I just replied to a very nice inquiry from G4H, and in the interest of sharing but not dragging my story of struggle into a long post, I am pasting my reply here too:
The past 2 weeks have been esp rough - DH declined terribly in Sept and was giving up on this life. I took him to hospital on Mon 10/19 where he was treated for aspiration pneumonia, bladder infection, serious dehydration and weight loss.
Yesterday I moved him to acute rehab, same place as the July visit for his back injury, and he will be there 7-10 days I think to get back on his feet.
I have been eating my way thru the emotions and stress and have regained way too much of my hard fought loss. Clothes are tight and my middle is bulging. Misery. I have to get my head into restart mode. The start is so hard. I know 3FC would help a lot. I will try to get back on the boards here because I know the power we bring to one another.
I also asked for some recipes with alternatives from Ro22 - and reading your post above is so informative, Ro! Do I understand correctly that Rocket Fuel to add when exercising is drinks, soups and puddings? No bars?
Need your support everyone, so be sure to poke me if I fall absent from these threads. I invite you to hold me accountable.
Love you all,
Cheryl
Hey, Cheryl. Thanks for sharing. I responded to your request in the alternatives thread. Let me know if you need more info or if something isn't clear.
If you are exercising, Rocket Fuel foods is NOT the way to go. Rocket Fuel implies having your fat loss take off so they are the lowest carbs. If you are exercising, you would want more carbs than these so I would include restricted if you are exercising.
I did my normal workout of weight training 3 days a week and aerobic activity for 6 days in the week such that I did my normal workout regimen for 1 week after completing 1 month of Phase 1 and I had my lowest weekly weight loss ever while on IP - I only lost 1.1 pounds so from that experience, I decided to wait to doing my workout until I get to Phase 3. I was very strong when I did my workout - I did my 30 pushups without a problem whereas when I have always started my workout regimen, I would have to start with pushups on my knees. This showed me that my strength is very good - I am retaining my muscle mass so I am comfortable waiting until P3 and maintenance.
thanks so much for the info Ro - I think maybe the bootcamp would be a good way for me to resume being on program with IP - even if I can only do it for 2 or 3 days, I think it would give me a good kickstart.
Just to be clear re the bootcamp: With 5 packets (drinks, soup, or puddings) I assume there no salad and veggies, but there is the usual water and supplements.... correct?
And would you consider the cookies made with no egg white, but with water and baking powder, to be rocket fuel items? I think I would...
thanks so much for the info Ro - I think maybe the bootcamp would be a good way for me to resume being on program with IP - even if I can only do it for 2 or 3 days, I think it would give me a good kickstart.
Just to be clear re the bootcamp: With 5 packets (drinks, soup, or puddings) I assume there no salad and veggies, but there is the usual water and supplements.... correct?
And would you consider the cookies made with no egg white, but with water and baking powder, to be rocket fuel items? I think I would...
You would have salad and vegetables and oil - protocol is exactly the same but for 5 packets, choose the lowest carb items which are drinks, soups, omelets. And, yes, the Quest powder would count as it is so low carb regardless whether you make cookies, muffins, puddings, etc. The pre-made pudding from IP is not. I don't believe the powder IP pudding is either but I didn't check the carb count to be sure.
Cheryl - My how I have missed you....so sorry for DH's set back. You know I struggle with my own stress eating. (as we head off to chemo this morning). I too have put on a few....I dream of my stats in my signature hoping to get back there some day...I do feel that I am more connected when I am posting here so I do need to get back into the daily check in habit. Keep your chin up...we did this once and we can do it again... Glad to see you back and best wishes for DH..
Hello Sue! Thanks for the kind reply I have missed you too, and have been wondering how you have been doing in the caregiver role with your husband.
It is a whole different set of stresses with a whole emotional profile of its own - we can only do so much to relieve the misery for our loved ones when they are simply at the effect of whatever illness has grabbed them.
I know I am just burying the emotional effects with food, and that does nothing to really make things easier or better for me - it just gives me something else to stress about: the weight I am regaining!
I am trying to start a new approach today - I just made up some Quest Multi Purpose Protein pancakes per your guidelines, Ro22. I had them for breakfast and I'd say they were ok - I probably will like them better if I add a bit more water and put some grated zuke or grated cauliflower in them, but they were perfectly ok in their plain form with some WF pancake syrup.
I also made up some 'cookies' with the PB Quest powder - I am posting my experience about that in the Alternatives thread.
Meanwhile.... I think if I can just get 2 or 3 days done on program - either the regular IP or the bootcamp version -- I will be able to settle into the basic rhythm that was so successful for me for a year.
I have to say that I am amazed that I could drop sugar for a year, and then be so easily sucked back into addiction to it again. It is truly deadly for me.
So glad to be reconnecting with you all! I have read back thru most of the month and am glad to see that most of the 2014 gang is still present - way to go, Alexandra!!! Sorry you are seeing snow already, DD! Fascinated by the trainer results for CenTxChk, and glad to see that G4H is completing an effective year on maintenance. I am sure Beth is successfully on maintenance too! You all make me feel so supported and optimistic about the future.
Cheryl,
I would not suggest starting with boot camp. It is hard enough to get started without further restrictions. What I did to restart was that I did a 1 day fast only because I had a big meal the night before I restarted and really did not feel like having anything the next day. you know P1 is effective so just get started first with the protocol as defined on the sheet. You will lose a ton the first week that will inspire you to keep going and then if you want to do a boot camp in say week 3, then that is always an option.
Cheryl,
I echo the others, so great to hear from you and see you back.
Of course this is a hard time for you, of course. Be gentle during P1.
I echo Ro22's thoughts about boot camp - I would definitely not recommend starting with that. My coach suggested the boot camp to me during a few times of my year on P1, it was fine once I was in ketosis, but FYI she told me to never do it more than a week, as it was too low calorie to be healthy to sustain. I actually did 4 packets during the bootcamp rather than five (that is how she set me up) and I limited exercise. If I did have some activity then I did 5.
I just did a mini reboot and I needed 4 packets a day for 3 or 4 days (including the 8 oz protein) until I went into ketosis - which is also what they allow - to add an extra packet anytime you need it the first week.
The first few days were rough, I was fine after that. It was the same for me the first time around.
Last edited by Grateful4Health; 10-30-2015 at 11:52 AM.
Cheryl - Yes so easy to get back into bad habits (carbs here)! DH is hanging in there....Good days and bad days.....
Alexandra - good to see you!
Work today and then more college application stuff with DS tonight....We are just about ready to submit! We visit Penn State for a campus tour on Thursday this week and University of West Chester on Tuesday...then we have seen all of the ones he is applying too.... DH has only seen 2 of them...he cant really walk the campus at this point so he will go to the final 2 choices once we get acceptance letters...
Happy Halloween Everyone...stay away from the candy, save it for the kids...
Thanks to all for the advice re: getting started back into IP -- I imagine you are right about not starting out with the bootcamp approach. The main struggle for me it to get thru an entire day without having something that's off program.
I am anxious to get things underway - tomorrow is Nov 1 and a good day to begin - that gives me the rest of today to get my foods in order and get my head straight.
Cross your fingers for me - I really want to put the 'start' behind me in the rearview mirror!
