New England: I have changed my goal weight a few times. I would just go with what you are happy with.

Cajun: Convenience food is fast and easy and usually not good for you. I am making to diligently making and planning healthy foods! Thanks for the support.

Thanks to all of you for your support. I am back being positive. I did eat to-go teriyaki chicken..which may have had too much sugar or salt...so it was back to Phase 1 this am.

Darb: Good job on not gaining on the cruise and getting in so much walking! You did well with all of that wonderful cruise food.

Pixl: Thanks for the good tips on eating out and to go. It really is nice to be papmpered and not cook some nights. Hope your Phase is going well this week.

I'm sure this has been asked this before but I'm wondering if anyone used the Paleo plan for maintance? I can't eat wheat as it causes me to gain large amounts quickly.I also get sinus problems from dairy. I just got the Paleo cookbook and it looks very doable.

Pat

My regular diet is pretty much paleo. I will go back to that when I reach my goal again.
I also don't think I will ever be able to eat much wheat or grains if I want to maintain. And they make me feel terrible.

Good Morning,

Lost the pounds I gained on vacation plus a few more by doing a reboot on phrase one. Noticed something different although and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? When I was doing phrase one the first time at 280 pounds I could only sleep about five hours at night - this time at a much lower starting weight sleeping was no problem. I remember reading on the boards that people who start at a weight above 250 should be taking four packets not three because three will not provide enough protein and something about serotin reduction ? Hopefully, I will never be in the 250+ club again but wondering if that is true?

Hi Endless.. That is great about losing your vacation weight on the reboot! I started at 242 and did not do 4 packets a day..My coach did not mention anything like that. Glad you are sleeping better now...I still have trouble sleeping but I do not think it is my diet..just age!

Pat..I have read many blogs about people doing very well on Paleo..I cannot see why it wouldn't work for maintenance. It is healthy and low carb. Hope staying away from wheat makes you feel better! I usually only have dairy once a day..

Originally Posted by Maile:
Pat..I have read many blogs about people doing very well on Paleo..I cannot see why it wouldn't work for maintenance. It is healthy and low carb. Hope staying away from wheat makes you feel better! I usually only have dairy once a day..

I'm going to check out Paleo. Thanks for the information everyone.

Ate well,last night, but it was take out Chinese so today I'm paying with those sodium pounds. Grrr. Going phase 1 today.

Same thing happened to me when I ate take out teriyaki..up the next day..suffered with Phase 1 the next also.

Sparkpeople has teams with Paleo people or Wheat belly Diet.

I just read an interesting article on Food Combining. Some food comibnations are easy to digest.are quickly broken down, and the nutrients are assimilated. Others combinations can be a digestive disaster producing gas, bloating and other GI discomforts.

Proper food combining means that you no longer need to take medications for digestive health. Benefits are: 1) Less bloating, stomach pain and gas
2)Less heartburn, 3 Better absorbption of nutients and better nourished boday and better immune system. 4 Younger looks because porrly digested foods generate toxins that contribute to a dull complexion and a bloated body. 5) weight control because properly combined foods are assimilated and metabolized better..not stored as fats.

6 Rules:
1. Eat animal protein with non starchy vegetables. Eating starch vegetables coats the protein foods with sugars and creates AGEs which cause inflammation. Good: fish with stir fry..avoid: chicken and rice, pasta and meat.

2. Eat grains and grainlike seeds with starchy or non starch vegs. Grainlike seeds are better as they have no gluten: Good: brown rice and stirfry, potato with green salad. Avoid: beef hamburger on wheat bun. Pizza with pepperoni.

3. Consume fruit and fruit juices alone and 30 mins before a meal...or combined with a protein-fat or green salad. Good blueberries in yogurt with walnuts> avoid: eggs, oj, and toast..avoid strawberries on cereal.>Yikes.

4. Combine fats and oils with any foods.

5, Combine protein-fats with protein fats. Smoothie made with cucumber, celery, zuccini, avocado, almonds, yogurt. Avoid grilled cheese sandwich or yogurt with cereal.

6. Combine beans with non starchy vegetables: Good black beans with onions, garlic, celery kale...avoid beans and rice.

www.Bodyecology.com/foodcombiningchart BookThe Body Ecology Diet: Rediscovering Your health and Rebuilding Your Immunity.

So I am going to investigate this. I wondered if it would help with the bloating that people experience. I am not giving up my yogurt and cereal or fruit and cereal. Fruit and yogurt are OK..yet no cereal. It seems to want carbs eaten only with vegetables. ???

Maile, that is interested but complicated! But if I wrote it down it would be easier to check.

I notice that you all go to phase one frequently after you have a meal that puts you up a bit. Do you have a supply of IP packets in reserve for those days or do you use alternatives or something else?

Also reading about going back to phase 1 after a bit higher day made me think of some research I read about a while ago. it concluded that people did just as well with dieting every second day. That is having a regular day , not a binge one day and then totally on plan the next. I'm not sure about that for weight loss but sounds feasible for maintenance.

OK I have been trying to have a once a week binge but have failed miserably! I like the way I am eating. Sure, I am now eating fruit, whole grains but avoiding carbs with fat, more or less. But last night I finally cut loose. A surprise restaurant with awesome Vietnamese food. I have no idea what or how much I ate last PM but I know it was a lot. I did avoid the white rice , but fell for not 1, not 2 but 3 helpings of garlic noodles. I didn't feel great afterwards, so this AM P1, lunch P1 but dinner will be a challenge as I am going out to a friends who is a vegetarian so I bet she will do some sort of pasta. Oh well, I didn't gain so I guess I should be happy.

My question is when you do your cheat day is it one meal or the whole day?

wondering if any of you could answer a question. i am just starting phase 3 and i was wondering if you can still use the protein supps. instead of meat or eggs w/ breakfast. so much easier and quicker as i get up at 2:30 am and do not want to get up earlier just to eat, yikes. any help is appreciated, thank you. also first day and i felt stuffed all day :(

what is critical about P3 is a good breakfast. The rest is fine, or so my coach told me.

update, found my answer after some looking. thanks to you all.

Originally Posted by Maile:
Same thing happened to me when I ate take out teriyaki..up the next day..suffered with Phase 1 the next also.

Sparkpeople has teams with Paleo people or Wheat belly Diet.

I just read an interesting article on Food Combining. Some food comibnations are easy to digest.are quickly broken down, and the nutrients are assimilated. Others combinations can be a digestive disaster producing gas, bloating and other GI discomforts.

yes, that is complicated. I find I am not bloated when I avoid wheat.
For example, last night I decided to have a cheat meal because a) I am being good, and b) I am committing to another week of phase 1/2 to get some more weight off. (experimenting). I expected to feel terrible because we went to Wildfire and I decided eat half the gluten free bread roll, had three French fries, and ate a tiny bit of the mashed potatoes that came with my meal. I felt full, but not disgusting. And I didn't have that full feeling that I normally get when I have bread. I also had wine. Perhaps a little too much wine... But, I had fun.

Btw, for those with gluten issues, Wildfire is great. They have a whole gluten free menu and take allergies very seriously.

Originally Posted by patns:
Maile, that is interested but complicated! But if I wrote it down it would be easier to check.

I notice that you all go to phase one frequently after you have a meal that puts you up a bit. Do you have a supply of IP packets in reserve for those days or do you use alternatives or something else?

I still have some IP packets, and I have Nashua oatmeal for my breakfasts.

Originally Posted by Calypso:
OK I have been trying to have a once a week binge but have failed miserably! I like the way I am eating. Sure, I am now eating fruit, whole grains but avoiding carbs with fat, more or less. But last night I finally cut loose. A surprise restaurant with awesome Vietnamese food. I have no idea what or how much I ate last PM but I know it was a lot. I did avoid the white rice , but fell for not 1, not 2 but 3 helpings of garlic noodles. I didn't feel great afterwards, so this AM P1, lunch P1 but dinner will be a challenge as I am going out to a friends who is a vegetarian so I bet she will do some sort of pasta. Oh well, I didn't gain so I guess I should be happy.

My question is when you do your cheat day is it one meal or the whole day?

It depends. In the beginning, I was in my weight zone and I had done the diet for seven months straight. So... My cheat day was a whole day and i went nuts.

Now... I am slightly over my weight zone (partly because of bad December, partly because I've been doing Pilates and built up more muscle) and now I get a cheat meal only.

Also, my regular way of eating has evolved. In the beginning, I did a lot of planning/cooking with low fat meals that included pasta, quinoa, etc. Now, I tend to stick more with low carb so that I don't have to worry about the fat so much.

So, when I not rebooting, I do a fantastic phase 3 breakfast, phase 2 lunch with perhaps added cheese or avocado, and then a regular phase 1 type dinner with perhaps added cheese, additional oil, or salad with extra goodies. the big difference is that I don't worry about veggies at dinner and we can have carrots, potatoes, or sweet potatoes.

Cutting out wheat completely has really helped cut down on the dinner carbs. There are a few pastas that are ok, but I find that the two pieces of gluten free toast in the morning are enough to feel like I'm eating carbs without feeling deprived. Then I can have some starchy veggies (a little) and feel like I'm eating "normally".

Originally Posted by patns:
Maile, that is interested but complicated! But if I wrote it down it would be easier to check.

I notice that you all go to phase one frequently after you have a meal that puts you up a bit. Do you have a supply of IP packets in reserve for those days or do you use alternatives or something else?

Also reading about going back to phase 1 after a bit higher day made me think of some research I read about a while ago. it concluded that people did just as well with dieting every second day. That is having a regular day , not a binge one day and then totally on plan the next. I'm not sure about that for weight loss but sounds feasible for maintenance.

Patns: If you go to that web site it has a chart to print. ..However, I agree it is complicated and does it really work?
If I am up a few pounds I eat a Phase 1 breakfast only..usually crispy cereal. Then I eat p2 meals the rest of the day..no carbs..snack..I eat my 100 calorie almonds. It usually works. I don't use other packets.
I think whatever plan works is fine..I tend to think of my days as eating on plan..then cutting back a day or two if I go up.