I would have sushi for a cheat day, and not worry about brown vs white rice. They are both carbohydrates and are pretty much the same. Have whichever one you like the most and enjoy it as your treat!

Thanks...i figured that much but was hoping, lol. I do only have the cucumber one anyways, lol.

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing well!

Super excited for tomorrow, its my work "field day" and i get to go on a nice 3-hour cruise and the weather is supposed to be perfect! Its a BBQ for lunch so going to have burgers without the bun and i think for dinner its steak/chicken/fish on the BBQ which is ok and i'll have a baked potato or some type of carb that is plain. No alchool though!

AND Saturday is my first cheat day, super excited about that too

AND last week-end was my last babysitting week-end as i'm taking the summer off (still have 4 kids at home but was babysitting a 4-year old from friday 6pm til sunday 5pm every week-end to pay for IP).

Looking forward to a nice relaxing week-end! Gonna hang at the pool and just take it easy!

I'm up about 2lbs since starting maintenance but it seems to have stabilized. Hoping to be at least 1 down (to be under 150) by saturday, would feel much better having my first cheat day with a 5 lbs buffer, lol.

Have a great day everyone!

busymom YAY for fun day!!! AND THE SUMMER OFF!!! Nothing by the pool for me no 'real' fun, unless you count studying on a course and mowing the lawn fun?? :D

CAP - yoohoo??? hope everything's ok?

purple - dude at work gave me some of his protein powder so I'm going to try that pancake without the coconut flour just extra protein powder. I'm going to put fruit and WF pancake syrup on it...plan is within the next week. :)

I tried almond milk...it was 'ok' but hey I was going to have more for a snack (just never got around to it). It has this nutty flavor (go figure) with a watery after taste. I think after I'm done this carton I'm going to try coconut milk. What the heck right? :)

VIP is off to Holland this coming Sunday, he'll be gone for 2.5 weeks...I think I already miss him and he hasn't gone yet. I know, I'm pathetic! lol

Hello all and sorry for the long absence...
Went away to our cabin for a bit and no Internet service there... I have come to the realization that for me I am in desperate need of 'middle ground'. My reboot hit a bump and then a brick wall in the phasing out process and I know it was partly to do with coaching, partly to do with my head & body. So, I have turned to the dark side ;). Joined WW last week. I need the adult interaction and to learn to eat reasonably on ALL days with an added indulgence here and there. I've still been keeping it fairly low carb and of course eating my vegetables etc. What I have found is that I am in a much better head space. Having a cookie doesn't derail me and send me into a binge. It's accounted for and life goes on. The pendulous effect of Phase 1 to free day and then trying to settle back into Phase 3/ 4ish wasn't something that I could keep under control anymore. I need to be able to eat the same every day and not 'go crazy' for a day... Crazy day was taking over and it's way too scary. I am very thankful to IP for having helped me lose the weight so quickly and for helping me to maintain that loss. But the 'free day' and I need to part ways if I am going to happily maintain. So, here I am watching my portion sizes, eating healthfully and enjoying the sanity of not being overly restrictive or overly indulgent. I needed a long term plan and so far I am happy with the way this one is turning out.
Ishbel & bigpassport- thx for the shout outs... It's comforting to know I was missed...
Maile- love the recipe. Tonight I am going to try my hand at low carb butter chicken and coconut cauliflower rice...
To all those in the midst of a reboot- congrats on your losses!! Such a good feeling watching the #'s on the scale go down and having all your pants start to fit comfortably again...
Sunnymae- sometimes when we are less focused on our weight and eating it takes care of itself ( or sometimes when we don't focus we get carried away on the mindless eating train ;)). I am sorry for your family's loss. But glad for you that your weight is not going to be an added stressor.
Busy mom & audgirl- exercise, whether it's walking a video the gym etc all counts. Just making a conscientious choice to MOVE every day rather than be at rest helps with a healthy mind & attitude and makes maintaining a much simpler objective...

Cap: Everyone has to find their own way to maintain and live. You might enjoy the companionship and stability of WW. It is a good program and offers lots of support. Although I have not really talked about it, I cannot handle the free day either. Other people can handle that day..as for myself I do not want to lose control and turn to sugar and high carbs. That is what caused me to gain 100 pounds. I really don't have free days..sticking to low carb, avoiding sugar and indulging in a small amount of something now and then. Good luck on your new program.
Are you using butter on you low carb butter chicken? That is one of my favorites. I added coconut milk to the rice..yummy.

Ishbel: Have you tried soy milk? The carbs are not too bad. My son is in Europe..It does feel far away. Hope your VIP can call you on Skype. It is free.

Busymom: Enjoy your summer off. Boy were you dedicated to babysit for a weekend to pay for IP. It is costly but worth it. Enjoy your cruise.

Momto2cs: I was always surprised to learn that brown rice does not have a whole lot more fiber than white rice. I also have irrational fears that I will wake up and find I gained the weight back. I am slowly branching out to other foods..but stick to very very low carb most of the time.

Loneloser: good that p2 is working and that you are heading to Phase3.

Purplesky and Lee: thanks for the support on the NSV. I think I had been hearing people telling me negative things lately, and it was nice to hear something positive. I asked someone who has maintained for nines years, if people stop commenting about her weight. She said people have forgotten she was ever fat. I would like to reach that point!!!!!!

2ride: Leelu is such a pretty name. Hope the babies do Ok being dogsat..Enjoy your trip.

It is getting hot here. I am doing laundry!

Cap
Good luck with ww. Be careful with things like fruit-which may not have many points, but are really sugar in disguise. Keep us informed with the progress and if you thing maintains that way works.

Your mini album could be pictures of me, except my kids are older! I need to post one, including one in my new orange bikini I plan to wear on the beach! This is about as good as its going to get!

I consider my current diet a cyclical ketogenic diet, with the weekends being my carb ups, lthough I don't really have that many carbs!

Off to the gym!

Cap-Thanks for checking in! Good luck with finding your middle ground. WW is a good program. I agree that the best diet plan is something you can actually live with every day. Also, I think a lot of our weight issues are really food addiction issues that need to be controlled regardless of the plan, so if it's IP or WW we ultimately have to find what's doable in the long term. And there's no saying you won't ultimately morph the two together into something that works for you. When you figure it out, let me know and I'll just copy you;) In the meantime, don't abandon us...keep uw posted on how you're doing! I love your insight.

Cap -- WW is a good plan -- it may be just what you need. I was on WW before going to IP and I did lose quite a bit of weight. DH decided that he wanted to try IP -- so I gave it a shot too and have done well -- mosly b/c of this forum. =) WW is also a very well balanced way of eating and fits into life with a family much better than IP does.

Mailie and Momto2cs -- I even wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if I blew it the previous day. It's pretty irrational for a woman my age to be so obsessed with my weight.

P3 today -- man, that was a LOT of food. Two eggs, english muffin, 1 tsp. butter, 3 pieces of turkey bacon and a banana. Mentally, it's a mind blower -- just so much food! I've been through P3 before and know it's nothing to be afraid of.

The thing about IP, going through the phases and then beginning to add the different foods back in, you can find that you are very sentitive to certain foods. I actually found out that I have sensitivities to night shades (green peppers -- and the other colors, potatoes and eggplant (which I used to crave before I/P) and others). I thought that IP had given me a terrible rash -- but when I stumbled onto the sentitivity to the toxins in night shade plants and stopped eating them -- the rash went away within a few days. I also found out that I have sensitivities to yogurt -- I found that as I added them back in -- bloating. Could have been food combining; however, I have stayed away from those things. And of course those nasty carbs from white flour and sugar -- talk about bloat!!!

Cap Good luck with WW, I hope you'll stick around though :). I don't know a lot about WW, I was on it once LONG LONG ago and it has changed MANY times since. Are you going to keep the fats and carbs seperate as well as low carb or just low carb and points?

I agree with Lee that you may ultimately morph them into what works for you. Maintenance is about what really just works and that's such an individual thing.

I'm not ready to give up on my free day (minor grazing throughout the day) as that's what keeps me focused during the week and allows me a relaxing weekend (I won't track my weekends). Who's to say that in a few years I won't have found another way to maintain.

I have a theory that although my auntie says that I'm still on a diet, I just said "well, I'd say it was more of a lifestyle/plan"....so I think successful maintainers are always vigilant over their exercise and choices. Her definition of diet needs to change, as a diet is what you eat everyday.

I’m a HUGE fan of the diet beck solution (book) and I have ‘liked’ her on facebook. Some of the daily thoughts really strike a cord with me. Just some thoughts.

Well it is so nice to hear that I am still welcome to post here... Thx guys!!
I am morphing the 2 together as much as possible but one is anti carb and the other is anti fat so it's interesting trying to keep it in the middle ;)
But I find myself still willing to give up a considerable # of points for healthy fats as it is so ingrained in me that they are necessary at this point.

Ishbel- I think that following IP maintenance to the T for as long as I did really helped to stabilize my weight and teach me good eating habits along with forming a routine for healthful eating. It was a very important part of my journey that I wouldn't give back because ultimately it was very beneficial. I have just reached a point when the free day mentality is starting to take over and for me to keep maintaining at this point I know I need to adjust my maintenance strategy. This is working well for me because I am policing myself without being overly restrictive... It is the middle ground I have long been searching for...
Maile- I am so very blessed to have your companionship in maintenance. I knew that much of your calm came from keeping things on an even keep at all times and I knew that was something I needed to emulate to acheive long term success in maintenance. Just have to thank you for being you :)

Mom2cs- I'm watching the fruit... It's funny because the leader when she was talking with me after the meeting said 'yes, fruit is free but I guarantee if you eat more than a couple servings you won't lose weight'. I know, you know, she knows. Fruit is high in sugar and therefore calories & carbs... Can't wait to see a pic of you- I'm sure you're rockin that orange bikini for all it's worth!!

Lee-we're still hanging in there!! A few pounds up a few pounds down but always taking care of business at the end of the day! Coming up on one year since I lost the weight and though I may fight with 5-10 fight it I do and sure as heck is MILES better than 60 pounds ago!!!
Have a great weekend all! I'm off to Calgary to visit with relatives & friends...

I have a question to those who are on phase 4 of the ip.. what do you normally eat on a good day? in order to keep in shape.. examples?

I have some kind of protein bar for breakfast (I'm not a breakfast person, so I don't want to waste carbs and calories for breakfast). Lunch is salad with lean meat and a little fat like cheese or guacamole, dinner is meat and vegetables. On regular/good days, I try to stay away from starches. Not having bread, pasta, potato or rice with dinner doesn't bother me at all. On free days, it's all about the baked goods:)

I have a low carb waffle or cereal, 1 c berries, 3/4 c greek yogurt and 1-2 tblspoons Pb or nuts for breakfast.
Lunch is protein and salad with oil or avocado..ie p2.
Dinner is protein and salad and vegetables.
Snack : 100 cal nuts

I add in one half cup chick peas or 1/2 sweet potato now and then.
I also make cilantro yogurt or tahini sauces to use for dips of dressing.

Good luck.

Cap: We are all blessed by your warmth and your insights. You are doing a wonderful job of finding what works for you. I really hope you find a stable way to maintain. I have been adding more fats in..ie 2 tblspoons of pb, or using oil in my dressings..or making crab cakes with real mayo. I have been surprised to see that I have not gained. I keep wondering if my body has stabilized.

Lee: you are like my sister..she is not a breakfast person either. Funny..i do not miss the pasta or potatoes for dinner either. My husband however, is not too excited about pasta sauce over zuccini!

Ishbel: I think you are right..maintenance is making mindful choices..I do not think I will ever give that up. It is not a diet..it is a daily way of eating.

Lone Loser: That was fascinating about your allergy to eggplant and nightshades. I have not noticed that..but am going to watch for sensitivies.
I think I am older than you..but even now and then do something crazy like weigh myself in the middle of the night!

Lee: I agree. The addictive personality is still there. I have to watch that I do not use those same traits and become addicted to other things.

Momto2cs: An orange bikini sounds fun! I figure I am in ketosis much of the time.

It is hot hot hot here..Off to get exercise in before it gets too hot!