That is an excellent year maile! Will laser resurfacing hurt? I'm a chicken when it comes to "procedures"! I tried laser hair removal and couldn't keep up with it!

Do all you guys still take the IP supplements? If not, what do you still take? I've noticed a drop in energy since I started Phase 3. I'm still taking the multi's but I've lowered the cal-mags significantly.

I'm saving up for Sculptra ...

Hi guys!* I’ve been reading but not posting.* I went away for a wedding last weekend and came home to houseguests for a week.* It has been very challenging!* The scale is up a bit, but I didn’t gain 20 p0unds overnight, like I thought I might.* I was developing some carb phobia, I guess!* I am learning a lot.* Like if I have sugar or wine (which is sugar), I just keep right on going.* It is easier to not have it because then I don’t want it.* So, I guess this experience is worthwhile, although I am looking forward to having my house and my routine back, and hopefully these few extra pounds won’t stick around long.* I have vacation in 17 days, which is the whole reason I started IP in the first place.* So we’ll see what happens with that.* I am thinking I do best on Phase 2.* I would like to experiment more with Phase 3 breakfasts.* I need to track how I respond to fruit versus grains, etc. And I need to continue to work on my vacation “all or nothing” mindset.* I am definitely doing better than previously. *Anyway, just wanted to check in….
*
Oh, and I am still taking all the IP supps, but using a different brand of multi-vitamin and fish oil as I already had loads of that stuff before starting IP.*

Maile- wow!! That is fantastic that you've lost so many inches while maintaining same weight. It is crazy the way muscle works- hard to wrap the head around sometimes.
HealthyAngie- up your CalMag. Or start taking magnesium on it's own. It is a huge proponent of energy regulation within the body. If you are feeling fatigued it can be almost directly correlated to magnesium. Google it or just start taking it. Spinach & almonds are excellent sources.

busymom YAY for approval on tummy tuck!!! So exciting! :)

jennydoodle as far as I'm concern maintenance is about nipping it in the bud so don't worry about 'rebooting' that's part of maintenance, I enjoy reading about everyone's experiences as it helps me in my maintenance. Post away! :)

cap I'm glad you're feeling more comfortable with Phase 1 this time funny how certain combinations hold their appeal for a while and then you move along. I was ADDICTED to my salad from Phase 1, then I got addicted to veggie stirfrys, now I'm addicted to cucumbers soaked in vinegar for 20 minutes. I tend to go through veggie phases.

maile WAY TO GO on inches lost, I keep getting "your shrinking away" at work and I keep replying "I haven't lost anymore go away"...so maybe there is something to it, maybe my body is still adjusting...but I'm not going to measure now (or try not too) until it's been a year to see the difference in measurements. As for the lazer, I'm chicken too....my sister has a medical skin spa and is always trying to get me to do stuff...so far I'll only do lazer hair removal (which I got tired of the pain too) and hydra facials (which I thought were cool)...only trouble is, she's 5 hours away so although she said "I can do it for free!" it costs me time to get to her. :D

healthyangie The only IP supplement I take is the omega III, because they are strong. I do take a multi, antioxy, omega, calcium and a probiodic everyday though. Just one of each not the multiples that are required on Phase 1.

That would make sense then. I'll up the calmags again and see what happens. I'm huge on spinach and almond milk but maybe not enough ... Thanks!

I have been experimenting with breakfast. I think the phase 3 components work, it is the quantities that I am adjusting downward. Right now, it is a cup of plain greek yogurt, a cup of strawberries, 1/8 cup (about 10) pecans and only 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal (instead of a 1/2). I, too, think I need to change up breakfast a bit and would like to look at what might be setting me up to eat slightly more. It seems to stay just below 120 is quite the caloric balancing act. Anything going out of routine shows up on the scale, and just doesn't seem to be following the going back down pattern this week that I have seen in the previous weeks (basically fun day, P1 day, scale tops out day, then weight drops consistently (maybe 4 lbs) to the next fun day. Granted, the past fun day was w-a-y-y out of control, so this is a good learning experience.

Also, working out on maintenance is a balancing act for the food. I was doing an IP shake before and after shake workouts (which have been only weight lifting 5x/wk). This is starting to seem too much. Plus, the "bedtime" snack seems counterproductive in maintenance.

I wish I just knew more so I could analyze the data in my fitness pal to help make sense of things. That and not really knowing the exercise calorie burn, which may mean a fitbit or bodybugg is in my future.

I'm looking at adding 30 minutes of walking a few times a week but really want to keep time at the gym to 60 minutes or less.

Thanks for your support. I was pleased about the inches.

info please: That is the hardest part..when you go through times when you don't lose as quickly..and those up pounds stay. I didn't have a fun day..and was eating as normal, and hit a week where my up pounds did not go down. I increased my weights and exercise..anyway it is back down. Working out at the gym for 60 minutes is great. I do 45 or 50 and need to up it.
healthy angle: I don't use the IP supplements..but take an array of my own.

Ishbel, Momsto2,and Cap: The lazer surgery is not supposed to hurt. Plus he wants to do botox and fillers. I am not afraid of the surgery. If you can believe this my 30 year old niece and her husband had it done. The main
problem is the cost, 7000 dollars..plus you have to stay out of the sun for 6 weeks.

Ishbel: I hope eventually people stop commenting at your job. You get tired of defending yourself. For the repeat offenders, I quietly got them aside and talked to them..and told them that my dr was happy with that weight. That usually shut people up.

Thanks, Maile.
I am trying to get back into the supplement habit. Just using up my IP stock to start, and being consistent. I really think the cal-mags help me regulate sleep, I just don't want to admit it or something. The potassium ones might be "binding" as they say. With P1 everything was figured out and I just had to tweak a little bit. In P4 there are so many variables to try to organize in order to determine what is impacting what. I just need to choose one and start.

You've inspired me to make my next goal to be able to sign up for the registry.

I also noticed that my body continued to shift and change in maintenance. I also notice during this reboot, my measurements are almost back to where they were when I was 5# less than I am now back when I first went into maintenance.

For example, when I was 131#, my waist was at 26.75" and now it is at 27" even though I am 5# heavier, same for my stomach and my hips. So there definitely is something to it.

Ish, I too got comments about losing more weight when I was in the beginning stages of maintenance, although I hadn't lost a single pound more.

Still plugging away in P1 reboot. Ish- you are right, it is all part of maintenance. I am missing eating some things, but for the most part, it is going quite well. The scale seems to not be my friend this week, so not sure if I will get back to 135 at this WI. But, I am just going to keep chugging along. I know the reboot is going well because my clothes feel back to normal and my measurements are back to almost where they should be. And that is what matters because my pants that were getting tight now feel good again.

I will probably stick with it for another couple of weeks and see where I can get. I would like to create a little bit of a deficit going into the holidays because I am quite sure I will be back on a reboot in January ;) One thing I will need to purchase before Halloween and stock away for my next free day is a bag of candy corn. It is my favorite and I never think about it except for halloween time.

Jenny- congrats on being ohhh so close inches wise... it is strange what changes maintenance & rebooting makes to our bodies...

Maile- I told my husband and older daughter (who is 7) that I was going to a dr.'s appointment... this was a few months ago... and my 7 year old asked me if I was going to see him about the lines under my eyes... ouch.
I do see some fillers in my crystal ball...

And all this talk of laser hair removal. My aesthetician (who has to wax most of face ;)) of all people brought this up with me. Said it would save me $ in the long run and it was a good option for me. So have started to really think about it but I have heard nothing but 'it really hurts' from everyone I know that has done it...

Infoplease- if you are after your belly... cardio is the way. Going to start quoting a random magazine article now... A study was done that showed moderate-intense cardio incurs a greater reduction of belly fat when compared with strength training and low- moderate cardio... don't know if this is a problem area for you but it certainly was for me...

Ishbel- Yes, I certainly do go through phases of vegetable addiction... there was stewed rhubarb, then kale chips, turnip fries... then phase 4'd it last fall and got totally hooked on squash butternut, pumpkin...mmmm, such yummy soups...and now, so hooked on cauli rice and of course my celery, lettuce, lemon & salt combo.
Have you started dress shopping yet????

cap
What happened was that when we first started training, we did "conditioning". This amounted to weight circuits on personal training days and stamina building cardio on non pt days. Because I was finishing up phase 1, I lost both fat and muscle, where I was losing mostly fat before. At the end of phase 1, my stomach was concave for the first time in my life (OK, realistically it looked kind of gross, but it sometimes takes on a somewhat flat appearance once you get past the strange lose skin patterns). The trainer was concerned at the muscle loss and "banned" cardio temporarily. I am adding it back albeit it is the suggested slow walking in the fat burning zone. In P1, it worked better for it to be as the magazine article suggested, the medium intensity, sweaty kind. It's one of the many things of the balancing act. I am getting stronger, but I think I'd rather just do the more efficient, bigger calorie burning circuits/cardio, have the endorphins and get to eat more. Hmm, guess I need to talk to her.

I wonder if the water in our bodies moves around in accordance with the tides? Oh, just kidding. Probably more related to the difficulty getting a minimum (64oz?) of water in and their being less, then more, then less over the course of a day.

Funny on the veggie phases. I do that, too.

My mom broke her hip earlier in the week, and had surgery to repair it. I drove from Billings to Missoula yesterday to see her, which is a 5 hour drive. Thankfully she is doing pretty well, but is more confused than normal. She kept wanting to get out of bed.

It is so much harder to stay on p4 than p1 when i travel? I brought my own food, but my schedule is off, and I am exhausted. Even as I write this it is 4 a.m., and I can't sleep.
I thinki will go back on p1 when I get back home on Sunday.:hug:

If you go back on P1 will you then go through P2, P3, etc? I was just wondering if we can keep ourselves in check using P1 for a week or so but do we have to spend 3 weeks going through the other phases also?