You're only human. And you're only 2 POUNDS from GOAL!! You can do this. Get back on the stick, woman! Phase 3 can begin within the week. And in phase 3 you can legally have potatoes, rice, fruit, yogurt, etc.!!!

Bev much perkier than Yoda today is.

Thank you Bevs. I picked myself up, vaccumed, went for a 4 mile walk up and down the hills, grocery shopped, cleaned yard, treated myself to Ginger tea. I loose perspective at times, everyone last night was saying how great I looked. I have to remember that and keep trucking along. To me it's amazing that I don't gain. For whatever reason, my body takes care of it. Today so far I have been doing fine. I am looking forward to this Saturday.
Funny, am not craving things at all, thought I would.

I have really loved reading the posts about how everyone is dealing with the coming phase 2-3-4. I am not there yet, but am looking forward and planning for it.

I have not had the best luck in the past with keeping the weight off, and I do not want that to happen again. I do think life will be some ups and then downs. I will set a threshold of weight gain, maybe 3-4 lbs, where I will get right back on phase 1 until back where I need to be.

Keep the great info coming. You can't believe how much it helps!

I don't want to put it on again either, and I refuse to do so! This program gives you such a powerful tool for managing your weight over the long term, it really is quite a gift.

Well, okay... a very expensive gift that you had to buy for yourself, but aren't you worth it?

Whew.....thanks Novak & BevS!!! I have been worrying so much about ketosis and YES it is from the Ketostix that I am basing my ketosis on. Even with the weeks that I lose only a pound or two.....I still am losing inches which I'm contributing to ketosis correct?

It's amazing how many people in the past 2 weeks who have asked me if I've had weight loss surgery!! LOL!!!

Also BevS....glad to hear about ketosis and my salad dressing. It is quite low carb, but does have some fat. It's what gets me through (mentally and taste wise) so I'm going to cont w/it, but limit it as much as possible.

I'm with all of you too......I do NOT want to get heavy again. It's so difficult to have a long way to go all over again. I've given all of my BIG clothes to my sister who is about 40 lbs behind me........hopefully now I won't have an excuse to gain it back since if i do.....I'll have to be naked doing it!!! LOL!!

How many of you worry about farm raised vs. wild salmon? I know I saw a post about Olive Garden's herb crusted salmon, but have been told it is not wild. Any feedack on that?

Thanks everyone. Keep on being the LOOZERS than you know you can be!

I was absolutely terrified about phasing out. I think I was actually too comfortable in Phase 1 because it was easy, no thinking, have a shake some veggies and your good to go. With phasing off I had to start to think all over again. I've been on the IP protocol since Oct.24 so it just became second nature. SOME GOOD NEWS...... I started Phase 3 7/9/10, and still losing weight...5lbs to be exact..which is way better than my weekly totals in Phase 1.....go figure right.....eat more loose more?! Who Knows....But I'll take it. I just thought I should share with you that you can still lose in phase 3.
I'm moving to Phase 4 starting Thursday and I'm sure I'll be anxious about that too....but really like Novak said we've ALL been given a weight loss tool for life.......

I LOVE IP

This thread is so great. It really gets me excited for maintenance! Thanks to you all for sharing all of your wisdom.

I have a couple phase 4 questions if you all don't mind, since I'm not even close yet. I saw on the protocol sheet that no fat is allowed at dinner - so if you're having vegetables at dinner, does this mean absolutely no fat, as in no olive oil to cook vegetables and no butter on a baked potato? Also, regarding the cheat day, in the information sheet where it says it is mandatory, does that mean mandatory once when you go into phase 4 or mandatory once per week? And I know the next day after a cheat day you follow phase 1 protocol, but the day after that do you go right back into the phase 4 protocol?

Novak - out of curiosity, do you consider adaptations to be cheats only (completely off protocol), or does that also include following protocol but using non-IP products such as protein powders, etc.? You've been so successful on the plan and I'm curious about your opinion on this (and the opinions of other phase 4-ers )

Totally my experience, as well. It was tough to let go of the comfort and mindlessness! But yes, I continued to lose in 3 and 4, and am glad I have lost the additional 6-7 pounds beyond my target. This just shows that we are changing the way our bodies process food, and now know how to control that.

Sometimes I'm like, well why didn't somebody tell me this a long time ago? But maybe it's like the Wizard of Oz... we actually need to struggle through the journey to truly understand.

It means use fat sparingly... a little olive oil or butter, a small amount of grated cheese on your pasta, etc. The cheat day is once a week in Phase 4... even if that is dinners from Friday through Sunday. On Monday, no carbs, and you're good to go. Last weekend I got up to 133, and was down to 128.4 after one no-carb day. This weekend, same pattern... got up to 132+, and just weighed in after yesterday at 128.6.

But don't worry about being too rigid in Phase 4. Keep the separation of foods in mind, but just live your life in a healthy, comfortable way. Watch your weight and monitor how your clothes fit, and you'll know what to do when the numbers creep up too far.

To me, adaptations are cheats that defy the basic chemistry of the diet. I have a sheet that says in large font exactly what is prohibited in Phase 1 and 2. It includes soda, alcohol, potatoes, bread, etc. If someone says, I'm going to do IP, but MY way (drinking soda or alcohol, eating potatoes or bread), then it is no longer the IP protocol, and you can not expect (nor will you get) the IP results. As far as product goes, I think you can follow the protocol with no IP products at all... though loss might be (or not) slower than using IP. But again, depending what you choose, the final results may vary.

My sheet says no more than a teaspoon of fat at dinner. Of course, if you're in Phase 4 (not Phase 3--do that exactly), and you really want some extra fat with dinner, you could always skip your slow carbs for that meal. Same goes with lunch. If you have a lunch with very little fat, you could have a sandwich, for example. The point is not to combine a lot of fat with a lot of slow carbs. The two together are what make us gain weight. At least that's my take on things.

I don't always have a big cheat day each week even though the sheet says it's mandatory, but when I do, I do a Phase 1 day the next day and the very next day go back to Phase 4 (maintenance).

Another thing that I was told about phase 4 is you really want to have a "balanced day" you dont have to have the typical balanced meal, as far as protein, carbs and fats your dont always have to have a meat at dinner or potatoes which is how I was taught to eat and to cook. I was also told small snacks - about 3 per day and the 3 meals, the snacks should be about the size you would give a preschooler .... and you can simply have a cheat meal rather than a full day is what I was told. But hey I am still trying to get to phase 4 so I will keep you posted.....

So, Wannabe... how about it? And Bev... what about you? Did you find that your losses added up quickly at the end, particularly with regard to clothing size? We need a few more data points here!

Totally, all of the sudden people were telling me how small I had gotten but yet I really had weighed the same for some time, well close to the same maybe a pound or 2 difference. I am in a smaller size clothing than before at the same weight and some of them are starting to get bigger so still losing inches. Seems to be coming off my legs and butt mostly which is the first place I gain and the last I lose from..... hoooorrrayyyyy. I mean my cellulite had cellulite.

When I consider that I was willing to spend $5k+ on liposuction to do the same as IP has done with no knife no recovery time no risk of surgery and I probably would have gained back the weight back just in different areas... IP is priceless and forever as long as I follow the protocal.

Aha! So we've established that this pattern extends beyond my immediate family!!

(We're not related, are we?)

LOL, only in kindred spirit my freind I dont have any other really smart family members other than myself, baahaa haaa haaa. I can only say that on here...