Shout out to all Phase 4 IPers - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

janedocmom · 11-27-2010, 11:19 AM

Hi,

I am a closet IPer and have been lurking around this forum since August 1st. I feel so guilty that I have never contributed to this forum, but have only "eaten" up all the great information available. On August 11 I started IP and am about to start Phase 4 next Thursday.

I lost 36 pounds and am in absolute shock with how quickly this program worked for me. I am 57 years old and am a professional dieter since I was a teenager. I have never felt better in my life and am at the lowest weight ever in my life. The last time I was at this weight was when I was 5 inches shorter and only breezed by this weight for a few meals.

I could go on forever about how wonderful this diet is, but my main concern is that I am absolutely terrified to go on to Phase 4. I am a compulsive over eater and have not binged in 15 weeks....the longest ever! Through each Phase my coach has dragged me kicking & screaming because I did not want to advance from the structure and comfort of the previous Phase. My motivation for starting this thread is to talk to those who are in maintenance and try to learn from their approaches to making this the "last diet ever"!.

What is the recidivism rate on this diet? Are all you Phase 4 IPers able to maintain your weight using the guidelines given? Are you following the guidelines established or are you eating according to your own program and when you gain weight going back on IP? What are the suggestions for preventing total relapse? Are there any Phase 4 IPers who are compulsive over eaters who want to share their experiences? Or are there any IPers who want to share if they have relapsed and what they think they could have done differently to maintain?

I am not sure how many of you are out there, but I would really like to establish a Phase 4 group who can help support each other to maintain a most amazing and impressive accomplishment. We can all lose weight and some even get to "goal", but it is the maintenance that is absolutely essential. I don't want to relapse as I have done on every diet in the past 45 years. As next Thursday draws near I am freaked beyond belief that I am going to be on my own to make the right choices in order to maintain. I would welcome any and all suggestions from any of you who can help me "gain" (poor choice of words) the confidence that I am finally in control of my food destiny.

P.S. I have read almost every sticky and thread regarding IP and am so grateful and appreciative of how helpful everyone has been especially Novak, BevS, Salesgod, Showgirlaz, Rockymonarch, Marionm, I'm svelting, JessicaCourez, Wannabe IP, Sweetstina, Makeitmatter, amylew, mbswainer, EatAnts, Midlife Meggie, sgorny, Pitakitten, Princass, kplus80, Golfergirl67, Choosie1, Yinyang, rocknrealtor. I apologize for anyone whom I left out, but thank you all because you really were essential in helping me get to goal!

Rocky Monarch · 11-28-2010, 02:48 AM

hey Janedocmom,
don't panic! we all felt this way before we moved to Phase 4. Join the thread on "Life after Phase 1" because that is the group of mostly Phase 3 and 4's who are there to support you!

best of luck on your new life...you can do it, and you don't have to do it alone.

janedocmom · 11-28-2010, 09:19 AM

Thanks, Rocky!. Should I repost this in Life After Phase 1? How are you doing now? How many months have you been on Phase 1 & do you follow the guidelines as they are specified? Also, do you think all of the people who participated in the first Life After Phase 1 have dropped off the radar?

lagordon · 11-30-2010, 11:29 AM

Although this was posted in Aug and it is now Nov, this is exactly how I feel! Phase 4 in under one week and I am just freaking out! (Fellow lurker)

I started on May 10 of this year and it feels like I have always been on IP. It is where I am comfortable. I miss the food already in phase 3 and cheat with an extra package at night sometimes. My snack - usually a bar - is during break time at work so when I am at home the pina colada calls to me... I just love them too much to give them up!

I have figured out how to replace some of the IP food with real stuff but I dread planning and cooking a real menu next week.

a lot less of me to hug now
May 10 249lbs Bestest birthday present ever was to start this
Nov 30 178lbs

cmsgrrl · 11-30-2010, 02:16 PM

Congratulations on your weight loss journey!!!

showgirlaz · 11-30-2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lagordon

Although this was posted in Aug and it is now Nov, this is exactly how I feel! Phase 4 in under one week and I am just freaking out! (Fellow lurker)

I started on May 10 of this year and it feels like I have always been on IP. It is where I am comfortable. I miss the food already in phase 3 and cheat with an extra package at night sometimes. My snack - usually a bar - is during break time at work so when I am at home the pina colada calls to me... I just love them too much to give them up!

I have figured out how to replace some of the IP food with real stuff but I dread planning and cooking a real menu next week.

a lot less of me to hug now
May 10 249lbs Bestest birthday present ever was to start this
Nov 30 178lbs

Actually, Jane just posted this week!! She joined 3fat chicks in August. The post was made about 2 days ago.

Go join Jane, Rocky, and the other phase 3/phase 4 people on the life after phase 1 thread and all of us on the daily chat!! You will get so much support. If I am remembering correctly, there are even some menu suggestions!

showgirlaz · 11-30-2010, 02:24 PM

LINK TO THE LIFE AFTER PHASE 1 THREADS:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-1-a.html CURRENTLY ACTIVE

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-1-a.html EXCELLENT ARCHIVED INFORMATION

janedocmom · 11-30-2010, 09:32 PM

Although this was posted in Aug and it is now Nov, this is exactly how I feel! Phase 4 in under one week and I am just freaking out! (Fellow lurker)

I started on May 10 of this year and it feels like I have always been on IP. It is where I am comfortable. I miss the food already in phase 3 and cheat with an extra package at night sometimes. My snack - usually a bar - is during break time at work so when I am at home the pina colada calls to me... I just love them too much to give them up!

I have figured out how to replace some of the IP food with real stuff but I dread planning and cooking a real menu next week.

a lot less of me to hug now
May 10 249lbs Bestest birthday present ever was to start this
Nov 30 178lbs

Lagordon,
I am so glad that you responded. I think that people like us who hate the entire process of planning and cooking menus find that IP is a dream come true. Foolishly, I wonder if I could stay on IP forever by just increasing my daily protein packets so that I don't completely vanish from sight.....just a thought! http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/images/icon/icon10.gif Let's do this together. Since I tend to eat the same thing every day, I would be interested in some of your "menus"
Jane

janedocmom · 11-30-2010, 09:47 PM

Carla,
You are terrific. Thanks for steering everyone over to the Life after Phase 1 thread. I am 57 and a bit antiquated so this chat thing is a bit much for me, but I am trying. As you can see, I am still trying to figure out how to do all of those cute icons that everyone uses and I don't know how to get the top line of the enclosed quote indicating the person who is being quoted. This is certainly a whole different world with its own rules, jargon and protocol.
Many thanks,
Jane

janedocmom · 11-30-2010, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Congratulations on your weight loss journey!!!

Thanks Christine & congratulations to you as well. You are doing great and seem very dedicated to this program Keep it up!
Jane

cmsgrrl · 11-30-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janedocmom

Thanks Christine & congratulations to you as well. You are doing great and seem very dedicated to this program Keep it up!
Jane

You are welcome!

amyniagara · 12-08-2010, 09:20 PM

I'm a week away from starting Phase 4 (lost 37 fat pounds). This weekend I'm to write my "story" and revisit why I chose IP, where my head was at back then (July 22nd, 2010) - what the experience has been like and then write about where I see my future.

From my perspective, at this stage of things I feel like I've been giving my body a vacation from all the chaos and binging and mental torment - and I have had flashes of worry about how I will move forward in Phase 4. Personally, I've really enjoyed having a piece of paper that guides me (a food list) and the daily journal of tracking my meals, exercise and attitude -- so I plan to continue these things into my future.

In terms of handling stress, people, parties and temptation -- I think this has to be like quitting smoking or drinking -- I know my triggers -- I know what is toxic to me and what is not. I have a phrase that I go to when something (like chocolate covered peanuts, tator tots, donuts, mac and cheese, movie popcorn) is in front of me -- I think to myself: "I punished myself with that for 40 years. 40 years is enough."

janedocmom · 12-09-2010, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amyniagara

I'm a week away from starting Phase 4 (lost 37 fat pounds). This weekend I'm to write my "story" and revisit why I chose IP, where my head was at back then (July 22nd, 2010) - what the experience has been like and then write about where I see my future.

From my perspective, at this stage of things I feel like I've been giving my body a vacation from all the chaos and binging and mental torment - and I have had flashes of worry about how I will move forward in Phase 4. Personally, I've really enjoyed having a piece of paper that guides me (a food list) and the daily journal of tracking my meals, exercise and attitude -- so I plan to continue these things into my future.

In terms of handling stress, people, parties and temptation -- I think this has to be like quitting smoking or drinking -- I know my triggers -- I know what is toxic to me and what is not. I have a phrase that I go to when something (like chocolate covered peanuts, tator tots, donuts, mac and cheese, movie popcorn) is in front of me -- I think to myself: "I punished myself with that for 40 years. 40 years is enough."

Thanks for sharing that. After being on Phase 4 for a week, I realize that I, too, need the structure and cannot treat eating like a free for all. Rocky Monarch had suggested that I follow Phase 4 Protocol and see what my boundaries are. This approach seems for logical and beneficial to me rather than listening to my coach who said "just eat normally making better choices and when you gain, go back on Phase 1". For me I see that as a recipe for disaster and future failure.

Congratulations on your successful weight loss journey. I will be interested in hearing how your Phase 4 transition is going. Good luck with it. Sometimes it feels like a mixed blessing because you feel fantastic having reached this point, but scared of all the choices. It certainly is true that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Welcome!