3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community - The "Experienced" thread continued

3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/)

- Ideal Protein Diet (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet-236/)

- - The "Experienced" thread continued (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet/228804-experienced-thread-continued.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajunbumblebee (Post 3830587)

thanks for all the input. today i allowed myself to cheat for the first time on this program. im glad i did because it made me realize that i really dont miss all that other "junk". now that i have gotten it out of my system im ready to start fresh again tomorrow.

Glad to hear it! Sometimes you need to go easy on yourself, so that you can keep going.

Also, the best advice I ever got about this diet was, "Don't make yourself crazy." We're still human. We're just humans doing something remarkable. :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajunbumblebee (Post 3830138)

like a lot of people, my weight loss has slowed. with some weeks of only losing 1-2 lbs it makes me wonder if this program is worth continuing.. considering all the sacrifices im making. lately ive been thinking about phasing off for a while and joining weight watchers instead. at least i could eat a variety of foods with the same results??? i have been on ip since feb 1st and i think im running out of steam. do u recommend i take a break for a while?

cajun- ditto on the advise against weight watchers. i've done it twice and was fairly successful per se, but like mentioned before i learned how to use my points for candy bars and crap. the trouble imho with ww is it continually lowers the amount of food you can have, which in turn, lowers your metabolism. and if you eat a pack of crackers say, or bread/ pasta, your appetite is usually out of control from the sugar. i was always a raging you know what on ww because it doesn't control your blood sugar. one of the girls kept losing, and the leader kept lowering her points, then what? is she supposed to live on water? on IP, you start adding food. and you are burning fat, and the protein is protecting from losing muscle. after ww it is super easy to gain it back fast, because your muscle mass is lower which is the part of us that burns the calories.

i'm rambling, aren't i..... sorry- just my 2 cents.

Ramble on rondar! :)

Just reading Fitjerk.com and this guy can't get pass the Whey Crisps... lol
Must be some good stuff...and he's funny too!

I made 4 loaves of banana bread with huge walnuts for the gallery opening tomorrow. Man it smells good in here. I don't even want to eat it. Yeah right,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Quote:

Originally Posted by deelee10 (Post 3830543)

You are right Darbs - by the next day I was back in ketosis - according to ketostix. I joined 3 FC last fall. Then I was trying to do the healthy, cut the fat, eat whole grain and fruit thing. I also worked out rather rigorously 5 hours a week. I was lucky to lose 10 lbs in a year. And so easy to gain back. I started IP on January 14. I followed phase I for a long time.Until I lost 20+ lbs. I found I cannot do the restricteds. I'm the one who bought a box of IP bars and ate it in 2 days. I also stopped having the IP cereal very often. I am a starchy carb/sugar addict still. When I have those things it just gets me wanting more. I'm also not good at having a normal healthy portion size of those things. I'm not saying I will never have them again. I take it one day at a time - like addicts of other things. As to how it's going...well, I think it's a hellish torture at times but I'm very pleased with it. I'm used to it. I've moved into my own version of Phase II. I'm fine have an IP drink for breakfast and lunch. I do the RTDs unless I'm traveling. If I'm out with friends for lunch, I will have a salad. But I eat real salad dressings now - not a lot and lowest sugar/carb. For a treat a few times a week I started having Maries Blue Cheese dressing. Jar says it has no carbs but lots of calories. I love it and I don't start craving the evil things. The other part of my personal phase 2 is that I have cheese, usually Gouda, as my bedtime snack. It doesn't get me craving anything. The third thing I discovered when I had bad bronchitis were sugarfree cough drops. I have those when I want something sweet - every night. If I eat too many I get diahrea which helps with the big C and keeps me from overeating them. Now that I've bought some clothes and people can tell I've lost weight and the complements are rolling in - it's been fun. And I feel like I can breath again - it is literally easier to inhale and exhale. I only lose 1-3 lbs a week now but I'm okay with that. What is hardest for me is when I am in social situations surround by the foods I love. I pop a cough drop. And believe me - this could all come to a screeching halt and I could slide down that slippery slope and gain it all back and more. But at least I know how to lose it. I am sick of all the IP soups etc. But I've gotten very busy and just grab the RTDs for fuel. I don't expect to enjoy my breakfast or lunch. I don't want to hate it and I want the fuel to have energy. But I really have to love my dinner, salad dressing, bed time cheese snack and Ricola sugar free lemon mint cough drops. I think I might add wine more often now! I think everybody has to find what works for them. Thanks for asking.

I know...I love the bars...I immediately wish I had more but about 30 minutes later I feel pretty full or I have a coffee with some RTD in it. I also treat once a week or every other week with the blue cheese dressing ....so yummy and does not affect anything.

Keep up the good work!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalison (Post 3830546)

No it isn't the oatmeal. It's the crispy cereal, which isn't restricted. I make sure to only stick to one restricted a day. I follow protocol 100% each day. Haven't had a cheat in the 14 weeks I have been on it. I figure I just need a bit less carbs. Thanks for your response!

Do you exercise? That slows me down...sometimes I need more protein. If you are losing 2 a week...that is great. Have you tried the omelet..it is very good....and lots of protein. My first weeks (5-6) I did not have any restricted and then I added restricted 3X a week and then I added it every day and from weeks 6-16 I lost 3.5-4.0 consistantly....I just think every one is so different....but I was walking at lunch every day...when I added weight training the loss slowed and I got frustrated and ended up with planned cheats (week 16 when I started having planned cheats)

Keep at it and your weight will be gone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisaf373 (Post 3830690)

My orientation was May 7th of last year, and I started the following day. I've been a little anxious about coming up on my one-year mark. ;-)

I was hoping to be done by then, but, I was hoping to be done by last Halloween when I started, too. Optimistically, I'll be on Phase 2 for another 2-3 weeks before I start transitioning off.

If I can figure out how, I'll upload some photos, and see if I can actually fill out my profile. (I optimistically took some "Before" pictures last Mother's Day, and I'm using them as my reference point. It's hard for me to look at them now, but they're a good reminder of where I started.)

Wow...one year mark! Excellent. Did you take any time off or have planned cheats? I started on September 13th and planned to be done by the end of February when I had a cruise scheduled. So that was planned cheat #1 and was followed by 4-5 more. I am hoping to go from the day I returned from Atlantic City (April 20th) to goal without cheating (hopefullly mid-June), but I have my anniversary the end of May so who knows. But every day has been a life lesson and worth it. Keep up the good work and congrats!

Quote:

Back from WI and down 4 lbs and a few inches. I feel like I'm climbing the hill and can see the top! I know I will reach onederland in the next few weeks. Big NSV was buying a Danskin yoga pant in the regular 16/18 today. All the plus size pants I tried on were too loose! WooHoo! Haven't bought "regular" sized clothes for over twenty years.

Love seeing familiar names and all of your successes are so motivational and continues to inspire me.

I'm proud to say I'm still 100% protocol and will not falter. I am just too close to getting to onederland.

I feel the same way about getting to onederland! I am on day 15 (2 weeks) and it is going great, but I am just so anxious to get under 200!! Keep up the good work you have come so far...only 13 more pounds (per your ticker)!!!!
I started IP 235 and tomorrow is my weigh in at office (i weighed myself at home yesterday morning and was 222!!)

Hi experienced group!

How long did it take to lose the last few pounds? I have lost 20, but have 6 to go to my goal weight.

Should I move on to phase 2?

Mom....

My experience is it takes weeks to lost the last few pounds. But I think it's all based on your body. I'm still phase one'ing it and I'm 3 pounds past my goal. Some may disagree with me, but I would wait as phase 2 will slow you down, or at least it should.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momto2cs (Post 3831058)

Hi experienced group!

How long did it take to lose the last few pounds? I have lost 20, but have 6 to go to my goal weight.

Should I move on to phase 2?

Are you stuck in a plateau? If not, if it's still working, I would stay with phase 1 until you're done/closer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by darbs7 (Post 3830894)

You lost all that weight since September? Holy cow. That's amazing. It's taken me much longer. :-)

This past weekend was my second planned cheat. The first one was back in February at my doc's advice to help get me through a plateau. (Which worked, for a while.) It was very difficult at first to have carbs, to remember how to eat normally, but I got over it pretty fast. This one was part for the plateau, part because I knew I would have very little control over my food that weekend, and part because I was losing my little mind on this diet and needed a break.

I wonder if I'd have done better to cheat more, and keep my metabolism up. *shrug* That's the most annoying part - it's impossible to tell what's going on, when it's working or not working, WHY you're losing or not losing.

I'm a little worried about whether or not it's healthy to be in ketosis this long, but, my docs are telling me it's fine, so I guess I'm ok.

I haven't always been strictly 100% on program - for the first six months or so, I wasn't measuring my oil when I cooked my veggies, I would have the restricted veggies more like once a day than twice a week, but as I was still losing 2-3 pounds a week, I figured that was enough. When it slowed down, I got more strict, which worked up to a point.

I'm honestly not sure what will happen with taking a cheat a few days after starting phase 2, and then going back into phase 2, but I'll keep you posted.

This place is a lifeline. I wish I had found it sooner. All my friends must be sick of hearing me talk about this diet by now, but it's the most important thing in my life right now, and it's pretty much all I want to talk about. SO happy to find other people going through the same things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggiemagu (Post 3795149)

DARBS...Thanks for your help...yes I mean the packet at lunch. I love this packet and I don't want to give it up :( this packet and the one in the evening keep me from cheating they are like my treat....

I think that will be the last visit I make to my coach...I'm done, I don't need her encouragement (good thing) or anything else from her. Not to notice for 2 weeks that I was at goal....what's up with that??? And then to let me leave without offering the phase II sheet...Oh man...

Looks like your almost ready for phase II as well.

Not sure if this has already been mention but part of the process of switching to phase two is adjusting your body to more calories so it is def important to get that second portion of protein.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deelee10 (Post 3830543)

But I eat real salad dressings now - not a lot and lowest sugar/carb. For a treat a few times a week I started having Maries Blue Cheese dressing. Jar says it has no carbs but lots of calories. I love it and I don't start craving the evil things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by darbs7 (Post 3830894)

I also treat once a week or every other week with the blue cheese dressing ....so yummy and does not affect anything.

I love, love, LOVE that dressing... I thought I could have it a couple of times a week & be just fine... trouble is, I love it SOOOOO much, I end up eating it right out of the jar & that's NOT just fine... so I think I'd better just leave it out of my grocery cart for a while...

Being good the past few days has paid off with a great NSV surprise... I usually measure every Saturday morning as soon as I get up, but forgot about it yesterday 'til I had already eaten breakfast... so, I did it this morning... a total of 4 inches lost since last week!!!.. I measure 13 spots, both upper arms, bust, rib cage, waist, abdomen, buttocks, both upper thighs, both calves, both upper knees... a loss of 1/2" in my waist, that was the best... only places I didn't lose were the arms & bust, & those stayed the same... suits me...

I haven't checked with ketostix, but from my headache last night & my (TMI) smelly urine, I'm thinking I'm in ketosis!.. whew!!!!!!!.. :cool:

I hope everbody is having a SUPER Sunday...

hugs :hug:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisaf373 (Post 3817897)

For those of you who have gone into Phase 2 and 3, and continued to lose weight - how long did you stay in those phases? I assumed it was only two weeks in each, but I reread the docs and realized that that's the minimum. So, when you say you've lost weight in Phase 2 or 3, do you mean during those minimum two weeks, or are you staying there longer?

Phase two you should be on until you have lost the last 10% of your weight. My goal weight is to maintain 125 but they recommend that you go 3-5 pounds below the weight you want to maintain as you will likely gain 3-5 once you are maintanence phase. Which is due to the glycogen stores increasing and the water retention that goes along with that. Hope that helps if you haven't gotten an answer already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by darbs7 (Post 3818189)

I am back from my last planned cheat until goal. Wow crazy ride these 8 months have been. I lost 52 pounds in the first four and then only 20 in the last 3 3/4 months (But have been to Las Vegas, a cruise, Finger Lakes wine tour, Atlantic City...wow). Now all of my trips are done until July and I better be at maintenance.

I plan to have about 7-8 perfect weeks now! I am 4 pounds from my original goal, but I want to lose another 12-16 after that.

Keep up the great work.

I have learned so much about life and myself through every part of this process. Food is not scary and cheats are not cheats...just life!

No more ALL or NOthing mentality for me.....plan it, enjoy it, then focus on lifelong eating changes.

Darbs,

I love reading your posts and your attitude towards this process. Last night I had a planned cheat, not horrible but still a serving of German potatoe salad and a slice of better then sex cake. Mmmmmmmm! It was so good!! Kind of ironic but yesterday morning I actually met my phase 2 weight, but now I have to do phase 1 today because of my cheat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momto2cs (Post 3831058)

Hi experienced group!

How long did it take to lose the last few pounds? I have lost 20, but have 6 to go to my goal weight.

Should I move on to phase 2?

Meeting your goal is important -- I skipped ahead and emotionally I always felt like I didn't cross the finish-line. By not committing to doing the phases whole-heartedly it changes the experience. iP is all about the phases. After being off iP for 2 months I am now recommitted to phase 1 and have a strict goal of 135. I think it's like school -- it's important to move from phase 1-4 like grades and then graduate! Congrats on losing 20!!