Going to TRY not to complain too much about how difficult, right out of the gate, maintenance is. I know from everything that I have read, it's a trial and error and what works for your body. Yesterday, I wanted my carb meal to be dinner so I could have a sweet potato (which was so so good by the by) so I tried to put together a fat meal for lunch- I posted the MFP stats on the FB2,3,4 page and someone said it was my carb meal so I freaked and bound and determined (all within about an hour of my lunch-which wasn't good- once it's done, it should be done!) to make it my fat meal- so I took a swif of olive oil (measured 1T) then plugged it in- still not good enough- so I had 2 T of my peanut butter- then it was more in line- BUT then it was also over 600 calories-(608) someone later commented that any veggies they ate in P! they don't count towards carbs- SO that kind of made a difference- but those little sunburst cherry tomato fackers are getting kicked to the curb-even though it was only 1/2 a cup- lol. I have read the P4 threads, but I'm not sure how a lot of it makes sense- so, I'll just keep reading and I will get it figured out. I figure, if I put this stuff here, I might save some anxiety for others that are coming in to it. I know others have done the same, but do you think I can find the posts I am looking for?? NO! lol- the search on this thing when on my ipad is my arch enemy it would seem- anyhow - just checked the scale and *whew* it's still the same as yesterday. I did go for a nice walk in the afternoon-speaking of which- time to hit the elliptical. Have a great day everyone and I hope I don't just say to heck with it and pack a regular P3 lunch- lol
Linda - P4 - WOW!!!
YOU MADE IT!!!! Way to go, my friend!
Just look at how great you navigated through 1,2 and 3 - you WILL find your balance in 4!
I am so glad you are posting the details of your journey in P4...and please continue for those of us looking ahead!
I have to admit, I am starting to stress out some about it. I feel pretty confident about P3 - like P1 and P2, the rules are so precise, I've preplanned a lot of breakfasts, and I know I can do it. But P4, it seems like everyone is different. Since I'll be starting to navigate P4 the day we leave on vacation... I won't have access to that spoonful of PB or oil or whatever and I'm hoping I don't mess up big time
Funny, I've been reading through some older threads (Novak, 65x65) and I like their more relaxed philosophy; but then I read some others and start to freak the H&%#@&* out
I'm hoping the philosophical side of me wins this struggle
The good news is that P2 is going well overall. The hangries were just that one day, that goodness, yesterday was fine. The scale is teasing me though, it has shown 135.6 a few days ago, then 136.2, then this morning 135.6 again. (Keep in mind my goal is 135, and I've decided to use my home scale weight as my "official" from here on, even though I won't change my stats till after vacay - that would be tempting fate )
Quote:
Originally Posted by smdawheel
Blue - please let me know how your plan works for your switching to maintenance and leaving for vacation at the same time. This is what I am planning on doing for Hawaii although I will not be near my new potential end by then.
DH is struggling on cruise with discomfort and leg issues. He started some new exercises when he went to PT on Monday. I wonder if that is part of the issue. We are heading to an acupuncture consult in a few minutes.
smda I will absolutely post my experiences, pitfalls, downfalls, successes, and whatever else I think might help anyone else.
It sounds like you are having fun on the cruise, and handling the food choices well. Don't be uncomfortable about speaking up to ask for anything food related. I usually say something like, I hate to be a bother, but my doctor has me on a restricted diet for a few weeks, and could you (insert request here)
Hope your DH gets some relief so he can have a great time on the cruise!
Beth - that sounds like a true indulgence day you had (which they say is OK to have) and you did what they say to do by following with a strict P1 day. It will be interesting to see if it works like they say it will, scalewise. Sure is sounding to me that maintenance is an ongoing learning experience. Funny, back many months ago, I thought maintenance would be the end of the journey, but it really is the start of a whole new journey, isn't it?
Linda - P4 - WOW!!!
YOU MADE IT!!!! Way to go, my friend!
Just look at how great you navigated through 1,2 and 3 - you WILL find your balance in 4!
I am so glad you are posting the details of your journey in P4...and please continue for those of us looking ahead!
I have to admit, I am starting to stress out some about it. I feel pretty confident about P3 - like P1 and P2, the rules are so precise, I've preplanned a lot of breakfasts, and I know I can do it. But P4, it seems like everyone is different. Since I'll be starting to navigate P4 the day we leave on vacation... I won't have access to that spoonful of PB or oil or whatever and I'm hoping I don't mess up big time
Funny, I've been reading through some older threads (Novak, 65x65) and I like their more relaxed philosophy; but then I read some others and start to freak the H&%#@&* out
I'm hoping the philosophical side of me wins this struggle
That's the other part I struggle with. I don't want to be freaking anyone out. I loved that everything was laid out for us in 1, 2, and even 3- the breakfasts- we could find recipe suggestions- so that's what I ran with- thank goodness. Lianna posted a link to P4 what are you eating, and though kind of helpful, not a lot of stuff we have around here. So, today, I had a nice breakfast, 2 eggs over easy, 3 slices of canadian bacon, a piece of laughing cow cheese and some grapes. For lunch, now if I figured it right...but I don't think I have enough calories-I have 4oz of grilled chicken, 2 c of broccoli and an apple. The apple making it my carb meal. I have for my snacks, AM-celery and 2T Taziky (sp?) and afternoon before I get my hair done at 5:15-which will push my dinner even later than normal- a quest apple pie bar. Dinner will probably be the other half of the tenderloin steak from last night, finish up the leftover grilled asparagus and add some more veggies because that is only about a cup and I will need to figure out a fat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueskiesahead
The good news is that P2 is going well overall. The hangries were just that one day, that goodness, yesterday was fine. The scale is teasing me though, it has shown 135.6 a few days ago, then 136.2, then this morning 135.6 again. (Keep in mind my goal is 135, and I've decided to use my home scale weight as my "official" from here on, even though I won't change my stats till after vacay - that would be tempting fate )
I am so glad that P2 is going well. First week in 2 I was up and then leveled off and came back down in week 2, the the 2 weeks in P3 I bounced between 125 and 127 so I was fine with that. I too have made the switch to my home scale being my weight. I hope that you have a wonderful vacation, when do you leave?
smda It sounds as though you are doing VERY WELL on the cruise!! I'm impressed with your willpower!! Good, no- GREAT job!! I hope that your husband is feeling better soon!!
Beth It sounds to me like you have a good handle on indulgence days and what to do following them. You are such a wonderful example!! Thank you for being a voice of reason and sounding board for me!!!!
Okay- back to work before I get myself in to more trouble- lol
Linda- on getting to P4!! W00t! (Wish we could a real party together instead of a virtual one....) I know the early days in maintenance feel hard, but trust me, you got this. You will figure out what works and what doesn't. You're a smart, capable woman.
Sue - you're making great choices. I'm not sure I could be that disciplined around those desserts, so kudos to you.
Blue - same thing I said to Linda, above: you're a smart, capable woman. You will do great in P4.
Largo -when do you get to go home?
Beth - I swear our word for 2016 needs to be "balance." It's challenging to find that middle ground between loving life (and the food in it), and self-discipline/health. But it looks like you did all the right things, following up your splurge day(s) with P1. Hope the scale agrees with you.
My race yesterday was GREAT. I bought kinesio tape for my pain/injury and put it on Saturday night, and loaded up with Aleve a couple of hours before the race. The weather was gorgeous and I got all my potty issues taken care of before the start time. I was smart enough to start closer to the front of the pack this time, so I wouldn't have to fight through such a large crowd in the first mile. (There were close to 3000 people at the starting line.) It was a flat course around a lake, quite pretty. And (Beth, you might find this helpful), I chose a playlist with a specific footstep speed to keep me on pace, and I think that was tremendously helpful. I finished 1st in my age division, AND I had negative splits, AND I ran much faster than my last races. 27:02, with an average pace of 8:42/mile. So now my goal is to run more consistently under 9 min/mile, and maybe by the end of 2016 I will get closer to 8 min/mile.
My pain seems to be more centrally located in my lower butt, close to my inner thigh now, so I'm wondering if it's a ligament strain. I'm focusing on my gait and taking shorter strides with a faster pace, to see if that helps. And doing lots of stretching and foam rolling. The race organizers had mats and foam rollers for use after the race yesterday, which was great!
I was hungry all day yesterday, and kept telling myself, "It was only a 3 mile race, you don't need as much food as you think you do," but I pretty much grazed all day. The scale was up a bit this morning but I know by now that my normal weekday diet will bring it back down to my usual range of 157-158. I'm going out for a 4 mile run here shortly, after I get DH sent off to his physical therapy appointment.
We watched Grease Live on TV last night. It wouldn't have normally been on my radar, but our daughter wanted to see it and she doesn't have TV, so she came over to watch at our house. It was quite a production! I commented that the actresses today seem so much thinner and tinier than the ones from the original film in the 70s. It's interesting that as the average American has gotten bigger, the Hollywood stars have gotten so much smaller.
Linda - breath in, breath out...& poor tomatoes - there was a reason they were an occasional veggie in P1 (carbs) - but remember, this is maintenance, this is LIFE...and if you enjoy sunburst cherry tomatoes, then enjoy a serving of them. If it makes you feel better, weigh them out (I stopped weighing non-starch veggies).
I'd never seen anyone on the FB group(s) advice to not count veggie carb - and I meant to ask you what the NET carb was (total carb - fiber)
But the 3:1 ratio seems to be the "golden rule"...but within reason
Also - I still say if you feel like eating a P2 / P3 lunch or dinner (not adding fat to lunch or carb to dinner...and you know you can switch those up every once in awhile), go for it - again, this should be for life.
I'm certainly not advocating tossing it all to the wind...we all know if we go back to our old eating habits, the weight WILL return
Blue - I knew you could do it lady! & absolutely! P4 is a beast unto itself The further I get into it, the more I realize it really comes down to using common sense.
IP gives guidelines that boil down to "don't mix a bunch of fatty foods (fried foods, cheese, mayo, heavy cream, oils, butter, dressings) with a bunch of carb-ladened foods (potatoes, bread, chips, crackers, SUGAR) BUT when you do (and imvho, we should), be ready to follow up with a day or 2 of P1"
ALSO - eat as close to natural as possible...ie, avoid a bunch of processed foods & stick with eggs, meats, fresh veggies, and fruits. My general rule of thumb if I buy pre-packaged products is 5 or less ingredients
^^^ of course this advice has to be taken with a grain of salt since most of us will continue using products like Quest and Combat in maintenance - I've tried 2 squares of good dark chocolate, or a greek yogurt, and it just doesn't cut the sweet tooth / evening munchies the way a Combat Crunch bar does...I think the Silk Unsweetened Coconut/Almond Milk I use breaks this 'rule' too - but I am finding I personally do a LOT better without dairy.
HIS - we're posting at the same time as always congrats on the great race! I have a pretty decent playlist that keeps me moving / motivated - lots of Metallica and Slipknot I've read about the foot-step songs though and have compiled a list of the best running songs - downloaded a few and mixed them in. As an aside, my old chiro mentioned about pace / steps and said optimum is 180 steps per minute I believe. She's the one who sent the plank information...so sad to have lost her
Countdown to the 10 miler is on!
Question for the runners - DH & I are in a disagreement about 'training' - he thinks we should still do a 10 mile long run this Saturday (since we are still prepping for the 13.1 on March 12), a week before race day...I told him we probably shouldn't do a full 10 miles (9 for me) 7 days pre-race...& limit to 45 - 60 minutes. I think banging out 10 miles 2 weekends in a row could be risking over training (at least for me)...Thoughts?
I guess I should preface that the 10 miler is a fun-run and won't be timed.
One P1 day is in the books - the scale was down almost 2 pounds this morning Doing a P2(ish) day today...I really toned down how BAD I jumped the shark Saturday night. I just didn't drink...& Sadly, this was basically how I used to eat most weekends (to get rid of horrible hangovers) and got myself up to 234 pounds ugh
Ran this morning so had 1/2 a scoop of quest pre workout (w/ water), and then a full scoop blended w/ Silk Milk post-run, pork tenderloin and rutabaga for lunch, turkey burger and veggies for dinner, Quest bar for snack - might have some celery / PB2 if I get hungry this afternoon.
ETA - for P4'ers - I found Combat Crunch Birthday Cake and Chocolate Cake at GNC last week. DH & I split a Birthday Cake Saturday...it was faintly fruity and not very 'birthday cakeish' imvho...not highly recommended
Bought a box of Chocolate Cake though and glad I did - those are AWESOME! I have never been a choco-holic, but they are my 2nd fave flavor now - Cinnamon Twist still rules
Last edited by hysteria_625; 02-01-2016 at 12:33 PM.
I too have made the switch to my home scale being my weight. I hope that you have a wonderful vacation, when do you leave?
Yeah, it makes more sense to me to use home weight, and if I do everything right and don't gain on vacation, I shouldn't have to go back to P1 when we get back. We're planning to leave around Feb 20 weekend, I still have to finish this week of P2, then 2 weeks of P3 at home, first day of P4 will be the day we leave... driving down, so weather dependent of course.
About lunch fats - what do other people have? some butter on veg? mayo? regular salad dressing? what else could you add to a meat/veg/salad lunch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by HereIStand
[B]
My race yesterday was GREAT. I finished 1st in my age division, AND I had negative splits, AND I ran much faster than my last races. 27:02, with an average pace of 8:42/mile. So now my goal is to run more consistently under 9 min/mile, and maybe by the end of 2016 I will get closer to 8 min/mile.
HIS - I am always so amazed at how fabulously well you're doing with the races, for someone so new to it all. Whodathunk a year ago you'd be doing all this
Quote:
Originally Posted by hysteria_625
P4 is a beast unto itself The further I get into it, the more I realize it really comes down to using common sense.
..eat as close to natural as possible...ie, avoid a bunch of processed foods & stick with eggs, meats, fresh veggies, and fruits.
Great advice! For everybody, not just us former fatties
Actually, for me this will be pretty easy because even before IP, this was most of our meals - meat, fish eggs - fresh veggies - often grilled, so no fancy sauces - salads. So this will be my continuing plan, to do this as much as possible. If I can stay sensible with the carbs ...always my problem before...well, that will have to be where I'll need to find control
Blue - if I add fat to lunch, it is typically avocado, nut butter, or olive oil. I don't have a taste for the pre-processed salad dressings anymore and like avocado over mayo if I do a low carb wrap with turkey.
Just some more numbers for the number-crunchers...
Carbohydrates (found in fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, grains, peas, beans, and other legumes)
Proteins (found in meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and beans)
Minerals (such as potassium, calcium, and iron)
Vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K)
Water
Of these six nutrients, carbohydrates, protein and fats provide calories.
Each gram of carbohydrate and protein yield 4 calories/gram. Each gram of fat yields 9 calories.
The 3:1 ratio seems awful high to me when accounting for calories from protein too...I mean, to keep calories from going too high, you would need to stay under 10g carb...
Last edited by hysteria_625; 02-01-2016 at 02:51 PM.
Height: 5'-2" - 41 years old - 2015 Reboot: 165.4/136.0/135
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueskiesahead
Sure is sounding to me that maintenance is an ongoing learning experience. Funny, back many months ago, I thought maintenance would be the end of the journey, but it really is the start of a whole new journey, isn't it?
Exactly this. The beginning of this journey starts at maintenance. Quite frankly, losing weight is the easy part.
Height: 5'-2" - 41 years old - 2015 Reboot: 165.4/136.0/135
Quote:
Originally Posted by hysteria_625
Countdown to the 10 miler is on!
Question for the runners - DH & I are in a disagreement about 'training' - he thinks we should still do a 10 mile long run this Saturday (since we are still prepping for the 13.1 on March 12), a week before race day...I told him we probably shouldn't do a full 10 miles (9 for me) 7 days pre-race...& limit to 45 - 60 minutes. I think banging out 10 miles 2 weekends in a row could be risking over training (at least for me)...Thoughts?
I guess I should preface that the 10 miler is a fun-run and won't be timed.
Beth-
I have run both 1/2 and full marathon's, I'm not a running expert, but I can tell you what I would do if it were me.
I am in agreement with your training philosophy here. I would run 5-7 this weekend, count your 10 miler "race" as your 10 mile training run- especially since it is a fun run, and then pick up your training schedule wherever you left off.
You do not want to risk 1- injury or 2- fatigue. Your ultimate goal is the 1/2 on 3/12, so I wouldn't do anything to compromise that. In this case, doing (2) 10 mile runs back to back.
Runners incorporate alternate races and fun runs all the time in their training schedule and swapping a week to make that race fit is no big deal, but you definitely do not want to over train. I know you said DH is not seeing eye to eye with you, but if he really wants to do 10 on Sat and you don't, would it be a big deal to each do your own thing? For me, I would have no issue telling DH "if you want to run 10 miles, have at it, but I'm not".
I have a doctor's appointment for Wednesday morning, and had a text conversation with him today to give him a head's up. Without Aleve, I can barely walk. Pain was pretty horrible this afternoon and I was seriously considering using DH's cane just to get around the house. I'm thinking pelvic fracture or acute tendonitis. Running 4 miles this morning was probably stupid, and even though I ran slowly, I could feel the discomfort increasing. The last mile was not fun.
Beth - take it from me, don't risk an injury. Even though I didn't overtrain per all the guidelines, obviously my body felt pushed too hard.
HIS
Poor baby! Take it easy today, and try not to worry too much ( I know, easy to say, hard to do). I will be sending lots of positive thoughts your way that it will turn out to be much less serious than this.
I have a doctor's appointment for Wednesday morning, and had a text conversation with him today to give him a head's up. Without Aleve, I can barely walk. Pain was pretty horrible this afternoon and I was seriously considering using DH's cane just to get around the house. I'm thinking pelvic fracture or acute tendonitis. Running 4 miles this morning was probably stupid, and even though I ran slowly, I could feel the discomfort increasing. The last mile was not fun.
Beth - take it from me, don't risk an injury. Even though I didn't overtrain per all the guidelines, obviously my body felt pushed too hard.
Oh no!!!!!!!! HIS I am so sorry! I really hope it is just muscle inflammation / tendinitis. Positive thoughts to you
Quote:
I know you said DH is not seeing eye to eye with you, but if he really wants to do 10 on Sat and you don't, would it be a big deal to each do your own thing
Thank Jenny - DH isn't being a jerk about it or anything - I just worry about HIM over training (guess its the wife-maternal thing)...just a little background though, he is in VERY good shape - 48 y/o, 5'8, 150, and for work, generally walks 20,000 steps+ a day, with OUT a daily run...so maybe I am worrying needlessly, but he's my buddy in all this, kwim? And he has had a couple tweaks and twerks since we really started training in December...plus, his job is dependent upon him being mobile and if he gets injured, truthfully, we'd be screwed financially
^^ so, with that said, we were talking last night about prep, carb'ing up, etc (the race is about 2.5 hours from home) and he said "yah, I guess we need to scale back starting (this) Saturday to be ready for the race..." lol - men so he was listening the whole time, just had to come around and make it sound like it was his idea
Down another 2 pounds this morning and back within my comfort-zone (145 - 148) thank goodness. One more day of light eating & not having a P3 breakfast.
I got a little hungry last night, but in general, I think my body has reacted well to the increased protein as I've been using Quest shakes as meal / snack replacements.
I am very glad the protocol works though - but I am learning you have to want to work it - not half-@$$ it like I did after my other splurges through the holidays. The only thing that 'saved' me was the running.
Being totally truthful, my weight was really beginning to hover 147 - 149, as opposed to 144 - 147. I was justifying it as muscle gain but psychologically would feel better seeing the lower end of my comfort zone on a daily basis.
HIS Positive thoughts are coming your way. I am sorry you are going through such pain, and hope you get some relief very soon. Ugh.
I never got the hang of Phase 4, so I kept doing Phase 3 during the week and whatever I wanted on the weekend. That worked until I went on vacation, and then I got derailed. I want to actually try to do Phase 4 as it is attended for my reboot. As blue said about Beth's advice to stick with the fresh foods...it's important to follow even if you aren't a "former fatty." Ha!
HIS - I sure hope you are ok!! Keeping you in my prayers
Beth-thanks for the insight and glad that the hubs is coming around to your way of thinking and really really glad to see you are back in to your comfort zone!
I won't have access to that spoonful of PB or oil or whatever and I'm hoping I don't mess up big time 
- that would be tempting fate 
Sure is sounding to me that maintenance is an ongoing learning experience. Funny, back many months ago, I thought maintenance would be the end of the journey, but it really is the start of a whole new journey, isn't it?
& absolutely! P4 is a beast unto itself 
HIS I am so sorry! I really hope it is just muscle inflammation / tendinitis. Positive thoughts to you
