Hey gang, it's so cold in South Dakota today! Most of the schools called off, but not ours. It was so hard to get motivated to go to work today, but I used it as a mini-lesson with my second graders - I didn't want to come to school today but I knew it's what I should do... you may not want to read during Read to Self, but it's not an option, it's what you should do... I guess I should use that on myself as well, you want to eat chocolate, but you know what you should do...

LOL LoriKay - it's been a long time since I've identified with a 2nd grader! But I am slowly gaining control...substituting celery, and sometimes almonds.

Hope your cold spell breaks soon...been a crazy cold winter everywhere!

determined I'm not sure I could stop at 100 calorie packs...I have managed to challenge myself to stay away from the chocolate that santa brought and so far so good, it's the whole NUT thing...when I have nuts I have more then 100 calories and WANT more then 100 calories to feel satisfied. That's why I leave it until fun day.

greeniris It's starting to warm up only suppose to be -17 today - feels balmy! hahaha - then even warmer for next week. Looking forward to a break for sure!

maile I'm bad for having hot hot hot baths in the winter, I usually slather on the coconut oil right after lol I know it sucks the moisture from my skin but there's just something soothing about a HOT bath when your sick or after a long day at work.

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So it's cold here too...couldn't start my car yesterday so I had to take a taxi and told the VIP he could pay for it since he didn't leave me a key for the garage (only one key works I've been after him since October to get the door knob figured out as every key he gets cut doesn't work) I wasn't the happiest camper yesterday, nor even this entire week.

I dislike audits on your work....when a team of people with oodles of time and oodles of experience come and take a look at what you're doing it's a GREAT thing (not being sarcastic here it is good to have new eyes)...it just exhausts you when they see something you've not 'seen' for years and when they point it out you think "HOLY CRAP HOW DID I MISS THAT" <sigh>

Needless to say the guilt factor has been big in my life this week therefore I'm highly exhausted...coupled with a sinus infection that may or may not be gone yet...ugh.

HOWEVER, I have not caved for any foods...but I do find that as a result of exhaustion and guilty I want to go shopping for new clothes...which leads me to believe the VIP that perhaps I moved my emotion eating to emotional shopping. Don't want to end up on one of those shopping addiction shows

Howdy everyone! I am back from my Ob/Gyn appointment and everything is 100% healthy and progressing nicely. I am actually 1 week further along than I thought - instead of 8 weeks, 2 days along I am measuring 9 weeks, 1 day - I got to see the little fluttering heartbeat on the ultrasound and everything looked good. I was wondering why I seemed to be getting symptoms so much earlier! Dr. also reconfirmed that my running and weightlifting were 100% okay to continue since it's been an established routine for 4+ months now. I am so glad that I was able to get healthy and active before conceiving!

I am driving out to Houston in a few hours with my son for a baby shower. Staying with my mom at the hotel - doing my best to 'hide' the evidence! I was going to wait until I was 10 weeks along to tell the folks, so looks like instead of a 2 week holdout I only have 1 more week to go...

Good for you for getting control! I knew you could do it.

Sorry about the knee, but therapy beats surgery and hopefully you will be 100% before too long...

Cold here too... wind chill was around -15 when I walked the dog this morning. Brrr....

Hi all you awesome maintainers! I'm still researching to join your ranks soon! I have a question; I've seen where some have said their maintenance is like a modified phase 3, still with the big breakfast. I have read elsewhere that phase 3 can only be done for 2 weeks, and no longer, since it is all fast carbs. Can someone please clarify how one can continue on phase 3ish format if that is true? (I love the thought of that Phase 3 breakfast!) Thanks so much!

You may have an extra fruit in the evening or have all of the restricted veggies at any given time, have dairy, full fat salad dressing...everything but the carbs (flour, potato, etc etc) at night...many differences between 'phase 3' while phasing off and eating Phase 3 style in Phase 4 (wow that sounds confusing! lol)

Just my opinion, perhaps someone else can chime in for you.

Well, I can only tell you what I've been doing, but it's working so far.... I'm basically eating phase 3 (including the breakfast), adding several snacks throughout the day (apple, nuts, protein bar, greek yogurt, generally), and occasionally a carb with dinner. I have not gained and have even lost a bit.

It seems maintenance is about figuring out what works for you and sticking with it - maybe this would not work for everyone.

From what I had read, Phase 3 breakfasts pretty much carry over into Maintenance, it's just the lunch and dinners you need to figure out, right? Balancing fats/carbs and what your body can tolerate?

I think I have pretty much settled on going between low carb and paleo type meals - I have found quite a few low carb meals that I LOVE and my hubby and kids will actually eat, and the paleo foods just appeal to me Just have to find the right calorie balance for the other meals and snacks.

Scorbett-
So then why is it that I am reading in a few archive posts you can only stay on Phase 3 for 2 weeks, and absolutely no longer? Any clue what they are concerned about?

If you don't mind me asking, are you still in phase 1? If so, when do you plan to move to phase 2, at goal or a few lbs past? I'm trying to decide what to do myself. It seems most folks are going into 2 at goal or below goal these days, but I think I'm going the old school route of entering slightly before goal. I have actually been doing phase 2 this week as a test, and it is working better energy-wise. My loss has been better so far this week, too, but since it's only one week, that could be coindicence. The reason I'm trying phase 2 now is because I'll be at Disney in the near future for 7 days with 30 kids and I think I can keep up better with them if I'm eating more "real" food, either phase 2 or 3. I feel like I digest the IP/alternative foods so fast and it seems I have more energy with "real food" protein. I'm thinking if I find I am not getting to goal after the trip, I can always go back to phase 1. I will be 100% on the trip, the question now is just what phase will I do.

TIA, and thanks ladies for your input. Phase 1 and 2 seem easy, phase 3 I think I understand, but I still don't feel comfortable with the concept of maintenance and what I can/can't do.

(I know I'm far behind on all posts, so please excuse my late responses.)

Sunnymae - Thanks for bringing up powdered peanut butter - I had forgotten about it. I just bought PB2 and choc PB2 today, looking forward to trying a teaspoon of it or so in my daily choc shake. How are you managing with your gluten and sugar sensitivity in P4? I also seem to have those 2 issues and in P1, the associated problems are pretty minimal, but that's P1, not P4. So I appreciate your insight and comments.

Ishbel - How fun to be filling up Goose - cute name! Your VIP sounds like quite an impressive gentleman; winning the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. You must be so proud of him! Lastly, you mention moving from emotional eating to emotional shopping. You deserve the shopping, you've lost a wonderful amount of weight! But I guess at some point one must rein it in.

Dizzy Jean - You look wonderful, congrats on your weight loss! You're almost there!

Maile - Your French Cognac Pepper Steak dinner sounds lovely! What a nice way to warm up on a dreary night.

Beck81 - Congrats on tackling the 30 day shred! That's one tough program that will have you feeling strong and toned really quickly. I am also a Jillian Michaels fan and started doing the 30 day shred maybe 4 years ago. At that time, I alternated doing that with the "Wedding Workout" which is twice as long (45 min vs 20 min) but a little easier. Together, had a great workout regime. I did these in the back of my kitchen on a carpet with a few hand weights. (Routine: do lower body Wedding Workout one day, rest the next, Jillian Michaels shred the next, rest the next, wedding workout upper body the next, rest, etc.)

Fishette - You are my role model! You have done a great job getting to goal and have a strong and sunny determination to prove those skeptics around you wrong re maintenance. You made an interesting comment about your taste buds possibly changing due to IP and finding the pot roast overly salty. I think IP does change our taste buds...at first I couldn't stomach the WF products, now can manage pretty well with them, well, some of them.

LizRR - Congrats on the baby bump!

Patns - I always learn from your posts, hope you keep posting here! I'm not in maintenance either. I was within 2 lb of goal, drifted away, gained 15 and now am back, determined to get it done.

Greeniris - There's nothing like chocolate! Someone said that hot foods are more satisfying than cold foods and so maybe try hot chocolate to ameliorate the cravings.

New Englander - Like you, I think I'll be using a low carb choc bar in P4 (my favorite right now: Nashua's chocolate bar variety pack).

Essentially Phase 3 is just Phase 2 (protein and veggies at lunch and dinner instead of packets) with the added big breakfast. I haven't read anything that says you can't do Phase 3 any longer than 2 weeks, it's not in the "official" IP literature. Eating 7-8oz protein twice a day might be a bit much in the long term, especially once you are getting protein from breakfast AND snacks through your day - but if you reduce your protein to a "regular" serving of 4-6oz at lunch and dinner it should balance out. I am trying to figure out what my ideal calorie intake per day should be, and will just go from there in terms of how I arrange my meals.

I am in Phase 1 still but doing LOTS of studying to prepare for Phase 3 and maintenance! I am *technically* 1lb away from my goal weight, but I'm taking it day by day at this point as to when I will actually start phasing off.

Hey there Lizzy-
Good for you! Are you exercising?

You are correct- I remember the original ideal protein literature- I will try to find it and bump it- I know it is in ten stickies about the phases- it says something to the effect that some people make the " mistake" of staying in phase 3, but that should not because tibias not balanced enough- I am not for or against it, I just remember that. When I maintained for almost a year- I basically followed phase 3.

My exercise consists of walking the dog - about 2 miles daily. I know I need to do more... But not mentally prepared to commit yet. Kind of like IP, I had to be ready to go "all in" before I started.