For tracking on my iphone I have the myfitnesspal app and it works really well. It syncs up to the website and my ipad so regardless of where I enter the data it is all kept up to date.

I'm back from DC and caught up on this thread. Interesting discussion on the free day and following day of penance. This really resonates with me too, especially after the gorging I did on Thursday, which was my birthday. I chose it as a free day, but went way overboard and couldn't sleep all night because I was so full of rich food I was quite uncomfortable. I think my free day needs to be kept a little more reasonable and I won't feel guilty the next day, nor sick all night!

The trip was mostly great. Bringing shakes and bars really worked. I only ate one meal "out" at the conference and the one night of excess for the b-day. My boss will be shocked and pleased when he sees my expense report!

The best part was all the compliments from colleages I haven't seen in 50 lbs. I even got a lot of compliments on my thrift store outfits. I was almost the only one there not in a black suit because I don't have a black suit and don't want to invest the money until I decide if I want to stay at this weight or lose a little more.

It is good to be back. I was afraid to step on the scale this morning. Maybe tomorrow. My husband suffered as the single parent all week so I booked a trip to Maui for next summer (has to be summer - he's a teacher) so he'd have something to look forward to as he ran Cupcake to day care and swim lessons.

Hope everyone is having a great IP weekend!

Capricious..That is good to hear as I really do like stir fried vegetables or roasted vegetables with olive oil sprayed lightly. I am going to study Phase 4 in the archives today. Hope your travel is safe this weekend! Let me know if you have any more tips. I am also thinking that I could have a crispy cereal package for Bk a few mornings and then drink coffee while others eat. Also I will be away from my scale!

Pauley..Happy Bd! I hope you went to a nice restaurant in DC. You made me laugh when I read, " with colleagues I have not seen in 50 pounds." That really is how we view time!
I am wearing thrift clothes also..in fact need more sweaters!

My first day of phase III, greek yogurt, 10 cherries, toast and 1 T of peanut butter, yum.... stomach feels a little unsure right now. lol. It felt sooooo good to eat fruit and yogurt, that was the only thing I really missed on this diet, it really helps to keep me regular. It is freezing here too, below zero last night and still a heavy frost, not disappearing too quickly. We bought an Edenpure that arrived yesterday, everyone that has one loves it. It is keeping the family room nice and toasty without having to heat up the entire house. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I tried the zuccini recipe from the Thanksgiving idea thread where you toss it with lemon juice aand bake it with WF apple butter. It was excellent. Also Finn Steve has a good looking meatloaf recipe.

Pixlekitty..Good luck with interviews and good news on the scale going down.Your interviews remind me of our parent conferences coming up. We see parents every 20 minutes.

2ridea rollercoaster: I am drinking tea like crazy also. I like the heat and figure it is the one thing I can drink freely. I am hooked on Bengal Spice.

BCgirl..good idea on tracking on your phone. I am going to try to figure that out. We are taking a laptop which should help.

Bellamack: That is cold! Congratulations on entering Phase 3. Isn't it nice to eat fruit and yogurt?..plus PB? Hope you stay warm.

Well, I have to confess: I ate a lot of Halloween candy last week, and not on my "free" day, either. I also did not get my water or vegetables in sufficient quantities. So, I was worried about weighing in this morning. (Saturday is my designated weigh in day.) Imagine my shock and and excitement that I lost 3.4 lbs and .9% body fat from last week's weigh in! I continue to be amazed at the results that I've gotten from this program. I haven't weighed this little in over 10 years. I was really nervous when I first started phase 4 but every week that I am successful at not regaining, I'm more and more confident that this time, I'll be able to keep the weight off for good.

Congrats on phase 4. The no treat day unless at a certain weight keeps me honest.

I love going to the gym now. It is amazing how much of a "spring in my step" I have now that I am thin and working out.

I hope you have a great time in Hawaii.

I am starting to feel much better. It's amazing how much difference the antibiotics have made. Day two yesterday and I finally felt like I was winning. Day three today and I feel quite rested. I'm off to pilates at 11am today. It ws really nice to get that extra hour this morning with "fall back"

Yes, I use the fatsecret blackberry/ipad app and I can search for food while I am on the road. It's really helpful.

Thanks! Enjoy phase 3. You have earned your great breakfasts.

Yes, fatsecret does this too...

Happy belated birthday. Glad you had a good trip. I often think that my expense people think that I am starving...

Thanks. I see the light at the end of the tunnel now. We have a bunch more interviews Monday and Tuesday, and we've got a lot of great candidates so I am excited for next year.

Just don't expect that if you keep this behavior going that you will continue to lose... :o

Very interesting to read all your experiences of life after the set phases. Kitty, I think your tip of not having "extras" unless at a certain weight is a big key to success.

Re the apps for ipad and iphone, sometimes these devices scare me in how smart they are. I had forgotten I'd signed up for fatsecret till my ipad prompted me for an update yesterday. I will have to start using that site more.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend, I find November always seems to go by in a flash with so much that has to get done.
Pat

So second "free" day yesterday - a costco hot dog and movie theatre popcorn (again) - I think I need to think of something better for next time :). I have a rule that none of the "free" foods come in the house, eat out only! I also uploaded some before/after - it was stupid to do it in a swimsuit but it does show how much change can be achieved (even without working out). I couldn't have done it without this group.

that is a great idea. I am not on phase 4 yet, but I have been thinking about that free day a lot (gets me through) and I was wondering what I would do if I really wanted something like... ice cream and that gallon is sitting in my freezer and everyone week something else for my free day is in my house and soon it's just a temptation that isn't worth all the hard work. So I will follow your lead, single portions in house, and everything else eat out!

Your photos are awesome!

Lauren, you look fabulous in your profile shot - you're going to LOVE stage 4, it's so nice not to feel like I'm on a diet anymore :).

Thanks about the shots - I'm sure not ready for sports illustrated, and I can see that I have lots to do to get in shape, but like lots of people I was able to hide in my clothes so the swimsuit shots tell the real story...

Your photos are amazing. You look wonderful! What a change 30 pounds makes.
My family love Costco hot dogs also. You can't be the price for a cheat. Keeping the food out of the house is good planning.

PixleKitty..I need tech help again. I am not sure where I am supposed to post for the Fat secret Challenge. Also it says starting in 17 hrs. I thought it was starting today.
Glad your interviews are going well and you have good candidates. Hope today and tomorrow's go well.

Today I dragged my expresso maker up from the basement. I am making a soy hot butter rum latte for breakfast. This will be my first latte in 11 months!

BC Girl, thanks for sharing your before/after shots. I wish I'd taken swimsuit shots before the weight loss. You look great!

Maile - I'm loving the lattes too! I've had 3 in the last week, what a treat. I especially like the sugar free/fat free peppermint mocha. I can't believe I was drinking them with full sugar and fat last year at this time.

Aloha Ladies,

Half way through my Hawaii trip already. Linden, you are right. It has rained everyday here. We did get some sun yesterday but the grey skies have kept the temp comfortable. Kona Coffee festival is this week so that has been fun. Going out on a boat this AM to fish, snorkle and just enjoy the water.
The food has been tough. I brought my WF dressing but decided I couldn't carry around 2 weeks of packets. I felt like I should be able to eat well without the IP stuff. I feel like I have fallen off the wagon for the first time in a year. Weird. I know what to eat but I just don't have the energy to make it happen. I want to not obsess over food. I want to eat what everyone else is eating. I'm sure I will regret it when I get home. Oh well. I have the stuff to hop back on phase I when I get home but it's hard not to freak out a little. Next time I will bring my packets.

I'm awfully sorry about the rain. Usually it just sprinkles around 4:00 on the windward side then rains at night. But you're right at the beginning of the rainy season. If you tell me what town you're close to, I might be able to suggest a healthy something or other. Island food isn't really conducive. Have you seen a loco moco? Here's one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loco_Moco.jpg Notice the two scoops of rice and two scoops of macaroni salad. Scary.

Just don't expect that if you keep this behavior going that you will continue to lose... :o[/QUOTE]

Pxlkitty

You're right. Thanks for your insight. I don't intend to keep doing that. I know how easy it is for a "slip" to turn in to a full on "slide". I'm actually fine with my weight where it is. If I lose a little more, that's fine. If I don't, that's fine, too. I was just expressing relief that I didn't gain.

Karen

That's exactly what I thought... wink, wink.

It's hard for me to see what everything looks like for others, since I'm signed up for it. I think we have until tonight to sign up. I invited everyone who was part of the last challenge. Check "myfatsecret" and look under "inbox" to see if you have an invitation. If it comes up under "my challenges," chances are you are already signed up.

What is your screen name over there?
We only have 5 participants right now. If everyone who did the last challenge can check their inbox ("myfatsecret" --> "in box") and look for an email from me. Then you can click the link at the bottom of the message and sign up for the new challenge.

Maile- that recipe tip is a mix of my two favorite things- zucchini & WF apple butter- I can hardly wait to try it! Thank you so much for mentioning it!
pxlkitty- glad to hear that you are feeling better!
bcgirl- sweet before & after shots! I think it's a brilliant idea to do it in your swimsuit because your absolutely right when you say you can't hide in one :o
2ride- thankfully by the time I left the roads were pretty clear.
woolberger- I always found Hawaii to cater to the health conscious in it's grocery stores... not sure whether you're in a hotel or a condo though... food storage is a bit more difficult in a hotel...

I spent the day on a field trip with my daughter's grade one class to the farm fair. And I'm having a Phase 1 day because my weight was still up from the weekend. By 3pm I was veeeerrrry thankful to pull up in the school's parking lot. Something about having a Phase 1 day makes me really appreciate Phase 4 (hmmm could be that it is soooo much more limited). But if I think of it like money, you have a set budget for the month (Phase 4), you want to pay for a holiday (Free Day) so you knock a couple hundred bucks out of the budget (Phase 1). But boy when you get that couple hundred bucks back in the budget, even though you could live without it, you sure do appreciate it more :D If that makes any sense??
Had a nice weekend away- it was great to see everyone but it sure is hectic when all of your family wants to see you and you only have 2 days!

Maile are you kanoesunset on fatsecret? And BCgirl & sunnymae are you joining the challenge this go? C'mon the more the 'merrier' :clause:

So Cap...

We are staying in a condo with my husband's parents. We also are with a couple from Colorado who we are friends with. It's not that I couldn't pick up my own food. It's that I have lost the drive. We are cooking and eating together almost every night with people making their special dishes. It's an interesting personality mix and I just don't have the energy to make something different for myself. I did bring WF dsg which I take to restaurants when we go out and I have been good about getting salads when out but we eat in more often than not. I'm just going to have to deal with it when I get home and I think I will be able to. I had a little buffer before I left home. I am like you though. Once I see a lower number, I hate for it to go up.

Lynn

woolberger- you made me giggle! Can't fault you for not wanting to give up the lower number ;) but I'm sure you'll see it again when you get home! Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

Yes, I am Kanoesunset on the challenge. I am ready except that I will have not started Phase 4 yet.
I had tried an zuccini apple recipe before but was not impressed. However, add ing the lemon juice to to apples and baking it with the apple butter, really made the squash taste like apples!
I like your budget analogy. You certainly appreciate staying within your budget!

Pixlkitty: I am KanoeSunset. I did say yes and signed up. Thanks.

Pauley: Peppermint mocha sounds delicious also. Lattes really feel like a treat.

Woolberger: I have always wanted to go over there for the Kona Coffee festival. I love that coffee. Enjoy yourself. There is always Phase 1!

Sitting in my office after my 6am pilates class today. She really tried to kill us all! Oh well, I may not be strong, but I am stronger now than I was at 6am today. :) If I keep this up, I will be able to stand upside down on one finger. Not really, but sometimes it feels that way.

I agree with you re: the budget. I was very good on my penance day this week, and saw my weight go back to what it was the morning of the cheat day by Monday. I like that! Glad you had a good weekend, and hoping that your weight returns to its baseline soon.

Yay. I see you on there now.

Ladies. At the top of 3 fat chicks is a blog by a girl who has kept her weight off for 3 years. She deals a lot with exercise . I thought her comments about the some of the feelings heading into maintenance were valuable. I was telling my husband last night, that after the pressure of losing all these months, I feel a great sense of release. This girl described it as a speeding car.




Maintenance - the tricky side of transition
The dictionary definition of the word maintenance is 'administered to maintain a desired condition'.

When we set ourselves weight loss goals, no matter how much or how little we have to lose, we have to become fiercely focused on those goals. Losing weight is about lifestyle change, not simply addressing one aspect such as diet and hoping that will work. You have to change your whole thinking about food,, exercise and the commitment to make the changes that will carry you through life a healthier person. It is something palpable to concentrate on and we strive to achieve that ultimate aim, watching those numbers tumble on the scale. Each pound that goes is a mini victory, how often have you felt that delicious sensation of gratification and achievement when you have had a good week and your mass diminishes further?

Maintaining

So what happens when you get there, that thing we refer to as goal. After all that hard work; calorie counting, exercise regimes, tears, self deprication at being fat in the first place. It stops. It's as if you have been in a speeding car for hundreds of miles and you apply the brakes, grinding to a halt. The target has been reached. For some, this can be daunting as you have to review how your are managing the process. There are no more visual targets, of course it is wise to keep an eye on your weight as you start maintenance ( and there on in) but those little kicks and wins you had are no more. Of course you have conceded a trouncing from the silent enemy that is obesity, you have reached a healthy weight and are no longer suffering the mental and physical tortures being fat presents. That is massive reward in itself.

It becomes about weight preservation rather than weight loss per se.

And so the journey begins

Thank you Maile, that was great to read. I just finished part of my first breakfast on phase 3 and toast and peanut butter, in a few minutes I will have my yogurt but am already full. I also forgot my cereal so had 2 pieces of toast instead with pb... I missed that. stomach hasn't been to settled for the last couple of days, am hoping I am not getting the flu everyone here is getting... that was what I liked to read this morning the NOW what do I do... I am lucky that I am not at my goal yet so I still have something to focus on but am going to phase out properly and see if eating and exercised will tone me up and get me down to where I want to be. I am happy where I am for now, and look so forward to looking back on the beginning of this journey as wheew got that done, check now to get this done, check.

Have a great day all.

May I join the challenge? My screenname is LeanLegan

:dizzy:
Yesss!!!!! I totally missed the invite. I saw I had a message but dumbo here couldn't find the. Inbox ...duh. What're we doin'?..I'll go to fatsecret on my computer and join up.you guys are simply the best!!

I don't think it will let you join since it's already started. The site is weird that way... Sorry... That's an annoying feature.

You can still do the challenge with us! Just track your food on whatever site you use and report you success back to us on this thread.

I will probably migrate this to a spreadsheet at some point.

:cool:Your post made me think about my first phase 3 breakfast- Toast with peanut butter, a plain greek yogurt and a cup of fresh blueberries- It had been 9 months since having any of those foods, and I expected confetti to fall from the sky or a marching band to come through the door but no, I ate it and life went on. You have done so great and I personally think you have probably hit a weight that is just right for you. WAT TO GO- ENJOY THOSE BREAKFASTS!:carrot::D :cool:

It was enjoyable for sure, have had a girggling stomach since then so I guess that means it is digesting the food just right...I will enjoy my pb but do miss my morning drinks so thinking of having smoothies on the weekend, easier to pack then a bunch of food... I had froze my yogurt when my coach decided no phase 3 last week, I am glad to say it didn't seperate too much like my one cookbook said it would. I must say it was a very filling breakfast, but may have to only have the pb every other day as that is all my mind wants now... will have to be very careful. Thanks for your support I do believe now I am where I should be and will deal with that. After all I look amazing...(hee hee)
One of the guy's who was off on paternaty leave came back today and said wow you must have been working out since I left and I said, no still the diet, he said really the same diet you have done amazing... always nice to hear. ;)

I was answering this from a technical perspective. The site won't let people join a challenge once it has started. Of course you can join us informally and let us know how things are going...

Here are the mini challenges:

Make sure that you only have one "free" day each week
Guidelines: No letting your free day spill over into other days.

Make sure that you are getting regular exercise.
Guidelines: Minimum 30 mins 3-4 times per week


Make sure you log what you are eating in a day (min one day per week).
Guidelines: Log at least one day each week in a program that tells you total calories, fat, carbs.


Will you change what you do next week based on your results this week?
Guidelines: Will you do something differently next week?


Remove all the "free" day temptation from the house on the day after.
Guidelines: Make sure you minimize the temptating to continue the "free day" by removing everything from the house the morning after.

Make sure you are hydrated!
Guidelines: Drink minimum of 8 glasses of water each day

Hi 2Ride: It sounds like you are enjoying your first Phase 3 breakfast! I really have come to enjoy them and actually weaned myself my crispy cereal addiction!

I think the followup to that piece is that we need to set our own mini goals in maintenance. Whether it be a set point that we will not go over or a pattern of eating. You can still have your celebrations, but new ones..such as reaching target weight again after a treat day.

One of the things that she said that I liked was that she had a new excitement to her life! I think this is true with having a weight loss.

Glad you are here..and enjoy those breakfasts! Nice about the guy at work noticing your loss. I limit PB also to every few days..

Thanks PixlKitty for doing this. are you done with your interviews? are you exhausted?

Yes, we are done. Now we just need to look at all the finalists and figure out timing... And, yes, I am exhausted.

On an aggravating note, I came upstairs and realized that when I had closed my door and it hit the back of my calf, it actually broke the skin (wearing black tights) and is bleeding. GRRRRR... Good thing I have a first aid kit in my office. I get an extra cup of coffee this morning.