It's a string of DIAMOND DAYS with another drop--4 lbs down this week so far-- and minimal appetite (and what that MIGHT mean), nice kudos post from Allan Da Man, and stocking up on coconut oil on Day 74 of Phase 5, which is a good GOOD FRIDAY...

Tanita-san= 206.2

I'm still stunned the drops haven't chilled. But no, I'm burning fat like mad, looks like. That's .8 lbs less than  yesterday, and that's 4 lbs down from Sunday. (Excuse me while I laugh hysterically at the improbability.) There is a possibility (no jinx, no jinx) that I might lose 5 lbs by the weigh-in.

With the human body who knows...but could me...might could happen.

I'll plotz! If I do, plotzplotzplotz all over Easter!

Well, actually, I'm gonna send in my weigh-in tomorrow, cause Sunday is gonna be mighty hectic, with the holy day, family time, etc. So, improbable that it'll be 5 lbs. But it will still be my highest recorded loss to date in 5 challenges at today's number of FOUR-count em 4--lbs. :D

These have been Diamond Days. I'm calling them that after listening to a cd (and the title song) by one of my very fave groups. They're a Christian husband and wife duo who make beautiful music. I own all their cds except the most recent (got lazy and haven't ordered yet). I own some of them in backup (ie, bought two copies). Yes. I love OUT OF THE GREY. As their song "Diamond Days" was playing, I thought, "Yeah, I feel like these have been Diamond Dieter Days. It's a breeze not to overeat. A breeze to feel hopeful. A breeze to shop for healthful foods. It's easy to be consistent with exercise."  DIAMOND DAYS...

Some of the lyrics:

Some days are cold and hard, a stone around your neck
Others steal the life from you and leave you feeling flat
Just when you think you've taken your last breath
Your Father blows a kiss at you and lifts you up again

And these diamond days arrive just in time
An oasis in the desert to refresh the mind
Oh these diamond days they shine like the stars
So perfectly placed when the journey is hard

Yup. Shiny, lovely, precious days.

Not hungry. Food is now nutrition and fuel these days. Not comfort. Not a pal. Not hedonistic pleasure (though dinner was so delicious I kept going mmmmm...mmmmm...num...mmmm.).

But it took some awful weeks and hard, hard weeks after committing (really truly wholly committing) to losing weight. At first, no diamonds. It takes hard work and perseverance to get to the diamonds. At least, in my case.

I love the fast loss, gotta admit. I've never seen this in all the challenges so far. It's like..wow..magical.

My theory is that I may be becoming more sensitive to insulin. I may also be becoming more sensitive to leptin. I've found myself NOT scarfing up every bit of food I serve myself. An omelette will be 2/3 eaten one day. Supper 3/4 eaten another. I fill up faster. That means, I'm sure, the leptin is being sensed better. So, if this continues, the combo of better insulin sensitivity (meaning more energy, less fat storage) with better leptin sensitivity (meaning full faster, no urge to overeat) should help me stay on course and get to goal. I just gotta keep eating right and moving right to keep the hormones improving as needed.
~~

I got some nice props over on Allan's blog. Made me smile. I hadn't kept track of how much I'd lost on DDDY Challenges (in toto). I'd been looking at the whole-numbers-down from my ticker, or the weekly loss (for weigh-in) or the day's loss (or gain) for my posts. So, it's VERY cool to see him put up the figures. He posted 45 lbs lost since late October's initial DDDY start point. As of today, nearly 46. I am VERY happy 'bout dat. Thanks, A.
~~

So, there was some talk about a coconut oil shortage. This oil is popular with the Paleo/Primal crowd, as well as with folks with thyroid issues and low-carbers in general. I use it, too. I decided to just go ahead and freak a bit (panic may well be unwarranted over possible super-rise in prices and shortages). Hence, I just ordered 3 jars from Netrition of Nutiva organic extra virgin. I also have a jar at home just got this week of Barlean's organic extra virgin coconut oil. That should do me for a year+.  heh.

Okay, time to go and do my fasting workout, then breakfast, then some planning and maybe shopping for the Easter feast--about which I am not fearful at all. I will be taking stuff I CAN eat, and I will not be scarfing down the Easter candies. I won't even be making a candy basket for the kids. I'm putting my philosophy in action. I will be making gift bags with non-junk treats and 1, just 1, small treat. No abundance of candies and chocolates and marshmallow bunnies. Nope. Sugar is crap, and I love those kids. One treat...is well enough for any child or adult.

And as I think about Good Friday, I am grateful today for all the sacrifices made on my behalf by my parents and by my spouse and by my family and by my God, above all. We Christians believe that The Christ died today to make atonement for our sins. I know that I am alive and have good things in my life because people gave birth to me, nurtured me, loved me, nursed me, supported me. I am trying to take better care of myself, and I believe that is a way of saying thank you for all those many generosities and sacrifices that have been made for me. I appreciate the life I have been given. I want more of it. I want to be a good steward of this body, mind and spirit.

Thank you to all those who have loved and still love me and have given up and still give up of your time and effort and money and kind words and prayers for me.

Whether it's Passover or Easter Week that we celebrate, let's remember sacrifices made and victories won over enemies, human and spiritual. We acknowledge that freedom, liberation, is a beautiful and even holy thing.  And death can lead to life.

Thanks be to God for his immeasurable gift.

Blessings on you all as the holidays--Jewish and Christian--progress...