How things are going these days. . .

Today is the third day of my second round of HCG shots. The first two days of course are loading days, so today is the first day on the 500 calories. Mentally, I am totally there. Physically, it has been a tough day. I am sure that I had the same hunger pangs when I did the first round three months ago, but I had pneumonia then and I didn't really care about anything. I really feel it now. I will be strong and prevail though. I haven't cheated so far, and I won't. This is too important to getting my life back. I am going to get a Vitatrim shot tomorrow, so hopefully that will boost my energy levels. The first few days are the most difficult. The thing about eating on a VLCD is that when you do get to eat, anything you eat tastes GREAT! So, at this point I am down 47 pounds and I am looking forward to seeing that number drop. It was kind of nice having my load days fall right at Christmas though!

Christmas was great. For the first time ever, I was actually ready a week ahead of time. I was able to not get stressed out at all, and really enjoy the evenings, making a gingerbread house and baking cookies with Savannah. I also enjoyed a rare night out with Scott, to go do some shopping and out to a nice dinner. I felt this Christmas season was really nice and relaxing and non-stressful. You just have to work a little in the weeks running up to it, to make it such. I really wanted to sit back and enjoy the time with my family.

Savannah has thoroughly enjoyed herself this Christmas. She loved all of her toys and was really excited about Santa coming. She was glad that Santa paid a visit to her school after she sent her letter, so she could revise her letter in person! As long as all of the Baby Alive dolls showed up under the tree, she was going to be happy. Which she was. She is a little mommy at heart. It really is quite touching.

As far as New Years resolutions go, I don't think I have actual resolutions. I made the commitment to a healthy lifestyle in September and I plan to continue on the journey. I started dedicating myself to consciously trying to save money on groceries and other things a few months ago, and of course I plan to continue this as well. I want to become a better wife, better mother, better friend and communicator. Ultimately, I want to do these things through the will of God and what he wants for me.

It is December 7, and I am currently down 47 pounds. I started eating sugar and carbs again on Saturday the 4th, and quite honestly it scares me to death! I have discovered that I am totally addicted to sugar. I can handle eating a small portion of pasta or potatoes and THANK GOODNESS I can now order a small cheeseburger and be totally satisfied, rather than a Whopper, but candy, cake, cookies, I taste that sugar and I want MORE! It is awful. I hope that doing this for a year will get me straightened out. I don't want to live my life without sugar, I have to be able to get it under control. At this point I can't wait to start back on my shots and get this weight loss started again.

Scott had his birthday yesterday. He turned 39, and I would love to throw him a party next year when he turns 40. Hard to believe that he was 20 when I first met him.

It is so cold here. Today the high is 22 degrees. I know that I have nothing on the Alaskans in the family, but it is still really cold. When I come to visit you, I would like it to be a least 50 degrees! We have a several inches of snow here and I hope it doesn't do this all winter. I think it is time for me to migrate south again!

As for everything else, we are busy getting ready for Christmas. We have already made the first batch of Christmas cookies, the tree is up and four presents are under it. Savannah is anxiously awaiting making the gingerbread house and she loves listening to Christmas carols. She also has an advent calender, which is helpful when she asks if Santa is coming today. The shopping is getting done, slowly but surely, and even though I am freezing my toes off, it still remains one of my favorite times of the year.

Transition

After my forty days of shots, I go into a period known as transition. On the day I started transition I had lost 40 pounds. I have been in transition for one week and I am now down 43 pounds! WooHoo! That is great for one week of transition. Transition is the first three weeks after the shot phase in which you can add certain other foods, such as eggs, dairy, small amounts of fat, more veggies and berries. I can also eat between 1200-1500 calories per day. Honestly though, I don't think I am hitting that everyday. I eat until I am full, and that happens fast. Like today, I had two eggs, two pieces of turkey bacon and a slice of cheese for breakfast. At lunch, I had a bowl of beanless chili, and I had the same for supper. And I had an apple at lunch. I am full, satisfied, and I really don't think I hit 1200. This satisfied feeling is awesome. I don't know that I have ever felt this way.

The three weeks following transistion, I can add everything else into my diet. In very small quantities. Otherwise I will be sick as a dog. I can add starch and sugar back in. I am almost afraid of it, but I am trying not to be. That is unhealthy in the total opposite direction. I want to have no issues with food at all. I have selected a few days that I am going to allow treats. My family Christmas party, my work Christmas party, Christmas Eve and my husbands birthday. But, I am going to be very careful.

Then Christmas Day I start my shots again. That day and the day after are my load days. Can't think of two better days! I just hope I don't make myself sick!

I am so glad the hcg diet entered my life. I do believe that it is saving it.

Clippin' Coupons

In the first phase of my diet, I have lost 40 pounds. I am currently in transition, which is when I can add fats, dairy and eggs. I also can eat more veggies and fruits, but I still have to be VERY careful about eating no sugar or starch. And it is everywhere! I will be in transition until December 4th. At that point I can have anything, but in serious moderation. Like I can maybe have it one or two days a week, and not all day, like one thing. I can do that until Christmas, when I have my load days ( when I can eat anything and everything that is not nailed down) and start over with my shots. I really hope that I lose another ten pounds before Christmas.

On another note, I have joined the coupon extravaganza! I have a binder full of baseball card holders, and they are the perfect size to put your coupon in and be able to see them, and to keep them organized. I clip coupons all Sunday afternoon and organize them. It is so fun and when you realize that you are going to get a super deal, it is so exciting! The secret is working the sales and the coupons together! I am a believer. I mean, why pay full price if you don't have to?

Fall

Today is voting day! I hope that we get a major change for this country, for the good. Everybody in office, just needs to be voted out (unless they are Republican, haha!).

I have now lost 34 pounds. I am very excited about this. I hope that I am down 40 pounds by the end of next week. That is a nice round number. Last night, for something different to eat, because I am so limited, I chopped up my ground beef (96% lean) and cooked it and then diced my tomato and put it in the pan and cooked it up with the beef and added salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic and a little crushed red pepper.. It was really good! It was kind of like a little chili. I will definitly try it again sometime.

This past weekend was Halloween and Savannah had a big time. Friday she went on a hayride and went trick-or-treating with her school. She was dressed as Super-Girl. Saturday we took her to a trunk or treat and then over to Derek's to trick or treat up and down his road. Derek and Haley did a cook-out and everyone came. Savannah and Cade had more fun handing out candy and drinks than they did trick-or-treating. They ended up with over 300 trick-or-treaters. Jackson was so cute, dressed as a cheeseburger.

Fall is definitly upon us, with the leaves on the ground and the nights getting to the 30's. Winter will be here before we know it.

Dreams?

Do you ever just want to have a pity party? I have so many things that I do have to be thankful for, including my amazing weight loss (now at 27 pounds), but I wish so badly that I could be a stay-at-home wife and mother. My daughter is growing up right before my eyes and I feel like someone else is raising her and the time that I have with her is what is "left over". I know that this isn't what God intends and it really upsets me. I wish that I could find a way to make it without having to work outside the home so much. And I do so hope that this is not a dream.

Family, Friends, and a Wedding

This past weekend was so great! My brother and his wife and girls came up Friday night, because we have a friend that we grew up with getting married Saturday morning. They got there at about 9pm and Savannah and Madison went wild. Savannah is almost 5 and Madison is 6, so they love to play together. Audrey is a 8 and a little calmer. But everyone was excited nonetheless and no one got to sleep until after 11:00.

The wedding was at 10am, so we had to rise and shine quite early and get everyone ready. We had no idea the wedding was outdoors and did not really dress accordingly. We still had a nice time though and it did warm up. The wedding was really nice and David looked so happy. His wife Beth seems to be really nice and it appears that they have a lot in common. I wish them all the happiness in the world!

At the reception we caught up with friends that we haven't seen in forever! I haven't seen Phil and Jeri since their wedding day 12 years ago! I hadn't seen Daniel and Zane in five years and it had been the same with David. With the exception of David and Beth, because according to David he had some "business" :) to attend to, we (me, Savannah, Ken, Rondi, Audrey, Madison, Daniel, Trish, Phil, Jeri, and Zane) went to Cheddar's for lunch. We had such a great time visiting.

Speaking of Cheddars for lunch. . . I knew that this would probably happen, so I had taken my meat in a container and I ate it on the way to the restaurant. Then at the restaurant, I ordered a tomato and an orange. I told the waiter that I was on a medically restricted diet and he was so accomadating. He didn't even charge me! I tipped him really well. I am just glad that I survived my first restuarant outing with such success! Especially at one of my favorite spots. IT CAN BE DONE! And I had it in me!

I went to my diet doctor yesterday. Officially three weeks and I am down 25 pounds! I am so excited. It is always nice to have a second person at a different scale confirm what your scales at home say. Look out people, you won't recognize me this time next year!