2ride..It was so good to hear from you. I know you are struggling with the 7 pounds up and down each week...but even while trying to figure out what you need to eat, you are still very consciously and mindfully aware of what you are eating. You are still weighing yourself and focusing on trying to be healthy. You are in a totally different positive place than you were a year ago.
Have a great Easter..at least those eggs will be gone tomorrow!

I am sorry about the government cut backs. It is scary..plus your new boss does not seem so nice. We are in negotiations for a new contract..We have been losing money for the last 5 years..no cost of living. insurance up.

Sunnymae: It is good to post here..I believe the same thing..when I go into hiding is when I get into trouble. Hope your freakout over the 130 puts you back on track. There is no doubt about it..It is very very hard to stay on track.

I keep telling myself..new habits..new results. I cannot go back to my old habits.

Have a wonderful Passover and Easter everyone.

Good morning everyone and big hugs to all of you that are struggling. We are having dinner at my parents' house tonight. My sister also is in maintenance and she and I planned the food for tonight. No worries there. Tomorrow, we are going to a crawfish boil at my FIL's house, where I think I will wind up having to use up my cheat day. That's ok though. You know, when I first started maintenance, I went hog wild on my cheat days. I ate as much as I possibly could in a 12 hour period because I knew the next day would be phase 1 and I would have to wait a week to be able to eat again. Sometimes I would be so queasy, but still trying to fit in some ice cream or something similar. The next day, I would still be sorta ill, so phase 1 was easy. Now, I eat what I want on my cheat day, but it's not so overboard. A week goes by so fast. Before you know it, it's cheat day again. I eat what I want, which isn't binge eating anymore and I'm so thankful for that. I don't feel guilty for eating it.
I think the majority of us are trading in obsessive eating for obsessive worrying about eating. Before, we would binge, and then feel guilt. Now, we eat a piece of bread and obsess over the scale and still feel guilt. This has to stop. I respect and admire all of us for taking this weightloss journey. We have much to be proud of. I think it's good to be aware of what we are eating and how we are burning the calories, but I don't think it's healthy for us to be so obsessive over it.
I challenge each of you to this: Let's only weigh ourselves once a week for a month. It can be whatever day of the week you choose and you don't have to share it here. I will weigh the morning of my planned cheat day and no more. Lets try to listen to our bodies more and worry about the scale less.

I understand that those just starting maintenance may feel uncomfortable doing this. You are likely still finding out what you can eat and can't eat. I get that. This challenge is mainly for those of us struggling with our brains right now. I read a story online a couple of days ago. It was about people who were addicted to struggle. I have friends like this. They really aren't happy unless there is constant turmoil and battles to face. I don't want to be like that. I hate to struggle. I like to be peaceful and content, lol. That's what I want to be now and I want all of us in this thread to be that way.
Sorry for the wall of text!

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I am in the beginning of maintenance. I don't weigh myself yet - too stressful. I really look forward to when this is as routine as Phase 1 became, so I can direct energies towards something beyond what is the best food to have, and dealing with stress in ways other than eating. Learn (and relearn) as you go, I guess....

[QUOTE=Paint Lady;4284095]
I think the majority of us are trading in obsessive eating for obsessive worrying about eating. Before, we would binge, and then feel guilt. Now, we eat a piece of bread and obsess over the scale and still feel guilt. This has to stop.

Wow...Paint Lady...I hear you on that. Moderation obviously was not in many of our lives or we wouldn't have landed up here! After a while I think we can be unburdened by the compulsive behavior if we continue to flex that moderation muscle...but it does take time. I figure I'm only 14 months into maintenance which can't possibly undo years of unhealthy behavior...but man..it does lighten up and it's beautiful when we get into the zone. I'm so grateful.

I think I needed a mini slip and warning from the "ghost of weight gain past" AND "future" if I'm not careful. (For those of you who didn't see my post late last night....I lost my mind in Margherita and nacho land...probably had a cup of sugar and enough salt for a whole salt licks worth of deer. Up to 130.9 (nightmare) and thank goodness back to 127.4 this morning after a ph2 type day yesterday. Good news....the solutions work!!! I have knowledge and tricks and an understanding of metabolism that continues to blow me away when I apply the rules.
Think I needed a "moment" so I could re-appreciate what I accomplished here along with this amazing group, and never take the weight loss for granted.

Have a great day everyone and thanks for being here. You are all amazing!!

Amen sister! I'm in. Here is my plan...This weekend is going to be a free weekend, just too much yummyness going on, but I will try not to go overboard. M will be P1. Tues I will see how I am FEELING and either do P1 or P4 and go from there. I think my P4 days are best at 50-75 net grams of carbs and 1400 calories. I don't get into the carbs at breakfast or dinner really, I only crave baked goods and will just have to wait until free day for that. I am doing an 8 week challenge with some friends, so weigh-in day will be Thursday, which is perfect because then I can evaluate whether I need to be strict on Thurs and Fri again before the next free day on Saturday. Thanks for the motivation, Paint!

Hi, I had high cholesterol before beginning IP and within 7 weeks it dropped from 289 to 202 (ratio of good vs. bad wasn't that great..but I need to work on that with some exercise and healthy fats). I'm at the end of P2 and just had my blood work done to see where my cholesterol is...

So, I had a real eye opener...all during P1 I was thinking how great it will be to eat what I want one day a week (not binging (except for my first one or two fun days) but enjoying cheese pizza, chocolates, ice cream, cookies, chips etc, and maybe something fried in moderation).

Then I talked to a friend who has been in maintenance (and doing well) for over a year. He told me his cholesterol went up and he's on the verge of needing to go back on medicine... The light went off! I can't eat what I want one day a week..I can have a little extra something but not everything I was considering! Oh, and i was considering having the "All American" breakfast everyday! NOT! I can't eat bacon, real eggs and real cheese everyday! My cholesterol will skyrocket!

So, tomorrow is my first P2 day and I have turkey bacon, low fat swiss cheese, egg whites (which are my fav) along with the other P3 breakfast foods...(I'm not a yogurt fan.)

I realized it's not just looking thin that will force me to eat healthy it's my concern to keep my cholesterol in check that will force me to eat healthy. I do not want to go on a statin...I did for three weeks and a large hunk of hair feel out!

Again, during all P1 I thought once I got to maintenance and lost all my weight I would have a free pass to eat what I want...but I MUST REMEMBER it's all about moderation! That's the key for success, right?!?!?!

Well, sorry to go on and on...and thanks for reading!

Please go to Gary taubes website and read what if it's all been a big fat lie
Cholesterol does not come from food. Stick with the bacon and eggs and skip the toast

Maile- So sorry I missed your post about your anniversary! I hope you had a wonderful day! You're obviously a very committed lady in life. Your dedication to your marriage, weight loss, weight maintenance, job & this site is obvious in the success you have achieved. You deserve every bit of it- thanks for being such a rock & great role model!
Patns- I'm glad you enjoyed the maintenance tips as well. I love inundating myself with info on how to stay on the ball- and there was a lot of that in there!
2ride- Firstly, THANK YOU, for the tip about the MIO! So excited to finally get to try some. It's great to hear from you and if it is any comfort I really don't think your eating sounds bad. A couple of mini eggs when you're not having a free day is an accomplishment not a failure. If you're really set on losing those last 20 pounds- I would have to agree with you exercise will be vital. You had such a struggle getting into the 140's last time and popped up again almost right away. It seems your body's 'set point' is the 160's. That you are maintaining there and not gaining is great! On my calorie tracking site there are many in a similar boat. Lost a bunch of weight, want to lose just a bit more, maintaining where they are and taking a breather before they push hard again with another diet. It seems a wise strategy to me. Gives you time to adjust to your new healthier eating habits and perhaps to incorporate being more active and gaining some muscle mass (this will make losing weight so much easier) even if it's just putting on ankle weights while you're walking your puppy. It'll be easier to be more active now that spring is almost here!
Sunnymae- I loved your two posts! The despair of being at the 'I am never going to weigh this again' number to the 'I got this under control and in the bag' number. My great shining beacon of hope Sunnymae. 14 months in, still giving yourself mini heart attacks and still reining it in immediately. Awesome. You fight the weight creep like nobody's business and that is what it's all about. It seems it's not about never falling, just how fast you pick yourself up again. And you're quick!
NewEnglander- I was very sorry to read about your difficulties with cholesterol. I think you are wise to put some thought into your eating & splurging. As you come out of Phase 3 into Phase 4 you're fresh, all of your habits are quite good (4 cups of veggies a day, 3 meals with protein, 2 with fat, 2 with whole carb, 1 dairy, 2 fruits) the closer you can keep it to 'whole' (unprocessed, no additives, no refined sugar/ flour) so your carb is rice or oatmeal and not pasta or bread, your fruit is an apple or berries not dried fruit or fruit from a cup. The easier a time your body is going to have processing your food. And the less it has to work at that perhaps the more time it will have to work on your cholesterol. There are a lot of sugar alcohols & isolates in IP's food. It is but a means to an end. As you reach the end of your journey on IP it would seem highly suggestible that you give your body time to clean itself out and try as hard as you can to stick to whole foods... Good luck and keep us posted!

I hope this is the right place to ask this...I am thinking of starting IP and am wondering for those of you who have done the program...how has maintaining the weight loss been?

Congratulations!

Pat - so sorry that your husband is going through this. I applaud you for not going back to emotional eating, however. These are the true tests of life. You are both in my thoughts...


Thanks for being so honest. It really is comforting to know that I am not alone in my frustration and stress, both about life and about food.

I'm in an experimental phase right now because the structure of swinging violently between binge and "be good" was driving me mad. I do limit myself to one cup of coffee per day, and now my focus is getting away from the packets and introducing real snacks. i was shocked this monring that after a few too many drinks on saturday night PLUS easter brunch (some artichoke dip/crackers for appertizer, easter bread, potatoes, ham, a little cake, plus loads of veggies), i haven't gained any weight. i'm actually at 152.5, which is down from the horris 154.0 that i couldn't seem to budge about a week ago.

i'm trying to impose discipline and moderation without going too crazy... i do like to have a piece of toast in the morning, and i still pretty much limit carbs for the rest of the day. however, last night i had a few tortilla chips as i didn't want to feel deprived. i didn't eat the entire bag, though... that's the old me, and i still won't let the old me win.

Sounds like you know exactly what you need to do. Just DO IT, and then come here for support and to be accountable. We all need a good margarita night once in a while.

Yes, yes, yes. This is a great idea!! I don't know if I can go to weekly on the scale, just because I'm monitoring the new way of eating (no packets, all real food, moderation in everything all days)... but I will try!

Paint lady - agree with you completely here.

I had a moment on Saturday night when I could appreciate everything that I have accomplished. I was out at a bar listening to a band with my husband and some friends. He was off taking photos of the band, so I was sitting with the wife of his friend from work (his friend organized the whole event, so had a lot going on and the two of us were sitting together for most of the night).

A guy asked me to get the bartender's attention. I said "sure, no problem..." He replied, "You are pretty enough to get his attention... Would you like something to drink? It's on me." I politely declined (was already quite drunk and didn't need anything else), but really appreciated that a complete stranger called me pretty. That would not have happened 60lbs ago, or probably even 30lbs ago. That is sad, of course, but I shouldn't dwell on that. I should be proud of what I've done and continue to go out and have fun.

You will have to read and read and read through our threads to understand the struggles that we all go through in maintenance. I won't lie and say that it is easy, but neither is being overweight. I'd rather have a hard time in maintenance than have a hard time being fat, or have a hard time losing weight... Someone on here said "you have to pick your hard..." I completely agree. IT is hard, but it is also COMPLETELY worth it.

I agree with Pxl. Losing weight is never the hard part. Maintaining the weight lost is hard, no matter what diet you are on. IP is different in that it gives you a basis for keeping the weight off. It's our brains that we have to get a handle on. You will know what to do to keep the weight off, it's making yourself do it that isn't always easy. I think I'm doing well in maintenance. I've discovered that carbs + my body don't really mix well. I'm what I consider sensitive to carbs, certain kinds. But, I'd much rather know this, because I reintroduced carbs slowly by phasing off properly, than to have done another diet and just gone back to eating poorly and gaining it all back.

Thanks for the anniversary encouragement Pixl and Cap. He is a great husband who has encouraged me in this journey.

Pixl: You are very pretty!!!!! That guy was right. You seem happier!!!!!!!
PaintLady: carbs and my body don't mix well either..I eat very limited carbs.

Cap: Did I read somewhere that you are rebooting?

Candy5: Everyone is finding their way through maintenance. I was scared at first, but find the tools of IP as well as their eating plan have kept me stable.

Momto2cs. I love that book. I believe in it.

NewEnglander: My cholesterol counts were high a year ago and are now normal. It is interesting that I am eating high fat coconut milk and not gaining..but wonder if my cholesterol will go up. I try to eat healthy fats.

Spring is here. I am wearing red pants and a print shirt. Too fun to have it sunny and warm! Can I really believe that I am weraing red pants? Yes.

What I like about Ip is that it gave me a structure of eating. I am still eating 2 cups of arrugula and 2 cups of veges and 5-8 oz of protein for lunch and dinner. This is healthy eating.

Hi, Quick question...Can I have any peanut butter in my P3 breakfast? I would like to put a tsp on my wheat toast with sliced bananas...

Thanks!

Edit: I have smuckers natural peanut butter if that matters...yes, tons of fat but only ingredient is peanuts!

I just did four weeks on P3 and the answer to your question is yes. Unfortunately there is thinking and adding in phase three. As long as your breakfast has all the required stuff (30 grams carb from grain, 20 from fruit, at least 15 grams protein and no more than 15 g fat) you are set. I actually made a chart of each food I wanted to eat, the fat, protein and carb, and as I picked my combo for the day I just added it all up. Hope that helps.