Have a great time. You definitely deserve a shopping spree!

I think you can edit weight history. Hopefully that helps. It's not that intuitive... Wish it were better.

I think I need to share my food diary. I will check this out later... I've been very boring lately... Grilled veggies and meat. Same old, same old. And my Phase 3 breakfasts were pretty much all the same.

pxlkitty- how much time do you have left on Phase 3? You've got to be getting close to the end??

Yesterday, I was hungry. Don't know if it was from being on PH 1 for a couple of days and then returning to maintenance or the exercise video or what exactly but it was odd- and not a particularly good feeling...
Took the kids to the mall to grab Halloween & winter essentials and ate at the food court. Chose Opa Souvlaki and had their 'low carb' meal of chicken souvlaki and greek salad. When I was entering my food journal last night for the challenge I looked up the nutritional info of said meal and was shocked at the sodium content - 1486!!! Yikes!!! That's almost the entire recommended daily amount. This is one reason I dislike eating out- all of the hidden fat & sodium. When you eat at home you know exactly what you're getting.
Changed up my breakfast this morning. I'm terrible for eating the same thing every day just because I love and adore it so much but today I had a couple of eggs, couple pieces of rye toast with light cream cheese and a bit of mixed fruit. And what a delight it was for the senses. Shows me that I do need to force myself out of my habits once in awhile- cause who knows maybe I'll be rewarded for it.
Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend for us North of the border and I will be going to stay with family in Calgary. I'm planning on making the meal as I'll be staying with my elderly grandmother... any good suggestions for sides?
Thanks... Shannon

I could start Phase 4 today, but I am scared to and will probably put it off to tomorrow when I have some time to think about what to eat for dinner...

If you can find frozen rhubarb, it really brightens up a T'giving or Christmas meal. Just treat it the way you would cranberries: jelled, salad with celery and oranges, nuts, you name it. Fresh or fresh frozen peas with lots of lightly sauteed mushrooms (in ghee)? Mushrooms are a natural diuretic.

You'll be fine! You've got us to come to for advice too! It is very natural to be apprehensive about going to Phase 4 -- you'll find your groove.

We are here to cheer you on!

I decided that "not having time" is not an option and is part of the reason I got in trouble in the first place.

So... I stopped at Trader Joe's. I'm making a meat marinara sauce with ground chicken and lots of veggies with a side of whole wheat pasta. Oh, and a glass of sauvignon blanc and some roses because I deserve to celebrate!

I bought quinoa, whole wheat cous cous, and a different kind of granola for breakfast. I also got goat cheese and almonds to add to my lunches. This is a whole new world... Maintenance here I come!

I've been digging through the "Life after phase 1" in the stickies and thought that I would post links to the individual posts that I found most helpful. It certainly takes time to read through everything, and a lot of the posts aren't that helpful if you are really looking for specific information on phase 3/4.

I found the following great posts from Novak...

Phase 3 general information:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3352797-post49.html

Phase 4 general information:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3348569-post27.html

So what does a typical day on Phase 4 look like?
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3370088-post93.html

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3370088-post93.html

How many carbs at dinner?
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3410625-post275.html

Other thoughts on phase 4:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3410625-post275.html

I suggest green beans, brussels sprouts, or asparagus. Or... perhaps do a dish with various roasted low-carb veggies.

Hopefully this link won't be deleted, but here are some good low-carb side dish recipes.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/low_carb/

These look good:
- Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
- Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta
- Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Fennel (I would roast this with turnips... yum!)

Soups:
- Simple Cauliflower Soup
- Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Asparagus Soup

Note that I haven't tried any of these recipes as they are written... They just look good and look like they would work well.

Welcome to phase 4 pxlkitty. You bought some great stuff at Trader Joe's. Your meal sounds great! I especially like the roses. You deserve them.

Check out the food trackers of your fellow challenge members for some ideas. People are quite creative! Last night I spread 1 packet of Starkist Tuna Salad over 2 pieces of toasted sprouted bread and topped with thinly sliced red onion. Then I put shredded fat free cheddar cheese on and broiled until bubbly for a Tuna Melt. It was great!

I so miss Trader Joe's. I have lived in Colorado for 14 years without them. Its illegal in Colorado to sell any liquor stronger than 3:2 beer in grocery stores. Trader Joe's won't come here until that law changes as they sell a lot of wine in their stores. (sigh) Last time I checked they did not sell their products on-line but that was years ago. I think I will go check now!

Hi there. I went to grad school in Boulder, and I remember the land of weak beer...

I do like having TJs here... but a lot of the same stuff can be found at Whole Foods albeit it at a slightly higher price. I remember the fantastic new Whole Foods that opened there just as I was graduating (in 2001)... At least you have them!!

Thanks ladies...looking forward to it this weekend. I will be doing two cheat days in a row...as I am also going to the "corkandfork" which is a food and wine show. I plan on having a few phase one days next week...I got my packets from the clinic ready to go.

Keep up the good work everyone.

P.S. was shaking when I stepped on the scale and for absolutely no reason...all is good yippppeeee

Hello. I have been reading your thread in anticipation of reaching my goal weight. I am 3 pounds from goal and on Phase 2.
However, I decided to ask all of you for advice.
Why do I have this irrational fear that I will not fit my new size 8 jeans when I put them on in the mornings? I think as I head to Phase 3 and read about the girl who gained 5 pounds on it, that I am very worried about regaining any weight.
Did all of you gain 3 pounds on Phase 3?

PixelKitty..Thanks for wading through the posts and chosing some very helpful posts.

Capricious: I do not know if this would suit your needs, but I make a low carb twice baked cauliflower..It is from Kalyn's Kitchen Food Blog. You can make it with turkey bacon or leave the bacon off..Also I make it with mozarella cheese which is low fat. People love it and cannot believe it is cauliflower.

Hey look at you, I am so sorry I didn't notice how close you are to your goal... that is great (and am a little jealous but know I will be there someday)wow 100lbs that is so awesome... you should be so proud of yourself. Phase 3 is scary only because it is unknown... once your there I bet it will be great. I felt the same for phase 2 and found it so easy... but of course I am now back to phase 1 and my easy phase 2 days are over for a while.
Congrats and you keep us uptodate with phase 3 as well.

Thanks Pxlkitty - am going to have to remember to save those links for the next phases.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Wow...you are so close!! Please continue to hang with us. Don't worry about weight gain in phase 3 & 4. I actually lost a little more weight in those phases. My goal weight is 130 but I am happiest around 127-130. I have a cut off weight of 132 and I am always able to do phase 1 and get back down. This program really does work. Enjoy phase III & maintenance.

I also love that recipe for cauliflower. I'm going to try it for our Thanksgiving next month.

Posting here for my own reference so this doesn't get lost in a daily thread that gets closed...

It was a terrifying experience. I was very lucky, though. My pilates instructor had to cancel my class, so I went to TJs without my 4-yr old. I decided that was fate and that it was time to really read labels. Here are some of the things I got and/or plan to buy next time:

Meat: Grains:Vegetables and fruitDairy: Other:Read here about Glycemic Index. Ah, if only the United States had such a labeling requirement. http://www.glycemicindex.com/ Check out the database on the left-hand side. Look at the GI number rather than the GL number... They have a little info on the difference in the FAQ section, but the GI number is what you want. The lower the better...

Some information:The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.