drd -- I hope you are sleeping peacefully now and wake up feeling better.
evemomma -- I forgot to answer you about the fun day . . . probably because I don't have a lot to say. I had 1 fun day so far and felt the repercussions were swift and severe and then I swore off them forever. In retrospect, I think the food combining error I had been making (peanut butter + yogurt for a nighttime snack) caused the gain I could not rectify with a P1 day. So, for right now, I am getting back into range, with some room to spare, and then I will see, someday, about trying another fun day.
That said, I have a question about what is a fun day and what is okay to chalk up to creative planning. For example, it was my son's birthday last week. He always wants a certain cheesecake for his birthday. I made it and then calculated that there were 7,000+ calories in the (entire) cake. Well, it has always been our tradition to have birthday cake for breakfast on the birthday (channeling IP principals early, perhaps??). I calculated that 1/24th of the cake came in around 300 calories (since the slice was about the size of my little finger!) and the nutritional balance wasn't too far off. I had some other unusual foods throughout the day (fruit & yogurt salad for lunch, sugar free ice cream for a snack), but mostly observed the food-combining rules and the calories and nutrition came out right by the end of the day. I am thinking that just watching it and eating on the low carb side of normal the next day is enough. Is that right? Or is a P1 day needed? I don't see why it would be, but need to check these things out early in the game. Thanks.
Liana -- I hit another thrift shop yesterday on the way home from camp . . . Bruno Magli pumps, brand new, black w/ white polka dots (I know you love your shoes!) for $5!
Last edited by SylviesGirl; 07-22-2014 at 11:27 AM.
drd - glad to hear recovery is going well! So easy to overdo right now - hope you got back to sleep.
Sylviesgirl - I was just going to post something along the lines of what you did. If I know ahead of time that I'm going to have something I usually wouldn't I try to make it fit into the day so my calories, carbs, etc. come up right and I maintain the carb/fat separation. Then I watch the scale and how my clothes are fitting - usually there is no change so I don't worry about it. I use my rings as a gauge too - if they are feeling tight it's time to up the the water and lower the carbs even if the scale isn't showing an increase.
If I have several days at the upper limit of my personal carb ceiling in a row I will do a P2 day or just lower my carbs for a few days. It works for me, I've been staying stable. Then again, I could be doing it all wrong!
drd -- I hope you are sleeping peacefully now and wake up feeling better.
evemomma -- I forgot to answer you about the fun day . . . probably because I don't have a lot to say. I had 1 fun day so far and felt the repercussions were swift and severe and then I swore off them forever. In retrospect, I think the food combining error I had been making (peanut butter + yogurt for a nighttime snack) caused the gain I could not rectify with a P1 day. So, for right now, I am getting back into range, with some room to spare, and then I will see, someday, about trying another fun day.
That said, I have a question about what is a fun day and what is okay to chalk up to creative planning. For example, it was my son's birthday last week. He always wants a certain cheesecake for his birthday. I made it and then calculated that there were 7,000+ calories in the (entire) cake. Well, it has always been our tradition to have birthday cake for breakfast on the birthday (channeling IP principals early, perhaps??). I calculated that 1/24th of the cake came in around 300 calories (since the slice was about the size of my little finger!) and the nutritional balance wasn't too far off. I had some other unusual foods throughout the day (fruit & yogurt salad for lunch, fat free ice cream for a snack), but mostly observed the food-combing rules and the calories and nutrition came out right by the end of the day. I am thinking that just watching it and eating on the low carb side of normal the next day is enough. Is that right? Or is a P1 day needed? I don't see why it would be, but need to check these things out early in the game. Thanks.
Liana -- I hit another thrift shop yesterday on the way home from camp . . . Bruno Magli pumps, brand new, black w/ white polka dots (I know you love your shoes!) for $5!
Oooooo...your shoes sound amazing! Thanks for your reply. I am learning so much from your and everyone's experiences! And, I can eat cheesecake for breakfast ANY day of the week, lol!
I like to read the maintainers thread in an effort to learn all about it. Sometimes I am soooo jealous of what you get to eat. Lol My question is. I have seen the maintenance protocol sheets and when I look at the thread regarding what you all have eaten for the day, you have each meal broken down into carbs, calories,fat etc. Where in the maintenance protocol do you get the numbers of calories, carbs, fat, etc. That you are suppose to be eating daily. I don't see that. All I see is that you are suppose to separate them at meals.
jemma -- When you reach maintenance, you can figure out your "target" caloric intake pretty easily. Myfitnesspal, among other sites, offer a calculation for this. As far as the specific breakdown for carbs, fat, protein, etc. That is kind of up to you. I have not found any specific numbers from IP in that regard (darn it). I have mine set for 35% protein & carb and 30%fat, but I am finding that the food combining is the most important principal. You want, ideally, 3:1 ratios of carb:fat for the carb meal and fat:carb for the fat meal. You'll be able to figure out a general number target for those once you know your target caloric intake to maintain for each day (which is based on the weight you are trying to maintain). Hope this makes sense --
drd -- Wow! I think it is incredible to be down 1 at this point in your recovery. I have to think you still have all kinds of inflammation going on! That should be a great help in resisting your MIL's food. Good job!
Well, I am going to have to say goodbye to yogurt for the foreseeable future. I took a week long break from it and felt great. I had a small bit for a nighttime snack last night and woke up starving. Had yogurt + my beloved peanut butter for breakfast and, yep, I am craving and hungry and all kinds of a mess again. I rinsed all the yogurt remaining in the house down the sink. That makes it official: yogurt/creamy dairy = major trigger for me. Shouldda known . . . I just liked it tooooo much.
jemma - my coach gave me some general numbers when I started maintenance (don't have the exact numbers here at work but I think it was 1400-1500 calories; 100-125 net carbs; 70 protein & 55-60 fat) and told me not to worry if I went over on the protein & fat. I've stuck fairly close to that except for increasing the protein and it seems to be working. Of course size, age, activity level, etc. plays a huge factor in the numbers.
drd - Good job on the scale! You are amazing!
sylviesgirl - good for you for figuring out what your trigger foods are! You are doing so well, I love reading your posts - so much determination!
Hi Sylviesgirl: Creative planning is the way to do it - cheesecake for breakfast gives you fat, dairy, carbs/starch, and protein - the right mix for breakfast. Of course if you eat that cheesecake for breakfast everyday.... mmm... maybe not so good, lol. That's why I sometimes have pizza for breakfast - because at breakfast we are pretty well allowed everything at once - and I don't have to use a funday for that. Ruth Ann has got it down pat too! I do the same thing as she does, if I have a few personal limit-high carb days then I get back to lower carbs for a day or two, although not necessarily P1/2. I have a fairly high threshold for maintenance carbs so I really don't watch it that much. I do try to watch the 3:1 ratios on MFP though. I never worry if I am over their suggested for fats or proteins. Jemma, you will get to know what your personal limits are for carbs with a bit of experimentation in maintenance. It is nothing to fret about because you already know how to take off the little bit above your maintenance weight range if you inadvertently go too high over a few days. Some of the ladies must stay fairly low in fats & carbs especially the older gals, the shorter gals, (who just need fewer calories as well) or those who had trouble with insulin resistance previous to IP. drd, great going with your recovery and weight loss, even this quick after surgery!
Liana
Last edited by canadjineh; 07-22-2014 at 11:24 AM.
Thanks ladies,
It is extremely scary to me because I have discovered over the last several year that I am extremely insulin resistant.n I want to be ready when I get to maintenance and have a plan. This has been to hard for me to let it go without a plan.
Eva-I have been doing a "fun" meal once a week. I plan it as a social event with other people, so the food is off limits in my mind otherwise. I follow the FD with a strict phase 1 day.
Jemma- I do not track my food with an app. I found that tracking it, triggered an obsessive feeling in me. But if I start to move out of my range, I will. I still measure fruit, grains and nut butters.
I pretty much limit my carbs to breakfast. Mainly because I do not crave them-so far. I find that the fat/carb separation has helped limit any slips because the foods that combine them take a lot of work to figure into my plan. I so wish I was like Liana and enjoyed savory in the morning!
I still drink my water consistently and really notice that I do not feel as well when I come up short. I drink a lot of Earl Grey Tea w/ vanilla liquid Stevia, seems to tame my sweet tooth.
Sylviesgirl, are you eating plain Greek yogurt? What are the carb and sugar %? Just asking because some of these companies are slick about adding stuff. I love how you are approaching maintenance, kind of reminds me of allergy elimination testing. Finding out what works for your body.
Ruth Ann, I love your ring gauge test.
Drd, I hope that your ache went away quickly and that you were able to get some sleep. Great planning with your food and the 1 pound down.
Maile, how was you dinner for 12? Are you enjoying your summer off from school? As a fellow teacher, I am finally catching up on my delayed home projects and have begun to relax a bit.
Sleep is going to be the key. Took a nap after breakfast, then walked and PT exercises, then a catnap before lunch and feel pretty good now. In fact, starting to practice with a cane around the house. Be nice to ditch the walker. I am so glad I chopped my hair off. It is very much a wash, ruffle with the fingers and go look.
drd1961: I think you are right about your surgery going so well because you lost the weight before it. That is great that you are a pound down post surgery. You are doing well on your recovery. It is hard when you family members want to help you and unfortunately show their love with unhealthy foods.
Slipfree: I mainly eat carbs in the morning. The dinner party went well, but I was exhausted the next day. That is funny that you mention home projects. I am hitting those also. I had to go back to school and as soon as I saw my room I started thinking of all the things I could be doing!
Jemma51: By the time you hit p4 you will have a plan. You will be used to p3 and will simply start adding things back. If you look under the info section there may be posted more maintenance guidelines.
Canadjineh: I sometimes have hummus and pita bread for breakfast. It is a good time to have carbs. After reading about your watermelon margaritas, I tried one. They are good...I should have mentioned that on my indulgences.
Syvliesgirl: Identifying your triggers is important. That showed strength getting rid of the yogurt. Your creative planning worked and eating cheesecake for breakfast is the best time to do it.
RuthAnn. If you are staying stable, then your plan is working for you!
I am in my range and satisfied. I notice that despite the fact that I have added one hour of yoga to my exercise, it is not causing a weight loss. It is however, causing a very easy two pound maintenance range. I can also feel the muscle strength getting better plus my balance is slightly better.
Weighed in this morning with my coach and have lost 2 pounds in the last two weeks which puts me at 125 lbs down overall. I didn't intentionally lose, but I think just having a lot of extra physical activity (moving is hard work!) over the last few weeks made a difference.
I've noticed I really like being active more - it's a lot easier to move around and get things done without all the extra weight. I'm more apt to get up in the morning and start doing things than I used to be. I'm hoping I can get into some regular exercise besides walking and PT soon.
Doesn't it seem funny to think, Ruth Ann, that we don't intentionally mean to lose and yet it can happen without too much fuss in maintenance. What a change from our previous lives, lol! All that extra work/exercise does make a difference in maintenance.
I was figuring out my exercise amounts at my new job and found I walk between 6 & 8 km a night. Add to that any recreational exercise that I do and WHOA! It's a good thing that I don't work full time at this job. No wonder I am having to figure out how to bump up the calories/carbs/fats.
You're right Liana - I never would have noticed going down a couple of pounds before but I sure do now! The good news is that it finally puts me in the "normal" range according to the standard BMI charts.
In retrospect, I think the food combining error I had been making (peanut butter + yogurt for a nighttime snack) caused the gain I could not rectify with a P1 day. So, for right now, I am getting back into range, with some room to spare, and then I will see, someday, about trying another fun day. 
Well, it has always been our tradition to have birthday cake for breakfast on the birthday (channeling IP principals early, perhaps??). I calculated that 1/24th of the cake came in around 300 calories (since the slice was about the size of my little finger!) and the nutritional balance wasn't too far off. I had some other unusual foods throughout the day (fruit & yogurt salad for lunch, sugar free ice cream for a snack), but mostly observed the food-combining rules and the calories and nutrition came out right by the end of the day. I am thinking that just watching it and eating on the low carb side of normal the next day is enough. Is that right? Or is a P1 day needed? I don't see why it would be, but need to check these things out early in the game. Thanks. 
Add to that any recreational exercise that I do and WHOA! It's a good thing that I don't work full time at this job. No wonder I am having to figure out how to bump up the calories/carbs/fats.