Catchin' Up!

Lots to talk about…..

Not a lot of time!

LIFE is interrupting my blogging time! Does anyone else have that problem?

First of all, I need to bring you up to date about the hCG diet. Without taking time to look for my form thingie, I’ll just give you the facts, along with the pros and cons.



I started Saturday before Mothers’ Day (I think) and my weight was 248. I had hoped to drop 24 pounds by Memorial Day, which was a little unrealistic for me, even with hCG. I did drop to 234, for a 14 pound loss and I lost 10 ½ inches.


I felt great most of the time. There were two days, I thought my blood sugar was dropping too low, so I ate a little more….an extra apple, a little more lean meat. In doing so, I found that rather than sticking to two meals and keeping my calories near 500 a day, I did better, breaking it into three smaller meals and trying to keep the calories under 700.

This allowed me to add an extra “meal” about 4:00 pm, when I would feel like I was going to “crash” and it prevented me from over eating once dinner was ready.

So, I think like anything else, you have to tailor this for the individual.

I was never really hungry! I did have the munchies….old habits die hard. I did cheat a little. I mean, this covered the time between two holidays and one family birthday, equaling three major family cookouts. When I did cheat a little, I felt like I had eaten an elephant! I mean, it would be like eating two peanut M&Ms and feeling like you had stuffed the whole (economy size) bag in your mouth. I am still very conscious of what I eat, which is a new concept for me. LOL

I also noticed my hair and skin have a healthier appearance and my nails grew like crazy! So that is a plus. Another plus, doing without sugar and grains, I seemed to have starved out the yeast in my system. No yeast infection! Yea! I did a ionic foot cleanse last night and you should have seen the nasty stuff that came out of me. Yuck! I should have taking pictures....not that they would have been pleasant to look at.

Over all, I will most likely do this again. When I get close to my desired weight, I will try to stick to the protocol, since this also makes changes in how the body reacts to food, as well as helping you to lose weight.

On to other things…..lots going on! This past Sunday was the first day in over two weeks we didn’t have extra chillins! And I mean….extra! Instead of the normal 4, we have been running anywhere from 8 to 11 (when they are all here), plus distant cousins from the next farm over. Sunday and yesterday, I tried to blog, but I just “crashed” – sat in the garden, read and slept.

The garden is all planted for now and we are already picking radishes and eggplant. I have a little transplanting to do (mostly herbs), but other than that we are through with the planting until we start putting in fall crops.

Today, we are back to having three extra kiddos, plus we are babysitting DD#1’s two dogs. She and her husband will be cooking for church camps for the next two weeks.

On the agenda here….I am going to clean the a/c filter today and clean out the large deep freeze. Can you believe corn will be ready to start putting up in about three weeks?! Honey Hunk is talking about putting the pool up. I know the boys will be HAPPY! It will take a day or two, as we need to move things around and do some leveling ….but that will keep the guys busy!

For breakfast there is fresh cantaloupe, egg salad and beef smoked sausage, along with lots of coffee and apple cider! Help yourself, then come on out to the shop and help me unload the freezer!

I am going to try….definitely try….to post again this evening as well as visit some of you. I have missed you so much! I even dreamed about some of you and your families!

Besides, I love posting the “Daybook” post….it keeps me focused …..gotta try and get that done.

Have a beautiful, fruitful day!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Saturday and Where is spring?

Wishing for this!


Receiving this!


It’s Saturday! Shalom! Peace, sweet peace and quiet...almost! After having a grand total of all 11 kids for a little over 24 hours, having had many in and out over the past week, we are down to two! Amazingly, two kids are pretty quiet after having a houseful.

The good/bad news is – the last two days have been beautiful, but it started raining last night. Not just raining, but a huge spring thunderstorm with lighting, pounding rain, etc. Today it is *warning, four letter word *ahead* snow! It is March 20th - -snow?! Not just snow, a 24 hour blizzard. Well, that’s just great. Isn’t it the first of spring? I mean we are six weeks (and then some) past Ground Hog Day.

Actually, the ground is so warm, even if it snows it’s heart out, how much snow will remain on the ground for longer than a few hours, days? But that brings up another *word* mud!

As I was dusting today (I do that occasionally), I was musing over the fact that living in the country, I am always fighting either dust or mud. For when we have mud is the only time we don’t have dust (well, nearly). Of the two, I prefer dust. Why, because if you keep the mini blinds closed and the lights low *candles are good here* you have a more difficult time seeing the dust, unless some smart aleck writes his name in it.

Yesterday morning for breakfast I cooked 1 pkg (12 oz.) of bacon, 1 can of spam (special request from one of the grand-dudes), and 1 package of beef smoked sausage (some of us are trying to give up pork). Along with that they consumed one dozen eggs, 2/3 of a (large) box of Rice Krispies, 1 gal. of orange juice, 10 bananas, at least 4 oranges, and toast. I felt like I had fed a small (but determined) army! Imagine my surprised when 45 minutes later they wanted to know if they could go on a picnic. I made them wait 2 hours. It was torture, but I did it anyway (and loved it).*

*Beth* pay attention (just kidding you!) – they needed the red food coloring to make it appear to be fire coming from the volcanoes. And yes, they did it again yesterday, when one cousin showed up that was not familiar with the fine art of making volcanoes. (I figure at least they will know how to freshen plumbing drains when they grow up, so it wasn’t a total lost. As a matter of fact, (being the home school person I am), I could list this under *creative play* - *life skills* - *simple science* (well, you really get a chemical reaction) or under a number of other subjects! At least, they came up with the idea on their own - *maybe creative thinking skills*.

Anyway, nine went home last night, and it is quiet and I miss them. But so glad I am not going to be cooped up in the house with all of them if this snow really gets going. I’d have to loot a grocery store!

*My Health Walk* ***Warning, gross conversation ahead***

I gave up on my fast for this week. After making a million P&J sandwiches (and having to lick the knife before putting it in the sink), I figured I was fighting a loosing battle. But I did try to work on the candida cleanse – avoiding sugar, wheat, starch, etc. Interestingly, the candida cleanse I am using has several herbs that are somewhat drying. I have also been taking a product called Lungs Clear, trying to dry out the last residue of the crud. I really didn’t consider the affect of taking both herbal combinations at the same time. (Probably why it isn’t always a good ideal to be your own doctor.) But for the last couple of days, I have itched like crazy! So I upped the amount of Omega oils I was taking. Last night my hands itched so bad, I got up and mixed olive oil with some lavender essential oil and messaged into my hands to get some relief. I slept wonderfully afterwards. *gross part* I went to the bathroom this morning to do my morning *umhm* thing, and passed a parasite! Lands, I was shocked, because I wasn’t doing a parasite cleanse, but the combination I was “accidentally” taking evidently dried the poor critter up! Glad he is no longer a part of me.

BTW – for what it is worth, everyone should do a parasite cleanse twice a year.

Going to work on the fast starting this coming Monday.

*The Promise, My Spiritual Walk*

With the sighting of the New Moon and the barley being ripe in Israel, we begin a new Biblical year. It is an exciting time as we move closer to Passover (and closer to the Sacrifice Yeshua (Jesus) made for each of us). May this year be one that brings each of us to a deeper revelation of His presence!

Last night (Friday) at sundown began the Biblical Sabbath and the Parsha study (Torah portion) for this week, which is from the first five chapters of Leviticus and is titled Vayikra, which means “And He Called”. May your heart hear His call and may He shower each of you with blessings!