HELP!! In Phase 3 and having problems
 

So I was so excited to hit Phase 3 and start eating real food, etc. The problem is that breakfast is so big that I feel like crap after eating it and I literally have to force myself to eat lunch / dinner half the time. There's no way I can get in the extra protein packet or I swear I'll vomit!!

I'm also having problems with digestion. I have gone to the bathroom in 5 days and my belly is WAY bloated. I actually feel kind of fat again!

I'm 1 week in, will this go away???? Please let me know if anyone experienced this also .... I'm getting nervous :?:

Whenever I try to add wheat back into my diet I have issues like this, so I avoid most grains.
Keep track of what you eat and how you feel for a few days and see if you can find a pattern.

Most people love phase 3 but I had great difficulty with it and switched back to phase2 after a few day. My problem is that I knew for years that I can't handle grains (except for oats and rice) and dairy. I found out quickly IP hasn't changed that, I started to regain rapidly and had all the old side effects.So I stretched out phase 2 and went to maintance with only oats and a bit of yougurt maybe twice a week. I just don't like rice enough to give up fruit or something for carbs from rice.

But other people who found phase 3 worked well for them will likely be able to be more helpful.
Congratulations on getting to this important step!

Pat

Can you share your menu? Might be a food allergy or gluten/dairy issue.

Thanks for the replies everyone ...

So I thought maybe it was the wheat although I don't remember these issues before the diet so ...

I stopped the wheat 2 days ago, made coconut flour pancakes and had the same issue

Last 3 days breakfasts have been

1 - Healthy oats oatmeal, raspberries, non-fat plain greek yogurt, canadian bacon.

2 - Coconut flour pancakes (some dairy in these), strawberries, canadian bacon, WF syrup

3 - (today) Pear, P2B (1 tbsp), non-fat greek yogurt, canadian bacon.

I haven't been able to get my packet in 2 of these days because my stomach hurts. One day I actually skipped my protein lunch and made a vanilla rtd with spinach instead.

My stomach is killing me ... can't go to the bathroom!!! Feel horrible!

I think you should consider real Greek yogurt. The fat free version is yucky, and the fat can help with constipation issues. The fat version is delicious!

Did you feel good in phase 2? If so, why not revert back for a few days and then slowly start adding foods you like...

LOL - It's so strange to be choosing a higher fat food but maybe that might help. I do love yogurt!

I felt fine in phase 2, none of these issues. Maybe I should do that. I'm just afraid of confusing my body, I really wanted to phase out properly because honestly I'm scared to death that I'm just going to gain the weight back right away!

Phasing off is not the "secret" it's continued vigilance with weighing and getting any gains in check before things get out of control.

I had just the opposite, I became "regular" again. I agree to eat yogurt with some fat in it. I like the Fage 2% greek yogurt and then I add fruit. Good Luck, I hope you figure it out soon :)

Thank you all .. I think I'm going to make 1 change at a time. No grains and using regular fat yogurt. Hopefully that will do it!!

:hug: Thanks :hug:

I know I had issues with wheat before I started this so I'm anxious to see what happens. I may just try some good homemade bread for a day or two to see what happens. First sign of indigestion I'm stopping wheat.
I'm looking at this phase 3 as a clean slate. I know that phase 1 and phase2 works and I don't gain so I'm SLOWLY putting things back. That way I will know how each thing makes me feel or affects me.

I make my own yogurt. Not low fat either! I'm just eating good and worthy food from now on. That first yogurt is going to make me smile.
15 pounds to go before I can do that. Maybe for Christmas.

My hubby who has lost 55 pounds on IP has had major intestinal issues too. I think once he gets back on real food that will "move" on! He's been miserable a couple of times.

This might be against IP protocol but from a physiological standpoint calories can be distributed throughout the day however you want.

If you want to eat less for breakfast and more later you can do so.

I echo what these fine ladies have already said- WHEAT! It is the main problem for me as well and I continue to avoid wheat, gluten and most grains in maintenance. My P3 breakfast usually looks something like this:

(2) eggs + (2) egg whites
(1) apple w/ (1) TBS Almond butter
Fage 2% Greek yogurt
1/2 cup granola mixed into yogurt

I would start by elminating the grains and dairy for a few days and stick to fruit as your main source of carbs (it takes 72 hours for reactive foods to work through your system). Then I would add (1) back in. IF you have no issue, then add the other back in. Try to target what is making you feel bad. If the first thing you add back in is reactive, eliminate it completely and try the 2nd. It really could be one or the other or both. But you need to get both out of your system first before you can figure out which is the culprit.

Glad to hear you say that John. I just can't eat first thing in the morning. Not since I was pregnant 42 years ago. Throwing up every morning kinda messes with your head. I often just have yogurt early then have a brunch style meal. My belly is much happier that way. I then have a decent lunch and try to eat a smaller dinner. That's way I hope to eat once I get the rest of my weight off.

Does that sound reasonable?

You may want to check with your coach and request some additional info on phase 3 - I believe there is a metabolic reason behind why the Phase 3 "big" meal is only meant to be eaten for breakfast.

Scorbett, if that's the case then I am really screwed! It would mean eating at 5:30 in the morning then for me. That's so NOT going to happen. I know I need to change what I eat and that I can handle. But I'm at work for 14 hours a day. We own our own business. Dinner is always around 8 pm since we never get home much earlier than 7:30. I'm not complaining, but what could your body do at 7 am that it couldn't do later?

Just confused is all. I'll make it all work somehow. Bring it on! 15 pounds to go before I will reach goal so I will have time to figure it out. That's why I love you guys. It helps to have all of you around to bounce things off of, listen to our griping and to keep us in line! Thanks!!!!!!

Eating that much early in the morning was a huge issue for me too. I am so not a morning person and eating that much first thing along with my long commute to work just didn't work for me so I went back to my beloved spinach protein shake pretty quickly.

By the way healthyAngie; you look amazing!

My two cents...
The reasoning with the big breakfast is because we are at our metabolic peak in the mornings as we have been fasting for a number of hours while we sleep. We need the carbs at that point and it is when our bodies are (supposedly) most capable of utilizing them.
This said... When you're not a big breakfast eater- and even for those who are- when you come out of phase 1/2 and into a ton of food in the morning it is jarring for the body. If you're having trouble stomaching all that food my suggestion would be a shake that encapsulates all the requirements. Whey protein powder, fruit of choice, yogurt a bit of nut butter. You're still getting all the nutrients but saving your body on the digestion aspect. Also if you're getting 'backed up' do try upping the fat as this definitely helps... And hopefully if you're not so full from breakfast you'll be able to stomach a salad to help up fiber.
Good luck & great job- you look beautiful!

There is a lot of research out there on this topic and it makes virtually no difference. I actually haven't eaten any breakfast for over two years. I rarely eat before 2:00 PM.

While it is true that you're most insulin sensative for the first meal of the day in the context of a hypocaloric diet it makes no difference.

Great idea capricious! A smoothie or a shake isnt too daunting. Personally, I love the big breakfast. I wake up @ 5:30, eat breakfast, and I can make it to lunch without needing a snack. You might think about eating potato, sweet potato, or even rice for your breakfast carbs.

Yeah - I already did. They want to spike the insulin only 1 time a day during this phase. I understand that. I have been doing the carbs early and then slowly trying to get the rest in spaced out to lunch.

I never thought of this! Good idea! And thank you :)

So today I will NOT be eating anything wheat or gluten for a test. I've been messing around with Coconut flour and made some pancakes out of it. Lots of protein, low carbs, no wheat , no gluten. I also did a full fat greek yogurt. So we'll see ...

Anybody else doing the whole coconut flour thing?

The issue is that once you are in phase 3 you are moving OUT of a hypocaloric diet. So it actually makes a bit more sense in light of early morning insulin sensitivity as you are moving towards maintenance, to eat the bulk of your calories early in the day when your body can react to them more efficiently.

Angie,
I hope that going gluten-free helps you! I haven't used coconut flour yet, but I have some. I just haven't gotten around to using it in anything. I've just been too busy to experiment with different flours, sugars, etc., but I'll get there!

I didn't know I was sensative to wheat before IP because I felt fat and bloated all the time. After being on IP for 6 months and feeling normal and non-gassy for so long it didn't take me long to figure out what caused all my problems before IP. "Wheat Belly- Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight" by Dr. Davis is an excellent book for helping explain why wheat can cause belly bloat!!! I just read it last week and since I've taken wheat out of my diet again (I am in maintenance) I feel wonderful. I am also having to watch the Yogurt, even Greek Yogurt. It causes me some trouble too. I will be trying the non gluten flours soon. I need to find them.

I did find some interesting (and pretty good) pancake recipes so let me know if you want one.

I used it on turkey and that was good too!

Maybe try a fiber supplement as well to help with the "backed up" thing.

Well, it's one of 2 things. My body either needed time to adjust or I do have a sensitivity to wheat. I haven't had any wheat in a few days, but had other types of carbs and I'm feeling much better. My coach also told me to move from the lowfat yogurt to full fat. Wow - that's hard to put my brain around!!! So I'm going to try something wheat tomorrow and see what happens ....

I read that book too. It has recipes in the back and he also has a cookbook (haven't bought it yet).

Sorry to say that it sounds like you might be sensitive to wheat.

I, too, had no idea when I was heavy because I was fat and bloated all the time. Plus, I always felt bad and just thought it was from being over weight. Now I know.

Well today I tried some oatmeal - has wheat but is gluten free. I don't feel bad yet (about 2 hours ago) but we'll see how the day progresses.

Has anyone heard of issues with the higher fiber foods - like the bars and cereals from Fiber One? My husband says he remembers me feeling worse after eating those before. Wonder what "type" of fiber they add????