Rogues and Alternatives, week of 12/12

[minimonkey]

Time for another week, ladies! Let's make this a winning one!

[CherylB]

Roll call! Cheryl's here.

[Violet_Dream]

Stephanie's here! Thanks mini for your advice on the re-feed and for getting us started. I will do the 500-calorie protocol on 12/23/11 and 12/24/11 without the hhcg, do the re-feed on Christmas Day and resume P2 on 12/26/11 with the hhcg.

Is anyone getting more hcg even if you're close to goal? I will not re-gain this weight again and am only allowing myself a 5-pound window. I was just curious.

[CherylB]

Stephanie, I just want to weigh-in on the idea of stopping your pellets before a refeed day. That is what Mini found works better for her. But if you think about it, we load for two days so that the hcg is swimming in our system for our first VLCD. If you stop the pellets for two days before the refeed, do the one day of "decadence" and then restart your pellets and diet the next day, you're no longer "loaded." You know what I mean?

I think it's more important to keep the hcg strong and steady in your system. If you were doing an interruption, then I can see stopping the pellets. But not for just one day of indulgence.

It's up to you!

[Gremom]

Off to bed...figured I didn't need much sleep tonight if I'm gonna be knocked out tomorrow!

[CherylB]

I think I may be back on plan come Tuesday. I have plans for tomorrow but then I'll be on the straight and narrow again. Gutting it out with the rest of y'all.

[Violet_Dream]

Originally Posted by CherylB

Stephanie, I just want to weigh-in on the idea of stopping your pellets before a refeed day. That is what Mini found works better for her. But if you think about it, we load for two days so that the hcg is swimming in our system for our first VLCD. If you stop the pellets for two days before the refeed, do the one day of "decadence" and then restart your pellets and diet the next day, you're no longer "loaded." You know what I mean?

I think it's more important to keep the hcg strong and steady in your system. If you were doing an interruption, then I can see stopping the pellets. But not for just one day of indulgence.

It's up to you!

Cheryl, makes sense! I just want to do it "the right way." I see you're point and that's the way I was originally going to go, don't know why I changed my mind. Sometimes I can be easily influenced about certain things, I'm a work in progress! It sounds like a true interruption is more than one day, is that right?

Are you going to get more hcg? I have enough and don't see that I will need anymore, but I was curious.

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by Gremom

Off to bed...figured I didn't need much sleep tonight if I'm gonna be knocked out tomorrow!

Is tomorrow your surgery? (Wisdom teeth?) I hope it all goes well! I know you are all set and are ready for what will come next. Make sure they give you adequate pain medication to take home with you (ie a script.)

[CherylB]

Originally Posted by Violet_Dream

Cheryl, makes sense! I just want to do it "the right way." I see you're point and that's the way I was originally going to go, don't know why I changed my mind. Sometimes I can be easily influenced about certain things, I'm a work in progress! It sounds like a true interruption is more than one day, is that right?

Are you going to get more hcg? I have enough and don't see thatI will need anymore, but I was curious.

Mini said this before, but it bears repeating. Refeeds have no rules, so how we do them, what precedes them and how to get back on plan is completely up to each of us to figure out. An interruption can be up to two weeks (without needing to reload) or as long as someone needs it to be. One day does not an interruption make.

I don't think I will be buying any more. I have two opened bottles plus two unopened bottles. By the time these suckers are gone, I'd better have my game face on for maintaining, and learning how to drop a few when I gain back a couple. (5 is going to be my personal window, too.)

I don't look at hcg as the only thing that works for me. Heck! I lost weight this past summer eating high carb, low fat, low cal. And it was nummy. The world is full of diet plans. Get tired of one, do something different! There is no magic bullet.

Night, ladies. Sweet dreams to us all.

[minimonkey]

There's no right way to do a re-feed, and that is the bottom line -- either way you choose to do it has advantages. At this point, I am having to fight for every ounce lost, so I don't want to chance regaining any unnecessary weight.... hence my advice.

Yes, Gremom -- we will all be wishing you well with your surgery!!!!

Cheryl -- jumping back on, eh? Welcome back!

I'm plugging right along, and hoping this is the week the scale decides it really wants to cooperate with me. I am ready to get the rest of this weight off, and get to goal!

[Violet_Dream]

Very True. I've lost doing Atkins, South Beach and Weight Watchers, but Atkins worked best for me.

[minimonkey]

Short of starvation, HCG is the only thing that will get me to goal I think. I stall out on Atkins at a higher weight than I am currently (though it has been a miracle for me when I had more to lose) ... and the other diet variants I have tried don't work either. Starvation does... but obviously isn't an optimal solution... thus my attachment to doing this with the hhcg.

Atkins works well for maintenance as long as I stay very conscious about what I am eating... and I am totally committed to doing maintenance right this time!

There are disadvantages to being a tiny person, and this is one of them.

I'm pretty resigned to needing to stay low-ish calorie to maintain, even low carb... but have decided I am willing to do that. It is worth it to me to be, and stay, at goal -- and if I can say that coming out of months and months of low calorie dieting, I think it's telling.

[tay65]

I'm going to get a couple epidural steroid injections in my (lumbar) back at 9 a.m. Wish me luck! Have to be up at 7:15, so going to sleep now.
Question. How do I transition to Low Carb from P3? I don't want to gain!

[minimonkey]

Tammy -- First off, good luck with the injections -- hope they bring you some much needed relief!

Second... I'm not sure I understand your question.... p3 IS lowcarb... so there really isn't much transitioning to be done. I'd do a clean p3 by the books (no sugar, no starch) -- and then if you want to add in the lower carb starches and such, you should be fine doing that in your p4 phase and beyond. Does that answer the question?

The only difference I can see is that some low-carb plans allow for lower-carb starches as long as they are low glycemic, whereas a strict p3 does not. Am I missing something?

[Alaskafisher]

Up 1.4 lbs. I'm soooo mad!!! I only ate good things at Xmas party, skipped the dessert that looked so nummy..only thing it could have been was the 4 glasses of Merlot retaining water today and VERY hung over, this is the reason I don't drink very often. But I did dance alot so I thought I would be ok!!
Doing a chicken day today, I ate the whole thing, skin and all.

Mini....what do u eat when u do a fat fast???

[star a.d.]

I'm here! I'm kicking it off by NOT eating homemade desserts at the wedding I was at. yeesh. I'm going to be sleep-deprived tomorrow, so I won't weigh, but I will on tuesday. blah.

[DisneyPrincess]

Good morning. Jackie's here and I'm here ready to rock
My weekend was pretty much a wash in terms of weight loss, but I managed to get 6 pounds of binge weight off on 3 days last week so I'm pretty hopeful this week is my week to break 110. I didn't weigh today and might not for a few days. I think TOM is looming as I'm breaking out and moody.

Dh is gone for the week so I'm thinking my workouts are just not going to happen. I might just wait to resume after the New Year and try to squeeze in a few good runs before then.

As for getting more drops- I'm waiting to see how I am this week. I have about 1/2 a bottle left. I said this would be my last round. I'm thinking if they don't take me very close to goal I'm going to switch gears. My body is stuck at its set point so I'm hoping once I break through the weigh will melt off as it did last round.

Ok, gotta get some caffiene in me before I open. Hope everyone has a great intentional day!

[paulabob]

{{Burp}}. Just finished my big breakfast. It really is huge...about half the day's calories. I made a big quiche a few days ago to make my mornings earlier...my 50 grams of protein is 1/4 of the quiche.

Leaves me stuffed till 1 pm, although I woke early today.

Down a pound of the bounce weight, still 2 pounds over where I want to be in maintenance. Ready to rock this week leptin reset style. Mini maybe if this thing works for me I could have some variety with choosing a weight loss plan. I would so love if I could lose weight with lowcarb, since I enjoy it as a permanent WOE!

KUTGW ladies, and gremom, good luck with wisdom teeth.

[tay65]

I'm not able to eat much fat without gaining. I was wondering how I Can get my fat intake up. I've tried several times to increase it and every time I ended up with 1 lb gain. Right now I can eat a few eggs, no bacon. Tried bacon, just a few slices. No luck. I can add milk to my coffee. I can use full fat salad dressings. I use EVOO. No almonds.
well, gotta run! Off to the dr. YIKES! I hate when he says "big bee sting now"!

[Gremom]

Tam, I hope your injections go well. I don't like that bee sting either. Hope you get some reliefe.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I am leaving in about an hour and the extraction is at 10. And I will make darn sure I get good drugs!! And DH will be bringing me whatever I need. Friends are bringing my family meals all week and my kids will be with my mom or my friends. I am so spoiled!

BUT, guess who came to visit me this morning?? TOM!!! I mean, SERIOUSLY!!!! Oh well, can't do anything about it now! UGH!!

Have a great day all. I will probably touch base tomorrow!

[paulabob]

Tay, if you are still early in P3 I would make sure you've added more protein before adding lots of fat. I have also found, although I love salty bacon-y type foods, they don't fill me up the way a plain slab of meat will. For me, calories matter in P3...if I have a raise one day, I eat less calories the next and see if the gain comes off. I keep pushing calories as much as I can without having a raise. I'm really sensitive, sounds like you are too!

[miamiloca]

Hi Ladies. Sodium plays a huge factor in these 1-2lb gains! For some ppl (like me), i can gain up to 4lbs in water weight after consuming a lot of sodium. Usually when i eat more than 1 high sodium item im holding water for sure! Restaurants almost always get me--a lot of the dressings are loaded w sodium! I wish they made a nitrate free low sodium bacon! If anyone knows of one let me know!
Im ending my round this week! Ive done well, but it's time to maintain for a while and tone up these flabby arms!

[goddesslynne]

I'm so annoyed at myself. Last night I ate an extra meal, veggies and meat...and here I am up 2lbs. Yes, there was a decent amount of salt (added by me), but, seriously, 2lbs??? And here I was thinking I would be at my checkpoint weight of 168 tomorrow...

[catjrow3]

Marking spot on new thread. Fell off the wagon again and climbing on again today. I will keep my fingers crossed to hold on this time... Hugs to all gainers/high fives to the losers!!!

[minimonkey]

Cathy! I was thinking about you last night and wondering if you'd be back anytime soon -- we missed you! Welcome back!

Alaska -- when I do a fat fast day, it is generally one meal of full fat yogurt, coconut oil melted with unsweetened cocoa powder and splenda (I pour this in the yogurt and it hardens like magic shell -- yum!) and some kind of nut butter -- and then I fast for the remainder of the day, except possibly some full fat coconut milk in coffee or tea. That's just what works for me.

Theoretically any combination of foods is fine as long as about 90% of the calories come from fat, and the day is 1000 calories or less. Obviously this is a rogue thing, with the hhcg, but it does work for a number of us.

[catjrow3]

Nice new number Minimo.... glad you are still doing well!! Wish I was

[minimonkey]

Goddess -- I think the problem is the salt, honestly -- I have become super sodium sensitive on this protocol .. much more so than I used to be.

Big hugs to you, and to Alaska -- those unfounded gains are SO frustrating!!!!

Tay -- fat made me gain a lot in my first p3, too -- and I am really hoping that by losing while eating fat this time, I circumvent that. P3 seems to be a breeze for some people, and a real bear for others

Tay and Gremom --I am wishing you both luck with your medical procedures today.

Gremom... well, on the bright side, you get teeth and TOM all over with at one time, so next week can't help but be an improvement, right???? So sorry that timing worked out that way!

I hope your wisdom tooth removal goes as easily as mine did ... I literally went out to a concert the following night, and could eat normally within two days.... so it isn't always a horrible experience (though I know some people who have been knocked really flat with the procedure).

[minimonkey]

Thanks, Cathy! So, yeah -- that is my news today -- I am down another .8 today, for 108.6!!! Yahooooooooo!!!!!

I'm doing another fat fast day today, and will milk that for as long as I can Very much hoping this is really the end of this never-ending stall.

I feel like the one bearer of good news in an otherwise gloomy morning here, though...

[minimonkey]

Cathy -- how bad is the damage? Care to share? I find it helps sometimes just to post, and get it out there -- and then it is easier to face internally, too.

I am sorry you are struggling... this is a bear of a time to be fighting against our hungers, with food and temptations everywhere HUGS!

[catjrow3]

I did not even get on the scale for the last day or two... dont want to know. I am hopefully going to stay on track today and if I manage a few days time, I will get on the scale, but not now.. I am sure I would be even more upset and then probably eat off totally again