PHASE 3 – DAY 16


WOOT! WOOT! I finally went shopping yesterday for some new pants. Being a bargain shopper, I found some killer deals at Maceys. BUT – the best news is that the size 12’s were too big, but the size 10’s were perfect! I did not expect that. I started in a 14, and expected to get 12’s, but they just didn’t feel right, so I tried on a 10. Perfecto! I tried on other 10’s, and they fit, too!


I was thinking last night that the best incentives for staying on track are the positive little things that have changed in my life. I feel better. I look better. Trying on clothes is not the horrible experience it used to be. When we do Phase 2 again in a few weeks, I’m going to get very excited about the possibilities.


I’m sitting here writing about weight loss and the reality hits that this is so superficial. Life can change in an instant. Jobs are lost. People become ill. How can I be so shallow as to think a few pounds are so important. My prayers today are with a good friend at work who has a medically urgent situation. My mood has gone from smug to somber. Please remember all those who need our prayers.

PHASE 3 – DAY 14


OR MAYBE IT’S DAY 15. I’m not sure. Whatever it is, we only have one more week of Phase 3, then it’s on to Phase 4.


What is Phase 4? I really had no idea. Here is what my research has taught me. This phase is for the rest of our lives [unless we do another protocol] Here are the recommendations I found on one site for maintaining a healthy body weight.

1) Drink your water!!
2) Eat organic food if you can.
3) Mimimize fast food,
4) Do a Candida cleanse
5) Clean your colon and liver and do a heavy metal cleanse.
6) Do a liver cleanse.
7) Walk for one hour, outside, every day.
8) Eat! Always eat breakfast, eat something six times per day, and finish your dinner three and one-half hours before you go to bed. Avoid eating a huge meal as this overtaxes the hypothalamus
9) Eat lots of low-glycemic veggies with lunch and dinner
10) Use organic virgin coconut oil as often as possible.
11) Use organic raw apple cider vinegar as often as possible.
12) Sleep eight hours per night; ideally
13) Every day take a whole food supplement,
14) Use stevia as your sweetener of choice.
15) Get sun on a regular basis
16) Take digestive enzymes with food
17) Limit carbonated drinks.
18) Limit non-prescription, over-the-counter, and prescription drug use.


Yeah, I stopped with 18, but there were more. Many more. It was getting ridiculous. Then I found this on another site.


Phase 4 of the HCG Diet reguires you to exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and avoid overindulging. This doesn't mean that everything eaten must be healthy - it simply means to keep everything in moderation and avoid overindulgence.

In Phase 4, you will use a scale to keep your weight within 2 pounds of your weight on the date of your last HCG injection. If you weight increase by more than 2 pounds, you will have a "Steak Day." If it drops by more than 2 pounds, you will have a "Philly Steak Day."


Now THAT I can live with!

PHASE 3 – DAY 11
JUNE 25, 2010


WOW – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I was down a full pound today without even trying! My goal is not to lose weight on this phase, but I’ll take it anyway. That makes 18 pounds total for me. Lanny was also down today. He spent all day yesterday chopping wood and mowing lawns at the property, so he used up a lot of energy. He even ate his dinner at 10:00 p.m. last night, but was still down today.

Weeks ago, I thought that by the time my birthday rolled around I would be eating cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, and enjoying my favorite dish. Now that it’s here, I have decided to go to a steak restaurant where I can eat things I should have. Back then, I didn’t even know about Phase 3. I had not done my research. I am so glad that I did find out about it and that I am having great success with it.

I tried a new form of exercise yesterday. I love to use the Leslie Sansone walking videos, and she came out with a new one that uses resistance cords. The belt straps around your waist, and the two cords are used to add resistance to arm movements. My arms are so flabby; I can use all the help I can get. If I used some arm resistance each day, maybe my arms would eventually look as good as daughter Heath Bar’s!

PHASE 3 – DAY 10

SHOPPING!!!! This weekend I’m going shopping! I’m wearing my only pair of khaki’s today and they are ridiculous. I have already taken them in on the sides, but they are still too big. I love that!

I also love PHASE 3. I am not counting calories at all. I eat what I want, when I want. I avoid sugar and starch and don't worry about anything else. Ham? yes Salmon? yes Green Beans? yes Quinoa Salad? yes String Cheese? yes Melon? yes Salad Dressings? yes Peanuts? yes Almonds? yes Mixed Nuts? within reason Sugar Free Pudding? yes Yogurt? yes

Yesterday we had to run down to Dad’s house for the evening and didn’t have time to cook dinner. We picked up a chicken salad from Wendy’s and it was great. Chicken, pecans, feta cheese, mixed greens. It was a good choice; Pricey, but a good choice. We paid more for one salad than we did to feed us both at In-N-Out.

Lanny was down a pound today. He is going up to the property today to mow lawns and chop wood. That should be good for his exercise today.

Sonny-boy is doing great. He is down 10 pounds and is so excited. I think he is hoping to at least match what his dad did. It’s amazing how motivating it is when the scale is going in the right direction. My next project is to get my two daughters to try it. Jilly Bean is under so much stress right now, she needs to be in a better emotional place before starting a diet. Heath Bar might really benefit from this because she is holding on to some very stubborn weight gained from taking a bad medication. Daughter #3 doesn’t need it, but WILL if she doesn’t stop eating all the cookies in my cookie jar!

PHASE 3 – DAY 8
JUNE 22, 2010

Well, it IS possible to eat out and be fine! We went with daughter #3’s family to Pirate Island restaurant last night, and Lanny and I both had the salmon. Veggies and a grilled pineapple section were the sides. We passed up the dessert, and played in the arcade with the kids. I was down ½ pound today. Lanny was up [which was totally expected. His body went back to his maintenance weight]


Education is a good thing. I remember hearing that other women were doing the HCG diet, and I was appalled. I thought they were existing on only 500 calories a day, and that is not healthy. When I did my own research into the diet I found that the body is actually experiencing 3,500 to 4,000 calories a day, and still drops weight. It really does re-set your metabolism. I can eat pretty much anything I want right now [less the sugars and starch] and my weight is stable. That has not happened forEVER!


A co-worker commented on my weight loss today. That felt really good. Lane’s is so dramatic, he gets comments every day, but my loss has been more subtle, and it’s nice to have someone notice.

PHASE 3 – DAY 7
JUNE 21, 2010

ARGGGGGGG! Today my sweet little granddaughter turns 10! To celebrate, we are going to join them at the Pirate Island Pizza restaurant. I have checked the menu and we can order a steak or pork loin with mixed veggies and salad bar, so we will be FINE!! [the noise may be a little much, but I guess we can handle it for one night]


My weight is still stabilized. I was up a full pound Sunday morning, but I just watched my food intake yesterday and the pound was gone today. It is really fun to step on the scale each day and not get a negative shock. Lanny was down 3 or 4 pounds today because he was up all night with an ‘intestinal gambu’, so it was bound to have an impact on the scale


It is so interesting how people try to get us to “just eat a little bit of - - - - “ some food we can’t have right now. I’ve known for many years that people are more comfortable when those around them are doing the same things. We’re perfectly comfortable saying ‘no’ to sweets and starches right now, but it seems to make others UNcomfortable to eat those things in front of us. [of course, if it’s daughter #3, she could care less whether we’re eating it or not, just bring on the sweet stuff!]

PHASE 3 – DAY 4
JUNE 18, 2010

IN-N-OUT BURGER

I have been trying for months to get Lanny to go to IN-N-OUT Burger. No dice. He just wouldn’t try it. He would go to 5 Guys, or Burger King, but not IN-N-OUT. Well, last night was Roundtable, we had a house full of people and he was hungry. I picked him up on my way home from work and took him to get a burger. We can’t eat the bun, so we had it prepared ‘Protein Style’ which wraps the meat in lettuce. We added tomato and onions and sauce [because we can have fats this week as long as they are not eaten with starches].


He loved it! He loved it so much he sent me back to get more so he could have another one after Roundtable. Of course he can’t make this a habit, but it’s nice to know he can grab some fast food if he gets caught needing something quick and cheap. [It was only $5.68 for both of us] AND - - I was down a little over ½ a pound today. That was nice, too!


Sonny Boy started Phase 2 today. He emailed to say that eating everything in sight is not all it’s cracked up to be. Trust me, I remember my first day. YUK. I just couldn’t do it for two days in a row. Eating junk food that I had been avoiding for months really did a number on me. I think Sonny Boy is finding out the same thing.

PHASE 3 – DAY 3
JUNE 17, 2010

Maintenance is going very well so far. Only sight fluctuations, but staying within the same 1 pound range.

Lanny was down today. He has been up a couple of pounds for 2 days, but was back down today. It’s actually helpful to weigh every day. There have been so many different schools of thought on whether to weigh every day or once a week. I understand both sides of this argument, and because I worked for Weight Watchers for years, I had a ‘once a week’ mindset. However, this experience shows me that I need to adjust that mindset for this journey.

Uncomfortable truth: 17 pounds is not enough that people really notice I’m down. It is pretty sad to think I had let my weight get so far away from me that a nearly 20 pound loss is not noticeable. Wow - - I have really been fooling myself for a long time! I have a difficult time understanding how I was able to wear half my wardrobe before. Several things are snug on me now, so they must have been ridiculous before!

On a more positive note: I can take nearly anything out of my closet now and wear it. I certainly could not say that before. Fact: now that I CAN wear them, I find that there are several I just don’t like whether they fit or not. I’ll have to rotate them ‘out’ when I can.

There will be a department BBQ tomorrow. I'll bring a salmon patty and some quinoa salad, pass up the chips and dessert, and love the fact that I'm eating my salmon again!

PHASE - 3

DAY 2

VERY INTERESTING!


Yesterday was my first day on Phase 3. I had some interesting challenges, but it all worked out. I gave a baby shower for my daughter-in-law and served a lot of foods I couldn’t have. We held it at my daughter’s home, but I came prepared. I brought some cut-up chicken that I could re-heat in her microwave, so while we were doing the final preparations before the guests arrived, I warmed up my food and ate the chicken and some veggies. I pieced on fresh fruit during the evening while the guests ate cookies, peanut butter bars, and chips. I was busy ‘hosting’, so no one even noticed I didn’t indulge in the goodies.


I was really hungry when I got home, so I ate an apple around 10:00 p.m. I went to bed at 10:30, but didn’t sleep until after midnight. [Jill’s family was in the front yard talking and working with a large blow-up structure for their business, so it was too noisy to sleep]


NOW TO THE INTERESTING PART!!! I talked with SIL for a few minutes during the shower. He gave me some information that I thought was fascinating. I asked him about the difference between the shots and the HCG drops. He said the drops, if obtained from a pharmacy, were only 1/20th the strength of the shots. If they are purchased from Canada or other online sites, they are only 1/200th the strength of the shots. He said the diet will still work because of the 500 calorie diet, but that the fat being lost was not the stubborn belly fat the HCG is known to burn. He said the weight usually will come back after taking the HCG drops. I’M GLAD I DID THE SHOTS!! I WOULD HATE TO ‘WASTE’ 6 WEEKS OF HARD WORK. He said the drops have to travel through the liver, so the strength has to be much less. Also, because it is sold as homeopathic, it cannot be at full strength like the shots. The injection does not travel through the liver, so can be given in a higher dosage.


The other exciting thing we talked about concerned the extra serum still left in our vials. He said it was good for 60 days, so it still had 20 days to go. He suggested we let our favorite son [our only son] use up what was left and see if it will work for him. He has gained a lot of weight over the past few months due to stress over being out of work. He asked yesterday to take the 3X shirts I made Lane give up so he would have some nice clothes to wear to his new job. We talked to him and his wife last night and he said he will do it. He took our extra serum home with him. I emailed them the instructions this morning.


I am so happy he was open to this. He needs some intervention with his weight, and we are in a position to give him some help if he is willing to take on the challenge of the restricted diet for a few months. Hopefully, he won't need those 3X shirts for long!

PHASE 3 –

THE BEGINNING –

JUNE 15, 2010

DAY 1


Well - - it’s finally here. 6-weeks of Phase 2 injections ended last Saturday. Today marks my first day on Phase 3. This phase will last for 3 weeks. I found some fascinating information online yesterday that has opened my eyes as to what this phase is really all about. SIL did not talk to me about all the things involved in Phase 3. [truthfully, I didn’t ask, and I guess I should have]


I was seriously thinking I would just eat the same food as Phase 2 and just keep losing. WRONG! The article I found yesterday actually explained why and how HCG works, and what it was doing in my body. I also had thought about continuing with the shots until the serum was gone, but according to the article, a person should never go beyond 40 days of shots, or 34 pounds of weight loss. We went to 42 days and Lane lost well over 34 pounds. We just didn’t know.


I was down another full pound today without even trying [that makes 17 for me]. Lane was up 2 pounds, but thanks to the information we printed out yesterday, he knows exactly what to do with his meals today. He is very excited to eat a regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. I brought a protein shake for breakfast! I still only have phase 2 foods at the house, so my lunch and snack are the same as usual, except the protein portions are higher. The protein shake is made with water today instead of skim milk because I didn’t have any milk in the fridge.


I went shopping yesterday for the foods I’ll be serving at my daughter-in-law’s baby shower tonight. Basically I bought a grundle of things I won't eat. Cookies, chips, M&Ms, rolls, etc. We will also have a veggie tray there and a fruit plate, so I’ll be fine. I can now eat anything I want except for sugar and starch [which factors out the cookies and the chips]


Today marks the beginning of another journey; A journey towards a stable weight that I can maintain and manage.

PHASE 2 – THE END
PHASE 3 – THE BEGINNING


Life was pretty crazy over the weekend. There was no time for blogging. I worked late on Thursday and Friday night, and then worked in Salt Lake on Saturday. Sunday was reserved for church and general recuperating.


I was down to my lowest weight today . I really struggled with whether to continue with the shots until the serum is gone, or to go with protocol and be done. I would love to get those 4 extra pounds off so I could say I’ve lost 20 pounds. But, I decided to be done. I will do the 3 days of eating protocol food while the meds ‘exit’ my system, then I’ll go to Phase 3.

DAY 41


10,000 STEPS AND COUNTING


Somehow, the sleepy elephant just seemed to fit today.


Day 41 was a very busy day. I was preparing for an IPC meeting in the evening, so between calls at my desk I was setting up a display table in the auditorium, ordering dinner for the IPCs, choosing raffle ticket items to give out at the meeting, meeting with the RM to go over last minute details, etc.


The RM asked me to eat with them, but because he knows I’m on the diet, he helped me choose something I could eat. I did a grilled chicken salad with just the lettuce and the chicken. The dressing was a lime squeezed over the salad. I brought my own water, and no one noticed that my meal was different than theirs.


Another pound down today. [total of 16] Lanny was the same today as he was yesterday. That usually means he is setting up for another big loss.


Oh yes - - the IPC meeting - - we were expecting 60 to 80 people. We had 8. I got home just in time to be in bed by 11:00 p.m. [up again at 5:30 a.m. to do it all over again] I DO love my job, even during busy event weeks.

DAY 40

WOW – YESTERDAY WAS NOT GOOD!


SO – I was gone all day yesterday helping to set up for Pearl Camp. I was not in a situation where I could control where I ate. I struggled to find something that was ‘close’ to legal, but chose the fish and chips. I ate the salad [which came already dressed], and the fish. I pulled some of the breading off the fish, but did eat some of it. I did not eat the fries. Now, before you pat me on the back for passing up the fries, I should say that I ate a cookie. Yes, I did. It really was not that good. it was the first sugar to cross my lips in over a month, and it was not worth it!


I was so sick during the afternoon, and later in the evening. Lane asked what I wanted for dinner and I said ‘Nothing but a cup of Founder’s Tea and a melba toast!’ My stomach was rolling and I had problems [if you know what I mean].


I was so happy to be back on protocol food today. I still had a small loss, so that is good, but it was probably a result of the stomach problems.


Another challenge for tonight: dinner with the Regional Manager and some IPCs. The RM is aware of my situation and said he can show me how to order legally. Whew! I do not want to be sick again tonight.

DAY 39

PROFILE PIC EXPLANATION AND DISCLAIMER:


Okay, you’ve all seen the picture that I post on the blog. Obviously that was the ME before all the pounds. At first I posted a picture of a butterfly, using it as a comparison to my morphing into something ‘better’. I decided to use the old picture from 7 ½ years ago because it is a reflection of where I want to be, not where I am.


The picture was taken by my daughter in a hospital room after the birth of her 2nd child. That was 7 ½ years ago. [The ½ must be very important, because that sweet grandchild insists on using it every time she gives her age!]


I have actually taken my picture off my profile page at work. They had a horrible pic that looked like a fat, double-chinned grandma. [I have no idea where they found it, but as soon as I saw it, it went straight to the trash bin!]


3rd daughter is a photographer. I’m thinking of having her do a new pic that I can post on my profile page. That way I can have final approval of the shot before I agree to use it.


Weight update: 15 pounds down [plus a bit more] today for me. Lanny was down today, too. Yesterday at the grocery store the clerk commented on how much weight he has lost. He was really impressed and wanted to know what Lane was doing. Lane was wearing a 3X shirt and his baggy jeans. He put on an XL shirt for a while yesterday just to show me, and he looked GREAT! [then he changed into the 3X shirt to go grocery shopping!] Father’s Day is coming - - - - - and so are some smaller cloth

DAY 39


UNSUBSTANTIATED MYTHS:


MYTH #1: I was worried that because I was using flavorings in my water bottles, my weight loss was being impeded. I decided to go ‘cold turkey’ and use just plain water for a few days. Well, there was no difference, in fact, my losses have been better since I gave up and went back to drinking flavored water. I try to find flavorings that only use sucralose, but I admit I also occasionally use one that contains aspartame.


MYTH #2: I was sure that if I could just lose 10 pounds my world would change for the better. Reality check: 10 was pretty much nothing compared to what I needed to lose. I’m down nearly 15 pounds and it is barely noticeable to anyone else. Lanny did make a comment on Sunday that he could see a difference now. That was nice to hear.


MYTH #3: I have been taking meds since my car accident 10 years ago. [Prescription strength Aleve to be precise] I just took it every day without question. On bad foot days I sometimes took 2. Truth: I have not taken any meds at all this week and I’m doing fine. My losses over the past couple of days have been great. I recently found out that weight loss can be inhibited by medications. [wish I had stopped taking them sooner.]


MYTH #4: I had taught myself to believe that if I didn’t eat chocolate, or some kind of treat every day, I would just roll over and die. Reality check: nearly 6 weeks later I am still alive!! Sometimes I still feel ‘snacky’ at night, or actually hungry, but I’ve learned that a cup of Founder’s tea, or drinking more water takes the edge off.


MYTH #5: My family will be offended or hurt if I don’t participate in family dinners. Truth: They are just fine if I eat something different. AND - - they are not shy about eating junk in front of me. The most difficult thing is to keep my mouth shut about the fact that they ARE eating junk.


REALITY CHECK: My myths were created by ME. They were excuses or denials that were slowly destroying my health. I have become my own MYTH-BUSTER!

DAY 38


Another weekend come and gone. Another trip to the property. It’s always hard to leave the beauty and the outdoors, but it’s also great to get home. [Weekend losses – Lane 5, me 2. That makes 32 for Lane and 14 for me]


The weekend began with an adventure. I was waiting for my daughter and her girls to arrive so we could drive up together. I had taken off work a couple of hours early so we could leave before 5:00. I gassed up, stopped to pick up a new tankless water heater, then went home and waited for #1 daughter. I got a tearful call from her soon after arriving home. Her car had started up the canyon out of Price, when it just died. An officer was able to help get her to a safe spot, but she was stranded. I grabbed some water bottles and ran out the door to the rescue.


It took me a little over an hour to find her. We transferred all her luggage, supplies, kids, and cat into my car and decided to take Indian Canyon across to Duchesne. We finally arrived at the trailer around 8:00 p.m. I had missed my afternoon snack, so I was HUNGRY, as were we all. Lanny had prepared our dinner and had it waiting for us. What a sweetie!


The weekend saw Lane reach a huge milestone. On Sunday he dropped a full 5 pounds which made 100 pounds since his weight loss journey began a little over a year ago. He still has more to go - - but what a wonderful accomplishment. [Smile, hug, hug!]


Lane actually threw away a pair of jeans today!! They were worn out and WAY too big, and he decided to replace them instead of using them for ‘work pants’. Now if we can just talk him out of keeping the shirts that are torn, ripped or ragged on the edges [his ‘work shirts’], that will be awesome! He loves getting new shirts, but doesn’t like to toss the old ones.


We turned down a lot of treats over the weekend. It is not really difficult to say ‘no’. I’m really proud of my family for being so supportive of us. They don’t try to pressure us into eating things we can’t have. Each time I see the scale drop, it is worth every ‘no’. I know for sure that I would have eaten ALL the treats before. I had no will power because I had no goal or commitment. I love having a focus that produces real results.

DAY 35

YOU CAN EAT OUT AND STAY LEGAL. Of course it depends on where you go, but with the right choices, it is possible.


It was the ‘Dinner With The Director’ last night. He was vasilating between PF Changs, California Pizza Kitchen and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. We ended up at Outback. It was a great choice for me. I was able to order a small steak, a salad, and the veggies. I do admit to eating 2 coconut shrimp! [however, I should be applauded for only eating 2!]. I was up .2 of a pound today. Not bad for eating out.


After getting home from dinner, Lanny and I weeded the flower gardens and planted some flowers. I have been thinking about this theory for a while. It seems that whenever I exercise, I don’t lose, I often gain. On the days I’m more sedentary, I almost always lose the next day. I think that with so few calories, my body hangs on to the weight if I use up too many calories. That same idea does not seem to apply to Lanny. When he is more physically active than usual, he sees a better weight loss. So - - I guess it’s just a theory, and I’ll keep tracking the results.


This will be another weekend up at the trailer with the kids. It was easy last week, so this week should be a piece of cake [so to speak]. (smile)

DAY 33

There was no movement on the scale today. Lanny had a good day. He was down another pound, which makes 31 for him. I do have a hard time keeping a happy face when my numbers don’t move for several days. I’ve been at the same number for 3 days. I dropped .3 of a pound yesterday, but today, it is exactly the same as yesterday.


I tried on some clothes this morning that I recently put in the ‘wait and see’ closet. They all fit. My fat mindset has not caught up with the weight reflected on the scale. I was watching Jillian Michaels work with a family on TV the other night, and she said something that really struck home to me. I need to mentally see myself as different before I can move forward with confidence. I have been overweight for so long, I’ve gotten very good at camouflaging. The sweaters worn over most shirts, the ‘blousy’ shirts that hide the belly ruffle; you get the idea.


I recently bought a fabulous shirt that looks good on me and is really cute [see pic above]. I couldn’t bring myself to wear it today. I sat it out the night before, but ended up wearing something ‘safe’. I keep thinking: ‘Just 5 more pounds and then it will look good’. I know - - that does not sound mentally healthy, but it is my reality.


I have been spot-on with my diet, but tomorrow will be a challenge. I have been invited to dinner with the Director of our department. You don’t turn those invitations down. I don’t know where we’re going, but I hope it is a restaurant where I can make some healthy choices. Stay tuned - - I’ll let you know what happens.


On a more positive note: Here are some physical changes that are apparent to me now, if not to anyone else:
1) I’m aware that the ‘belly’ that used to sit on my lap, although not completely gone, is definitely smaller.
2) Clothes that were too small now fit.
3) I have set aside a pair of jeans, some khakis, and some summer shorts to give to my daughter because they are too big for me.
4) I can pass the glass walled conference room at work without hating what I see in the reflection.
5) I can’t remember having a bad ankle day lately. I think less weight makes my foot a happier camper. [I have considered not taking my meds for a few days to see if I can do it]
6) My hips don’t ache at night like they used to. [less weight on them, too?]

Okay - - I need to come back and read this list the next time I’m feeling like I’m not losing fast enough. It may not be an amazing amount, but it has definitely made a difference in how I feel physically.

DAY 32

Back from a weekend away and the scale is down. That is pretty sweet. It’s a better ‘sweet’ than all the treats I passed up over the holiday. Did the roasted marshmallows look good? You bet. But a loss on the scale was worth passing them by.

I did notice a shift in the food that was consumed this weekend. Usually we would have had a lot of treats floating around, but not this year. Everyone seems to have been making better choices. Crystal Light replaced sodas, there was a ton of water consumed, and the only real treats that were visible were the marshmallows and some licorice.

Lanny is now within 5 pounds of a 100 pound loss that began last year. [30 pounds and counting on the HCG diet] I’m so proud of him and his decision to make better choices. He feels better, and he certainly looks terrific. Now he really does need to have his suits altered and buy some new clothes. He has been punching holes in belts, and cinching things up, but he needs to get some clothes that actually fit. [hint, hint, kids - - Father’s day and his birthday are coming up!]

Eating our protocol food was not a problem at all over the weekend. In fact, I think people would like to have been included in some of our meals. While they were eating hot dogs we were having delicious tilapia. When they were having cold sandwiches, we were eating steak and fresh veggies. I certainly didn’t feel deprived at all. Breakfast was the most startling difference. Camping always involves hot chocolate, pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. and Lanny and I sat there eating our apple and melba toast. [and, just as a side note, it was totally rotten of my son to microwave popcorn at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night in my trailer and leave us with the fragrance of freshly popped corn!]

Today, my department is supplying lunch from the café downstairs. I brought my own. They may think I’m weird, but it doesn’t really bother me. When I step on the scale tomorrow I’ll be happy with my marinated veggies and left-over steak!