What a super, super birthday gift to yourself. Time to start reading the Life After. . . . stickie. ;)

Oh, I have been reading that sticky. I also read all of Dr. Tran's book. It's not until you are actually in those phases that it all makes sense!

Happy Birthday Sandy!!! Hope your weigh in is a great b-day present for you!!

Thanks for figuring all that out for me!!! You're right that menu needs to be redone! Phase I & II were so easy, you didn't have to worry about all these numbers! I guess they are preparing us for eating on Phase 4! I weigh in tomorrow so I'll be interested to see how I've done. Thanks again for your help! Hope that Grandson is healthy!!!!

Good morning all
Happy B day Sandy, great job.

I think I am doing phase 3 wrong, it started off pretty good and then this weekend I was out of the house mostly so I have screwed it up... not getting my grain in every day as I seem to get over protein/carbs with the dairy and the fruit... and protein, am little confused on exactly how much to have. so if I have 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon am I having too much protein? and if I only have one tablespoon of peanut butter is that enough protein? I think I am making it harder than it has to be. Also with everything else going on right now, friend moved in, dog trial all weekend, and now fridge is on the frits, freezer REALLY freezing and fridge not keeping anything cool... not a good start to a busy Monday.

Hope you all have a great day.

Don't think about it too much...

20 grams carbs from fruit. I normally have some strawberries and blueberries.

30 grams carbs from bread. This is two slices of protein bread, probably about 1.5 slices ay other wheat bread.

I have a greek yogurt (plain everyday).

Somtimes I have an egg. I try to get to 35gms protein... It's ok to go over on protein.

Well, if it's any consolation, I have the tools (and heaven knows lots of experience charting food), and I can't make it come out right, either. :o And grandson is splendid, thanks.

Thanks, sometimes I wondered if I was doing this right. am also liking the yogurt and fruit, but I skipped my grrain today and must admit I feel better. I have had an upset stomach since starting and maybe it is the bread?

I have another question for you fine ladies, I am out of my supplements and vitamins, do I buy another months supply for my last week of phase 3? or do I buy my own for the 1 week phase 3 and for maintenance? and also what supplements and vitamins do YOU use in maintenance... Thanks a bunch.

Hi everyone.....been moving forward on Phase 2 for the past few weeks. I have not gotten on the scale nor measured myself because I decided it didn't matter right now. Totally enjoying my new body. None of my pants are snug and its looking like I'll have to make new bra purchases sometime in the not so distant future. I honestly believe if I was watching the scale daily/weekly, I wouldn't be this content.

I will begin Phase 3 on the 25th, the day after (US) Thanksgiving and exactly two weeks before my colonoscopy. I turn 51 on Wednesday and I made a promise to myself to have it done within my 50th year. I suppose making it before the end of the year still counts.

About to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist with regards to my knee. Looks like I have some ligament damage and praying he can help me avoid surgery. Of course, knee problems reek havoc with my exercise. Just how the heck and I suppose to tone up my thighs? :( Not happy in that department...at all. Oh and let me add this one in there too. I had a gall bladder attack last weekend. (rapid weight loss CAN bring on an attack)That, my friends, IS a pain worse than child birth. It's tough getting older!:( I've had to cut back on my sirlion steak.....just in case it was too much fatty food.

Happy Birthday to my fellow Scorpio, Sandy. I'm glad you finished off those demon bars. I had my first one in over a week last night for snack. I had taken them to my neighbor for "safe keeping" and paid her a visit last night. I was like a kid in a candy store! I enjoyed it, but it just didn't taste the same. Hopefully, I won't pay her anymore visits till after Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm rooting for us all!

I forgot to add.......my NSV! My only child is getting married in 6 months and I've been on the lookout for a dress....I found it and it is some kinds fine! The dress runs very small but I went ahead and ordered the 12. It arrived in the mail on Friday and I immediately tried it on. My first impression was a few more pounds and a little toning and its a winner. But then I got to looking at how it fit me in the chest and decided it WAS too small and that I'd have to go up a size...could always have it taken it. Well the next day, I tried it on for my friend along with my jewelry. She gave me two thumbs up. Still need a few more pounds gone (equals my goal) and the toning but I was being overly critical of my body and blaming it on the dress. The dress is NOT TOO small, only my perception of myself. I'm still a work in progress. My future DIL also gave me two thumbs up!

I agree. I have been trying to stay off the scale because I am also feeling very content. I am also trying to be more in tune with my body and notice when I am feeling bloated or bigger and trying to tie that to what I ate. I have been eating out in restaurants a lot this week, and even though I am making OP choices, eating all that restaurant food has me retaining water and feeling bloated. I don't want to depress myself, so I am staying off the scale :) Plus, my clothes are still fitting the same, so it really is just water retention, but the numbers mess with my mind. I also would like this to be the way I live in maintenance. Just being in tune with what my body is feeling and going by my clothes. :D

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! A friend brought me some Protein bars from out of town, so I had one for my birthday! LOL.

I talked to another IPer on maintenance and asked her about phase 3. She said don't get messed up with all the numbers, do what works for you. Good advice I think.

Good morning. I've been in some kind of funk lately so I've tried not posting much not wanting to bring others down with me. I had another off day on Sunday. Ate Subway, yep, even the bread. The scale has been creeping up ever since and I've felt like s#!t too. I went to bed at 7:30 Sunday night because I felt so horrible. I knew better. My daughter got to pick lunch since it was her bday and I just wanted something other than a salad. My first food cheat in 5 months. I am still suffering from the headache but the nausea is gone. I talked with my chiropractor at our daughters' dance class last night and she thinks it was the gluten. She says her mother in law gets the same way with breads, pastas, and some baked goods now that she is in maintenance. It's weird to me how you could eat these things everyday before but now one tiny slip and you are sick for days.

I am up 1.4 from last week after this mistake. I wanted to get to 50 so bad this week and then messed it all up with one stupid meal. Learn from me ladies! Do not do it! I am having a horribly fat day today too. When I just saw my relection in the door at work I saw the me from 49lbs ago. Seriously. My head is messed up!

I told my friend on Sunday that if I'm going to be lax like that and make poor choices I must need to just phase off. Then I thought about it the rest of the night and decided I need to get with it instead. I can finish this thing. It may be coming off slower and I may be tired of it but I can still finish strong. I just need to get my head back where it needs to be.

I figured staying away or not being honest wasn't going to help me one bit because I need you ladies and this is probably when I need you most.

Congrats to those who have kept your eye on the prize. I for one, blinked for a moment but will not let it keep me from getting what I set out to accomplish.

Yes, sounds like the bread might be disagreeing with your system.

I suggesting looking for some low sugar/low fat granola to stir in with your yogurt. It's easy to get to 30gms carbs with granola, but it can easily also add to the fat grams.

For supplements, I found a potassium at Whole Foods, a cal/mag/zinc at Whole Foods, and still take a multivitamin (One-A-Day equivalent), and a stress B (Whole Foods). I also take 3x flaxseed oil capsules per day for the Omegas...

:hug: We all need a hug sometimes, so there's one for you. I have only been on IP for 3 weeks and after two really good weeks my 3rd WI was a loss of 1.5 pounds. Yes it was a loss but still disappointing so I got in a little bit of a funk. One thing that helped me was putting on a pair of jeans that I used to wear all the time and I was able to put them on and take them off without unzipping or unbuttoning! That was a great reminder for me that this is working. I don't think there is anything wrong with getting in a funk, it just happens sometimes, what is important is finding a way that will get you through it! If you don't like what you see when you look in the mirror because you are having a "fat" day don't look in the mirror. Put on a shirt that swallows you up and look at that progress. This is just my little bit of input, as I said I have just completed the 3rd week in two more months I may be contacting everyone here to help get me out of my funk! Hang in there, we are all pulling for you.

Sounds like you have diet fatigue. I know, because I have it too ;) Which is why I decided to phase off. I am going to maintain here for a while and see how I feel come the new year.

I also cannot tolerate wheat or gluten, so even in maintenance, grains / breads and pasta will not be a regular in my diet. I get bloated and almost like I am drugged! I get so sleepy and lethargic when I eat breads and pastas. For my carbs, even before IP, I tend to stick to beans (legumes), sweet potatoes and sometimes rice and sometimes corn (but I also try to really limit corn).

I have also been having a really off week, but it is what it is. I had to travel for work this week and then my in laws came to town so I have been eating out a lot and I haven't been to the gym as much as I like, so it has definitely been challenging. I still made fairly decent choices at the restaurants, but you never really know what you are getting and they cook with so much salt. Meh, doesn't really matter because I feel really good where I am at. I have WI tomorrow and will start P3. I will probably wait until the weekend so I can run to the store and get what I need, but I am definitely looking forward to moving on!

Just a thought to pass along to you. Since you already have set a date to be "finished" due to you upcoming trip. Plan your phase off dates, stick to it and stay off the scale. It is what it is. Be happy and revel in your accomplishments to date and enjoy your new body. I am phasing off before reaching goal.....somewhere around 10 pounds from goal...but I'm OK with that. I found some peace once I made the decision and the stress is gone. I will step on the scale the I begin Phase 3...again, it is what it is. Hoping maintenance and exercise will eliminate the rest, but if it doesn't, I know what I need to do after the first of the year.

Good luck and I hope you can find your peace too! :)

Good morning! The scale is up a pound, but it is what it is.

This diet fatigue is tough, but so is gaining weight back that you don't want. I weigh in tomorrow and will talk to my coach. I am sure she is going to say that I should stay on phase 2 until I reach my goal. It is easier in a way in that I don't have to think so much. Oh well, need to go to school here and Trade a Teacher day, I am trading with a fifth grade teacher, more work for us in a way, you have to get ready, and redo some plans, and then come back and go over all the work. It sounds good for the principal's resume I think! LOL

You are right on! Like I said, Sunday I was so sick I went to bed at 7:30. I slept until 5 when I had to get up for work and was still exhausted. It was rediculous! I took 1/2 day off to go see my grandma in the hospital and was still half sick. The nausea is gone now but the headache is still just as strong. I made a comment to my husband about not knowing why I'm so tired all of the sudden but maybe it was that? It's almost how I felt when I first started so maybe I went out of ketosis and am going back in? Nice!

That peace is what I can't find. I think I know I won't be done in the next 10 pounds like I thought I would initially and that eats at me. I try to tell myself I picked that number out of thin air and it was just a starting point but anything else seems so far off. Then I have those people who keep telling me I need to be done. Saturday night I even had people telling my husband to tell me to stop losing weight. Why do these people think that's their place? Why didn't any of them tell me to stop GAINING as I was getting bigger and bigger? It's pretty much the same thing right? I had a long talk with my mom about this last night. I can honestly say I feel "normal" now. I feel more like the rest of the country. I don't feel like the biggest when I'm in a room full of people. But I'm still not where I want to be. I will continue on phase 2 and move to 3 on Dec 8th like scheduled and hope for the best. If I lose more I lose more, if not, I'll do it when I get back from my vacation.

It sounds like you are beginning to come to terms with yourself. That elusive peace did not come to me overnight. I saw phasing out early as a failure. It took me some time to really see the big picture. I had many, many conversations with myself until I finally woke up one day and knew what was best for me. We are not defined by any number on the scale but while in weight loss mode....we put so much hardship on ourselves. Time to let it go. So happy to see jennydoodle has found it too!

Don't pay attention to what people say because it is a reflection of THEM and NOT YOU. I too went through that "you need to stop" phase. I just smiled.....none of their business. That has since stopped since my weight loss has leveled off.

You will, we all will, do just fine phasing off. Lovin' our new catch phrase "IT IS WHAT IT IS".

Wanted to mention....I saw my ex-husband over the weekend. First time in about 8 months. You should have seen him "looking" at me. When he was leaving my house, he leaned in...little too close....Conversation went something like "How much have you lost"....."A lot"....."well you look good"......"Thanks"......"(smiling) you look real good"....."Thanks" and I walked out of the room. Men.........

ItsAboutTime ~ I'm from South Dakota too! Sounds like were in the same boat. I've been on the diet since 6/28/11 and I've lost 47lbs. I have been so discouraged this week and I'm just ready to be DONE with this diet!!! My weigh in is tomorrow and I needed to be at 160.5 to move to phase 2 but that's not gonna happen :( I feel like just moving on anyways, but then I will feel like I failed.
This forum is great! Wish I would have found it much earlier in my journey!

We have very similar stats. I tarted June 23rd and have lost a little over 49 pounds. I moved to phase 2 a few weeks ago and my numbers are about the same....LOW. Welcome!

They had Thanksgiving dinner at work yesterday but I missed it due to going to see my grandma. That is actually part of the reason I left as early as I did. Sad huh. Anyway, there's a ton of left overs so they are heating them now for whoever would like them today. The largest woman in the office just walked by my desk with a heaping pile of mac. salad. As she walked by she said, "I had to take it because I'm scared it will all be gone by the time I get back here for lunch." Seriously? Some people really do live to eat rather than eat to live. I worry about some stupid stuff but not that I may not get a certain food. That was just a wow moment for me I had to share.

Yes, I have found the "inner peace". And like Groove, it did not come easily or overnight. I had a lot of inner conversations with myself and a lot with my mother. I also picked 130 out of mid air, as it has always been my "dream" number. But I also had other goals, which included what sizes I wanted to be wearing and having my body reflect my inner athlete. For weeks before I started P2, I was stressing about my weight, getting to goal and such... Once I made the decision to phase off, it was like, whoosh! No more stressing.

I have exceeded my size goal and like Itsabouttime, I feel NORMAL! I don't feel like the big girl any more and I feel confident. I love the way clothes look on my body and I love looking like I work out. Once I hit these goals, the actual number on the scale became less and less significant. I have also found that once you start to feel normal and confident, the harder and harder it is to justify (to yourself) staying on the packets and not phasing off.

I feel really good inside and out, and that is when I really knew (for sure) that I had made the right decision. I am going to finish phasing off and maintain through the holidays. Come January or maybe even February, if I feel the need to jump back on P1 for a month or so to get a little lower, I will. But I may just find that I am my goal weight, or rather, goal size, no matter what the scale says. I am fitting very comfortably into 4's and sometimes 2's. As long as those sizes do not start getting tight, I know I will be on the right track, whether the scale dips to 130 or jumps up to 135.

I'm not sure if any of this will help, but in the end, I think I am saying "listen to your heart". It always knows what to do. Once I really listened to myself and stopped stressing about reaching the elusive "130" it all came together. :hug:

That's just it. I have a size in mind more than the actual number on the scale and I'm not there yet. I'm in 9/10s in all but 1 pair of jeans, which is an 8, and I want to be exclusively in 8s. I think if I was there I'd feel more apt to just move to phase 3. I need a couple good weeks of 2 in a row now before I move to 3. I had the drinks a few weeks ago and messed that week up and now the bread messed this week up. I have got to stop that!

Got it! And I completely understand! This is where I think that exercising through out my journey has really benefitted me, because I definitely lost sizes a lot faster than I lost pounds. But that is not really the issue here.

Can I make a suggestion? You (and others may not like it), but it is purely my opinion. I think you should phase off and hold steady where you are for the time being. Hear me out.

1). 9/10 size wise is not a bad place to be right now. It is a good, normal size and a big change from where you were.
2). You are SERIOUSLY stressing out about having to have 2 good weeks and hitting your goal by vacation and all of this stuff. I think you are "hurting" yourself rather than helping with all of this stress.
3). You need "2 good weeks" but you are having a hard time staying on plan as it is. This is a VERY difficult time of year to be very strict. Why not spend some time enjoying what you have accomplished and give your mind a break from all the stress?

Would it really be the end of the world to phase off and hold steady through the holidays and your vacation and get back to it when you get back? You might be in a MUCH better mind set and have that renewed sense of motivation. In fact, you might actually be excited to do it, having given yourself a break.

I am truly trying to be supportive and help guide you to the right place and help set your mind at ease. I absolutely mean no ill-will. If you do, in fact, decide to stay on P2 and work to get those 2 good weeks, well I will be here to help offer any advice and get you to your goal. I am just trying to do what my mom always does for me, and get me to really think about it and get my mind to a place where I am happy with whatever decision I make. To a place that I feel content.

I hope that you are not offended. It is strictly my thoughts, and I know how bad you have been struggling. :hug:

Not offended at all. I will do some serious thinking! Thanks!

Happy Belated birthday!

:hug: I hope the headaches go away soon, and that you can make the decision that is better for you. I truly think that stress hinders weight loss, and I think part of your stress will be relieved once you make the decision to phase out now or stick it out for two more weeks.


Jenny, congrats on meeting your size goals, that is really awesome! Size 4 for me would be a dream.. I'm also planning on coming back some time after the holidays if I need to. Before that though, I need to do get rid of my cardio obsession and do some serious toning to see if that gets me to where I want to be. I signed up for some crossfit classes, which I hadn't heard of until you mentioned them, so thanks for that! :D I will start them at the beginning of January, they look quite intense :)

So I ended up doing phase II most of last week (except for the first two days) and I'm going to do it for one more week, then onto phase III for two weeks.

I'm a little worried that right after -as in the day after- finishing phase III, I'm going to be going on vacation .. for 3 weeks. I won't really have time to get used to eating phase IV "style". I will make sure I know the guidelines by heart and everything.. but even so, I won't be able to stick to them 100% since it IS a vacation ughh.

Today at weigh in I stayed true to form and lost 1.5 lbs.. as I have been doing for many weeks now. Also I got the cookies!!! Couldn't believe that my clinic had them already.. they have been known to be a little slow in getting the new stuff. I really like them I must say, more than the bars.

I have yet to finish the "life after phase I" thread.. so I'd better get to it..

I do Crossfit 3-4x per week and run 2x. I have been doing Crossfit through my whole IP journey and I really can't rave about xfit enough. It has literally changed the shape of my body. I hope you love it as much as I do. You will not get a better workout than xfit!

♫♫HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, CAT, ON WEDNESDAY!!!♫♫

Hello all...
Just wanted to say hi and assure everyone I'm still here, just not very...peppy. I had TOM visiting last week and refused to step on the scale at WI, I believe the words I used were "I'm *****y and bloated and I don't need that thing upsetting me." lol Week 2 of Phase 2 and I'm down to 157.6, 38-29-36. One more week of Phase 2 then on to Phase 3....I get to meet with the district leader next week so that would be the time to ask questions about phasing off. The biggest thing I think is that I'm not a fan of breakfast so after phase 3, I'd like to discuss options. Perhaps even just having a protein shake to start my day...who knows. Take care!!

I'm in the same boat with TOM. Good luck with the next phase. I too would be happy with a shake for breakfast everyday.

Is this right?
 

Hi...
Just a question, anyone else use a calorie counter online (not so much for the calories though)??

I'm new to phase 3 and wanted to know...
Do these #'s look right for a phase 3 day?
Fat(g) Carbs(g) Sugar(g) Net C(g) Prot(g) KCals
31.04 93.09 19.11 67.49 83.51 963

My husband's cousin had triplets back in July. One came home a few weeks ago. One is doing great but the other has been up and down. Unfortunately, this afternoon he passed away. So sad. Keep his family in your parayers if you could.

I am still thinking about my options tonight. Well, I'm just starting to really think it through to be honest. I've had so much homework the past few days that I came home and buckled down on that so I haven't had much time to think about myself. I will let you know what I decide tomorrow. I'm really leaning in one direction for various reasons but I have to make sure it's what is right for me at the moment.

I so know how you feel! You have a plan, you can do it. phase off like planned and regroup after vaca. That break might be just what you need!


Oh man! You and Wuv might be neck and neck for BEST NSV EVER! :D

Sorry for your loss.

Hopefully once you make a decision, you will start to feel less stressed and feel a little bit of the inner peace :)

I'm still working on getting Phase 3 right, too, :) so maybe just some observations.

Since we don't do net carbs I'm assuming that net means about 26 g fiber? That's great although, if you're used to 10-12, you might want to ease into that number. By my reckoning, 83 grams of protein is way low, by at least 25, much more with 8 ounces of meat/fish for lunch and dinner. And also I'm not quite sure how you get 93 grams of carbohydrates if breakfast is limited to 50 g. But maybe I'm reading your numbers wrong. :o I sure hope someone else chimes in.

It'sAbout, I'm so sorry about the little one and what the family must be going through.

Ok chicks, I'm sure you were all on pins and needles and losing sleep so I thought I better come on and tell you what I've decided. ;)


After thinking hard and talking with my sister in law and the hubby I have decided to pull my head out of my bum and finish strong. There is no reason someone can stick to a program to a T for about 5 months and then let it all go to he!!. I am pretty sure the reason I've let some things slip in that I wouldn't have thought of before is because of the small losses I've been experiencing the past few weeks. I wasn't mentally prepared to go from losing 10+ pounds a month to 5. I was in never never land thinking that it would go just as planned all the way up until the end. I never factored in the fact that my body hasn't been here in over 15 years and it just may hold on for a bit and try to play catch up. I never thought about how tough it would be in the end. I know the more you have to lose the faster it comes off but I guess I was thinking since in my eyes I still have quite a bit to lose, it wouldn't start slowing down this soon. I am not happy where I am. I am happier than where I was but just not THERE yet. I am a natural worryer. That won't go away. But, once again, I am going to try to do myself a favor and not step on the scale every day. I don't need more to stress about. I'm having issues with my sister and I'm in the last few weeks of this semester in school so that keeps me stressed enough! I tell myself I know there will be fluctuations but I still let them bother me sometimes.

So, long story long ;), I am going to do phase 1 for about a week and start phase 2 again the 24th for 2 weeks and then move to phase 3 on December 8th so I am in maintenance for my trip. When I was talking to my sil one of the main factors, besides wanting to see just how much more I can lose before then, is just plain being scared of phase 3. :dizzy: I need the next few weeks to research that as much as I can.

Thanks for all of the help with this. And the thoughts and prayer for hubby's family. Something like that really makes my weight loss troubles look minimal. :(

Oh, and I am back to where I was last Thursday so I may actually get a loss tomorrow! Crossing my fingers for even the slightest bit and maybe I can finally hit that 50 pound mark I've been waiting forever for.

Thanks for remembering Sandy! :)