WOW! I was directed over here from the general forums. I am starting phase 3 next Tuesday and am excited! I have read so much on this forum I think my eyes are bleeding! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who is worried sick about gaining this weight back. It is really calming to read others who thought the same thing and see that they have been successful. I guess I'm afraid I'm just gonna "explode" and eat everything in sight (like I did before this diet) and even worse CRAVE everything in sight. I will be on phase 3 for two weeks, then phase 4 for two weeks, then hubby and I are off to Jamaica. I can watch the food, but we do like to drink and have a good time while down there (10 days this year). I am thinking about taking some IP food with me. Any suggestions for "recovery" while I am down there? I don't want to obsess over it, want to have a good time. I also didn't know there was a phase 5??? My coach told me phase 4 is maintenance. What is phase 5?? Thanks!
hey Clarice, welcome and congrats for your success with IP!
re: vacation, etc. I would advise thinking/planning about what you will be drinking. Most of the "party drinks" are made with tons of sugar. Here is my favorite margarita recipe:
Fresh squeezed lime juice
tequila
2-3 tsp. xlitol
shake well with ice and serve
Its about 5 carbs.
You can do the same thing with splenda packets, just carry them with you and order your drink at the bar, I have never had a bartender refuse to do it. Sometimes they pour off a bit into a shot glass and taste it themselves (at my urging) and love it.
Anything you can do to avoid sugars will really help. I would suggest taking a look at the "traveling on IP" thread...if you are staying in a condo or place where you will be doing some of your partying around your own room, I would take a couple small bottles of sugar-free flavored syrups for adding to coffee, or mixing with sparkling water and a shot of vodka (try the black cherry!) I'd also stock up on SW cheese curls or whatever else you like to munch. Then, any time you are partying "at home" you can keep your carb count down, and "save" the extravagances for when you go out. And depending on what your daytime plans are, you may consider making at least your breakfast and possibly your lunch on Phase 1 or 2....lots of fresh veggies and big salads and some IP drinks (or some plain scrambled eggs or fresh fish, etc.)
As you will find for the rest of your life on Phase 4, it is all about finding balance with what you eat every day, and over time. So if you want to have your "evenings" be totally carefree, then use the day times a bit more wisely. And of course, as soon as you come back, go into Phase 1 and/or bootcamp and get back down to your favorite weight right away, or you won't fit into all your new clothes very well while people are still admiring your tan!
My new favorite breakfast carb is oatbran. It cooks in 5 minutes, has no gluten, is very high in fiber, tastes great and has a wonderful creamy texture. I make it then add a drizzle of torani sugar free hazelnut syrup (my favorite maple syrup replacement). You can put your morning fruit on top, too. one serving is
calories 120
Carbs21g
fiber 5 g
protein 5g
Way, way better than oatmeal ever was!
Thanks for the wonderful comments! IP has been a very successful journey and I am happy where things are at ...for now. Since the weight loss has slowed down to a crawl, I figure it's time to change it up and start handling real life foods again. I actually enjoyed phase II more than phase I.
I really appreciate your great ideas for other carby things. I do like sweet potatoes so that would work. We have farm fresh eggs from our chickens so that combination should work out really well. I imagine I will use some of the 7 or 12 grain bread as toast in the morning for quick and easy part of the big breakfasts too!
Hi I'mSvelting and CBG! The roasted veges sounds so decadent with the restricted veges! That has been one of the hardest parts of phase I for me because I LOVE ALL veges!! I will probably be starting phase II and then III after one more week on Phase I. I have been reading lots here and have great hopes that I can figure out some meal plans. Thanks to ALL who have done this before me and have posted information - makes it less intimidating! I am worried about adding back the bready kind of carbs, but I have noticed that when I cheated with the bready or sweet carbs they didn't hold the same wonderful flavor that I thought they had. Well, good luck, CBG! Let's keep this in check so we can continue to enjoy our smaller, healthier selves!! (Now where is the scared, yet excited emoticon?)
ETA: Rocky - thanks for the idea regarding the oatbran!! I will definitely be looking for it this weekend!!
Last edited by SallyM; 02-05-2011 at 02:48 PM.
Reason: added note for Rocky!
I read somewhere on one of these threads something about stevita sticks. I ordered some from netrition.com. It came in and I tried the cherry....tastes like heaven!!! I also drank a lime flavor, which is also very good. They are so good I am hoping I didn't mess up. There is no carbs, calories, fat, sodium, etc. Anyone else drink these on a regular basis?
I read somewhere on one of these threads something about stevita sticks. I ordered some from netrition.com. It came in and I tried the cherry....tastes like heaven!!! I also drank a lime flavor, which is also very good. They are so good I am hoping I didn't mess up. There is no carbs, calories, fat, sodium, etc. Anyone else drink these on a regular basis?
Nope, never heard of 'em. Interesting blog post today at marksdailyapple (a paleo or "primal" site = lowish carbs done with whole foods as much as possible) summarizing research into stevia.
Interesting blog post today at marksdailyapple (a paleo or "primal" site = lowish carbs done with whole foods as much as possible) summarizing research into stevia.
Very interest endorsement of stevia. I've been thinking of growing it. Of course, Hawai'i would be a more likely place than Berlin. Still. I wonder if anyone has done this, and to what effect?
WOW! I was directed over here from the general forums. I am starting phase 3 next Tuesday and am excited! I have read so much on this forum I think my eyes are bleeding! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who is worried sick about gaining this weight back. It is really calming to read others who thought the same thing and see that they have been successful. I guess I'm afraid I'm just gonna "explode" and eat everything in sight (like I did before this diet) and even worse CRAVE everything in sight. I will be on phase 3 for two weeks, then phase 4 for two weeks, then hubby and I are off to Jamaica. I can watch the food, but we do like to drink and have a good time while down there (10 days this year). I am thinking about taking some IP food with me. Any suggestions for "recovery" while I am down there? I don't want to obsess over it, want to have a good time. I also didn't know there was a phase 5??? My coach told me phase 4 is maintenance. What is phase 5?? Thanks!
I just started phase 3 today and will be going to Jamaica at the end of the month for a wedding. I'm excited as I'm going to bump up my exercise and do Body for Life challenge for 90 days. I am super nervous for eating in Jamaica I have no idea what food options will be since we are staying in a small Inn. I just ordered some oatmeal protein packets that I'm going to take with me and add real oats to so I know I can at least have something hot and easy to make when I don't know what is offered for breakfast. Well it will definitely be an adventure.
I hope we can get this life after phase 1 thread going. I really want to keep my phase 3 and 4 eating on point and having a group of people on the same phases would be great!
I have some questions regarding phase 4. I am starting maintenance next week and am a bit confused on keeping fats and carbs separate. I know fats at lunch, carbs at supper, but they also recommend spaghetti and meatballs for supper-is this not carbs and fats together?? They say beans for supper-can I have cornbread with that? Is it ok to have fruit and nuts for snacks throughout the day? Can anyone give me a sample of what their "normal" menu is like? Thanks!!
I just started phase 3 today and will be going to Jamaica at the end of the month for a wedding. I'm excited as I'm going to bump up my exercise and do Body for Life challenge for 90 days. I am super nervous for eating in Jamaica I have no idea what food options will be since we are staying in a small Inn. I just ordered some oatmeal protein packets that I'm going to take with me and add real oats to so I know I can at least have something hot and easy to make when I don't know what is offered for breakfast. Well it will definitely be an adventure.
I hope we can get this life after phase 1 thread going. I really want to keep my phase 3 and 4 eating on point and having a group of people on the same phases would be great!
Check out Losingforgood2010's post on ip daily chat Feb. 9. She just got back from Punta Canta and has made me feel a whole lot better about going. We have been to Jamaica several times before, but always stayed in resorts. I can tell you that fresh fruit, veggies and fish should not be a problem to get. Have a good time and enjoy Jamaica-it is a WONDERFUL place!
I have some questions regarding phase 4. I am starting maintenance next week and am a bit confused on keeping fats and carbs separate. I know fats at lunch, carbs at supper, but they also recommend spaghetti and meatballs for supper-is this not carbs and fats together?? They say beans for supper-can I have cornbread with that? Is it ok to have fruit and nuts for snacks throughout the day? Can anyone give me a sample of what their "normal" menu is like? Thanks!!
I'm following a plan other than IP phase 4, so I'm uncertain whether my typical day's menu would be helpful. I'm not sure I tracked what I ate when I did follow the IP Phase 4 guidelines, sorry. If you'd like to see what I eat, I'll post it. Word of warning, you'll be surprised at how high the fat content is and especially the saturated fat. You'll be even more surprised at my excellent blood test results.
Sing along with me the old familar song: The IP information as written often is less than helpful, and the coaching quality is wildly variable.
Carbs + fat The IP developers/brain trust are subscribers to the "low fat" school of thinking. They're probably suggesting that you use a very lean ground meat to make the meatballs and a tomato-based sauce. There will be some fat, but carbs and protein calories will be the vast majority of calories in the meal. On the "what ever you want" day, you could have pasta with a rich creamy alfredo sauce where most of the calories come from the fat.
Beans + cornbread? My preference on the carbs is for potatoes, yams, and root vegetables; I feel better having those. I discovered this through experimentation. So try the beans and cornbread. See how your body reacts. How do you feel an hour after the meal? Two hours? The next morning. Use that as your guide to what works. If you feel sleepy or have cravings, you've probably overeaten the starchy stuff.
Snacking: I feel better when I confine my eating to 3 meals a day. It forces me to select foods that really nourish me and will give me steady energy until the next meal. If I snack, I'm munching all day -- more like 12 little meals. So I prefer neither to snack nor to plan one. I have back-up plans if I'm hungry, i.e. I know where I can buy emergency foods but I don't carry them with me. Don't think for a minute that I achieve this ideal on a regular basis, , it's an ideal I'm aiming for. I hit 3 out of 7 days last week
So, fruits and nuts between meals? Same answer: try it for a week or two and make no other changes. See how your body feels. How is your energy? What happens with your weight over that time? That's the best test. A week or two isn't too much to invest and if you start to see negative results (weight gain or energy spikes and drops), you can stop before it gets too bad.
Last edited by I'm svelting!; 02-09-2011 at 03:03 PM.
I'm following a plan other than IP phase 4, so I'm uncertain whether my typical day's menu would be helpful. I'm not sure I tracked what I ate when I did follow the IP Phase 4 guidelines, sorry. If you'd like to see what I eat, I'll post it. Word of warning, you'll be surprised at how high the fat content is and especially the saturated fat. You'll be even more surprised at my excellent blood test results.
Sing along with me the old familar song: The IP information as written often is less than helpful, and the coaching quality is wildly variable.
Carbs + fat The IP developers/brain trust are subscribers to the "low fat" school of thinking. They're probably suggesting that you use a very lean ground meat to make the meatballs and a tomato-based sauce. There will be some fat, but carbs and protein calories will be the vast majority of calories in the meal. On the "what ever you want" day, you could have pasta with a rich creamy alfredo sauce where most of the calories come from the fat.
Beans + cornbread? My preference on the carbs is for potatoes, yams, and root vegetables; I feel better having those. I discovered this through experimentation. So try the beans and cornbread. See how your body reacts. How do you feel an hour after the meal? Two hours? The next morning. Use that as your guide to what works. If you feel sleepy or have cravings, you've probably overeaten the starchy stuff.
Snacking: I feel better when I confine my eating to 3 meals a day. It forces me to select foods that really nourish me and will give me steady energy until the next meal. If I snack, I'm munching all day -- more like 12 little meals. So I prefer neither to snack nor to plan one. I have back-up plans if I'm hungry, i.e. I know where I can buy emergency foods but I don't carry them with me. Don't think for a minute that I achieve this ideal on a regular basis, , it's an ideal I'm aiming for. I hit 3 out of 7 days last week
So, fruits and nuts between meals? Same answer: try it for a week or two and make no other changes. See how your body feels. How is your energy? What happens with your weight over that time? That's the best test. A week or two isn't too much to invest and if you start to see negative results (weight gain or energy spikes and drops), you can stop before it gets too bad.
Are you doing the alternative plan on IP? You are right, I just need to experiment and see what works. And frankly an energy spike would be quite welcome right now!! I know with the spike comes the dip, but it seems like I'm more "dip" than spike these days.
I have been on maintanence since November 2010. I do go up and down with my weight depending on what is going on. Just like real life. Over the holidays, I did gain about 6-7#. I have most of that off. I was having trouble getting back to phase 1 and stick with it.
I started getting back to using fitday.com. It is a free online journaling program that really helps me see exactly what I have been eating and how much carb, protein, fat etc. I have been much better since starting this and am back in ketosis and dropping weight again.
It helps me to look at some of my pictures before I lost weight. I don't ever want to get that way again!
Take a picture with you on your vacation, so in a weak moment, you can give it a quick look. It might help you stay motivated.
I'm excited as I'm going to bump up my exercise and do Body for Life challenge for 90 days.
I'm trying to keep myself busy so I won't eat today - so I'm reading all I can.
While I'm still on Phase 1 - the BFL program is exactly what I plan to do for Phase 4. I'm planning to get to my IP goal weight - then do a 90 or so challenge to drop another size (and lbs hopefully). I did BFL before and loved it - unfortunately I didn't see the results due to my insulin and thyroid issues - which should be resolving/treated by the time I'm in Phase 4
Just finished Day 4 on Phase III. I gained a bit when I first started then dropped that weight by this morning. The funny thing was that, throughout the day my pants became noticably looser. Something is definately changing and in a good way - hope it continues. Anyone else experience changes like this esp on phase III?
I really appreciate your great ideas for other carby things. I do like sweet potatoes so that would work. We have farm fresh eggs from our chickens so that combination should work out really well. I imagine I will use some of the 7 or 12 grain bread as toast in the morning for quick and easy part of the big breakfasts too!
