~~ Rogue/Alternative HCG/hHCG plans for week of 8.26.12~~

[Nicole T]

Hey ladies! Well, I guess I'm an all or nothing kinda girl. I didn't even weigh today even though it's Friday and my once a week weigh-in! I just didn't care enough to get undressed from what I wore to bed (yoga pants and tee shirt) just to get on the scale and then get dressed again so I could take my son to school (yes, wearing the same thing I wore to bed! LOL).

So I figure I'll weigh tomorrow since it's Saturday and I don't have to be up early. I have to say I'm not feeling like it's flying off of me this time. Not sure if it's all in my head because I'm not weighing every day or if the things like popcorn and rice cakes are slowing my losses. I'm still staying right around 500 cals so not sure how I couldn't lose but I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Either way, I wouldn't change how I'm eating because this is very live able (much like Cheryl's feelings about her food she's eating). Whatever I am at day 23 is what it is and I'll go into P3 ready to exercise and eat Paleo

I have a HUGE anatomy and physiology exam on Tues so I've been really stressed and just grabbing whatever is around before I run out of the house for class or to study (I spent 6 hours straight in the lab yesterday so I grabbed 2 turkey dogs and popcorn for dinner lol). I'll just be so glad when this class is over on Tuesday and my life can get somewhat back to normal!

How's everyone else doing???

[CherylB]

I didn't realize you were in school, Nicole. What are you going to be? I took A & P as a prereq for nursing. Is that where you're heading? I admire those of you who are out there pursuing something better in life, when you have so much on your plate at home.

I can understand why you didn't want to get undressed to weigh when you were going to slide into the car seat in those same clothes to drive your son to school! Saturday sounds like the right day to weigh. Maybe just change your weigh-ins to Saturdays.

I haven't weighed in a few days, either. In fact, I am doing a two-day refeed. I just feel depleted and even though I'm not keeping it low calorie (500 or so) I feel undernourished. I think my body is just SICK of being restricted. I don't know how else to make the weight come off.

I just had a flash of a dream that I had forgotten having. I dreamed I was talking to someone who was encouraging me to take up purging as a way to lose weight! The things that go through my mind when I'm sleeping. It's scarey! (And tempting.)

I wonder if it's a good idea to eat what our maintenance level of calories should be for our goal weight and then just work out like crazy. Wouldn't that help to teach our body that it doesn't need to worry about being starved or of us not meeting its needs? Wouldn't that ease its mind a bit and aid us in the quest of weight loss?

Anyway, good luck with your exam next Tuesday, Nicole. Cram cram cram! I hope you have a great weigh-in tomorrow. That will lift your spirits a lot.

[Nicole T]

Originally Posted by CherylB

I didn't realize you were in school, Nicole. What are you going to be? I took A & P as a prereq for nursing. Is that where you're heading? I admire those of you who are out there pursuing something better in life, when you have so much on your plate at home.

I can understand why you didn't want to get undressed to weigh when you were going to slide into the car seat in those same clothes to drive your son to school! Saturday sounds like the right day to weigh. Maybe just change your weigh-ins to Saturdays.

I haven't weighed in a few days, either. In fact, I am doing a two-day refeed. I just feel depleted and even though I'm not keeping it low calorie (500 or so) I feel undernourished. I think my body is just SICK of being restricted. I don't know how else to make the weight come off.

I just had a flash of a dream that I had forgotten having. I dreamed I was talking to someone who was encouraging me to take up purging as a way to lose weight! The things that go through my mind when I'm sleeping. It's scarey! (And tempting.)

I wonder if it's a good idea to eat what our maintenance level of calories should be for our goal weight and then just work out like crazy. Wouldn't that help to teach our body that it doesn't need to worry about being starved or of us not meeting its needs? Wouldn't that ease its mind a bit and aid us in the quest of weight loss?

Anyway, good luck with your exam next Tuesday, Nicole. Cram cram cram! I hope you have a great weigh-in tomorrow. That will lift your spirits a lot.

Funny enough, yes, it is a pre-requ for nursing and I'd still have A&P II to take and Microbiology before I can even apply. Here's the thing...I decided to take next semester off because my family is going on a cruise and a very close family friend offered to pay for me and my boys. Well, as soon as I decided to take the semester off, my birth and postpartum doula business is starting to take off and I'm the busiest I've ever been (I have 3 birth doula moms due between now and Christmas!).

So now I'm not sure what to do. I KNOW this is my passion, not nursing, but I'm so afraid I won't be able to fully support myself once my alimony and child support is gone I know I need to just have faith that if I do what I love, I'll be successful at it!

[CherylB]

Oh, Nicole. With all my heart I say follow your passion. Nursing was not mine. I was discouraged from following mine and took the "safe route." I was at a place in my life where I could not trust that any man was going to take care of me and so I chose to take the bull by the horns and nursing was my way of gaining a strong grip on my future. I hate telling people that because everyone wants to believe that all people go into nursing because "they want to take care of people." That's crap.

Nursing is a very difficult profession. You think it's going to be a certain way and you know on some level how hard it will be and what things will be trying and taxing, but when you're out of school, you find that as hard as school was, they barely taught you enough to get by. The real schooling happens when you are in your first job.

Nursing could be nice, depending on where you work and in what field. But it's complicated by the hospital administrations, staff members, insurance rules and regs, liabilities, paperwork, OMG it never ends.

I did full-time nursing as an RN for over 12 years and then I had a breakdown, which is why I am disabled today. Not just from the stress of the job but because that along with everything else that happened in my life finally pushed me over the edge of the cliff.

If you already have the job of your dreams, put ALL OF THAT ENERGY you are placing into nursing school and prereqs and channel it into your business. Just think how far you could go with it if you put all that time and energy into it. You couldn't keep up with all the clients! And each happy client tells other Mommy's and that's the best advertising of all.

Nicole, I guess I should have written all this in a PM. Now I feel exposed. People just hate to hear the truth. They think all people who go into healthcare do it because they care. We DO care, but let's face it. It if didn't pay like it does, at least half of the people wouldn't be going down that path. It is a stable career choice. A safe choice. But many a nurse ends up where I ended up and has to change course again. Burn out is common.

[RileyWorm]

Hey ladies!
I'm down about 2 in 2 days. I didn't weigh properly before I started because didn't want to see a crazy number but guesstimating what my starting weight was. Today was way more rogue than usual but it was a long day and I was starving - I knew I had dinner plans so I had a protein packed breakfast, some fruit throughout the day, and dinner was 1/2 a ribeye with some broccoli, some creamed spinach, and stuffed mushrooms. Holy cow, waaayyyy too much but I didn't overstuff myself and kept it relatively low carb. I passed on the bread, let's just celebrate that victory!
Nicole, good luck with school! Hopefully with that break you don't lose momentum. I am contemplating taking a break this winter but don't know if I'll be motivated to go back. Cheryl, sometimes refeeds are necessary. Do what your body tells you.
Tomorrow is a day of finishing up my Xmas decorating, cleaning this house, final projects for school, then movies with my GF and hopefully a nice night at home after that with the BF. I need a stress free day!

[CherylB]

Nicole, I LOVE your video and the website looks very professional and interesting. I didn't go into depth looking it over but if I were a Mommy I'd certainly want to check you out. I can see in your eyes and in your manner that this is truly your forte, so please do trust that you are already right where you need to be.

Erin, I stuffed mushrooms! WTG on the "2 in 2." (And passing on the bread.)

What my body is telling me to do: Forget about dieting, learn to be as healthy and happy as you can right where you're at and tone up what you have. Stop all this crazy yo-yo dieting and concentrate on your health. (That's what it's telling me.) I can't stay on course no matter how well I'm doing. I can't take it. I just derail and for no reason whatsoever (other than maybe knowing myself and having gone down this path now for 3 straight years), I stop doing what's working. I think I'm just tired of believing and then coming up short, over and over and over again.

I am losing my ability to "believe." And that scares me. Tremendously.

[keepingcupsfull]

Hi Cheryl it's be a while. Wanted to say

Bee

[Nicole T]

Originally Posted by CherylB

Oh, Nicole. With all my heart I say follow your passion. Nursing was not mine. I was discouraged from following mine and took the "safe route." I was at a place in my life where I could not trust that any man was going to take care of me and so I chose to take the bull by the horns and nursing was my way of gaining a strong grip on my future. I hate telling people that because everyone wants to believe that all people go into nursing because "they want to take care of people." That's crap.

Nursing is a very difficult profession. You think it's going to be a certain way and you know on some level how hard it will be and what things will be trying and taxing, but when you're out of school, you find that as hard as school was, they barely taught you enough to get by. The real schooling happens when you are in your first job.

Nursing could be nice, depending on where you work and in what field. But it's complicated by the hospital administrations, staff members, insurance rules and regs, liabilities, paperwork, OMG it never ends.

I did full-time nursing as an RN for over 12 years and then I had a breakdown, which is why I am disabled today. Not just from the stress of the job but because that along with everything else that happened in my life finally pushed me over the edge of the cliff.

If you already have the job of your dreams, put ALL OF THAT ENERGY you are placing into nursing school and prereqs and channel it into your business. Just think how far you could go with it if you put all that time and energy into it. You couldn't keep up with all the clients! And each happy client tells other Mommy's and that's the best advertising of all.

Nicole, I guess I should have written all this in a PM. Now I feel exposed. People just hate to hear the truth. They think all people who go into healthcare do it because they care. We DO care, but let's face it. It if didn't pay like it does, at least half of the people wouldn't be going down that path. It is a stable career choice. A safe choice. But many a nurse ends up where I ended up and has to change course again. Burn out is common.

No Cheryl...I'm GLAD you posted this here! You put into words exactly what I have been feeling...that I was choosing nursing simply because it's safe. And I do love helping people (hence me being a childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula, massage therapist etc...) But what I know I will not like is all the bureaucratic crap that goes along with the job.

I am slowly learning to have more faith in myself and my abilities after having an ex husband who never failed to point out that I was "just a stay at home mom" and never brought money into our household. It's amazing the damage one person can do to your psyche!

So thanks for the words of wisdom--I've repeatedly heard your same story from many women now so there must be something to it!

[Nicole T]

HAPPY SATURDAY LADIES! Well, I trepidatiously stepped on the scale today fearing I would still be close to 180 and I was 176.2

I seriously cannot believe it considering this is THE most rogue I have ever been--eating popcorn, rice cakes, egg beaters, fat free mayo, and a few Weight Watchers Smart Ones (only the Sante Fe chicken one thats basically just chicken, peppers and a few black beans and 140 calories). But I guess the key is that I still stayed right around 500 calories.

I actually went back and compared my losses this round with my last round in July (where I was only a tiny bit rogue by using half and half and mixing veggies) and I have lost over a pound more this time by day 12 than I did last time!

Darn--wish I would have known I could eat like this and still lose when I killed myself on my last 4 rounds (and even ended a few early and re-gained because I was SO miserable).

Hope everyone else is having a great start to their day....but now I have to go spend my entire day studying for my Anatomy exam on Tues

[shelbyla]

Popping out of lurkdom for a minute to cheer you guys on! Good luck with whatever rougueishness you're getting up to these days!

Special for Cheryl. Don't lose hope, sweets! You can SOOOOO do this! You are such a strong lady and such a fighter that I know you'll figure out a way to accomplish not just what you need to but what you want to! Again, hugs!

[Nicole T]

Originally Posted by CherylB

Nicole, I LOVE your video and the website looks very professional and interesting. I didn't go into depth looking it over but if I were a Mommy I'd certainly want to check you out. I can see in your eyes and in your manner that this is truly your forte, so please do trust that you are already right where you need to be.

Erin, I stuffed mushrooms! WTG on the "2 in 2." (And passing on the bread.)

What my body is telling me to do: Forget about dieting, learn to be as healthy and happy as you can right where you're at and tone up what you have. Stop all this crazy yo-yo dieting and concentrate on your health. (That's what it's telling me.) I can't stay on course no matter how well I'm doing. I can't take it. I just derail and for no reason whatsoever (other than maybe knowing myself and having gone down this path now for 3 straight years), I stop doing what's working. I think I'm just tired of believing and then coming up short, over and over and over again.

I am losing my ability to "believe." And that scares me. Tremendously.

You know Cheryl...if you just exercise and eat in moderation, I bet your body will get to where it wants and needs to be. I am so impressed that you are working out...I wasn't even doing that all summer when I should have been and maybe I wouldn't have gotten back up to 185!

Sometimes I do ask myself who the heck I am doing all this for. Is it REALLY for myself or am I trying to impress others (who probably couldn't care less if I am 185 or 175 lbs)! And I do think that being health is WAY more important than a number on a scale. That's why I am doing this short round...to get myself back in control and THEN head to the gym and start what will hopefully be a life-long habit and will counter-balance any cheats I may have here or there.

You will find your way Cheryl and I get the feeling you need to be a bit easier on yourself and focus more on being happy and healthy and the rest will follow

[CherylB]

Thanks, ladies. And right back at ya, Bee. Nice to see you.

I haven't been working out for a few months now. I just up and stopped doing that, too. Just didn't want you (Nicole) to be thinking I'm doing something I'm not.

"Men" are also a large reason for my breakdown, Nicole. I won't go into it here because of how personal it is, but it was the combination of many things that lead me to where I am today. But I've been alone for almost 13 years now since my husband passed away. That should tell you how "over" relationships I am.

You are sweet and warm and tender. And any guy who could trample you into the ground should be shot at dawn. Period.

I have the farm today and it's perfect "mud weather." I will have my work cut out for me with horse grooming. I wish that was all I had to do there but it is just part of it. I'm not going to the birthday party tonight. I made up my mind and I'm putting my foot down. I'll pick up a card for her on the way to the farm and I'll have the manager bring it to her and toss it in her gift pile at the restaurant.

Have a lovely day, girls. I'll see you later. Thanks for all the love.

[Nicole T]

Happy Sunday Ladies! I did my weekly weigh-in yesterday and was a little sad to see I had only lost 2lbs in a week. But I looked back at my last round I had done and I was only 1lb behind where I was on the same day in that round. BUT...when I woke up this morning, I "felt" thinner so I broke my rule and got on the scale and was down another 1.4 lbs! Guess we know our bodies huh?

So I have now officially lost more this round than I did last round And that was with eating out last night at Ruby Tuesdays (I took my own fat free ranch dressing and ordered a kids grilled chicken breast to put on my salad). I also ate about 3 cups of skinny popcorn from The Fresh Market before dinner because we were out Christmas shopping and I was starving!

I still can't believe I can eat the way I have been (last night I had creamed cauliflower with my turkey chili over it and this morning I had a HUGE egg beaters omelet with sauteed veggies and a slice of Kraft fat free cheese) and still lose. This changes so much for me because now I won't dread it if I have to do another round after my cruise in Feb!

I hope everyone else is doing well!

[TerriMM]

Nice going Nicole

[Nicole T]

First day of P3 for me LDW was 173 but I was actually down .6 today from my LDW which has never happened to me before (I never lose on my two vlcd with no drops!).

Having my 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon and coffee with grass-fed heavy cream in it and it's divine! Now to see if I can stabilize--which has ALWAYS been a HUGE struggle for me! Sucks that correction days don't work for me either---steak days always net me a 3-5 lb loss but it comes RIGHT back on in the next 2 days! This time I'm going to try fat fast days if I need a correction.

Hope everyone else is doing well--it's been awfully quite here

[pendragginp]

Good luck!

[TerriMM]

Nice job Nicole!!

Merry Christmas to you!!

[CherylB]

Nice job, Nicole! That's an amazing steak day result. Have you ever tried doing two back-to-back? Maybe then it would stick.

I'm sorry I disappeared but I'm off plan (any and all plans) and have been in the fog that has been covering all of CT (and society in general) after the atrocity in Newtown. It's starting to lift, one week later. I'm feeling lighter and there will be good things to come even in this Christmas season.

WTG on completing your round and may God bless you as you slide into P3.

[EmBee]

Hey guys... I know I know its been awhile! I made a goal to maintain through the fall and holidays and start a round right around Christmas...Loading on Christmas eve and Christmas (maybe a break on New years) ..Well I am so ready!!! I started loading today and probably will do a 2.5 day load/ ..I have stayed at the same measurements (YAY, excited about this) with some increase in the actual pounds. It could be because I have exercised very consistently while "maintaining" and swapping fat for lean muscle. Believe me I was NOT super strict at all so I am pretty happy about that, but now I am mentally ready (does that make sense)... I ordered pellets. I tried to start a round in Sept, but just wasn't into it....But NOW I am ready. I feel miserable and I have only loaded part of today (BLEH) ..My preload weight fluctuates between 228-230 . I am ready to get another "chunk" off. So away I go, already ready to start P2, but I know I will "have" to load over the next few days which is why I scheduled it this way....Well here we GO!

[CherylB]

WTG, MB! Merry Christmas to all you lovely ladies and best wishes for your success.

[EmBee]

THANKS CHERYL!!!



Today is the day!!! My full load packed on 6-8 pounds (digital scale cannot make up its mind) I literally was sick of food yesterday.. Ate my 1/2 piece of toast and Egg and WATER ... feeling satisfied, the only thing that I predict might be an issue will be the cheeseball that is left and veggie dip...I am trying to do a clean P2 for the first part, limiting any roguishness hahaha (well see)

[suzi7]

(crawling out from under my rock and timidly waving) Hi gang. Sorry to disappear on you all, but I have been off plan totally for a couple (ok almost three) months. I haven't weighed for a while either (and I know I've regained some).

On an up-note, my home life has been good. job, love, joy, happiness, all that. In fact probably too much of that ("love" seems to mean food here... which leads to weight gain for both of us, lol. We are nesters.) Difference between me and him is that he just "decides" to lose it, works out a little, and voile, there's the 6 pack again! Me, it seems to stick to me like super-glued duct tape. ugh.

And I have thought about starting on plan a few times, but (wisely, I think) decided to let it go til after Christmas (and now til first of year due to pending TOM).

So, starting on the first, I will be (re-)joining you all, if you'll have me.

I've missed you all, but mostly I missed my flat-ish tummy (at least I'm honest)

Suzi

[CherylB]

You're funny, Suzi. I will be watching y'alls progress from the wings. I don't plan to do another round but I am planning to begin a new WOE that consists largely of fruits and veggies with healthy fats and small portions of protein. I can live happily on that diet and I'm sure I can lose weight over time eating that way. I will be very healthy for a change, too. I might look into buying a juicer as well, to make veggie juices. I want to be glowing with vitality!

Off to find my seat up in the balcony to watch you ladies shrink! Best of luck and success to each of you.

[RileyWorm]

Joining on Jan 2! yay!! I think I'm finally ready, at least my social life will be super calm so I won't have much distraction. I'm so ready, I'm just sitting here feeling super duper bloated and blahhhh. The holidays got me bad this year, besides all the eating in between. These long holiday weekends when I'm at home mean I'm cooking comfort foods 24/7. Like Suzi, the BF decides to lost ten pounds, and what to you know, it takes him one week. ARGH! Me, I'm in fat jeans for 6 months. lol.
Hope every one had a happy holiday. Cheryl, so sorry about the devastating tragedy near you. HUGS.

[CherylB]

Yeah, it was beyond a nightmare. Thanks for the concern. It really tainted everything up here, and around the country. How can anyone be so evil? It was SO evil that it made me stop and find it difficult to even pray for the people affected. I felt like the only thing I could pray for was that time be turned back and the evil one be stopped. How can God allow such hideousness? Sometimes I just can't wrap my head around things. It stops me in my tracks.

I hope you have an amazing round, Erin. I'll be watching how things go. And cheering you on! Sweet dreams to all. Night.

[EmBee]

Almost all the load weight is off...down to 231.4 this AM...but I didn't eat too cleanly today (hahaha not a surprise) ..One more holiday day to go ....otherwise things are good!! Cannot wait to be back into virgin loss territory again

[suzi7]

Wishing you all a happy new year! Hoping 2013 is the best year yet for all of you and that you exceed all your expectations this year!

Was inspired this morning by a tweet this from Max Starks (Steeler, for those Philistines among you, lol):

"A new Year, a new slate to be written! Make Affirmations, not resolutions, they last longer! What are your affirmations???"

Making mine today. Day 1. (don't even ask what my weigh-in was this morning... new Year, new slate and all that. but let's say the "net loss" of 2012 came awfully close to zero (I know that some of that is monthly bloating. NO WAY I gained 9 pounds from eating alone this past week lol) But starting from where I am. and making AFFIRMATIONS that this will be the year I see my goals achieved.

Stay warm, stay strong.

Suzi

[suzi7]

Is this the newest thread? or is just no one posting? If this is the newest, maybe we should start another for the new year?

anyway, reporting in. def a rogue round here. by necessity. but...

three days of vlc under my belt (which is a notch tighter today btw!)
only weighing in officially on Saturdays (I obsess too much!), so this morning's results.... TADA!!

down 5 pounds since wed morning (now 160). not bad for three days! this round is going easy so far. no major hunger, headaches, etc. (course I have had a couple weird dreams, not about food, but about people shooting each other. some buried anger somewhere? lol

my goal for this round is 140, btw. don't know if I said. may be my goal for life. bf says 125 would be "too skinny". course he's a guy and what does he know? lol we will see when I get there.

heading out to do good deeds. see ya later!

Suzi

[TerriMM]

Hi Suzi,

Great job!

I just started loading today. I'm thinking of doing Fat Fast this round.

I think starting a new thread would be great. Why don't you and post a link here. I'm in!

[EmBee]

Hi guys ...tiny bit of struggle this round! I was so motivated at the beginning, but temptations are so easy to give in to. I didn't lose any this week but I didn't eat cleanly either, debating on fat fast, I always feel more satisfied doing this. I'll check in again, btw is there a new thread????