Day 18 - Good Things

I have missed doing this for a week.

1. I am now very aware of how addicted to sugar I really am.
2. Knowles put 350K back into the company checking account.
3. Have been able to stick to the diet for two and half days. It is a hard diet.
4. They work day is almost over!
5. My relationship with my wife is good!
6. I accept my children for who they are.
7. I lost two of the pounds that I gained on Friday.

Day 17 - Good Things

1. I have a job that I can play racquetball at lunch.
2. Catgenie people called back at 12:00 midnight their time and helped me fix the cat genie. It was 10:00PM my time.
3. I am still comtemplating how to reconcile Moroni's concerns that we are ashamed of Christ because we love our money more than the poor and needy and being members of the Christ's church on the earth (paying fast offering). Are we under condemnation?
4. I lost .9 pounds yesterday. I am still going down.

Day 17 - Good Things

1. Was able to stay calm when Karen was getting anxious about Jon inviting over Ean and Kayla.
2. Didn't feel hungry after lunch. Carlo Okolowitz invited me over to his house for some soup. The soup kept me filled up for 4 hours.
3. Lost two more points on the diet. At that rate I will have lost 40 lbs by the end of the first round (23 days).
4. It was beautiful outside. It snowed about a foot of snow. The trees were all weighed down.
5. Learned about walking by the needy and the poor and noticing them not. I think we do that all the time!

Day 16 - Good Things

1. Got my salary restored today. I have been asking in prayer and it happened.
2. Created new checking accounts with Karen so we have our own money to spend. This has been in the back wings for over two years.
3. Lost 3.5 pounds today. I am very hungry.
4. Got my amended tax return done.
5. I feel healthy

Day 15 - Good Things

1. I got through surgery and I wasn't sick.
2. Modern medicine is a blessing. Having the cyst removed from my groin area without it costing an arm and a leg is great.
3. Had all the family over Saturday and Sunday.
4. I lost 7 pounds since Sunday.
5. I am staying on my diet
6. Had scripture study over the weekend with James.
7. Had my salary restored. The first pay check is tomorrow.

This HCG diet is a little hard to do. I am hungry most of the time. I only 500 calories a day. Now, this takes discipline. The HCG supposedly burns of 3500 to 4000 calories a day. I hope to loose about 1.5 to 2 pounds a day. But I am hungry.

I was having major cravings on Easter Weekend. It felt like I was going through withdrawals all day long. I had a headache and didn't feel well.

I hope the HCG will kick in tomorrow causing my my hunger to decrease or just not feel any hunger. That is what's supposed to happen.

Julia and Natalie

Julia and Natalie.

day 14 - Good Things

1. Went out to lunch with April and Shawn. It was nice.
2. Went out to dinner with April, Shawn, Karen, Julia and James. We had a good time. Broke my wallet though.
3. Learned in Moroni 6:7 that I sometimes have terror or fear when I have to look for work or think about having to look for work. I need to gain hope and faith!

The engorgement period of the diet is hard to do. I don't feel like eating. But, I am stuffing myself. The funny things is that I am not gaining as much weight as I expected. I am eating 4 times what Weight Watchers says I can eat.

Day 13 - Good Things

1. Officially went on the HCG diet. I hope to lose 50 pounds. I is a little scary since I won't be eating much.
2. Went out with Julia for a late night snack.
3. My Cyst is going down. I hardly notice it. Do I need surgery on Monday?

Day 12 - Good Things

I am having a harder time seeing the gifts from God! I will persist.

1. Enjoyed a litte FHE with the children.
2. Learned that I will have my income restored! (This is an answer to my prayers. I (also have prayed for) still would like my past wages restored and a raise.)
3. I learned that Justin Hill's wife, Mindy was baptized six months ago. I was thrilling listening to her on the phone. She has the zealousness that we all should have.
4. Mated the cat to a stray. We shouldn't have done it but she was so so loud. Mrs. Broadbent hadn't called back after five days to supply her stud. After the mating, we saw the stray up close. It had a long funny nose and was cross eyed! Now we will have retarted looking kittens! Karen a called Broadbent and ended up dropping off the cat yesterday too!. So now what? We may have a very strange litter. This experience made Karen and I laugh and laugh. We can't tell the children. They would probably judge us.

Day 11 - Good Things

I missed a few days...

1. Enjoyed Elder Uctdorf's message in priesthood. Nehemiah said, I am doing a great thing and can't come down. Keep focused on what really matters, not the green button that's burned out.
2. Was able to relax and read a book. Harry S Truman's family was from Jackson County, MI after the Mormons were expulsed. All inhabitants of the county were treated horribly by both sides including murder, destruction of all their property, etc. That area was definitely cursed down to at least the third generation for what the did to the Mormons.
3. James and Jon went with me to the Priesthood session of conference. I am praying the James will get his testimony and have a desire to be an ambassador for the Lord.
4. I felt President Monson's love for his people.

day 10 - Good Things

1. We had family scripture study for the first time in a few weeks. We studied Mormon and the final Nephite wars. We learned that they had lost the strength of the Lord but didn't care. They later won a battle and boasted in their strength. They then decided to get revenge, in which the Lord told Nephi that he had helped them win that battle in his mercy and the vengence is His. The Nephites sealed their fate.
2. Commented on my brother, Craig's email. This was good because it forced me to step out of my comfort zone and express an opinion. I don't think we were speaking on the same wave length regarding the subject matter. I learned that I need to be clearer about what I am talking about.
3. Had a nice visit with Julia in the morning about the programs of the church supporting us. We also should do our best in supporting the programs of the church. Julia currently doesn't go to young womens since she says she the only older girl there.

day 9 - Good Things

1. Spent the time to help James with his resume.
2. Had a delicious meal with Jason and Joseph and our favorite chinese restaurant.
3. Read my scriptures every day. Mormon says not to boast not seek revenge.
4. The cat genie miraculously started working again.
5. Call all the Home teacher in my High Priest district. I didn't procrastinate!

Day 8 - Good Things

1. Able to provide Jon and Sara with a place to stay for a month.
2. Talked with James about missions. We pray that he will receive what he needs to go.
3. Spent some time with Karen