Brenda, I have your exact same breakfast 6 out of 7 days, down to the whole grain sunflower seed/flax toast!!! LOL

If you go to the phases stickies, there is a PDF that explains phase 3 and has 5 examples of breakfasts at the end. They are called "the all American", " the country boy" , etc. I cannot find my sheet yet but it had those 5 plus 5 more. The PDF explains phase 3 really well.

Brilliant minds think alike! Today I really wanted fresh blueberries so bit the bullet and paid the $5 %#>€[?!!! dollars for a pint of them. Soooooooo good.

Hi y'all. I'm still alive and kicking. So much going on in and around my life these days, it's so hard keeping up! Officially in maintainence! Completed Phase 3 last Thursday...it was a piece of cake (pun intended). It's not that difficult so don't over think it....just enjoy! I did go up a few pounds as expected but I'm sure they will disappear as soon as my body settles into this new routine. I still have a few pounds left to lose and will jump back into Phase 1 at the end of January to forever get rid of the final 15. I really needed to take this break. 55 pounds is a lot to lose so quickly and my 51 year old body let me know it needed some adjusting. Currently in physical therapy to strengthen my left leg muscles and lower my right hip.....it's working but the underlying condition with my left knee will most likely require surgery next year. I hope I can put it off until after my son's wedding in May. Just wanted to say Hi ...been awhile since I've been on the site and I have lots of catching up to do. Stay strong everyone.....just wanted to let you know there is a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel! :-)

Morning all. Day 2 of Phase 3 and I'm finding these breakfasts too much food. I have been uncomfortably full, but the upside is that it keeps me full for quite a long time.

Looking forward to a week or two of Phase 4 and then back on Phase 1.

Have a great day all!

Not gonna lie, been living on saltine crackers today. Well, I had some yesterday also. That and a banana. This morning I did get down some special k with protein and a banana but for lunch it's crackers. Nothing sounds good so I don't know what else to do. Ugh!

I must be the only one still posting here. :(

I have to admit, I hate phase 3. I'm sure being sick has made it worse but I just don't like it. I hate eating that much at breakfast. I hate that even after the flu the past few days and not even eating probably 300 calories I am up to a number I haven't seen in a couple of weeks. I hate complaining but I can't wait to be done with phase 3. I'm very glad it's only 14 days and I'm almost halfway there.

I'm seriously pi$$ed off this morning. I haven't been eating much of anything. Yes, I had some crackers and I shouldn't have but I could't stomach anything else. HOW does one gain? I'm now back up 1.8 from last Thursday. I guess I'm not oneof the lucky ones who will lose in phase 3 if I can't even lose while sick. Bummed out!

Oh Lynsey, you will be done with phase 3 in no time and off to maintenance.

I sure hope your are feeling better, I am about ready to head off to the maintenance thread myself. Yesterday was busy, busy, busy!! Had to go to school early to make frosting for our gingerbread houses, get everything ready to go, and then had a roomful of parents and grandparents to help with the project. I was asleep early.

Hang in there!

Hazards of Weighing yourself Everyday
 

Lynsey, you have to quit stressing, that causes weight gain as well. By now you shouldn't let the scale bother you, you know you fluctuate from day to day. And enjoy phase 3 while you are there maintenance is SO much harder then anything else. You want your pancreas to start properly so continue with those big breakfasts just break them up a little you have to consume everything in the hour but don't panic... What are you having for breakfast? I found yogurt, fruit toast and peanut butter just enough... try switching up what you are eating.

Have a great day.

I have been switching it up every day so far has been something different. I haven't yet found anything that doesn't make me miserable. I do take about 45 minutes to eat it most days too. I know I didn't gain 2 pounds of fat so I'm not "stressing" but I just don't get it. I made my coffee with a little bit of shake this morning and couldn't handle it, not sure why, so I hope I'm able to drink that again once this flu is completely gone.

I see now I will be one of the "lucky" ones who has to go under goal when I restart next month so I can maintain where I want to be.

no you aren't one of the only ones... I SHOULD have as well as my weight fluctuates SO much from week to week, I haven't seen the 140s since starting maintenance... not sure why but I really have to be careful what I eat as I do NOT want to go out of control again. must admit am a little freaked out, I just have to figure out what my body doesn't really like... I am thinking it is most carbs... as I love bread I have cut that back as well as the peanut butter as that is a REAL bad thing for me. You just have to continue trying things to see what will work for you. IT isn't going to be easy but we do learn from it evey day.

Lynsey- I didn't lose in P3 either, and you do need to stop stressing about it. Phase 3 is not a weight loss phase- plain and simple. Yes, some people do lose some weight on P3, but Phase 3 is not about losing weight. It is about waking up your pancreas so that you can do maintenance properly.

You will get used to the breakfast. Yes, it is a lot of food in the beginning, but after a while, you come to look forward to it and it satiates you for the whole day. If you keep with it, you will even find that you are hungry for it.

And saltines- can you say "sodium"??? And you know, as well as anyone, that even the most miniscule things make us fluctuate from day to day. I bounce around between 132 and 134 all the time. As long as I stay under 135, I know I am good to go and do not need to take preventative action.

I know you are under the weather right now, but when you get back to healthy, just take it one day at time, do P3 properly and enjoy it. Don't worry about losing any weight. Besides, your body is still shifting even if you aren't losing pounds. Heck, my body is still trying to settle into a good spot, and it has been more than a month since I began P3.

Right now, just focus on feeling better. Eat what you can handle, and don't worry about any scale fluctuations. :)

I know it's not supposed to be a weight loss phase but I guess I was hoping since I'd seen so many do well and keep losing that I would too. I also haven't seen many gain that 3-5 pounds or whatever so when my scale went up right away I was shocked even though I knew it was more than likely coming. I will just keep trucking and hope for the best before I start again. I just realized I will only be in maintenance exactly 2 weeks so I hope I can maintain or at least stay near the weight I am now so I don't have a ton to lose again come January. Crossing my fingers for 20 tops. (Even with the gain I am at 17.4 from my new goal today.)

Ok where is the old old experienced thread? The only person I recognize is Linden! Hope everyone is doing well!

Hi, Jency, and a HUGE congratulations on the 101 loss. What a satisfying number that must be! If you come over to the re-starting thread, you may see some old friends. Others have phases off or, sigh, just slipped off into the ether. I'll bump it for you.

Determinedat47....sorry...I am kinda dumb with this website....I don't know what the stickies are or how to get to the phases stickies:( Please explain!

Lindsey, so sorry you aren't feeling well. Hope tomorrow is better for you.
I didn't do well my first day on phase 3, I had a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and felt miserable the rest of the day. Queasy. Since then, I've enjoyed greek yogurt and a pnut butter and banana sandwich every morning, with half and half in my coffee. I did have cereal one day with something else, I can't remember now. I love this phase! I am really full the rest of the day and only eat lunch, dinner, and my snack because I am supposed to. I'm not starving for it. Honestly, I wish I could stay in phase 3 forever and still enjoy a cheat day every week. I guess it doesn't work that way though. I have no idea if I've lost or gained. I go for WI tomorrow. I don't really have any clothes that fit. The only jeans I have are sz 10 and they were too big when I started phase 3. They are still too big. I'm sure the main reason you aren't really having fun in this phase is because you seem to have gotten sick at the same time you started it. I really hope you get better soon so you can enjoy breakfast.

I'm wondering why one can't? Too much food? Not the right distribution? The reason I'm asking is if the answer to the above is yes then my thinking is way off. In 4 I'm eating a slightly modified 3, I don't need 50 g of carbs to spike my insulin, and I kind of thought that was what I should be doing?

As an aside, the reaction I got when I went into 3 has to have been from wheat and gluten. I've found an organic bakery that makes a sourdough spelt bread that is the archetype of what you think of when you think deep dark dense German bread. It is probably the best bread I've ever eaten. :carrot: What a lovely happy ending. :D I'm having some right now with a goat cheese studded with mustard seeds and a drip-down-to-your elbow ripe pear.

I MADE IT! I AM NOW IN MAINTENANCE! I lost .5 at my last phase 3 weigh in and am ready to maintain! Woohoo!!!

Hi all. Had a wrench thrown into my Phase 3 plans -- I thought I was feeling sick from too much food on the Phase 3 breakfasts, but I wound up having to be taken to the hospital by ambulance the other night. Some sort of virus is running through these parts.

So yesterday I ate some Costco chicken soup and today am all bloated. I am not sweating it. Will resume things when I'm feeling better.

Congrats Sandy way to go...

there is a horrible flu going around it is like the norwalk but worse I hear.... get better soon.

Good for you! Good luck with maintenance!

I hear ya! I had it something fierce. Food STILL doesn't sound good but I'm making myself eat. I haven't been able to stomach my fav coffee/shake so I've been having green tea in the morning instead. I really hope I'm able to drink that again because I had had a big cup in the afternoon before I got sick and I get food aversions bad when I throw up. I can go up to 5 years not being able to eat something after getting the flu. It's crazy!


I'm up even more this morning. Bummed still but trying not to stress. Weigh in is tomorrow and there is no way I will be back to where I was last week. I thought it was sodium from the crackers but I drank enough water yesterday to float away so that should've been gone by now. I was up to 153.4 which I haven't seen since sometime back in November. I really thought phase 3 would bring me into the 140s for some silly reason.

On a positive note, I'm swimming in the shirt I'm wearing today and I had to punch a new hole in my favorite brown belt because it's too big. That's something I guess.

Here's my positive note from being so sick -- when the paramedics asked me how much I weighed I wasn't totally humiliated.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

Isn't that the truth! Good for you!

Congratulations Sandy!!!!!! Please, please, please come to the maintenance thread and continue to post!! Same goes for all of you in Phase 3- Rainbowmom, lessoflynsey (I know you come & visit now and again ;)), Paint Lady (and you can keep eating Phase 3 style but really the biggest changes are real salad dressing at lunch and maaayyybbee a carb of some sort in the evening in Phase 4). It seems there is a huge temptation to just go off and spread your wings and fly away (especially cause it's Christmas time). But any recipes you might develop for Phase 4, any food finds that you make that are maintenance suitable, anything that causes adverse reactions, what you're making for supper tonight- it's all appreciated! Because when we let each other know what's working and what's not and to help out with variety to stave off the ever looming boredom it all helps. And I am going to get really really really cheesy here be prepared- united we stand divided we fall.

I'm gonna be sticking around for a while. I'm not posting as much lately because things are busy, but I need the advice. And I will definitely be posting my food ideas, etc. I read here much more than I post here.
One more week in phase 3 and I'll be in maintenance!! So excited!

So good to see you are doing so well! that is very encouraging.

Pat

Well, it's official. I am up 2.2 this morning. Up for the first time in over 6 months. I'm super bummed. This is the only week I haven't eaten out in over a month. I had the flu. I started running again. And a gain.

Hate to be a chronic complainer but after seeing all the good losses it's hard not to be upset. Especially when you were right on and doing exactly what the diet said to do.

Hello, so my coach officially put me on Phase 2 starting today however she accidentally gave me phase 3 sheet.

I know that I just have a real protein for lunch as well but is it 8oz like the dinner? The phase 3 sheet she gave me must be old and still lists the 5oz.

Yes, 8 ounces. And good show!

Great, thank you Linden!

Sounds like you are losing inches, not pounds. Same thing happened to me in P3.

I think there was some talk about eating mostly P3 style in maintenance in this thread. But that is pretty much the way I eat during the week, and then follow the maintenance protocol (with some flexibility) on the weekends. My typical weekday looks like this:

B: Standard P3- 2 eggs, apple w/ 1T. peanut butter, 1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt, 3/4c. granola mixed in yogurt. 1 cup coffee (with cream!!!)

L: Big salad with lots of veggies, 8 oz. lean protein and 2T. Good Seasons salad dressing (the real stuff!!!)

S: Pure Protein or Detour Bar

S: (post workout) EAS shake for recovery

D: Same as lunch, but sometimes add in a small sweet potatoe or rice if I want it.

Then on the weekends I am a little more lienient and will have some carbs even it is with a snack or if we are going out to dinner, I will have a carb. It is a little bit harder for me because I am highly intolerant of wheat and wheat gluten, so it really limits what carbs I can eat. But yes, I do find that eating P3 during the week really works for me in maintenance. And it is nice to know that if I do want the carb at dinner, I can have it!

Messed up -- what do I do?
 

So, I started Phase 3 and felt really sick. I thought that it was from too much food at one time and foods I wasn't used to. Could have been some of that, but I have also had some sort of stomach virus that sent me to the hospital the other night.

Anyway, last night I decided to indulge a little -- I ate rice at dinner (trying to stop some of the virus symptoms) and then really went off the rails and ate cookies.

I decided to just go back to Phase 3 today and ate some eggs/egg whites with a little feta cheese and 1/2 a piece of flax/sunflower toast.

Should I have done a Phase 1 day today?

So confused and still not feeling well.

I would continue with phase 3.

That's what I wound up doing. Still too much food for me. Scale is up, which is pretty impossible, given that my calorie intake is still low. I'm chalking it up to fluid retention and whatever this stupid illness is. My stomach is really bloated and I think I'm still retaining water from the IV fluids I had in the hospital.

Blech.

Hope everyone has a great day.

I found something I think is special, so decided to pass it along to you guys. Before IP, I consumed massive amounts of coffee daily, with sugar and non-dairy creamer, flavored creamers, etc. The thicker my coffee, the better! Well, on IP, I only used splenda in my coffee. I never cared for the taste of adding any of the shakes to my coffee. They just didn't thicken them up like I wanted. Now, I can add half and half to my morning coffee and I do. I also found a product called Caffe D'Vita sugar free mocha cappuccino. It's with the instant coffees. It is sweetened with splenda and it contains no hydrogenated oil (that's what makes non-dairy creamer so bad!). A serving size is 2 tsp. Calories: 35, Carbs: 4, Fat: 2. I only add 1/2 tsp to my morning coffee, so get 1/4 of those stats listed above. Roughly 10 calories, 1 carb, 1/2 gram of fat. It thickens my coffee and gives a subtle mocha flavor to it. I really love this stuff. I make sure that it fits in to my breakfast stats equation.
There are recipes on the back of the can for iced mocha capp and hot capp. I haven't tried those recipes, because I don't want to give up any of my food for breakfast, but I imagine they taste good.

good to know I love iced capps... I will have to see if it is available in canada, and if not it will be something for my list for my sister to find for me in Montana.

Thanks a whole bunch for taking the time to be so explicit. I'm sorry I missed you post yesterday. :hug: