SHOES!

Welcome back to my blog! I bet you thought I was giving up again! Well, I'm not! and I'm glad you are here to read my new ramble. So, I decided that I am going to do the meal-replacement shake thing. I saw it in a women's magazine and thought it was a good idea. My beautiful wife Dorothy (insert the John Lovitz Morgan Fairchild quip here) is doing the shake thing with me. I'm a strong guy, but her support really helps me!

Speaking of women's magazines, who is their real audience? I mean, the diet article had a woman in a half shirt and bikini bottom on her tiptoes with her rear end sticking out, getting something from the BOTTOM of the fridge. Does anyone stand on their tiptoes to reach the bottom of the fridge? The next page had a shot of a woman in a bikini jumping for joy at her weight loss. How do you women feel about these pictures in your magazine? If I opened a men's magazine and there was a man in a thong doing a full body flex on a pickle jar, I would probably not purchase that particular magazine again. So again, who are these women's magazines for??

Anyway, I gained some of the weight back from the cleanse, but I expected that. I did find that the cravings weren't gone, but I ate less. Or rather, I got fuller sooner. So that was good. That really helps with this shake diet. It's been going well, and the thing that I noticed about my weight loss is this: I have officially entered the stage of being able to comfortably bend down and put on socks and tie my shoes again. I know, it seems like such a little thing...but I am happy to be rid of my slip on sockless slipper shoes, and I like my new style. I was reading that many times perfectionists (like me) will put off doing a task if they don't think they can do it 100%. The article recommended setting smaller goals, and then writing down what would be better about your life at each of those goals. I have lost about 1/3 of the weight I need to lose and the thing that is better about my life is that I can comfortably put on shoes. I'll take that win!

So I am wearing the funkiest shoes I can find. If anyone has a line on a good price for those black and white Kramer(from Seinfeld) shoes, please let me know!

For now, I'll close this thing in prayer, and thanks for reading!

Dear Lord, Thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for the goal to be a Chaplain and your call in my life. and thank you for my family, who supports me and loves me. I pray for anyone who reads this blog, that they would feel your love. You know their needs, and are able to meet them. I love you Lord. Amen.

Day 10, the end of the cleanse

Weight: 342.6
Mood: relieved...

So today was the last day of the master cleanse. Here are my thoughts about it. First, I think that fasting in and of itself is a good thing. It helps you work on your discipline and flushes out your system, or at least gives your liver and kidneys a rest. I don't really believe the claims of the master cleanse, but people tell me that I look healthier, glowing even, so that's good. The cravings, which were the main reason that I did this, never went away. I am craving healthy foods now too, so it's not total crap. I lost a lot of weight, and I plan to continue dieting to reach my goal. I can tell you that my beautiful sister said that she craved the juice after the cleanse was over...I couldn't even stomach the juice any more, and I went with water only today. I also had a some tic-tacs to clear the nasty flavor from my mouth. My sweet wife started making the soup I talked about yesterday- although it's a day early, so the smell has been killing me all evening! delicious. but how can you complain when your wife makes you exactly what you request, early or not? She's pretty awesome.
Here's my final pic, and in case you are too lazy to look back, I am putting my starting pic above it! I will keep posting to this blog, though not daily as I continue my diet. Thanks for reading.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for getting me through this first step in my weight loss. Please help me to continue to do your will in all aspects of my life. Thank you for never leaving my side. and thank you for loving me. I am yours!
Amen

Day 9

Weight: 344.6
Mood: Excited to be almost done

So today I woke up from a nightmare that I had ruined the cleanse...In my dream my friend Greg gave me some cake, and after one bite I remembered that I couldn't eat it...so I quickly ate the rest of it...Then as the dream progressed, my mom gave me some indian food, that was actually a chapati stuffed with cheesy rice - not indian at all. I think dreaming of food means that I need to eat again. I am looking forward to breaking the fast. In fact, I am making the Soup Nazi Mulligatawny soup as my vegetable soup. (For those of you who don't know, vegetable soup is called for after the fast to transition back to solid food.) One thing that is troubling me is that the first day after the fast calls for a lot of orange juice. I love orange juice, but as a diabetic I don't think that's the best option for me. So I think I will go with V8 and do the soup that night. Not sure exactly, but I don't want my blood sugar to go haywire again.

Day 8, and filter feeding.

Weight: 345.6
Mood: truthfully, I'm sick of lemons. and I love lemons.

So today I slept late. I didn't make the lemonade for the day because I had a short day at work and figured i would make some when I got home. I wasn't any hungrier than any other day, so that's good. My wife dropped the kids off at my work so I could take them to the Pastors Conference at FBC. She bought them some food before they came, and Rina, my #1 daughter, heated her sandwich up before we got in the car. I. almost. died. It smelled really good. I started inhaling really big and when they asked what I was doing, I said, "filter feeding". (It's a thing. look it up.)

Day 7 and a week of thoughts

Weight: 348.0

mood: variable with a chance of showers

So today was the worst day so far as hunger goes. After lunch I have pretty much been famished the whole day. I drank more water and went for a walk at lunch. I work in Ponte Vedra, and I walked down a little side road near my office that leads to the 17th hole of the TPC. It's a very nice, peaceful walk and I was able to thank God for the blessings in my life and ask Him to help me make it through the day.

My mouth had a terrible taste in it all day, but when I asked God to help me, I reached into my pocket and felt...peppermint! (My friend Dick LeJuene had given them to me at church yesterday) I decided that a 16 calorie mint wasn't going to derail the whole process and I ate it. It made my mouth feel better, and the rest of the afternoon ok. Thank you Jesus!

Every night after I blog I think of something that I wanted to say, but I tell myself that I'll just post it the next day. So here is what I wanted to say...well, hmmm....um....I can't remember. It must not have been that earth-shattering...

Day 6

Weight: 349.6

Mood: shifting

So I wasn't disappointed when I weighed in because I kind of know that this is my sticking point...in the past I got discouraged at this stage, but I feel ok right now. I did the SWF last night and it was totally useless and made me sick. According to the book, you have to listen to your body, and my body is screaming not to do that flush again. I didn't finish all the juice today, because my stomach has been on edge ever since last night. I drank water though, so that's good. My blood sugar is down to 127, which I am loving. The hunger pangs are still around, and the cravings are not gone either. In fact, I have been smelling sausage pizza all day and there isn't any around! Then I start thinking about all the different kinds of sausage and the different ways to prepare and eat it! So I did some exercise to take my mind off of it. It didn't.

I drank some peppermint herbal tea to try to calm my stomach, no luck so far. Anyhow, here's a picture of me. I am wearing the Army t-shirt that I bought to motivate me. I thought I was smiling, but my stomach was hurting so I guess that outweighed the smile:

Dear Lord,
even when I am having a bad day, I will praise you. You are the amazing God who saved me from death and gave me a new life. Help me to live that new life for you. I give you all the praise and all the glory for everything that I accomplish.

Thank you Jesus.

Amen

Day 5 and the return of the SWF

Weight: 349.8
Mood: skeptical but ok

Hey, short post today. I didn't lose as much overnight as the previous nights, but I am not doing the cleanse for the weight loss, but for the reduction or resetting of my cravings and appetite. I bought pizza for the kids tonight and it was still really tempting. I thought it was supposed to get easier on day 5, but maybe not...

I am doing the salt water flush tonight, in fact I am in the middle of it right now. I better run!

Here's the picture of me for the day: I thought I would smile a little this time...










Dear Lord, Thank you for keeping me from eating that pizza! Thank you for the little things that you do every day for me that I take for granted. Please continue to let me feel your presence. I want to do your will.
I love you Lord.
Amen.