Hi, I am doing IP on plan pretty much 100%, I use about 80% IP products and 20% alternate products that some other members are using. No coach, am doing on my own.

Regarding exercise, I have always done a hike/walk (I live in the mountains) for at least 35 minutes 6-7 days a week to walk my dog. I never could consider not doing that walk...my dog would NEVER let me ;)

Am almost at end of my 2nd month back on this diet and feeling good, I've been doing some longer fast walks along the river about 3 times a week that take about 1 hour 20 minutes. Does anyone have an opinion if on the days I do that long fast walk if I should figure in an extra non-restricted packet?

Thank you!

My personal take? I would add the packet. You are doing more than your normal amount of exercise, on LESS calories. Your muscles are still going to need extra fuel for recovery. I didn't exercise much at all before IP - now I walk 2 SLOW miles (broken up during the day) walking my kindergartener to and from school, and I add a packet even though I don't even work up a sweat.

I'm with Scorbett on this one. From all I've read, you should add an extra packet after exercise. I've also read that you shouldn't be doing an exercise that you'll break a sweat doing and you shouldn't exercise more than 30 minutes. You might be burning up your muscle if you're exercising too long and/or too hard. Or you might be stalling or slowing your weight loss.

I'll ask my coach about this when I see her next week but wanted to get others' thoughts on scuba diving. I've accepted that I can't keep up my routine of 30 minute medium intensity bike rides for the time being, but I also scuba dive fairly routinely. Other than carrying gear to/from the boat, it's not terribly taxing since where I dive there aren't strong currents and I'm not usually doing any heavy duty swimming. That said, even without any major exertion, my metabolism usually kicks up into high gear just keeping my body temp up (a typical dive can be an hour long in 78 degree water; given a 'normal' body temp of 98.6 and the greater density of water helping to more quickly take heat away from the body - even with a wetsuit - it can be a challenge keeping my core temperature up). Typically, I'll do two of these dives between breakfast and lunch.

I'm figuring at this point that I should probably add a protein bar in between the two dives. Any thoughts? I won't be back in the water until later this month so by that time I should be pretty well acclimated to the diet.

Your question got me curious on scuba diving calories burned so I looked them up. I'm assuming you'll be down to 148 on your dives; the sparkspeople site says you would burn 473 calories for a hour of scuba diving.

Since you are used to the medium intensity rides, I would start those back up at a lowered intensity once you feel you are in ketosis. That should give you both an idea of how you will feel and help your body start to learn the new fuel source for exercise before your dives.

Not sure how much you would typically eat before your dives.
Let's say a shake AND 2 whole eggs for breakfast (gives about 260 calories) then your bar between dives is another 160. After the second dive, assuming you still feel like you can handle it, I would have something like the mango ready to drink at 200 calories. Then have lunch (maybe flip dinner & lunch) with 8 oz of protein & veggies within an hour of the second dive. Still have a snack and have dinner as an IP and veggies. Be sure to bring salt in case the first dive is intense enough that electrolytes are impacted.

Even a Zumba class that I did at an extremely low intensity after 1 month on IP really wiped me out, but, sadly, I had not worked out for maybe 3 years prior to that. Once I got back into the swing of things after 6 months on IP, I really needed the extra calories & nutrients from eggs and extra IP around workouts. I played around with it on a daily basis, thinking that I really shouldn't need the extra packets, etc. But I was wrong! I could get by with not needing an egg/eggs after a while, but the packet before and packet after followed by a meal is something I still do in maintenance. (5x per week, about 60 min weightlifting and core work).

My weight loss became more consistent week to week after exercise, but by then I was close enough to goal to be losing in the 1.2 to 1.8 lb/wk range anyway, both in the month before I started working out and the month & a half to hit goal after.

Your results will vary, of course.

I'll be interested to hear what you experience with SCUBA. I'm planning on starting my studies and doing my training dives on my birthday trip in March.

Because you'll be under water, I'd suggest a short dive at first, slowly adding time as you determine how you feel. Even though you are an experienced diver, you are new to diving while on IP. Your coach can give you protocol for increased exercise.

Keep us posted!

Thanks very much. This helps a lot putting it all in perspective. Normally I'd eat very lightly before a dive, but I could certainly do egg whites and a shake. I like the idea of flipping lunch and dinner and that probably makes the most sense. And very good point about electrolytes since it's very easy to become dehydrated while diving, between the salt water and the sun.

Thanks. I'll keep you all posted! One thing I'm thinking of is using a scooter more on the initial dives (less kicking - pretty much just holding on and steering, and with it clipping to my gear it doesn't take much strength.

There are some places I've dived that I wouldn't even consider doing while on IP, but this is typically pretty relaxed. Still I don't want to push it too much, although I just can't fathom completely staying out of the water!

bubbleblower--there are also Nunn tablets that are electrolyte tabs you can use to flavor water at minimum calories. My coach swears by them but I have not tried them. They are starting to pop up in lots of places but for sure I have seen them at Whole Foods and Sprouts (which might not be in your area). Sporting Goods store might also have them. Whole Foods also sells an Electrolyte Water that my teenage daughter said was really good. It doesn't have any sweetener.

Thanks! We do have Whole Foods here so I'll check them out! Much appreciated.

I just started working out with the Wii and borrowed my mother's excersize ball. I might do a yoga class too.

If I want to do eggs insted of an extra packet, how many eggs would I use? Just eggs hites or the whole egg? Does it depend on te length of time I excersize?

The packets are about 15-18g protein and 100-120 calories, so you'd have to take in enough to cover that. One large egg has 6g protein and 71 calories. An egg white is 16 calories and 4g protein. If you did one egg and two egg whites you would be eating about 103 calories and 14g protein. If you weren't an avid exerciser before IP you don't want to push it much beyond burning 100 calories or so for a while, your body isn't used to it and it could stall your losses.

Thanks for your help,with this! You always offer such great advise!

Bump

being a newbie, and totally out of shape, moving was just hard for me, I joined the YMCA and I do the treadmill for 26-30 miuntes 4X a week(walking ) . The trainers there have now expanded me to doing upper body machine and a lower body machine to add to my visit each time, until I develope the endurance and stamina this is pleanty for me !!

I purchased a semi-recumbent bike and put it together on Sunday. I've ridden twice- Sunday and this morning. Seeing I don't exercise at all I'm keeping it to 100 calories and have added a shake after I do the bike in addition to my other 3 IP packets. My heart rate goes up a little, but I don't break a sweat. I thought I'd do every other day.

We'll see how tomorrow's weigh in goes - I'm anxious to phase off, I'm almost there, so I don't want to risk stalling. I do need to get muscle tone tho.