Fan-Freaking-Tastic! Could not be more true!!!! I find myself currently in Stage 4... This should be a sticky "The stages of Phase 1"

I'm so laughing.......with you, not at you :) " Momma said there'd be days like this." You know the song.

[B]Paint lady-[B]
I howled for ten minutes after reading your phases of pase 1 post. This is exactly where I was/ am. I don' t post much because I am usually exasperated by the questions that that been posted so many times. There are people who have posted in the daily thread for 2-3 months and during that time the question of "why am I losing so slowly now at the end"? Has been asked by like 50 other people the entire time they have been on the site, but evidently they don't read others posts. The answer won't change! Very funny post- bravo- you will be maintaining before ya know it and posting fun tips we all can share.

Good morning all! I had a bad nite after an eleven hour day (workshop after school) just really tired and got into my restricteds items I had just bought and ate them at the workshop and kept on eating more when I got home!!! Yuck, yuck, yuck, I know, STAY OUT OF THE BARS! I mentally just was not in the game last night. Today is a new day. Isn't that what life is all about?

I am drinking my capachinno and planning my day.

Oh, btw, my coach said that I could switch breakfast to lunch in phase 3 if I still wanted to start my day with my capachinno. Anyone else been told this?

I like all of your posts!!! It is helpful to read about people in other Phases. I just finished Phase 2 and am heading to Phase 3.

2RIDEAROLLERCOASTER: I love to read about your dogs!!!!! Have you started the breakfasts yet?

Sandy..Good luck today on getting going. I am sure you were exhausted after such a long day. I hope your students are calmer than mine. Yesterday was wild hair day and it was madness! I have not heard about switching Phase 3 from breakfast.

:D You make me smile even though my mouth hurts! I'd say I'm in the same place as you.


Have a great day everyone!

The advice I was given is that it MUST be breakfast to kick start your pancreas in the am and have all day to process it. It's only 14 days :)

I've been eating too many bars as well - I'm traveling and they're great snacks but I need to plan better :)

Well, I stayed at 157 (from yesterday) so I'm down 1.8 for the week. I'm REALLY hoping for 2.2 next week so I can hit that big 50 mark.

I also lost another 2 inches so that's fantastic.

12 to go and 4 weeks until I have to move to phase 2 so, looks like I won't quite make it. I should be able to make it to the recommended 90% though since that's only 6 away. (I hope!)

I have a question about sizes. I know everyone is different but do you think I can go down at least 1 more size with this 12 pounds? I am not to my "completely in single digits" goal yet. :( Can 12 pounds really make that much of a difference?

Good morning all. Really enjoying this thread. It is so important (and healthy) for us to express ourselves…..the good and the bad. I woke up this morning and realized that I have finally made my decision. This Saturday I will begin Phase 2. How long I stay on this Phase is yet to be determined. My greatest hope is that my constant hunger will be quelled, my body will reward me with additional weight loss and I will rid myself of this constant pressure I’ve put on myself. After a few weeks (possibly more), I will gladly welcome Phase 3. I can taste that apple right now!

I know I’m not alone when it comes to trying to overcome the “fat girl” image we all have of ourselves. Thank you all for being so open and honest with your feelings. I honestly think THAT is what’s keeping me in Phase 1. Wearing my new size 12 black skinny jeans (my first ever pair of jeggings) today, and I was just told by a very young early 20’s co-worker how skinny I looked. I thanked her, stated that I still had a little ways to go (why do we even have to say that) and she responded with a “ whatever you do, you look absolutely fabulous”. Don’t know exactly why, but I drank that compliment in and it totally rejuvenated me. I’m not a fat girl anymore. While my BMI says I’m still OVERWEIGHT…I sure don’t look it. I might see a size 10 but I’m not holding my breath….I am a very tall woman.

I’m on the right path and thanks to outlets like this site/thread, we all are finding our own “right” paths. Thanks again to all (and you know who you are) for being a part of my journey. With the upmost of sincerity, I really could not have gotten as far as I have without you all. I’ll be around, mostly lurking here and there and piping up every now and then.

Onward and “downward”, my friends….onward and “downward”

Toodles ~ CAT

We are in the same boat and only rowing with one ore... I wander through my kitchen as well, what I do and I hope it helps you is I cook extra veggies for supper than about an hour later I have the rest of them... it is going over on the veg but at least it isn't cheating... I also wanted to say I have lost 100 lbs, but you know what I found out in the last couple of weeks? 90 and 94 is a lot of pounds lost too and we should be proud of that as well. I started the same time as you and it looks like we will start our maintenance journey together as well... Here is to you and all your hard work.:hug:

You couldn't have said this better, I wish we could post this somewhere where everyone would read it everyday... oh wait, most don't read the stickys... oh well I am printing it off for me! Thank you and you made my morning funny. Thank goodness we are getting humour back in this.

[QUOTE=Maile;4086716]I like all of your posts!!! It is helpful to read about people in other Phases. I just finished Phase 2 and am heading to Phase 3.

2RIDEAROLLERCOASTER: I love to read about your dogs!!!!! Have you started the breakfasts yet?

QUOTE] Maile, no breakfasts yet coach decided since I am losing in phase 2 to keep me here a little longer. don't know if next week is the week either... I have frozen my yogurt that I bought in preparation for breakfasts... now if I could just freeze my peanut butter that taunts me every time I prepare Kong treats for the furry girls in the morning for when I leave... Furry girls are good to have except when you have a cold and just want to sleep, my old girl woke me at 2 and at 3 and at 4, then the young one came to sleep with me and cause I rolled over at 430 they were both up thinking it was time for a walk... ended getting up at 4:50 so we could still get a walk in before work. Must have been a good morning because both of my cats wanted to come with us this morning so the 5 of us were out and walking.

:D:D you are so funny, good luck at getting your shipment... Have a good day, what is left of it for you...

Its about time - I think I read in one of the many threads that about every 20 lbs you go down a clothing size so those 12 lbs might just do it. Good luck and you know it is only a size, mine was single digits as well I would like to be a size 6 as well but I have a new attitude and this size looks good on me and I can go and try on clothing and not worry about it not fitting... I even had 3 test jeans size 8 that I couldn't do up when I hit the 8's I was going to send them to my sister, but I procrastinate a LOT... so just for funnzys I tried them on the other day all 3 fit, one a little tight but once I am toned I will be able to wear them really good... may be too old for these ones but who cares I can wear them walking the dogs.

Sandy - stay AWAY FROM THE BARS! I get a newsletter each month from my clinic and this week it talks about a emergency prepared bag to carry... I am going to post it tonight for you. (if I remember)...

I REALLY want 6s too. I would take 8s but 6s would make me more comfortable. I have a feeling I will have to start back up when I get back from San Fran. I am going to see what happens though. I have 4 weeks of phase 1, 2 weeks of phase 2, and 2 weeks of phase 3 yet to lose in so I may be ok. (As long as I'm as lucky as the others losing still in phase 2.)

Went down 2lbs yesterday. Was really hoping for 3 so that I'd be 165 and closer to the 50's. Next week hopefully!! I am travelling Sunday to Thursday and I do stay 100% OP when I travel every month but for some reason my weight loss seems to be lower that WI right after. I'll be weighing in on Thursday instead of Wednesday too so we'll see. 26lbs to go!

My hubby acts like he doesn't want to hear about the diet and actually gets half pi$$ed at me when I say anything about it but I just got a call from him that went like this:

Him: What the heck?
Me: Uh, what?
Him: I was worried you hit a deer or something because you haven't answered any of my texts.
Me: Oh crap! I left my phone in the arm of the recliner!
Him: Well, I thought maybe you had a bad weigh in this morning because I never got a text. (I text him my losses every week and he used to congratulate me and tell me how proud he was but now he doesn't even respond but I still do it.)
Me: Oh, so you do still read those. Nope, I lost 1.8 just got in a rush out the door and don't have my phone.
Him: OK, well, that's all I needed.

So, as much as he pretends to get mad, he really cares! And on a side note....I will be LOST without my phone today. I have a friend and a sister in law who will be texting me after their weigh ins and my sister may be texting me because she watches my girls before school and oh the list goes on and on. Everyone will think I'm a big jerk ignoring them.

LOVE THIS!!! It made me laugh so hard. That pretty much sums it up.

I have been in maintenance for 1 1/2 years and have recently (like as in the last 5 days) have restarted Phase 1. I gained about 10 lbs in the last 4 months or so and freaked out and refuse to let it go any further. I am in ketosis and it is much easier now. I look thinner and my pants are all fitting nice again. Slipped on my Old Navy size 10 khakis and they fit yesterday, so I'm not doing to shabby.

I've decided that since I have been this size now for 1 1/2 years that I have forgotten how big I used to be and now feel like I look fat again. Does that make sense? I try and look at my before picture but that was so long ago it doesn't even register. I have been a size 10/12 for 1 1/2 yrs but feel like I probably look like that tight 16 I used to be. It just shows that the mind plays so many tricks on us. I should be thrilled that I have maintained my weight loss, instead I now feel like I need more to feel good about myself again. Frustrating sometimes.......

LOVE THIS!!!! SO TRUE!!!LOVE THE BIG MAC BOWL LINE!! AND I DO DREAM ABOUT MY "FUN" DAY. I have even organized a list of places/items I plan to check off and go down the line those weekly fun days...ah, one day!

I'm glad I was able to give everyone a laugh. So, WI #12 for me was this morning. I have lost 42 lbs since I started IP. Was really prepared for another 1 lb loss, but I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 lbs gone. I think I did dance out of the clinic. They were out of the RTD choc again. They were out of it 2 weeks ago as well. *Shakes fist at my coach* Darn it! Order enough to keep it in stock!! She is seriously messing with my life here! So, I am trying the RTD vanilla. I hope it is good. I hope everyone is having a good day!
Sandy, STAY OUT OF THE BARS!!

It's About Time, I had a similar discussion about sizes with my sister this morning. There are a couple of sz 10 pants that I can wear and I have a few size 12's that I can wear right now. I'm short on clothes at the moment and don't really want to buy any just yet. My sister asked how much more I wanted to lose. My answer was 16 more and I'll see where I am then. I would love to be in a comfortable size 8, being able to fit into the generously sized 6's. I would be okay with that. Will that size be a weight of 160 for me? I don't know. The last time I weighed 160 was 12 years ago and I was a size 6 then. But my body is so different now and jeans are definitely not made the same anymore. I'm really trying hard not to get hung up on a certain weight, more a certain size I will be comfortable at. All that being said, I bet you do see a size change.

Those of you on phase 2 right now.....how long have you been in that phase, are you losing, is it going better than phase 1 towards the end?

Sorry if all of these questions have been asked. I'm seriously thinking about trying a week in phase 2 to see if I lose better. On the other hand, I'm scared of losing a week in phase 1 if I don't lose. Ugh! I wonder if I don't just need to eat more and phase 2 would be my answer. WWYD? Would it hurt to try? 12 pounds is a lot to lose in ohase 2 though isn't it? But then if I'm goin to lose 1.something in phase 1, why not save money and just go to 2? Help!

I hope so!

Okay so #1 you aren't getting more food (technically) as you are just replacing a packet with a meat/seafood protein...

Now I have been on phase 2 for about 1 month - 1 week they had me do phase 1 again. I have lost in Phase 2 and so far it is working for me, the week I was back in phase 1 was a very low loss or even a gain... can't remember... but for 17 days I have been on phase 2 for sure and lost 6 lbs.
Give it a try and if it doesn't work go back.

I see that a lot of you are talking about a size goal rather than a weight goal. That may be a good plan for me at this point. I am in size 6 pants and size 4 dresses quite comfortably and I still have 25 more lbs to lose. I wonder how tiny I would be if I actually got down there. That might be slightly frightening. Maybe I should just focus getting into size 4 pants and call that good.

We shall see!

I didn't read the thread about the cleanse before I actually went on it. I saw it the day I started and then was worried about how it may affect me. Surprisingly, it is going very well for me. After being more or less stalled in my weight loss I am starting to see the weight drop off again. I have also changed up my eating schedule which may be part of what is helping. I will keep you guys updated on my progress but so far it looks good!

I hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful day.

I meant "real" food I guess. I think I will start tomorrow and go until next Thursday's weigh in and just see what happens. Then I can replace my bars at night with a shake here and there too. We will call it an experiment and if I need to go back 1 next Thursday, so be it. I will do that for 3 more weeks and then HAVE to go to 2. I technically hit the 80% some coaches aim for today so moving shouldn't be a major thing. It's not what I had in the plans but sometimes things just have to be tweaked.

Good luck! I hope it works for you.
Lalison, you may wind up in kids' clothes if you don't watch out, lol!

Heck yes!!! I went from size 8 to 6 in 6 pounds and size 6 to some 4's in 4.
I wish I could tell you how many from 10 to 8, but I had all 12's in my closet and went right to 8's on my first shopping trip after losing 25#.

Just to add in....the height variable needs to be considered with how many pounds lost = clothing size change. What may hold true for a 5'-2" woman will not apply to a 5'-10" woman. With less than 20 pounds left to lose and size 12 comfortably fitting me, I doubt very seriously I will go lower than a size 10. One of the downfalls of having a tall stature.......:)

Always wanted to be tall, but took after my mom who was less that 5'5"... so I passed her but not by much... my sister is 5 8 and I always wanted to be as tall as her... oh well I like what I am now.

Yes, height AND body shape. I get slightly jealous when I hear people around my height and at my weight (or higher) who can comfortably squeeze into size 6. I have the widest hips in the world, and while I am now a "small" on tops, my hips are enjoying size 10 jeans (some 8's, but not all, so it doesn't count :P ) I'm not sure I can EVER fit into a size 4. I will be happy in a size 6 jeans (which I know I can be, since I used to be) For me, I know that the last 9 lbs will make a significant change in that area, because since about a week ago, I've noticed that's where I'm losing most of the weight now.. finally.

Very, very true. I didn't even think to look how tall...

One more thing I thought about that I wanted to add that has to do with the whole "paper towel" analogy. I think when you are heavier, it takes a lot more pounds to go down a size because 1-5 pounds doesn't show that much of a difference. The smaller you get, the more 1-5 pounds makes a huge impact on your body, which allows you to get into smaller sizes with less pounds lost.

Gika- I too notice that I am now finally losing the most inches off of my bottom half. For a long time, most of my inches were coming off of my waist and stomach area (as well as face and arms). Now I am seeing much bigger losses in my thighs and hips.

I don't know where you like to shop, but I am a "curvy" girl with a small waist and larger hips. A lot of stores are now carrying different "cuts" of pants, which really helps. For pants and jeans, I like to shop at Ann Taylor, Loft and Banana Republic. All 3 stores offer curvy cuts of pants which definitely help with the waist to hip ratio. If I were to try to buy a pair of pants that were straight cut, they would never fit right. I would have to get a pair to fit the hips, but then I would have 5" of room in the back of the waist. Even Target is now offering (6) different "Fits" for different body shapes. It is about time that these fashion designers started recognizing that we come in all shapes and sizes and it would be nice to find pants that flatter us! We can't all be blessed with being 5'10", a 22" waist and 28" hips. :D

Good morning everyone.

I had a great night, I ran home after work took the dogs for a walk ran home and ate then off to agility practice, where Rebel (Red Dog) was the star of the show and did everything the instructor wanted us to do... I think it helped that I tired her out in the walk and 1/2 hour practice (as she wasn't listening to me in practice) first.. then came home and both dogs slept pretty well, Jewel only woke me up at 130 and 3:00 for bathroom breaks, then got to sleep into the alarm at 5... going to be another busy day at work, dealing with blackberries that aren't working and fixing issues... have a great day all.

Jenny - I am hoping my last 10 would get rid of my waist nothing yet, but the good news an inch from my hips and 1/2 from my thigh... so it is still working and that is what counts.

Had my first phase 2 lunch today. It felt weird to be honest. I really wanted mt hot shake when I got to my desk. I don't feel any more full or anything so we will see if I'm still starving at 3:30 like I have been lately.

Tonight is my hubby's 30th bday party. I have been stressing over this darn thing for days so I can't wait to just relax with friends and enjoy the night.

I do some phase two days from time to time. I actually really enjoy eating the meat protein to the products but it certainly does take some getting used to. I hope it helps to jump start some weight loss for you again. Good luck tonight. You will do great!

As for me, the cleanse still seems to be going well. No adverse affects and I have lost a lb (really it is 4.5 lbs but the first 3.5 don't count since they were pounds I gained during my cheat). I am hoping that the lbs keep dropping but with my luck, I will probably stall instead.

I am MORE than ready for the 130's to get here. I feel like I have been stuck in the 140's for an exorbitant amount of time. EXORBITANT! I am hoping to be to goal by the beginning of January but the way my body moves that may not be possible. I am tentatively hopeful that it will happen for me.

I have to phase off starting at the beginning of January because I am moving to South Korea in February. I need the full month of January in order to phase off properly so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this weight comes off! Just twenty to twenty five more pounds!

Isn't it funny how we all lose so differently? My waist was literally dropping an inch every month in the beginning. I went from 31" waist to a 28" waist in 8 weeks! But my hips and thighs have been very slow moving, but now I am barely losing anything in my waist and my hips and thighs are picking up steam. I am a classic pear with a little bit of hourglass thrown in. I definitely carry my weight in my lower half.

Good morning all! I have had 3 bad days of eating "extra" restricted products each day and so I thought I'd better face the music and get on the scale. I LOST WEIGHT!!! Maybe it will catch up with me, I don't know, but it does give me the motivation to keep on going with IP Phase 2 which I will start today. My coach gave me the ok to start it and so I am going to put some chicken in the crockpot to cook. When I come back from my stamping class I will have a chicken breast, salad, and asparagus for lunch. I will miss my little pudding zuchinni muffins but I can make those tonight for my snack.

Have a great Saturday.

I think sometimes our bodies need a little something different. It's probably why you were craving them in the first place. Congrats! (but don't let it get out of control).

Excellent!!! I saw that happen with several people on here, your body need a little jolt.
If you can lose during the exhaustion of end of term and all the extra demands the job puts on you then you will do great long term. At least in my school board we have 3, not 4 terms. I used to have 4 terms way back and that was horrific.

Did you have your conference weekend yet? About 5 years ago I drove to Billings for the Rocky Mountain section of the IRA conference. There were so many different conferences going on, it was packed with teachers.
I had not lived in Alberta long then and didn't realize how far a drive it was. Too much Alberta between me and the border and too much Montana between the border and Billings. It was a weekend with extreme wind warnings, so that made it interesting. I definitely want to go make to Montana when if have more time, not just the time you get to go to a conference.

Yes, we had our convention last week and the big one was in Missoula, clear over on the other side of the state. It is 280 miles for me to drive south to Billings, I am waaaay closer to Canada (50 miles). I actually just had to do one day of workshops as I attended one this summer that they counted as it had to do with our new math curriculum.

ItsAboutTime....I read this in another thread with weight loss support posted by Buttercup 85 and I thought of you ...sorry its kinda long but it makes sense :)

Why The Scale Lies...

We've been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the scale.

A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content.

That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It's a matter of mind over scale.

Thanks Lisa! It's always nice to remind myself of these things.

Had my first Phase 2 day. I can't believe that I wasn't hungry at 3 pm!! Now I am making my butterscotch pudding muffins for my snack. I am thinking I like phase 2!