Cap: I was in the airport and bought some fresh made pralines for my sons. Just being in that candy store was enough to get me thinking about indulging again. Old favorites definitely lurk and reappear...but I don't want to go bak to that sugar tired unhappy effect on my body.
I got the coconut oil and am going to try it today!

Purple Sky: Thanks so much for all of those links! I am an internet recipe zealot. I love to find new recipes!

Chloe: Those trainers sound great. I may have to investigate one at my gym. I am doing my own program..but not exactly sure what I am doing. Do you have to be good at ballet for yoga booty?

Well. I am going to be invaded for two days with musicians. There will be a two day recording session at my house. I plan on going out to eat and seeing lots of movies!

So glad you answered Stacey's concerns. That's what I wanted to say.

You all talked me back off a ledge when I was on phase 3, but phase 4 is going along much smoother. It's a matter of adding things back carefully.

Early on everything added back put me in a panic thinking the scale would certainly be up 30 pounds the next day.
I learned years ago that wheat is awful for me and two days of phase 3 confirmed it can never be a part of my life. but sugar doesn't seem to be bad at all in controlled amounts so i can have a bit of chocolate and some fruit.
It's all about the careful monitoring of what happens when you add things back. When learning to do that it's like diving into the deep end and panic can take over.

Oh, Cap, I forgot to get back to you about the goat's milk. I think I am going to do OK without it for the present. I have discovered almond milk and the CPS shakes and that is going very well.
I am very interested in how the yogurt expeience turns out though and will be watching for your updates. We can likely work something out in the future if your kind offer still stands.

Pat

I'm good at neither and I have fun doing it, :)

Cap: agreed, now that I'm on. The outside looking into the goodie aisles I think about how good they are at marketing?

Chloe: do tell if you like the video? :).

Ptod: I know your harmless, your also so much fun! :D


I just made some frozen yogurt treats with some rather largish Popsicle molds. I used one cup of liberte plain Greek yogurt with two cups of frozen berries a splash of vanilla sugar free syrup...made two added a bit of WF chocolate syrup to the last bit and made another two. Each frozen treat is 68.25 cals 10.2 carbs, .25 fat 6 protein, 23.25 sodium, 7.25 net carbs, 3.25 fibre, 6.75 sugar and 50 calcium....

Not sure how many of you are using WF stuff anymore, I keep it to a bit of the chocolate and caramel in my yogurt...just addes a little different while keeping the sugar to a minimum. :)

Can't wait until they are frozen but will probably have to wait to fit into my food until Monday or Tuesday (phase 1 tomorrow so I can't have them tomorrow).

I really disliked yogurt when I was big....but never tried Greek yogurt until phase 4 and it's now one of my stapes, I have one type of low GI fruit and yogurt every night...so having two frozen treats when it's +33 Celsius on Tuesday...well, I'm looking forward to it! I kept looking in the frozen treats aisle and couldn't find one and I then my buddy gave me the idea, happy to have largish ones so if I want I can have two frozen goodies for my evening snack. The protein in the yogurt really tides me over as I don't like going to bed hungry...and it's like a dessert. I grew up on desserts so finding a healthy alternative getting an evening snack really makes me feel 'content' if that makes any sense.

Hope your all having a wonderful weekend...off to another BBQ this weekend! Toodles! lol

Patns- My offer will always stand! Just let me know... I have to get up the guts to actually milk the goats. Can't say I'm not a bit intimidated by it. But I promised myself this weekend is the time. So tomorrow I will become a goat milker. Probably not a very good one but hey practice will make perfect right??? (I hope :))
I love almond milk too! Found a recipe to make my own that would only be almonds and water without any of the preservatives so I will be trying that out as well this week...
Very happy for you that you have found your niche in Phase 4 as I remember that Phase 3 didn't seem to go very well...
How is your husband feeling?

Maile- Let me know how you like the rice... I find myself eating it every second day ;)
I can understand what you mean about the personal trainer providing some direction... that's why I always liked classes... I'm being instructed all the time.
I found myself comparing my maintenance to my cooking style yesterday. I am absolutely 100% a recipe follower. With measuring cups, measuring spoons the whole bit. As I've gained experience with cooking and found what I like that goes together I may add a bit of this or that after I've made a recipe once. But I will always follow it exactly the first time. Most times that I've tried to make something off the top of my head it has gone horribly wrong... This is like my maintenance style in the fact that I feel I have a lot of success if I follow a recipe 100% (IP)... and that tweaking that basic recipe has worked for me... but when I try something completely different of my own conjuring it has gone horribly wrong. And a huge part of me wishes that I had that 'inner chef' that has such an innate understanding of what goes with what in what amount and could make exquisite dishes of my own accord. But, I am learning... and hopefully with time and practice, practice, practice I will be able to trust myself to make a dish of my own conjuring but based off the principles I have learned from following recipes and it will be wonderful...

Ishbel- your treats sound delightful! I made frozen yogurt with greek yogurt in my ice cream maker and it was very good. Gave it to my daughter for breakfast one morning with strawberries and she delighted in the fact she got to have 'ice cream' for breakfast :)
Mmmm... BBQ...
I'm smoking salmon on mine right now... can't wait for dinner!

Cap and Maile
Here is another that might talk to you guys. But, she is vegetarian. Which I love sometimes. Makes me feel good. Just usually thickens me out.

http://101cookbooks.com/
I skipped and went down to the Kale Market salad, which with some modification (you know adding and omitting your own foods that work and don't work for you) might work for you if these flavors talk to you.
Farro is a yummy grain sorta in the quinoa family. I have had it only once but would love to find it again. Remember there are good fats. Coconut and avocado are two of them. In a recipe like this, for example, I would have to pull out the honey because I don't know about me and sugar. That is the one food I am learning to play with but basically omit it. Fennel is an interesting thingy. Good for digestion I believe. So, I know I have dissected this recipe but it's something I am learning to do, part of transitioning into P4. Adapting things to personal taste and comfort. Some of you can't do any grains and may need to pull out that Farro. (And I don't know if wheat berry is like wheat. I also don't know if the cracked wheat in something like taboulleh would be an issue for some.) Some of you may be able to add fruit, though I don't know if it would go. And some may not be able to handle the extra fat in the avocado.

DH got back from a trip up quite a bit. I just have a feeling he will not be able to add pasta back into his life and he will need to learn to really reduce his alcohol intake. I think the latter will be a big challenge for him. I think I have stayed mostly on P3ish because he is still on P1. But, I had snacks allover the house yesterday because he was away and I saw he kept on munching on them. So, he's definitely out of ketosis. He is a very good dieter. So much better than me. Very disciplined but put food in front of him and he has no limits. I will have to go back to my P1ish stuff in the evening or when he is around.

Oh, patns. You can do sweets. What I would not do for some chocolate. Even the small amount that could be in salad or food at restaurants gives me a headache. I do fine with my berries and yogurt in the morning but it does not seem to work as well in the evening. Which is why I am excited about frozen yogurt.

Ishbel
Yayyy to frozen yogurt. I am going to try that. It's something I have been missing especially now that summer is here. We used to eat it a lot.
For those of you who do not have a fruit problem, check out this toy. I am thinking of getting it one day.
http://www.yonanas.com/
It basically makes frozen yogurt/ice cream out of frozen fruit.
You can of course do this in a blender. Chop and freeze super ripe bananas. Blend with things like cocoa powder and fruit and sweetener. But, this toy looks easy. I want to try Ishbels first because I do yogurt every morning.

Cap - We have an ice cream maker that is taking up space in a cabinet so if you can share your frozen yogurt recipe, please do. I love having options and all three of these sound great. Now, if I can just figure out what made Pinkberry taste like Pinkberry. They were so addictive.

Pancakes next. I am adding that to my repertoire along with the CSP shakes. Win.

This is Brenda-Leigh Turner's of LeanSecrets, Protein Pancakes. I believe I linked her You Tube channel before. She has so many great tips and information on exercise and clean, lean eating.

I usually do them with the Jay Robb protein powder that some of you probably use in the CSP shake. You can do them with other protein powders. I experimented today and used.

http://www.iherb.com/Garden-of-Life-...oz-631-g/44135
You can see the nutritional info. if you scroll down. Also other places may have better prices for this item though I love iherbs for most items.

I preferred it with this protein powder because the texture was more pancake like. Thicker. The reason is that the protein source is difference. Whey protein is much smoother and creamier. Ideal for shakes, I think. These types of protein powders with things like rice, grains, nuts and things are much, much grittier and not as tasty. Even though they are good for you. It's a matter of personal preference. MRM is another whey protein that is pretty clean like Jay Robb. All of these items are pricey and so I buy individuals packets first to do a taste test.

They are still cheaper than bars which is why I am leaning on them more. Most of my protein products run about $1-$2 per serving. (this does not include anything you add in) And most bars I have found run $2-$3. Of course IP products ran about $4+ an item and worked really well.

If protein powders talk to you, play around with them but try to get sample packets first because taste and texture is a problem for a lot of people.

I love these pancakes because of how they make me feel. But, I have to admit the texture is not amazing (close but better than IP cereal pancakes), depending on the protein powder you choose.

The first time I made them I misread the egg white amt and the batter seemed too dry so I added almond milk and for some reason coconut water. Then it was too liquidy. So I threw in more coconut flour. So, they looked like pancakes but were super dry.

If this talks to you, play around with it. I would love to hear how you experiment. And I would love to find out if you use different protein powers because that makes a huge difference.

Things like these can be pricey unless you have already stocked your pantry so start slowly. You don't have to use coconut oil at first.

Protein Pancakes

Protein pancakes are delicious, simple, and versatile. You can flavor protein
pancakes with apples spice, pumpkin spice, vanilla, chocolate protein… the list
is endless! Here is one of my favorite protein pancake recipes that I actually eat all the time!

Ingredients:

½ cup egg whites
1 tbsp. of coconut flour
1 scoop Jay Robb Vanilla Whey or Egg White Protein
1 tbsp. of Psyllium Husk (optional)
Cinnamon & Nutmeg (to taste)
Truvia or Stevia powder
1 tbsp. of coconut oil
½ cup berries of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat medium pan and begin warming the coconut oil
2. Whisk together the egg whites and coconut flour until smooth.
3. Add in whey powder, psyllium husk, cinnamon & nutmeg
4. Beat until smooth, batter consistency is achieved.
5. Pour batter into the pan, making 2 separate pancakes
6. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes, or until solid and lightly golden.
7. Serve and garnish with berries of your choice

Active Cooking Time: 4-6 Minutes
Total Time (Start to Finish): 8-10 Minutes
Servings: 1

IPEEPS HELP!!!

I had my first free day on sunday, did a perfect phase one on sunday, woke up this morning and I am up FIVE POUNDS.

WHAT is going on?

Help me stop freaking out please.

Stacey,
Calm down... you know realistically you didn't eat 17,500 calories in one day -- this weight IS not real. How are your clothes fitting? see, that's proof.
My guess is that it's water retention from salt intake... although I'm so new to this that I cannot be considered an expert. (I'll hold your hand and wait with you until one of our "pros" comes to your rescue.)
I'd advise you to keep pushing the water today, and maybe do a P2 day until your scale learns how to behave again.
I'm sure that you will be ok. (((hugs)))

Exactly right, Dakin. You sound like a pro. Stacey, don't panic. Just do P1 or P2 for another day or two.

Stacy - :hug: Same thing happened to me, I freaked out too....welcome to maintenance and learning to control your anxiety about the scale. Just into my 6th week so far I believe half the battle of maintenance is controlling your anxiety because no matter what the scale says, you can fix it! :) So far, I'm feeling the groove of the fluctuation, I get to my lowest on Friday or Saturday morning and then up I go, like a big swing. This morning, I'm a little up more then usual, believe I indulged too much at my BBQ so I'm doing a Phase 2 day today, probably don't have to but it makes me feel better :)

Sorry I wasn't here to hold your hand with Dakin...how about we control our anxiety together since we're such newbies....busymom is almost into maintenance too. With purple you me and busymom we can all be part of the same graduating class :)

Purple: Thanks for the pancake recipe, I used to make a pancake out of the crispy cereal and I sometimes miss it but wouldn't make a regular pancake as there isn't enough protein in it....so now I can make my quick snack with your recipe. Trouble is, chosing between your pancake or my fruit and yogurt....tough decision.

Thanks everyone for your support. I am going to do a phase 2 day today.

ALSO started TOM this AM so hoping that had something to do with it.

I just never wanted to see that number again...

See how much is water weight. My understanding is that our bodies kinda freak out when they see all this food coming in at them. DH lost 6 of his 8 lb gain in 2 days on P3, after eating what he wanted last week. But, he's a guy and they lose easily so that may not count.

I believe some do a splurge meal rather than a full splurge day. That might be another option for the future. Because splurges introduce many foods we are not used to eating, some don't feel good after. It comes back to that food sensitivity thing. Some foods pile on pounds easily. Some foods cause additional cravings. Some just make use feel bad. This is a good time to experiment.

Looks like we got some message board pheromones floating around as my scale is creeping up in preparation for TOM which should be due for a landing any day.

Ishbel, you know I think it is about a month or so before you kinda start to get the hang of this maintenance business. But, it sounds like we have a bit more experimentation ahead of us.

LOL on the message pheromones, I am on TOM too!! ...ugh...

Agreed that it takes longer then a month, but my anxiety of the scale is way better then it was the first week. As for experimenting, I ran last Saturday and I was hungry last Sunday...SUPER hungry. So I didn't run on Saturday and it was better. So one weekend (not sure when) I'll run on a Sunday and see how I do on a Monday. I use my calorie tracker to track my feelings/moods too.

I try to lean towards one cheat meal but I find that I'm more likely to have a little of that and a little of this throughout the day, so in general it's 'one meal' spread throughout the day. I'm not necessarily having a structured lunch, rather just have a big bowl of cherries with some cheese. I love nutz and can't stop at one so I save nutz for the fun day..and I eat a lot more fruit on that day. I only have two fruits a day usually...fun day would be the day I have grapes too as I'd like to keep the fruit to the low GI. I'm trying to go grocery shopping on Friday so I buy some extra fruit for the next day. I think I'm a little more up then usual because of the wine spritzer (had one, thought it was too sweet but finished it lol and then moved onto the alive coolers)....and indulged in some chocolate desserts.

Also, TMI? the additional food on a fun day isn't easily digested so it takes a while to work through my system :o it's generally fixed by Monday afternoon and I see that difference on the scale as well.

Also one tip Stacey - drink your water and make sure you get the same amount of water throughout your fun day...helps you not to over eat AND to not feel gross the next day. My first fun day I didn't get half the amount I should have cause I ate a lot of stuff - more stuff in your tummy less room for water.

Ishbel....

Help me with a question please...I have asked my wife and didnt like her answer LOL

Being from SK you will know what I mean, but WTF is 'Greek' yougurt??? I have always eaten and love yougurt, the good old Dairyland brand, wildberry flavor, and now all I see in the stores is 'Greek' yougurt...What the difference??

I dont beleive my wife LOL....she says it must come from Greece LOL

LMAO, it's relatively 'new' to me...didn't see it around until last year. It's thicker then regular yogurt and WAY more full of protein (it's way more saturated with everything). Tell her to stay away from anything but plain/fat free and use fruit and sugar free syrup to sweeten it. (Davinci or Torani - you could probably find it anywhere in the Hat for sure, I can find it in my own city lol). The ones with fruit in it or honey or even 'vanilla' have too much sugar, you can sweeten it yourself and have more options. (check above made some greek yogurt fudgies this weekend)

I'm going to try it plain without anything as sour cream soon on a white potato. I tasted it without fruit and thought it tasted like sour cream and had the same texture. I hate other yogurts and think it was the slimy texture more so then the fat free aspartame after taste (don't even want the splenda ones because of the texture)

tzatziki sauce (a greek sauce for gryos and donairs) is made from greek yogurt...mmmm...tzatziki :) Liked that before I knew it was yogurt lol!

Greek just has a different texture, it's thicker...like sour cream. It's just new to us I think :) I'm in love with it...glad I love it.

I found this para on the web:

which yogurt is better, American or Greek?

Well, when it boils down to a selection between these good foods, both standard American and Greek yogurt are outstanding for you, just in contrasting ways. Greek yogurt is, for the most part, more saturated than American yogurt, so it comprises about double as much protein as American. But they each contain broad amounts of probiotics (although Greek yogurt contains more only because it's so much more concentrated), so actually, you don't have to choose. Consume them both every day and you'll benefit much more if you eat just one of the two. And remember, a wholesome diet alone will not help you maintain your weight and health under control.