That sucks. Do you take extra vitamin d? Seems to help some people...

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Do you guys have snacking suggestions? I am working at weaning myself off IP products and want to move towards real food. I tried yogurt and fruit in the evening but because I associate it with breakfast it felt odd. I can try nuts but I don't ever really crave them. I tried switching to the salty IP products and that helps with my overindulgence problem with the bars. But, I rarely crave salty.

Maile, sorry about your mama, thinking of you..I too wouldn't know what to do if I had to change gyms. Thankfully mines at work and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Sarabean, how is your Phase 1 going I saw that you're posting on the daily and 100%...awesome :) I use the 100% to keep me straight and narrow...I lurk there a lot specifically on the phase 1 days lol

Momto2cs, agreed, sometimes the food as a treat once you have it, really isn't what you expected....and you feel so gross afterwards. I did this when I was heavy too though, I would just ignore it and blame it on something else. When all the while it was the food, a vicious cycle.

Determined47 hows your phase 1 going?

New Englander, I'm sorry :( I've never really had to be on steroids for a long time, watched my brother-in-law go through that struggle though. :/

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So, the last two stitches come out tomorrow (WOOT WOOT)....maybe a little jog after supper on Tuesday?? FOR SURE, gym on Thursday AND I just signed up for a 5K run (not a race) at work for the 15 June, my fitness guru friend said because of my good experience last week with running that 5 K would be a good challenge. BUT it's not a RACE! :)

This weekend was better on my 'free/fun day'. I more or less got into the fruit and a bit of nuts with a specific meal. I didn't drink any alcohol and I think it shows on the scale. SO, this coming weekend I'm planning on having some drinks so we'll see what happens on the scale this time next week. I’m taking my own ginger ale splenda pop and my own grey goose (mmm) to keep the sugar to a minimum, but we’ll see on the other ‘stuff’, it’s my sisters 40th birthday and we’ve NEVER ‘had drinks’ together and I know she has a specialty shot in store.

Also, I had this conversation at a pot luck last week with a gent that lost 60 lbs a few years ago and he said "I've been trying to maintain it ever since" and I TOTALLY like that saying. I told him "isn't that the jist of it, you are never done maintaining...you're always 'trying' and the fight never really goes away?" He looked at me, smiled a little and said "yeah, you're right".

So I think that might turn into my new mantra, because the battle of weight loss can be over but the war of maintenance continues on throughout life.

Have a great day everyone, keep trying! :)

Ishbel- it's true that weight loss is the battle and weight maintenance is the war. And it has been such a self discovery process. Figuring out triggers and avoiding them... How much fun to have on free day...mixing up the menu without incorporating too many indulgences... Watching the scale without driving yourself crazy with it. I am very thankful for Phase 1. It's as though every time I do it I'm brought back to the first time. A bit like riding a bike after you haven't done so for 10 years. You can still do it but it's a bit wobbly and puts the fear into you of whether you can stay upright. Then after a time being on it you're as comfortable as you ever were. I gave myself over to the process the first time around and it worked beautifully. And every time in maintenance that I've had my weight creep up and had to go back on Phase 1 for a bit it has worked as well as the first time. There is something so calming about Phase 1. Don't know if it's because I don't have to make as many decisions or because it kills my cravings. Anyway I feel very fortunate to be in maintenance following IP because it does provide quite the safety net...

Hi, Yes I do take a vit D supplement and my levels are really good now! :)

Sarabean, how is your Phase 1 going I saw that you're posting on the daily and 100%...awesome :) I use the 100% to keep me straight and narrow...I lurk there a lot specifically on the phase 1 days lol


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So, the last two stitches come out tomorrow (WOOT WOOT)....maybe a little jog after supper on Tuesday?? FOR SURE, gym on Thursday AND I just signed up for a 5K run (not a race) at work for the 15 June, my fitness guru friend said because of my good experience last week with running that 5 K would be a good challenge. BUT it's not a RACE! :)

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Phase 1 is going pretty well :) I have been eating the 3 packets a day along with my veggies and I feel pretty good! I have lots of energy and my cravings are down. This morning I actually had a phase 3 breakfast... I am going out in the field on a boat for 8 hrs and thought I could use a little extra boost for my long day.

I have lost a couple of the lbs I put on during my Memorial Day extravaganza and that feels good too! I'm going to keep up these easting habits until my friends wedding on the 16th.

Congrats on signing up for a 5K! running and signing up for races has always helped me stay on track with the gym! Be sure to keep us posted!!!! :carrot:

Spoke too soon, have to remove my name :(! I had something else scheduled that day (which I had forgotten to put in my calendar), I'm surrounded by fitness guru's so I was hoping to blow them away lol. Oh well!

So you're going to do Phase 1 until the wedding or Phase 3 and back and forth until the wedding? How long did you do Ph1 this time? How long have you been in maintenance? Sorry for the questions, just trying to figure out who's who in the zoo (and who phased off around the same time as me) :)

I'm a little anxious that my sister's 40th will show something only because I'm suspecting the BOOZE is bad (for me anyway). Not that I choose that, I'll choose food over booze LOL but my first free day aftermath was a little scarey and that had booze. ;)

Cap totally agree with your post, so far so good doing a PH1 day (or two) is like riding a bike, I hope that never goes away. AND I also agree that it takes away some of the anxiety that you feel with the scale, but really I just feel better mentally. Maybe it's just that I'm doing something about it, that Phase 1 is my 'plan', that I don't have to see the scale bump up over and over. Here's hoping that, that ability doesn't loose it's strength over time (how long have you been in maintenance?)

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I have been swamped with dr visits trying to set up my mom's surgery. At least the success rate is very high. Quite honestly I am exhausted with family demands.
I have been taking lovely walks around the beach and have seen some beautiful ocean sunsets.
Ish bel, glad you are getting your stitches out and getting ready to run again!

Cap and Ishbel, I agree with your comments on maintenance. This is a life long committment to a healthy life. I am slowly gaining the confidence that no matter where I am or what I face, I can figure out a way to eat healthfully. Even if I can,t have the optimum healthy meal, that is ok.
Yes Phase 1 is such a security and comfort to have when needed.
I think you feel like you have regained control and are actively doing something about keeping your weight off.
I have lost my scale anxiety..due to keeping under my goal weight so if I go up, I am still under my goal weight.
It seems that you will always be explaining your eating to someone. My sister is my height but 30 pounds overweight. She cannot understand my way of eating..especially not eating many fruits. My mom and her roommate try to feed me sweets and I simply say I don,t eat sugar.
I am now in 8 months of maintenance. I am happier and healthier than I have been in years. My sister is surprised at my energy and my committment to exercise.

Purple sky, I don,t have any great snack ideas. Maybe humus and celery? Or cottage cheese and veges?

Ishbel, have fun at your sister's bd party. Alcohol usually doesn't cause a weight gain unless it is from heavy sugar drinks.

Sarabean, thank heavens for those packets and Phase 1! How fun to look forward to a wedding. I have crispy cereal packets for mornings when my dinner was not optimum the night before.

New Englander, I have not been on steroids..but hope they help you and hope the side effects are not too bad. Have you started the 5 day treatment yet? Maybe you go on Phase 1 if the side effects start bothering you. Hopefully having IP behind you will make this round easier for you. Good luck.

Cap , are you feeling better? Are your calf cramps due to low potassium or low calcium? I am sorry..you must be in pain. Does it usually happen at night? Are you making the wild berry pancakes from the csp book?
Yes, I do weigh myself while in hi! The morning gym program closed..but I am ok with it.


Off to another dr apt.

Phase 1 and Monday's go hand in hand for me. I always seem to give in to the booze, not necessarily the food. I try to keep it all low carb, red wine and vodka water. A few tortilla chips might sneak by! I am often 148 on Monday, back to 145 by Wednesday.
For snacks I have hard boiled eggs, almonds,cheese strings, beef jerky.
Everything stays pretty low carb, and I focus on more fat and protein when snacking.
I have maintained since April 2011, barring my December binge that started with my 40 birthday and ended up 13 pounds on jan 2. All those pounds are gone thanks to a good phase 1 reboot!

Maile, so glad to hear you are getting some moments to yourself and standing strong. We do eat funny. More than 6 months ago if someone were eating like i am, I would have looked at them cross-eyed. It is a little weird to sit there and dissect your food and leave stuff on the plate. But, that's okay. We worked very hard to get where we are.

The sugar issue is a problem. It's in everything. People don't consider honey or agave or to sugar. So it's tricky.

Thanx for the hummus suggestion. I love hummus.

Thanx Momto2cs. I like those suggestions too. I just need to have a reserve on hand and these will help. Also, I appear to be weaning myself off my addictive problem with the IP/Atkins bars. Without them my sugar cravings are more reasonable. I am playing around with a few other bars and some protein powders. Shakes and smoothies are more familiar to old me.

Hello all. Just wanted to say hi... And come on here for some motivation... Still stuck in this rut. Like I've been in since march... Ugh.

Maile- I am so glad to read a post from you again! That three days seemed like a really long time :) Sorry to hear that you've been so busy with so many appointments but love hearing the balance you've achieved with your eating and exercise patterns. Walking by the water and feeling the tradewinds is uplifting there's no two ways about it... it always brought me peace while I was there and it sounds as though it is doing the same for you thankfully...
I think part of the reason I got into so much tumult the week of the funeral was being amongst my good friends from my 20's. Who all remember me indulging far too much and being much heavier for it. They are comfortable with that person and not so comfortable with who I am now. And that pleaser in me, especially when my friend was hurting, wanted to give in... But this isn't doing anyone any good. Because I am who I am now. And me giving myself up in favor of anyone else isn't going to benefit either party... learned it before and learning it again...
Your dealings with your sister sound much the same way (except you didn't cave! Good for you Maile!!) that she wants you to make her feel better by condoning her food choices and indulging in them yourself. The best hope is that she will follow your model since you chose not to follow hers... and then everyone can be on the same (healthy) page...
I am making wildberry pancakes from IP wildberry yogurt drink. As I have given up CSP until I can resume exercise. Doc tested my potassium (as this is what he suspected) and other minerals/vitamins and all my levels came back normal... ditto on the d-dimer test that assesses for clots.
It was fairly scary for me the day I tried to do step aerobics last week as after five minutes I was almost crying and barely hobbled myself out of class. Then had to sit for 20 minutes until the cramping abated wondering how on earth I was going to round up my children from the babysitting in this condition. It scared me enough to make a follow up doc appt.
I really miss the exercise. And the mood boost the endorphins give. But I will be everlastingly grateful for Phase 1. Because at least while I'm unable to exercise I don't just have to sit back and watch my weight increase.
I went to stock up on IP products today from a clinic that I didn't lose with the first go round but whom I usually buy from since starting maintenance (didn't realize they were there the first go round). When the lady saw the amount of product I was buying she inquired as to whether it was just supplementing or if I was back on full bore. I admitted I was back on and she talked me into doing it with help from the clinic. They had a really neat little machine that assesses body fat/ lean body mass/ BMR. As my weighing in today was completely unexpected I was in jeans. I NEVER weigh in jeans. And I sure didn't want to today but she talked me into it. Guess I'll be wearing a skirt next week and enjoying a whopper of a loss ;)
Ishbel- enjoy the drinks at the wedding... just commit to the fact that the next day you're on Phase 1 no matter what or how you're feeling. And drink TONS of water both the night of and the next day... your body will be way too dehydrated between the combo of processing alcohol AND not having any carbs...
I have been in maintenance since August 2011. 10 months almost at this point. But like I said, I'm back on Phase 1 and considering I got 10 pounds above my maintenance weight I may very well have to start counting my maintenance over again... Which saddens me a bit but I'll take that over gaining 40 or 50 and then having to lose that and start counting my maintenance from there ;)
Have you chosen a weight maintenance range? Usually it's 3 above your 'static' weight (that # you like and usually see on the scale). If you get more than 3 above it you hit Phase 1 til it gets back to where it should be. This worked extremely well for me for many months... and there were some free days that would leave me on Phase 1 for 3 days... but it's worth it to deal with it on a weekly basis rather than letting it pile up and trying to 'take care of it' after.
Sarabean- glad to hear that you are back to your pre- Memorial day weight! Good for you!!
PurpleSky- are you more of a sweet or savory snacker?

Hey cap-sorry to hear your return to exercise was so traumatic. I do find I cramp if I am not taking the potassium and magnesium. Hopefully it will resolve. Maybe start slower...or whatever the dr thinks!
I weigh every day and must be within 145-149 or I am completely phase1. I have only gotten over this over Christmas (13 pounds up not good). And last week after a week in London I saw 151. Today I back at 146. I don't know why I can never get any lower...but my body fat was 16% last time I popped into my clinic, so I expect ketosis has a limit when there is not a lot of fat left to lose. I am pretty satisfied overall with how I look. Stupid scale :)

Good luck with the 10 pounds.