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Old 03-13-2015, 01:22 PM   #1  
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Five years ago, I set out on my Ideal Protein journey, taking part in this forum as “Novak.” A year after I started IP, I wrote up a status, which I never posted. I came across it recently, and found myself wondering what was going on in the forum, so this morning I signed in. To my surprise, I came across a posting by “oneuh2” talking about my old “Life after Phase 1” thread. That’s when I decided to revise and post my 2011 status, with updates to 2015. I think the information is still relevant, and hopefully some will find my insights useful.

This might take a few posts, so bear with me. I think the information is still relevant, and hopefully some will find my insights useful. I saw a posting this morning that referred to me as “one of the most revered and successful past members.” I don’t know about the revered part, but I think I’ve been fairly successful. Today I am two pounds over my target weight of 135 and working my way back down, but I’ll talk about that later, in the update section. Others have not fared so well. Believe me, it is still work to maintain, and I have a lot to say about that. But let’s start with the one year status.

BACKGROUND

For those who don’t know my story, I lost my target 50 pounds in 16 weeks, then proceeded to lose another 5-6 pounds during the later phases. My sister followed up with a 30 pound loss to reach and exceed her goal. (That's us in the picture.) I have been on maintenance since June 5, 2010.

THE IP PROTOCOL

During the program, I followed the protocol for Phases 1 through 3 religiously. I did not cheat, I did not eat restricted IP foods, I did not try to game the system or play fast and loose with the guidelines. Since I don’t eat meat, I relied primarily on seafood and occasionally tofu or eggs for my non-IP protein. I mention all this because I believe the more you deviate from the protocol, the less you can expect to get the advertised results. For me, success meant getting in, getting the job done, and getting out. When on protocol, I made my points on this forum frequently, earning the nickname “Yoda.” So as you read about my experiences, please keep in mind your own dieting process to determine whether your outcomes might be similar to mine.

AN ASIDE FOR DIABETICS

I will also add that my sister’s husband (a type-2 diabetic) played fast and loose with the diet, and still managed to lose quite a bit of weight. He followed the alternative protocol for diabetics (though it’s really only required for type-1 diabetes), and gradually began adding alcoholic beverages to the mix and bending the rules while cooking. Loss while cheating is possible to achieve, though it greatly slows the diet’s process. But perhaps his worst move was to ignore the transitional phases. He regained his weight steadily, and I’m sure he’s at least as heavy as when he started. Do NOT overlook Phase 3. My coach Dr. Z is a diabetic and a nutritionist; she believes diabetics would benefit from a longer time in Phase 3 than the normal two weeks, and reported that she does an annual return to Phase 1 every January, and planned to do three week Phase 3 to better get her pancreas in sync.

NOTES

I will get into my year 1 maintenance approach in the next post, and I have some notes on the forum for another. Then I will put together a post addressing years 2-5. Some things have changed over time, some have not. But I have learned a great deal and would like to share some thoughts and experiences that might help those who worry about how to keep the momentum going in the long term. It is not easy, but it is doable. And totally worth it.

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Old 03-13-2015, 01:33 PM   #2  
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Hi Novak - nice of you to stop by!! Nice to see a familiar face
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Old 03-13-2015, 01:43 PM   #3  
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Look forward to reading about your thoughts and experiences, especially since I am only 5 days in!
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Old 03-13-2015, 01:48 PM   #4  
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Fabulous that you have appeared at this time!!!

Some of us here in the DC area were going to try to attend one of Dr. Zumbado's sessions on Maintenance -we were so impressed with the info you shared in the Life after P1 thread.

Thanks so much for returning to the forum and sharing more info -- post as many times as you desire - I am all eyes and ears!!
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Old 03-13-2015, 01:51 PM   #5  
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Jordanna! Awesome to see you. Yes, I've been out of the loop for a while, but five years seems like a good time to check in. I'll stop by your place, too.

Hope, five days is great! The decision to move out on this is the biggest step.
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Old 03-13-2015, 01:58 PM   #6  
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oneuh2 - your post about the workshop caught my eye this morning. I responded in that thread after I set this one up. I plan to be around for a few days, so I'm happy to help out if I can!
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Old 03-13-2015, 02:09 PM   #7  
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Novak - This couldn't be better timing! Your post, (#27 - if memory serves me well) in Life After Phase 1, really resonated with me. I am very interested to hear your thoughts and 5 year journey as I begin the transition phase(s).

Some specific questions...
In that post, you mentioned how Dr. Z spread her cheat "day" over a weekend, after 3 pm Fri - Sun. Did you do that? If so, how did that work for you?

What stabilization process have you adopted? For example, you mentioned Dr. Z doing P1 each Jan and then P3...have you adopted a method for handling any upticks on the scale?

I know we are all different - I'm just curious regarding your experience as one data point.
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:08 PM   #8  
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It sounds like I hired you to segue into my next posting. Hold on and I'll get there. Just arrived home...

Last edited by Novak; 03-13-2015 at 04:20 PM.
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:28 PM   #9  
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Such "ideal" timing, Novak, as I started P2 this week and just spent the last week carefully reading and taking notes from the first two Life After P1 threads! Totally agreed with oneuh when she likened the process to reading a play -- thought Novak, wannabe, BevS were only characters until this thread popped up today! Looking forward to learning more from the forthcoming update -- thank you in advance
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:30 PM   #10  
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NOTE

The first part of this is year 1 in maintenance. This program was very effective for me for quite a while, and I recommend it. I also embraced the post-holiday/Disney vacation reset by going on Phase 1/3 (skip 2) at the beginning of the year to get back to set point. When I get to years 2-5 (which I am only now writing), I will discuss how the real world can creep in and upset the comfy little IP apple cart, and what to do about it. I am happy to entertain questions, but if I ask you to just stay tuned, be patient. I will plan to cover the point in a subsequent post.

MY MAINTENANCE APPROACH – Year 1

You can read about my approach to maintenance on the “Life After“ threads, which I established because I found no postings that helped me make my way after completing Phase 1. A veteran stopped by with a post on the daily thread one day, and I was all over her with questions. So a few of us stuck around and tried to get the ball rolling (primarily me, BevS and WannabeIP). I am happy to see that people have continued to support each other in the transitional phases, and have added to the knowledge base since my departure.

Basically, I have subscribed to the viewpoint that completing the diet has allowed me to go off and live my life the way I choose, without the rigidity of a specific protocol. I generally eat (and drink) what I want, when I want. IP has provided me with a new metabolism, educated me about watching the nutritional content of the foods I consume, and armed me with the tools I need to quickly take corrective action if my weight begins to creep up.

WHAT I EAT

I reserve my complex carbs for dinner, and keep the higher protein concentration at lunch. I follow the “good during the week” and “bad on the weekend” plan, with a no-carb day every Monday. That means I get to ignore the rules after 3:00 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I have tended not to go wild with that, but it’s available if I choose to have pizza or eat cake or whatever might strike my fancy.

I have retained many of my IP habits, such as sticking with those wonderful Phase 3 breakfasts and enjoying kale chips several times a week (though now it’s usually with a glass of wine.) My lunches are not far from the Phase 3 plan either… I don’t eat sandwiches as a rule, except on the weekend or while vacationing. My usual dinner is pasta or seafood with veggies. Dessert may be fruit-based, or sometimes I fall back on a protein bar as a snack before bed. I have increased my overall protein intake since doing IP, which has been a good thing.

HAIR LOSS RECOVERY

I began shedding near the end of the diet, which my research told me was not without precedent. It was a bit disconcerting, but I doubt anyone noticed besides my hairdresser. I’d gotten a short haircut, which probably made the loss less traumatic, and I proceeded to restart taking the vitamins I took for strengthening my hair and nails prior to the diet. After a missed growth cycle, the hair not only grew back, but it did so with a vengeance. My hairdresser said there were about a million and a half little hairs growing in (though I don’t think she actually counted), and when they got long enough, it was going to be pretty crazy. I’m just getting to the point now where I can adequately direct them with a brush or curling iron. And it’s thicker than I ever remember it being, which pleases me no end since I’ve always felt my hair was too fine and thin to manage. So if it happens to you, don’t worry… it gets better.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

I will cover my experiences in years 2-5, including what happened when about 20 people at work decided to do the diet, with various levels of coaching/dedication/understanding. Some succeeded, some not so much. But I can tell you why that is, and how to avoid failure. IP may seem like magic, but there’s more at work in life, and you need to be able to deal with that, as well.

I hope some of you folks are finding this helpful.
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:43 PM   #11  
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I'm finding this super helpful, I love reading your story so far!
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:48 PM   #12  
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Novak - when you have a minute, do you mind letting me know what vitamins you took for hair and nail growth? Thanks in advance!

Also thank you so much for checking in! I made it almost to goal about three times now and every time I fail in maintenance and come back for another round. So looking forward to continuing to read your story. I read all of the Life after Phase 1 threads and they were great!
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Old 03-13-2015, 04:58 PM   #13  
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knm: PHYTO PHYTOPHANÈRE Hair and Nails Dietary Supplement

I have not used recently, but I used to purchase at Amazon. My hairdresser recommended it.
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Old 03-13-2015, 06:36 PM   #14  
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Thanks so much for popping by to update! As you've seen some of us having been reading the old threads to try and gain insight into what's coming next. I've been wondering what happened to y'all in the years since you were here, and I look forward to reading More about your journey!!
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Old 03-13-2015, 06:52 PM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JJTx View Post
Thanks so much for popping by to update! As you've seen some of us having been reading the old threads to try and gain insight into what's coming next. I've been wondering what happened to y'all in the years since you were here, and I look forward to reading More about your journey!!
Stay tuned. Next post tomorrow morning, I hope! I love that so many folks are doing this. We were an exclusive club of lab rats a few years ago!
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