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Friday, February 8, 2013

R6P2D27/28 - Speaking through Lewis

February 8, 2013

R6 (Round 6), P2 (Phase 2), Very Low Calorie Day (VLCD) 27 of 28

I have had a devotional book on my desk at work for the past 2 years (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, and Jesus Calling). This year, I'm re-reading a book I got for Christmas one year from Linda and John ... "A Year with C.S. Lewis, daily reading from his classic works." I read it in 2005, and now, 8 years later, I am dusting it off again. It's profound. I have (and have read) every scrap of writing from Mr. Lewis, but, there's something fun about opening these pages and having something from Screwtape pop up one day, and Mere Christianity the next.

Today, I don't have much else to say besides passing along two very splendid things I read in the last two days by C.S. Lewis, who is, without a doubt, my most favorite of favorite authors (not counting God, of course).  I think Lewis was divinely inspired to uncover some of the hard-to-understand truths about faith in God, and he uncovers them with words.  I can't wait to meet Mr. Lewis someday.  I hope you'll be with me, too.

"Authority exercised with humility and obedience accepted with delight are the very lines along which our spirits live ... in the Body of Christ, we step outside that world which says, 'I am as good as you.'  It's like turning from a march to a dance ... We become, as Chesteron said, taller when we bow."  C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory."

Here's another one.  This is from Mere Christianity (this is a WONDERFUL explanation about what the Trinity is, how to understand it, and, frankly, an answer to the question from non-believing intellectuals, "How can an intelligent person can believe in such rubbish?"):

"The union between the Father and the Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is also a Person.  I know this is almost inconceivable, but look at it thus.  You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the 'spirit' of that family, or club, or trade union.  They talk about its 'spirit' because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving which they would not have if they were apart.  It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence.  Of course, it is not a real person:  it is only rather like a person.  But that is just one of the differences between God and us.  What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.

This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the 'spirit' of God.  Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind that the other two.  I think there is a reason why it must be so.  In the Christian life you are not usually looking at Him.  He is always acting through you.  If you think of the Father as something 'out there,' in front of you, and of the Son as someone standing at your side, helping you to pray, trying to turn you into another son, then you have to think of the third Person as something inside you, or behind you.  Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backwards.  God is love, and that love works through men -- especially through the whole community of Christians.  But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and the Son."

Thursday, February 7, 2013

R6P2D26/28 -- And, so it begins ...

February 7, 2013

Round 6 (R6), Phase 2 (P2) Very Low Calorie Day (VLCD) 26/28

Yep, you didn't read that wrong.  I ran out of drops, so I'm ending this a day before "plan" -- but, actually, I planned it.  That's the joy that's me.  I switch gears in the middle of driving with almost no second glance.  I decided it was better for me to do a mountain of P3 (protein eating) cooking on Sunday where I could actually taste what I was cooking (for instance, to be able to make sure the seasoning is right).  It also could be torture to cook all of that yummy food (like cauliflower cheese bake, deep dish pizza quiche, tuna, chocolate mug cake ... all modified to take the carbs out) on my last day of P2.

To refresh your memory, for those of you reading this who have never done HCG and think my blogs consist mainly of Ps and Rs and HCGs and LDWs, I'll explain.  Briefly, don't worry.

  • P = Phase (Phase 1 is loading/gorging for 3 days while you take drops and let them build up in your system ... you gain usually between 2 - 5 pounds during this time, but it drops RIGHT off in the first day or two of Phase 2.  Phase 2 is eating 500 calories, from a very locked down food list, taking HCG drops and losing weight.  Phase 3 is eating only meat, vegetable and fruit carbs and maintaining within 2 pounds up or down of your LDW -- see below.  Phase 4 is eating what you want in moderation ... this was my bane last time ... that and steroids and "Hobbit" movie theater popcorn.)
  • R = Rounds (You can do as many of these as you want.  It means all 4 Phases.  I have completed all 4 Phases almost 6 times, which means, I'm ready to start P3 in 2 days, and P4 in 3 weeks.  I plan on completing 7-8 Rounds by the end.)
  • HCG = the drops and the "program" of eating (no to low carb) forever.(You only take the homeopathic drops in P2, and it's the only time you lose weight)
  • LDW = Last Dosage Weight (This is the weigh in on the morning that you take or your drops -- or, the morning after you have taken your last drops -- there's some debate about that.  I'm counting today, the morning after my last drops, as my LDW.  You still have to eat the 500 calories in P2, but can up it to 800 with an extra portion or two of protein, because you are getting the drops out of your system.  It can be touch and go, because a lot of people get very hungry towards the end of these three days.)  
  • CD = correction day (This is practiced on the day when the scale shows you have gone 2.1 above your LDW.  There are some moderations on a CD, but Dr. Simeons only talked about and approved a steak day, which means, eating up to a 26 ounce steak and 1 big tomato, any time after 3 pm.  The weight will be off the next morning.  You have to start your 21 days of P3 over again.  Well, you should.  I didn't in R1-R4.  I didn't have a correction day in R5, so that's my goal this time.)

Those last 3 days in P2 without the drops can be a little, welll, mind bending.  Really, this diet is all mental.  It's about telling figuring things out, analyzing, sticking to a schedule, planning, cooking, and talking yourself out of things that are bad for you.  I'm good at it about 75% of the time.  I think I'll do okay with P3 this time (I have a plan -- you know how I love those).  P4 scares me a bit.  In fact, I could use some prayer about it.  I'll have less than 1 week in P4 before I travel to Germany (just the airport), India, Singapore and Shanghai in March.  That means a solid 2 weeks (weekends included) of business dinners.  Ruh roh.  My plan is to eat well for breakfast (evidently, all 3 of the hotels I am staying in for work are "5 star" so they are supposed to have excellent breakfast buffets where I can load up on eggs).  I'm packing protein bars (my very-well-traveled boss told me those are invaluable and pro-biotics), so I can have those for lunch, if I have to (I guess ... hello, Red-Green, from the Red-Green show).  They are rather "carb-y" too (go figure, for protein bars), but it's better than noodles or rice or anything with an unidentifiable sauce.

I think my biggest "problem" will be mentally.  I LOVE travel.  I don't let myself do it much, because I can always find more practical (or fun, around the home) things on which I spend my money.  But, when I do travel, it feels like a party.  I obviously LOVE food, and part of that "travel party" is eating fun (read that as TERRIBLE for you) food.  Here I am, going to parts of the world that are exotic and I may never travel to again.  I LOVE Indian food.  I LOVE Chinese food.  And, I'm going to be low-carbing it.  I'll also probably be a little lonely in those 2 weeks (I love my peeps, as you all know).  And, I'll be EXHAUSTED.  Lots of flight time.  The flight home is 14 hours straight from Shanghai to O'Hare.  All of that is a recipe for a food disaster in Julia world.  But, I have God to give me strength.  And, I know, it's progress, not perfection.  I'm already figuring I'll do one correction day the day I return (all of those noodles and sauces ... there is no way I'm coming home without the usual 5-7 pound work travel gain).  But, I'm doing ONE.  After that, for the next week, I'll eat clean.  And, start R7 with loading on March 29-31. 

So, here's my heart.  I cannot, just CANNOT stomach (pun intended) the thought of re-losing this weight a THIRD time.  Blarghhhh.  Yes, December was wonky for me.  I threw in the towel several times in the beginning of the month, and fully THRUST it in with verve by the middle of December.  And, here I am, R6 LDW day at only 1.9 pounds below R5 LDW day.  26 days of P2 and that's what I have to show for it.  Now, don't despair for me.  I'm THRILLED (I actually did a WOO HOO, arms in the air shout while standing on the scale this morning -- I'm glad I live alone) that I'm below R5LDW.  It was touch and go there for a bit about if I'd actually be able to get here.  But, that's my point.  Normally, it IS touch and go at the end.  But, when you're in new territory, it's SO okay.  You're getting into new clothes.  People notice a difference.  It makes all of the effort and hard work, well, more worth it.  It gives some needed "oompf" to the last part of P2, which feels like drudgery, let me tell you.  Well, when you're re-losing weight, it's like a race against yourself.  And, that is no fun.

I can't do that again.

I'm praying THAT, and maybe only that, will keep my big, gaping maw shut in Asia, when I'm feeling lonely.  Or sad.  Or tired.  Or like celebrating.

Oh, and one more thing.  I now have Facetime set up on my Mac, iPad and iPhone (thank you, Lisa, Dad, Linda and Kate for testing with me).  Anyone who has an apple product, and wants to Facetime with me, send me an email, text me, whatever, and we can exchange Facetime emails so we can Facetime for free (I swear, I feel like I'm living in an episode of the Jetsons).  Also, I have set up a Skype account (for those of you who don't have an Apple product).  If you have an account, or want to set one up (they are free, you just need internet capability), we can talk on that too.

Alrighty.  I think that's about it for now.  This is like the War and Peace blog entry.  War (with weight) and Peace (with well, everything else).  Ah.  All is right with the world.