Maile- thanks so much for the info. I need to give myself pep talks all of the time when I step on the scales. That is really frustrating to me. I have gained 5 pounds back and it is driving me crazy, my husband too. I'm going to keep all of the good suggestions in my mind and not sweat the small stuff. Thanks again for all of the info, I need to come on this site more often, it really boost my spirits.
When you eat low carb to go into ketosis you loose the glycogen stores and associated water. When you increase carb intake, you will fully replenish those stores. The 5 lbs are probably just glycogen plus water. I gave up IP and have been eating everything since then, just in a limited manner. I did not follow IP's plan. I have not gained weight back except that when out of ketosis my body tends to retain a lot more water during a monthly cycle. In my case this can be up to 7-8 lbs difference in addition to the 3 lbs that came back when I went out of ketosis. This is simply due to the fact that ketosis suppressed estrogen/progesterone levels and these levels increased again through eating more carbs. My body unfortunately more and more rivals that of a camel. So, maybe just relax since the scale weight does not necessarily equal fat gain.
In my opinion it is enough to have an estimate of what your calorie intake needs to be for your activity level. I do not think it is that important to follow a book of rules of what you can eat and when, since I am a complete basket case in the hormone department and I find I can maintain easily. Just weight loss seems to require ketosis. However, I do exercise regularly and I do not eat processed food. I also have to limit my calories to below 1600/day (average). Maybe IP's phases allow you to add a bit more, but I do not like to be restricted and feel satisfied with what I can eat. So, maybe just take a step back, find a way of eating that is sustainable and that you enjoy and also focus on toning your body.
Thank you so much, that was extremely helpful. I just need to relax. I think that is the hardest part "relax". I have been scared of the scales for so long I don't know how to just let it go. You have helped me understand what is going on. Thanks again.
Hi All! Just checking in. Welcome to susiecanuck!Lulu, I'm with you. You can do this.
I'm experiencing a difficult point in my maintenance. I had gained 6 pounds through fall-Christmas. I did 3 weeks of P1 in January, then phased off. I lost 3 of those pounds and clothes fit better. In 2 weeks it seems that2 pounds came back, so I feel like I'm fighting them. Right now I'm on day two of P1, but I'm going to a conference out of town Wed-Sat and do not want to be on P1 this year. Last year I was strictly on P1 fr ths conference and it was really difficult.
Last year at this time I was 10-12 pounds from my goal weight and the end was in sight. I don't EVER want to have to do 9 months of P1 again, so I'm determined to figure this out.
I appreciate all of the advice and support on this thread.
Sarita, thanks for the reminder that almond butter (and fats in general) is not good for an evening snack. Nuts are a weakness of mine and I buy only small amounts from Whole Foods for special occasions. An evening snack for me is usually a pickle. Any other evening snack recommendations? The best one, I guess, is nothing, but that's not always possible.
Joysh,
I feel your pain on the Fall weight gain.
As you cycle thru the week (p1 day thru fun day) is the scale going up, down, or staying the same?
Would low-fat cottage cheese (about 1/2 cup) work for a late night snack for you? Or a small combo of cottage cheese & fruit or yoghurt and fruit? (about 1/2 cup of each)? Sometimes I do tend to need a little fat at night, but a tablespoon of peanutbutter both ends the cravings & often gives me a stomachache at night, so I'm thinking the cottage cheese would have a couple of grams of fat but not enough to be a problem.
What did your phase off look like after 3 weeks on p1? Did you spend 2 weeks on p2 and 2 weeks on p3? I'm not asking because I think that had anything to do with the gain, but more because I hate p2 and don't think another week of it is in the cards for me. (I'm hungry and need to separate out meals and snacks but I'm trying to do it "as written" and not in the mood for 100 calories every 2 hours.)
Help! I have no idea what phase I am on. I reached my goal in October and phased off. Then on January 1, I did a reboot to get a few more pounds off. Two weeks ago, my coach suggested I go on the alternative Phase 1 protocol (the one for diabetics) and then phase off. That protocol has you eating a carb with each meal - 1 dairy, 1 grain, 1 fruit. After a week of eating that way, I decided it was too much sugar and I probably need to phase off properly.
So here I am - not in ketosis, at my goal weight, and not properly phased off. Do I go back to phase 1? Phase 2? The whole point of Phase 3 is to reintroduce carbs slowly. But I'm already back on carbs. Do I need to do Phase 3? Can I just skip to maintenance now? So confused.
So January 1 you started a reboot in p1 for three weeks then your coach switched it to Alternative p1? Is that right?
I just read the phasing off for that in a thread called alternative plan or something like that. I think it is a little old but might help. I tried attaching it here but the attaching function is not working right.
It looks like you phase off just like the regular plan but keep the "groups" foods. I think the point would be to add calories slowly rather than adding carbs.
In another thread, the poster lisa said that a typical reset should only be 4 weeks with 2 weeks on p1, one week on p2 and one week on p3. My coach is suggesting 2 weeks on each.
Did you coach have any explanation for what she is doing?
Last edited by infoplease; 02-10-2014 at 01:40 AM.
Thanks for the suggestions. It's really strange. I know my coach has been telling a lot of her clients to do the alternative Phase 1 if they are burned out from having no carbs. She had me try this last fall and I gained weight and felt guilty, so I stopped after just a few days.
So why did I do it this time? Because I was below my goal weight, I had some high profile events, and I didn't want to take 4 weeks to phase off. I thought I would do alternative for a little bit to get me through the events. The way it has worked out I have really only been having a carb with dinner. Otherwise I've been Phase 1 compliant. I've bumped up my calories a little bit by having some full fat dressings and a bit of cheese on salad here and there.
I'm thinking about going straight to Phase 3. Is there a reason I would need to go back into ketosis before starting Phase 3?
Hey infoplease...I was not able to respond to your comment last week b/c they closed the thread so I posted in the daily chat (I think) before the weekend. Anyways, I hope you were able to catch it.
Hey all. Today is day 6 of my 30 day phase 1 reboot. Have been maintaining for over a year but needed to get rid of 10ish lbs and then maybe dip a little bit lower too. Anyhow, I have not felt really too hungry this time around. Also, my cravings are not too bad. Been using EAS shakes mostly to save some $$$ than previously and was wondering if this is something I should be concerned with. Before in phase 1 I found myself dying some days (most days) from hunger but its different now. This ever happen to anyone when doing a phase 1 day/week/restart?
Hey strangers! Its been a while, my daughter is now 5m1w old...time is flying! Ishbel, I saw on the Preg/Nursing board you are due in May!!!! Big congrats! That is such great news!
Sarita, good luck with the Tri, thats a great challenge!
I am actually running my first half-marathon in almost a year. I was 18-weeks pregnant with Payton last March for my last race. This was supposed to be my "great return", but had a few obstacles. I started back running 6weeks post partum, pulled a calf muscle, waited 4 weeks, went running, pulled it again, waited 5 weeks, went running, got a 2-week sinus infection, and am Finally running again as of last week! I did the old 6-mile loop with my running group Sat and felt great.That and I have been keeping up with Powerflex when I can.
I dropped 10lb of baby weight, but still have 20lb to go. I shouldnt complain too much, after my 1st pregnancy I was definitely Not wearing size 8 jeans...but my old size 2s are calling my name! I am nursing so P1 isnt an option, but I am sticking close to P3. Admittedly during my down time with my injury I got in a slump but getting back to working out definitely is centering me!
eandc2006--I must have missed your comment. I checked back thru those threads and can't even find what I was asking. Is that ketosis-head? Finally today the hunger was not so overwhelming! Probably because I decided I would got to phase 3 on Wednesday.
Nice to see all the comments and advice. I've been mostly lurking until this reset.
Lulu64: What helped me to maintain was chosing a range to stay in..not just sticking to one pound. A 3 percent up or down has been recommended...some people use a 5 pound limit up or down. Hang in there.. You can do it.
lizrr: Have a great race. That is great that you have lost 10 pounds while nursing. I recently got a pedometer and am using it to increase my steps during the day. It is fun! P3 sounds like a healthy way to go!
eandc: I usually am hungry during phase 1. Hope yours is going well.
2much2do: I move between P1 and P3 with no phase 2. It is too bad your coach is not more helpful.
Infoplease: Have you tried the dried peanut butter? That is good on cottage cheese and may not upset your stomach.
Joysh: Hang in there. I know those conferences are rough on P1. I hope you figure out a successful P1 for you. Have you tried cutting back on fats and eating lower fat foods? I do that when I want to get down.
Lolo: That was interesting information on how the body works. I can feel like a camel with water retention.
I'm here, usually lurking. Not a heck of a lot to add to the conversations right now given that my intent is to GAIN weight. One of the most emotionally draining things I've ever done. Way harder then sticking with Phase 1 consistently for a year. Probably because I worked hard at getting it off and now I must be ok with gaining for baby. No I'm not looking for sympathy I truly know that I should be gaining some weight but whoa I think my metabolism is COMPLETELY shot. I am not having ANY treats and my body is NOT happy. BUT, I'm healthy and so far so is baby so that's all that matters. WHICH is the internal conversation I have with myself almost mulitple times a day. Which is the most emotionally draining aspect, it's a roller coaster.
Lizz: Saw your post on the pregnant forum, boy that place is dead! Course I'm not helping but there's only so much you can post there. LOL Way more interesting over here even though I'm only lurking.
Maile: With you on the sucralose, sometimes it's the lesser of the two evils when it comes to sugar or that. I haven't deleted it completely and probably have no future intent on deleting it completely. (Sorry if that offends anyone). I just choose not to have sugar.
Lulu: When I was maintaining with fun days it was more or less a fun late afternoon and or meal. Not the entire day but most definately at the beginning it was the entire day! :/ (yet I still laugh at that). My weekly range was 4-5 lbs. I knew which day where I was suppose to be eventually. I knew on Wednesday what number I wanted so I could be the lowest in the week for fun day (meal). The anxiety of "omg I'm going to gain it all back" lessens over time but I don't think it EVER goes away...just flares up once in a while.
I don't know who talked about carbs with their supper (lulu?)....but I am with sarita, I wouldn't be having peanut butter with a toast at night. I kept them all pretty much separate (google "MACRO NUTRIENT SEPARATION" and you can find out more - it's not a new concept and not invented by Ideal Protein). The only meal I kept them all together was (for the most part still is) with my breakfast. I generally don't have simple carbs for supper and will have a complex carb for a snack (fruit with protein).
I'm here, usually lurking. Not a heck of a lot to add to the conversations right now given that my intent is to GAIN weight. One of the most emotionally draining things I've ever done. Way harder then sticking with Phase 1 consistently for a year. Probably because I worked hard at getting it off and now I must be ok with gaining for baby. No I'm not looking for sympathy I truly know that I should be gaining some weight but whoa I think my metabolism is COMPLETELY shot. I am not having ANY treats and my body is NOT happy. BUT, I'm healthy and so far so is baby so that's all that matters. WHICH is the internal conversation I have with myself almost mulitple times a day. Which is the most emotionally draining aspect, it's a roller coaster.
Lizz: Saw your post on the pregnant forum, boy that place is dead! Course I'm not helping but there's only so much you can post there. LOL Way more interesting over here even though I'm only lurking.
Maile: With you on the sucralose, sometimes it's the lesser of the two evils when it comes to sugar or that. I haven't deleted it completely and probably have no future intent on deleting it completely. (Sorry if that offends anyone). I just choose not to have sugar.
Lulu: When I was maintaining with fun days it was more or less a fun late afternoon and or meal. Not the entire day but most definately at the beginning it was the entire day! :/ (yet I still laugh at that). My weekly range was 4-5 lbs. I knew which day where I was suppose to be eventually. I knew on Wednesday what number I wanted so I could be the lowest in the week for fun day (meal). The anxiety of "omg I'm going to gain it all back" lessens over time but I don't think it EVER goes away...just flares up once in a while.
I don't know who talked about carbs with their supper (lulu?)....but I am with sarita, I wouldn't be having peanut butter with a toast at night. I kept them all pretty much separate (google "MACRO NUTRIENT SEPARATION" and you can find out more - it's not a new concept and not invented by Ideal Protein). The only meal I kept them all together was (for the most part still is) with my breakfast. I generally don't have simple carbs for supper and will have a complex carb for a snack (fruit with protein).
Ishbel: I lurk on this thread more than I post, but I guess I feel like I don't have a lot to offer. I find the posts from everyone very helpful and it makes maintenance a little easier. It is definitely a challenge. I have often wondered how difficult it would be to go from IP to pregnancy and the struggle it must be "emotionally" to switch to a healthy gaining mentality. One thing I have learned from IP is how to eat and cook in a healthier way and that I put a lot of thought into what goes into my mouth. Kudos to you for sharing your journey and challenges with us here. It is uplifting to see your success and now to share your pregnancy adventure!
Joysh: I feel for you and the concerns you have now. I was fortunate to be on P1 for 5 1/2 months, and know it must be so difficult to be OP for a much longer period of time. I find in maintenance that I seem to be more carb sensitive now than I remember prior to IP. Or maybe I just didn't pay attention to it before. I find that I seem to gain easier and much of it is water weight as I am puffy with swelled joints. I believe it is inflammation and increases my will power at staying away from too many carbs. I am happy you have a place to post and can find some advice and support here. I wish I had more to offer in the way of help other than a virtual hug.
LizRR: when I first found 3FC I read so much and found your posts to be so inspiring. Your progress photos alone were a huge motivation to me, as well as your recipes. I went through every single P3 breakfast idea post and copied and pasted your recipes to a document I printed and used for my 2 weeks of P3. You are such a lovely person and I can't believe your little one is already over 5 months old! I'm glad to see you are back posting.
I hope everyone has a great day. I am planning to reheat some roast with cabbage, onions and mushrooms for dinner. I find I am pretty good at keeping to protein and veggies for the most part and enjoy treats when i really want something. The roast will be easy for dinner since I made it on Sunday and we ended up not eating it then.
Not at goal yet so I almost feel like intruding butttttt....I have some questions for yall. well, just 1 but I want opinions. I've been thinking about when I get to goal, how intimidating my diet will/can be when I re-introduce carbs. Has anyone used the guidelines of something like Weight Watchers to help? Or just followed individual meal plans and occasionally jumped back into P1 when needed? I just get nervous because after months of having a list of options in P1, I feel like i'll be given too much freedom! If that makes sense.
