Hi everyone! I've been out of the loop the past couple days...weeks?? Just enjoying the summer and life :)

I read back on the thread and it looks like you're struggling with snacks; what to eat and what's satisfying, etc. After reading the Carb Sensitivety Program, there's a Carb Sensitivity shake recipe in there that almost seems so simple you wouldn't think it would be very good but to me it's quite tasty and very satisfying! I make it everyday sometimes twice a day (midmorning and afternoon snacks). Here's how I make it:

1 scoop whey protein vanilla flavored (I use Jay Robb Whey Protein)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (sundried vanilla bean)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp almond butter

I put chia seeds in a glass with the water and almond milk; stir and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. A gel will form in the liquid to make the shake thicker.
If I'm at home, I put all the ingredients in a blender with 5 ice cubes. Blend until smooth and pour back into the glass and drink.
If I'm at work, I put all the ingredients in my IP shaker cup w/o ice cubes and shake and drink.

I no longer use my IP products for any snacks...except for my bedtime snack, I still make banana pudding waffles!

Love that shake GoodEats&Wine! You're right it is filling and satisfying with perfect mix of fats/ carbs/ protein... And how the heck do you make banana waffles? Those sound great!
I am set to WI in on Monday at my clinic. Will change my stats based on the results of that. I'm committed to another week of Phase 1. Although I haven't been weighing myself I want more room in my clothes before I jump off Phase 1. Not sure how to proceed with the rundown of the phases from that point.
Mom2cs- do you still do Phase 1 throughout the week then relax a bit on the weekends? Did you go through the rundown or...?

Hi everyone I do not have Internet access so I rely on Starbucks. Which does not always work.
I like that shake!
I am at my lowest. It has to do with stress and being busy, i am adding high fat foods to go up a few pounds.
Jenny. What great article.

Cap way to go on phase 1.

Hopefully things will settle down. Have a great day everyone.

WOOT WOOT! :)

cap I don't know what anyone else will add, but if I'm on it for longer then 5 days I'll be doing a mini phase off again. So two weeks, I'd do a few days of phase 2 and then into your phase 3 for a few days and then your normal phase 4 plan...

Just my humble opinion based on my conversations with my coach and my coachs coach...

Maile - thinking of you

So I found the simply bars in two places in my city, tried one last night thought it was good. Gave two to my VIP to have for breakfast (he's not a big breakfast guy) he was going to take them ALL and I was like "WAIT A SEC, you can have two to try!" lol

Wearing a spring dress to work for the FIRST time E-V-E-R, it's confused a few people as I'm usually in jeans and a blouse lol. I think I'm turning into a girly girl.

Maile- I know the feeling too well of being away and cut off from internet. Glad you're still thinking of us! Once life returns to a more normal routine your weight is sure to follow... but so sorry to hear that it's been so hectic for you...

Ishbel- So hoping that I can just do a mini run thru the phases and not the full blown 2 weeks of each. I don't want to skimp on what's needed but if it's not needed I sure could do without it :) I don't mind following it during the week but I did get rather used to having an a day where I could have a glass of wine with my husband & friends...
Hopefully the VIP likes the bars. They're a great breakfast item as they're tasty, light and have such a great balance of nutrients.
Way to go for shaking it up and breaking out a dress! It's that time!

Yes, thank you. I am commiting to it until TUE at my WI with my coach. Then we will see how low it's gotten. 2 full days 100% so far. The scale didn't move when I checked this morning but I'm thinking it's because of "C". Another reason why I hate p1. Big C problems. But I need to be thankful for it being there to lean on. I'm hoping to push through the weekend and get these last few pounds off. I need to keep the promise to myself like you said. My skinny jeans are still tight and hate that feeling. At least they still fit, 4 lbs past my goal weight.

Keep up the good work ladies and have a great weekend! :)

The IP banana pudding waffles were such a godsend after being 100% on IP for a couple months and really missing the texture of something bread-like. We've made them nearly every night since finding the recipe, even in Phase 4! Here's how I make them (there are different recipes out there):

Ingredients:
IP Banana Pudding packet (you can use other flavors but this is our favorite)
2 egg whites
1/8 cup water
pinch of cinnamon, vanilla powder, salt & baking powder
sometimes I also add 1/4 tsp coconut oil

1. Heat up your waffle iron then gather all your ingredients;
2. In a small bowl, whip the egg whites and salt until frothy; I usually count to 40 and they are perfect;
3. Add the pinch of cinnamon, vanilla powder, baking powder and banana pudding packet and fold in; it will be very thick and sticky;
4. Add the water and keep folding in; the mix will still be pretty thick but it will be less sticky;
5. Spray the waffle iron with coconut non-stick cooking spray; in about four different scoops of the mixture, place them around the center of the waffle iron, they'll be touching each other. This helps them spread out so you have a wider waffle (bigger is better, right?)
6. They usually take about 3 minutes to cook, I've tried them in two different waffle irons and 3 minutes seems to be the magic number;
7. When it's done, put it on a plate and eat with Walden Farms pancake syrup. Enjoy!

GoodEatsandWine I actually said to the computer "HOLY CRAP" when I saw your hubby's first WI (has it always been there and I've missed it?!!) That is FABULOUS and the highest first WI I've seen...WOWZA!!

WAY TO GO HUBBY!!

I was thinking the same regarding scale # vs. size.... I've only been in maintenance a month and 1/2 BUT haven't been at my lowest BUT my size hasn't changed one bit! I'd still like a little wiggle room (just in case) so I will get back down to the lower # but if I don't it's not the end of the world...This maintenance is like a puzzle...sort of a fun puzzle when you figure it out.. :) You're doing great!

Thanks Ishbel! The listed WI's have been there ever since I was able to add my ticker but since then I forgot how to add or edit the ticker info so I haven't added other WI info. He had amazing losses during Phase 1 but that first one was especially incredible! He lost a total of 103 lbs in 4 months! He always felt fine, not weak or tired and no cravings. However, every once in a while he would mention how he missed having popcorn on the weekends while watching a movie. I had slow steady losses, towards the end I had losses of 1 pound or less, but I didn't have much to lose and I felt like the weight loss would last longer if I lost slower; besides, since he was still on the diet, it was just as well that I eat the same things he was. Now that we're in maintenance we don't really have cheat days because we really like the fresh veggies, fruit and quality cuts of meat, fish/seafood and poultry. When we want something a little extra we'll add nuts or cheese to our salad. We eat very little bread or pasta now and that seems to help us maintain our losses as well.

HOLY CRAP (AH-GAIN) wish I could have lost it that fast LOL. Although, re-thinking that, there's a reason it took me a year...and in the end I'm ok with that (cause really, I have no real choice in the matter). But I'm going to tell the VIP that!! He wants to lose 30-40 lbs but can't get his head wrapped around the amount of veggies that I eat (and still do)...;)

Over 100 lbs in 4 months. That's amazing. DH is past 80 now but he still wants to keep going, part of why I am staying largely in P3.

I realized that with our combined weight loss we are about to lose me. That's weird but cool. We will have lost a person when done.

Thank you so much, GoodEatsandWine for the shake. I saw this last night and was like yum. I am going to give it a try. Can I ask what vanilla powder is? I was just going to use vanilla stevia.

CassiR, I use slippery elm. It has helped a lot. I forgot to take it a few times and things were not good.

I cannot use items like Smooth Move tea because it overworks for me but slippery elm helped me.

I'm amazed how fast men can lose weight! I hear it all the time but still find it surprising!

Definitely give the shake a try! The vanilla powder is vanilla bean that is scraped out of pods, sundried and then packaged in a jar for sale. It's not easy to find...at least it isn't here in Alaska but there is a lot I can't find here :) Anyway, it's just for flavoring, which is wonderful if you get the chance to use it. Way better than vanilla extract. Try it with the vanilla stevia or sugar-free Torani or Divinci syrups. I made a shake using almond SF Torani syrup and another one using the peanut butter SF Tornai syrup and loved both!! You'll be shocked how satisfying they are too!

GoodEats- You rock!!!!! They look like waffles, taste like waffles soooo much better than the pudding cakes and I always thought those were the best. Thank you, thank you for sharing!
Cassi- you can do it! Four more days and you'll be fitting in those jeans just right! I hate the big c factor of Phase 1 as well. I've been using CALM and it helps but... Things are not the same as when not on Phase 1 ;)