Betsy's Blah Blah Blog

Day 31 - Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

This is the last day of the month, and my last example of how I personally work with the Four Be's To Abundance. I hope it inspires you to give it a try. I've been working this particular program for 2 years now. I've been through hills and valleys. Last year, we were barely making ends meet. Yesterday, we paid off our mortgage. I truly believe this happened due to a change in my thinking. By next year at this time, even more wonders will have occurred.

Vibrationally, this month, I did the following:

1. Tithed $49,600
2. Saved $49,600
3. Paid off the mortgage (and we did IRL too!)
4. Paid off the equity loan.
5. Upgraded the electrical panel in our home.
6. Remodeled the kitchen
7. Got new appliances.
8. Fixed our porch/entryway
9. Fixed the bulkhead on our side yard.
10. Got new windows.
11. Got new window shades.
12. Replaced a cracked windshield.
13. Painted the exterior of the house.
14. Got a soaking tub, and bathroom remodel to accomodate the tub.
15. I gifted each of our 3 kids $52,000+ to take a year off work and follow their dreams.

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. ~~The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.~~ My continued body transformation to a more slender and healthier me.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay) (another $30 ticket too) (an a $50 one).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)
24. That Kim cleaned out a space for me to set up my Gazelle so I can exercise in the morning.
25. All the travel I got to do in a previous job role.
26. My spiritual teachers, past, present and future.
27. Living in and being a citizen of the USA.
28. Wifi.
29. The confidence and inner security that comes with age.
30. My quiet time each morning (thank you Kim!)
31. Paying off the mortgage!

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.
24. I am growing more spiritually aware each and every day.
25. All my needs and desires are divinely met.
26. I am moving step by step toward a healthier happier me.
27. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
28. I am ~~slender and~~ physically fit.
29. I am open and receptive to divine messages from Spirit.
30. I am relaxed and centered and I have plenty of time for everything.
31. I am ready to accept all the joy and prosperity that life has to offer.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. ~~to pay off our mortgage~~. to develop a writing schedule and stick to it.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.
24. to exercise every day (I'm hoping this will motivate me!) (7 days in a row!)
25. to gift my kids enough money so they can pursue their dreams.
26. a 10-20 acre compound where we (Kim and I, and each of our kids and their families) have separate homes - close but not too close.
27. a new Subaru wagon/SUV
28. a Bose Sound System
29. to win big in Las Vegas next month so I can treat some relatives who are going to LV in April to a suite at the Bellagio.
30. a fun and easy day with Odin.
31. a trip to Palm Springs next winter

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $31,000. $3100 tithe. $3100 savings. $24,800 toward goal/desire # 25.

Today's affirmation: " I am ready to accept all the joy and prosperity life has to offer." Enough said.

Day 30 - Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. ~~The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.~~ My continued body transformation to a more slender and healthier me.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay) (another $30 ticket too) (an a $50 one).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)
24. That Kim cleaned out a space for me to set up my Gazelle so I can exercise in the morning.
25. All the travel I got to do in a previous job role.
26. My spiritual teachers, past, present and future.
27. Living in and being a citizen of the USA.
28. Wifi.
29. The confidence and inner security that comes with age.
30. My quiet time each morning (thank you Kim!)

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.
24. I am growing more spiritually aware each and every day.
25. All my needs and desires are divinely met.
26. I am moving step by step toward a healthier happier me.
27. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
28. I am ~~slender and~~ physically fit.
29. I am open and receptive to divine messages from Spirit.
30. I am relaxed and centered and I have plenty of time for everything.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.
24. to exercise every day (I'm hoping this will motivate me!) (7 days in a row!)
25. to gift my kids enough money so they can pursue their dreams.
26. a 10-20 acre compound where we (Kim and I, and each of our kids and their families) have separate homes - close but not too close.
27. a new Subaru wagon/SUV
28. a Bose Sound System
29. to win big in Las Vegas next month so I can treat some relatives who are going to LV in April to a suite at the Bellagio.
30. a fun and easy day with Odin.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $30,000. $3000 tithe. $3000 savings. The $24,000 remaining toward goal # 25.

Today's affirmation: "I am relaxed and centered and I have plenty of time for everything" is one I use when I get myself all worked up about what I need to do or where I need to be and when.

Have you ever time warped? I was leaving the house for a business trip. The airport car/shuttle was late picking me up. Then we got stuck in traffic. It was a Monday and I just knew the security lines were going to be long, and I had luggage to check in. I had arrangements made for friends to meet me at the destination and they were flying in from a different city, and I just did not want to miss my flight. I found myself in just a panic and knew I had to settle myself down. I closed my eyes so I wasn't watching the traffic, and I just started thinking to myself "I am relaxed and centered and I have plenty of time for everything." The next thing I knew, we were at the airport. The drive took 50 minutes. I kept checking my watch. Even in light traffic, the drive is 60 minutes. I could hardly believe it, but here I was, checking in with plenty of time to spare. I have no explanation for how it happened, but it did. The power of positive thinking and co-creating at work.

I am relaxed and centered and I have plenty of time for everything.

Day 29 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. ~~The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.~~ My continued body transformation to a more slender and healthier me.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay) (another $30 ticket too) (an a $50 one).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)
24. That Kim cleaned out a space for me to set up my Gazelle so I can exercise in the morning.
25. All the travel I got to do in a previous job role.
26. My spiritual teachers, past, present and future.
27. Living in and being a citizen of the USA.
28. Wifi.
29. The confidence and inner security that comes with age.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.
24. I am growing more spiritually aware each and every day.
25. All my needs and desires are divinely met.
26. I am moving step by step toward a healthier happier me.
27. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
28. I am ~~slender and~~ physically fit.
29. I am open and receptive to divine messages from Spirit.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.
24. to exercise every day (I'm hoping this will motivate me!) (7 days in a row!)
25. to gift my kids enough money so they can pursue their dreams.
26. a 10-20 acre compound where we (Kim and I, and each of our kids and their families) have separate homes - close but not too close.
27. a new Subaru wagon/SUV
28. a Bose Sound System
29. to win big in Las Vegas next month so I can treat some relatives who are going to LV in April to a suite at the Bellagio.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today, I have $29,000. $2900 tithe. $2900 savings. The remaining $23,200 toward goal #25.

One of the things about committing to the Four Be's To Abundance is knowing that toward the end of the month, you need about an hour each morning to write out all your goals, affirmations, and desires, plus the contemplative time that goes into thinking about what you are co-creating.

Today's affirmation "I am open and receptive to divine messages from Spirit" is one I use when I'm tired of making decisions. Sometimes I just want someone to tell me what to do - well, not tell me, tell me - but guide me, make suggestions, nudge me in the right direction. Today I was having trouble trying to decide what to add to the "I desire" list. I looked over my list, and there is a balance of material and non-material things. If I had these material things, I would enjoy them, but.....What really makes me happy is giving. I've been lucky enough to give large gifts to family, friends, and charitable causes. There is such a joy in that. I was thinking about our upcoming trip to Las Vegas next month. Our niece and niece-in-law are planning a trip in April. We recently suffered the loss of our nephew (brother and husband of these two girls) and I'm sure their planned trip to Las Vegas is going to be a welcome vacation and hopefully a lot of fun for them. We've been sharing plans about what to do, and where to stay, etc. For my husband and me, this is a bit of a splurge trip. I've always wanted to stay at the Bellagio and to be able to watch the fountains from our room, so this is what we are doing. I asked the girls where they were going to stay and they hadn't made plans yet, but suggested that I should get them a room at the Bellagio too. I told them if I won big, I would. Wouldn't it be fun if I could do that for them? Therefore, that is my desire for today. And I am open and receptive to divine messages from Spirit - especially in regards to what games to play to win big - not only for me, but for them as well!

Day 28 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. ~~The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.~~ My continued body transformation to a more slender and healthier me.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay) (another $30 ticket too).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)
24. That Kim cleaned out a space for me to set up my Gazelle so I can exercise in the morning.
25. All the travel I got to do in a previous job role.
26. My spiritual teachers, past, present and future.
27. Living in and being a citizen of the USA.
28. Wifi.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.
24. I am growing more spiritually aware each and every day.
25. All my needs and desires are divinely met.
26. I am moving step by step toward a healthier happier me.
27. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
28. I am slender and fit.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.
24. to exercise every day (I'm hoping this will motivate me!) (3 days in a row!)
25. to gift my kids enough money so they can pursue their dreams.
26. a 10-20 acre compound where we (Kim and I, and each of our kids and their families) have separate homes - close but not too close.
27. a new Subaru wagon/SUV
28. a Bose Sound System

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $28,000. $2800 tithe. $2800 savings. $22,400 toward goal #25.

Today's affirmation: "I am slender and physically fit."

To be honest, I'm not sure what my motivation is here in regards to this affirmation. I want to look good, but why? Is it vanity? Or is it some deeply imbedded human desire just to look pleasing to others? I am struggling with this because I know just reaching a goal weight will not make me happy, other than for the few moments following the time I get off the scale. What is it about us that wants to look good. And is it looking good to ourselves, to our partners, to others? I'm in my mid-50s. I've been married for greater than 30 years. It's not like I'm out there, hoping somebody will be checking me out. Most of the time I would prefer to be invisible.

I have friends and loved ones of all shapes and sizes. I'm not attracted to them because of how they look. I am attracted to them because of who they are, because we get along, maybe we share the same interests, and most definitely because they make me laugh. I am pretty certain they feel the same way about me.

So back to why do I want to be slender and fit. Well, from a health perspective, it is better for your body to be fit, that's a no-brainer. Skinny and obese are two opposite ends of the spectrum, both of which are unhealthy in the long run. Maybe it is the term 'slender' that is getting to me. Is slender just this side of skinny? Is obsessing on the physical appearance just as unhealthy as being skinny or obese?

Maybe if I focus on just being physically fit, the rest will follow just as it should.

I am ~~slender and~~ physically fit.

Day 27 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay) (another $30 ticket too).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)
24. That Kim cleaned out a space for me to set up my Gazelle so I can exercise in the morning.
25. All the travel I got to do in a previous job role.
26. My spiritual teachers, past, present and future.
27. Living in and being a citizen of the USA.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.
24. I am growing more spiritually aware each and every day.
25. All my needs and desires are divinely met.
26. I am moving step by step toward a healthier happier me.
27. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.
24. to exercise every day (I'm hoping this will motivate me!) (3 days in a row!)
25. to gift my kids enough money so they can pursue their dreams.
26. a 10-20 acre compound where we (Kim and I, and each of our kids and their families) have separate homes - close but not too close.
27. a new Subaru wagon/SUV

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $27,000. $2700 tithe. $2700 savings. $21,600 toward goal #25.

Today's affirmation: "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."

This affirmation comes from the following song - music and lyrics by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller.

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
United all are we.
Let us walk with each other
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

I have often struggled with the fact that I know very little about any war or unrest around the world. I don't read that part of the paper or listen to the world news. There is a large part of me that feels it just doesn't effect me. If it is not in my field of awareness, I will not attract that experience. I am very grateful to live in the USA, to have the protection and security our military personnel provide, to live in a country where my opinion counts - even if that opinion is one laissez faire.

Who wouldn't want peace on earth? It seems so obvious to me that everyone would, but then you have to ask yourself what is the definition of peace. Personal peace can be described as happiness - knowing that all is right in "my" world, and that often happens when things are going "my" way. What makes me happy, may not make you or a political/religious extremist happy.

Oh, what to do, what to do, what to think, what to think? Well, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with ME. I can seek personal peace, and you can seek personal peace, and we all can seek personal peace. We are talking about entrainment here.

Below are parts of an article I found on www.energy-healing-info.com.

" A new physics principle called entrainment was discovered in 1665 by a Dutch Physicist and Scientist named Christian Huygens. He made many well known breakthroughs in the field of physics and astronomy....

It was during his research with pendulum clocks that Huygens noted the new physics concept. Huygens found that when he placed two of them on a wall near each other and swung the pendulums at different rates, they would eventually end up swinging at the exact same rate. They fell into rhythm with one another. He realized that this concept applied to not just pendulum clocks, but as a basic law of physics.

Since that time in 1665, the concept has become a well-accepted principal of physics. The principle is universal and appears not just in nature or mechanical pendulum clocks, but also in principles of chemistry, pharmacology, biology, medicine, psychology, sociology and more. The concept is firmly established, researched, and accepted by the scientific community.

A basic definition of entrainment is the tendency for two oscillating bodies to lock into phase so that they vibrate in harmony......

An even simpler definition is that it's a synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. The theory behind entrainment is that the less diversity there is in a system the more energy it will conduct. In plain English it's easier and takes less energy for systems to work in cooperation than in opposition."

So let's cooperate! Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us!

Day 26 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

Day 25 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

Day 24 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Day 23 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay).
19. The safety of my family and friends who have had to be out on the road during this winter storm.
20 The warmer weather.
21. The utility service workers (and all service workers - police, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc) that worked so hard during this winter blast.
22. Our Tempurpedic mattress and a good night's sleep.
23. Hanging on to the book, My Life With The Saints, by James Martin, because I am really enjoying it now. (At one point, it was in the to-donate pile)

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.
19. I collaborate with God to bring peace, joy and laughter into all of my experiences.
20. I am divinely inspired in all that I do.
21. I trust in my divine guidance.
22. I am open and receptive to new ideas and new opportunities for growth.
23. I am a positive role model for those around me.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up. 60 degrees would be nice for January :)
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concrete is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow or ice here in Snohomish for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.
19. new windows
20. new shades for the windows
21. new windshield for my car.
22. a bookcase for my office.
23. to write a novel that people will enjoy reading.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $23,000. $2300 tithe. $2300 savings. $2800 to finish painting the exterior of the house. $15,600 toward new windows.

The Four Be's To Abundance plan was divinely given to me as a 22 day plan. I have been doing this program for about 2 years now. Recently, I began to notice that on day 23 until the end of the month, I felt like something was missing in my day to day life. I still got up and journalled, but my attitude throughout the day was different. I was missing my time with affirmations, and the attitude of gratitude. Therefore, I have extended the program to include all the days in the month. The Four Be's were becoming my role model.

Today's affirmation is "I am a positive role model for those around me." We generally learn in two ways as my grandsons have reminded me. One by experience - if you touch a hot stove, your fingers get burned. The other by observing - if you turn that door knob, the door opens. How many times have adults told young children, "Don't touch the stove" but the kids do it anyway. They learn. Have you ever explained to a child that when you turn the door knob in the right direction, the door will open. I know I never did, and my kids all learned to open doors on their own. My grandsons are learning this behavior now, but still I will not verbally explain to them how to do it. Generally, if the door is closed, it is because I don't want them in that room, or out that door. Their next learning experience may well be when Grandma says do not open the door, and you do it anyway, there are consequences.

I was very blessed to have parents that were both positive role models for me for a number of reasons. I want to be a positive role model for my kids and grandkids. There comes a time when telling/nagging/preaching to your kids does no good. They will learn more by observing you - both what works and unfortunately what doesn't work. They observe things like random acts of kindness, budgeting your finances, making responsible decisions. They also observe the stuff you don't want them to as well, such as cussing out some of the idiot drivers on the road or driving over the speed limit. And LOL - that's when the phrase "Do what I say, not what I do" comes in handy - not that it works, but we say it anyway.

My husband has a phrase he likes to quote "No one is totally useless. They can always serve as the bad example." I've been the bad example before and I didn't like it much. Now I aspire and affirm to be something better.

I am a positive role model for those around me.

Day 22 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Day 21 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

Day 20 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Day 19 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

Day 18 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning
18. A winning lottery scratch ticket ($20 - yay).

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.
18. I am perfect just the way I am.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concert is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow here for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.
18. a soaking tub.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $17,000. $1700 tithe. $1700 savings. $14,400 toward paying off our equity loan.

Today's affirmation: I am perfect just the way I am.

A spiritual teacher, upon greeting me one day, asked how I was. I replied, "Perfect!" Her reply just shocked me. She responded "Well, that is pretty arrogant of you, isn't it?" I really was speechless for a few moments. Here was a person who taught about affirming the best, recognizing your connection with God and the angels, and yet when I responded in a way that was right in-line with her teachings, she called me arrogant.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.

My interpretation of this is that the creation of man included the divine perfect aspects of God. This includes a connection to the divinity and perfection of God. Therefore, when God looks at me, God sees his own perfection. I look at me, with my human eyes, and see an overweight female in her late 50s, but that is not what God sees. God sees perfection, just the way I am. The more I tune in to that perfection, the more my behavior and thoughts become the way my personal spiritual teacher, Jesus, instructed.

Matthew 22:37-38: And Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

When you see only Love, you see only perfection.

I am perfect just the way I am.

Day 17 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house
17. That first cup of coffee each morning.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
17. Out of this situation, only good can come.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concert is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow here for the rest of the winter.
17. to have 20/20 vision without the use of contacts or glasses.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $17,000. $1700 tithe. $1700 savings. $13,600 toward payoff of our home equity lan.

Today's affirmation is "Out of this situation, only good can come." This is another one of my go-to emergency affirmations that I learned from Louise Hay of Hay House Publishing and the Hay Foundation. Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I have used this affirmation. Probably my favorite story is when I lost a job unexpectedly and was devastated. I was stuck with a lease on a condo thousands of miles from home. No income. No support system (other than my very supportive husband). I started using this affirmation right away. I'm not sure I believed it at the time, but I was desperate and knew I had to shift my thoughts before my worst case scenerio thoughts turned into worst case scenario circumstances. I am happy to report that 2 1/2 years later, I really can't imagine a better outcome than I am currently experiencing. So when those things pop up in your life, and we all experience them, take a deep breathe and affirm "Out of this situation only good can come." And it will.

Atkins Induction Day 3 - Then end of posts, not the diet.

2012-01-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

I've decided to forego my daily updates on my weight loss. I'm getting too focused on the numbers and then getting discouraged. I've elected to follow the Atkins Plan, and weigh myself just once a week, and focus more on measurements.

What I will do is share any recipes I come across that I think are good. Here's one to try if you are looking for something a little different. Net carb count is 2.4 grams for 1 egg. If you serve atop a few slices of avocado, add in 0.6 - 1 net carbs, depending on how thick you slice it. (Figure 1/2 of a hass avocado is about 2.1 net carbs)

Cheese Baked Eggs (from Dr Atkin's New Diet Cookbook)

2 eggs at room temperature
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a baking dish with boiling water. Place 1 tsp butter in each of 2 custard cups. Gently crack one egg into each cup. Top each egg with 1 tbsp heavy cream. Top this with 1 tbsp cheese in each cup.

Bake at 375 for 10 - 12 minutes.

I served this atop 3 slices of avocado. Very yummy, but kind of a pain to make. It's hard to pick up the custard cups once they are hot.

Day 16 Four Be's to Abundance

2012-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.
16. Living back in our house

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.
16. Wherever I am, God is and all is well.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concert is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.
16. to have no snow here for the rest of the winter.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $16,000. $1600 tithe. $1600 savings. $12,800 toward paying off our equity loan.

Today's affirmation: "Wherever I am, God is, and all is well."

I confess - I'm afraid of snow. I just don't like it. I can appreciate it's beauty, but mostly I associate it with being cold, falling on my ass, having the power go out and dangerous driving. We have received over 6 inches of snow the last 2 days, with forecasts of another 6 inches in the coming two days. I am damn near in panic mode over it. I'm lucky my husband isn't bothered by it like I am. We take care of one of our grandsons during the day. Both of his parents work, and wouldn't think of not going to work because of the weather, unless work itself was closed. That's the good news and bad news of instilling a good work ethic in our kids.

This morning as I was working myself up over the snow, and having my loved ones out driving in it. My worst case scenarios are always over the top. I knew I had to stop my crazy thoughts. This was the affirmation that came up, and believe me, it has been a mantra for me this morning.

I tell ya, Thursday's rain and warmer temperatures can't get here soon enough for me. The snow may be pretty, but give me the rain any day.

Wherever I am, God is, and all is well.

Day 15 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.
15. My normal eye pressure.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.
15. Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concert is sinking and cracked.
15. to fix the bulkhead at the side of the house.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $15,000. $1500 tithe. $1500 savings. $11,200 pays off the mortgage. $800 toward paying off the equity loan.

First off, yay - I have etherically paid off our mortgage. Now I will start on the equity loan.

Today's affirmation is: "Every day, in every way, things are getting better and better." I have tweaked an affirmation that is attributed to Emile Coue. His affirmation is "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." I use that when I'm feeling a health challenge. However, changing just a few words helps to cover all kinds of situations, such as challenges at work or in a relationship or a financial situation.

How do we define better? We certainly know it when we feel it, don't we? I think this affirmation fits in very nicely with the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. In their first book, Ask and It Is Given, they talk about shifting our thoughts using our Emotional Guidance scale. If you are looking to make a change for the better, choose a thought that improves how you feel about something. It takes practice, but the more you do it, the faster you will recognize when you are feeling yucky about something. Then you can shift your focus or your thoughts. This affirmation can cover most any situation. That gets you started, and then you can hone your personal affirmations to your specific situation.

Every day in every way, things are getting better and better.

Atkins Induction Phase - Day 2

2012-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Pre-breakfast: 1 cup hot water.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms. 3 link sausages. (2 grams)

Post Breakfast: 1 cup of coffee with 1 pkg Truvia (1 gram)

Pre-lunch: 1 cup hot water

Lunch: Left over scramble of 1/2 cup chopped, onion, 6 oz top sirloin cubed, 1/2 zucchini chopped (about 1/4 cup), 1 clove garlic minced, topped with a sprinkling of asiago cheese. Plus 7 oz hamburger patty topped with 1 oz cheddar cheese. My husband and I split this, so the individual carb count was about (5 grams)

Post Lunch: 1 cup of coffee with 1 pkg Truvia (1 gram)

Snack: Pork rinds with 1 tbsp sour scream (0.6 grams)

Dinner: 6 oz pork chop, 1/2 cup cauliflower with cheddar cheese, 1 dinner salad with a glass of cold water (8 grams)

Post Dinner: 1 cup of coffee with stevia and 1 cup of hot water with a tsp of coconut oil and stevia. (2 grams)

Total carb grams for the day: 19.6

Weight loss: 0.6 lbs.

Definitely an improvement from yesterday. I think because I have been on a basic low carb diet for quite some time (minus the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years), I may need to eat more protein. I'll experiment over the next few days. I'm patting myself on the back for drinking 4 cups of water today. That's up 3 from my standard.

Day 14 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband, Kim.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our SIL Tom and DIL Patty.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost on the shortened hcg protocol.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.
14. My healthy thyroid.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.
14. I fully and freely forgive and forget.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.
14. to fix the front porch and entry where the concert is sinking and cracked.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $14,000. $1400 tithe. $1400 savings. The remaining $11,200 will go toward paying off the mortgage.

Today's affirmation: "I fully and freely forgive, and forget." Forgiveness is not about condoning actions. Forgiveness is about not allowing what someone else has said or done affect your ability to feel unconditional love for yourself or others. Forgiveness is about not letting what happened then create negative feelings in the now. More simply put, forgiveness is the action that changes your feelings toward a person or situation from anger or hurt to neutrality or better.

I'm not sure there is a way to describe "how to forgive" - it just sort of happens. Sometimes it takes a long time just to happen. Other times it happens in an instant. You know that true forgiveness has occurred when you think about the situation/person, and your emotions are not yanked right back into feelings of hurt and anger. I have shared before in this blog about an abusive relationship I was part of in my young adult years. Eventually I removed myself from that relationship, but it was close to 30 years before I could think about this person and not get jerked back into the feelings of hurt and anger. Those feelings waffled between "what was wrong with me that I deserved to be emotionally or physically abused" at one end to "that son of bitch treated me like shit". I could angry at myself, at him, at his family (abuse I believe is a learned pattern), or all of us.

At some point, I apparently had done enough work on my spiritual self that it occurred to me that all this anger really hurt no one but me. And I did not want to hurt me. I wanted to be free of this yucky feeling about something that happened so long ago. I decided then that I was going to allow myself to forget about all the awful things in that relationship, and remember instead just the funny things. And somehow, by the grace of God I guess, I just quit thinking about it, and suddenly thinking back on the whole experience, I no longer felt pain, hurt or anger. It happened. I survived. I am who I am today because of that experience. I fully and freely forgive and forget. The forget part is forgetting the pain and the hurt as well. It's okay to remember the lesson. I won't allow myself to get into that type of relationship again, that's for sure. But emotionally, by forgetting the pain, I'm allowing myself to be happy.

Now I just have to work on forgiving and forgetting the comment my sister in law made about my Reebok tennis shoes about 12 years ago. I think it is time to let that one go as well.

The journey continues as I fully and freely forgive and forget.

Atkins Induction Phase - Day 1

2012-01-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Note: Carb gram count in parentheses

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with cheese and bacon                                    3.2 grams

2 eggs (0.8)
1 oz grated cheddar cheese (0.4)
2 strips of nitrate free bacon/pork strips (0)
2 TBSP salsa (2.0)

Scramble eggs with cheese and bacon. Top with salsa.

Snack: 2 cups coffee with Stevia (2.0)                                                             2.0 grams

Lunch: Taco Salad                                                                                          5.2 grams

1 cup iceberg letter (0.8)
1 oz grated cheddar (0.4)
4 oz taco flavored ground beef (1.0 - that's a guess on my part)
2 TBSP salsa (2.0)
1 TBSP sour cream (1.0)

Snack: 4 pieces roasted chicken breast. 1 cup herbal tea with stevia.               1.0 grams

Dinner: Turkey burger patty, sauted mushrooms, asparagus, salad           6.9 grams

1 Turkey burger patty (0)
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms (1.0)
6 spears of asparagus (2.4)
dinner salad (3.5)

Snacks:                                                                                                                    4.3 grams

1/2 Cookies and Cream Atkins bar. (1.5)
1 serving pork rinds with sour cream. (1.0)
1 cheese stick. (0.8)
1 cup of coffee with Stevia (1.0).

TOTAL GRAMS OF CARBS FOR TODAY:                                                        22.6 grams

Well, I can't say I was happy with the weight loss for today, as there was none. In fact, I gained 0.8 lbs. However, I wasn't hungry and that did make me happy.

A few things I found out. My idea of a serving size of vegetables and the Atkins Plan idea of a serving were not the same. I will have to measure things out for a while so I can get a better idea. I will also have to deal with the amount of coffee (and more importantly the stevia that I add to the coffee) that I have been enjoying. I know I don't drink as much water as I should. I've known that for years. I'm going to make a bargain with myself that for every cup of coffee I want, I have to drink 8 oz of water first.

And then there is the exercise part. Oh, I think I'll think about that tomorrow. Today, we are painting the hallway. That's enough for one day.

Day 13 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our SIL and DIL.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost over the last 12 days.
13. My great money manager/investment advisor.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.
13. There is only Divine Truth.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.
13. for the weather to warm up.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $13,000. $1300 tithe. $1300 savings. $10,400 toward the principle on our mortgage.

Today, I wanted to give a shout out to my investment advisor at Edward Jones. His name is Timothy Yount ( https://www.edwardjones.com/cgi/getHTML.cgi?page=/en_US/fa/index.html ) He has been so very helpful in helping us acheive the lifestyle we are enjoying. While he does not live in my area, we are able to successfully have a good business relationship over the phone and on line. I am very pleased with the results from his guidance and advice.

Secondly, I wanted to point out that my desire for today is obviously seasonal. Being clear about your desires means that the list will change as things in your life change. For instance, the weather will change. In six months, I may be wanting the weather to cool down. I have been affirming (being clear about my desire) that I want to pay off our mortgage and equity loan for the last 2 years. Within the next two weeks, I think I will be able to acheive that goal. Things change, and so do goals and desires.

Today's affirmation: There is only Divine Truth. I came up with this affirmation after reading a passage in Around The Year With Emmet Fox . Here is the part that spoke to me.

"God is not truthful but Truth itself, and wherever there is Truth, there is God.

"To know the truth about any condition heals it. Jesus said, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32).

"You should realize God as Truth when you want information on any subject, or if you suspect that you have to deal with deceit. If you believe that someone is trying to deceive you, claim that divine Truth dwells in the person concerned, and is expressed through him. If you realize this clearly enough, he will then speak the truth. When you have to transact any important business such as signing a lease or a contract, spend a few minutes realizing divine Truth and if there is anything you should know, it will come out. Of course, people may have no desire to deceive you and yet for some reason you may not be given the whole story. I know of several cases where serious misunderstandings were prevented because somebody realized God as truth and so all the facts were brought out. I know also of cases where intentional dishonesty was frustrated in the same way."

I know in my life, I have had those challenges when arguments, disagreements, out and out betrayals have presented themselves in my life. I wish I had this affirmation then. Lots of hurt feelings and gossip could have been avoided. So here is a quick little prayer to use when those types of situations arise:

There is only Divine Truth, and that Divine Truth dwells in this situation/person now. The truth has set us free and loving results now appear. And so it is.

On To Atkins

2012-01-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we came to the decision to stop the HCG protocol. Although the results were good, we were starving. Like I said yesterday, this was not our previous experience, and it wasn't working for us. We are switching over to the Atkins Plan. We are supposed to do a 2 day withdrawl from the HCG, staying with the 500 calorie diet, but we were very hungry WITH the HCG, it is worse without it. There were cheats today.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.
Snack: Mozzerella cheese stick.
Lunch: 70 grams chicken, 1/2 cucumber.
Snack: 1 oz cheddar cheese, 1 small pickle.
Dinner: Taco Salad.

I made the taco meat with 8 oz low fat hamburger, 1 6oz can of tomato juice and half an envelope of taco meat seasoning mix. It was enough for 2 servings. The meat sauce was served over a bed of iceburg lettuce, and topped with a handful of grated cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp salsa and 1 tbsp sour cream. Definitely not HCG protocol, but not over doing it either.

As long as we were cheating....we had 2 mini icecream cones left in the freezer. What the hell. We finished them off, and now have nothing to tempt us once we start with the Atkins Induction phase.

Weight change: up 0.4 lbs.

Day 12 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith In God.
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our SIL and DIL.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.
12. The 10 lbs I've lost over the last 12 days.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.
12. I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).
12. to paint the exterior of the house.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $12,000. $1200 tithe. $1200 savings. $9600 toward paying off the principle on our mortgage.

Today's affirmation, "I vibrate at a level of joy and bliss" is one I created for myself. Every morning, in addition to writing my Four Be's, I read uplifting, spiritually based books. I usually have anywhere from 3 - 5 different books going. This morning the passages in an Emmett Fox book and a Abraham-Hicks book both talked about having and creating joy in your life. If you follow my entries dealing with my weight loss journey, you will know that I decided to stop the HCG protocol I was following, halfway through the course. Not being joyful (because I was very, very hungry all day) played a big role in my decision. Granted I'm not happy with my weight, but looking for a more joyful thought about the situation caused me to realize that I could approach weight loss in a more joyful manner.

Next step: To learn to be joyful and blissful about exercise. Ahhhh, the journey continues.

HCG Diet Phase 2 Day 12 - I'm Done

2012-01-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have to know when to say "Enough". I'm not sure what was different this time around. I'm leaning toward the difference in manufacturer's formulas. My first 3 rounds were all from one company, and this round was from a different company. All I know is that I'm hungry all the time. This was not the case in my previous rounds with HCG. The other thing that influenced my decision was that my skin is so dry, it is cracking and bleeding, on my fingers and heels. With the HCG protocol, you are not supposed to use creams and lotions, other than mineral oil. The mineral oil was not helping. I talked it over with my husband, and he agreed. He was more hungry this time around. We had even been using a homeopathic appetite suppressant, and it did not seem to make a difference. So tomorrow will we stop the drops, and continue along with a very low calorie diet for two days, as best we can.

I am convinced that a low carb meal plan does work best for me. Imagine how much better it will be when I add exercise into the mix. At this point, our plans are to work with the New Atkins Diet. At least we will be not hungry.

I did not follow the 500 calorie diet today. Like I said, I was hungry.

Breakfast: Coffee.
Snack: Sliced strawberries.
Lunch: 70 grams of mini meatloaf, 1/2 cucumber.
Snack: 1 low fat mozzeralla cheese stick, 1 grissini
Dinner: 100 grams Rosemary Chicken (recipe previously posted), Fennel with Herbs (recipe below)
Dessert: A handful of blackberries.
Snack: 1 low fat mozzerella cheese stick, a few small pieces of roasted chicken

I'm not sure I had ever had fennel as a side dish. It was a nice change. I'd cook it again.

I did lose 0.4 lbs today. Total weight loss over the last 12 days is 10.6 lbs. I am happy with that, and I hope I can maintain it while switching to the Atkins protocol. I still have 20 lbs to go.

(From the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook)

Fennel with Herbs:

1.5 cups fennel bulbs, diced
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water (I used chicken broth because that was what I had on hand)
2 tbsp lemon juice
Your choice of dressing, marinade or seasonings (HCG approved) (I used just an Italian seasoning mix)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Wash, trim and dice fennel. Cook for serveral minutes in the broth and dry seasonings. (I brought it to a boil, and then turned the heat down to medium. It took about 4-5 minutes until the fennel was tender). Drain and serve.

Day 11 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-11T06:06:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith.
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our SIL and DIL.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)
11. The generosity of relatives who have crossed over.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.
11. I am a witty and prolific writer.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.
11. to finish painting inside the house (the living room, entry, hallway, master bedroom and downstairs plus ceilings).

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $11,000. $1100 tithe. $1100 savings. $8800 toward paying off the mortgage.

Here is where things start to get more personal for me. I am very grateful for inheritances and trust funds I have received. It allows us to be retired in our 50s, and to live off the investments. I pray that I am smart enough and keep my visions clear enough that I am able to leave more than enough for my kids to do the same.

Affirmation wise, well, I do write and I've been known to be witty from time to time. I feel like there is a book/story/novel in me waiting to come out. It will make people laugh and be entertaining. I trust in divine timing, and meanwhile I shall affirm that I am a witty and prolific writer.

HCG Diet Phase 2 Day 11

2012-01-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: 100 grams chicken, 1/2 cucumber, 5 grape tomatoes
Dinner: 100 grams Citrus Fish, Coleslaw, 1 grissini stick

And lots of coffee (decaf). It was one of those days, running here, running there, and I wasn't at home much. I was hungry most of the day, but didn't cheat.

The fish was so-so. Too bland for my tastes. And the coleslaw got better the more I ate it.

Coleslaw (HCG style)

2 cups chopped cabbage
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dash of mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes. The more the better. Next time, I might double the liquid ingredients and play around with some other spices. There is an alternate recipe in the HCG Gourmet Cookbook that calls for adding a diced apple, cinnamon and stevia.

Citrus Fish

100 grams white fish
1 tablespoon onion, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
lemon and orange zest to taste
lemon and orange slices
chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
stevia to taste

Mix lemon juice with zest and a little stevia. Baste fish with mixture and top with salt and pepper and lemon and orange slices. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350 until done. (The HCG Gourmet Cookbook, from which this recipe is taken, says cook for 5 - 10 minutes. I used tilapia which is a very thin white fish, and I had to increase the cooking time. When I was up to 12 minutes, I finally just left the foil open and cooked for another 2 minutes. Fish over cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it. It might just have been my oven).

Weight loss today: 0.6 lbs

Day 10 Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith.
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our SIL and DIL.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.
10. Our lifestyle (retired and living off investments)

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
10. I am filled with creative ideas.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances
10. to upgrade our electrical panel.

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $10,000. Tithe $1000 (remember - I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars!). $1000 to savings. The remaining $8000 goes toward paying off the principle on our mortgage.

Today's affirmation is I am filled with creative ideas. I can't remember if I learned that one from Julia Cameron (The Artists's Way) or Peggy McColl (21 Distinctions of Wealth). I read both books at about the same time. It sounds more Julia Cameron-ish though. Anyway, I am a writer. And I hear over and over again, that the one thing writers do is write. That is part of the reason I am doing this blog. It's to get me in the habit. I started writing a novel during a time I was "stuck in Hawaii for 4 months." I know, I know, what a place to be stuck, but trust me, if I could have moved, I would have. I would have moved at least to another island perhaps before returning to the mainland, but that is neither here nor there, I was stuck where I was regardless of my desires. However, that island atmosphere was good for my writing. If you haven't explored astrocartography in respect to your goals, it is something you may want to look into. Western Washington hasn't proven as inspiring in getting this novel finished. Therefore, I am filled with creative ideas is my starting point. Those creative ideas will take form, sooner rather than later is my prayer.

HCG Diet Phase 2 Day 10

2012-01-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: Coffee.
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit.
Lunch: 100 grams shrimp, 1/2 cucumber
Snack: Coffee
Dinner: Garlic Chicken and steamed cabbage
Snack: 15 gram chicken bite

After yesterday's weight gain, I tried to follow Dr Simeon's guidelines more strictly today. I was down 0.6 lbs today and my husband was down 2 lbs, so things have corrected for us, thank God. What my husband did to gain the weight I have no idea. For me, I think it was more the large amount of mineral oil I used on my legs and feet because my skin was so dry. I really need to make a concerted effort to drink more water. I went back and re-read Dr Simeon's Pounds and Inches and realized that I may have a lot of broken down fat cells, but not enough fluids to flush them out. I do drink a lot of coffee (decaf)throughout the day, but not much water.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

100 grams of chicken breast sliced
1 serving Melba Toast, crushed
1/4 cup chicken brother or water
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
S&P to taste
Paprika

Marinate chicken in liquid ingredients. Add dry spices to melba toast crumbs. Coat chicken with the crumb mixture and place in a small baking dish. Add the marinate to the bottom of the dish. Cover the chicken pieces with the sliced garlic and bake for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

This is the recipe as given in the HCG Gourmet Diet Cookbook. I tripled the recipe because there are 2 of us, plus I wanted left overs for lunch. I did not, however, triple the lemon juice as I have found the recipes in this particular cookbook to be to lemon-y/tart for me. I also did not slice the chicken, and so the cooking time was increased because the breast pieces were thicker. The other change I made was to put all the dry ingredients in a zip lock bag and coat the chicken 'shake and bake' style. After I poured the rest of the marinade in the bottom of the dish, I tossed the rest of the crumbs on top of the chicken for extra crust. This is a very good recipe, and one I will use often.

Foil Packed Steamed Cabbage:

1/2 head cabbage
1/2 onion, sliced
salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
"Butter spray" (or butter for Phase 3) (Butter spray is not on the official protocol, so it is optional)

Preheat over to 400 degree. Tear off about 12" of foil and lay flat. Cut the 1/2 head of cabbage into 4 wedges lengthwise. Then cut each wedge in half so you will have about 8 'chunks' of cabbage. Spray the foil with Pam or other non-stick spray. Lay out cabbage on foil. Top with sliced onions. Spray a few squirts of no calorie fake butter spray. Season to taste. Tear off another sheet of foil and put on top. Crimp sides of the foil together to form a packet. Put packet on cookie sheet and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to sit 5 minutes. Be careful when opening - steam can be very hot. This makes about 4 servings.

Day 9 The Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith.
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our SIL and DIL.
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended familes.
9. Our friends.

Be Positive:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am healthy, wealthy and wise.
9. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire

1. to be happy today,
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height, in a healthy fashion.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen
9. to get a new kitchen appliances

Be Prepared (in your spending plan)

Today I have $9000. $900 tithe. $900 to savings. The remaining $7800 will go toward the principle on my mortgage loan.

Today's affirmation is "I am surrounded by people who love and support me." We all know what it is to have people that love us, but what does "support" mean to you in this instance? Is it financial support? Is it "I got your back" type of support? Is it emotional support? Spiritual support?

When I am depressed or challenged or sad or even mad about a situation, I don't always know what kind of support I need or want. I figure out what I don't want through experience. In this day of social media, you may get all kinds of responses to a simple post of "Oh crap, I gained another pound. I just hate feeling fat!" There are many types of supportive responses.

You aren't fat. You are beautiful, both inside and outside.

You are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore you are perfect just as you are.

Have you tried the 'such and such' diet.

Join a gym, and quit complaining.

Try this affirmation "I am slender and fit."

You'll do better tomorrow.

I hear ya.

(((Hugs)))

All of those replies are supportive. And depending on your mood, you could appreciate each and every one of them at any given time. Those friends and family that know you best will probably just plain ask you what you need or want from them. And best for you to respond honestly. Ask for the support you need and want. You are surrounded by people who love and support you.

BTW, if you are one of those people who love and support me - if I'm bitching about my weight, or my hair, or stuff like that, I am aware of the type of support I want. Really all I want are the last two responses. That or something that makes me laugh. Just so you know. ;)

HCG Diet Phase 2 Day 9

2012-01-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: Coffee
Lunch: 100 grams grilled chicken, 1/3 cucumber, 5 grape tomatoes
Snack: Apple
Dinner: 1 mini-meatloaf, asparagus, small spinach salad with a splash (less than 1/8 tsp) of olive oil
Snack: 6 strawberries, sliced

I'm a little frustrated this morning as I am up 0.4 lbs, and I can't really see why. Okay, protocol wise, I should not have combined veggies, and the splash of olive oil was a no-no, but I have done this many times before in the 3 previous rounds of the HCG diet that I've done and not gained weight. I'd rather blame it on the apple as I usually only have 1 serving of fruit per day. The other thing I did yesterday was that I was very sedentary, and I did not sleep well last night. And, my skin was very, very dry, so I rubbed my legs and feet with baby oil. Baby oil is just mineral oil, and is supposed to be approved. Maybe I used too much. I just don't know. The funny thing is that my husband also gained 1 lb and he did not have the veggies with lunch (he ate his apple then), did not have the EVOO on his salad, and did not use the baby oil. Who knows. I just hope that tomorrow things will be better.

The good news is that I took my weekly measurements and I've lost 1.5" off my bust, 2" off my waist, 1" off my hips, and 0.5" off my thighs.

Weight gain :( 0.4 lbs. Total weight loss: 9 lbs.

Day 8 The Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in God.
2. My husband Kim.
3. Our kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.
5. Our son-in-law Tom and our daughter-in-law Patty
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. Kim's parents, and the way he was raised.
8. Our extended families (brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews)

Be Positive

1. Today and every day, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.
8. I am happy, healthy, wealthy and wise.

Be Clear (in your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today.
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off the equity loan.
8. to remodel the kitchen

Be Prepared

Today I have $8000. I will tithe $800 and I put $800 in savings. The remaining $6400 will go toward the principle on our mortgage.

Today's affirmation is "I am healthy, wealthy, and wise." I like this affirmation for it's simplicity.

Healthy is pretty self explanatory. No one wants to be sick or unhealthy. The more I affirm my health, the more I will attract and retain the circumstances of perfect health.

In my lifetime, I've been at the upper middle class level and I've been at the poverty level and all the levels in between. I was surprised to find out that when I was at what would be considered poverty level on paper, I really was happy. And happiness made all the difference in the world. If you are happy, you generally are not focused on what you think may be lacking in your life.

Basically wealthy (in a financial sense) would be having more than you need. I don't "need" alot - We lived the last 2 years in a 33' RV parked next to a river and did just fine. I was concerned at first that I would miss all my "stuff". Sure, there were a few things, mostly centimental things, that I missed, but really, I was just fine. Let me add here that things might have been way different without my Kindle. Books are heavy and in an RV you are limited in the amount of weight you can carry. So thank you Jesus for the Kindle and e-books!

And wise - ah wisdom. With wisdom, you've got it all. Too bad we have to go through all the other crap to see the value of wisdom or to recognize wisdom in all situations, including simple affirmations.

I am healthy, wealthy and wise.

HCG Diet Phase 2, Day 8

2012-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: Coffee
Lunch: Buffalo/bison burger and cucumber slices.
Dinner: Pesto Chicken and spinach salad with one slice of tomato and one sliced radish.
Snack: Sliced Strawberries.

Glad to be done with the bison burger patties. I like them very much, but they taste much better freshly grilled, rather than reheated. We can be pretty sure I will be double and triple checking to make sure I do not leave the package out on the counter overnight again.

The Pesto Chicken was very tasty, and I used some of the pesto sauce as dressing for the spinach salad which made it more enjoyable as well. The recipe comes from the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook by Tammy Skye.

100 grams of chicken tenderloin (or chicken breast) per serving
2 TBS lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Marinate chicken in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fry in a pan until lightly browned and cooked thoroughly.

Pesto Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 chicken broth or water
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.

Puree ingredients. Add mixture to pan and coat chicken, lowering heat to avoid overcooking.

Note: I was making two servings so I doubled the recipe, but also made a few changes. I used 2 large cloves of garlic only. Personally, I would have added more, but my husband has been sensitive to garlic recently so I cut it back. I found it hard to measure for 1/2 cup fresh basil, so I tore the basil and measured 1/2 cup and then added more because of the all the air inbetween the leaves. I thought the sauce was smelling too tangy, so I only added the 1 tbsp of the vinegar, and used the juice of one small lemon, without actually measuring it out. It looked to be about 2 tbs. I'm glad I did not double the vinegar and lemon because it was still too tangy for me. Next time I will probably leave out the vinegar. I did add a little coconut oil to the pan when I first fried the chicken.

Weight loss today: 1 lbs.

Day 7 The Four Be's To Abundance Plan

2012-01-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful

I am grateful for:

1. My faith
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids.
4. Our 3 grandkids.
5. Our son-in-law and our daughter-in-law
6. My parents and the way I was raised.
7. My husband's parents and the way he was raised.

Be Positive

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the wisdom and goodness of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.
7. I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today.
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height in a healthy manner.
6. to pay off our mortgage.
7. to pay off our equity loan

Be Prepared (Have a plan/budget for spending)

Today I have $7000. I will tithe $700 and I will save $700. The remaining $5600 will go toward paying off the principle on our mortgage.

Today's affirmation is "I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars." This is an affirmation I created for myself at a time that I was trying NOT to put a money-specific amount on what I wanted to manifest. I figured if I was tithing a thousand dollars or more, well that meant I had at least $10,000, and that was more than enough income at that time. It is another way to think about manifesting and ties in well with the affirmation from yesterday.

I grew up with the idea of tithing as that was part of my religious upbringing. As a young child, I was sure I would burn in hell if I didn't hand over 10% of my allowance or cash gifts. I was afraid NOT to tithe, but I couldn't see any benefit in it, other than saving my soul. Sometime later in my youth, my mother introduced the idea of donating to charity. This was also about the time I first remember being told to clean my plate and think about all the starving children in Biafra (if you weren't born in the 50s or early 60s, you'll probably have to google Biafra LOL). One time, I countered with, "Why don't we just send them money, and they can buy their own food. I don't think they'd like this dinner either." While I'm sure my folks wanted to send me to my room for being a smart-mouth, they instead took the opportunity to talk about giving to those in need.

When I hit my late teens, the idea of tithing or donating to charities went out the window. There were many more fun things on which to spend my hard earned money. After all, it was MY money. Needless to say, like most teens and young adults, this was not the most profitable or abundant time in my life.

Then I got married and had kids. I had to think about how I was going to raise them, and what I was going to teach them. I remembered, when I was a teenager, most likely I was demanding a new car because "all the other kids got new cars" (yeah, right), my mother told me that all she owed me was a roof over my head, clothes to keep me warm, food on my plate, and a secular and religious education. God gave me common sense, and the rest was up to me. I could find a way to buy my own car. As a young mother, that stuck with me, and I figured I owed my kids the same. So off to church we went, and we had the same discussions over the years about offerings at church and donating to charity. When my kids complained about dinner, I told them to think about the starving children in India or Ethiopia and got basically the same responses I gave my parents. (Karma sucks - but that's another topic)

I was not as good as my folks about instilling a religous belief system in my kids, but we did focus alot of energy on things such as the Golden Rule, being polite, caring about others, and basic human decency. They turned out okay.

You know, there is nothing like personal tragedy or defeat to urge one to turn to God (or whatever term one may use for that power greater than ourselves). My husband and I have had a few of those types of tragedies over the years. In the midst of a serious financial crisis, we started attending our local Unity Church. I picked Unity after being introduced to the work of Catherine Ponder. (This is not her website per se, but it is a link to some of her essays, if you are not familar with her work. http://catherineponder.wwwhubs.com/ponderspks.htm) We eventually took a class at that church called The 4T Prosperity Program. The 4 Ts stand for Tithing of Time, Talents and Treasures. We got back into the habit of tithing through this class. And I have to tell you, miracles occurred. It's too personal a story to share in a public platform, but I witnessed personally the power of tithing. And I've tithed ever since.

More than a few times, I have had the pleasure of tithing in the thousands of dollars. Recently I had the pleasure of tithing in the tens of thousands of dollars. The act of doing that is in my top 10 favorite things that I have ever done.

Tithing is one of those things that you take on faith. Make a committment and try it for a year. I am confident you will reap far more benefits than you thought possible with the simple act of giving 10% of your income to your church, spiritual teacher/leader, or charity.

I love to tithe in the thousands of dollars.

HCD Diet Phase 2 Day 7

2012-01-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Only 2 more weeks, only 2 more weeks.

Breakfast: Coffee
Lunch: 70 grams of roasted chicken breast, 1/2 cucumber, 1 cheese stick
Dinner: Mini Meatloaf, 1/2 zucchini sauteed

Yesterday, we went to the movies to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It's hard to go to the movies and not be tempted to say to hell with it, and have the bag of popcorn. It just makes you wonder why movie popcorn smells so much better than popcorn made at home. For me, it's like casino coffee-shop coffee is the best smelling coffee around. But I'm getting side tracked. We knew we were going to the movies, so we picked a noon time showing, and took out lunch with us. I didn't have quite enough chicken for us each to have 100 grams. I've been missing cheese, so I gave my husband the full 100 gram portion, and I opted for a low fat cheese stick and crossed my fingers. I knew I would need the protein or I'd be too hungry and give in to the smell of popcorn. So I chose the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Also, zucchini, although very low carb, is not part of the HCG protocol, but I took a chance. I did pay the price with reduced weight loss today, but still weight loss is weight loss, so I'm not complaining.

Weight loss today: 0.6 lbs.

Mini Meatloaves

2 lbs lean ground sirloin
6 pieces melba toast, crushed
2 TBS Braggs
1/2 cup egg beaters
4 tsp dehydrated onion
2 tsp all spice
1 tsp sage
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together all ingredients except meat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with Pam. Wet hands and add meat to the spice mix and squish together. Weigh out into 3.5 oz portions, and put into muffin tin. Cover and bake 15 minutes. Remove cover, baste with a teensy bit of barbeque sauce, and return to over for 10-15 minutes. These freeze well. 1 mini loaf is 1 serving.

Note: I only had 1 lb of ground sirloin, so I halved the recipe. I didn't have any all spice, so I tossed in some oregano and thyme and parsley. This is one of our favorite recipes for Phase 2.

Day 6 Four Be's To Abundance Plan

2012-01-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:

1. My faith in the Mother/Father/Creator/God
2. My husband.
3. Our kids.
4. Our grandkids.
5. Our daughter-in-law and son-in-law
6. My parents and the way I was raised.

Affirmations:

1. Today and everyday, I trust in the goodness and wisdom of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.
6. The more I have, the more I have to give.

Be Clear (about your desires)

I desire:

1. to be happy today.
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal body mass index for my height.
6. to pay off our mortgage.

Be Prepared (with your finances)

Today I have $6000. I will tithe $600 and I will save $600. The remaining $4800 will go toward the paying off the principle on our mortgage.

Today's affirmation is "The more I have, the more I have to give." Have you ever played the Mega Millions or Power Ball lottery, and just day-dreamed about how you would spend a huge amount of money? I think most of us could easily find a way to spend 1 or 2 or even 3 million dollars, but after that it gets a little challenging. Heck, by the end of January you will see that I am scrambling for ways to spend my "Be Prepared Money".

Did you know that about a million dollars, invested conservatively for income, will net you about $36,000 a year? Going back to the day dream of a huge lottery win, let's just say $200,000,000, even if you pay half of that in taxes, you would still be looking at $100,000,000. Using the same investment strategy, that would give you $3,600,000 a year to live on. That's crazy! At some point, most of us would be giving money away, if not to our families and friends, most definitely to charitable causes.

Giving just plain feels good. It doesn't matter if you are giving $30 a month to help feed a child in poverty, $100 to your church or spiritual teacher, $1000 a year to help a children's hospital in your area or to fund research for a specific disease, or even if you are giving the change from your pocket into the Salvation Army buckets during the holidays. Spreading the wealth does more for your own vibrational/spiritual status than you may know. The more I have, the more I have to give, and I like it!

Tomorrow we will talk about the power of tithing.

HCG Diet Phase 2, Day 6

2012-01-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: Coffee

Snack: Strawberries (although my grandson managed to eat most of my serving)

Lunch: Bison burger patty and a spinach salad with apple cider vinegar

Dinner: Chicken Asparagus Bake

Snack: Orange

Reheated bison burgers are getting old, but we have 2 more to go. The baked chicken turned out pretty good. The recipe, from my now standby cookbook, the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook, calls for the asparagus to be cooked with the chicken. It was a little too soft for me, so next time I will cook the chicken in the oven, and steam the asparagus separately.

Chicken Asparagus Bake:

100 grams (3.5 oz) chicken cubed
1 1/2 cups asparagus chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp onion chopped

Combine all of the above in a baking dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Optional toppings after cooking: 1 Melba Toast crushed and/or a sprinkle of paprika.

I opted to eat a grissini on the side instead of the melba toast topping, and the paprika did add to the presentation.

I doubled the recipe to make two servings, plus I added another 100gram piece of chicken breast whole to use for a lunch on the go this weekend.

Weight loss for the day: 1 pound.
Total weight loss: 7.8 lbs.

Day 5 of the Four Be's To Abundance Plan

2012-01-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:
1. My faith in the Creator/God
2. My husband.
3. Our kids.
4. Our grandkids.
5. The spouses of our kids - DIL Patty and SIL Tom.

Affirmations:

1. Today and everyday, I will trust in the goodness and wisdom of life.
2. God is the source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.
5. I always have more than enough.

Be Clear (in your desires):

I desire:
1. to be happy today.
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.
5. to have a normal Body Mass Index for my height, in a healthy manner.

Be Prepared (for how you will handle your finances)

Today I have $5000. I will tithe $500 and I will save $500. The remaining $4000 will go toward paying down the principle on my mortgage.

Today's affirmation, "I always have more than enough," comes from my friend Bev Bryant (http://tarotreaderbev.vpweb.com) . She shared this affirmation with me at a time in my life when I was just making ends meet. I was having a tendency to focus on the worst case scenerios in life. I just couldn't get myself to the mental state I where I could believe in the possibility that I could pay all my bills and put food on the table. I was focused on needing X amount of money to accomplish this. Bev suggested I affirm that I always have more than enough, and not look at the specifics of how much or even how it happens. Just leave it to God; see affirmations #1 and #2.

I always have more than enough!

HCG Diet Phase 2 Day 5

2012-01-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Breakfast - 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch - Bison burger and cucumber slices, plus 1/4 cup of left over baked celery from yesterday.

Dinner: 3.5 oz tilapia, cooked in 1 tsp of coconut oil, seasoned with salt, pepper and dill. Sauteed spinach. Cucumber slices.

Dessert: Apple slices.

Well, it looks like we will be eating bison/buffalo burgers for a few days as I accidently left out the frozen patties over night. We heated up the barbeque and cooked them all - there were 6 left in the package. So lunch will be covered for the next few days.

Re the tilapia. The first company I purchased HCG from said that although coconut oil was not on Dr Simeon's protocol, they found up to 3 tsp per day used in cooking, or mixed with hot water and stevia for a hot drink, did not effect weight loss. That has been my experience as well. Plus it lubricates the bowels a bit, which definitely helps, as constipation is a common side effect in this diet protocol. I will try baking the fish next time, but I was in a hurry last night.

We will skip the sauteed spinach in the future. Both husband and I got it down, but......what made me think that because we don't like sauteed spinach when cooked with bacon that there was a chance in hell that we'd like it cooked with just a little onion and garlic and chicken broth. We will be having spinach salads this week to finish off the bag. Maybe I will chop some up to use in a soup.

By the way, I also drink coffee throughout the day, sweetened with stevia. And I'm trying to get myself to drink more water. I may have to set a phone alert to remind me. I'm pretty sure if I drank more, I'd see even more weight loss.

Weight loss for the day: 1.2 lbs.

Day 4 of the Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for:
1. My faith in the Creator/God
2. My husband.
3. Our 3 kids, Tim, Ryan and Erin.
4. Our 3 grandkids, Trystan, Odin and Alex.

Be Positive:

1. Today and every day, I will trust in the goodness and wisdom of life.
2. God is the Source of my supply.
3. I am prosperous.
4. I am rich beyond measure.

Be Clear (about your desires):

I desire:
1. to be happy today.
2. to be healthy today.
3. to be wealthy today.
4. to be wise today.

Be Prepared (for how you will handle your abundance):

Today, I have $4000. I will tithe my 10% ($400). I will put aside 10% in savings ($400). The balance ($3200) will go toward the principle on our mortgage. Being debt free is a big goal of mine.

Have you read I Am Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams by Thomas Pauley? It's great book on creating that which you want in your life. I liked the title and the affirmation, but I had a challenge with relating to it on a personal level. I can dream pretty darn big. The entity Abraham, as channeled by Esther Hicks, talks about taking small steps in changing one's outlook toward prosperity. People who are at rock bottom personally, whether it is financially, emotionally, mentally, in regard to relationships, etc., generally find it hard to create a big enough change in their vibration to go from rock bottom to a position of lavish prosperity. I agree. Continued small steps have worked best for me in pivoting my thoughts. And we all know that thoughts do create our reality. Quit focusing on what you don't want, and make yourself focus on what you do. You can choose your thoughts. The moment you recognize that your thoughts are what we would call negative, change them. It really is just a matter of habit.

At any rate, I chose the affirmation, "I am rich beyond measure" because to me that puts me in a place where I am content for the moment. I am acknowledging all my riches (health, wealth, relationships, etc), and just saying it makes me feel good. That is one of the little tools I learned from Esther and Jerry Hicks. Feeling good is a hint that you are raising your vibrational level. To learn more about Abraham and work of Jerry and Esther Hicks, please see www.abraham-hick.com (Note: I am sad to say that Jerry Hicks recently made his transition, and I'm hopeful that Esther will continue on with this work. I've learned alot from them.)

HCG - Down another 1.6 pounds

2012-01-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

Breakfast: Coffee
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: 100 grams of grilled chicken breast, and 1/2 cucumber sliced, 1 radish and 3 cherry tomatoes. (And yes, I know, protocol does not approve of combining vegetables, but I did it anyway).
Dinner: 3.5 oz bison patty, mushrooms sauted in Braggs with a few spears of asparagus, baked celery.
Snack: 1 orange

Dinner turned out pretty good. I changed up the recipe I had for baked celery just a bit. The original is from the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook. I left out the hot pepper flakes because we don't like them, and the bay leaf because I didn't have any - I substituted Italian Seasoning blend. The bison patties I found in the frozen food section at my grocery store.

Baked Celery

1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp lemon juice (I used the juice of 1/2 lemon)
1 tbsp Braggs
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
A generous dash of Italian Seasoning blend
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice celery and put in a baking dish. Combine other ingredients and pour over celery. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. Top with paprika and additional salt and pepper if desired.

This makes approximately 2 servings.....or 1 huge serving, which would be way more celery than I would want to eat.

Weight loss for this day: 1.6 lbs.

Day 3 of The Four Be's To Abundance

2012-01-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

Be Grateful:

I am grateful for my faith.
I am grateful for my husband.
I am grateful for our 3 kids.

Be Positive:

Today and every day, I will trust in the goodness and wisdom of life.
God is the Source of my supply.
I am prosperous.

Be Clear (with your desires):

I desire to be happy today.
I desire to be healthy today.
I desire to be wealthy today.

Be Prepared (in what you will do with your new abundance):

Today I have $3000 to spend ($1000 for each day of the month). I will tithe $300, and put $300 in savings. Utilities are $300. I will budget $200 for gas/fuel for the car and truck this month. The remaining $1900 will go in "escrow" toward paying off our mortgage.

"I AM PROSPEROUS" is one of my go-to affirmations. It is the one I use first when I realize that I am not thinking about what I want or desire. If I'm stuck in the muck of slow moving traffic, if I'm frustrated that my clothes don't fit, if I'm having a bad hair day, if something costs more than I wanted to pay for it - whatever the reason, the affirmation "I am prosperous" seems to help me pivot to more positive thoughts. I first started using this affirmation when we took The 4 T Prosperity class at our local Unity Church. Part of that program required that you repeat the phrase at least 100 times per day. It became a habit for me, and I have found it very useful.

If you are interested in how affirmations can be life changing, I would suggest you check out the work of Florence Scovel Shinn, Catherine Ponder and other spiritually based writers/counselors. Just google the word affirmation and you'll find all sorts of information.

HCG Diet - 1st Day of the 500 Calorie Regimen

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

I bought this round of HCG from a different company. I'm using products from Natural Medicine Supply - www.naturalmedicinesupply.com. I bought a package that included the HCG drops, an appetite suppressant called Weight Off that is taken between meals, and a Vitamin B Complex drop.

Here is my meal plan from yesterday:

Breakfast - Coffee with stevia.

Lunch - 100 grams of left over steak from the night before, chopped up and reheated in a saute pan sprayed lightly with Pam. I added a few sliced mushrooms (yes, I know, I know, I know, that mushrooms are not part of the approved food list. I cheat - get over it). I flavored this with some Braggs and let the mushrooms cook. I served this mixture on top of a half head of butter lettuce. I added another small squirt of Braggs for flavor, and enjoyed this with 14 oz of water.

Snack: A few slices of apple (it was soft and mealy so I didn't eat very much) and coffee.

Dinner: Rosemary Chicken and asparagus.

Snack: Coffee.

The Rosemary Chicken got 2 thumbs up from my husband, and I thought it was pretty good as well. Recipe is below. I will make this again, and even when we are off the HCG protocol. It was good.

Weight loss this day: 3 lbs.

http://www.amazon.com/HCG-Diet-Gourmet-Cookbook-Calorie/dp/0984399909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325599991&sr=8-1

Rosemary Chicken

100 grams chicken breast, thick sliced or whole
3 tbsp lemon juice (about the juice of 1/2 large lemon)
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 serving Melba Toast, crushed into crumbs
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth

Marinate the chicken in the lemon juice, rosemary and salt to taste.
Mix onion powder, garlic powder, a little salt and pepper with the melba toast crumbs.
Place crumb mix on a small plate, and coat the chicken with it on both sides. Place chicken in a baking dish. Pour in chicken broth along side the chicken. Add any remaining crumb mix to the top of the chicken. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of meat.

If presentation is your thing, you can serve with lemon slices, and some fresh parsley.

Day 2 of the Four Be's To Abundance Plan

2012-01-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

(Note: Remember to repeat the things from yesterday for the first 3 steps, and add a new one for each new day. Although I am typing this for the blog, I do hand write these out each morning. I'm not sure what it is about the act of writing things out by hand, but most of the spiritual teachers and counselors I know all recommend this. I myself find it a very powerful tool.)

Be Grateful:

Today I am grateful for my strong faith in the Creator God.
I am also grateful for my husband who always has my back, and is pretty darn handy around the house!

Be Positive:

Today and every day, I will trust in the goodness and wisdom of life.
God is the Source of my supply.

Be Clear (about your desires):

I desire to be happy today.
I desire to be health today.

Be Prepared (for your abundance).

Today I have $2000 to spend. I will spend $200 in tithes, and $200 in savings. The balance will go toward most of my monthly bills - health insurance, phone and cell phone bills, Direct TV, and groceries.

I do not know the original source of the affirmation "God is the source of my supply." It sounds very Catherine Ponder or Florence Scovel Shinn - like. I began using it on a daily basis a few years ago when I was released from a job. We had moved to Hawaii for this job and could not get out of the remaining 4 month lease on the condo in which we were staying. My mental attitude sucked and I was on an emotional roller coaster over what had happened. It was all I could do to keep from having my own 24 hour a day pity party. I grasped on to tools I had learned over the years, one of which is repeating a simple affirmation whenever you become aware that you are looking at what you don't want rather than what you do. "God is the source of my supply" became my mantra whenever my thoughts drifted to the money situation. In this challenging economic climate, it's a very good affirmation to keep in your spiritual tool box.

HCG Diet - Still Loading

2012-01-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

The good news is that I've had no weight gain during the loading phase. The more good news is that stuffing myself with high fat content foods is not so appealing right now. That is good for me because for the next 21 - 44 days I will be saying goodbye to bacon, nuts, cheese, butter and oil......and my nightly glass of red wine. I will miss you, but I know you'll accept me back with open arms once I am past Phase 2.

Breakfast for the second loading day was 2 donuts, coffee with Baileys and 1 slice of bacon.

Lunch was a BLT with a side of potato chips and about 10 green olives. Ice cream for dessert.

Afternoon snack was a glass of red wine and a small bowl of roasted almonds.

Dinner was another T-bone steak, 1/2 baked potato with butter, sour cream and cheese, and 1/2 avocado. Ice cream for dessert.

Evening snack was decaf and Baileys with the last cookie left from Christmas.

I think I did a fairly good job of loading up on the fat. I'll be scoping out new recipes from the HCG Gourmet Cookbook to try. I did review last year's blog entries and made note of those recipes that got the 2 thumbs up from both hubby and me. The 500 calorie days only last for the next 21 days. We can do this!

So let the weight loss begin!

HCG Diet, Round 4 - Loading Days!

2012-01-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

The load days have to be THE BEST part of the hcg diet plan. Okay, watching the numbers on the scale go down is pretty darn exciting too, but I am focused on the moment. We started yesterday. God bless my husband Kim who goes through this plan with me. I know he doesn't enjoy the limitations on food choices in vegetables, but he does it anyway. After all, it is just 23 days - that's what we keep telling ourselves.

Yesterday we did manage to eat fatty foods as the diet plan requires for the first 2 days. We had a toasted bacon, cheese and avocado sandwhich for breakfast. Lunch was hamburgers, fries and a chocolate milk shake. We snacked on some freshly roasted almonds. Dinner was T-Bone steak, 1/2 baked potato with butter, sour cream and cheese, 1/2 avocado, and steamed carrots. I had a glass of Cupcake Malbec (red wine) with dinner. Then we topped it off with cake for dessert.

Mentally, this loading day was hard because when I got on the scale at the start of the day, I found out I had gained close to 15 pounds in the last few months. I was appalled, and the idea of eating high fat content foods (and probably gaining even more weight) just did not appeal to me. But like the trooper I am, I gave in and did it anyway.....like it was a challenge for me to begin with - LOL.

On with the journey I go. My goal is to have a Body Mass Index number that is within normal limits. Oh and to stay there this time around.

Another New Year - Another Do Over

2012-01-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Do you remember last year's resolutions or intentions? Did you follow through? I know I intended to exercise every day, but I didn't. I know I intended to reach my goal weight, but I didn't. I know I intended to write every day, but I didn't. In 2012, I do believe my intention will be to do better than I did in 2011.

One of the things I did follow through on was my daily personal time. My mother called it her "devotion time". I, of course, can't use that term because it would make me even more like my mother. I'm already wearing her jeans (so to speak), wrapping my checkbooks together with rubber bands, not having desserts in the house because I can't not eat them, and I look just like her. Not that it's a bad thing, but I do want to be somewhat different. But I digress.... My personal time includes reading a chapter or entry in a few books on spiritual topics, some journalling and meditation.

A few years ago, I wrote an essay called The Four Be's To Abundance. It detailed a process of journalling about being grateful, being positive in your mental thoughts, being clear about your desires and being prepared. Last year, I followed that process every day (even though the original essay called for just 22 days a month). And I have to tell you, I had a pretty darn good year. There was the RV toilet disaster last summer, and it was chilly and rainy in Phoenix while we were in December, but that really was about it. I have no complaints. Still, I know there is the potential for things to be even better. And I'm working on it.

For me, if it becomes a matter of habit, I am pretty much assured of success at some point. Of course what the Universe considers success, and what I consider success can be two different things. The Universe sees the blessings in all that happens. I have tunnel vision most of the time.

The habits I will cultivate this year include writing everyday. I'll start with the habit of a daily blog entry and hopefully will be inspired to continue writing the novel I started in March 2009. I was going to add in exercising at least 5 days a week, but honestly I'm not ready to commit to that just yet. I may add that part in once my rec room is cleared out of stuff, the exercise equipment set up, and/or the weather warms up so I won't find excuses on why I can't walk on any given day. In the meantime, I will write something each day, and I will continue with the Four Be's.

For those of you that may be interested, here is the link to the Four Be's To Abundance essay:

http://betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/four-bes-to-abundance.html

Today, I will share my first entry, and probably a few more just as an example. From there on out, I will probably share only bits and pieces because like all journal entries, most of it is pretty personal. At least this will give you an idea how it works..

I am grateful for my faith in the Creator/God.

Today and every day, I will trust in the goodness and wisdom of life. (Woodene Koenig-Bricker)

I desire to be happy today.

Today I have $1000. I will spend it in this way. $100 tithe, $100 to savings, $800 for my mortgage payment this month.

So Happy New Year to all. Here's to cultivating habits that bring you peace, joy and laughter!

The Daily Grind

2011-08-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, when I was writing a monthly newsletter, I had a column on Saints. I was raised Lutheran, and we didn't talk about Saints. As an adult, I became interested in the lives of the apostles of Jesus. In my research, I found a book entitled 365 Saints: Your Daily Guide To The Wisome and Wonder Of Their Lives by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker. I became fascinated with this book about normal people and how their faith, their actions, their teachings and their just being have been recognized by the Catholic Church.

The saint for today, August 13th, is St Benildus. The title of the short essay is The Daily Grind. Truth be told, my first thoughts went to coffee - I am a Seattle Starbucks kinda gal afterall. Anyway, the first sentence in the essay asks "Do you sometimes feel you just can't stand another minute of the same old thing?" Oh yeah, been there, done that. Sometimes life is like that. You get up, you go to work, you come home, you fix dinner, you sit for a bit, and you go to bed, only to wake up and do the same thing over and over. And then you wonder why. Sometimes we get the answer to that question, and sometimes we don't. But there is something to be said for dedication to doing the same old same old. The lives we touch. The examples we set. The care we give to what we do. These all are meaningful acts.

The author of the essay finishes with this thought:

" St Benildus shows us it isn't the monumental highlights that make a saint. It's daily life. The sacrifices we make for our loved ones, the discipline we exercise in doing our jobs, even when we don't feel like it - these are the actions that transform our souls. These are the actions that can change ordinary life from a daily grind into a heavenly experience."

So, sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee (or beverage of your choice) and look for ways to transform this day, and every day, into a positive experience.

Low Carb Muffin in a Minute (or Muffin in a Mug)

2011-07-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe on the Atkins website. I'm experimenting with the amount of sweetness as I like a sweet muffin, but made as is, it is pretty darn good. Easy to make for a quick breakfast treat.

1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 packet granular sugar substitute
1 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1 tsp butter, melted

Put dry ingredients in a mug and stire. Add egg and butter. Mix. Cook in microwave for 1 minute or more.

Net carbs: 3.2 grams
Protein: 12.2 grams

Checking in - 2 months later

2011-07-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

My oh my, I can't believe it has been 2 months since I last posted a comment or random thought here.

For those of you following my weight loss progression, I'm hovering between 155 - 157 lbs. I was hoping to be down further, but that's the way it goes. As I came off the HCG phase 3, I found it easier to switch to an Atkins type protocol. I try to limit my daily net carbs to 20. To figure net carbs, you take the carb count and subtract out the dietary fiber and the sugar alcohols. I've been doing this for a while now, and maintaining. My typical diet goes like this:

Breakfast: 1 egg and 2-4 slices of bacon. Or left overs from dinner the night before. Or an Atkins bar.

Lunch: Sliced turkey or shrimp or a hamburger patty.

Snack: Handful of roasted almonds, 2 slices of string cheese. A glass of red wine or a can of club soda.

Dinner: A protein source - we tend to stick to grilled chicken, ground beef, steak or fish. A salad and/or vegetable. Maybe some cottage cheese. And a few days a week, some fruit.

It doesn't sound very balanced, does it? It doesn't feel balanced. For the rest of the summer, I think I'm just going to eat basically what I want. I know I need to stay away from flour products, rice, pasta and potatoes on a daily basis. Sure, I splurge now and then, mostly on something sweet made with flour (pie, cookies, etc). I've kind of lost my taste for potatoes, but an occasional french fry or grilled red potato is nice.

Our weather here in the Pacific Northwest as just started to improve, so I am wanting to get back to my daily walking plan. I feel better when I do. I think better when I do.

Mostly these last two months, I've just been working on my own shit. Reaffirming my spiritual base and letting go of old hurts and angers that no longer serve me. Well, technically, they never served me, but that's just all part of the lesson. I'm feeling the need to pull back. I'm limiting my Facebook time because I find that people inadvertantly make comments that push my buttons. Nothing anyone says to me personally, but just random things I read that set me off on a negative thinking streak. I found it better just to avoid the triggers. I spend a good portion of my day with one of my grandsons, and the blessings are always compounded when my other grandson joins us, or my honorary grandson visits. I watch a lot of TV, play word games on my Kindle as well as Bejeweled Blitz, and read. If you are a workaholic (as I have been in the past), you'd look at my life now and either be jealous or think that I was depressed/lazy/out of my mind. I'm happy doing nothing. It's the perfect place for me to be at this time of my life.

If feel the writing bug itching away at me again, so perhaps I will check in here more often. I will leave you today with this one piece of advice - one I'm sure you've heard before - but needs repeating because sometimes we out-think ourselves. Trust your gut - Never ignore a hunch - Pay attention to your intuition. And just be happy!

Round 3, Phase 4, Who The Hell Cares What Day It Is?

2011-05-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had a rough week here. I know what I should have done. I should have done that steak day when I was up over 2 lbs from my last dose date. Did I? Hell, no. I have no right to complain, but I'm bitching about it anyway. Over the course of the last week, I've been up and I've been down - and by down I mean within my 2 lbs, but I have yet to reach my lowest weight.

In my defense, we had a first birthday party for one of my grandsons, and I went ahead and ate 2 cupcakes and who knows how many cookies. That was the start of it. Once you really start cheating, it is so much easier to do it again the next day.

My sweet tooth is back and that's a challenge. I don't feel like cooking which makes it difficult as well, because I just feel like grabbing something. Recently it has been an apple with peanut or almond butter, or a handful-plus of roasted almonds, 2 sticks of string cheese and a glass of Merlot. The good news is that I found a Merlot I liked (Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi), and I can get it in a 4 pack so I'm not tempted to drink more than the 2 small glasses each bottle provides. Each glass contains approximately 3 grams of carbohydrate. The nuts and the cheese are basically carb-less. So far so good. However, and that's a big however, I didn't realize that a large apple can be up to about 20 carbs! That is supposed to be my full allotment for the day! Yikes! No more apples.

So here's my food choices for the foreseeable future: strawberries, raspberries, meat, cheese nuts, lettuce, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, onions, spinach, raw carrots, 1/2 avocado. If I need something sweet, I have an Atkins bar, a sugar free hard candy or a sugar free pudding. I've found a low carb yogurt that I use in the morning if I'm in a hurry.

The other missing pieces of the puzzle I know, and I just don't do. Exercise and drinking lots of water. I am thankful for the days I comply, and grumble on the days I don't.

The other "good" news I am happy to share is that I bought a pair of size 12 jeans the other day. After wearing 16s for quite some time, I'm pretty pleased. I got them from Old Navy. They are bootcut with a regular waist. I think they were the Sweetheart line. I read a review that had one person saying they were disappointed because the jeans stretched after a few hours and she was pulling them up all the time. Another person posted that she solved the problem by buying one size smaller, being slightly uncomfortable for an hour or so of each wear, but the fabric relaxed and they they looked good all day. So I went with the one size small method and I'll let you know how it goes.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 18 - I DON"T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT

2011-04-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've skipped a few days here. I really don't want to talk about it. However, when I don't want to talk about it, I know that is precisely the time that I should be talking about it.

I'm frustrated. I'm bored. I'm tired of it all. I'm back up over my 2 lb range...by 2 frigging tenths of a pound. Who pays that amount of attention to their weight?

I have so many things that have been running through my mind. A few weeks ago, in my journalling, I was writing about my friends. I have fat friends, skinny friends, old friends, young friends, new friends, gay friends, straight friends, friends who are bald, blonde, brunette, red-heads, rich friends, poor friends - and the list goes on. And do you know that not of my friends are my friends because of the adjective I used to describe them. I'm not going to love friend A more if she gains weight, or friend B more if she loses weight. I'm not going to love friend C more because she colors her hair, or love friend D less because he grows a beard.

I don't expect anyone to love me more because I'm losing weight or stalled on my diet or fricking frustrated because the scale reads 155.0 lbs. I know my true friends love me for me. I'm also good with people not loving me, but liking the fact that I am open enough to share my journey with the public. I do want to be an example and a role model. I want to promote honesty. And I want to learn to love myself, exactly how I am.

There are so many different diets and eating plans out there. So many totally contradict each other. I can barely recall all the eating plans I've tried over the years. I've eaten no fat, low fat, high fat, no carb, low carb, no gluten, raw, vegetarian, vegan, fruit only in the morning, pre-packaged meals, Weight Watchers, hCG, body/blood type, ayurvedic - you name it, I've probably at least tried it. Okay - well, I don't think I ever did the cabbage soup diet. And for each of the diets I've tried, at some point I became bored and frustrated.

I am 15 lbs from my goal weight. I know the foods that cause me to gain weight. I know I have to avoid the "whites" - flour, potatoes, rice, starches, sugar. Do I like it? Hell no! Can I find things to substitute for those things - sort of. I can make do with sweet potatoes - baked, fried, boiled. I actually liked fried radishes too. I've learned to do without bread, but I miss eating sandwiches. I miss saying yes to desserts that aren't made with sugar substitutes.

But mostly I miss just being happy about being me....just as I am. It reminds me of the line from Bridgette Jones' Diary - "I like you very much - just the way you are." Isn't that just want we all want to hear? The funny thing is that is is always true - even if we don't say it to each other. I like you just the way you are - or duh - I wouldn't be liking you at all. Get a clue!

The goal now is for me to look in the mirror and say "Betsy, I like you just the way you are!" and mean it!

PS: I think this blog will be taking a turn back to my general musings and thoughts, and less about what the hell I'm eating. I'll continue to share recipes as I find the ones that I really like. I'll continue to share my ups and downs with the whole body self image journey. I'll bitch a little. I'll dream a little. Hopefully I will be a role model.

Here's to finding whatever it is that we are looking for!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 14

2011-04-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 154.4 lbs

Still just wishing with all her might that one morning she gets up, pees and gets on the scale to see it read 140 lbs! - Hey a girl can dream, can't she?

Breakfast: 3 strips of bacon and 1 sausage patty.

Lunch: 4oz lean ground beef patty and some string cheese, which I shared with my grandson.

Dinner: Salad and goose soup.

Yes, goose soup. We made soup from the left over goose. The broth was very fatty, and yes good. I added a few scoops of chicken bouillon granules, some onion, garlic, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, and broccoli, salt, pepper, herbes de provence and some extra thyme. I left that cook and then skimmed off as much of the fat that floated to the top as I could get. It was pretty good actually.

Dessert: 1 sugar free pudding. 1/2 left almond flour shortcake with strawberries and sugar free Cool Whip.

I look at what I am eating, and from a food pyramid standpoint, it looks atrocious. I have one more week at phase 3, and then will add more veggies and fruit in my diet. I hope I didn't miss the honey mango season. I'm missing carrots, peas and sweet potatoes too.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 13

2011-04-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I missed Day 12 - on purpose. Just because the first time you have 2 glasses of wine and don't gain anything, does not mean that every time you have 2 glasses of wine you won't gain anything. This is the first time in my 3 rounds of the hCG protocol that was I went over my 2 lb limit. Protocol states that I should have done a steak day. Yesterday, when I went over the 2 lb mark, I should have had only water, coffee and tea all day long, with a 12 oz steak for dinner and an apple for dessert. I can't go all day without eating, unless I'm sick. Technically I was sick about the weight gain, but I was I wasn't sick - sick.

Anyway, although I am usually a "rule" follower, this was the exception to that rule. So no wine yesterday, but plenty of whining. I stuck with protein and salad.

Weigh in: 154.8. Back to within my 2 lb limit. My goal is to be in the 140s, so we are adding our exercise back in. We are making the effort to walk 1.5 - 2 miles per day. And I think if I start drinking water again, that will also help.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, cheese and turkey.

Lunch: Well, there really was no lunch because we were having an early dinner, but I did snack on cheese, an apple and just a few nuts.

Dinner: Goose, rutabegas and gravy, fresh green beans, and 1 itsy bitsy bite of mashed potatoes along with a pinch of the fluffy inside of a roll.

Dessert: Strawberry shortcake made with almond flour and truvia!

Such a yummy day!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 11

2011-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 153.8 lbs

I do like the fact that after a lunch at Burger King and a dinner that included chicken skin - I maintained my weight.

That's all I'm saying, because I know I blew it today. I had a few glasses of wine, way too many almonds and too much cheese, and other stuff.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 10

2011-04-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Weigh in 153.8 lbs.

Breakfast: I snacked on bacon and sausage this morning, in between cups of coffee.

Lunch: A bacon double Whopper with cheese (no bun, no ketchup) from Burger King. Although calorically I'm sure this was a disaster - it is a way to have fast food that is a bit rewarding.

Dinner: Roasted chicken thighs and sauteed zucchini. The chicken thighs are a regular meal in our house. It's been over a month since I have had skin on my chicken - the best part of a chicken in my opinion. I wash and dry the meat. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Top it with some white wine and olive oil, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. The zucchini gets sliced, and sauteed in a little bit of olive oil (too much and it just soaks it up and makes the zucchini mushy). Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Heat just until warm but still firm. If the insides are turning color/clear, take them off the heat immediately!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 9

2011-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 154.2 lbs - okay down is down as I keep reminding myself.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the psychological change that comes in Phase 3. For 21 days in phase 2, you get used to seeing the scale drop at least 0.4 lbs per day - sometimes up to 2 lbs a day. That is very cool and makes the whole limited calories and food choices so worth it.

Intellectually, I understand that Phase 3 is about balancing out and re-setting the hypothalmus so that you do not want to go either up or down more than 2 lbs from your last dose day weight. I understand that - but still, it is much more rewarding to watch the scale go down, rather than hover or go up.

Note: I got interrupted and forgot to finish this post. In the meantime, I've forgotten what I ate that day except for dinner. I sauteed the left over buffalo roast with onions, mushrooms and left over cauliflower. I added a healthy glop of butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Butter really does make everything so yummy. I served it with steamed asparagus. It was a lick the plate kind of meal. All the credit goes to the butter, I think!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 8

2011-04-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 154.4 lbs. Crap and oh joy! I want to go back down to the lower 150s, but the good news is that I am still within my 2 lb limit, up or down, according to protocol.

Breakfast: Sliced strawberries and 3 slices of bacon.

Lunch: Left over taco meat, cheese and a few slices of left over buffalo steak.

Dinner: Buffalo rump roast, mushrooms, cauliflower with cheese and 1/2 avocado. A glass of merlot.

Snack: Well, the merlot was not so good, but my head wanted a glass, so I grabbed a handful of almonds and a wedge of cheese which made the merlot taste better. Sugar free pudding.

We had both grandbabies today, and the weather got up to about 50 degrees in the afternoon, so we went for a walk. It was probably about 3/4 mile, which is more than I've walked in a while, so that was good. I really can't wait for the weather to get warmer in the morning as that is my better walking time.

I keep track of what I eat partly to analyze what works and what doesn't work for me, but I also look and see if there is a pattern to my eating. I would normally eat much more vegetables - whether I am dieting or not - so I can see on two baby days or even if it is a 1 baby "all day" day, I'll want to plan more.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 7

2011-04-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 153.8 lbs - Whew - no change.

Breakfast: 3 strips of bacon.

Lunch: Hamburger patty and cheese, plus 18 shrimp.

Dinner: Taco Salad

Snack: Sugar free pudding

My normal routine for these blog posts is to write in the morning, detailing meals from the day before. So that when I actually post it, I already know how those meals affected my weight because I've already weighed in for the next day. This was a chronical of Monday's meal, which should have been posted on Tuesday morning, but apparently I forgot to do it yesterday, so I'm actually writing this Wednesday morning. And unfortunately, I've forgotten what snacks I had - and I must have had plenty because I was up 0.6 lbs - although still within my 2 lb limit. I seem to remember snacking alot between lunch and dinner because lunch was late. I do know that if I eat at regular times, I do better. If lunch gets late, and my blood sugar drops too much then I'm snacking all afternoon. I'm guessing that is what happened this time....snacks that I know I had on hand were pork rinds and sour cream, cheese sticks, and almonds.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 6

2011-04-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 153.8 lbs. I have to keep reminding myself that Phase 3 is about maintaining your weight within 2 lbs high or low of your last dose weight. My last dose weight was 152.8 lbs so I am within that reference range. I'd like to see myself go down some more - I'd really like to be at 140lbs, but I am eating what I want, when I want it, and I am very satisfied, Plus I am not really exercising so I'm not sure why I expect to be still losing weight.

Breakfast: Cheesey scrambled eggs and bacon.

Lunch: Hamburger patty with cheese, cucumber, olives and cheese.

Snack: Two string cheese sticks.

Dinner: Chicken breast with melted cheese and coleslaw. This was from KFC - We bought one of those double chicken breast meals with melted cheese and bacon in the middle. There may have been bacon flavoring, but I sure didn't see a strip of bacon. I split one order with my husband. I'm guessing the cole slaw probably had some sugar in it as well. I'm just hoping it was minimal.

Snacks: 1 sugar free pudding. 1 string cheese. 20 almonds.

I ate the almonds and the cheese about 10pm. I should have just gone to bed and not eaten anything, but I was watching The Kennedys and wanted to finish the episode. I'm a little nervous about tomorrow's weigh in.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 5

2011-04-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 153.2 lbs. Yep - staying away from the almonds helped. I'm thinking I may want to restart my vitamins again just because I'm not eating as much veggies as I usually would. I may wait until after phase 3 is over. I'm not really a fruit eater, and I would normally want at least 2 veggies at dinner, but living in an RV and cooking on the 3 burner stove with little prep room sometimes makes that difficult. We are house hunting and having a big kitchen is almost at the top of my 'must have' list. A big garden/soaking tub is #1 - if you wondered!

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and bacon.

Lunch: 1.5 oz cream cheese with baby shrimp and cocktail sauce and hijama. This was an attempt at trying to duplicate one of my favorite snacks. Mixing the shrimp and cocktail sauce, and serving that over a brick of cream cheese with your favorite crackers (I would use Wheat Thins or Triscuts). The hijama gave it a rather sweet taste. I tried it before with thick cucumber slices and liked it better that way.

Snack: Pork rinds and sour cream.

Dinner: Buffalo T- Bone steak, fried daikon radish and salad. I love buffalo meat - it's leaner than regular beef without sacrificing flavor. Glass of merlot.

Snack: Sugar free pudding

Fried Daikon Radish (adapted from Dr Atkin's New Diet Cookbook)

Peel the radish. Grate radish using the larger holed grater. Heat about 1/4" olive oil in a hot skillet - I used a cast iron skillet. Add garlic powder to taste. When the oil is hot, add grated radish. Pack down evenly around the skillet. Flip when the bottoms brown. Use caution as brown to black goes much faster than raw to brown. I think it is about 10 minutes per side. When the other side is browned, remove radish from pan onto layers of paper towels to soak up extra oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are missing potatoes - this is a great alternative. I would cook them again in a heartbeat - even for breakfast with fried eggs.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 4

2011-04-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning scale! Official weigh in: 153.0 lbs. I guess it's official - no nuts for me.....at least for another 3 weeks. I'll stick with meat and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes during the day, and then add some different veggies at night. That, and keeping an eye on the amount of cheese I eat.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and hot dogs.

Lunch: Oy vey - we were shopping and didn't get around to having lunch until late, so I was a piglet. 18 shrimp, 7 olives with mozzarella cheese bits, 2 sticks of string cheese, pork rinds with sour cream.

Dinner: Not so hungry tonight because of the late lunch so we enjoyed 4oz turkey burger with mushrooms and asparagus.

Snack: Sugar free pudding.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 3

2011-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Uffda - still at 153.8 lbs. It's only up 1 pound from my weight on the last dose day, so I shouldn't be too upset.

Breakfast: Slice strawberries.

Snack: 3 slices bacon.

Lunch: 18 shrimp and 1/2 cucumber.

Snack: 2 slices of string cheese and a handful of pork rinds.

Dinner: Tangy Vinegar Chicken, Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese, 1/2 avocado

Snack: Sugar free pudding.

I got a 2 thumbs up for the chicken tonight from the husband. It was a little too tangy for me. It is a phase 2 recipe which I did not alter. If I make it again, I will brown the breasts in a little olive oil with the garlic and onion, but cook in the broth and half the vinegar the recipe called for. The recipe comes from the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook.

Tangy Vinegar Chicken

100 grams chicken breast (I cut the breast into smaller pieces)
1/4 cup chicken brother
1/4 apple cider vinegar
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs minced chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken stock, vinegar, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a sauce pan and warm. Add chicken and cook thoroughly. Deglaze pan if necessary with water and/or chicken broth.

Note: I just realized I forgot to add the lemon juice listed in the ingredients. But I also see that the author did not include the lemon juice in the instructions either. I assume it should be added with the rest of the liquids.

hCG Diet, Round 3, Phase 3, Day 2

2011-04-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Yep - I definitely overdid it yesterday with the extra calories and fats, and probably the 2 glasses of wine. I gained 2 pounds. I'm right at the edge, so I am not doing a steak day, but I will be careful about what I eat today. Minimal cheese and no wine.

Weigh in: 153.8 lbs.

Breakfast: Apple with peanut butter

Lunch: Ham, green olives and mozzarella.

Snack: Handful of almonds and 1 piece of string cheese.

Dinner: Taco Salad with hamburger, salsa, sour cream, avocado and grated cheddar.

Snack: 1 sugar free pudding

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 3, Day 1

2011-04-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Day 1? Or perhaps the first day of the rest of my life - as far as phases go.

Weigh in: 151.8 lbs.

Breakfast: 1 egg and 4 slices of bacon

Lunch: 18 shrimp and 1/4 cucumber

Snack: 1/2 slice of string cheese

Dinner: 7 oz rib eye steak, asparagus, sauteed mushrooms and roasted radishes with 2 glasses of merlot.

Snack: 2 slices of string cheese, 1 handful of roasted almonds, 1 sugar free pudding.

I'm pretty sure I over did it today. Too much cheese, and sometimes nuts and I don't get along. I need to remember that.

Roasted Radishes - A recipe I found on a website somewhere and jotted down.

4-5 bunchs/bags of red radishes - cleaned and sliced

On a baking sheet or baking pan (I used a glass pan, but next time I will use a cookie sheet with sides), toss radishes with olive oil (or use 1/4 chicken broth if you are on phase 2). Season with rosemary and salt. Bake at 350, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until browned. Serve warm or cold.

I think I used too much olive oil as they took almost an hour to brown, and they were still pretty oily. I will try this again because although you know it isn't fried potatoes - it's not too far off. The sharpness of the radish disappears with cooking, apparently.

hCG Round 3, Phase 2, Day 24

2011-04-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

OMG, I thought this day would never come - LOL. Weigh-in: 152.2 lbs.

Again, my motto is "Down is down" I was hoping to be in the 140s by now, but I am happy with the results. Tomorrow phase 3 begins!

Breakfast: Coffee

Lunch: Turkey slices, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.

Dinner: Hamburger patties and green salad.

Snack: Sugar free pudding.

We went grocery shopping with tomorrow in mind. Eggs, bacon, steak and avocados! I am glad to be on to the next phase. It makes going out easier. I look forward tomorrow to a nice glass of merlot, a slice of cheese and a handful of almonds while watching NCIS!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 23

2011-04-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 152.4 lbs

This is the first of two non-drop days. I am hungrier, but we've been busy moving.

Breakfast: 1 orange.

Lunch: A few slices of turkey and a handful of cherry tomatoes.

Snack: 3 oz shrimp.

Dinner: Curry Chicken with mushrooms and salad. Yummy!

Snack: 1 sugar free pudding.

It was one of those kind of days. I'm tired of the reduced calories, and ready for something different.

Curry Chicken - From the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook

3.5 oz chicken breast,cubed
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
Pinch of tumeric
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion powder
1 tbs onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Stevia to taste
Cayenne to taste

Dissolve spices in the chicken broth in a saucepan and heat. Add Chicken, onion, garlic and chicken and heat. Add a little stevia to taste if you like sweet curry. (I doubled the recipe as I was cooking for 2 and added 4 drops of stevia) Sautee chicken in liquid until fully cooked and the liquid is reduced by half.

(I added a handful of sliced mushrooms to the recipe and it was very good! - Although not protocol compliant)

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 22

2011-04-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

All night, all day, angels watching over me, My Lord.......

Official weigh in: 152.8 lbs! I'm not sure how that happened with my big cheat with the petit fours - oh and I forgot, I also had a glass of merlot last night - but I obviously have some hCG angels watching over me!

Breakfast: Sliced strawberries.

Lunch: 3.5 oz sliced turkey, 1 low fat cheese stick and 4 midget dill pickles.

Dinner: Turkey patty, sliced mushrooms and a green salad.

So right off I see that I had turkey at both meals. I did eat about 2/3s of the cheese stick. Low fat dairy products taste like crap!

We "decided" to go 23 days with the drops - mainly because my husband spacedout and took drops this morning, when we were going to stop. Being the good wife, and not wanting to eat steak, butter, cheese, olives and avocados in front of him on Monday, I am doing an extra day of drops as well. Tomorrow, we stop the drops and continue the very low calorie diet for 2 more days. Then there will be dancing!

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 21

2011-04-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well now, this was a pleasant surprise Mr Scale. Weigh in: 153.2 lb - no change. And that after approximately 4 oz of filet mignon and a glass of merlot. I'm a happy girl this morning. Now my goal will be to say no to the petit fours and other goodies being offered at my uncle's memorial this afternoon.

Next decision: Do we continue with phase 2 until we are out of drops. They won't 'save' for another 9 weeks, should we chose to do another round. Or do we stick with our original plan and just do these 23 days of very low calorie diet, and move to phase 3 on Monday as planned. Oh I miss my fats - avocado, cooking with olive oil, almonds. Not to mention bacon, eggs, and OMG - CHEESE! I really wanted to get down into the 140s with this round. We will run out of drops, but I still have left over hCG pellets from my 2nd round. I'm just not sure yet.

Breakfast: Sliced strawberries

Lunch: Left over steak (which was just as yummy as it was last night) and left over green beans.

Dinner: Roasted garlic chicken and asparagus.

Snack: Oopsie - some of the petit fours I brought back from the memorial.

I made it through the memorial service and tea/coffee reception after without being tempted by the goodies. At the last minute, it dawned on me that my uncle (who arranged all of this before his death) would be upset if I did not enjoy these treats. So we picked on of each kind, brought them home with the intention of enjoying them in a few days. But alas, I gave in last night. Not sure how this will effect the scale in the morning.

Oh and the Roasted Garlic Chicken was a big hit with both hubby and me. Recipe from the HCG Diet Gourmet Coookbook.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

100 grams of chicken breast sliced (I used 2 tenderloins)
1 serving Melba Toast, crushed (I used 1 grissini - although 2 would have given better coating)
1/4 cup chicken brother or water
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
2 cloves of garlic sliced (I used one large one)
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
S&P to taste

Marinate chicken in liquid ingredients. Add dry spices to melba toast crumbs. Coat chicken with the crumb mixture and place in a small baking dish. Add the marinate to the bottom of the dish. Cover the chicken pieces with the sliced garlic and bake for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

That is the recipe as given in the cookbook. I didn't have an onion salt with me, so I substituted a seasoning blend called Beau Monde. The crumb mixture did not look like it was enough to coat my fish, so I added about 1 tbs of Johnny's Dock Salad Elegance. That might not be available in your area, but any of those seasonings blends that you like would probably do. I will be making this again, even when we are not limited calorie wise. I'll probably try coating it in butter or olive oil before dipping it in the crumbs.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 20

2011-04-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I should kick the scale or jump for joy. I know the protocol tells you to avoid doing what I am about to describe, but if you have read my other posts, I am not a strict protocol follower (which if you really know me is odd because I do tend to follow rules and directions to the letter). Anyway.....I got up at 5:30am because I had to pee. Following protocol, I got on the scale. 154.0 lbs - no change. I got back into bed, pouting, and writing it out in my journal. My 'standard' weigh in time is between 6 and 7 am. So I got back up at 6:15, got on the scale and weighed in at 153.2. Yay - that's better. Then I noticed the scale was not really level - it was between two of the large tiles in the bathroom. Always the optomist, I moved it to a totally flat surface, got back on, hoping to see more weight loss. Drat - 153.6 lbs. Can you really gain 0.4 lb in 60 seconds?

So officially, I'm going to use the 153.2 lbs only because it makes me feel better. I'm doing this somewhat cautiously because I know we will be having dinner out tonight and there will be cheats. I've already scanned the menu, and decided on the petite top sirloin. I'll decline the starches, and ask for veggies and a salad (picking off the croutons, and praying there are no olives on it - olives are hard for me to give up). And I already know I'm having that glass of merlot. I may just have to invoke divine intercession to save me from any noticable weight gain. We only have 3 more days of the very low calorie phase, and I'd like to break into the 140s if at all possible.

Breakfast: Slice strawberries and coffee.

Lunch: 4oz shrimp and 1/2 cucumber.

Dinner: We ate out tonight as part of a celebration of my uncle's life. I had a small dinner salad, somewhere before 4-5 oz of filet mignon, and 1/2 cup of steamed green beans. The filet was 10z, and I cut it in half, and then took a slice off one half - attempting to achieve 4oz. It was very, very good. I enjoyed one glass of merlot with the meal. I was able to pass on dessert and fresh bread. I was quite proud of myself.

Snack: 4oz shrimp. I just did not want fruit tonight, so I went with protein instead.

I hope I am able to keep my weight status quo, or even less.

I am having a hard time with the dry weather here. It's cold and dry. We stopped at Walmart and I picked up some mineral oil and vaseline. I'm experiencing some nose bleeds, so I am having to pack one nostril with vaseline coated cotton balls. TMI? I don't know what else to do. I hope that this does not effect my weight. Tomorrow's weigh in will tell.

hCG Round 3, Phase 2, Day 19

2011-04-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, H-E-Double Toothpicks as my mom used to say. Weigh in: 154.0 lbs. That's up 0.2 lbs. The weird thing is that yesterday, I was more strict that I usually am. I use a skin care product that is based with virgin olive oil. I just use a drop, and pat it on the dry patches on my face. I have done this every day since I started this round. After an email I received from a strict hCG protocol follower, I decided to try mineral oil as is suggested in Dr Simeons' Pounds and Inches. I used just a drop - similar to the olive oil - and I gained 0.2 lbs. Well, there is not much I can do about it now. I am not doing an apple day as I don't consider this a stall. My stress level is climbing. We have to go over a mountain pass on the way to my uncle's funeral. I hate driving or riding on snowy/icy roads, and I just read chains are required today. I'm doing a lot of praying that things warm up and the snow level rises so much that the restrictions are removed. We will see what tomorrow brings. LOL - how many people bring a scale with them when they travel? Just us hCG nuts!

Breakfast: Handful of blackberries with truvia

Lunch: 3.5 oz turkey breast with cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes

Dinner: Turkey patty and asparagus.

Although I didn't recognize it at the time, I can see as I type this out that I made an unintentional protocol error in having the same kind of meat at lunch and dinner. The irony of course is that turkey is not officially on the protocol anyway. I also found it interesting that I was too tired after a day of travelling to think about a snack.

We are now in Eastern Washington where it is colder and dryer than the climate in the Seattle area. My skin is so dry, I had to use a little hand cream last night. I didn't drink as many fluids yesterday as I normally would, just because we were in the car for 6 hours and who knew when the urge was going to hit. Thankfully when we were stopped for a 1 hour avalanche delay in the middle of nowhere, we had just left a rest stop 15 minutes before. I will say travelling with your RV does alleviate the hunt for a bathroom/rest stop problem, but gratefully we were able to find what we needed when we needed it.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 18

2011-04-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 153.8 lbs - Yay, down some more.

Breakfast: A handful of blackberries with truvia.

Lunch: Beef and cabbage soup with 1 grissini.

Dinner: Chicken paprika and green salad.

Snack: Sliced strawberries.

A two grandbaby day, plus last minute details for travel plans and funeral arrangements. We are planning one meal out in the 4 days we are gone. We've found a steak house and I have already checked the menu. Hubby and I will probably split an 8oz top sirloin or an order of skewered shrimp, with a green salad. I'll pack a little bottle of Bragg's with me which we can use for dressing. I know I will be endulging in one glass of wine at dinner, in honor of my uncle, and that will just have to be the way it is - come what may.

The beef and cabbage soup was very good. I'd probably use 1/2 the amount of cabbage the recipe suggests, and I did add a handful of sliced mushrooms. The chicken paprika was okay. Strict protocol followers are advised to serve this with sliced tomatoes. I like variety, so I served it with a green salad, which is off protocol. Both recipes come from the hCG Gourmet Cookbook.

Beef and Cabbage Soup

3.5 oz lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups of cabbage
2 cups beef broth
2 tbs Bragg's liquid
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 tbs onion, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This recipe can be made using chicken and chicken broth as well. Feel free to play around with spice combinations that you prefer.

Chicken Paprika

3.5 oz chicken (I used chicken tenderloin strips)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Combine broth, chicken, garlic and onion, and bring to a low broil. Stir in tomato paste and spices, and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer 20 - 30 minutes until chicken is cooked.

Note: For me, this recipe made a lot of sauce that went to waste. If I make it again, I would use half the paprika, and substitute maybe 2 oz tomato juice for the tomato paste..

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 17

2011-04-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in: 154.6 lbs - There is something about the mid "mile markers" of passing the "5" and the "0" markers. So officially I am doing the dance of joy to be under 155. I'm looking forward to being in the 140s, and hope to reach that goal in the next week.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: Beef stir fry strips with diced tomatoes. (No recipe per se, I found 3.5 oz of beef strips labeled as stir fry meat, browned them with some garlic powder, salt and pepper and a tbs of chopped onion, and added 1/2 can of diced tomatoes)

Dinner: Taco Salad

Snack: Sliced strawberries

Another busy day with funeral arrangements and phone calls. I'll be glad when this week is over.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 16

2011-04-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in: 155.2 lbs - down 0.6 lbs - yay!

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit (eaten later in the morning - almost snack time)

Lunch: 3.5 oz turkey breast, 1/2 cucumber, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1 pickle

Dinner: Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken, cabbage, salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes with Bragg's as dressing.

Snack: Handful of blackberries

After a day of funeral arrangements and notification phone calls, I needed a day out, so we went house hunting. It was more checking out various neighborhoods and looking to see what was out there. I don't think we will be seriously looking until this summer, but I know I want to be in a regular house for the holidays. In the meantime, I could feel myself wanting to snack, so it was best just to get out of the house.

The Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken was very good. I will make it again, even when we are on Phase 3 (sauteeing the spices in ghee before adding the rest of the ingredients. The recipe comes from the HCG Gourmet Cookbook.

Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken

3.5 oz chicken breast
1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp allspice
Dash of cumin
Dash of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine spices with liquid ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and chicken. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

Note: I was cooking for 2 and substituted a can of diced tomatoes for the fresh ones. I didn't drain them first, but when I make it again, I would drain them. I will probably experiment with additional Indian spices the next time. It was a very good meal!

Also of note to strict hCG protocol followers: Combining veggies is not part of the strict protocol. Neither is turkey nor blackberries. I chose to cheat.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 15

2011-04-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 155.8 lbs (no change)

Breakfast: Coffee

Lunch: 3.5 oz roast beef, 1/2 cucumber, 3 cherry tomatoes

Dinner: 3.5oz ground turkey patty, sliced mushrooms, green salad with Bragg's dressing

Snack: Handful of blackberries

I spent most of the day dealing with my uncle's funeral arrangements, calling his friends, and shopping for clothes to wear to the funeral. My diet food choices stayed within the 500 calorie allottment I believe, but yes I know turkey, mushrooms and blackberries are off protocol.

The good news is that I found the Bragg's to be quite tasty as an option for salad dressing.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 14

2011-04-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 155.8 lbs.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: 3.5 oz roast beef, 1/2 cucumber, 3 cherry tomatoes.

Snack: Chicken broth with 1 grissini.

Dinner: Hamburger patty with mushrooms and asparagus.

Snack: Sliced strawberries.

Today was a busy and emotional day. My uncle made his transition. He was the last living relative of that generation in my family. We live about 400 miles away and it has been stressful making arrangements by phone.

It was very hard not to reach for something outside of the diet protocol to snack on, and I haven't quite figured out how we are going to maintain this meal plan while travelling. We will see what happnens.

hCG Diet, Round 3, Phase 2, Day 13

2011-04-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in: 156.2 lbs

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: 3.5 oz roast beef with 1/2 cucumber and 1 pickle.

Dinner: Taco Salad. I weighed out 3.5 oz ground beef (93/7 fat ratio) and browned it. Added spices to taste (garlic powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. I added about 1/2 individual serving size can (I think they are 6 oz) of tomato juice and let it thicken up. (I drank the rest of the can) I served this on top of a generous handful of chopped lettuce with a spoonful of salsa.

Snack: Sliced Strawberries.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 12

2011-03-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in - yay - 156.4 lbs. Down 0.8 lbs.

I seem to detect a bit of a pattern - 1-2 days of zero to minimal weight loss, followed by a day of about 1 lb of loss.

Breakfast: Coffee.

Lunch: Sliced chicken breast, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes.

Snack: A few shrimp. 1/2 grapefruit.

Dinner: Mini meatloaf, salad and a small helping of left over sweet and sour cabbage.

Snack: 1 apple.

I'm feeling hungrier throughout the day. I am considering allowing myself some chicken or beef broth during snack time, but honestly, I like the taste of coffee better. I may start adding in the high protein shakes, splitting a serving with hubby. I feel a little protein deprived. Or I think I do. It may be because I was just reading the section in Pounds and Inches about protein deprivation - which is why just a 500 calorie per day diet is too hard on the body without adding the hCG component.

hCG Diet, Round 3, Phase 2, Day 11

2011-03-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Weigh in: 157.2 lbs No change.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: Shrimp and cucumber slices.

Snack: 4 pieces of cubed chicken breast.

Dinner: Beef strip stirfry with mushrooms and sauteed celery. Sweet and sour steamed red cabbage.

Snack: Sliced strawberries.

It was a busy day with both grandbabies. Sometimes it is hard when you are preparing food for them to remember that you can't taste it for temperature. I was hungry today, mostly mid afternoon. I was proud of myself for only grabbing some chicken as a snack. There were sugar cookies staring at me, begging me to try one. Sugar cookies are my favorite cookie. Thank you to my son for eating them so I wasn't tempted.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage:

Chop 1/2 head of red cabbage. Steam until cooked but still firm. Spray a sauce pan with pam. Add 1/3 apple cider vinegar and 3 tbs splenda. Cook on low until done to your tastes. Salt and pepper as needed.

I found this recipe on the internet. I found it a little too sweet and a little too sour. If I make it again, I will use 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tbs of splenda. The salt and pepper definitely make it more tasty.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 10

2011-03-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in: 157.2 lbs. Reminding myself that down is down.

I did take the time to go back and review my weight loss and menus during my previous Phase 2 days. It seems that I took to combining veggies in salads and snacks from the very start. At some point, I added in a helping of sugar free pudding as well. And I used turkey and lamb in some meals. Here's what I observed.

1. Mixing the vegetables has not seemed to make a difference for me. It's hard to tell because I have never gone more than one day with not mixing vegetables. On the days that I followed a stricter protocol, I saw no major increase in weight loss. Having a salad and a serving of asparagus makes dinner much more pleasant.
2. Turkey has not seemed to impede or improve my weight loss, even though it is not part of Dr Simeons' protocol.
3. Lamb did impede weight loss. There was definitely a smaller weight loss on the mornings after I ate lamb. It will now have to wait until Phase 3 for sure.
4. I am suspicious of the pudding. Although, honestly, I ate it all the way through my 2nd round and my weight loss was 3 lbs less than I lost in round 1 where I only ate pudding in the last week. Either way, I do think I will do my best not to indulge in pudding in this 3rd round.
5. Somewhere along the line in the 2nd round, I decided to have a wedge of low fat cheese in lieu of the 1 tbsp of milk that is allowed in the protocol. Somedays it did not make a difference, some days it did.
6. I found that if I cheated earlier in the day, it played less of an effect than if I cheated at night. I'll keep that in mind and see if it makes a difference this time around. I may try having a tossed salad at lunch, and a single vegetable at night. I'll let you know the outcome.

Breakfast: Coffee

Lunch: Chicken Vegetable Soup and 1 grissini

Dinner: Veal with mushrooms and onions, and green salad with cucumbers, celery and cherry tomatoes.

Snack: Sliced strawberries

hCG Diet - Round 3, Phase 2, Day 9

2011-03-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Whew! The steak mix up from yesterday did not result in a weight gain!

Weigh in: 157.4 lbs. A loss is a loss is a loss. So yay for me!

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: Ground Chicken Vegetable Soup and 1 grisini

Dinner: Ground turkey patty, 2 sliced mushrooms, steamed asparagus

Snack: Sliced strawberries

I was going to make a soup recipe from the HCG Gourmet Cookbook, but I didn't have the spices I needed, so I made my own. Technically, this would be a Phase 3 soup because I did combine vegetables. It turned out pretty good, but for phase 3 I would add cauliflower and ghee. I made it and we enjoyed it on Phase 2 because it is one of my reasonable cheats. Doing the basic math in my head - yes, I know where that got me yesterday - I used 1 lb of ground chicken in what appears to be 5-6 servings of soup. That is well within the 3.5 ounce allotment. The vegetables I used were celery, onions and canned diced tomatoes. Recipe is below.

A friend mentioned that turkey was not on the protocol. What??? I was sure I saw it, but when I went back to look, alas he was right. Hmmmm. I may have to go back and check my previous rounds to see if the days I saw little or no weight loss corresponded to my having turkey the day before. Or mixing the vegetables.

Betsy's Ground Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 lb ground chicken (I used a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to coat the pan, but Pam would work too)
2 slices of onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 - 1 tsp coconut oil

The following spices to taste (I don't always measure but I think I used approximately 1/2 - 1 tsp each):

Cumin
Coriander
Curry
Garlic powder
Cinnamon
Salt

Crumble and brown the ground chicken. Add to soup pot. In the same pan used to brown the chicken, add 1/2 - 1 tsp coconut oil (I would use Ghee for Phase 3) and allow it to melt. Add the spices (except the salt)and sautee until you can smell the aroma - about 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped celery and chopped onion. Cook on low until vegetables soften. Add this to the chicken in the soup pot. Add the diced tomatoes to the soup pot along with the chicken broth. Add salt (and pepper if you like) to taste. Cook on low for about 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 8

2011-03-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Whooop whoop whooooop! Weigh in: 157.8 lbs!

Today's lesson - don't do weight conversions in your head. Another good argument for my getting a smart phone. We went shopping today, and one of the things about this diet is that we stick to our list. Nothing that "just looked good" finds its way into the cart. I was looking for a few eye of the round steaks. I had 7 oz in my mind. 3.5 oz for me, 3.5 oz for hubby. 3.5oz + 3.5oz = 7oz. Right? However 7oz is not the same as 0.7 lbs. 0.7 lbs translates to 11 oz. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize my math error until we had already eaten the steak. Oh well, maybe we will luck out. It was a lean steak. Tomorrow morning's weigh in will tell.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: Shrimp, 1/2 cucumber and 4 cherry tomatoes

Dinner: Eye of the round steak (more than the allowed amount as noted above) with a few mushrooms and onions, and green salad

Snack: Sliced Strawberries and Stevia

I have to tell you that one of my quick saver lunch fixes is what I enjoyed today. I buy the 8 oz ring of shrimp in the frozen section at the store. It comes with a side of cocktail sauce. They are already cooked. Take the package out of the freezer in the morning and they are defrosted and ready to enjoy by lunchtime. If you are on this diet by yourself, you have lunch for tomorrow. If you have a partner that is also hcg-ing it, this makes for 2 servings. Technically, yes, the protocol calls for 3.5 oz, not 4 oz. And a coach will tell you this is not appropriate, but I'm not a professional hcg coach. I'm just me sharing what works for me. The 20 calories of the extra 0.5oz of shrimp has not made a difference for me. I also gingerly dip the shrimp in the cocktail sauce so there is just a hint of flavor. All totalled, my guess is that I use about 1/4 tsp of cocktail sauce. The enjoyment level skyrockets around the meal and makes me stick with it.

My other non-protocol approved regular practice is to combine salad veggies. I can think of nothing more boring that iceburg lettuce (or any lettuce) all on its own. Just adding a few cherry tomatoes, a 1/4 rib of sliced celery, 2 sliced green onions, and a sliced mushroom makes all the difference. It then really becomes a salad, not just lettuce. It is against protocol - but again, I'm not a coach. And I do know myself. If I don't enjoy it, I won't continue. Would I have greater daily weight loss if I followed protocol to the letter. Possibly - but I'm not convinced of that. I'm happy with the weight loss I am achieving and that's what counts.

Another day closer to Phase 3!

hCG Diet, Round 3, Phase 2, Day 7

2011-03-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in: 159.2 lbs. No change. Well, that's disappointing. Not sure if it is just a normal fluctuation, or the shake, or the 1 sugarless candy, or the walk. Yes, I just re-read Pounds and Inches, and exercise can cause weight gain (although I did not gain, but I didn't lose either) during Phase 2.

Breakfast: Coffee

Lunch: 3.5 oz chicken breast, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes.

Dinner: 1 mini meatloaf with steamed asparagus.

Snack: Sliced Strawberries with stevia.

What was to be a day off, turned into a busy day with friends coming in from out of town, and a baby-sitting emergency. The good thing about being busy is that you forget about any hunger you may be feeling. Right up until about 10:45pm when you are typing a blog entry. Maybe if I just go to bed, my body won't notice.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 6

2011-03-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yay - back into the 150s! Weigh in: 159.2 lbs

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: 1 mini meatloaf. 1/2 cucumber. 6 cherry tomatoes. My grandson decided the mini-meatloaf was good, so he ate half of it. I treated myself to a Premium Protein shake - 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, 5 grams of carbs. We went for a mile long walk too as we were having a gorgeous day here in the Seattle area. Hopefully that will balance everything out.

Dinner: Cinnamon Chicken and zucchini with mushrooms.

Snack: Hot water with coconut oil and chocolate flavored stevia. 1 sugar free hard candy.

The Cinnamon Chicken was a new recipe. I baked it early in the day when I had time and then reheated it for dinner. I think it would have tasted better eaten straight from the oven, not quite so soggy. The original recipe called for crushed melba toast, but I substituted crushed pork rinds - That melba toast is a bitch to crush. The recipe comes from the HCG Gourmet Diet Cookbook.

100 grams of chicken (I use 2 small chicken tenderloins)
1 serving melba toast crumbs (I used about 10 pork rinds for 2 servings)
1/2 cup chicken broth (Having an 'oh duh' moment - when I doubled the recipe for 2 servings, I didn't double the chicken broth)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cardamom
1/8 tsp curry powder
Dash of garlic powder
salt, pepper and stevia to taste.

Regarding spices - I'm not one to measure. I eyeball it. I'm not sure what the difference is between a dash and a pinch. Because I like garlic, I added approximately the same amount of garlic powder. I did not add stevia. Next time, I made add some tumeric.

Mix the dry spices in a small bowl. Crush melba toast into fine crumbs. And 1/2 of the spice mix to the melba toast crumbs. Dip the chicken in the broth, then in the melba toast mixture (next time I would probably do this shake and bake style with a ziplock bag). Place the coated chicken in a shallow baking pan. Add the other 1/2 of the spices to the chicken broth, and add to baking dish. Use any left over melba toast mixture to cover the top of the chicken pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

I would make this again - I wonder how it would taste if I substituted almond meal for the crushed crumbs? That will be a phase 3 experiment.

Oh and by the way, it only took me 6 days to find a way to cheat. I wonder what tomorrow's weigh in will show. Fingers crossed I see the results I want. I do 'feel' thinner.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 5

2011-03-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Weigh-in: 160.8 lbs! Another 2 lbs released to whereever it is that fat goes!

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: 3.5 oz of turkey breast. 4 cherry tomatos and 2 leaves of basil.

Dinner: Mini Meatloaf with lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.

Snack: 6 strawberries and 1 serving sugar free jello.

No words of wisdom or whining today. Looking forward to tomorrow's weigh in.

hCG Diet Round 3, Phase 2, Day 4

2011-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Official weigh in 162.8 lbs. That's a 3.4 lb weight loss. Yes!!!

It's a busy two-grandbaby day, so there will not be much cooking going on. I've decided not to include the calorie free liquids I drink throughout the day. Suffice it to say that it is primarily black coffee with stevia and ice water. If I feel the need for a treat, I have club soda or iced tea.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit.

Lunch: 4oz shrimp (Yes, I know 3.5 oz is the recommended amount, but the package was 8oz and there were two of us, so I did a minor cheat with the shrimp because they are so low calorie). 1/4 cucumber.

Dinner: Taco Salad. We cooked up 7 oz lean ground beef, added spices and about 3 oz of tomato juice to make the taco mix, and served it with 1/4 head of lettuce, sliced celery and salsa. That would be more vegetable servings than the protocol technically allows, but I feel strongly that I have to make this very low calorie meal plan work for me. If adding a handful of chopped celery and a heaping spoon of salsa gives me that much enjoyment for less than 50 calories, I'm going for it.

Snack: 1 serving sugarfree jello (no carbs, no sugars) and 1 orange.

hCG Diet - Round 3, Phase 2, Day 3

2011-03-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I definitely too the idea of "loading" to heart - Weigh in: 166 lbs. Yikes! All that flour and sugar! My stomach was still a little queasy this morning. I actually looking forward to having only 500 calories today!

I have decided to switch up my routine a bit and shop each day for what I need for that day's menu. The less food we have around, the less tempting it will be to have just a little bite of something not on the day's plan.

One of the things that I just hate about phase 2 is having to switch off from my regular soap, deodorant, facial products, hand creams, etc. I use a product line from DHC Skin care which utilizes virgin olive oil in many of products. I've been very happy with these products, and my skin responds well. My skin tends to be dry, but I do not like heavy creams. The hCG protocol calls for avoiding regular skin creams and lotions, anything that has oil in it. The deodorant is not such a big deal as I switch to one of those crystal ones. The first round of hCG that I did, I avoided the creams as directed. Round 2, I continued to use my routine. Round 1 I lost weight much more easily than I did in Round 2. Did it have anything to do with using skin cream? I don't know, but I'm not going to take a chance. I have read that using Cornhuskers Lotion is okay, but it feels so tacky. I'm researching my other options today. Maybe some mineral oil (baby oil) would work.

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit and coffee.
Snack: 8 oz water.
Lunch: 3.5 oz turkey breast, 1/2 cucumber and 4 cherry tomatoes.
Dinner: Chicken Pesto and asparagus.
Snack: 1 sliced apple with stevia and cinnamon

Chicken Pesto was very good. The recipe comes from the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook by Tammy Skye.

100 grams of chicken tenderloin (or chicken breast) per serving
2 TBS lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Marinate chicken in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fry in a pan until lightly browned and cooked thoroughly.

Pesto Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 chicken broth or water
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.

Puree ingredients. Add mixture to pan and coat chicken, lowering heat to avoid overcooking. Serve warm.

I didn't use all the pesto sauce on the chicken, so I doused the asparagus with it, and it was very yummy.

hCG Diet - Round 3, Phase 2, Day 2

2011-03-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Weigh-in: 163.2 lbs (no change)

Another load day, beginning with coffee, 4 sausage patties and a few slices of cheese.

For lunch, we were off to Olive Garden to meet our kids and grandkids. For me, lunch included a glass of merlot, a chicken tenderloin in a garlic cream sauce and some puffed pastries stuffed with cheese, salad and bread sticks with alfredo sauce dip. I shared a dessert of cream custards with my husband.

This was my first loading experience where I felt sick to my stomach. I was so stuffed, and I didn't finish the meal. Olive Garden is one of my favorite places. I love the fresh salad and usually have 3 servings of salad. Today, I just had 2. The tenderloin piece was really a nice size - not to big, not to small. I only ate half of it. There were 2 puff pastries, maybe 2" square in size. I did have 2 bread sticks. So much for my intention not to use flour products in loading. When I share a dessert with my husband, I am usually the one scraping the plate or bowl for the last little bit. Not this time, I stopped early because I just couldn't eat anymore.

We came home and just collapsed in our recliners. The rest of the day was shot. It felt like a typical after Thanksgiving meal where you know you've been too thankful for food, if you know what I mean.

Dinner turned out to be a shared bag of popcorn, a few slices of hard cheddar, and a bowl of ice cream.

We will see what tomorrow will bring. I doubt I'll see any weight loss after this loading day. I can only hope to maintain the same weight as this morning.

hCG Round 3 Begins - Day 1

2011-03-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

My weight on my last dose day of Round 2 with the hCG protocol was 159.8 lbs. This morning's weight was 163 lbs. I had actually maintained within my 2 lb limit of 159.8 up until St Patrick's Day. The extra pound became 3 extra pounds the following day because of my husband's birthday, and the pizza and cake that was dinner.

Today was my first day of the 23 day Phase 2 protocol. This will be my 3rd round of this protocol, and my goal weight is 140 lbs. I'm going to try to be strict in following the guidelines. To do this, I will not be cooking for my family - just for my husband and me. Husband is doing the protocol along with me.

On the recommendation of my friend, Mark Husson, founder of and head honcho at http://www.12listen.com/, I purchased The HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook by Tammy Skye. I have 3 weeks of recipes flagged for once we begin the very low calorie diet phase (VLCD). I hope to add to my usual repertoire of taco salad, cold shrimp, mini meatloaves, and skinless chicken breasts. I will share those recipes that I enjoy as I work my way through the 23 days of phase 2, and the 21 days of phase 3 that follow. I have pretty much worked out what foods are safe for me to add back in with Phase 4 - mostly sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, squash, rolls and breads made with almond flour. But I am getting way ahead of myself here.

Days 1 and 2 are loading days, requiring that we load up on fat to sustain us through the 21 days of the VLCD. Here's what I had:

Breakfast: 2 poached eggs on 2 crab cakes covered in hollandaise sauce, plus a few bites of roasted red potatoes.

Lunch: 1/2 cup of roasted almonds and 3 mozzarella cheese sticks

Snack: Oreo Cookie Milk Shake and 1 funnel cake from Jack In The Box

Dinner: One hot dog plus cheese with mayo on a bun. One small Coca Cola.

Not my best choices - as you can see not one fruit or vegetable. I feel pretty stuffed. If I have a snack tonight, it will be an apple with peanut butter, I think.

hCG Diet R2,P4,D1 Ah...Phase 4 - Finally

2011-02-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

It's good news and bad news that I have reached this point again. The bad news was that I didn't lose was much weight this time around as I had hoped. The good news is that I am exactly at the same weight I was on my last dose day. More good news, I can start baking with almond flour and coconut flour. I've missed crunchy alot this time, so I will be trying out the rice crackers, rice chips and rice pretzels I love, and keeping my fingers crossed.

I'll keep sharing recipes that are hCG and/or low carb compliant as I try them, or shudder the thought - develop them myself. Besides the red velvet cake we have on the menu to celebrate Valentine's Day - I have the birthdays of my two grandsons coming up. Therefore, I will be staying at Phase 4 for a few months. I still have about 20 pounds to lose, so I do plan to have a Round 3 of this protocol - complete with loading days - starting at the end of April. I have to count to see if I can get in a full round of phase 2 and 3 before my birthday in June. Our anniversary is in May, but if I can get passed (or is it past) phase 2 by then, I should be good. I may try the pharmaceutical grade hCG this time around. If not, I will definitely go back to the drops, even though the pellets were more convenient. I didn't have as good a result with the pellets. It is much easier to blame the pellets than it is to suggest that I wasn't as strict in following the protocol as I could have been. Hey - I'm human. It's my story.....

Choux Glorieux (Glorified Cabbage)

2011-02-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I got from my mother. I've included 2 versions. Both I believe are Phase 3 appropriate. Note that I substitute pork rinds for the breadcrumbs.

1 medium head of cabbage chopped fine
1 onion chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 lb of Velvetta (yes they still make it - I found it in the cracker aisle) cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup bread crumbs (or ground pork rinds)
Seasoning to taste

Steam cabbage. Saute onions in butter until limp. Add Velvetta. Stir until melted. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir until blended. Add cabbage and stir. Add crumbs and season to taste. Put in a casserole dish, sprayed with Pam, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Alternate version:

1 medium head of cabbage chopped fine

1 onion chopped
1-2 tbsp olive or coconut oil for sauteeing (or spray pan with Pam)
1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup bread crumbs (or ground pork rinds)
Seasoning to taste

Steam cabbage. Saute onions until limp/clear. Add soup and grated cheese to pan, and stir until combined and cheese is melted. Add cabbage and crumbs, and stir to combine. Season to taste. Place in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Other adaptions:

1. Leave out crumbs all together - they don't add that much to the dish, in my opinion.
2. My mom avoided fat whenever possible. She used the Velvetta recipe, but she used dehydrated onions which she combined with the mushroom soup and cheese and heated that up. Then she added the cabbage. Seasoned it and put it in the casserole for baking.

I've had this dish in all the ways described. It all tastes pretty good, I think. Even our 10 year old grandson said it was the best ever - okay, not as good as canned green beans, but it was close! Gotta love kids!

Best Ever Meatballs, Ranch Chicken, Shrimp Tidbits and Coconut Bark

2011-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

These would all be Phase 3 recipes. The meatballs are probably more likely Phase 4 (jellied cranberries are high in sugar).

Best Ever Meatballs

1 14oz can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12oz bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce
1 2lb bag of frozen, precooked cocktail size meatballs

Combine suaces in a large pan. Sitr and cook over medium low heat until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Ranch Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet (dry)
4-8 slices of bacon

Wash and pat dry chicken. Put the dry dressing contents into a large zip lock bag. Add chicken and shake. (Or you can whish some eggs, dip the chicken in the eggs and then dredge in the dry dressing). Wrap uncooked bacon around the chicken pieces. Place in a baking pan sprayed with Pam. Cook uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes (or until done - depending on thickness of breasts) at 350 degrees.

Shrimp Tidbits

A family favorite!

1 block of Cream Cheese (we use the 1/3 less fat kind)
1 lb little shrimp cooked
Seafood Cocktail Sauce

Mix the shrimp with the cocktail sauce. Plop on top of the cream cheese. Serve with crackers (Wheat Thins are the best).

To be hCG Phase 3 compliant - forget the crackers and use thickly sliced cucumber rounds! Check the sugar content of the seafood sauce. Specialty stores and whole food stores often sell varieties without sugar.

Coconut Bark

1 jar of coconut oil
4 droppers of stevia (I used chocolate flavored)
2-4 handfuls of flaked coconut, unsweetened

Melt coconut oil. Add stevia and coconut. Stir. Pour into 9X12 baking dish, or high lipped cookie sheet. Put in refrigerator to cool. Break off into little pieces or score it once solidified.

This recipe is NOT low fat, but it is Phase 3 compliant. A little bit goes a long way. If you are constipated at all on this protocol, this will clean you out if you eat more than 1-2 pieces.

Hey - What Can I Say - It Was Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

Did you know that next to New Year's Eve, more alcohol is drunk on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year? Interesting, eh? Don't recall my source on that little tidbit - possibly Trivial Pursuit - so don't quote me.

I, however, did not drink yesterday. Not sure why - saving my calories for the cookies? I was maintaining pretty well until the game started, and then I just decided to eat what I wanted. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

The good news is that after eating cookies, a high sugar content sauce, and crackers, I only gained a pound. I'm still within 2 pounts (actually within 0.2 lbs) of my last hCG dose weight, so I think I'm doing wonderfully.

I'll do a recipe share in a separate post.

Update and More Recipes

2011-01-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been on Phase 3 now for 5 days, and maintaining my weight. My last dose weight was 160.8, and it is from there that we make our calculations. I went up one day to 161.0 (after having a high fat content day) and I've been down to 159.4. I'm doing my best to stay within a pound either way of my last dose weight. Of course, if I went down more than a pound, I'd be thrilled. I definitely don't want to go up.

Meals this week have included Angel Wings (chicken wings and some legs accidently because I bought the wrong package) which was a hit, Cabbage Patch Soup (sans the beans) a family favorite, and Caraway Beef Stew (which was a hit for me, but not everyone in the family liked the caraway seeds). Tonight, we will be having Tuna Crunch Patties again (for that recipe, see 1/7/2011 entry).

Angel Wings (from the Low Carb Comfort Food Cookbook) (a phase 3 recipe because of the Parmesean and butter)

20 chicken wings (or really any parts - I used wings and legs)
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese (the dry in a can type, not freshly grated)
1 tsp dry chopped parsely
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tsp white pepper (I used black - I didn't have any white pepper and at $9+ per small jar, I decided black was fine)
1 cup butter, melted (I used only 1/2 cup - I'm sure a cup would have been dandy, but I have a family member on Weight Watchers and I was accomodating her)

Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an oven proof baking dish or two (allow room for all the pieces with space inbetween) with olive or coconut oil.
In a side shallow bowl, combine dry ingredients, and mix well. Put the melted butter in a separate bowl. Dip chicken in melted butter first, then in dry ingredients, turning to coat all sides. Bake uncovered for 45 - 60 minutes (originally recipe says 60, but my oven cooks hot and they were done in about 45 - 50 minutes).

This recipe is a bit like shake and bake, but much better - plus you control the ingredients.

Cabbage Patch Soup (I would consider this a Phase 2 recipe if you measured your portions appropriately)

Brown 1 - 2 lbs lean ground beef/ground sirloin in a fry pan. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Put the browned meat in a large soup pot. Saute 1 small chopped onion and 3 stalks of chopped celery in a little coconut oil, unless the onions are clear and the celery is soft. Add to the soup pot. Now add 1 box of low sodium beef broth (the large size), 2 tsps dry beef boullion (or up to 4 cubes) 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1-2 tsp chili powder. Heat to boil and then reduce to simmer, and cook 1 hour. Then add 1/2 head cabbage chopped to soup and cook another hour. Add additional seasoning to taste. I always think it needs more chili powder and more salt.

This can be made in a crock pot as well. Cabbage can be added at the start if you like. Do brown meat, onions and celery first though.

Grilled cheese sandwhiches for those that can have carbs makes a good additional to the meal.

Beef Caraway Stew (From The Low Carb Comfort Food Cookbook) (I made some adaptions based on what I had on hand) (If you don't make the gravy, I think this could be considered a Phase 2 recipe. With the flour, it is technically a phase 4, but the amount of flour is so small, I made it on Phase 3)

2 TBS coconut oil
2-3 lbs beef stew meat (I'd say closer to 2 if you are feeding 4-6 adults)
2 TBS paprika
1 TBS caraway seeds (My family thought this was too strong, so unless you like caraway, maybe try 1 tsp)
1 TBS dried marjoram
2 tsp salt
10 small yellow onions, sliced (I used pearl onions, but I spent more than I wanted to. I would use 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 TBS lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 TBS flour
1 TBS tomato paste (I didn't have any tomato paste, so I substituted 1 can of diced tomatoes added directly to the cooking pot)

In a dutch oven or stew pot, brown the meat on all sides in the melted coconut oil. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, caraway seeds, marjoram and salt, and mix well. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the pot, once the meat is browned on all sides. Add the onions, red wine and lemon juice. Stir to blend. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. (To make this a phase 2 recipe, add all the spices at once and stop here - serve when ready)

Once meat is tender, remove 1/2 cup liquid from the pot and put it in a small jar. Add the remaining spices, the flow and tomato paste (Note: I added a can of dice tomatoes to the pot, in lieu of tomato paste. I'm guessing one could substitute ketchup if you wanted). Shake mixture and add to pot. Stir to blend and simmer 15 minutes more.

My experience was that the meat was not as tender as I would have liked. I think I would try this in a crock pot next time and let it cook all day on low, adding the last mixture 30 minutes before serving and turning the heat up to high. I'd also offer a side of sour cream to add to the dish.

I made little red potatoes for my carb eaters and foil steamed cabbage to go along. Cabbage recipe is in the archives.

A Mention On Mark Husson's Radio Show - The hCG Diet

2011-01-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

Now that was a surprise. Mark kindly mentioned this blog on his radio show at http://www.hayhouseradio.com/. I was totally surprised when I heard. I was taking an internet break for the week, but made an exception to my depreviation of Facebook and logged on to see in what context the blog was mentioned. Mark is trying the hCG protocol, and hopefully he is receiving some encouragement and ideas from this blog. He was still loading, and those are the best days!

If you don't know Mark Husson, he is a very talented astrologer and author, and the brain and braun behind the reknown psychic website, http://www.12listen.com/.

Check him out - He is quite the character!

Thanks Mark for mentioning this blog.

hCG Diet R2, P3, D1

2011-01-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Official weigh in: 159.6 lbs.

When I started this round of the hCG protocol, I also started The Artists Way program. The Artists Way is a self "study" program (more a study of self) by Julia Cameron. I have done it twice before, and had such good results in the way of personal growth, that I am doing it again. I consider it therapy. On week 4, the program calls for a week of reading deprivation. As I have said, I have done this before and the results were interesting. I, however, do not use reading as a delay tactic on my own creative path as a writer. I do use Facebook and the Internet, however, as a means to side track myself. For that reason, I am avoiding the internet for a week. I may choose to log on and post a blog if something I want to share comes up. And then again, I may not. I will pick this back up next week. Maybe in the meantime, I will use my creative skills to develop some tasty new recipes - LOL. I'm laughing because I really hate to cook, but I love to eat good food. Cooking, they tell me, is a form of creating. For me, I mostly create a mess, but I will give it a try.

Fingers crossed, my next official weigh in will be down a pound or two!

hCG Diet R2, P2, D23 - I Made It!

2011-01-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

And I achieved my original goal!

Official weigh in 159.8 lbs! I'm quite happy, especially given the mood I was in the other day. I'm just 0.4oz shy of a ten pound loss. Honestly, I was hoping for a 20 pound loss, as I am an optomist, but I can also say that given the fact that I was probably eating 750 calories per day rather than 500, the 10 pounds is realistic. In fact, in the original protocol, Dr Simmons says just that. If you have only 10 pounds to lose, increase your calories to 750 - 1000 - using the scale as your calorie allotment determination tool.

Things I've discovered for me. This protocol does work well for me. I found I was less hungry with the liquid hCG than I was with the pellets. It was easier when it was warmer outside. One because I drank more water. Two because I could be outside doing something, which took my mind off of whether or not I was hungry.

I will be doing another round, but probably not until spring. In the meantime, I will be eating mostly protein and veggies again. I will continue to weigh in each day and use the scale as my guide. I am so excited to be having good fats again, without feeling like I'm cheating.

Breakfast: Coffee with Stevia.
Snack: 3 strips of left over flank stead
Lunch: Taco Salad.
Snack: 3 more strips of flank steak
Dinner: Spaghetti sauce with meat on broccoli.
Snack: Handful of almonds. Sugar free pudding.

Well, I'm glad to be through this phase and I'm looking forward to the next 21 days where I need not be so measured in my portions.

hCG Recipe Share - Flank Steak Marinade and Baked Cauliflower (Phase 3 recipes)

2011-01-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Flank Steak Marinade

3 TSB red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS Bragg's
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

(Note: I thought about using coconut oil, but it occurred to be just before adding it, that it would solidify during the marinade process. My choice was then to go ahead with the olive oil even though it is not Phase 2 approved)

Combine ingredients in a large zip lock bag. Add 1-2 lbs of flank steak, and marinade 2-4 hours or longer. I did overnight. Turn bag over every few hours when you think of it. Broil or grill 3-4 minutes per side for rare, 4-5 for medium, etc. Allow to sit a few minutes before slicing. Slice thin. Left overs make a great mid day snack if you are a little hungry and need something to take the edge off.

Baked Cauliflower

2 TBS coconut oil, olive oil or butter
1/2 onion chopped/minced
3 cloves garlic chopped or crushed
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters
1 cup grated parmesean
handful chopped cooked bacon (approximately 5 slices)

Saute onions and garlic in oil/butter. When they begin to brown, add cauliflower. Sautee 1-2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add eggs, cheese and bacon. Transfer to baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes.

This recipe is from Dr Atkin's New Diet Cookbook. Their directions say 60 minutes for baking. My oven cooks warm, and I took it out at about 45 minutes. The family loved it!

hCG Diet R2, P2, D 20-22 Crisis and Recovery

2011-01-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

On day 19, I overdid it. I jumped up to 161 lbs when I weighed in the next day. There were tears and stomping of feet - gnashing of teeth - the whole tantrum. I had no one to blame but myself, although I started out by blaming the hCG pellets. Surely they were to blame. I did not gain weight on the liquid version. But then again, I also was more strict on the foods I ate. I'm still putting part of the blame on the pellets. I think I was less hungry with the liquid, but 80% (or more) of the problem was my own food choices.

The good news is that I paid more attention the next two days, sticking on with low fat meats and protocol approved veggies and I came back down to 160.2 lbs 2 days later. I was pretty upset and didn't feel like blogging at the time, and I've forgotten what I ate those days. One night I ate taco salad, but I'm pretty sure all other meals were either the mini meat loaves or left over flank steak.

I seriously considered an all apple day, but I'm really not a fruit person. I just did not want to go there. So instead I chose to drop the fruit, and eat only lean meat and a few veggies. I really do want to reach the 150s before I go to Phase 3 in 2 days.

hCG Diet - R2, P2, D19 Back On Track

2011-01-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Official weigh in: 160.2 lbs Only 0.4 oz lost, but as I keep reminding myself, down is down.

Breakfast: Coffee with stevia. 1/2 Honey Tangerine.
Snack: Handful of almonds. Again, not on the 'approved snacks', but I was hungry and feeling in need of a treat.
Lunch: 1 mini meatloaf. 1/2 cucumber. 6 little plum tomatoes.
Dinner: Marinated flank steak. Asparagus. Baked cauliflower.
Snack: Sugar free pudding. Handful almonds.

Oranges are okayed for Phase 2, but I'm not sure about tangerines. I love honey tangerine juice and I do miss it, so I treated myself to 1/2 tangerine cut like a grapefruit. For the record, the juice is more satisfying.