my non-mainstream weightloss and fitness journey

HCG on sale until Aug 31, 2011: Organon 5000 iu

2011-08-24T11:56:00.001-04:00

This email was just received for a new sale: (Use coupon code 100354)

Starting NOW until August 31st our European supplier is offering a "BUY 3 GET 1 FREhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifE" promotion for the brand name Organon HCG 5000 I.U. with expiry dates from 02/2014 onwards.

Not once in all these years has the European supplier offered such generous savings and we are proud to pass them onto you. For those of you who have never tried the Organon brand before we highly recommend you take this opportunity to see for yourself why it is rated our #1 brand.

How does it work?

Purchase 3 vials of the Organon 5000 I.U. from the European supplier and we will include a 4th vial (of the same dosage) free of charge! Order 6 vials of the Organon 5000 I.U. and we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion but stocks are limited so be sure to take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Tell your friends - pass this email around - and order today!

hCG sale

2010-10-19T19:00:00.002-04:00

I am passing on this ANNOUNCEMENT from Pharmacy Escrow!!

[quote]
So without further adieu... We are pleased to offer you the promotion effective immediately**. Between now and October 31st, we are going to offer you a "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" on one of our most popular brands of HCG - the Hucog 5000 I.U. from India. We have these in stock now with a 2012+ expiry date, ready to ship without delay.

How does it work?

Purchase 3 vials of the Hucog 5000 I.U. and we will include a 4th vial (of the same dosage) free of charge! Order 6 vials of the Hucog 5000 I.U. and we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion but as we cannot predict when the next promotion will be, we highly recommend you take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Tell your friends - pass this email around - and order today!
[/quote]

update on the sleep issues and hubby

2010-08-20T11:52:00.002-04:00

Hubby was on the sleep tea for about a week and a half. The days he'd forget (or I forgot to make it) he'd sleep poorly and snore again. So we kept doing it until this past weekend and he said he wanted to try it without. So far he's doing well. He's got a sinus thing going on which is causing him to feel crappy, but otherwise when he sleeps, he says he sleeps like a dead person.

A side note: do not use too much sage, because it can cause odd things if you are sensitive. I have a typical sage plant which is very very mild and do not measure exactly how much I used so a couple times I used too much and it made him feel odd. He said he could wake up to pee, but felt 'out of it'.

___________
Things going on with me is that I am still feeling really good about myself. This seems to be a lasting breakthrough and I am excited. I think I am going to switch docs when I find the number of my friend's doc and see what he says about my Rt3 and such. I still have several heart palps a day, but the usual fatigue isn't so overwhelming. I am still taking homeopathic cell salts when I remember and I think I shall start back up on the supplements. Maybe not so much dessicated adrenal one since that may have been the one to give me tummy aches.

Sleep issues can be easily resolved!

2010-08-05T11:27:00.001-04:00

Here's a tea recipe I just found out that helps regulate REM sleep. This is esp. important for those that seem to never get sleep at night (like my hubby). It should only take a week of drinking this every night to set things right in your brain. I believe this is an old Native American recipe, but I'm not for sure. My best friend told me about this and one particular client who used this after not 'sleeping' for 20 years. After a week of this tea, he was able to sleep fully!

2 TBSP rosemary
1 tsp sage
bit of peppermint/lemon balm/catmint

Drink before bed. My hubby is on night #3 and so far we've had 3 nights of NO SNORING! I cannot sleep anymore because I keep wondering if he died! LOL! So far he says he only wakes up once or twice instead of his usual hourly wakings. No tossing & turning and his moods the next day are more peaceful!

WHOOT WHOOT!

The sage is what helps the brain to calm down and get the sleep hormones regulated so make sure you don't 'overdose' on the sage. You can use dried or fresh, I believe.

Another recipe I recently read about:

lemon balm,
catmint (catnip)
chamomile

No particular measurements. If you make this one very strong, you will be asleep very quickly as well. I'm not sure if this one restores function like the one above.

So, if you decide to try one of these, post your results!

Off topic a bit, just because!

2010-07-22T23:23:00.003-04:00

On to the off-topic part of this post. Since I somewhat un-school, I like to create life-application projects for the kids to do. A couple years ago they had to create something to sell at a local Farmer's Market and learn all about buying & selling. They still talk about it to this day! This year we've decided to write and publish a magazine to get them to further develop their writing and creative skills. The goal is to get other kids, esp homeschooling kids, to find a new interest in writing and sharing. Maybe even write articles about things they've learned so other kids can read about it and learn too. There's just something special when a kid learns something and teaches it to another kid as they play together.

So here it is:

Click on the image and you can get a small peek at the magazine for those that are interested. The kids only get $1.55 for each magazine that sells so this is not about making money. Right now the publisher has a 25% discount sale so it will be even cheaper for those purchased now. This is a good diversion for our family as we've been dealing with a lot of seizures with the middle child and this past week our eldest has had several night ones! Add a broken leg to the mix and well, we've had one heck of a summer already!

Until the kids fully understand the graphic arts and putting things together, I help them in those areas. Otherwise they've written pretty much everything else in the magazine! They are hoping kids from everywhere will start participating. I am so proud of them!!

_________________________________________

We went rustic camping last weekend and I was a little bummed because I didn't have a suit that fit right. Big boobs really are a curse. But, luck was with me on Friday when we were shopping for suits for the girls. Boy do they grow up fast! Anyway, I found a suit top that fit wonderfully and actually looked nice enough for me to consider strutting! LOL! So camping went well and the kids had a blast and I got to swim!! woohoo!!

I went off hcg for a break and have not started up yet. I have been going thru another season of emotional growth, I think because I really feel ok with how I look right now. I am completely shocking myself! LOL! Hubby's been taking the cell salts for his thyroid and we realized the other day that he is healing!! I am always a tad skeptical with anything actually working, whether px or natural. So far the homeopathy has not failed me yet!

So how do I know his thyroid is on the mend? For the first time in years he has interest in flirting with me & following thru with the flirt! I know, TMI, but I never realized how much the thyroid regulates desire for intimacy until my friend started dessicated thyroid and her drive went from 0 to 100 and was shocked! So that was the first change.

2nd change: he takes the remedies in the morning and he is not so drop-dead tired all day. He says he hits a 2:30 slump where the keyboard tells him he is zoning by spelling out ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt for a couple lines!

3rd change: He is coming home and NOT GRUMPY!

4th change: his intestines are actually digesting food. He's suffered with IBS since his tour in Desert Storm in 1991. This makes sense because this kind of trauma will really throw the endocrine system out of whack. He ate corn the other day and normally it comes out within an hour. It took a full 24 hours before being seen again! He seems to be having less and less IBS flares too.

Those are the immediate changes I see in him. His overall moodiness is getting less and he's been reading to the kids every night for a couple weeks! I am SO proud of him!!

I stopped the Armour and started the remedies too. It seems to take about 2 hours to start working and waking me up in the morning but I noticed it takes the edge off my pain as well. The smallest changes are noticed and I'm getting OK with how I look. (insert BIG smile!)

Reverse T3

2010-07-07T19:32:00.004-04:00

I had to start protocol again because I listened to the doc's advice and stopped dairy and started back on the thyroid meds. I gained 5 lbs in a week!

Thankfully the hcg is getting it back off.

I finally got my lab results. I've been researching the meanings because the doc 'needs' to see me ($95 visit) to discuss the results. I think I may call tomorrow and explain that I am not spending $95 for her to tell me labs are normal. I will go in if they are not normal and she has a treatment plan. I'm really tired of the BS that steals my money. I do have a back up plan. My friend found a more local doc that is not intimidated by patients and is a good doc for helping people with thyroid problems.

Here are my latest results. (I am shocked she didn't take complete thyroid panel since it's been almost 2 years!):

Reverse T3: 366
Candida IgA: positive
Vit D3: 42 (seems it should be above 50)
H-pylori: negative

I was mostly interested in the Reverse T3, which will state if my body is storing my thyroid hormones or not. I've found 2 sites about these levels. Supposedly there is more meaning when compared to Free T3 at the same time. Both were not taken at this last drawing (grh). One site said anything above 150 is bad. Another said anything above 250 is bad. So it seems that my thyroid may be 'bad'. Surprise, surprise.

By taking Armour, I increase this RT3 problem and it takes 6 weeks or so of no medication to get my body fully emptied of the RT3. Before this test was taken, I had stopped the Armour and only took it occasionally because it didn't really seem to help. So if my labs were still high and I had not been regular on meds, that makes me wonder how high it would have been if I was taking it like I should have! The therapy to reverse this problem is to take a T3 only medication (like synthroid). The very thing I asked her to do with me awhile back and she said that therapy didn't work. So, I am really curious to what she will do.

ahhhh, the saga continues.....

Here's a few sites I've wandered across in researching:

weight loss and hormones (confirmation about the whole leptin and low carb diets I found about last fall among other things that puts pieces together)

Stop The Thyroid Madness (an excellent website about thyroid and un-diagnosed thyroid problems and what to do about it.)

RT3 and thyroid resistance (a compilation of information from a yahoo group called RT3)

* * * * * * * *

Another interesting note, I found that there is a little-diagnosed disease often called Hashimoto's Encephalopahty. Sometimes, people with hashimoto's gets the thyroid antibodies attacking the brain. Symptoms in pediatric patients: seizures, trembling, loss of memory, convulsions, lowered brain function.....

When I read this, I felt a sudden leap in my gut. My 9 yo daughter has hashi's and recently has been having all those symptoms! The anti-seizure meds don't seem to be doing anything. So, hopefully one of the 2 docs will listen and consider the possibility! The treatment would be just like when her kidney flared several years ago: steroids/low doses of chemo drugs to stop the flare. While I'm not too happy about those meds, they are less toxic than the seizure meds!

* * * * * * * * *

maybe I am getting closer to a healing!

lab tests are in

2010-06-07T23:03:00.003-04:00

Dr appt today showed my hormones are all normal! Imagine that.... (sarcasm here). She even said to not continue the bioidentical hormone therapy for several months.

She's doing a Free T3 blood test, among a couple others. I am curious with the T3 because it shows how much T3 my body is actually absorbing. The normal tests show how much my body is making. SO if this test is 'off' then I will be correct with my idea that the whole Wilson's temperature syndrome is my problem that needs T3 therapy. (That would be awesome, wouldn't it? That I may have been right all along? hmmmm..... )

She also has no idea why my weight is not stabilizing and thinks I should stop eating dairy because my blood iGA tests from awhile ago showed I was allergic to caseine (milk protein). I asked if raw milk protein was the same as processed milk protein because the processing changes the structure. And she was stumped. Since I was eating both processed milk (ice cream) and raw for the test, it is inconclusive to know what the truth really is.

She also wants me to start some very expensive cleanse and supplements for gastric upset/ulcers even though I don't have an ulcer. The dairy fasting will be hard, but my cravings haven't been so much lately anyway. I drink the raw milk smoothies to get food and probiotics in me since drinking food feels better in my gut than solid food. The other things will have to wait because my money is being spent carefully on more important things. This could all be a regression healing since I remember having similar gut-things happen in College. I lost weight then because I couldn't eat from a stupidly-traumatic event. This will be interesting to see what happens. Maybe I'll stick with the homeopathy and find if my constitutional remedy has changed.

On another note, my 9 yo is having increased seizure activity and it's been overwhelming this past week. My 4 yo gets his cast off his leg tomorrow (hopefully) and soon summer weather will stay and keep me warm. Strawberry picking time is upon us and I'm hoping to get to the fields in the middle of all this rain! My 6 yo son is showing a special talent with Fencing and his instructor wants to take him to his college class and show off! LOL! My other 2 are glowing in creativity and are starting a homeschooling magazine like 'Highlight's for Kids'.

Life is always interesting, eh?

update

2010-06-03T22:48:00.003-04:00

The past several weeks have been odd for me. All symptoms pointed towards pregnancy: Nausea, missing period, mood swings, breast tenderness, peeing all the time, heaviness in my uterus, very irritable, major nausea, my skin was glowing, hubby was very, very interested in my glow.... And the strange impulse to buy folic acid on my last supplement purchase several weeks ago before I even considered pregnancy. I NEVER buy folic acid!

I called my doc for a blood test to confirm. She ordered all my hormones to be tested plus a quantitative hcg test on Thursday. Friday we left to travel to the other side of the state to visit relatives and I called the nurse to find out the initial results. She said that I was not pregnant and with such low progesterone levels it meant my body was going into preterm menopause.

I just turned 36 years old.

That information really helped to make my weekend suck unbelievably!

Saturday I started bleeding small chunks. (sorry, TMI, I know) Nothing heavy and no cramping. Not even cramping like a period cramp. Spotted a couple days.

I talked with my homeopathist friend about this all and after taking a lot of notes, she says she believes I was/is pregnant too. And to wait 2 weeks to see if anything happens different with the bleeding.

The hCG test the doc ordered is not one that actually determines if a person is pregnant or not, unless it is done 2 days apart to determine if the hcg is increasing or decreasing. Not enough progesterone will automatically miscarry the baby anyway.

So I will be spending money and time on Monday on another visit to the doc to find out what the 'tests' say is wrong with me. I am getting skeptical lately of being pushed into expensive supplements, shots, therapies, etc. all the time. I understand the importance of bio-identical hormone therapy and other things, but it seems like the more I take, the worse I get. Going into menopause so early is a very, very bad thing to be doing.

The diagnosis is not sitting well in my 'gut'. I guess we'll see what happens on Monday. Hopefully her suggestions will help to reverse the damage to my body!

Add to that my middle child is having more seizures (3 in the month of May), each one different and I'm thinking that the meds are doing this. I know when compared to others that have 200 a day it doesn't seem like such a bad thing, but they are all still traumatic nontheless. So now what? The more we try, the worse we all get. I wish God would put his healing finger on us, or at least my daughter. But I know that His will is up to His timing and for His glory.

That is my update and I'm hoping the next one will be better news!

cell salts WORK!

2010-05-15T22:53:00.005-04:00

I am totally shocked. Well, actually, with my limited dealings with homeopathy I am not really surprised. But I am every happy and excited that the whole Cell Salt part of homeopathy works very quickly and well! I just got in my order of Hyland's Cell salts 6x strength and after having a very hard day working outside I could barely walk. My feet were screaming and my low back was ready to fall off. How that is possible, I have no idea, but that's what it was doing! LOL!

So I looked up the remedies for my problems, starting with my feet because they were screaming the worst and I had to make Chili yet...ugh... so I took the 3 or 4 ones suggested and continued cooking the beef. My daughter came in with her rice bag to heat up and I found her remedy to see what would happen. By that time I realized my feet were cooling down and the throbbing was GONE! My eldest was complaining about her scapulae pain and I found one for her. She just walked by me, hugged me and said "mom, my shoulder is feeling better! THANKS!' After my feet settled down, I looked for dealing with my severe low back/sciatica/hip pain and am waiting to see what happens there. My low back seems to be improving as I type. Hips are still painful. But if all that happens now is my feet.. woohooo!! I gave some to the dog for his chronic itching all night. Drives me BONKERS! So now to work on the remedies for thyroid problems. I'm gonna hit this problem with a full arsenal!

Not a whole lot to talk about. Hubby & I started protocol again. We are just starving so maybe that is a good thing. The thing I hate the most is the chronic thirst that happens with protocol. Actually, now that I think of it, I recall that the rounds I lose the best are those where I am the most thirsty! hmmm... *brain is thinking now..*

My son has his red cast on his leg and it will be an interesting next 4 weeks. Thankfully I figured out that Chamomile remedy stops his itching anger spaz thing he does when his leg starts to bother and itch him. It also helps him when he gets the whole 'HELP ME NOW' and when you help him he yells because you didn't help the exact, perfect right way! argh!
This too shall pass....
kids are fun....kids are fun....kids..are..fun.........kids........are.......f...

Bad, bad week

2010-05-09T18:35:00.003-04:00

My daughter started the week with a seizure and my 4 year old son ended the week with a broken leg! So this week has been quite an interesting & somewhat stressful one for me.

I ran out of the niacin supplement and got a different one that was not flush free. Oh My Goodness!! Niacin flush is NOT fun at all! My kids got it first. I looked over at 3 suddenly fussing kids and watched them grow beet-red in minutes!! It took my body 4 hours to start burning. GAH!! When hubby got home I asked him if he suddenly got hot and burning today. YES! LOL! It was funny to hear him talk about his experience too. So now I'm afraid to try that type of niacin again.

A new friend is wanting to start protocol and I will probably be starting a round with her whenever she is ready.

maintaining quite well

2010-04-29T11:09:00.002-04:00

For the first time in a long time, my weight is stable. I notice my strange cravings for junk has gone completely away. Maybe due to the Vitamin C, E & B3 I've added. Or it could be from the homeopathic constitutional remedy I've been using as well. My gut seems to be alive, which is a very exciting thing for me.

I believe my thyroid is starting up again too. Not sure if this is part of hashi's where some days it works and other days it doesn't. My temp seems to be on the up instead of on the low. I'll have to remember to take my actual temp later to know for sure.I've had great energy and have done a TON of work outside. I still need time to recover the next morning, but my recoveries are not weeks long like they were last summer. **Yea for me!!**

And the best part is my sense of peace inside me. I have more days of life satisfaction than I have un-satisfaction and the insanity residing in that brain fog seems to be going away! YEEEEEE!!! LOL! It is still there, though as really, really stupid things are being done by me on occasion. You know, things like not realizing I turned the butter on the stove, then went outside to pick some things up. I didn't realize flames could go so high! Thankfully, God's hand was on us and no real damage happened. The hood can be replaced. Ah, such fun life is! And this happened a couple hours after talking with our insurance agent about the changes in our policy with the deductable. I told him to keep it the way it was because knowing me, I'd beat those odds of experiencing another house fire!

Well, I'd better get going. My friend has some mini-cows and dwarf dairy goats I wanted to see and the kids want to play with her kids. Life is grand!

Sourdough Pancakes: YUM!!

2010-04-21T09:54:00.003-04:00

Here's the recipe. Hopefully your starter culture is bubbling nicely and smells yeasty. If not, then wait a few more days.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES:

You have to get a jump on pancakes made with sourdough starter by starting the night before.

• 2 cups All-Purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 2 cups Buttermilk, slightly warmed (I use raw milk)
• 1 cup Sourdough starter

Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Blend in the buttermilk and the sourdough starter. Cover and allow mixture to work overnight at room temperature.

• 2 Eggs (at room temperature)
• ¼ cup Melted butter or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda

In the morning, beat together the eggs, butter or oil, salt and soda. Blend this mixture into the starter mixture. Batter will bubble and foam. Drop by 1/4-cupfuls onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until large bubbles appear. Flip over and cook until browned. Makes about 15 pancakes. Serve with butter. Blueberry & peach jams are the BEST on these pancakes.

These are very yummy with butter and jams. The best part is this: after you add the butter & jelly, they roll up easily to eat with your hands! Hopefully you have homemade jams available that do not contain sugar & high fructose corn syrup. If not, then use raw honey or real maple syrup to keep these pancakes healthy.

Happy cooking!!

Don't be afraid to post a comment or question!

cereal = death to rats!

2010-04-17T20:14:00.003-04:00

All I can say is **WOW!!**Doctoryourself.com. What a website!

Since reading many pages on this website, I've started my family on higher doses of Vitamins C, E, B complex and Niacin (B3). It all makes sense. My middle child's blood tests showed she was deficient in so many areas and I asked her pediatrician which to take. His answer was 'the most important for her right now is a B complex, D and C'. So I was giving her a liquid one. After researching on the above website, I realize the amt in that liquid supplement was NOTHING in compared to what we actually need. For example, the Niacin was at 25 mg. We usually need anywhere from 1g to 9g, depending upon how deficient we are! Remember, 1000mg = 1g.

The other startling information was about vitamin C deficiency. We are all suffering with pre-scurvy symptoms! Joint pain & damage, fatigue, brain fog, mental instability, etc! WOW! It's like we are, as a society, teetering on the edge of an epidemic of scurvy!

It really makes sense, esp after learning that eating processed & raw grains depletes our bodies of minerals & vitamins. Add to that our nutrient-lacking soils from not rotating crops and that we have forgotten how to eat real foods. This doesn't surprise me.

Since changing our family's diet, slowly over the past few years, I've noticed changes for the better. We are not purists and do slip and eat something with hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, but what can one do without living in a bubble? I am very happy to hear my 6 yo talk about not eating something because he knows it has high fructose corn syrup in it!

So, on that little note, here's a very interesting excerpt about some odd studies with rats & cereal:

* * * * * * * *
"The Rat Experiments

Let me tell you about two studies which were not published. The first was described by Paul Stitt who wrote about an experiment conducted by a cereal company in which four sets of rats were given special diets. One group received plain whole wheat, water and synthetic vitamins and minerals. A second group received puffed wheat (an extruded cereal), water and the same nutrient solution. A third set was given only water. A fourth set was given nothing but water and chemical nutrients. The rats that received the whole wheat lived over a year on this diet. The rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived about two months. The animals on water alone lived about a month. But the company's own laboratory study showed that the rats given the vitamins, water and all the puffed wheat they wanted died within two weeks---they died before the rats that got no food at all. It wasn't a matter of the rats dying of malnutrition. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock.

Results like these suggested that there was something actually very toxic in the puffed wheat itself! Proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the pressure of the puffing process may produce chemical changes, which turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance.

Another unpublished experiment was carried out in the 1960s. Researchers at University of Michigan were given 18 laboratory rats. They were divided into three groups: one group received corn flakes and water; a second group was given the cardboard box that the corn flakes came in and water; the control group received rat chow and water. The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats eating the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. But the rats receiving the corn flakes and water died before the rats that were eating the box! (The last corn flake rat died the day the first box rat died.) But before death, the corn flake rats developed schizophrenic behavior, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions. The startling conclusion of this study is that there was more nourishment in the box than there was in the corn flakes.

This experiment was actually designed as a joke, but the results were far from funny. The results were never published and similar studies have not been conducted.
Most of America eats this kind of cereal. In fact, the USDA is gloating over the fact that children today get the vast majority of their important nutrients from the nutrients added to these boxed cereals.[/blockquote]

* * * * * * * *
Here's the link to the whole article: www.westonaprice.org/Dirty-Secrets-of-the-Food-Processing-Industry.html

_______________

FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE SOURDOUGH 'CHALLENGE', MAKE SURE YOU KEEP ADDING SOME FLOUR & WATER DAILY TO KEEP THE CULTURES ALIVE! If you notice some brown liquid on top, it is the alcohol byproduct of the fermenting and is a good sign. Just mix it into the culture and keep feeding it. If the alcohol gets too much, it will kill the whole thing.

Day 2 of pancakes

2010-04-16T23:17:00.003-04:00

Day 2 - day 5: add a tbsp or so of flour and water as needed. Stir the culture and re-cover lightly. If you get above the 3/4 fullness area you will have to dump some down the drain because it will start to bubble and will overflow the jar and make a mess.

If your culture is not bubbly by day 5, you may need a few extra days. Cooler kitchens will ferment slower and warmer kitchens will ferment quicker.

Lemme know if you have any questions! I have a GREAT article to post tomorrow. :-)

Best Pancakes EVER: Day 1

2010-04-15T18:50:00.005-04:00

I could post just the recipe, but many get confused when dealing with a starter culture & all so I decided to post how I make it, day by day. Let me know if this is something you are following with me. By the end of 5 days, you will have the BEST pancakes you will ever eat. The best thing about these are the gluten is fermented OUT of the pancakes, so those that are sensitive/intolerant can have these too! To not get a damaged gut from grains, you must soak them to break down the phytic acid. So this recipe takes care of all problems associated with wheat! This is a great treat for everyone and you will actually be nourishing your family!

Day 1:

Things you will need:

Glass Jar with lid
flour
1 cup of non-chlorinated water
spoon or butter knife
1 cup flour

Put the flour & water in the jar & mix around. I often mix with a butter knife because of it's length.

Find a glass jar with a fitting lid. Quart size or larger. I use caning jars with the white plastic lids. You can use an empty pickle or mayo or applesauce jar, as long as it is glass and you have a lid for it.

If you have chlorine in your water, just boil & cool the water. Chlorine will kill your cultures. You can use any type of flour and distilled or spring or boiled water.

The measurements are not precise with this, just use equal amounts of water and flour. It should appear thick like pancake batter or pudding. It is not a big deal if it is a bit runnier or thicker. Too thick will be more of a problem, though. Just add more water or flour to make the consistency acceptable.

Put the cover on loosely and let it sit on your kitchen counter.

If you add too much flour/water, the culture has a tendency to bubble over, which is why you need a larger container and why the lid should NEVER be on very tight.

***** to be continued tomorrow......*****

(hint: you will be adding some flour & water every day until it looks bubbly & smells like yeast. The length of time will be determined on the warmth of your kitchen. )

Post a comment and let me know if you are going to be doing this or if you have any questions or concerns!!

I can't wait to hear from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Side note... I am SO excited! I have been looking and looking all over for Stinging Nettle weed and have never encountered it while living here. It was everywhere where I grew up so much that I knew how to handle it without getting stung! I want it for the healing properties in tea to dry and be able to use. GUESS WHAT?! Somehow, it has appeared ABUNDANTLY in my back yard!!! WOOHOOOOO! God must have heard my plea and sent some seeds over! LOL! So today, the plants are about 8 inches tall, so I harvested some of them for their leaves & roots. yea!!!!!!!! **happy dance**

So for anybody that cares, I thought I'd share! lol!

A new experiment

2010-04-08T07:33:00.002-04:00

Can't say what it is exactly because I want to see it proven with me before I mention it. My friend tried it and was excited about the results so I figured I'd give it a whirl too.

Supposedly it helps remove toxins from fat thru the lymph system, which helps shrink the size of body fat. I tried one session of this last night while on hcg so we'll see what happens. Since I have to be up much earlier than my normal time, my morning weight is off. A more accurate weigh in happens after 9 for me.

For a quick update, my weight has pretty much stalled all week. Maybe due to stress. My middle child hit her eyebrow against the wall on Monday and needed 14 stitches total in 3 layers of tissue. That and major brake issues with our only vehicle has created a tad more stress than normal. Blech... My homeopathic remedy is still working quite well. Time to get the kids going for another busy day out & about!

checking in

2010-04-01T10:00:00.004-04:00

16 days on this round and I'm down 4.8 pounds.

My doc has determined that she will not help me thru the Wilson's Temperature Syndrome therapy and the other somewhat local doc has never worked with hashimoto's cases and charges $450. So that is out of the question. I met up with my homeopathist friend and we talked quite a long time and I've started a new remedy (Causticum) which should help deal with the trauma that has thrown my thyroid out of whack. I'm mostly interested in getting out of my trapped brain fog and finding true self.

The first day of taking the remedy I was stunned at who I saw in the mirror! Someone who is acceptable and looking good. I am finally shedding those horrible 'glasses' of disdain that I've viewed myself for many years now! I can feel the fog creep back over me, but within a minute or two, the remedy pushes it back. I'm sure it will take a bit longer for the full effects to be comnpletely there, but I can see the light! Strangely, I felt so good the first day I went on a long 2 mile walk with the family and carried my 4 yo on my back. The next day I was feeling a lot of pain and yesterday I swore a Mac truck had hit me. The physical pain was pretty bad, but my mind was not affected! How crazy! Then I remembered my accupuncturist telling me that it is healthier to have a sane mind and a sick body than the other way around. It means healing is happening. Yay!

My hubby's on Lycopodium and my one daughter is on Sulphur. So far everyone is responding shockingly well.

My weight has gone down 2.8 since Tuesday! This weekend I remembered the actual trauma that started this whole downward spiral. While I always remembered the event that was the trigger to a decade of struggle & strife; I had never put two and two together. So today I am smiling and thinking 'YES! This is soon over!' I actually feel thin and the blubber is not even affecting me like it did last week.

Today the pain is down again and things need to get done around the house. I must not over-do it again.

Until next time... BE HAPPY... mostly because SPRING IS HERE!!!

I am ......

2010-03-16T12:13:00.004-04:00

I was hoping to stabilize on p3 but I am not having such luck. I believe it is ALL water weight packing back on. I can feel the constant swelling and it is no fun.

2 weeks of p3 and I'm starting today back on p2.

I have been reading about the Wilson's Temperature Syndrome with renewed interest. It has taking me a bit to figure out my way around their website. One thing of interest that caught my eye was about the severe edema (water retention) that people have with low thyroid. The doctors there even suggest that Hashimoto's can often be reversed with a proper protocol of letting the thyroid rest and especially if current med treatment doesn't seem to be working. I am hoping my doc will take the time to read the information to help me. It even appears that my hubby is showing symptoms too!! If I could get him help, that would make a WORLD of difference in his life too. Give him back his energy & zest.. wow... I cannot imagine!

I was pretty excited to see the hcg protocol mentioned in the website in proving how hormones can be related to thyroid & other glandular problems. Half of pms symptoms are really thyroid issues: bloating, mood swings, irrational emotions, etc. It has been noticed, too, that many women with thyroid problems have 'remissions' during pregnancy due to the hcg!

If I can find a thermometer that actually works I will start taking my body temperature every 3 hours to see what is going on. Anything different than 98.6 is a problem because our body runs properly only at that temperature. Another tidbit I found interesting is about the symptom of retaining body fat. It happens because our body is 'cold' and the added mass helps retain body heat. Their example was about when people are cold, they hunch themselves into a ball to keep warm. This is a body instinct and when we are running even 1/2 a degree cold, our body holds onto fat and water to keep things warm.

I found 1 doc in my state that knows how to treat this problem, but he costs $450 for the first visit!! GAH! I thought my doctor was expensive! LOL! I found one in the next state over that is only $135 but 6 hours away? I think. hmm.. gotta figure this one out.

hmmm.. I KNOW I had a health tip I wanted to post, but I cannot remember right now. Oh well. It has been a very rough week for me emotionally. I noticed lately that I have become unusually foggy & nutty that is not me. It is like ME is trapped inside and I get very upset I am trapped! Thankfully yesterday it seemed to break away and I am a little better. I stumbled upon Lifetime or life tv or something like that a show called 'how to look good naked' that has touched me in a deep place in a good way.

I constantly reject myself as inadequate and ugly because of my fat. "I am who I think you think I am!" and THAT needs to change right NOW! I need to stop striving to please 'man' and just be who I am created to be.

on p3 for now

2010-03-07T19:41:00.003-05:00

On p3 now and enjoying eating again. Although, I still keep forgetting on many days. I'm focusing on getting in the calories needed to keep stable instead of gaining.

The unseasonably warm weather is making me hunger for spring already! Otherwise there's nothing much else to update on. I'm re-learning guitar and teaching my 2 eldest along with me. All the kids are wanting piano lessons, so we're busy with that. I picked up the meat and ground up the suet and found it works perfectly for cooking popcorn and anything else. I don't need to cook it down like I did the pig fat 2 years ago. Thankfully.. something that is easy! I've found that lard, suet & tallow are the 3 most stable & healthy fats to cook with at high temps (plus coocnut oil, but that is soooo expensive). Butter & olive oil should not be used at frying temps because they turn carconegenic at high heat. I think I will call the butcher and ask for the suet every time he gets some in. ... gotta put that on my list of things to remember to do.. now, where is my pen...... ***wanders off, only to get distracted with something like dishes or sweeping the floor for the umpteenth time today....***

One day soon I will have nothing to do and I will look back on all this in amazement that I survived! LOL! Ah, the joys of life.

FINALLY!!

2010-03-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

I've been hoovering for the past several days at 180.6, then yesterday hit 180.4.... I think I only have one day or half a day left of hcg and was HOPING to get to the 170's this round.... today I stepped on the scale and found 179.6!!!!

YES! I'm noticing the inches are being lessened. I haven't measured myself yet, but can see the changes in my rib fat as well as in my belly.

Here's an interesting article I found last night:
Hormonal Imbalances & Thyroid Disease.

Wilson's Temperature Syndrome

2010-02-27T10:36:00.004-05:00

In a poll I posted on HTA forum, One member posted they were diagnosed with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and I was curious. I found this very interesting article about this underdiagnosed problem that mimics low thyroid but there is no positive blood test to give doctors a clue. It is a syndrome caused by stress, which, if not taken care of will end up with later stages of thyroid disease among other things. I am putting a link to a good explanation of how weightloss is affected with T3 therapy. I am going to the doc on Monday and pick up more T3 supplements so I don't run out! I was slowing down their useage during protocol because I wasn't sure about their effectiveness. I have noticed that those days I take the acetyltyrosine, I do have better losses. hmmm.... more info to 'chew' on... I wonder how much T3 is too much or too little?

I posted a link to the Dr's Manual to this syndrome in my links to the right.

******** today's stats****
181.6 - 180.8

I will continue this round until my mixed hcg is gone. I am happy to see such good losses. OF course, I'm wishing they were quicker! LOL! But after researching stats of others on protocol with hashi's, and working with my friend in understanding low thyroid symptoms and how adrenals & pituitary glands are connected, I am getting a better picture of how the body works. SOON, I believe I will have the key to keeping my weight down when done with protocol!

nearly there

2010-02-25T00:09:00.002-05:00

182.6 - 182.0 = down 0.6 this morning.

I am so very disappointed I have to lose these pounds again. Last time I saw these numbers I was excited to think 'never again!'. But, alas. Such is life. I am on the end of my 3rd week and this week has been going very well with losses. I hope to be in the 170's by this weekend. Hopefully I can do it! I just have to stay strong.

Anyone notice how thirsty you get if you neglect drinking a ton of water during the day? Gah! I have just drank almost a gallon sitting here watching the first Transformers (previewing before the kids watch) and I am STILL so stinkin' thirsty! The water just flows right thru me. This is really a good thing, albeit, a very annoying problem to be hitting the bathroom so often.

week 3

2010-02-22T11:46:00.003-05:00

weigh in this morning was 183.8

I upped my dose of hcg to .20ml because I was experiencing severe hunger pangs still. It's been several days on that dose and things are settled. TOM arrived so that may have had an effect as well.

I am supplementing with chromium and dessicated adrenal pills. My hubby has noticed a difference with the adrenals added to his supplements. My friend has shared some information she's been reading about on her journey with dealing with possible thyroid/hromone imbalances. High estrogen (or maybe it was sex hormone imbalances) is caused by a fatigued adrenal!

Another good note I found a somewhat local organic farmer that sells his beef & chickens at a good price, with processing the beef is 2.75 a pound if you buy half. I have to call the butcher with what kinds of cuts I want. I'm also asking for the organs and the soup bones. I hope to make a sausage with some of the organ meats. Everything I've read states that eating the organs will help support your own organs. I figure if I make it into an age-old sausage, it will be better. Now to find the recipe I grew up with called 'blood sausage'. YUM!! It was my favorite. My mom didn't use brains in the recipe, though, and the butcher will not extract the brains from the head but said I could do it if I wanted! LOL! Yeah, I don't think so!

many day's updates

2010-02-16T19:41:00.002-05:00

I didn't realize I was behind so many days!

F: 186.2
S: 185.4 : started tanning
S: 185.6 : resuming gym
M: 185.4 : gym & tanning
T: 185.0 :

I have added dessicated adrenal supplements to my regiment and I've been feeling really good. Hubby seems to be less fatigued as well.

rollerskating

2010-02-12T11:02:00.003-05:00

Thurs: 187.6 - 187.0 = -0.6
Today: 187.0 - 186.2 = -0.8

I found a great rollerskating rink nearby that had hours for homeschoolers. The kids had SOOO much fun! I, however, made a fool of myself, I'm sure. I have not skated since age 17 or so..... and never on rollerblades! LOL! So, that was an experience out of my comfort zone in a HUGE way to actually put myself out there on rollerblades. Hopefully my courage will continue and eventually I will be able to skate better than my 4 year old once again! LOL!

For protocol, I bought some Melba toast for the first time and found it to be super scrumptious. I had read someone's thoughts on Dr S's words about those who do not have his specific foods available in their culture. He stated that there needs to be the appropriate amts of protein and starch. So the discussion was wondering if that little bit of melba toast has an effect on our stabalization and re-setting of our glandular system. It was intriguing enough of a concept for me, so I am trying it this round.

I did not get my 2 full doses of protein in yesterday because of all the running around I did and by the time things settled down enough for me to eat, it was too late. The Melba & strawberries curbed my hunger pains yesterday morning quite well. And now that I think back, I don't think I ate any protein yesterday... hmmm.. that is not a good thing to do too often! Oh well, on to a new day!

pemmican

2010-02-10T11:30:00.005-05:00

188.2 - 187.6
down 0.6 today

I am having starving hunger pains & lightheadedness so I am adjusting my dose from .125 to .150 to see if that helps.

~~~~~

I realized I didn't write about Pemmican yet!

Pemmican is something that has been made by the Native Americans and used for traveling nourishment. It is considered 'the perfect' food and I call it the perfect energy bar. All natural and has powerful energy and nourishment for our bodies AND it lasts a long, long time without chemical preservatives! The natives used it esp when they went on their hunting trips that would last weeks or longer. Consider the amt of energy needed to hunt!

The basic recipe is this:

dried meat (beef, venison, etc)
suet (internal animal fat)
dried fruit
raw honey/maple syrup (do not use artificial sweeteners!)
real/celtic salt

The dried fruit and meat are ground into powder, mixed with the sweetener then added to the melted suet. Add salt to the mixture last. Pour on a cookie sheet and cut into strips as it cools. Or put into a glass jar.

It ends up looking like shredded jerkey dipped in wax! But it tastes pretty good! The suet and honey have a natural preservative component that will keep the pemmican good for 5+ years! They've found pemmican that was 20 yrs old and still good!

A perfect mixture of healthy fats, protein and raw sugar/carbs. I am so excited to be finding and learning about all these recipes from the wisdom of antiquity!

cortisol

2010-02-09T12:00:00.003-05:00

189.6 - 188.2
Down 1.4 today

I know I have a problem with cortisol, according to a saliva test I did a couple years ago. I don't remember the exact results but they were abnormal and my doc figured the results were due to my spondylitis pain causing a lot of stress in my body. Cortisol is part of the adrenal system.

Here's some interesting things I read about over the past couple days:

Cortisol shows up with abnormal fat in the gut.
Estrogen shows up with abnormal fat in the lower body (hips & thighs).
Insulin resistance shows up with abnormal fat in the low back and love handles.

I definately have a problem in my belly holding onto fat very readily! One way to combat this problem is to sleep more and get the growth hormone increased in your body. Another thing to note is that LONG CARDIO workouts will INCREASE cortisol! hmmm... how about that?! To increase growth hormone you need to increase lactic acid in your muscles by weight training a specific way. More info in the links below...

Here's where I've learned a LOT these past couple months and I wanted to share with you: FinalPhaseFatLoss.com

starting vlcd, with trembling

2010-02-08T10:45:00.002-05:00

Thankfully the strawberries were on sale yesterday! Now to REMEMBER I am on protocol and stay true!

Today I lost over a pound.

I don't remember exactly what the scale said yesterday because my brain doesn't want to see where the scale has gotten. Loading was a bit easier yesterday since our good friends came over for Super Bowl games. It was fun! But, nothing seemed up to par for craving and splurging. Oh well. I taught her and her eldest the beginnings for learning to sew. Domestication! LOL!

Thankfully the hcg is making me thirsty so drinking all that water doesn't seem so hard today. The past 6 months I have had an unusual non-thirst and have not been able to remember to keep drinking enough water.

I am so excited to get started again! Time to get the fat roll off!!

Loading once again

2010-02-07T23:22:00.003-05:00

The hCG came in on Saturday and I immediatly mixed and started loading. It is very strange to wander the store to shop for loading and nothing is appetizing. I have been dealing with a strange sore throat and a lot of sinus blockage which is taking my appetite away a bit too. Funny thing is my voice is nearly gone. I'm sure my kids like it because I feel like I am screaming but I am only getting out a croak! It is worse when I lay down and really bad in the morning. Hopefully this clears up quickly. I am baffled at it's onset because I rarely get sick and if I do, it is over in a couple days.

I am trying to decide what my goal is for this round. I'd like to see similar results as my very first round averaging one pound a day which would equal 25 pounds or so.

Strawberries were on sale today so I bought several packs for this week which starts VLCD (very low calorie diet) tomorrow. Now to stay focused and drink lots of water! My friend is starting too so we will help hold each other accountable... I hope!

Beet Kvaas

2010-02-04T15:58:00.006-05:00

It has been 'fermenting' a couple days now and we tried the Beet Kvaas. Several beets peeled and cut up and mixed with whey sea salt and filtered water. Let sit out a few days and then refridgerate. The juice is taken daily. It is pretty strong in the salt flavor. The beet smell is very strong so I figured it would be on the sweeter side. I tend to forget that fermented foods are more on the stronger/sour side of taste because of the lactobacillii (or however that is spelled LOL!)

Here's what Sally Fallon has to say about it in her Nourishing Traditions cookbook:

"This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are just loaded with nutrients. One 4 oz glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. .....

"Professor Zabel observed that sick people always lack digestive juices, not only during the acute phase of their illness but also for a long time afterwards. In addition, he never saw a cancer victin that had a healthy intestinal flora. ...

Lacto fermented beets have a very favorable effect on disturbed cellular function. Many scientific studies have demonstrated that beets have a regenerating effect on the body. Annelies Schoneck Des Crudites Toute L'Annee" Nourishing Traditions pg 610, Sally Fallon.

That is enough to make me want to drink it! I dilute and 'hide' it in other things for my kids to drink. And they drink, very trustingly! LOL!

The second recipe I am starting on is Pemmican: and old Native American 'energy bar' that uses dried jerky, cranberries & suet. I finished drying the beef today and then ground it into almost powder and am thawing the frozen suet. I will write in my next post the amazing things about pemmican, what I call the most perfect energy bar!

Updating supplier 2

2010-02-03T17:08:00.002-05:00

Supplier 2 now has 'Highly Purified hcg' now available for sale. I've not used this one yet and am not sure why it may be better than the others. It is manufactured in Germany, so that may be a selling point to those who do not want their hcg manufactured in India or China or Singapore, etc.

2 brands of hcg commonly used:

Highly Purified hcg 5000 iu (mfg in Germany)
Hucog 5000 iu (mfg in India=cheapest brand)

3 vials of Highly Purified hcg 5000 iu (mfg in Germany)
3 vials Hucog 5000 iu (mfg in India)

5 vials of Highly Purified hcg 5000 iu (mfg in Germany)
5 vials Hucog 5000 iu (mfg in India)

Remember, the more you order, the lower the cost per vial!

Buy 3 get one Free!

2010-02-01T15:28:00.003-05:00

I am posting the current sale for hcg:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Buy 3 get 1 Free sale! Don't forget coupon code 100354

Purchase 3 vials of the new "Hucog High Purity" HCG (only available in 5000 IU at the moment) and we will include a 4th vial free of charge! Order 6 vials, and we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion but as we cannot predict when the next promotion will be, we highly recommend you take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Tell your friends and order today!

This promotion is valid ONLY until February 15th, 2010.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So there you have it. A current sale! woohooo! Time to order now! Get started on your journey of weightloss BEFORE the spring/summer hits. It is always good to have a friend/spouse to do this for accountability and higher success.

Pyramid workout

2010-01-30T11:49:00.003-05:00

Pyramid workout I just learned about that may work for my body:

example:
For incline barbell press (seated in a laid back position, barbell in each hand and pressing from shoulder height to fully extended above my head)

15 lbs for 10 reps
20 lbs for 8 reps
25 lbs for 6 reps
30 lbs for 4 reps

This is to be done for all workouts each week, then next week start the process at the 2nd poundage and increase the weights accordingly.

I did this for all my workouts on Thursday. I did not perform squats or bench press to not stress out too much. I could really feel the burn in a different way in my muscles. AND the pain/fatigue did not seem too great the next day. Today I feel a bit stiff, but not too bad. I haven't decided if I will workout today or not. One day of rest btwn workouts. I will decide after hubby comes home from work and I go shopping for my 5 yo's birthday present.

I posted my new sculpt on my sculpting blog so make sure you check it out!

Just because it worked the first time....

2010-01-26T20:47:00.003-05:00

I went on Sat & Monday to the myofascial trigger point therapist. It had been several weeks since my last visit and my body was highly stressed and tense. The last visit didn't give me nearly as much relief as the visit before where my pain was nearly gone for several months.

The strangest things started to happen. He'd work on my subscapularis area and my headache would be gone! Then he'd work on my ribs and it would come back. So he started 'digging' deeper and was shocked at what he found: My tailbone is a trainwreck. Total mess in my SI joint (surprise, surprise). So he worked on my low back & SI areas only to find the real culprit (outside my foot issue) is that my pubis symphysis is un stable, messing up my whole pelvic girdle, which messes up L4/L5, which messes up T6 which messes up my rhomboids which pulls on my neck giving me chronic headaches. Gah! The foot bone is connected to the...... eeeeee!

So I was told to go to the chiropractor and request a specific adjustment for my pelvis and see what happens. If I have pain within 24 hours then the problem is loose ligaments in my 'groin' area that is attached to the pubic sympnysis. This means there is probably nothing that can be done and my search for relief will never come to an end. There is a slight chance that Prolotherapy may help. Prolotherapy involves injecting amino acids & stuff into the problem tendons several times a month for 12-18 months ..... *yeowch!* and the cost is like getting braces.

Needless to say, today I feel like a truck ran me over. I am crossing my fingers that I can go to the gym tomorrow. I have to refrain from the HIT until things get settled down. With everything out of whack, heavy weights are causing me damage. **insert curse word of choice here** I will continue as usual: do what I can when I can and not get too discouraged. I think I will need to go back to my doc to get my script for Celebrex refilled. Sulfasalazine makes me very sick lately so that is out of my diet.

I have started looking into CellFood and will probably try that. They have one with silica to help strengthen the skeletal system.

I'm hoping my hcg will show up end of this week. That would be nice.

I also learned today that raw lamb is better ground up than diced in small pieces. Especially in tacos. I cannot handle gristle!

I finished an adorable sculpt today while being forced to sit all day on the couch. I hve to take a couple photos and will post on my sculpting blog maybe tomorrow.

Ramblings

2010-01-22T13:11:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I have nothing exciting or new to post here. My hcg is on it's way and I'm still trying to determine the issues in my body. Mostly I wanted to have a new post up that didn't bring back the memories of that liver tonic! LOL!

I was reminded of something just a few minutes ago. I haven't been in contact with my little brother for about 3 years and for Christmas, I finally got ahold of his number thru mutal friends and called him. Somewhere in the middle of a 7 hour long conversation, he asks me if I know anything that can help him increase his appetite. He hardly ever eats and is bothered by it. Hmmmm.... I also remembered meeting my birth uncle about 13 years ago(my brother & I were adopted at age 4 & 5) and remembered him talking about how he has no appetite either and tends to force down smoothies to get nourishment.

So now I am wondering what connection this has. Maybe the hashimoto's low thyroid is the cause. Hard to say if anyone else has it.

As you can tell by my blog, I am working hard at eating healthy foods. Yes, I eat ice-cream sometimes and corn tortilla chips, occasionally I eat a piece of pizza, but as I really look at my diet, it is pretty darn healthy. I am now exercising and training at the gym as my body allows. So why am I not losing? I hate to admit this, but I am not losing, only slowly gaining. I know some of it is muscle growth, but in my belly? Right now I'm in the super-bloated time so my mood and ambition is stamped down some. grrrrrhhh.....

*sigh*

As much as I didn't want to do hcg protocol again, I will pick up the pack and start back down that trail again. I am hoping to receive the shipment sometime after 7 days.

Liver Tonic?!

2010-01-19T21:09:00.004-05:00

I was very daring tonight.

We got back from the gym and the beef liver was fully thawed. I was going to cook liver & onions for hubby after our workout, but then realized it will taste better if soaked in lemon juice first. I am hoping it will taste good prepared this way. I guess tomorrow I will find out.

My daring part: I have a recipe in the Nourishing Traditions book for a Liver Tonic that helps for those with tuberculosis & athletes. I'm not exactly sure what it helps, but I've learned that all raw glands & organs are very good to help our own glands/organs heal or stay healthy. The recipe:

~ raw liver.. . a couple tbsp I believe,
~ tomato juice,
~ lime juice,
~ sea salt
~ tabasco sauce
~ whey

Tobasco makes me wanna barf when I just smell it so I did not include it. Another recipe on the page adds Rapurda (natural cane sugar) so I added some sugar to the above recipe too. I added some Kombucha Tea to the recipe because I didn't have any whey left. Blend finely and chug away.

My 4 year & 13 year old said they liked it and drank about 1 oz. Hubby & I chugged 2 oz and the other kids took a sip. It was ok if you don't smell it. Then it hit bottom. Then I tasted liver and made my mind blank so it didn't come back up. I was hoping the raw tasted better than the cooked. Not so for me. Hubby said he'll try very hard to NOT drink that again! LOL!

I am shocked that I actually look forward to trying this kind of stuff. Hopefully the good flavors outweight the bad ones. If I strike out too many times I may be turned off forever! LOL!

The Tuna I made a few days ago is getting milder in flavor. I haven't tried the salmon again, but hubby and my eldest like it the best. It seems my body doesn't need more than 4-5 pieces to notice a change. Yesterday I had about 5 and today my bowels are moving and feeling good.

Tonight, after working out our meal consisted of these things raw:

~ pineapple
~ paypaya
~ red pepper
~ cucumbers
~ salmon & tuna
~ cinnamon apple pieces
~ mango
~ tangerines
~ the liver tonic
the only cooked food was the lobster/crab flakes that is our 'junk food' for the day.

My hubby sat there, with his plate filled and stated how amazed he is with the changes in his attitude over the past 2 years. When I started this kind of meal (we call buffet), he was so upset because he didn't think he'd get full without his cooked meat & potatoes & such. We've found that when we eat raw like this (even before adding the raw meat) we get full so much faster. And it is a satisfied full that doesn't lead to huge cravings later like when we would eat pasta or rice, etc.

So everyone knows... I am not the kind of person that totally enjoys veggies. I love sweets, ice-cream, BREAD, pasta... etc. Veggies have never been something I enjoyed. I have learned one little trick, though:

I force myself to eat ONE bite everytime something is served. That's all. I require that for my kids too. I've found that after about 2 weeks, my taste buds are accustomed to that veggie and I soon like it and have no problem eating those things. This raw meat experiment seems to be going the same way. It is all 'power of the mind' attitude. I am glad I am able to conquer it!

Now, I wonder if this will work for mushrooms, grapefruit and celery for me... hmmm.. not sure since the smell makes me wanna vomit.

Salt

2010-01-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

A discussion about salt.

Some items of information to digest:

Typical, iodized table salt is chemically manufactured and has added chemicals in it to make it 'free flowing'. Usually the added chemical is an aluminum derivative which means 'toxic'. Refining of salt reduces nearly all the micro-minerals and nutrients (esp magnesium), so potassium iodide is added in toxic amts and it is bleached to make it white. Sounds similar to our chemically processed flour & sugar!

Consumption of this form of salt causes thyroid problems that are the same as iodine deficiency...

why?

Research has found that people who consume large amts of refined salt have evidence of sodium starvation in their tissues! Our bodies CANNOT absorb it! Something to think about for those people who are always craving salt. If you are not absorbing the nutrients like iodine & sodium & chloride, etc, then your glandular system (thyroid) will not work properly!

Those with weak adrenals lose salt in their urine and need more salt in their diet.

Those who consume excessive salt tend to have problems with osteoperosis because calcium is excreted in their urine. Potassium is also depleted.

The best forms of salt:

Sun-dried sea salt that is grey & wet. (Celtic is THE best form). This will have 'dead' sea critters that help contribute iodine to our diet.

Pink/Red sea salt is 2nd best.

Unrefined salt that comes from ancient sea beds is acceptable, but lacks iodine.

If you eat mostly cooked foods, your intake of salt needs to be higher because it is a powerful enzyme activator which helps with digestion.

If you eat mostly or entirely raw, your need for added salt will be less because the enzymes in the raw food will suffice.

Other good sources of sodium is broth made from meat and animal bones/cartiledge. Broth made from fish carcasses is one of the best ways to support thyroid function as well as a digestion aid.

To sum this all up:

STAY AWAY from the cheap iodized salt. It does more harm to your body than good. In fact, there is nothing at all good about it so get rid of it. The only thing table salt is good for is to make homemade playdough for the kids!

Spend a little extra on Celtic Sea salt or Real salt. You will nourish your body so much better and will probably stop those crazy salt cravings that cause you to waste your money on unhealthy foods that don't feed your body, thus creating a cycle of poor eating habits because your body is starved for nutrients.

raw fish... no bad if you like fish

2010-01-17T21:13:00.004-05:00

I made marinated salmon and tuna this past week. I was very surprised at the flavor and the texture. They both ended up appearing cooked after soaking in lime juice for 24 hours. I am not a huge fish fan, but am trying very hard to get my tastebuds accustomed to it because it is SO healthy. Salmon is too fishy for me. The tuna was acceptable and highly tolerable. My gag reaction is nearly gone now when I try the raw meat. My hubby LOVES both. He loves fish anyway. Fish has to be marinated to kill any possible parasites since freezing it like other meats is not recommended. It makes fish mushy. sushi is actually not recommended because it is not marinated and has a higher incidence of parasite infestations. I've never had sushi.

I have noticed all week I had my usual food cravings and constipation was creating issues. I am going to thaw the lamb leg and make more kibbeh for raw tacos for next week. I felt better and my gut moved much better too. hmmm.... this is ending up to be quite an interesting experiment!

Last night I ordered some more hCG to start another round when it arrives, hopefully in 2 weeks. My last attempt was end of July. I believe I pushed my body too far by not having adequate breaks between rounds. I was being impatient and pushing the losses too hard. I hope that the hormone therapy and exercise regiment will help me stabalize. It is hard to say because I also deal with the autoimmune thyroid problem. So there's a chance I may have to always do a round of protocol each year because of it. Who knows. I will search and fight until I get there!

Nourishing Traditions

2010-01-12T11:17:00.004-05:00

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon:

After 5 years of hearing about this book, I finally bought it!

The information in that book is AMAZING! Esp when reading how our diets have changed thru modernization and our epidemic of disease, esp autoimmune, are because of it.

Today is our family's study on oats. Initially eating oats has a detox/chelating effect, but then it starts to break down and damage our guts, causing chron's, celiac, arthritis, lupus, IBS, candiditis, etc. This goes for all grains.

Eating 'regular' grains causes our bodies to become deficient in magnesium, copper, zinc, calcium because of the phytic acid that our bodies cannot break down properly.I never knew! It makes sense, esp when I consider how many 'diseases' there are relating to lack of these nutrients. Epilepsy is greater in those with lack of maganese, magnesium, calcium, vit D, vit B, etc. The way to combat these problems is simple: SOAK your oats for 12+ hours with something a bit acidic (lemon/whey/vinegar) before cooking!!! Other grains need a different soak approach, though.

Since Christmas we've started some of the recipes. Last week we had Kibbeh. It is really, really good, if I don't think on the fact it is raw lamb! LOL! gag reflex is all in my head with the texture! my kids had no clue it was raw and enjoyed it quite well. It worked better for us in the form of tacos with salsa to help cover the texture a bit. The recipe lasted enough for a serving a day per person for a week

Also, making soup broth the RIGHT way helps heal our guts and helps our bodies digest minerals and micro nutrients because of the geletain! Who'd a thunk?

I'm excited because there are recipes for things like eggplant (has anti-seizure compounds) that show the proper way to cook things and make them actually taste good (soak it in a bit of salt to remove the bitterness!).

I've been fermenting a few things here & there (salsa & pickles) and found an excellent 'salsa-type' food called Chutney made with paypaya, onion, red pepper, lime juice, whey, sea salt & water. Very unique but helps increase enzymes in our gut. Paypaya seeds can be dried and ground and added to food for enzyme help too. Chutney is mixed into things like a salsa, but especially on meat.

I'm excited and wanted to share the info in case anybody wanted to search thru the book in their local library and try some nourishing recipes.

And, I believe this book is an important part of healing our guts. Until now, I had only an inkling on how to do that. Now, I feel that I have a great arsenal on the road to recovery for all my family.

This week we haven't had any raw meat and I can feel a difference. My craving for junk is much higher these past few days and my energy is quite low too. My daughter with the seizures looks to be on a bad week. I think she's having night ones. My thoughts are the diet and way food is prepared to assimilate nutrients properly may have a direct relationship with her seizures. Only time will tell. Her blood tests showed that she is very much lacking most nutrients, esp the B's. I'm positive the raw meat will help her!

Time to take a trip to the store to get maybe some fish this week to try raw. Supposedly that is one of the best things to eat, esp in the form of a soup broth made from the bones & heads. sounds gross, but so far every recipe I've made in the book has been superbly delicious (and I am a very picky eater in a sense when it comes to taste!)

_____________

On the exercise front, I am disappointed in the lack of time at the gym because of my body's failings. Going every other day seems to be too much for me. Over the week of the New Year, we had not gone to the gym and I was sure that I had lost a lot. Surprisingly, I did not really lose anything. In 2 sessions, I was able to increase many of my weights!

My low back/SI area have de-stabalized with the intense workouts so I've had to change my workout to using weights on upper body only and working on my legs using a bike. (blech) I've reduced my workouts to rest 2 days btwn which seems to help my current issues. Once I'm more stable, I will be back to increase the training as my body permits!

had to miss today

2009-12-20T00:16:00.002-05:00

We had to miss Friday's gym time due to exhaustion. I had to get up early to bring my hubby to work by 6 am, and Friday I had to take my 3rd child to the neurologist for a 3 hour appt & EEG. The stress of finding out she has epilepsy, lack of sleep and everything just took me out. Today I crashed hard and could hardly move or talk most of the day. Sleep was all I could do. My spine was seriously inflammed.

I hate those kind of days.

Hopefully tomorrow we will pick up and get back to the gym.

I am also upset the usual thyroid support supplement I got at my chiropractor was changed and is NOT effective. I think it makes me sick too. It has hoodia in it. Yuck! I don't need anything to suppress my appetite!

I'm not too worried about missing a day. Technically, we are supposed to only work out 3 days a week and we've been doing every=other-day. So this break is good.

We shall see what tomorrow brings. My hubby printed out some new HIIT workouts and is determining on what changes we need to make as we transition from the break-in workouts (to get used to training) to a regular routine. Hopefully he will be kind!! LOL!

Michigan Left turns are really stupid

2009-12-17T21:02:00.002-05:00

This is coming from a non-Michigander. I grew up in Minnesota. A place where people know how to plow and keep ice off of sidewalks and parking lots. And a place where there are a LOT of lights visible at intersections AND where you can turn left at intersections. Not here. To go left at an intersection, you have to make a right turn, cross to the fast lane of traffic to get to a U-turn, then turn the opposite way (again into the fast lane) to go the direction you initially wanted to travel.

Very insane. Very dangerous, in my opinion. But statistics tell us that once they have started these michigan lefts, there are no longer any left-turning accidents at intersections!

DUUUHHH! If there are no more left turns allowed, of COURSE there will no longer be accidents!

So my rant is all about one of these lovely turns. We are driving home from picking up my hubby from work (we are sharing vehicles right now) and it was dark. Hubby was in the left lane and coming up to a Michigan u-turn. For some reason, the person in that u-turn decided to drive forward as we were passing her and she hit us. THANKFULLY, it was a glancing blow that only did minimal damage to our van. Her car was not so lucky, though.

We got home and went to the gym. The myofascial release therapist put me in some pain to fix my body, so I wasn't able to push too hard at the gym with my abs/low back. I worked pretty hard on my upper body/arms and succeeded in hitting 10 reps of 95 lbs on a bench press! I was surprised!

After workout, we went home and I watched "Night at the Museum II". Near the end of the movie my neck started getting a crick.. traveling my whole traps area. UGH. I hate when that happens. I'm not sure if it is from the MRT (myofascial release therapy), the accident, the workout or whatever. Doesn't matter. It hurts. I got to the chiro this evening and he made sure things are doing good with my spine and no damage. Told me to take specific care on my next workout day. I'm feeling slightly better right now and I hope all is well tomorrow.

Gotta get up early to bring my middle daughter to a neurologic appt at 7:45 am to get her brain scanned to see if she has a seizure disorder... ahhh the stress of it all.

My goal is still to get in a good amt of calories to keep my body from storing fat.

I've purchased and downloaded more training tips and found some very good tips/techniques to keep training interesting. One in particular: www.romanfitnesssystems.com is a blog where you can receive "Top 8 Fat Loss mistakes" for free. Every tidbit helps! His information is on par with what I 'believe'. And his image is pretty inspiring!! His workout program looks... HORRIDLY painful! But, what is gain without pain! LOL! His 6-week workout system is specific HIIT for cardio and body workout without using machines or anything expensive. All that is needed is your bodyweight, some stamina and barbell/dumbells.

Well, sorry for blabbing so much today. But then, that is the joy of blogging!

Results after first week

2009-12-14T23:56:00.003-05:00

Week 1 done... and I have, I believe, gained ALL the muscle I had lost over the past 6 (maybe more) years in dealing with many pregnancies and disability.

I am IMPRESSED and SHOCKED! Today I actually, jokingly at first, found I really REALLY did lift my husband off the floor! LOL! 2 weeks ago I couldn't. I thought he 'jumped' a little to help me. But he said *Wow, you're getting STRONG!* I'm like, 'yeah, you jumped up'. He said 'Nope. I didn't'. So I reached around him and did it again!! WOW~ ROFLOL!

For me to have my strength back is something that brings a tear to my heart. I've always prided myself on my strength. Not sure why, must have been the farm girl in me .... Something in me gets a little smug when I can keep up with the males in physical activity and when other females are so.... weak. Nothing against it, but that's how I am. The good thing is I don't look boy-ish at all so it shocks people.

Hubby & I spent some time on the eliptical just for kicks and giggles. actually, more like sweat. But that is not our focus because long bouts of cardio will make us go backwards.

Anyway..... Today was a harder day of HIT and I definitely need an appt with my myofascial release therapist to put things back in place. Last weekend I sprained my ankle, which threw everything out and I'm feeling a lot of joint pain again, esp in my tailbone & hips. I don't want to become crippled again...... So today I wasn't able to do everything on my workout list.

My weight is finally stabalizing and slowly going down as I build muscle. I am hoping things start moving a bit faster... you know... fast results is expected! LOL! No matter what, I am glad to be getting a good foundation.

We signed up at SNAP fitness in our local village. It was either that or Curves or drive 30 minutes for something else. We found out SNAP is open to us 24/7 via a security key which is fantastic! Curves is hardly ever open. Snap is small and not many people are there, which is great for us.

Hubby is having a blast working out too. He's hitting the first day of 'I don't know if I really want to go today' like me, but we determined that was the big indicator to be going. Maybe this is the beginning of the changes in our bodies.

We've been able to add weights to most exercises each day. For example, today I was able to:
~ squat press 115 lbs on my shoulders,
~ bench press 95 (failure was at 8 reps though)
~ bicep dumbell curl at 25 lbs (I'm so VERY weak in my arms!)
~ Lat pulldown at 80 lbs (I think.. I'll have check that one)
~ Abductors at 115 lbs....

My rib keeps popping out, so I have to stop often to have hubby put that in for me.

Our order of creatine came in today as well as our stacked amino acids to help muscle rebuild thru the night (pituitary & other glandular support)

On another note, I want to share my most recent sculpture:

More pictures and information are on my sculpting blog.

So Scared last night!

2009-12-10T15:18:00.004-05:00

I hopped on the scale just before bed for kicks & giggles. I had about 10oz of protein smoothie about 10 minutes earlier.

**GASP!!**

I was terrified! The scale said I was going up & up in weight!! NOOOOOOOOoooooooo

I went to bed HUNGRY.
And concerned.

Today at around 2 pm I hopped back on the scale.

**OMG**

The difference between last night and this afternoon was minus 8 POUNDS! What the heck? Normally by afternoon, my weight is a couple pounds heavier than first thing in the morning.

I am inspired that something good is going on... FINALLY..... I hope...

My hubby has been taking a stacked amino acid supplement to support his growth hormone factor each night and he's had very little muscle pain the day after working out. We are nearly out so I am going to order more and take it again for myself. I've not been in nearly the amt of muscle fatigue pain I expeced and experienced other times I worked out vigorously.

My order today will include that supplement plus an order of creatine. I've been reading up on creatine and found that it has been proven to help slow/reduce the effects of parkinsons'/ALS & a few other degenerative diseases. Since my hubby is a Gulf War Vet, his risk of developing ALS is increased drastically. Something about those Nerve Agent Pills, Anthrax vaccination & other things they were forced to take, I suppose are the culprits. I am excited to have just one more thing in our arsenal to help his body stay strong & healthy!

I almost want to do the HIT every day, but don't want to damage myself. The program is likened to developing a callous on your hand. Too much work at one time and you'll get a blister. Enough work with adequate rest will result in a callous and your hand can accomplish more as the callous toughens.

Tonight is day 3 of HIT. Hopefully we can make it to the gym: a blizzard is passing thru the area and we are on the edge of the snow-belt. A couple miles N, S & W gets a fraction of what we get! Last Friday we were hit with 14" of snow, everywhere else got 2".

Today is also a day I must work very hard to eat carbs & sugar. I'm trying very hard to get my calories up to a normal 2500 or so in a day, but it just hurts too much. The protein shakes have been helping me in that area. But today I need to accomplish a sort of 'loading day' on carbs & sugars. Hmmm... I think Dairy Queen will have to be on the schedule!! Nothing better than a Peanut Buster Parfait for me!! ;-D

Ta, Ta for now!

Day 2 of HIT

2009-12-08T22:12:00.003-05:00

Updating today as official Day 2 of HIT at the gym. I really pushed myself today and I am surprised at how I am not quite so wobbly. I haven't walked down the stairs yet so we'll see if my legs give out again or not! LOL!

WE decided to hit most of the machines and some free-weight exercises to max out to keep things simple and to hit each muscle group a couple times. Some exercises strangely stressed odd body parts. The ab & back machines and the Roman Sit-ups (reverse sit ups) really put pain in my groin areas. Groin pain is symptomatic of a true hip joint pain. So I need to be careful of those for now. I have osteoarthritis damage in my hips and have dealt with severe pain and I don't want to become friends with a cane or crutches anytime soon!

I'm a little concerned about the amt of 'weight' I will gain in the beginning as I increase muscle mass. I KNOW that as muscles gain, I will gain in girth and weight until things start burning the fat. I just don't want that in-between time to be too long because my clothes are already not fitting properly. How long that will take is a mystery to me and I am anxiously awaiting to see that result.

The neatest thing I have learned so far from this program is that there are no warm-up exercises. Today really showed me that the exercises, when done slowly, are a warm up & stretch all by themselves! It felt really great to stretch out those muscles that were a little tender/sore from Sunday's workout.

Began today!

2009-12-06T22:03:00.003-05:00

Today, my hubby TOTALLY surprised me! I suggested to go to the gym today and he AGREED! WITH JOY! So today it took us an hour btwn the two of us to find all the equipment and figure everything out. We are hoping that after this week, we'll have a routine down pat and the time will go quicker. The goal is to do this routine in the wee hours of the morning before hubby goes to work. He has to leave for work at 5:30 am!!! GAH!

But the excellent part is that we both feel ALIVE and are encouraged to continue! Not bragging, but I was highly impressed with my ability to lift many times the same weight or very close to what my hubby was lifting. And he looked AWESOME as his muscles rippled while working out.. WHOOT WHOOT!

So tomorrow is a day of rest to allow our muscles to relax as a whole and recoup for the next HIT!

Root Beer

2009-12-03T14:13:00.002-05:00

Lacto-fermented style! I had worked on my ginger culture for a week now and had set it in the oven to keep it warmer with the pilot light thru the night since it is getting COLD in our kitchen. Well, my 2nd daughter is learning how to cook and learned the hard way that the #1 rule of baking:

CHECK the oven BEFORE turning it on!!

Needless to say, the culture was cooked. Everyone was disappointed but we decided to use kombucha culture to see how that works. In 3-4 days we should have some bubbly root-beer flavored beverage! This is a fermented food which is VERY healthy and fills our bodies with probiotics and enzymes which help keep our immune system strong.

Today we enjoyed seeing the first hugely fluffy snowflakes as we found our small 3' tree and decorated. My goal was to have the basement finished to have a full sized tree there, but the project is taking much longer than anticipated. *sigh*

Tonight I am motivated to go to the local gym and sign up...... schedule permitting. I've been reading that the form of HIT (high intensity training) will show results in 2 weeks.... I cannot wait to go at it full force!

Feelin' great

2009-12-02T22:15:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to update that things are looking good and I'm feeling great. Lots to do and it's quite a challenge to find the time to do it all. I'm finding my small hand weights are quickly becoming obsolete and I'm not doing well with the squats exercises I'm doing to work out my thighs/glutes/legs. *sigh* gotta find some $$ to go to a local gym to get into a better routine and get this done the right way.
AND I need some time away from the role of 'mommie', even 30 minutes every other day would be NICE.

It is cute, though, to see my youngest boys (5 & 4) putting together the hand barbells and picking them up and copying me! So cute! Thankfully, my kids are not even remotely on the 'fat' side of things. I have worked very hard to keep them 'clean' from all the things that (I believe) cause obesity, the main one being vaccinations, second one being formula, thirdly is our lack of raw & fermented foods (like raw milk).

Sadly, I didn't 'know' until later about the dangers of formula. My first 3 kids had several months on the stuff because my milk went dry and I didn't know what to do to increase it thru the growth spurts and stresses of moving.

My first two were vaccinated a few times before I learned about the truth, and then realizing my autoimmune diseases started after mass vaccinations in the Navy. They screwed up my body and now I suffer in so many degrees, it's not even funny. And by looking at trends, we are the fattest generation... the 10's/80's was when the health industry started mandating vaccinations. I can't 'prove' anything and if you decide to leave a nasty comment about how horrible I am for not vaccinating my kids.. I will delete it because I do not tell anybody they are abusing their kids by sticking poison into them so I don't think I deserve to be told that either. I've done my research and am CONFIDENT of my choices.

My other thought about foods is also important. We are the first generation to have never tasted raw, unpasteurized/unhomogenized milk! Those processes were needed for the time they were developed, but not anymore! Our bodies are missing out on so many prebiotics & probiotics by our standardized sanitation of ALL our foods! Even our 'fresh' veggies are radiated to kill all nutrients and good things our bodies NEED for health. Mass production has also caused a lot of this to happen too. Instead of fermenting our own kraut & pickles in the healthy way, companies use vinegar instead and then COOK the nutrients out. So sad. The biggest part of our immune system is in our GUT. Once our gut health is compromised, we are defenseless against many germs and diseases so that now, e-coli is considered life-threatening!
A lot of our foods and containers also have artificial 'stuff' in it that created havoc with our hormones which help to create obesity and other health issues. We are now dependent upon manufactured drugs to put things straight, when nature had it all along.

Oh dear... I went off on this post! LOL! I was planning a quick update and started meandering. I am just amazed at how much I have learned over the past years in my personal search for health. Even in my recent research on exercise, I'm finding the 'normal accepted rules' are WRONG! GAH!

But it is freeing to walk to a different beat!

Starting!!!

2009-11-25T17:20:00.005-05:00

YES! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Cheating day 1!

Today, I ordered the unique promo package that is detailed (p4 approved) on how to work on getting my body out of starvation reflex mode and dealing with the hormone Leptin. Tomorrow is the last day of 1/2 price and all the extras. Then the price more than doubles and I'm not sure if the extras go away too. Hubby said to order it so I did!!

Today I also started a very basic version of Fat Burning Furnace Workout Program .
It felt GREAT! I only was able to use hand weights so I focused on what I could do with them. WOOHOO!!

Time to get everything printed out and studied. This all makes sense to me and is SO far away from main-stream thinking... right up my alley! LOL!

Cheat your way thin

2009-11-13T12:18:00.008-05:00

Cheat Your Way Thin

This website is PERFECT. Exactly what I have suffered with over these years. It talks about how we put ourselves into STARVATION MODE. Sign up for their free emails of tips on how to get out of starvation mode to start losing weight.

Another thought is to always remember to eat nutrient dense foods. Stop eating empty calorie foods that do not nourish your body. My goal, while off hCG is to start eating more than 1000 calories. My doc yesterday told me about an aloe juice that works great for tummy issues like gastritis. Every time I eat, I feel nausious and cannot eat much. There are many days I only eat 500 calories a day! Not good, but I always figured it was a good thing to help me keep weight off. Little did I realize that it was the reason for me gaining weight. Enter: Starvation mode.

I've gone 3 years now with this information and have not known how to defeat this problem. This is why I started the hCG protocol and it worked until I have to start eating again. I don't eat and then I gain. ugh!

Again... this is NOT for anybody to do during holidays that are on p2. If you eat off protocol while on hcg, you WILL gain.

Make sure you visit that website to receive the emails of great information: Cheat Your Way Thin

Enjoy!

80/20 rule

2009-11-12T11:43:00.005-05:00

have you heard of the Pareto Principle before? Also known as the 80/20 rule states that 80 percent of the results you'll get out of anything in life comes from 20 percent of the causes.

I believe I've initially heard this principle this way... 20% of the people do 80% of the work. I'm usually that 20% doing the 80% of the work. My days are filled with stuff to the point I have no more time.

I was floating around on the internet a couple months ago and stumbled across a blog by Tim Ferris (his egg peeling video is what brought me there!). He is living a life of experiements and especially on the 80/20 rule. One of his articles was on gaining muscle mass and losing body fat very quickly and the technique is very much NOT mainstream teaching. Why not? because the typical work out teaching is a billion dollar industry, so of course there's a good chance it is slanted to keep us spending our money on something that only works mediocre. His explanation is brief but very intriguing and I was searching all around for a more detailed description of the technique he used, to no avail.

So I forgot about it, thinking that I was not to be involved. I was sad because I wa anxious to try something with dramatic results. When I work out, I LOVE to feel the burn and know that I actually did something. I do not like boring, light weights & repetitive things.

Then an amazing thing happened the other night. I was bumbling around online, trying to get sleepy. I clicked on a very long flash show describing one couple's challenges with the traditional system of gaining/losing weight. Honestly, I almost stopped the viewer because it was pretty drawn out and I am a 'get-to-the-point-already' kind of person. The discussion was finally over and it said... get the secrets now, so I clicked it, wondering what the price of all this secret information was about.

I googled around on what people's comments were on this program and did not find anything against it. In fact, most people that tried it to prove it doesn't work were astounded themselves at their success. Going back to the site, I found the price and determined my hubby would not be too happy about me spending $$ to find out more. I clicked out and a pop up appeared that said for a limited time, I can get the info on a trial basis for a cheaper price! So I did it and found out it was a DETAILED explaination of the technique Tim Ferris had done!!!

I WAS GEEKED! The information is quite impressive and detailed to the point of receiving videos of the exercises and logs to print out to keep track of your progress. It even has variations of the exercises using different equipment and even how to use your own body weight if you don't have equipment available. WOOHOO!! I can't wait to get going on this! I actually started a little bit after reading Tim's blog using my balance ball and have noticed my strength increasing quite quickly while doing pushups, crunches and other exercises.

So, I decided to share this info with my readers for those that are still struggling or just want a more effective way to increase your fat burning metabolism. It also teaches the myths of doing cardio workouts/traditional work-out methods. I even upgraded and got more of the program, praying my hubby would not be angry! LOL! The next morning he saw the info and said .... Good! I hope this works for you! (if only he realized I am going to convince HIM to try it too!)
With no further writing, I now give you the Fat Burning Furnace link:

I will be posting my results here as I work out. I developed an infected abcess on Monday that is pretty serious and it's healing progress will determine when I start the program.

The main thing that excites me about this program is because my biggest problem is that my metabolism stores fat no matter how I eat. Even while on hcg, I have hit a stall weight and cannot get beyond it. A lot of factors are involved and I'm targeting each one individually. The biggest one is that I have lost serious muscle in the past 5-6 years. When I went to the gym 3 days a week, I was doing great, lost a lot of fat and had gained a lot of muscle back. Since then 2 pregnancies happened and a huge spondy flare, plus hashimoto's developed into severe hypo thyroid problems.

A lot is stacked against me, but I am serious about pushing thru all this to become healthier and in turn, maybe reverse some potential damage (osteoarthritis can be slowed by weight training, and if I am to fuse later in life, having strong musculoskeletal system can slow the process and keep things from getting brittle!)

So if anyone here decides to try this program with me, lemme know and maybe we can swap stories!

That time of the year... already?!

2009-11-05T14:21:00.005-05:00

I know that Christmas is a couple months away and this year I'm trying to start Christmas shopping BEFORE the last minute. I succeeded a couple years ago and it was great.... even though I forgot a couple gifts I purchased early & hid....lol. I was looking around online and found this neat idea!!

(there was supposed to be a video, but it is not working... sigh.. oh well.. here's an image you can click!)

I am happily feeling less pain now that I started the myofascial release therapy and a new supplement. I can tell it is working because within 30 minutes of taking it, I get very VERY warm... meaning my body's thermostat is heating up. This is good.

I also got approval from my VA doc & their Voc Rehab system to get an eliptical machine to start working out. I'm not sure how long until I get it, but I can wait! It's free for me!! Now... to see if I can ask for something to do with weight training and I should be in a good place. I have this deep desire to start working out seriously again. I think that may be the final thing to get my body fully on track.

Also... the links in my post about alldaychemist are working!

out of hcg!

2009-10-25T21:56:00.002-04:00

Well, I didn't make it to 10 lbs this short round. My hcg ran out yesterday so I am on my 3 days of vlcd. I'm looking into trying homeopathic hcg to see if there's a difference for me. Until I decide, I will hang out and try to get to my LIW this round. I'm in the 'ovulation-gain' period right now and not getting enough sleep, so my body is retaining water... bleck......

New supplier posted

2009-10-24T22:08:00.006-04:00

This supplier is trusted to be human hcg (not animal) and shipping is decently quick and they guarantee your shipment to show up. If it doesn't, contact them and they will work things out.

My referral ID is 58876 ... please make sure you list me as your referrer!

one vial 5000iu

3 vials 5000iu

5 vials of 5000iu

This supplier is trusted to be human hcg (not animal) and shipping is decently quick and they guarantee your shipment to show up. If it doesn't, contact them and they will work things out quickly. Often the shipments arrive within 2 weeks (not always, but often!)

no loss

2009-10-17T20:16:00.002-04:00

NO LOSS today. that is fine with me since I am in week 3 and just had a 1 lber loss. I need to work on drinking more water though. I realized those pants that were not fitting right... were a smaller size! Gah! oh well. My regular pants are falling off again. Someday, I hope they make them to not fall off. Or maybe I need to get a butt!! LOL!

down 1 today!

2009-10-16T00:01:00.002-04:00

Shockingly, I was down a whole pound today! I didn't expect it at all.

I started taking the nightly supplement to stimulate my growth hormone the other night and to make it work, you have to do some weight training right after drinking it and right before bed. I'm not doing anything major because I don't want to make my body flare. I'm doing some work with my exercise ball: pushups, thigh work, pelvic things, etc.

I got my n-aceteltyrosine today... YEA!! I am also taking Fucothin: a seaweed supplement to help increase metabolism too. So btwn those 3 supplements and the thyroid meds, plus the bioidentical hormones I think I've got a winning combination! I am getting hot flashes again! Not like menopause, but ones that are telling me my internal thermostat is heating up. I don't like being cold ......eeeeee.....

I was thinking that nightly exercise and supplement would have made me stall or gain, but maybe that was my issue a couple days ago when I stalled. Or it could have been TOM. Hard to say. I'm happy for my loss and am looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in!

My hcg is nearly gone and I'm going to have to order more.

The odd thing I've noticed this round is the re-distribution of fat seems to be going ALL into my belly! The pants I was wearing 8 lbs ago are too tight and painful in my waist! That is something to ponder for now.....

2009-10-14T11:49:00.002-04:00

Day 16 VLCD and I am down about 8 lbs (including the 2 lbs of loading weight). I forgot to write down the poundage when I started so I'm not exactly sure on numbers here, but am more worried that I am going DOWN instead of exact weight. TOM started so things stalled a few days there.

I ran out of my n-acetaltyrosine last week and the doc said their shipment should be in this week. I was hoping it would have been in on Monday but I have received no call yet. ARH!! I Miss what that supplement was doing in my life! LOL!

The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is in a couple weeks and I still haven't decided if I want to go or not. I feel like a total blob and not at all pretty enough to go. There was one special gown I saw last year I wanted for this year, but it looks like I won't fit it properly this time either. Very upsetting me, but then I need to remember that I should be happy where I am at and stop whining about everything I cannot control. So... I will give myself a good talking to and see what hubby wants to do this year.

going down!

2009-10-03T11:05:00.002-04:00

Today is Saturday, day 5 of this round (I loaded Sunday & bridfly on Monday)and I am down 5 lbs from my beginning weight (not counting the pound and a half I gained while loading). I woke up STARVING this morning.

I am not sure if I want to go to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball this year. I feel like a fat pig, even though I really am not. I guess the excitement last year was from losing so much thru the summer and I felt superb! This year, I've not lost any more and am disappointed that I am not at goal for this year's ball. There was this dress I wanted to try... sigh.... oh well. If I keep losing 5 lbs a week, or there-abouts, maybe.. just MAYBE I will fit into it, if they still have it at the store.

Things are looking like the hormone therapy is helping, along with all the other supplements that my body is lacking. I hate taking so many 'pills' but like I've told my kids... if I don't take them in supplements, I'll be taking just as many in prescription meds. At least this way my body will hopefully heal some of it's issues.

starting another round

2009-09-27T20:10:00.002-04:00

Today I am loading again. I also started the testosterone, progesterone & estrogen supplements on Friday. I've been on sulfasalazine (a DMARD) for almost 4 weeks and I am noticing results. My pain is less and I am able to do some exercises without the severe pain & long healing time afterwards. I've been able to do quite a few workouts using an exercise ball and am very geeked with my success.

So.. hopefully all the pieces of the puzzle will fit together to get these last pounds off. Sadly, I have to re-lose 10 lbs again... but that should go by pretty quickly if I look at my previous history of losing. Can I lose 20 lbs in the next 5 weeks? OhhhhhhH! that would be my fantastical goal! Since my pain levels are down considerably, I am not craving the ice cream I usually crave when in high pain. So my deviations should be non-existent!

My main problem is to eat enough calories when off protocol and my appetite is so very low, my body stores everything as fat. Dairy is the only thing that really appeals to me. I am hoping by the end of this round, I'll have my body straigntened out hormonally and maintenance should be better. I've noticed my body temp is up... normally I'm cold, cold, COLD all the time. The past few days I've noticed I'm quite a bit warmer. This is good news because that means my body's thermostat is higher... meaning burning more calories and working better! WOOHOO!

So.... depending upon how hungry I am tomorrow will determine if I 'load' again tomorrow or not.

Hormones

2009-09-04T21:22:00.003-04:00

It has been a struggle for me these past many moons. Trying to get ahold of my pain and weight has been the battle. And I seem to be the loser!

I found out, via a friend, that there are other hormones that can be deficient and those symptoms are:

~ abdominal obesity
~ fatigue/low energy
~ reduced muscle strength
~ depression or anxiety
~ collagen 'disorders' (aging skin/joints/bones)

etc...

Those are the ones that stuck out at me. And I remembered that it has been only recently where I have no muscle strength.... adding to that this problem where I cannot lose the belly fat and the fatigue. The pieces are adding up.

I suppose it could all be just related to the spondylitis and osteoarthritis in my hips. Maybe it is from the hashimoto's thyroiditis. Or maybe there is a missing piece.

As I think about the whole picture of me...it makes sense: If my thyroid levels are low, my progesterone, testosterone & estrogen levels are low.... why wouldn't my growth hormone/pituitary function be low too? They are all inter-related in a complex way.

My doctor agrees with me and took many vials of blood to see where I am at and has given me the OK to start on some specific supplements to get my pituitary working at a better level. Maybe THEN I can get these last 20 lbs off my gut for good! And have some energy. And maybe my joints can gain a little health in the process too.

Update on drug delivery.ca website!

2009-08-30T21:19:00.004-04:00

www.drugdelivery.ca has a new name and is now called www.pharmacyescrow.com!

I have updated the links on the right with the new and easier-to-remember domain name to make sure you are able to get your hcg from a very reliable source at affordable prices.

Don't forget to use the coupon code 100354 for a discount price!

Still on p3 break and ...

2009-07-08T23:51:00.003-04:00

Very very stable! pfwhew! I am SOOOO glad to be stable. I think the LDN really had a lot to do with my issues these past few months. It boosts the endorphins which takes away my appetite for most foods except soothing dairy. ohhhh yum!! I am thinking about starting p2 again next week but am not sure yet. I am very much enjoying a different menu and am hoping to get the LDN in my system a bit longer before I quit again.

On a good note... my good friend who is a homeopathist was over last weekend and determined I have some scar tissue in my gut which could be slowing things down in the digestion area. The good news: I have been having moving success since starting the appropriate muscle salt remedy! woohoo!!

Discount continues for hcg, but a little different

2009-05-26T14:59:00.002-04:00

New up-date from the hcg supplier:

As you have been informed with previous emails, we were running a "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" Ovidac HCG promotion until the end of the May.

There has however been a slight problem on our end...

The promotion has been so successful that we actually sold out. In fact, the manufacturer is now out of stock and with 5 days left in the month, the last thing we wanted to do was shortchange you.

So we hope you will be okay that for the next 5 days we will extend the same offer of "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" to the Hucog brand HCG just as our way of saying "sorry for the inconveniences".

How does it work?

Purchase 3 vials of any dosage of Hucog HCG and we will include a 4th vial (of the same dosage) free of charge! Order 6 vials of any dosage, we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion - that is, unless we run out of stock :-). Tell your friends - pass this email around - and order today!

If you have any questions about you are welcome to contact us anytime by calling 1-877-888-3562 or by clicking on the 'Live Chat' image when on our website.

Guess what! We now carry HCG Mixing Kits? Finally, you can purchase all your supplies at the same time! You'll find all the details on our website here:

http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s33559-s-HCG-PREGNYL-100354-s.aspx

(Don't forget to use the coupon code 100354 !)

hcg on sale now until the end of MAY!

2009-05-23T20:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Hubby!! I'm glad to have found such a great guy to marry & raise a family with! Giving you lotsa hugs my Gunny hunny! MUAH!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is an email that I received about a new hcg that is at a Buy 3 get 1 free discount! I wanted to pass on to my fellow readers, in case they have not received the email so they can take part in the savings:

After much negotiation we are now able to supply you with yet another new brand of HCG from our Indian supplier. The newest addition to our product line is called 'Ovidac' by Zydus Cadila (a famous Indian manufacturer of the highest standards and quality - more info at: http://www.zyduscadila.com).

Available dosages: 2000IU, 5000IU, and 10000IU.
Potency: EXTREMELY potent.
Delivery: In stock and ready to ship. Order today, get your tracking number in 48 hours*!

We are extremely happy with this product and to celebrate we have decided to offer a "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" promotion for this new Ovidac HCG starting from the receipt of this email. This promotion is for all dosages and will be valid ONLY until the end of May, 2009.

How does it work?

Purchase 3 vials of any dosage and we will include a 4th vial (of the same dosage) free of charge! Order 6 vials of any dosage, we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion but as we cannot predict when the next promotion will be, we highly recommend you take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Tell your friends - pass this email around - and order today!

If you have any questions about you are welcome to contact us anytime by calling 1-877-888-3562 or by clicking on the 'Live Chat' image when on our website.

Guess what! We now carry HCG Mixing Kits? Finally, you can purchase all your supplies at the same time! After much negotiation we are now able to supply you with yet another new brand of HCG from our Indian supplier. The newest addition to our product line is called 'Ovidac' by Zydus Cadila (a famous Indian manufacturer of the highest standards and quality - more info at: http://www.zyduscadila.com).

Available dosages: 2000IU, 5000IU, and 10000IU.
Potency: EXTREMELY potent.
Delivery: In stock and ready to ship. Order today, get your tracking number in 48 hours*!

We are extremely happy with this product and to celebrate we have decided to offer a "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" promotion for this new Ovidac HCG starting from the receipt of this email. This promotion is for all dosages and will be valid ONLY until May 20th, 2009.

How does it work?

Purchase 3 vials of any dosage and we will include a 4th vial (of the same dosage) free of charge! Order 6 vials of any dosage, we will include 2 vials free of charge, etc.

There is NO LIMIT to the amount of HCG you can order with this promotion but as we cannot predict when the next promotion will be, we highly recommend you take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Tell your friends - pass this email around - and order today!

If you have any questions about you are welcome to contact us anytime by calling 1-877-888-3562 or by clicking on the 'Live Chat' image when on our website.

Guess what! We now carry HCG Mixing Kits? Finally, you can purchase all your supplies at the same time! You'll find all the details on our website here:

http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s33559-s-HCG-PREGNYL-100354-s.aspx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope this Memorial Weekend finds everyone safe as they gather in memory of all those Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen & Coast Guard who have served and died for our freedom!

Spring is Here!!! I think...

2009-05-19T22:03:00.002-04:00

The days seem to be getting warmer. I am excited to be feeling warm weather at long last. Forecast says there should be no more frost advisories! I hope not.. heck, we're nearly in June already! sheesh!

I have been on full dose of LDN for 3 days now and have a sense of less pain. I am very hopeful that this will work. Some of the side effects are that I can no longer stay up until the wee hours of the morning. It seems midnight is the absolute latest I can stay awake anymore. I also have a low tolerance for a lot of food or I get nausious. My appetite is really really decreased, which I am somewhat happy about right now. My Bowels seem more regular too, which makes me think maybe the constipation I've suffered with for so long was an inflammation issue related to the spondylitis. My VA physical therapy is still continuing and they've added ultrasound to my rear to try to help my hip. It seems to be working as my pain appears to be decreasing. Not sure if it is the LDN or the therapy, or maybe a combination of both.

SO, back to my hcg journey. Nothing really going on. I'm on break right now and am not sure when I'll be ready to continue. The disappointment of my last round is making me hesitant to do another round. It gets frustrating for me in dealing with this crappy disease which seems to fight with the fat-loss. Hubby noticed he had a gain this morning, then realized it was water weight from being stiff and sore. It is amazing how sensitive our bodies are to weight fluctuations!

Weather is finally nice for working outside in our garden boxes and we've been helping an elderly friend clean his house while he was in the hospital. SO time goes by very quickly now. My house is a mess that is screaming from neglect. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to do something that resembles housework.

Too much to do. So little time to do it.

hubby's done, I'm not. this sucks.

2009-05-11T01:22:00.002-04:00

Hubby finished protocol and is hovering btwn 139/141 pounds! He only has a half-a-pinch of fat on his sides! His muscles in his arms & shoulders are defined like I've never seen before! Very NICE looking! LOL!

I'm still stuck and frustrated but that's what happens when you've got so many things against you. sigh... I've hit another peak of spondy flare which is keeping me down. On my better days I am outside trying to prepare for planting our garden boxes in the squarefootgardening.com technique. Hubby's been an awesome help in putting everything together and keeping me from doing much work. He's started LDN and has noticed some good improvements in his Gulf War Syndrome symptoms. I am so happy for him! I've not changed, maybe gotten worse which often happens. Many people get worse before they get better. I'm hoping that is what is going on because I really, really, REALLY do not want to have to resort to the dangerous drugs that don't always work anyway OR the side effects are horrible (sepsis, pneumonia, bronchitis, deadly fungal infections, etc).

I had to miss a physical therapy session the other week, which caused my neck to flare, which did not do well with the technique of the new therapist.

Back to hcg... I am totally bored and have no appetite to eat any of the allowed foods. My weight is 'stalled' again and I am now forgetting to weigh each morning because it seems to never move! I am losing inches, though, because my belly is ever so slowly getting fat reduced. I wish it would go faster, but the more I try to push it, it seems my body starts to rebel and slow down even more! lol! so here I am. I am working on experimenting on amt of calories to see if I need more to start losing again. Sometimes, as people near the last 10 lbs or so, they need to up their calories to start losing again. Sounds odd, but nobody really knows WHY things happen the way they happen.

I think my issues are because I need to drink more water. My problem is when I drink a lot, I pee a lot. And when getting to the bathroom causes too much pain, I am really hesitant to go there! So I've been not drinking water to avoid the bathroom maneuver.

My goal for tomorrow is to force the water as much as I can. Hopefully that will start the losses again.

rain, cold plus overworked=stalls

2009-04-20T19:36:00.003-04:00

This past week we've had some unexpected heavy yard-work that was very physically overwhelming. And a rainy, cold-snap is here and causing a flare. Somehow I have to learn to stop over-working my body! I have appeared to stall with slight gains after those days of physical work of digging and raking for many, many hours to fill some deep holes in my yard has caused my body to retain water.

My hip is in severe pain today so I get to sit and be bored. sigh. I have recently gotten some great books on herbs & gardening and such interesting to me things to keep me busy. Although, the kids are none to happy to see mom sitting on the job! LOL!

I stopped my LDN because I broke out in a rash and didn't want to create more problems with my body healing right now. I am taking Silica (homeopathic remedy) and it's job is to go deep and push out things like viruses, tumors, infections, disease, etc. I started breaking out with cold sores that crusted over as quickly as they formed. Now the 'sores' are on my arms, chest, and slowly making their way down my body. I learned today that we heal from top to bottom and that is how this rash is forming. It itches but not as bad as when I had the shingells. I believe my body is pushing everything out properly and I didn't want the LDN to interfere. I may start again next week.

Otherwise, hubby is the same as me... stalling with slight gains after so much physical work this past week. Well there goes my goal. sigh. someday soon this will be OVER!

more losses

2009-04-16T09:44:00.003-04:00

I lost 1.4 today: 157.8
Hubby lost .6: 143.6 (virgin territory for him!)

down 1.6 today!

2009-04-14T10:57:00.003-04:00

We are both down 1.6 today! woohoo!!

I crashed really, really hard yesterday and did not feel well. I didn't have a lot of severe pain, more mental exhaustion and I was stiff. A pressure change occured which was the source of my pain. I took some Milk of Magnesia to get things moving and they moved very quickly. Day 3 of LDN and I love it because it makes me sleep soooo well. Nothing like when I've taken muscle relaxers or anything. I have great, restful sleep but do not wake up groggy at all! There's a chance that being on LDN will help my weightloss. I am crossing my fingers!!

I believe my weight 159.2 is back to my last hcg dose. I'm down 5.2 lbs since last Tuesday when I started loading.

Sunday Deviations

2009-04-13T13:20:00.003-04:00

Easter Sunday had some deviations. We were weak but knew we'd gain or stall because of it. we both are up 1 lb today. No biggie. We deviated but very, very little.

I'm on day 2 of LDN and am doing well with peace of mind. Pain is lessened ever so slightly and I am excited to continue therapy. Here's a video about LDN for anybody with auto-immune problems:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

TOM started again today... sigh... hormones out of balance, or it could be a side-effect of hcg too. Only one week of no bleeding.....hopefully it will settle down after I am finished with protocol.

18 days left

2009-04-11T20:07:00.004-04:00

Today I am down to 159.4 ... that is a loss of .6 today.
Hubby went up .2. We are busy moving loads of soil around, digging up huge roots and a lot of labor outside. Hubby did most of the hard stuff and I just raked mostly. We figure hubby gained from so much hard work.

My youngest is sick and I was not able to sleep very well. He is very, very moody when ill so it takes a LOT to deal with him! Thankfully my homeopathis friend was home so we chatted awhile to figure out what remedy to give him to get his body on the right path towards healing. We also talked more about LDN and she agreed that I should try it and continue my silica remedy and see what happens. I need relief from pain in a major way and this is the only option for me right now. All other options are too damaging in the long-term and I am not willing to go that route. So far silica has been reducing my abdominal pain (gall bladder area), it's been making my intestines start moving more (YEEEHAW!!) and helping my mental stamina. I am very excited to see these changes for the better! I'm also getting grips on more childhood healings that have been holding me back in life & on protocol.

I am so very thankful!
18 days let of p2! trying to make 15-20 lbs by then!

BIG loss! woohoo!!

2009-04-10T11:28:00.002-04:00

I loaded to 164.4 lbs (YIKES!)

Yesterday I was down to 162.2
Today I weighed in at 160.0

I don't recall hubby's stats but he is losing well too. I'm really surprised he is going so far now. Initially he wanted to stop at 150 and then 'work out' to get the rest off if he needed. Now his goal is to get ALL his abnormal fat off! gah! too funny! lol! I keep looking at him in shock at how small he has become! I think this is the weight he was when he was in his early 30's and running 10 miles a day in the Marine Corps.

I did some EFT yesterday to help myself get over the sabotage issue I keep having. I've got issues of getting close to finishing and can't seem to make it. I realized that as soon as I wrote a goal down, I'd never make it. So I stopped making goals of weightloss. Yesterday I realized why this is my problem. It stems from a crazy childhood. My mom would allow me to be involved in things, but never let me finish. I'd take a class but was not allowed to take the test to get the certification. Or I'd start a project for competition and she'd take it over and finish it for me. My ability was never good enough and I never realized how it has held me back in my adult life. I didn't even finish my 6 years in the Navy!! And I still have regret & dreams of going back to finish. Fear of success and fear of failure are also a biggie for me. My friend is a homeopathist and we FINALLY figured out my constitutional remedy of Silica. This will help my mental and physical issues as well.

I am praying and striving to not deviate already. I am so dry I drink TONS of water and am still thirsty! Funny thing is water does not taste good to me this round. Normally I LOVE water! It could be some more healing going on. We stopped NAET tx because the last of my VA back-pay ran out so now we're determining what next to do.

We are working slowly on our back yard to get the old huge garden dug out. It was a box garden with crappy soil and too big to grow anything in. Too big means too many weeds to keep up with. We are converting everything to square foot gardening to conserve space, time, energy, produce, etc. I am very excited my hubby is on board to this paradigm shift of planting! We are also gathering scrap wood to build a shed-of sorts for our outside rabbits & chickens. Sigh.. the work never ends! I am happy that warm weather reduces my spondy flares enough so I can push thru & get some work done!

It is nearly noon and I've wasted half my day already! gah! get back to work already! LOL!

Loading day 2!

2009-04-07T20:45:00.002-04:00

Loading day 2 for me.. first day for hubby. I am soooo dehydrated I cannot drink enough water!!! YES! A good sign that I am losing some FAT! I loaded today on a taco salad...a bowl of cheerios.... a small piece of birthday cake & ice cream.. and not sure what else I will be eating today. It is almost 9 and thankfully I am only thirsty, not hungry. My thyroid is flipping my heart out today again... bleck... I hate when that happens and I am hoping it won't mess with my losses this round.

The whole family is processing some germs that include symptoms of sore throats & a cough. I feel scratchy and the kids are coughing on occasion. I hope I was able to treat everyone in time to not break out in full sickness! We spent too many nights visiting friends and not getting enough sleep last week. It was all worth it to see old friends again!

still up on p3

2009-04-05T22:40:00.002-04:00

I'm consistently weighing in at 160!! ugh! I spent 6 days with a friend who's family is going thru a specific detox diet that only allowed raw fruits & veggies & nuts plus occasional lentil soup. So we ate SUPER healthy all week and I did not lose a pound. So I am thinking that the weight training has caused muscle gain instead of fat gain. I am right on track with not being over 7 lbs last hcg weight.

Looking at a p3 break of nearly 4 weeks I am amazed at how long I have been on this phase! This is the longest and I have really kind of enjoyed it. I am happy that for the first time I am not anxious about moving forward quickly. But my birthday is coming soon and I am thinking I'd like to get down to 150 or lower by then for a b-day goal. I started protocol almost a year ago and am disappointed I haven't reached goal yet, but looking back, I think I've done well esp when considering all the things I have gone through on this journey. A lot of healing happened too!!

so... hubby and I are discussing when to start loading for possibly our final round. It will for sure be his final round. I may need one more after this, but who knows.. I may surprise myself an have a whopper of a good round this time!! lol!

workin' out!

2009-03-25T19:55:00.003-04:00

We worked out again yesterday. Sadly, we've only been able to make it once a week. Timing with the gym and when we can leave the kids in their appropriate places is difficult. We did well. I recently read somewhere on the HappilyThinnerAfter.com forum about those trying to maintain and work out at the same time. The words of 'wisdom' were that expect to have gained at least 5 lbs when working out muscles... water retention AND muscle mass increase. So, add that 5 to the allowed 2 lbs above our last hcg weight and it looks like I'm well in the 7 lb limit. I was 158.2 this morning.

This is the first phase 3 where I am happy to be here. Normally, I was anxious to get back on p2. We are not sure how long we will maintain here... it all depends upon how NAET, working out at the gym & our attitude as things get warm & we feel the need to lose again! lol!

I am looking thru my info & will be posting the info I've found on sourdough recipes and lacto-fermented foods. These are excellent, healthy ways to get our bodies back on a good track to health. My kids who were gluten sensitive were able to eat the sourdough pancakes with no problem! They are sooooo yummy & fluffy! We usually eat them with our homemade blueberry or peach jam (I use honey as sweetener in my jams).

I'll post later when I have something else to say!

hubby's still maintaining

2009-03-21T15:48:00.002-04:00

hubby's maintaining quite well on break. I am too.. but about 4 lbs over last hcg date.. not sure why, but it could all be from my gym workout and a flare from horrible places happening this week. I'm just so tired of this I am anxious for the summer heat to help me feel better. I'm no way antsy to get back to p2 which is very odd for me but I am just so tired of not going anywhere right now and I am quite happy to eat. Although, nothing seems tempting or even a tease for me right now. Well, just the hotdogs we got at Costco.. 100% pure beef, no preservatives or chemicals! wow!! yummy!! We've been drinking a lot of fruit smoothies with frozen berries, cream cheese, cream, raw eggs and yogurt to help get the fat content up. They are quite filling and yummy too!! woohoo!

I filed for vocational rehab with the VA and was approved for independent living care. I am anxious to work with them to see what can be done to help me on a day to day scale. If I can keep my flares down, maybe protocol will not be so up & down for me. The hot packs of physical therapy work well to loosen me up & reduce some pain.. but by the time I get home the effects wear off. sigh. I think I need a whole house sauna! LOL!

Well, I've gotta let the bunnies out awhile and maybe take a snooze and drink lots of water...... too much to do and not enough time to get it all done.

to the gym and we have bunnies!

2009-03-18T23:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday's visit to the gym went wonderfully! I found I'm not nearly as weak as I was last time I was a regular gym attender about 7 years ago! Pfwhew! At least I could keep up most of the time with hubby! I was worried about injuring my weak joints, esp in my hips ... but today I felt fine and not too sore! YES!! I noticed that today I do not have nearly the energy I would have liked... but I feel some kind of bug coming on. Flu-ish feeling hitting me in the lungs & other places so I took several doses of Airborne & Emergen-C fizzies to combat it before it gets out of control. Hubby was sick the other day with fever & achey so I'm working so I don't get it!

Today we finally got the house bunnies for the kids! Not exactly what we were 'planning' on but everyone is happy with our choices. Our 95 lb dog and 2 semi-feral cats are doing well with their new house friends. One cat is terrified and will not go near them! LOL! One is supposedly a french-mini-lop (not sure if they really know, though) one is supposed to be a mini-rex and the other little one is supposedly a satin but I think it is a mini-satin because it is so small. But that last one (Polly) is a brave and curious little gal! Not afraid of the dog who's nose is bigger than she is! I grew up with rabbits outside & showing for 4-H and never thought about having them run around the house. This is quite the experience even for an ol' farm girl like me!!

Weight-wise, I forgot to weigh today so I don't know where I am at in that department. I expect to gain like crazy while my body increases muscle mass. I had ovulation pain this month, the first time since Thanksgiving, I believe so that is causing me to swell today.. ugh! Hubby & I have been doing very well on not indulging too much into the sweet cravings. We have eggs & bacon (nitrite-free kind) in the morning, fruit smoothie that includes a couple raw eggs, cream cheese, yoghurt and milk. And we've been on a fish kick lately. Mostly because we recently went shopping at Costco and got a lot of fish! And because we're pretty tired of chicken and beef.

I am happy that my craving for ice-cream is nearly gone. I've given in to the habit a couple times, but found that I didn't need to eat a lot. There were times I'd eat and want more & more. But not anymore. I think it has something to do with the NAET sessions.

My last NAET showed I did clear the cold & pressure changes FINALLY!! My Monday's list was chemicals in relation to my joints, ligaments & tendon weakness:

bromide,
fluoride,
chlorine,
MMR,
small pox,
arsenic,
cadmium,
plastic,
PVC plastic,
mercury,
terylene (is a polyester fabric or a PET plastic)
DPT

I seem to be too sensitive for accupuncture since every time he's applied it, I go into a flare. I may be sensitive to needles..

Well, I could write a book about my other family member's NAET tx as well, but I am really, really tired and am anxious to get to bed. This is like a miracle for me! My normal bed time is 2 am or later! It is nearly midnight and I have been struggling awhile now to stay awake. I was having too much fun with the lop bunny who was starting to make her way around the dining room with confidence.

busy month, no time to blog

2009-03-14T21:03:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last update. This month has been over-flowing with 2 NAET visits a week for 4 of us in the family and 2 visits a week for me to physical therapy sessions. It all wears me out immensely! The cold front that came thru this week threw me into another spondy flare.. .. ugh... messes up my losses too!

I seem to have gotten most of my sensitivities taken care of except pesticides and cold, pressure changes, and possibly our cat & dog. I am wondering if I am sensitive to splenda since every time I eat ice-cream that has some in it I get a drippy nose! It is either the artiicial sweetener OR the cold. My doc says cold dampens the fire in my belly (which does not help my constipation issues) add sweet to it and it creates problems for my spleen... sigh... oh well. Finally, ice-cream does not have the same 'pull' on me it used to have.

My 10yo daughter has finished with all the NAET and it is wonderful to see her pink and smiling again! She's been so withdrawn and pale/grey colored I was getting worried about her. My 7 yo is slowly getting her sensitivities straightened out and her nose is not quite so stuffy anymore! So we are onto a good path of health even for her! Hubby has gotten over his sensitivities to food & vegetable fats and recently has been treated for eggs, food color and food additives (msg, etc... which we already knew about).

I tried accupuncture again and have finally realized my body is rejecting treatment. It causes me such pain in the areas... and seems to cause a flare! so we will be looking into the possibility that I am sensitive to needles or metal at our next appt. Doc also suggested I start EFT on dealing with my disease on the cellular level and on the level that I forgive myself for any 'thoughts' that I deserved to be sick.... after physical therapy on Friday, I really felt the urge to do some EFT while driving and I think I got a breakthru cuz the tears were flowing! I definitely need some more 'work' in some areas!

As for protocol... hubby & I are taking a break since it's been 3 weeks. I'm not sure how long the break will be. My thyroid is starting to going hyper again and it is creating havoc with my losses. I am so hungry I feel nauseous and dizzy. So I deviate over calories and end up gaining & losing the same couple pounds. I started Iodine on Thurs., since I am deficient and will see if that will balance things out.

Hubby is 7 lbs under his goal weight and it is amazing to see his muscles so defined!! He looks RIPPED without even working out! woohoo! Our plan is to start going to the gym to get some toning workout going during this next p3 break and see what happens. I am hoping the last of the cold fronts are finished coming thru so I don't get so flared when they happen!

more yo-yo

2009-03-02T17:40:00.002-05:00

yesterday I was 155.2, today I am 154.8 ... continually yo-yoing. Often, I've found, this is typical.

Hubby is at 146.6!! His belly just went POOF! only showing fat on the love-handles areas now!

NAET for me: I blew the cold test today so I had to re-do it. I've noticed slight changes for the positive in my whole body and even how I feel after I eat. YEA!!

Hubby went in today and he's got issues in chemical, food & environmental sensitivities. He is a Gulf War Vet & suffers Gulf War Syndrome. His exam showed he's got issues with liver & kidney and had problems with his polarity reversing during testing. He has to avoid all processed sugars, corn and wheat for today. Doc tried to add fish & shellfish, but his body would not allow the extra so that will be another day!

DD#2: still weak on corn sugars and is adding wheat, grapes, cukes, melons (signalling a mold issue here)

DD#3: is still weak on milk and is adding rice, wheat, onion, food colors & additives.

New information today: Bromide family of 'ingredients' is highly toxic. Food companies have used it to replace iodine... they are the same family on the periodic table, but Bromide coats our nerves and mimics iodine...end result is our bodies do not get the important nutrient iodine and we get sick. Fluoride is the same family too and does the same as bromide. Odd thing here... hubby (& other gulf war vets) were given NAP pills.. (Nerve agent pills) to build up their body's tolerance for if they become exposed to nerve agent... guess what the main part of the pills were??? Bromide!! Hubby is going to do a 'chelation' of sorts using iodine which in high amts will push out and clean out the bromide that is 'stuck' in his body.

a new day

2009-02-28T10:46:00.002-05:00

I am down 1.4 today
hubby is down 0.8 today

Feb 26, 2009 Allergy Elimination Technique day 4 (Thursday)...

For some reason, I've been having 2 cycles a month and we are working on trying to figure it out.

During NAET, the doc showed my liver & pancreas was not 'right' which contributes to more blood flow of the uterus. He balanced that so we'll see what happens!

I held all my recent 'allergies' ... woohooo!! and no sign of candida!! yes! We talked about my flares & the biggest causes seem to be weather changes and cold. I don't flare nearly as bad in the summer and when I do, I lay in the sun on my deck & it makes me feel better. So the doc tested me on cold & pressure changes with my joints & ligaments & cartiledge and it showed I was weakened during those times! (He used a glove blown up and I squeezed it to represent pressure change and filled another glove with ice to represent cold. I tested fine with the glove).

Lots of odd things working together today and I have to avoid pressure changes & cold for 24 hours... The best I can do is keep as warm as possible and do not breathe cold air and we'll see on Monday how my body responds!

Here's an explanation he gave me about this whole process...... using Lead as an example (my dd tested weak with lead & he balanced her)

.... our bodies are full of energy... everything has an energy signature. When our body is at one frequency and something else like Lead, or wheat, or nuts, etc.. is at another frequency, our body recognizes it as 'bad' and rejects it, stuffing it somewhere so it doesn't have to deal with it. (this is why allergies come out as joint pain, sinus problems, fatigue, weakened organs, glands, tissue, etc)

What NAET does is forces our bodies to accept the offending item/s as 'OK' instead of 'invader' so it can properly deal with it. It helps create harmony between our body & those items.

I know that one big side effect I'm noticing is a greater sense of peace inside me. Hubby's up for an appt on Monday.... muahahahahaha

Day 3 of allergy elimination (NAET)

2009-02-23T17:02:00.004-05:00

Today was visit 3 on NAET... all my previously treated allergies were stable! whoot! I noticed that when I ate some wheat & dairy, I did not get drippy nose anymore.

Today I tested weak on
all pesticides (we will take care of them at another time),
melons (could be a mold connection)

the nightshade family:
tomato
potatoe
bell peppers
(nightshade is notorious for causing joint pain..hmmm...)

I think there's a couple I left out but I cannot find my paper right now! ugh!

and all those allergies above do cause issues with my tendons, cartilage and ligaments and nothing else in my body (no organs, glands, etc).

Since the accupuncture needles caused me pain in most places, the doc used a maching using microenergy.. or whatever.. that he uses on children or people afraid of needles. He did treat my belly with needles.

I am very anxious for my next appt!! I am also having my 7 yo start treatment next week. I'm very curious to see what will come up with her. She is toxic with lead, mercury, etc but her body does not seem to be able to absorb nutrients to get her physically strong enough to go thru chelation.

My 10yo daughter went thru first tx and found she is deficient in minerals but they make her weak, so we have to get that one taken care of before we can build up her body to accept the minerals! So she has to drink distilled water, no bathing, no touching water or metals or eating of anything grown underground (peanuts, potatoes, carrots, etc). The doc also showed her how to go thru EFT to help her deal with some emotional issues relating to some of her pain.

That's my blurb for today about NAET....

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I lost 2.2 lbs today after 'loading' on hcg for a day... I went up to 159.8 and back down to 157.6. Since hubby started, I felt it would be easier to cook for him and me instead of us separately. He doesn't do so well when he cannot eat, but I can...

Hubby went down to 150.2 (WHOOT WHOOT!)

hubby is such a LOSER!

2009-02-21T10:16:00.002-05:00

hehehehhe.... his last loading weight was 154.4, yesterday he was 153.8 and today he is 151.6...wow!! He hasn't been on hcg since Thanksgiving!

His losses are making me anxious to start again. I've been off hcg for a week and would like to go longer just for a rest from protocol, but I'm scared to stay off hcg for much longer because I am not stable and cannot get back to where I stopped. But I also started a higher flare this week too.. yesterday I could hardly move so swelling causes weight too.. sigh... I just wanna be DONE already! LOL! Patience is soooo hard sometimes, eh?!

hubby is loading

2009-02-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

Hubby has been loading for the past day and I believe, will start VLCD today. He has gained about 10 lbs since Thanksgiving. I think his weight this morning, after going thru loading, is at 157. Once he comes home, I will update his ticker with the appropriate weight.

I may join him after next week's allergy elimination sessions. I notice all my sensitivities now that candida is completely under control in my system! I have an immediate drippy nose within minutes of eating something I know I am sensitive to (that haven't been treated yet). I have dealt with chronic sinus pain for 12 years and that is now healed. I'm sure it has something to do with the Candida causing my sinuses to flare!

I am very excited about this new journey towards health. My sensitivities being dealt with for 24 hours after treatment: milk (again), wheat, nuts, floride, beans, alcohol.... I cannot touch or eat those items for 24 hours after treatment.

I notice after treatments this week, I don't have nearly the bloating and pain in my gut I used to have. It makes sense that the foods I was eating would cause so much pain & problems in my body's digestion & absorption of food...which probably caused me to store fat as a protective measure! Everyone on our group that has gone thru allergy elimination has had greater success maintaining and losing on protocol. And their horrendous cravings have gone away!

1st day of Allergy Elimination

2009-02-16T21:04:00.003-05:00

Today was my first appointment to start the process of allergy elimination. The accupuncturist determined, thru muscle testing, the general things that cause weakness in my body. Looking at my history he said that since my symptoms cross every area, that typically means food sensitivities. Which is the only thing I did test positive.. foods! Today was the first round of milk, eggs, fish, candida, bacteria, parasites, wheat... and I cannot remember anything else.. lol! I was weak with candida, milk, shellfish, fish, brewer's yeast, and soy. He did his thing to balance my body and I have to avoid touching those things for 24 hours and repeat the process 3-4 times within the next 2 weeks to get the best long-term results. He also agreed with me that caprylic acid and grapefruitseed extract are two of the BEST candida killers! woohooo! I was right in my research!

My next appt is on Thurs. I've never done accupuncture and found that part of his treatment quite interesting. He did some points along my hip & spine to try to relieve some of my pain. The jury is still out and we'll see what happens!

As for the hcg protocol.... I did not weigh myself this morning and am not going to be concerned for a couple days. I know I'm losing inches because I went bra shopping a couple weeks ago and they fit totally different than when I tried them today. I was happy enough with the fit that I bought a couple. What a difference a couple weeks makes!

That is all for tonight. I am excited to be seeing my belly roll continuing it's decline!

Video on YouTube!

2009-02-14T19:03:00.003-05:00

Below is a video put together by our support group.. HappilyThinnerAfter.com showing the changes some of our members have made using this protocol! I am the 3rd & 4th picture (the second set). I cannot believe the CHANGES of everyone...especially in ME!!! (I cannot believe I had any fat pictures of me anywhere! LOL! I usually deleted them or refused to be photographed!)

I am going to go on break awhile.. again.. now that I don't have to worry about any particular physical or anything coming up. I believe my recent issues of hunger & stalling are because my thyroid is going hyper. Most people lose weight when they are 'hyper' thyroid... I am constantly hungry and end up eating over calories or off protocol and the hcg is causing me to retain 'weight'. Actually, all that is happening is my body retains increase of water/blood volume to deal with the increase of calories. I am planning on staying on this resting phase until my thyroid gets settled down... hopefully it won't take long.

I also have an appt on Monday to start the process of NAET allergy elimination technique thru my natural doc's clinic. Another gal on our support group has had phenominal changes to her protocol after going thru a similar process because she was sensitive to EVERYTHING... like me. I am very excited to get these taken care of so I can be more successful on protocol & off protocol again!! I'm also going thru,.. I think.. another emotional period. It seems once I fit into the size 6 jeans I started becoming afraid to lose again. I've not ever been under a size 6 or 150 as an adult. I showed pictures in an earlier post of what I looked like at this weight. But now, I have a LOT of abnormal fat & less muscle mass, which means I will get to a much lower weight than I ever dreamed! I am overwhelmed & somewhat 'scared' to get to this next level of 'virgin' weight territory.

nothing creative to title this one!

2009-02-13T13:46:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't updated much here, but my journey is at a continued 'stalling' time. Boredom, I suppose.. and the fact I am long overdue for a break.

I had an excellent appt with my natural doc.. she's asked me to send her all the info to start LDN tx ... which is odd for me to experience a doc who trusts my research enough to tell me to send her the doseages, compounding mixture, etc! The LDN (Low dose naltrexone)has been reported as a new treatment for autoimmune diseases. Some tx I can do only stop the pain, but not the disease. Some tx stop the pain, but progress the disease. Other tx only create other problems in my body. LDN is reported to be at such low doses that side effects are nearly non-existent. And this has shown to stop diseases and reverse many (chron's, aids, cancer, hiv, ms, etc). I am very anxious to start this and within 6 weeks, I may be pain free! I cannot imagine what that would be like for me!

My doc also thinks my double monthly cycles (TOM) are from hormones & thyroid issues so we're working on adjusting medications. I have an appt set up on Monday to start the allergy elimination NAET program with her accupuncturist.

I also had a VA psych eval that has finally proved and documented I suffer with depression secondary to my inflammatory spondylitis...and that I am not a psych bastketcase... so. now to get on with the paperwork to get things finalized with the VA...

Other than that I've stalled again for several days at 155.0 and after allergy elimination I may go on p3 break. I don't know. I may just start losing again! I'm just so tired of focusing on food & diet! ugh! I'm not used to doing this outside of pregnancies where my midwife made me keep track of protein intake! LOL! my 'ADD' says 'enough already' on to a new thing!

But I do realize the last 20 lbs are the most difficult as my body adjusts and conquers this fat. I suppose pictures are due sometime soon as well...

moving on

2009-02-02T15:02:00.002-05:00

Today I am down again to 154.8 and am hoping I will be onward down again. I am in a big flare now and am disappointed it has started up again. but I am thankful for the nearly 4 week relief of lesser pain! I had a long cycle again. Or I should say a normal one. The first several months of being on hcg caused me to have super short cycles and that made me happy!!

On again

2009-01-29T18:11:00.003-05:00

I started hcg again on Sunday, I think.. days go by so quickly recently! UGH! I've been 'stalled' at 155.2 awhile... today I hit 155.0 and am hoping I'm thru this slow time. I'm not worried because I can feel the fat is loosening up around my belly & things are shrinking. It's a period of 'losing inches' that I've been waiting for!

I've decided to not worry about the upcoming needed weight for our new life insurance policy. I am supposed to be at 146 to get a cheaper plan. I have noticed that I seem to slow down as I anticipate a particular weight! So I'm telling my body that it doesn't matter and what will be will be.

I'm still having heart palpatations or something odd going on with my heart or lungs. My heart doesn't really thump.. just seems to take my breath away if I get to moving too much. I don't have the money for a dr visit right now, but on calling her she said it sounds like my thyroid is going hyper and to reduce meds after taking a couple days off to clear my system quicker. I did that and am still experiencing them. It is kind of a freaky experience for me. That could very well have messed up my recent hunger and slower losses. I've also had more pain this week which has always caused slower losses.

New size in pants today

2009-01-24T21:39:00.003-05:00

Today I accompanied my friend shopping today to have a girl's day out. JCPenny's had awesome sale of their clearance things.. buy one clearance item, get the second one free! $55 Jeans were marked down to $14.99!!(so I got the jeans for $7.50!!) I went to the jr section and was looking around as she tried on jeans and though, what the heck, why not try on a pair just for fun. Normally I am traumatized because I have difficulty finding jeans that I like and that fit well. I picked a size 9... thinking it would be too tight, so I grabbed a 13 as well since jr sizes tend to be small. I tried on the 9 and found they fit LOOSELY!! wow!! *insert BIG smile here*.

I went back and thought.. what the heck, let's try on a 6 and see how far I have left to go. I trudged back to the fitting room and was so shocked I nearly fell over. They FIT and I could even button them up with no issues!!! No kidding!! I do have a good muffin top hanging over, but the fat is sooo lose, I could still button up my pants with no pain or issues of strength! LOL! I am soooooooo geeked about this! SIZE 6 PANTS! But then I should have expected it because I have 2 pair of size 6 shorts in my drawer from years ago that I am able to fit too. I didn't know if sizes have changed over the years or not. I really hate these styles where the waistband comes across my hips... the fattest part of my body and makes the muffin top even larger! Oh well.... SOON it will be GONE!!!

That is my update for today. I am still on break. I went up to 155.0 and not sure why other than I need to do some intestinal releasing. I peed constantly yesterday and woke up feeling very thin... it's hard to explain, but there's some days I feel very fat & bloated & other days I feel like I had a good loss. I'm not worried anymore. The more I stress about it, the longer it takes to lose it.

First day of phase 3

2009-01-23T17:23:00.002-05:00

Today is my first day of Phase 3 eating... full calories but concentrating on healthy fats, clean protein, veggies & fruits.

I've been dealing with a strange heaviness feeling in my chest that seems to happen when I get moving too much, like cleaning or shopping, or when I get scared. It's like my heart is always a flutter! I called my doc because it hit me that it is probably my thyroid. She said to stop my Armour thyro meds for 2 days to clear my system and then to lower my dose. This is a good thing because maybe my thyroid has had enough rest & support that it is starting to function better on its own! The feeling is very odd and I cannot imagine what people with Grave's diseases (hyper thyroid) deal with!

Hopefully I'll be able to start hcg after a short break. I am waiting for specific support from the online group www.happilythinnerafter.com to see if I am going to try the High Fat Experient or not. Eating a specific ratio of fat to protein to carbs will help me lose to my lowest hcg weight, maintain or gain. I'm not confident to do it myself so I am waiting for help.

another break

2009-01-21T23:28:00.002-05:00

I am taking a break from hcg.. I am suffering too much hunger and cannot eat so I need to stop a bit. I start taking a few bites and feel sick. (I am not pregnant! LOL!) So I am working with my friend, Biz, (off the happily thinner after support group) to get back to my lowest weight on hcg which was 152.8 by doing a 'high fat experiment' as what we call it. It is still in testing phase, but basically, it is testing to see how people respond to a specific amt of fat, protein, carbs, calories, etc during phase 3 to lose that weight above the lowest hcg weight. It is like a glorified steak day Dr Simeon's talks about.

I am hoping this break will give my body a rest and continue the losses. I am hoping to be to 146 quickly because we are getting new life insurance and I am considered higher risk if I am above 146 lbs. Which is sad that they do that. Even when I was 200 lbs, I did not look obese. And now, I look normal to most people, even though my numbers consider me highly overweight. They need to come up with a new system!

So that is my story... the challenge is to do a high fat with all the food sensitivities I have. If I indulge in them, I run the risk of not losing or not losing as fast. I am basically stuck with eating almonds, avocados and olive oil for my fats!! oh joy...! LOL!

I hit the big 50!

2009-01-16T00:29:00.002-05:00

Actually, it was yesterday since right now it is 12:30 am Friday morning... egads! time flew today!!

My weight this morning was a constant 152.8 . . .making me 50.2 lbs GONE!!! WOOHOO!!

I have completely lost my appetite. I'm not sure if this candida detox is doing it, but I cooked a steak for me & hubby & I could only eat about 3 bites. I made fish for supper and could only eat a few small pieces. I hope this doesn't damage my weigh-in tomorrow!

49.8 lbs lost....

2009-01-14T10:49:00.002-05:00

Today I am down .4 and weighed in at 153.2 ..... I have .2 until I hit the 50 lb mark!

I am going to push thru as much as possible because we talked with a life insurance company & I have to be at 146 to get their xtra premier policy. We will have a medical team visit us within 2-3 weeks so I am hoping to get there by then! I may do a mini-load day to 'shock' my system if things go too slow here on week 4. I typically do not do so well after this time on protocol. But each round is different and who knows what will happen.

I've not been eating full protein lately and have had not much of an appetite at all. I am going to work hard today to get the full protein cooked & eaten.

belly pooch lost more

2009-01-13T11:20:00.002-05:00

Today I went down 0.8

I got on & off the scale several times while re-setting it between weights and got the numbers 153.4 and 153.2 several times..... I am so excited to be getting thru the 150's in good time!! MAYBE tomorrow I will hit the 50 lb mark!

I noticed that overnight I lost a pooch on my belly!! woohoo!! Now, with such a loss, it looks like a battle ground again.. loose skin like crazy which is making the stretch marks look like a cat clawed on my belly. But I KNOW it will go away as protocol continues to work and tighten everything up!

I am very glad to see that my belly fat is being extracted now. My waist has not changed for nearly 20 lbs!! But it is known that the older fat in your body is harder to break down and get rid of it. And the last 20 lbs tend to be more challenging to get off too.

Hubby weighed himself today & was STILL lower than me! LOL by .2! He is geeked! For awhile he was getting worried as his weight was going up & down between 3 -4 lbs and one day I did weigh less than him. So he started eating better to keep below me! LOL! the goober!! He said when I hit 150 he will start protocol with me for a final round.

My dilema: I have one day left for this cycle.. I've done better with 3 weeks on hcg, 1 week off, 3 weeks on hcg, 1 week off... etc. It gives me a break and my losses are better. That seems to be the general concensus of many on the support forum too so I'm not alone in that department!.... So... I have not decided yet if I want to push thru the rest of the week and get to 150 or stop at exactly 3 weeks. I am feeling great and have not been struggling with deviations like I normally tend to do. I suppose I will take it one day at a time. I really, really want to get to 150 before stopping. But usually what I want to happen is soo different from what my body wants to do!

home again

2009-01-12T18:09:00.002-05:00

We are back home now. I weighed myself this morning and the scale said 154.4 ... or something like that. I forgot the number and jumped back on the scale ... it said 153.8...!!! woohoo!! I'm doing WELL for having traveling issues!!! I'm very dehydrated today & am sucking down as much water as I can to try to get my lips from being so dry. This is a good sign that the hcg is using water to break down more fat. I will see more good losses over the next couple days!! I am going to look for a possible gain as the hcg makes my body retain water to do it's work. Or it may have already happened this weekend when I bounced between 155 & 154 a couple times.

The future looks GRAND!!!! And please... feel free to become a follower of my blog!

OLD pictures of me at 150

2009-01-11T20:54:00.002-05:00

Today I am up a bit.... 155.4 .... I'm having strange spotting again today.. not sure what is going on. I know my up & down weight is from traveling & not being in my own home. I am not worried.

Here are some pictures of me at the beach when I was 20 and weighing 150 lbs.. I know the pictures do not show that much, but maybe it shows enough to get an idea of what I looked like....

I will post my fat pictures too.. I was 220 when I delivered my 5th child. I believe I went down to 205-210 within a couple months of nursing. When I get time I will put together a YouTube video showing my changes and get it ready for the final reveal picture of me.

Today I visited some old church friends I haven't seen in 3 years. Most of them didn't recognize me!! It was GREAT!!! Several of them have seen my updated pictures on Facebook and said I looked so much better in person!! I am still glowing from all the praises!! WOOHOOO!!

I got to meet with one of my best friends here who is a homeopath and into natural things as much as I am! She showed me how to do the allergy muscle testing which worked and showed exact same results as my blood test. I am excited because I am able to test my kids without having to waste time with an elimination diet that can take up to 6 months per food item. I have found my one daughter is for sure sensitive to wheat & watermelon and not milk, and my other is sensitive to milk and not wheat and not yougurt! So now I'm going around testing everyone on everything! LOL! Oh what fun I am having!

breastfeeding question

2009-01-10T00:27:00.002-05:00

I've been asked about breastfeeding while on protocol. It is highly suggested to talk to your doctor first.

My thoughts & ramblings.. (I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice.. what is written are my thoughts)

..... but 99.99% of doctors don't know about this protocol. If you join the group on www.happilythinnerafter.com, you can ask questions and do a lot of research there. We have a lot of veterans with experience & research under their belts to give advice & help. You need 15 posts before you can view the personal blogs & pictures, so say hi & ask questions.

I personally know a gal who did protocol while breastfeeding and had no problems. Yes, toxins are released while losing fat and you will go thru detox symptoms. Some people detox more severe than others. Detox can be anything from headaches to flu-like symptoms.

When you are pregnant and not eating enough for you & baby... you will lose abnormal body fat, just like on this protocol. It is all part of the mechanism of our bodies.

A better option would be to start preparing yourself by changing your eating habits before starting the hcg protocol... start eating more raw fruits & veggies and increase your good fats (dairy, eggs, coconut oils, meats, etc). Stop eating processed foods and junk. It will help you be more successful on protocol in the long haul.

You can always order some hcg now and hang onto it. We've noticed the prices are starting to explode higher & higher so it is best to get it now while it is cheaper. It will store many years before it is mixed. It will also take up to 6 weeks to receive your shipment.

Baby comes first.. you will have a lot of time afterwards to lose the weight. Everyone goes thru times of frustration & stress while on protocol because it will slap you around quite a bit. It will show you your weaknesses, it will take you down some healing paths that can be quite 'traumatic' but good. It will frustrate the dickins out of you.. You will deal with temper tantrums because you can't eat something you want... you'll deal with 'depression' because you deviated AGAIN and the scale found out the next morning.. or the day after that...

It is a journey that could possibly stress you out enough to where you could lose your milk production. If you are ok with weaning now if that should happen.. then go for it. Many gals have weaned their babies to start protocol and were filled with regret but happy with starting to lose weight. Kind of a sweet, double edged sword. But they soon got over it.

If you decide to wait... sit back, join the group and READ, read, read so you can become a pro before you start!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm visiting relatives accross the state this weekend. We drove over last night and will be coming home Sunday or Monday. I brought my scale, but it appears the bathroom floor is uneven and may be giving an inaccurate reading.

155.4 is what the scale said here.

We'll see what happens though. I took magnesium today to get my bowels moving. It's been quite a while of no movement and traveling always slows things down too. There's signs that I may be starting TOM already again (WAAAY early). Finances are tight & my food options are limited. I'm sticking to eating a lot of salad and have decided to eat all natural turkey breast slices on my salad. No scale and no other options right now. I'll make due.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Anchor's Away!

2009-01-08T10:30:00.002-05:00

down 0.6 ....now am 154.8!

Today I got inspired and tried on my old Navy uniforms and was STUNNED that they FIT!!! OMG!!! My waist and chest are larger than back then, but my rear looks.... oooo!! Fantastical in those dungarees!! LOL! I would have NEVER thought I'd say that! Back then they were not the fashion because they are flared legs, but now they look GREAT!!!

I cannot believe it! I AM SOOO GEEKED!!! And feeling GOOOOOOOOD!

I joined the US Navy in Feb. 1995... weighing 150 lbs and had to get measured constantly because I was over the weight limit for my height. They'd take measurements of my neck, waist & hips and do some specific math and come up with body fat composition. I always was within the limits at that weight. I'm sure if I went back in now, I'd be over those limits because of the higher body fat I am still carrying! I was trainging to be a hospital corpsman (Navy medic) when I received a medical discharge. (I miss it so much!)

I am 1.8 away from hitting the 50 lb mark... can I do it??

It seems my belly is taking the longest to reduce but I can for sure say that it is reducing! A couple months ago I could get my uniform pants on but there was 4-5 inches before I could close the button. Since my waist measurements haven't changed much since then, I didn't expect to be able to close them!!

Now hcg.. start working on sculpting my belly!! PRONTO!

Oh and I am nearing what hubby weights. He's gained since his last hcg dose that was before Thanksgiving. He weighed in at 154.2. He's pretty stable around that weight so we've not been too worried. He's been eating what he pleases and is starting the bad habit of night time munchies. But his body has been doing fine maintaining. Although, he has gained some girth in his belly which is something we & my friend have noticed on hcg. That it seems almost like a bloating in the belly kind of gain. Our theory is that the bloat happens first and if we continue to over-eat or eat all the wrong things, it will start packing into abnormal fat reserves. That is our theory, anyhow. Hubby will start hcg when I hit 150, he says.

sooo close to 50 lbs!!

2009-01-07T11:28:00.002-05:00

I am 2.4 lbs away from hitting the 50 lbs lost!! I was down 1.6 today... my weight is 155.4!!

I was hoping for a nice loss after going up & down so much lately!! That is typical as the body gets ready to lose... it sometimes 'gains' first.

I had a question asked about my stretch marks and how they are faring as I lose. I am very pleased with how my belly is changing. While the marks are not gone or will not go away, the fat that surrounded each one is going, and making my belly look smoother. The 'grand canyon' effect is definitely going away!!! (this is my emoticon for the day! LOL!) Hopefully that makes sense! I'm not sure how the stretch marks will finally end up but I am hopeful. I was a little concerned awhile when my skin was all stretchy and my belly looked like a cat was using it for a scratching post. yuk!

Once I hit 150 lbs, I will be the same weight I was when I met hubby and joined the Navy. But back then I had barely any fat on me. I did find a picture of me and will scan it to show the difference of my 150lb body then & now. It is obvious that I have lost a LOT of muscle mass since then! Once I get the fat off and I get my flares under control, I intend on working out and getting some muscle mass back!

so one more time now.....

work to be done

2009-01-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

Today is the day we've decided to take down Christmas stuff and put it away. We're going to move the kids' computer upstairs to the homeschool room so we can finish painting downstairs while I have the energy. It's got one wall painted and that is all.. since this summer! I'm tired of a half-finished looking room!

School has started and the kids are not really into it yet so we're working on getting back into the schedule of things, esp with the oddness of hubby being home since he got laid off.

Today I am down a bit and have weighed in at 157.0.

Sunday is today

2009-01-04T13:22:00.002-05:00

There is a big front blowing thru... I know... I know.. you probably don't want to hear of my flares .. again. ... but it is here and I hadn't recovered well from the flare from getting sick earlier. Sigh...The roads are very icy here and hubby had to help a neighbor get out of a snow bank because they do not plow or salt our roads. The neighbor said it is like an ice-rink out there!

Today my weight is 157.0. I'm up again. A number of things could be the culprit: inflammation and slow reaction to things I had eaten the other day. Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day.