I'm BAAAACK!!!

Well the week in Sag Harbor was AWESOME.  Yes, I began reading one of KT's recommended books, "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.  I'll tell you what....i'd love to attract that whole Hampton's lifestyle.  Just looking at all the yachts in Sag Harbor from around the world made you see wealth on a whole new level.  We did sneak away from the kids one night and had dinner at the American Hotel in town.  The food was awesome...the crowd was a bit pretentious.  A lot of old people dressed gaudily and women with too much makeup (and too much plastic surgery)...but, we enjoyed a break from the kids. 

I think this trip really opened my eyes to what could be and I am more devoted to KT's "Your Wish Is Your Command".  I plan on educating myself even more and begin to act on my ideas like KT recommends. 

This should be interesting.  

Taking A BREAK!!!!

Well friends, I'm taking a short hiatus from the craziness that is my work.  I'll be in Sag Harbor, NY with my family and friends for the week and sooo looking forward to it! I am taking some great reading material, among them, Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Biography of Napoleon Hill and Hypnotic Writing II by Dr. Joe Vitale.   Of course, I will have my disk sets to listen to. 

Maybe the Laws of Attraction will be kinder to me out there!  :)

Am I Doing This Right? A Lot Harder Than The Diet!

Ok, so I have now listened to KT’s disk set for about 20 times. I am following what he says to do and just weird stuff keeps happening. Not good. I just lost 5 guys that I work with which means less money for me and Shel has had a lot of personal upheaval….none good. I know, I’m supposed to trust the universe but, maybe I can have a bit more positive (I’ll even take more $0.69 sausages please).

Funny because KT talks about situations just like this happening. His explanation is that it’s the universe rearranging itself so it can meet your request. It may look bad now but, it’ll all work out in the end. Ok, KT….we’re going with it.

That said…I also discovered another guy through KT. Dr. Joe Vitale, or Mr. Fire as he’s also known as, is a “spiritual marketer” and author. He was also in the movie “The Secret”. His stuff is really DEEP and his angle in “The Missing Secret” disk set is removing blocks from within so the Laws of Attraction work better for you. Pretty interesting stuff. I like him. I also love the fact that he offers his book “Attract Money Now” as a free e-book on his site and he also has a great FREE meditation download on there as well. Dr. Vitale also has a great story behind him and while he’s not KT in the salesman sense…his work is really compelling. I got his book “Hypnotic Writing” from the library and loved it.

Can Men Use HCG?

I realized that I had yet to discuss this topic.  After Shel and I began to experience great results with the HCG diet thanks to reading Kevin Trudeau's book "The Weight Loss Secret They Don't Want You To Know About" we told a co-worker in Georgia about it.  He was on the South Beach Diet and wanted to turbo charge his results.

After reading KT's book and ordering his HCG from the place I recommended, he called to tell us about his progress.  He dropped 10 pounds in the first week with no negative side effects and no hunger.  Yes, he likes good food like Shel and I --he was astounded by his results!  

He came up to visit this week and we saw him for the first time since May.  We immediately told him he needed a new wardrobe.  His clothing was just hanging on him!   He looked amazing and we were thrilled for him.  To celebrate we went to Bryant & Cooper's Steakhouse here on Long Island.  The food was absolutely delicious as always.  After dinner we sat at the table, joking, talking and taking pictures.  I posted a picture below of Shel and I (she's the blonde)--and guess what?  The guy in blue shirt in the background is James Caan.  Yep, Sonny from the Godfather who made the "wife beater t-shirt" hot waaay before those guys from the  Jersey Shore!   Of course Shel wanted to go over to chat him up.  Thankfully I deterred her.  No point in getting us thrown out AFTER we paid the bill. 

A great night out with a fabulous bunch of friends!

Laws of Attraction At Work, I Manifested…..You’ll Laugh!

I have been diligently listening to Kevin’s “Your Wish Is Your Command” disk set. I’m still in the learning curve but, trying to test the waters. So, here goes. My family loves penne with sausage and broccoli rabe. I was all set to put the sausage in the oven to bake (less mess than on the stovetop) and I realize that there’s no italian sausage in the house. Well, I had to run over to Trader Joe’s for something so I figured I’d stop off at a local supermarket in the adjacent shopping center. This is around 6pm at night.


I run into the market and head over to the meat case and start perusing the offerings. I realize there are no organic options but, I am willing to make the sacrifice. Lucky for me italian sausage is on sale. I pick out a big family pack with about 14 links in it for around $5.00…great deal, right. So, as I’m about to walk away, I grabbed another package because it looked bigger and I was thinking about freezing the extras. I take the larger and start walking away, looked down at the price and looked again. It’s priced $0.69! Yep, 69 cents. No, it wasn’t old leftover crap…it was probably mismarked. How it sat in the case all day and no one bought it is beyond me, especially since sale items get picked up more.

I paid and happily walked out of the market with my sausage for 69 cents. I was thinking all day that I wanted to start saving more money and voila…I saved money. Maybe coincidence…kinda funny. I’ll have to tell Kevin the first thing I manifested was a package of sausage…I’m sure no one else has!

DEBT CURES, Anyone???

One thing I discovered while listening to KT’s “Your Wish Is Your Command” is how motivating they are. I really took the time to think about ways that I could meet the goals I wanted to accomplish. Setting goals are an important part of this disk set.


I went to the library and while browsing, I noticed they had a copy of KT’s “Debt Cures” book. Halleujah! I checked it out and began to read it. It was really interesting stuff but, many of the things in book, I was aware of. I do not carry credit card debt at all. If I charge something, I pay it off in full when the bill arrives. I realize that is not the case for everyone but, its what I am comfortable doing. Kevin’s book did shed some light on mortgages and I found out about a few techniques on paying down your mortgage that I wasn’t aware of.

I really was really excited to see all the information on grants and low interest loans. I really had no idea how much the government gives away. Now, you do have to qualify, be eligible, etc. for this money to be available to you. My consensus is, its worth taking a look at. Kevin also lists a site where you can go, answer a few questions (no personal information required) and it brings up a bunch of grants you may be eligible for. Grants, you know money you don’t have to pay back!

In the “Debt Cures” book, Kevin really goes after the credit card companies for their unscrupulous practices. I also learned that the majority of debts have expiration dates which differ by state! Interesting! It really is an informative read. I will be buying this book as reference for all the free money info.   I am looking forward to reading Debt Cures II.

“Your Wish Is Your Command” Makes Me Look At Autism

So I spent the weekend listening to KT’s “Your Wish Is Your Command”. I must say the first three disks are a bit tedious. NOW, that said, they are really the most important part of the collection to me and after listening to them again…it made more sense.

Law of Attraction….hmmm. According to KT you are responsible for everything going on in your life…yes folks…the good and the BAD. I found this to be a bit unsettling…I guess because I immediately thought of my eldest son who is on the autistic spectrum. I never wanted that for him. How could this be?

After listening to the disks again, I began to see that the there is way more than meets the eye with this Law of Attraction business. A lot of it is based on feelings. I know, I know…it sounds like I am becoming some tree hugging, hippie type (and no there’s nothing wrong with those people) but, I am not. If anything, this is making me look at my life from a whole new perspective. It has made me see how having a son with autism has changed my views about others.

I have definitely become more compassionate and also routinely look for ways to help others. My son’s disability is the one reason why I chose to sponsor two little girls in India. It’s why I began to give so much more to charities…mainly those benefiting children and/or autism. It also made me look at food differently because of my son’s dietary restrictions. I also began to look outside of mainstream medicine to look for ways to treat autism. I found the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) protocol and have seen many positive results. I was aware of all the chemicals and toxins in food six years ago, way before I even heard of Kevin Trudeau.

So I guess, I started thinking…well, if I didn’t have to deal with a loved one being autistic, would all these things figure into my life? I don’t know. I just thank God everyday for giving me the life I have and I guess everything does happen for a reason. I am going to look further into this Law of Attraction thing. It is such a marvel.

What Is The Story With "Your Wish Is Your Command"?

After my triumphant experience with KT's HCG diet, I saw another infomercial for a series of cd's from Kevin titled "Your Wish Is Your Command".  No, I am not one of those people who buys everything off the television...I rarely do.  Basically, Kevin is sitting with a female interviewer fielding questions from her and explaining the Law of Attraction which is the basis of this disk set.  It appeals to me because according to what he's saying...you are in control of everything that happens to you.

Now a few years back I remember seeing a preview for an episode of Oprah about the movie and book called "The Secret".  I did not get to see the program though.  There was a big "to do" about the Law of Attraction but, I never really paid it any mind.  I did read Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich" and thought it was fascinating but, didn't know how it could work for me. 

I have a nice life but, am not against enriching it further.

Being intrigued, I do a bit of looking into Kevin's cd set and yes, once again a lot of drama laced reviews.  One of my co-workers and I were chatting about the set and he told me his dad had purchased it.  He then asked if I'd like to listen to it.  ABSOLUTELY!  I can now be completely unbiased in my review because now I have nothing invested by borrowing his copy.

My friend brings the disks in the next day and I start listening right away.  I approach them with an open mind and try not to judge anything he says.  A few things stick out in my mind after the first disk but, I will touch on this later after I have listened to all 14 disks.  I will have to speak with Shel about this set, I know she will be interested in it as well. 

My Verdict on Kevin Trudeau’s “The Weight Loss Secret They Don’t Want You To Know About”

I must say that before I bought this book I did a bit of “internet research” on Kevin Trudeau. There was so much negativity surrounding this guy. I mean people were labeling him as a “snake oil salesman”, “scammer”, “charlatan” and liberally dropping a few “f-bombs” (YIKES) in those colorful descriptions. John Stossel also did a piece on him. I really don’t care for John Stossel because he always came across as the “gotcha” guy and I felt he was very negative. I’m sure he’s done a lot of great work but, its all irrelevant to me since I like to make up my own mind. All of this should have scared me off but, for some reason, anyone or anything that people are this passionate about (either in a good way or bad), I want to know more about.

Going back to my first post, I wasn’t leaping for joy after reading “The Weight Loss Secret They Don’t Want You To Know About” because it just seemed impossible to assimilate into my busy lifestyle. Once I was able to get the HCG drops and get into a new mindset of “I can do this and it will work”…it happened. And, it happened just as KT describes in the book. So, do I think he’s a scammer? In this instance…no.

There is one question I do have for KT. Its based on many of the complaints that I read. In many cases, the complaints weren’t about KT himself or his products…they were based on the customer service people received when they encountered a problem. These complaints were firmly planted in the “I want my money back” department or some folks were overcharged or billed for items they didn’t want. I’d be annoyed too.

KT, why not improve this aspect of your company? Not everyone is going to like your product, so give them their money back if its requested during the time frame you laid out and only charge people for what they want. In all fairness, let me say KT is not the one answering the phones (or not answering in some cases) but its his name so he gets the black eye. Fix this problem KT and it’s one less thing for people to complain about I think.

VERDICT: I kinda like KT’s style so far and yes the HCG diet works.

It’s Williams Sonoma Party Time!

I have to say, the past two weeks were sooo NUTS! First our living room and dining room had to be re-painted, then we had to remove ALL of the furniture from the upstairs of our house so the floors could be re-done. Absolute madness, and yes I have a lot of furniture! KT’s HCG diet is going well, I am losing weight consistently and no side effects! A lot of men have asked if they can take HCG, well according to Kevin and Dr. Simeon, they can and enjoy the same results. More on one of my male friends and his results to come in a later post.

The day of the party (June 26th) has come and it’s a beautiful sunny day…its hot though but, my guests won’t be arriving until 7pm so hopefully it will cool down a bit. I hired a woman to come and help because heck, I want to enjoy the party too! I have lost a total of 20 pounds in 34 days! Shel lost a total of 30 pounds in 21 days! We are new women! We are wearing things that we haven’t worn in years and both look and feel great.

I have some great dishes inspired by Michael Symon’s recipes. We will be dining on filet mignon with a horseradish cream sauce, roasted pork loin with heirloom tomato salad, haricot verts with baby peas in white wine, butter sauce, pesto pasta salad, roasted shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce, an Italian antipasti platter created with produce from Arthur Avenue (the best quality Italian products can be bought here), black olive bread, goat cheese crostini with tomato jam and lots of booze…including our house specialty…MOJITOS (we have a planter box filled with mint). For dessert I made mini key lime tarts and a decadent dark chocolate trifle with fresh whipped cream and raspberries…YUM! I set up one long table to seat the 18 people and cover it with pristine white tablecloths, candles and hydrangeas from my garden. It looks beautiful and I am sure everyone will enjoy the evening.

Everyone arrives and cannot believe the change in appearance of Shel and I. Funny, we both end up wearing black halter tops and capris...not planned! Of course, we have to answer all the questions of how we did it, which we happily do. It really was a beautiful night and we are both high fiving each other because WE DID IT!  Thanks KT!

Back to Kevin Trudeau….I did see another infomercial with his “Your Wish Is Your Command” cd set….looks interesting…HMMMM….

You Can Lead A Horse To Water…..

Hey all! So, we are 15 days on our diet, Shel and I are seeing the dramatic results that KT talks about in his book and as documented in Dr. Simeon’s manual, “Pounds and Inches”. Obviously the people that know us are curious about how we managed to noticeably lose weight in such a short time. Lets face it, we’ve all dieted--myself included BUT this is the first time I got these results in such a short amount of time.

I think the major difference is that the HCG Diet targets fat….picture dissolving your fat…wouldn’t that dramatically change the way you look? The pounds you are losing is FAT. That, right there is why the results are so startling!

I should finish this phase of the diet on June 25th (I decided to stay on for 40 days) and Shel is done on June 2nd. Perfect timing because my Williams Sonoma dinner party will be on Saturday, June 26th. Yes, I am aware that the party according to the website should be on Saturday, June 5th but, I’m having my floors done so…. not happening. I received my party pack and its AWESOME. In the box they sent are a set of Calphalon’s new griddle and grill set, over a dozen Calphalon utensils, Michael Symon’s new cookbook, a Williams Sonoma apron and kitchen towel set and a $100.00 American Express gift card. YAY!

Getting back to those curious people. Many won’t do the diet. Why not? Because they all have excuses as to why they can’t. The excuses are…”Oh, that sounds too restrictive” (really?…you’ve been eating whatever you want your whole life, this is for approximately 3 weeks...perspective please), “Gee, I think I’d be hungry” (well, this is a DIET and the hunger does go away…use your willpower and get over it), “Gosh, that may be expensive” (its not, if you want it to happen…make it happen and find a better excuse) and my all time favorite is “I’m not comfortable because the drops aren’t FDA approved”….REALLY? Well, you should be happy to know that all the hormones, steroids, pesticides, etc. that are currently in food widely distributed are FDA approved…ENJOY! Come on, I’m no tree hugger but basically, if you want a change and the thought of getting on a scale makes you sick…quit making excuses and do something for yourself. If Miss. Butter Queen and I can do it….

We Love Our New Old Clothes!

I get lots of email like many of you…some legitimate, many promotional. Like you I can’t read all of them and honestly I really don’t want to. I remember back in May, I received and “invitation” from Williams Sonoma to apply for a chance to host a dinner party featuring Calphalon and Chef Michael Symon’s recipes from his new cookbook "Live To Cook". Cooking is the only domesticated thing I do well and I must confess its truly a passion of mine. Nothing is so rewarding to me as to create a divine meal and share it with people who can truly appreciate it! So, I decided to accept and registered through a site called HouseParty.com…thinking you never know.

Getting back to KT’s HCG diet, Shel and I are both steaming along. I must confess that weekends are particularly tough because there are so many more chances to “fall off the wagon”. All sorts of temptations abound because of all the free time I have. During the work week, its easy to stay on track because I’m so busy. We both manage however to lose between ½ to 1 pound a day.

Here is my schedule on a typical day:

Morning:
4 HCG drops when I wake up 6:00am
Cup of coffee with a splash of milk no sugar
1 organic apple


LUNCH:
4 HCG drops at 11:30am
100 grams of organic grilled chicken
organic romaine lettuce chopped with juice of ¼ lemon and salt and pepper


MID-AFTERNOON:
4 HCG drops at 3:30pm


DINNER:
100 grams of grilled fish
grilled organic tomatoes


EVENING:
44 HCG drops at 8:30pm


I also drink a lot of filtered water and assorted herbal teas throughout the day.


Our clothing is practically falling off! Shel and I are both digging through our closets for our “one day I’ll get back into this” clothing. You know you all have some article (or several) of clothing that you held onto along with the hope of wearing it again. Guess what? That day has arrived for us! I pull out pairs of pants, tops, dresses…they all look fabulous! I can’t believe it when I pass a mirror and see myself! That’s the me I was missing and its great to be back! Shel is over the moon as well and loves modeling all her “new old clothes” for me. I realize that Dr. Simeon did the original research on HCG but, without KT, I would’ve never known this diet or that Dr. Simeon even existed. A big THANK YOU to them both, I am feeling grateful.

Its with this feeling that I receive an email from Williams Sonoma saying that I was one of the lucky winners selected to host an “Easy & Elegant” Dinner party. I will be receiving a “Party Pack” and instructions to host a party on June 5th. Will have to be creative with my diet but I can’t wait! WooHOO!

The Truth Shall Set You Free—OR Maybe Not

Well, to rehash things…. Shel and I began our KT- HCG diet on May 11th and are supposed to follow through until June 2nd. Well I was doing SOOOO well, I decided to stay on it a bit longer (the full 40 days to be exact). Shel well, believe it or not adjusted alarmingly well despite all her initial whining and she loved breezing into work everyday to show off her new svelte figure. We were both totally bowled over by our results…after just a week and a half, the weight loss was noticeable!!!! We were fitting into clothing that we hadn’t worn for some time! KT YOU ROCK!



Inevitably, we did hit a couple of snafus. To be honest we did fall of the HCG wagon a couple of times, me with french fries (my kids eat them and I succumbed to the forbidden fruit!) and Shel with pinot grigio (don’t ask, just know that Shel is a busy social butterfly). The great thing about the diet is that it is forgiving…you have a set back …you can make it up.


Shel got us pink (that was her color du jour I guess) journal books so we could chronicle what we ate daily and if we cheated with any forbidden foods. We always kept KT’s book “The Weight Loss Cure They Don’t Want You To Know About” around the office for reference. So when my family went to Disney (by the way I was lucky enough to go to Victoria & Albert’s for dinner –the menu was all organic and WOW it ranked up there as one of the best meals I had ever eaten…organic really makes such a difference) for a few days in June I came back to big surprise. Shel had read the WHOLE book and the jig was up! She now knew this was a lifetime thing…not over in 21 days. She arrived early to work and waited for me. All she said was “Debbie, I read the whole book”. It took me a minute and then I began to laugh. I had her though, she saw the results and like me…she was hooked. In our first ten days on the diet, I lost 8 pounds and Shel lost 10. A victory!