CassiR- I can't wait to hear how that kitchen gadget works!!!! Be sure to let us know!!!!

Ah, so this explains it. I crammed myself into a 4 yesterday. Not a comfortable fit but they zip up tightly. 4's are hard to find so I am good at 6.

For my old shape I used to wear Gloria Vanderbilt. That worked really well. Now, it does not. The Gloria Vanderbilt has a certain kind of stretch and is extremely unflattering once it gets looser. I think it may be because it worked better with fuller curves. I have done better with Chaps lately. It's a much straighter slimming fit for me.

I am still a little odd in stores when it comes to eyeballing what fits but I am getting better at it. I feel like store clerks look at the size and say, "this won't fit you."

I don't think I can eat in a size 4 but I got them as motivation to maybe keep trying. Dunno.

34F. I thought it might come down a little but it has pretty much been the same for months. I think I was able to get into medium tops in Feb. and that has not changed much. I am hoping for 34DD so I can try something without underwire. When you lose the fat in the chest, there's less padding on the rib cage and I feel the underwire more.

Thank you. I may just do it tomorrow and get those nasty cravings out of the way. I'll be sure to let you all know how the spirooli works. I'm super excited! I need to find a recipe for a tomato sauce first. We might just do our normal leek pesto though. We'll see!

Thank you! All the information you provided will help.

Thanks! I'm so glad to hear the scale is back to normal after your public speech. Stress really does play a huge roll in our weight.

I find that pants fit me weird too. I wear a 6 because that's what fits me in the waist. But the bottom and legs are baggy, which is incredibly embarrasing. All, and I mean ALL of my work dress pants are like this. I can fit into a 4 but they are tight in the waist and give a slight muffin top :(
I'm hoping my tummy will shrink a bit so I can wear those 4's with ease.

I just got a new tattoo on my calf last saturday. was never going to get it if i waited for my calves to get smaller. Its really cute but i can't wait for it to heal so that i can shave properly, lol.

I'm not sure if you are in the US or Canada. But you will know that for kindle you need to use amazon.com; not amazon.ca.

I just went to amazon.com and put in the title and downloaded it. But i'll check if it is still listed.

I love reading on my ipad too. I really like not have piles of books all over the place. But I don't like like for cookbook or food plan types of books as I like to flip around from place to place for those.

Pat

So glad those handouts are helpful to some of you! You're very welcome :)

BTW, I think I found a new food additive to add to my collection! Have any of you heard of whey protein crisps?? From the description, they sound like those little crunchy rice crisps that are in some candy bars; remember $1,000,000 bars? LOL, are those still around? Anyway, this can be thrown in your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, salad, mixed with peanut butter (for a quick snack, like peanut butter balls), almond butter, or other nut butter, for a pleasing crunch and extra protein!

I found it on netrition.com and amazon.com. Both have the natural flavor but netrition also carries a chocolate flavor that's currently backordered. Yum!

Sarabean, so glad your defense went well!That is so stressful, great to have it behind you.
Goodeats, those protein crisps sound really good. Probably a good thing they likely don't have them in Canada.

2Ride, now I'm trying to remember where I got the flaxseed. It was Save-On-Foods, but I can't remember if it was on 82St and 112 Ave or if it was the one near Costco in SP. I never had roasted flaxseed before because I always got the ground. They really add a nutty taste to the shakes. But I put them in my mini food processor and it did grind them up some.

My time seems so limited due to my long commute. When I am in the city which is most weekdays I just want to finish work and head out of Dodge. So I really don't food shop much except for Costco. It was so helpful when I started IP and you told me exactly where in the city to get things I needed. That was such a big time saver.

Thanks everyone for the comments on sizes and also the suggestions about pants. I will see if I can find those brands.
My problem is when I do continue to get below 130 I am losing everywhere except for the spare tire around my bell and upper butt.
I have gone from a 38 D to 34B bra size and when driving home today I was wondering if people who are not overweight notice how uncomfortable it is sitting on a bony butt. And I still find I am shocked when I go to fix a collar and hit collar bones first. But the ole belly is hanging on till the bitter end.
So I need size 10 pants to get around my belly and then they are like sails around my legs and all have a baggy seat.

If I could afford it I would have a tummy tuck like darbs but I don't think the hubby would want to pay for one for my 64th birthday!

Cassie, I will be watching for a review on the spirooli too. It sounds like a neat way to get the veggies in.

Pat

I remember when the diet started working aggressively on my middle. I liked that it was working on my thighs. It wasn't doing much in the stomach area but it really was working on my bottom side. I had no idea that when fat left that area, we were left with some bone. I used to worry that I would have to sit on soft seats for the rest of my life. I had never experienced this before in a diet. Luckily it stopped. It may have been part of the reason I chose to phase down when I did. Once Phase 3 hit, a lot of fat came back to my face and my bottom side. Not a lot but enough to look better. That and maybe I got used to it. But, I also wondered if people with less padding sat on bone. I feel fine now but when it was happening it was odd. It seemed like it just took some off my rear overnight and the next morning I woke up and my gait was odd.

So, I had an interesting ride phasing off, lost nothing in Phase 2, stressed me out to the max lol. I lost 5 in phase 3! This morning I'm 159, which is where I wanted to be when I started maintenance (actually I wanted to be 160). I'm pretty happy right now!

I think I did a pretty good job phasing off while traveling, I even had the opportunity to review the nutrients list on various breads before I picked one.

I had qinuoa last night...holy smackers what a great recipe, it's from the Clean Eating Vegetarian cook book. It fills you up...YUMMMO!

You should be happy!!! You've had a phenomenal weight loss. You've lost the weight of a whole person, you're nearly half your starting weight! Incredible. Welcome aboard to maintenance:)

Will someone please teach me how to do multiple quotes?

Use the little "+" thing beside the quote for as many 'quotes' as you want. The last quote you want to quote, just hit 'quote' and they'll all show up on your reply.

You can quote me on that if you like...LOL

Wow!! What an incredible job you did of phasing off while traveling.

You are a superstar!

DH lost nicely during Phase 3 and maybe even Phase 2. This was just the brief vacation phase off but he surprisingly lost after a period of very little loss. He seems to do really well on P3. Both of us actually.

Love Quinoia.
You roast veggies (parsnips and carrots are particularly yummy) and add anything you want and drizzle with a light like vinaigrette. If interested I can try to find the recipe. Such a comfort food. I think I added cilantro and garbanzo beans.

Lately, I am on a veggie patty kick. I want to try to make some and control the grains added. (everything I buy at the store has rice and breads and other things) and I prefer them at lunch.

Had my last WI this morning and came out with a 1 lb gain. My coach said it's ok. I lost a bit last week and this morning I ate breakfast before WI, which I don't normally do. Also, my lean mass is UP!

Today is my "free" day. I'm having a lot of fun but tomorrow will feel great to get back to basics in p1. My tummy is very bloated. It is nice to get all those cravings out of my mind. Love IP!

Ishbel, you should try quinoa porridge. yum yum yum! And it's so simple. Put 1 C cooked quinoa into a small saucepan along with 1/2 C milk (I use almond milk) and warm it over the stove until it starts to simmer/boil. Put it in a bowl and top with sliced banana, cinnamon, and a drizzle of WF maple syrup. YUM! I sometimes add slivered almonds or cashews for a crunch.
It's so easy to cook a batch of quinoa before the week and then just heat this up each morning. Great for winter. DH has this every. single. day.