March 27, 2012
Round 2, Phase 4 (eating in moderation), Day 30
11 days left in Phase 4. Am I ready for Round 3? In theory, yes. I'm ready to weigh less. But, am I ready for all of the mental work it's going to take? Um, I hope so. But, that's stalling my brain ISN'T about food. It's about work. I cannot believe I'm at a place in my life where I worry about work. Lovely.
I'm not sure what I'm ready for at this point because my mind is consumed with this new job. I don't know why, but I'm actually afraid. I'm not saying that in a little, "Oh, I hope I do well" way. I mean, from the bottom of my stomach, fear. So much so, that I wish I hadn't accepted this job. It's already coming at me like Niagra Falls, and the job hasn't even started yet.
And that's irrational.
But, there it is. It's what I'm feeling, and, pray as I might, it creeps back the next second, it seems. I'm in a building (currently) for work that I never wanted to come to. And, yet, I find myself walking down the hall thinking, "This is home." WHAT?! 4.5 years ago when my job moved me here, I thought, "I'm staying there 2 years at the most." Nope. So, I guess my inner voice is rather a ninny. So, I shouldn't listen to it now.
Okay, that's it. I'm choking down my food (which isn't good, because if I don't eat enough calories, I'll gain). I had a hardboiled egg and sugar free bacon for breakfast (my standard), and a few bites of chicken and some greek yogurt and fresh strawberries for lunch. But, I was sick after about a 1/3 of it. My stomach is doing cartwheels.
WHY am I fretting, when I know in my heart that God is in control. I just don't know it in my stomach, I guess. : )
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
R2P4D25/41 -- Turning my pressed grapes into Wine, not Whine
March 22, 2012
Round 2, Phase 4 (moderately eat anything), Day 25/41
Today's blog should be about weight. For example, the fact that I lost 1 pound over night, bringing my grand total to 54.7 actually brings me 0.2 pound under Last Dosage Weight (LDW). That's where I want to be for the next 16 days. Okay, great.
Or, today's blog should be about my friend Carrie who is coming home (HOME!) from the hospital today. I visited her at Methodist hospital last night (with my friend Linda) and we both were STUNNED at how good she looks. Why should be be stunned, though? God has been in charge the entire time. I'll post comments from her brother's Facebook update so you can read her entire story. It is TRULY amazing. For those of you who doubt God, the #2 heart surgeon in the country (#5 in the world, I believe) was working on Carrie's heart and said, "I've done all I can. It's up to God and Carrie now." Even he called her a miracle. Praise God!
But instead I'm going to talk about my new job. Okay, giving myself a break, I DID just talk about weight loss and Carrie. But, what I would really like you to pray about is this new job. It's an important fact, because, in the past, I did seek out a job that I knew wasn't the right fit, but I wanted more money. For those of you who knew me then, it was the job at Cat TBU. From Day 1, I knew I had "sold" myself for more money. That experience was terrible. It resulted in lots of tears (which is NOT usual for me), talking to my Mom from my cell in the car and crying because of mean words from the facility manager, etc. But, God moved me into a great job only 10 months later. And, things have been great (or good) with my jobs at Cat since then. I learned to be me in job interviews -- not who I think they want to see to hire me -- and it's paid off. I've been reasonably happy at work. As happy as one can be when working in a non-essential job (it's not like I'm a nurse, or a doctor or a teacher or a paramedic). But, I'm not trying to sound ungrateful. I know God has me here for a reason. I also know that He wants me to be poured out wine for him, not a plump grape in my own contented happiness that helps no one.
But, I side-tracked myself. 4.5 years ago, I received a call, similiar to what I received from my new boss (Deb) in February. My name had been put forward by the 30 lead HR Managers at Cat as a good candidate for this position. Please know -- I'm not bragging. That's important to the story. Both jobs, on paper, I didn't want. 4.5 years ago, I didn't want to move to Mossville from Peoria (I worked 5 minutes from home), not for a small promotion. I didn't want to be a stand-alone communicator. I told them that. So, they gave me some other job duties, offered me the job, and I took it. Why? Because I knew that God orchestrated it. I prayed before, during and after the interview that His will be done, and I'd go where he sent me. Well, he sent me to Mossville. And, I worked harder than I ever did before. Then, 2 years later, the downturn happened. Every HR group in the company (every Division) had to take unpaid layoffs in 2009. I mean, some, up to 12 weeks. My former boss, who was trying to get me back? Her group had to take 8 weeks off. Unpaid. My group? My Division had to take 1. Our HR group? We didn't have to take any. We opted to take 1, because we didn't want to be the only 5 people in the company who didn't contribute. But, we CHOSE to take 1. ONE! Not 8, not 12. One. THAT was God.
So, along comes this new job in Morton. They call me. I know (worked very slightly with) my new boss. She will be an excellent boss. I know the person I am replacing. I even know one of my 4 direct reports. Deb's 80 person team is heralded around Cat as one of the best. Great. But, I don't feel passionate about some of the grunt work in communications. But, that's okay. Why? Because I know I didn't push this. I didn't post for the job, I didn't push myself in the interviews ... I was me. That tells me, much like my Cat Electronics job, this Cat Logistics job has been given to me by God. Why? To stomp out some of my grapes of complacency that I have. It's pretty comfy not having direct reports and being responsible for anyone. I mean NO one. I don't have children, I don't have pets. Well, my 2 fish practically take care of themselves. Now, I'm going to have 4 people who depend on me. And, I'm going to have a LOT of focus on me from the VP. He wants me to be his right arm. Okay. I can do that. Because God will give me the strength. He will protect me. Even if that means I job fail and I get fired, because He'll have something else planned for me.
So, this is what I'm asking you to do for me, if you don't mind. Pray. Pray for me to make it through the deer-caught-in-headlights phase. Pray for me NOT to turn to food. Did I mention I'm starting Round 3, Phase 2 (Very Low Calorie Diet) right after I start this? Pray for me to be a good boss -- a beacon of God's light for my direct reports (especially Chaoli in Shanghai). Pray for me not to be so freaked out that I lose the pep in my step. The last 2 days have been a blur. I feel like I just came up for air. Which is why I'm writing this now. I don't know when I'll write again because I'm going to be doing 2 jobs for a while. But, if you think about me -- or come out here and don't see a blog entry -- will you say a prayer for me. For my sanity. For the sanity of those around me. For God's wine to pour from my life, not my whine.
"Lord, grant me a willing spirit to sustain me ..." Never before have those words from Psalm 51:12b meant more to me than today.
Healing The Broken Heart, by Michael Turbett (Carrie's brother)
I've linked to his article, but if you aren't on FB, you might not be able to see it. He's not one of my FB friends, but I could see it, so maybe you can too.
We all go through our day to day life, running the same routine, not really expecting anything extraordinary to happen. It is the times when calamity strikes that our thoughts and beliefs are really put to the test. It is these times in our lives that God chooses to show us how strong our faith is and how great his power truly is. It was a time such as this that God showed me that even with a speck of faith he will do exceedingly more than we ever imagined possible. And with the collective prayers of many, our specks of faith can quickly grow into a mountain.
Matthew 17: 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
On February 27, 2012 Carrie Drake, a 43 year old wife and mother of three, was experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath and was forced to make a trip to the ER. Upon arrival at the ER they performed some tests and determine that she had low potassium levels and prescribed a potassium drip. The nurse who administered the IV had accidentally left the brake on and after Carrie had sat there for 2 hours she had received no fluids. The Doctor decided to run another test and found that the problem was much more severe. Carrie had an Aortic Aneurysm which ruptured and was causing internal bleeding into her heart cavity. They immediately rushed her into the OR to do an emergency open heart surgery. It was said that had she actually received the potassium it would have caused her heart to speed up, bleed out, and die in seconds. That was the first miracle, thank the Lord the nurse didn't do her job properly.
As family and friends waited frantically in the waiting room the surgeon work tirelessly to repair the damage to her heart. Many people were praying for her. The word was spread quickly using text messages, e-mails, and Facebook to pray for Carrie. The outpouring of prayers and support was incredible, including people across the U.S. and even abroad. Her situation was dire and hope soon began to flicker like a candle under a glass. The Doctor worked on her for 12 hours straight and his report came back bleak at best. He said her heart had stopped beating a few times and he was having trouble stopping the bleeding. It wasn't looking good. Everyone knew it was time they should start saying their goodbyes to her.
Despite being there late the night before, the Doctor began working on her early the next day in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The Surgery took another 6 hours and when he finished the bleeding was slowed but not stopped. He said that he would work on one repair and another bleed would start in another place. The whole surgery was like that, but he couldn't give up on her, since his wife happened to be the same exact age as Carrie. They replaced the aortic valve in her heart, repaired another valve, and tried to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing further they could do. The doctor said, "It is up to God and Carrie now." They had her hooked up to machines pumping her blood for her as her heart was not functioning. They decided to transport her 170 miles to the University of Chicago, Cardiac Unit by ambulance.
As she was laid up in the Cardiac unit in Chicago, she was in and out of consciousness. She was in pain and discomfort with tubes running out of her everywhere and a giant breathing tube down her throat. Her chest was open and exposed with a thin layer of Gortex covering the hole in her chest. The Doctors had to routinely go back in her chest cavity and clean the blood clots out. They turned the pumps down in hopes that her heart would take over again but to no avail. They determined her heart was only 10% functional. When I asked the doctor what the chances are that she would heart start beating again he told me it was very unlikely and that he had never seen a heart that bad off start working again. He stated that a heart transplant was her only hope and that she would most likely be hooked up to those machines for months awaiting a donor heart. He also said people with this problem typically don't live; they usually never even make it the hospital alive, and if they do, they have brain damage and/or kidney failure. It was a miracle she was there and talking to us with no signs of brain damage or organ failure.
Carrie was very uncomfortable and growing increasing agitated with the tube in her throat. They had to restrain her hands to keep her for pulling it out. I, (her brother Mike), my wife Kasey, her niece Kayla, and her sister Amy came to relieve her husband (who had slept very little in days), and stayed with her in Chicago for the weekend. We brought her an iPod and some speakers because Carrie loves music and sings quite often in church. Now I'm not really one to openly share my faith with everybody, but when I turned on the Christian music and I held her hand, while Amy was holding her other hand, I just started praying out loud. I was compelled to pray, I couldn't stop if I wanted to. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to be with her, to heal her, and to comfort her. I could feel a great presence in the room and tingles like tiny stings of electricity. Her demeanor changed and she became calmer. She was a awake and alert and writing us little messages to us on a dry erase board. My sister Amy is a great comforter and did her toe nails and massaged her feet with oils. It reminded of the story of the woman washing Jesus' feet.
Carrie went into another routine Surgery to clean out her blood clots and the remainder of the weekend she was sedated pretty heavily and would only briefly come to. The music played for her almost nonstop and it seemed to keep her calm. We took turns keeping watch over her for the weekend.
Her husband and our Parents came back that Monday morning. They had moved her to the top of the transplant list and the next available heart that matched would be hers. A week had now past since her heart stopped beating and our prayers had now turned to “Please God give her a new heart.” She was about to go in for another routine surgery to remove the clots again when her mother Carolyn said, "We are trusting God to do a miracle and give her a new heart." and her husband replied, "If God was going was going to do a miracle he would have made her old heart start beating already." I'm pretty sure God heard him.
They brought her into the operating room yet again and began the routine surgery to clean the blood clots as they had done before. As they turned the pumps down on the machines pumping her blood it happened. Her heart took off and started beating entirely on its own! The Surgeon ran out of the OR to tell the good news to the family. It was an honest to God miracle!
My eyes were definitely opened through all of this and I learned a lesson about myself. On the day it happened I posted on Facebook for everyone to pray for her heart to start beating and after the doctor told me her only hope was heart transplant I started praying for a new heart. How small is my faith that I believed God was going to heal her but didn't believe he would do what we all originally asked for. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, then my faith is size of a tiny speck. It wasn't one person's faith that prompted God, but an outpouring of believers prayers that made the impossible possible. When we all pray together, our tiny grains of sand of faith quickly add up to make a mountain. That is why it is important to pray for each other and ask for prayer. If a seed of faith can move a mountain than a mountain of faith can move the Earth itself.
Round 2, Phase 4 (moderately eat anything), Day 25/41
Today's blog should be about weight. For example, the fact that I lost 1 pound over night, bringing my grand total to 54.7 actually brings me 0.2 pound under Last Dosage Weight (LDW). That's where I want to be for the next 16 days. Okay, great.
Or, today's blog should be about my friend Carrie who is coming home (HOME!) from the hospital today. I visited her at Methodist hospital last night (with my friend Linda) and we both were STUNNED at how good she looks. Why should be be stunned, though? God has been in charge the entire time. I'll post comments from her brother's Facebook update so you can read her entire story. It is TRULY amazing. For those of you who doubt God, the #2 heart surgeon in the country (#5 in the world, I believe) was working on Carrie's heart and said, "I've done all I can. It's up to God and Carrie now." Even he called her a miracle. Praise God!
But instead I'm going to talk about my new job. Okay, giving myself a break, I DID just talk about weight loss and Carrie. But, what I would really like you to pray about is this new job. It's an important fact, because, in the past, I did seek out a job that I knew wasn't the right fit, but I wanted more money. For those of you who knew me then, it was the job at Cat TBU. From Day 1, I knew I had "sold" myself for more money. That experience was terrible. It resulted in lots of tears (which is NOT usual for me), talking to my Mom from my cell in the car and crying because of mean words from the facility manager, etc. But, God moved me into a great job only 10 months later. And, things have been great (or good) with my jobs at Cat since then. I learned to be me in job interviews -- not who I think they want to see to hire me -- and it's paid off. I've been reasonably happy at work. As happy as one can be when working in a non-essential job (it's not like I'm a nurse, or a doctor or a teacher or a paramedic). But, I'm not trying to sound ungrateful. I know God has me here for a reason. I also know that He wants me to be poured out wine for him, not a plump grape in my own contented happiness that helps no one.
But, I side-tracked myself. 4.5 years ago, I received a call, similiar to what I received from my new boss (Deb) in February. My name had been put forward by the 30 lead HR Managers at Cat as a good candidate for this position. Please know -- I'm not bragging. That's important to the story. Both jobs, on paper, I didn't want. 4.5 years ago, I didn't want to move to Mossville from Peoria (I worked 5 minutes from home), not for a small promotion. I didn't want to be a stand-alone communicator. I told them that. So, they gave me some other job duties, offered me the job, and I took it. Why? Because I knew that God orchestrated it. I prayed before, during and after the interview that His will be done, and I'd go where he sent me. Well, he sent me to Mossville. And, I worked harder than I ever did before. Then, 2 years later, the downturn happened. Every HR group in the company (every Division) had to take unpaid layoffs in 2009. I mean, some, up to 12 weeks. My former boss, who was trying to get me back? Her group had to take 8 weeks off. Unpaid. My group? My Division had to take 1. Our HR group? We didn't have to take any. We opted to take 1, because we didn't want to be the only 5 people in the company who didn't contribute. But, we CHOSE to take 1. ONE! Not 8, not 12. One. THAT was God.
So, along comes this new job in Morton. They call me. I know (worked very slightly with) my new boss. She will be an excellent boss. I know the person I am replacing. I even know one of my 4 direct reports. Deb's 80 person team is heralded around Cat as one of the best. Great. But, I don't feel passionate about some of the grunt work in communications. But, that's okay. Why? Because I know I didn't push this. I didn't post for the job, I didn't push myself in the interviews ... I was me. That tells me, much like my Cat Electronics job, this Cat Logistics job has been given to me by God. Why? To stomp out some of my grapes of complacency that I have. It's pretty comfy not having direct reports and being responsible for anyone. I mean NO one. I don't have children, I don't have pets. Well, my 2 fish practically take care of themselves. Now, I'm going to have 4 people who depend on me. And, I'm going to have a LOT of focus on me from the VP. He wants me to be his right arm. Okay. I can do that. Because God will give me the strength. He will protect me. Even if that means I job fail and I get fired, because He'll have something else planned for me.
So, this is what I'm asking you to do for me, if you don't mind. Pray. Pray for me to make it through the deer-caught-in-headlights phase. Pray for me NOT to turn to food. Did I mention I'm starting Round 3, Phase 2 (Very Low Calorie Diet) right after I start this? Pray for me to be a good boss -- a beacon of God's light for my direct reports (especially Chaoli in Shanghai). Pray for me not to be so freaked out that I lose the pep in my step. The last 2 days have been a blur. I feel like I just came up for air. Which is why I'm writing this now. I don't know when I'll write again because I'm going to be doing 2 jobs for a while. But, if you think about me -- or come out here and don't see a blog entry -- will you say a prayer for me. For my sanity. For the sanity of those around me. For God's wine to pour from my life, not my whine.
"Lord, grant me a willing spirit to sustain me ..." Never before have those words from Psalm 51:12b meant more to me than today.
Healing The Broken Heart, by Michael Turbett (Carrie's brother)
I've linked to his article, but if you aren't on FB, you might not be able to see it. He's not one of my FB friends, but I could see it, so maybe you can too.
We all go through our day to day life, running the same routine, not really expecting anything extraordinary to happen. It is the times when calamity strikes that our thoughts and beliefs are really put to the test. It is these times in our lives that God chooses to show us how strong our faith is and how great his power truly is. It was a time such as this that God showed me that even with a speck of faith he will do exceedingly more than we ever imagined possible. And with the collective prayers of many, our specks of faith can quickly grow into a mountain.
Matthew 17: 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
On February 27, 2012 Carrie Drake, a 43 year old wife and mother of three, was experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath and was forced to make a trip to the ER. Upon arrival at the ER they performed some tests and determine that she had low potassium levels and prescribed a potassium drip. The nurse who administered the IV had accidentally left the brake on and after Carrie had sat there for 2 hours she had received no fluids. The Doctor decided to run another test and found that the problem was much more severe. Carrie had an Aortic Aneurysm which ruptured and was causing internal bleeding into her heart cavity. They immediately rushed her into the OR to do an emergency open heart surgery. It was said that had she actually received the potassium it would have caused her heart to speed up, bleed out, and die in seconds. That was the first miracle, thank the Lord the nurse didn't do her job properly.
As family and friends waited frantically in the waiting room the surgeon work tirelessly to repair the damage to her heart. Many people were praying for her. The word was spread quickly using text messages, e-mails, and Facebook to pray for Carrie. The outpouring of prayers and support was incredible, including people across the U.S. and even abroad. Her situation was dire and hope soon began to flicker like a candle under a glass. The Doctor worked on her for 12 hours straight and his report came back bleak at best. He said her heart had stopped beating a few times and he was having trouble stopping the bleeding. It wasn't looking good. Everyone knew it was time they should start saying their goodbyes to her.
Despite being there late the night before, the Doctor began working on her early the next day in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The Surgery took another 6 hours and when he finished the bleeding was slowed but not stopped. He said that he would work on one repair and another bleed would start in another place. The whole surgery was like that, but he couldn't give up on her, since his wife happened to be the same exact age as Carrie. They replaced the aortic valve in her heart, repaired another valve, and tried to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing further they could do. The doctor said, "It is up to God and Carrie now." They had her hooked up to machines pumping her blood for her as her heart was not functioning. They decided to transport her 170 miles to the University of Chicago, Cardiac Unit by ambulance.
As she was laid up in the Cardiac unit in Chicago, she was in and out of consciousness. She was in pain and discomfort with tubes running out of her everywhere and a giant breathing tube down her throat. Her chest was open and exposed with a thin layer of Gortex covering the hole in her chest. The Doctors had to routinely go back in her chest cavity and clean the blood clots out. They turned the pumps down in hopes that her heart would take over again but to no avail. They determined her heart was only 10% functional. When I asked the doctor what the chances are that she would heart start beating again he told me it was very unlikely and that he had never seen a heart that bad off start working again. He stated that a heart transplant was her only hope and that she would most likely be hooked up to those machines for months awaiting a donor heart. He also said people with this problem typically don't live; they usually never even make it the hospital alive, and if they do, they have brain damage and/or kidney failure. It was a miracle she was there and talking to us with no signs of brain damage or organ failure.
Carrie was very uncomfortable and growing increasing agitated with the tube in her throat. They had to restrain her hands to keep her for pulling it out. I, (her brother Mike), my wife Kasey, her niece Kayla, and her sister Amy came to relieve her husband (who had slept very little in days), and stayed with her in Chicago for the weekend. We brought her an iPod and some speakers because Carrie loves music and sings quite often in church. Now I'm not really one to openly share my faith with everybody, but when I turned on the Christian music and I held her hand, while Amy was holding her other hand, I just started praying out loud. I was compelled to pray, I couldn't stop if I wanted to. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to be with her, to heal her, and to comfort her. I could feel a great presence in the room and tingles like tiny stings of electricity. Her demeanor changed and she became calmer. She was a awake and alert and writing us little messages to us on a dry erase board. My sister Amy is a great comforter and did her toe nails and massaged her feet with oils. It reminded of the story of the woman washing Jesus' feet.
Carrie went into another routine Surgery to clean out her blood clots and the remainder of the weekend she was sedated pretty heavily and would only briefly come to. The music played for her almost nonstop and it seemed to keep her calm. We took turns keeping watch over her for the weekend.
Her husband and our Parents came back that Monday morning. They had moved her to the top of the transplant list and the next available heart that matched would be hers. A week had now past since her heart stopped beating and our prayers had now turned to “Please God give her a new heart.” She was about to go in for another routine surgery to remove the clots again when her mother Carolyn said, "We are trusting God to do a miracle and give her a new heart." and her husband replied, "If God was going was going to do a miracle he would have made her old heart start beating already." I'm pretty sure God heard him.
They brought her into the operating room yet again and began the routine surgery to clean the blood clots as they had done before. As they turned the pumps down on the machines pumping her blood it happened. Her heart took off and started beating entirely on its own! The Surgeon ran out of the OR to tell the good news to the family. It was an honest to God miracle!
My eyes were definitely opened through all of this and I learned a lesson about myself. On the day it happened I posted on Facebook for everyone to pray for her heart to start beating and after the doctor told me her only hope was heart transplant I started praying for a new heart. How small is my faith that I believed God was going to heal her but didn't believe he would do what we all originally asked for. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, then my faith is size of a tiny speck. It wasn't one person's faith that prompted God, but an outpouring of believers prayers that made the impossible possible. When we all pray together, our tiny grains of sand of faith quickly add up to make a mountain. That is why it is important to pray for each other and ask for prayer. If a seed of faith can move a mountain than a mountain of faith can move the Earth itself.
Friday, March 16, 2012
R2P4D19/41 - Has it really been two weeks?
March 16, 2012
Round 2, Phase 4 (eating what I want in moderation) Day 19/41
Is it possible that two weeks have passed since I last wrote? I guess so! That means I'm about 1/2 way done with Round 2, Phase 4. It's been a bumpy ride in the last week, since I splurged and had Jimmy John's #12 (the Beach) sandwhich, a bag of their BBQ chips and a chocolate chip cookie on Sunday. I went up. SO, I corrected. And, I'm back down. That's all very encouraging. It might take one day or four, but when the plan is followed, it's easy not to go up and stay up.
So, an update on my friend Carrie. She should be in route back to Peoria (from the University of Chicago Medical Center). God healed her heart (awesome!) -- she did not need a transplant, even though the entire medical staff thought she was going to need one. Her heart is operating normally. She's en route to Peoria to go through quite a bit of recovery before going home. But, if it's anything like the past 1.5 weeks at UCMC, she'll outstrip all of the patients there and be home in a week! : )
Way to go, God! Way to be plucky, Carrie!
I don't have much else to say besides that. I am on track to start Round 3, Phase 1 (Loading -- eating healthy fats) for 2 days on April 7 and April 8 (Easter and my Dad's birthday). Then, Round 2, Phase 2 starts up again on April 9. I'm going to follow P2 the shortest amount of time in my plan -- only 25 days (instead of R1's 31 and R2's 35). I want to be in P3 by my Gram's 98th birthday (on May 8). I'm praying I'll be down 15 - 20 pounds in R3, which would bring my grand total to almost 75 pounds down (over 1/2 way done)! Then, R4 will start in the end of July. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Oh, one more thing. I just found out last Friday, that I'm starting a new job (in my same company) on May 1. I'll transition over in April (spending 1/2 of my time in both jobs). I'm back into Communications (bye-bye Learning Consultant!) as a Communications Manager. That means, I'll be supervising 4 people (1 is in China). Yikes! If you feel like praying for me for something other than a willing spirit to sustain me through 18 months of weight loss (I'm at 5 months tomorrow!), and prayers for my wayward sister, then, would you pray for me to shine for the Lord as I leave one job and start another? If I allow myself time to think about it, I'm a bit scared I'm going to stink at this formally supervising people. AND, I won't have that "crutch" of food to get me through (among other things, splurges, and "let's go to lunch" will be harder to do). Also, I don't really want to have to disclose what I'm doing to a whole team of subordinates at this time. People can really be judgmental about HCG. And, in case you didn't notice, I'm not stopping. I have too much to lose.
Anyway, that's all for now. That's rather a lot. Good thing I didn't write for a fortnight, or you might be overwhelmed! ; )
Round 2, Phase 4 (eating what I want in moderation) Day 19/41
Is it possible that two weeks have passed since I last wrote? I guess so! That means I'm about 1/2 way done with Round 2, Phase 4. It's been a bumpy ride in the last week, since I splurged and had Jimmy John's #12 (the Beach) sandwhich, a bag of their BBQ chips and a chocolate chip cookie on Sunday. I went up. SO, I corrected. And, I'm back down. That's all very encouraging. It might take one day or four, but when the plan is followed, it's easy not to go up and stay up.
So, an update on my friend Carrie. She should be in route back to Peoria (from the University of Chicago Medical Center). God healed her heart (awesome!) -- she did not need a transplant, even though the entire medical staff thought she was going to need one. Her heart is operating normally. She's en route to Peoria to go through quite a bit of recovery before going home. But, if it's anything like the past 1.5 weeks at UCMC, she'll outstrip all of the patients there and be home in a week! : )
Way to go, God! Way to be plucky, Carrie!
I don't have much else to say besides that. I am on track to start Round 3, Phase 1 (Loading -- eating healthy fats) for 2 days on April 7 and April 8 (Easter and my Dad's birthday). Then, Round 2, Phase 2 starts up again on April 9. I'm going to follow P2 the shortest amount of time in my plan -- only 25 days (instead of R1's 31 and R2's 35). I want to be in P3 by my Gram's 98th birthday (on May 8). I'm praying I'll be down 15 - 20 pounds in R3, which would bring my grand total to almost 75 pounds down (over 1/2 way done)! Then, R4 will start in the end of July. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Oh, one more thing. I just found out last Friday, that I'm starting a new job (in my same company) on May 1. I'll transition over in April (spending 1/2 of my time in both jobs). I'm back into Communications (bye-bye Learning Consultant!) as a Communications Manager. That means, I'll be supervising 4 people (1 is in China). Yikes! If you feel like praying for me for something other than a willing spirit to sustain me through 18 months of weight loss (I'm at 5 months tomorrow!), and prayers for my wayward sister, then, would you pray for me to shine for the Lord as I leave one job and start another? If I allow myself time to think about it, I'm a bit scared I'm going to stink at this formally supervising people. AND, I won't have that "crutch" of food to get me through (among other things, splurges, and "let's go to lunch" will be harder to do). Also, I don't really want to have to disclose what I'm doing to a whole team of subordinates at this time. People can really be judgmental about HCG. And, in case you didn't notice, I'm not stopping. I have too much to lose.
Anyway, that's all for now. That's rather a lot. Good thing I didn't write for a fortnight, or you might be overwhelmed! ; )
Friday, March 2, 2012
R2P4D5/36 -- This isn't about weight loss or tv shows ... it's about life and prayer
March 2, 2012
Round 2, Phase 4 (eating anything in moderation) Day 5 of 36
I haven't written for a week and the reason is simple. My mind has been consumed with prayer for 2 important people in my life. My sister, Chris, and my friend, Carrie. My life isn't about weight-loss (or weight-maintenance) right now -- although I'm maintaining well. It's about praying for 2 people I love. Let me tell you what I feel at liberty to share, so that you can be praying for them as well (if you feel God leading you to do it):
If you follow me on FB, you will know all about sweet Carrie's struggle with her heart that has happened since Sunday. Her life is an ABSOLUTE miracle. If you doubt God's work, just talk to me (or one of Carrie's friends/family). She has had an ARMY (I kid you not) of people praying for her since Sunday. I'm sure those numbers are in the thousands, from friends on FB, to family, extended family, church prayer groups, church prayer chains, neighbors, school families, etc. I am here to say, God has worked a miracle in her (she had an aortic aneurysm on Sunday, which only a handful of people survive). As of today, she is awake, talking (asking for a pedicure!) and waiting (in a hospital room in Chicago) to see if she will need a heart transplant or if her heart will heal with little to no damage. I know one thing -- it will be AMAZING what God does, because it's already been amazing. She should not be alive. And, SHE IS. I am stunned, excited and crying as I write that, even today, and it's been 2 since she -- against all odds -- made it back from looking at death's door. Her struggle isn't over yet, but with each day comes more hope. This is the verse that I found when I was on my knees (one of the many times I and others were on our knees) for Carrie:
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them: he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:17
How awesome that God has been moving, step by step, on Carrie's behalf, so that we who believe in Him can sing His praises to others? Talk about love? For those of you who don't share this belief, I'll just say this and leave it ... God's ways aren't our ways (thank you very much, God's conversation with Job). We may not know why he allows something to happen, but we can rest assured that He is working everything out for good (yes, another Bible verse paraphrase), whether we see it on earth or not.
That verse also applies to my dear sister. I don't feel at liberty to say much here, but, please know, if I'm mentioning her and her situation at all, I believe with all my heart that she -- now, more than ever -- is in desperate need of prayer and God's miracle in her life. I covet your prayers on her behalf. The reason for my prayers, to be allieviated, will take miracles no less than what Carrie's deliverance from the jaws of death has taken.
So, as you face your own battles today, remember that, even though Satan prowls around like a lion waiting to devour (Bible verse paraphrase), "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done." Genesis 50:20
Lord, please protect Carrie and Chris -- work a miracle in their lives -- to bring them to safety, and to bring you glory. Amen.
Round 2, Phase 4 (eating anything in moderation) Day 5 of 36
I haven't written for a week and the reason is simple. My mind has been consumed with prayer for 2 important people in my life. My sister, Chris, and my friend, Carrie. My life isn't about weight-loss (or weight-maintenance) right now -- although I'm maintaining well. It's about praying for 2 people I love. Let me tell you what I feel at liberty to share, so that you can be praying for them as well (if you feel God leading you to do it):
If you follow me on FB, you will know all about sweet Carrie's struggle with her heart that has happened since Sunday. Her life is an ABSOLUTE miracle. If you doubt God's work, just talk to me (or one of Carrie's friends/family). She has had an ARMY (I kid you not) of people praying for her since Sunday. I'm sure those numbers are in the thousands, from friends on FB, to family, extended family, church prayer groups, church prayer chains, neighbors, school families, etc. I am here to say, God has worked a miracle in her (she had an aortic aneurysm on Sunday, which only a handful of people survive). As of today, she is awake, talking (asking for a pedicure!) and waiting (in a hospital room in Chicago) to see if she will need a heart transplant or if her heart will heal with little to no damage. I know one thing -- it will be AMAZING what God does, because it's already been amazing. She should not be alive. And, SHE IS. I am stunned, excited and crying as I write that, even today, and it's been 2 since she -- against all odds -- made it back from looking at death's door. Her struggle isn't over yet, but with each day comes more hope. This is the verse that I found when I was on my knees (one of the many times I and others were on our knees) for Carrie:
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them: he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:17
How awesome that God has been moving, step by step, on Carrie's behalf, so that we who believe in Him can sing His praises to others? Talk about love? For those of you who don't share this belief, I'll just say this and leave it ... God's ways aren't our ways (thank you very much, God's conversation with Job). We may not know why he allows something to happen, but we can rest assured that He is working everything out for good (yes, another Bible verse paraphrase), whether we see it on earth or not.
That verse also applies to my dear sister. I don't feel at liberty to say much here, but, please know, if I'm mentioning her and her situation at all, I believe with all my heart that she -- now, more than ever -- is in desperate need of prayer and God's miracle in her life. I covet your prayers on her behalf. The reason for my prayers, to be allieviated, will take miracles no less than what Carrie's deliverance from the jaws of death has taken.
So, as you face your own battles today, remember that, even though Satan prowls around like a lion waiting to devour (Bible verse paraphrase), "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done." Genesis 50:20
Lord, please protect Carrie and Chris -- work a miracle in their lives -- to bring them to safety, and to bring you glory. Amen.
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