of some showers and thunderstorms, generally talking from pennsylvania into new england anywhere from one to two inches of rain. then as we move down to the south, texas going to get a good soaking. they need it. it has been oh, so dry there. looking at rain fall amounts there anywhere from three to five inches of rain, especially >> good morni.del rio, texas. we're watching a system, the mountains that will increase the chance of rain for baltimore. a better chance for showers thi it's time now for "joy's diet s.o.s." answers to your diet dilemmas. "today" nutritionist and the author of "the joy fit club" joy bauer is here to discuss everything from how to keep the weight off once you've lost it to the truth about lactose intolerance. >> the truth! >> there's a lot of falsehoods out there about lactose intolerance. >> that's right. >> let's get started. our first question, carol in troy, michigan, joining us live via skype. good morning, joy. what's -- i mean, carol, and what's your question? >> hi, joy. my biggest problem, i've been trying to lose weight for 20 years. i can't seem to keep it off. i've got almost four grand kids now and i want to be healthier, and i don't have any health issues, but i don't want to wait until i have them to lose weight. i can't seem to keep it off, and the constant failures keep me from wanting to try again. what can i do to get motivated and serious again? >> a lot of people have this problem. >> it's great that you have your grandkids as the ultimate motivat motivator. there's a few things you could do. the first is probably going to sound crazy coming from a nutritionist. but i think that you should actually plan for one splurge food each week. so maybe it's a great, deck can't meal at a restaurant or dessert with your grandkids when you're baby-sitting. because i think looking forward to that it's probably very helpful to keep you on track the remainder of the week. another thing that you could do as you're losing weight is to pick out a few flattering, slimming, fabulous clothes that you love the way that you look in. try them on a few times each week right in front of the mirror. there is nothing more powerful than that visual reinforcement. and i also love the idea of constantly having some sort of fitness event upcoming on your calendar. so you can do a 5k every other month, or a 10k and just walk it and maybe look for each of them with one grandkid. it's a win-win. you have quality bonding time and you're keeping yourself on track. those three things together can really make the difference. >> okay. i'll give it a try. >> good luck, carol. >> way to go. >> thanks so much. let's now about to christine. she's coming in on the phonefrom columbus, ohio. good morning, christine. >> good morning. hi, joy. i travel a lot internationally for work and many of the hotels i stay in don't have access to a fitness center and due to an old injury i can't run or do power walking, so i need some tips to help me stay in shape when i'm traveling. >> al and i can both really relate to the traveling and the working out. i think the easiest thing you can do is pick up an exercise dvd that doesn't require a lot of heavy equipment or a lot of space. this way you're traveling with your laptop, you could pop it right into the laptop, position it on the desk in the hotel room and you could do it whenever you travel. another great thing to do is invest in one session with a personal trainer. and ask them to design for you on all-over body workout that gets your cardiovascular system going that doesn't require heavy weights or a lot of space, and the bands are very easy to travel with. >> those resistance bands. >> and they're great. and they go right in your suit case. you could do that when you travel, as well. and don't discount walking, even a casual walk if it's eight a great touristy spot or recreational place, it plays double duty. because you get to see the sights and you work out. >> all right, christine, thank you so much. last one, viewer e-mail, this from steve in seabrook, texas i'm a 41-year-old mail. i don't think i've ever had any digestion problems until lately. seem to have symptoms normally associated with lactose intolerance. >> it's interesting because a lot of people can develop a lactose intolerance as we age. because, as we age our body produces less of the enzyme lactaid. which helps to digest and break down lactose and milk products. so the easiest thing to do is personally, investigate. lay off of all things that have milk. milk, ice cream, yogurt, soft cheeses, the hard cheeses are generally okay, because very, very low in lactose like cheddar and swiss. and if his symptoms resolve, he does, indeed, now have a lactose intolerance. >> all right, joy, thanks so much. >> thank you. >> and still ahead, we've got "steals & deals," savings of up to 80% on some great items from jewelry to flowers. and later, we've got some easy fictions for your home that you can do yourself. [ yoshioka ] a quick fix isn't going to solve the problem... sensitivity is a chronic condition. if you have worn away that outer layer of the tooth it opens up small little channels, that's what transmits that pain signal... and it requires on-going protection. when it comes to sensitivity, dentists recommend sensodyne. the active ingredient in sensodyne travels to the inside of the tooth where it will block that pain signal. simply brushing with sensodyne twice a day every day is going to give you that long-lasting 24/7 protection against sensitivity. now you can eat and drink the things that you want to. 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[ female announcer ] with depression, simple pleasures can simply hurt. the sadness, anxiety, the loss of interest. the aches and pains and fatigue. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. simple pleasures shouldn't hurt. talk to your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. back now with another edition of "jill's steals & deals." this morning we have another group of great items at deeply discounted prices exclusively for you, our "today" viewers. and some may be perfect for mother's day. jill martin is here to walk us through the offers. jill, good morning. >> good morning. >> you poor thing, you lost your voice because you were at the met gala last night. >> right. i was covering the met gala. this isn't my sexy voice. >> it is kind of sexy. i'm not trying. this is my dorky, i lost my voice voice. >> it's working. >> maybe i'll get a date out of this segment. >> there you go. i'm sure you've got many takers. first is this tanning system. great option for that summer glow. you don't have to worry about being in a tanning bed or coming out looking like a new jersey tan mom. >> you don't want to look like the tan mom. this is actually natural and healthy. this is the lume iness spray tanning. you can go light, medium and dark tan. lasts up to 14 days and it takes less than 30 minutes. this is really easy to use. and great in the summer. because you don't want to go out on the beach looking light and pale. you want to go out fresh and glowy. so this retails $1993.95. the deal $68.50. that's 65% off. >> that's like an airbrush system. >> exactly. and really easy to use. >> okay. i believe you. next, the gorgeous organic cotton scarves from ya living and they're hand dyed. i guess they have five different color options. >> right. $89, as you said, hand dyed. soft organic scarf. this is great for the summer if you're a scarf person. carried at boutiques like planet blue. celeb fans include uma thurman. retail $89. the deal $25.99. >> always great to travel to have something to throw over your shoulders. >> and a great gift. >> speaking of gifts here's a great one for moms. this one will get to you in time for mother's day. three options from 1-800-flowers. all of them make for great last-minute gifts. you have a cookie option. your usual flower options, as well. >> so fast. this is fabulous. the retail $46.99 to $119.99. now there's three options. and the deals will range from $19.99 to $51.99. and that's up to 58% off. let's go through the first one which i have along. cheryl's mother's day cookies. this is $36 total and comes in this box. you see all the different cookies and those lady bugs and butterflies. these are beautiful and delicious. so this is $46.99. now it's $19.99. >> that's good. >> that's for those. then the red hot momma bouquet which i love that. the retail $61.99. these are $25.99. 24 red roses. and it comes with this beautiful red vase. so that's a great deal. and they're shipped overnight. one of their best-sellers. so 24 red roses. >> be sure to call in now. okay and over here. >> this is so beautiful. look at this box. this is the fashionista mom bouquet. and it comes with the votives and the chocolates. so look at this. comes in this box and then it comes with the chocolates. >> and the little slipper. >> $119.9. for $51.99. up to 58% off. make sure you click on the right one because there are three options. >> now over here, for jewelry lovers we have the black diamond and pearl necklaces from omerta. and they spell your zodiac in morse code if you could figure out morse code. >> you know it says it. the retail is $295. this is so pretty i've been wearing this and i think -- it's a combination of black diamonds and white pearls. spell different words or phrases in morals code. we're offering all 12 zodiac signs. one to two full carats of genuine diamonds and pearls. >> i'm trying to read yours. >> air res. all of them made in the usa. comes with a quick guide. retails $295. the deal $59. that's 80% off. >> that's great. >> this is really a beautiful gift. you just have to find out the sign and then they'll figure out the code for you. >> that's really delicate. you can layer that up and you always do that so well. very nice. last but not least this semiprecious home collection. comes with hand soaps, kansasals, a room diffuser. >> how beautiful is this? this is good to stock up if you're constantly going to people's homes, a housewarming gift, so pretty. the retail, $118.04. the set includes hand soaps, soy wrapped candles, 50 hours of burn time, and then the diffuser bottle. all made in the u.s., the retail $118. the deal, $35.40. that's 70% off. this is a beautiful set comes in this beautiful box. and i made it the whole way. >> you did. your voice held out. good for you, girl. you get some rest. jill martin thanks as always again. to review, the tanning system, the scarfing, the three options from 1-800-flowers to necklaces from omerta and the semiprecious home collection set. remember to head to our website today.com to get the exclusive coupon codes for all of these products and to submit any questions you have about "steals & deals." and coming up, two of the hottest chefs around curtis stone and cat cora will give us a sneak peek at their newest cooking competition around the world in 80 plates. ♪ [thor] who dare cross the avengers? 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