I'm sorry if this is not the appropriate place to post this. I originally posted in the main IP forum, but thought maintainers might just be looking at this thread.

I'm new to 3FC and (potentially) new to IR. I did read the pinned FAQs but I had a questions for the maintainers.

I have had PCOS for 10+ years and am considering the IR protocol as a last resort.

My question is: Have you been able to successfully maintain your weight loss, despite having PCOS?

I do realize that this program is a lifestyle change, but I'm wondering if it's the combination/products occurring in Phase 1, that allow PCOSers to lose/maintain the weight. Or (hopefully) does your system truly reset?

Hope that makes sense.


Thanks in advance!

I've been busy and MIA lately, but want to stay 'accountable' - it's hard to not succumb to the occasional 'gorge out' impulses that come on sometimes, just like a regular maintainer (and Phase 1-3er), I have to always be prepared! I have a little cooler I carry around daily with an apple, 2 oranges, greek yogurt, and a protein bar. Still working through my food aversions to chicken & most veggies incorporating more fruit and complex carbs (avoiding the 'comfort carbs' that have a strong pull, but aren't healthy for me and especially not the baby!). Unfortunately the only 'cure' for my morning sickness is FOOD, so I have definitely been upping my meals, but honestly - it was the price I was willing to pay to not feel like vomiting for 5+ hours/day - thankfully that seems to be subsiding this week. I still feel like I am keeping it up, making healthy choices (confess to ice cream weakness this week) and exercising - I feel great and am optimistic these next few months will be awesome!

Hey sunnymae, I'm not the 'normal maintainer' currently, nearing the end of my first trimester, but I do throw in avocados, 'real' salad dressing, and nuts/nut butters on a mostly daily basis (I do NOT overdo it - 1/4 avocado or 1-2 tbsp nuts). Everything in moderation - also love the nonfat greek yogurt, I throw in my own fruit, or use it in lieu of sour cream, or add in a packet of salad dressing mix to make a dip/spread. Hmmm...pretty much exactly what Maile said...love the tahini idea.

Have a great time with your boys Maile!

I am a fan of having something "ready to grab & go" in the mornings, I like to spend a Sunday making a batch of little pumpkin pies, cheesecakes, & bread puddings. Can you tell I'm a dessert lover?

I have been lurking again lately. This thread has been great with lots of helpful info. Thank you ladies! Wish I had time to respond to everyone.

Can't remember who but I too have the bloating and gas in maintenance. I am still trying to figure out what is causing it but I love my fruit, greek yogurt and breakfast so haven't eliminated any of those yet. I just started drinking decaf coffee recently and wondered if that is the culprit. I don't have pain, just a noisy tummy and more gas.

Maintenance is going well for me. I still haven't added too many carbs at night yet. Sometimes fruit. I do get a little hungrier but just try to eat more veggies. I had my first popcorn the other night and it was yummy. Just shared a half of a small bag with my husband so only 50 cal, 1 gr of fat and 12.5 carbs!

I made Liz's stuffed french toast this morn. OMG, i can't believe I haven't made that yet, it was great. I used a blend of frozen berries mixed with a little WF strawberry syrup, spread the ff cream cheese on each piece and topped with the berries. Thanks, Liz!

Went to Texas Road House with my kids last night for my sons birthday. I ate one of their rolls for my carb. First white bread in about 10 months! It was good but I enjoyed the dallas filet and broccoli and baby carrots just as much. I was afraid the scale would show it this morn but I was down from the day before.

I am sorry, this is a me post. I appreciate everyones posts and will try to be better about responding to each of you. Thanks!

Hi all, thank you for the valuable information you provide to the rest of us. I've been lurking for a little while as I have little time at the moment. It is such a treat for me to find the time and read up on all of you.

Ishbel,
I agree with you, Evepet and many others here that the 'parents' dance is a lovely idea. I think homage can paid to your dad in many ways; perhaps in the opening prayer for the reception?

Infoplease,
Thanks for your info - I also filed it away - but in a word doc that remains in my PC!

LizRR,
I'm late to the party in making your more creative recipes - probably because of that 4 month hiatus I took from IP last fall...anyway, have been going back and reading about your amazing creations. You are really talented at pulling flavors together. Thanks! Will be making some of them soon.

Hi, Rubygirl - I have been diagnosed with PCOS, and I am also 50ish - a stage of life that seems to make maintaining weight so much harder. I steadily gained for about 12 years after my last big diet.

I think there is something to the pancreas reset idea. I started transitioning to maintenance end of November and I have continued to lose, though very slowly now. I could not manage to do that in the past. I have to say that I am also being much more selective about what I put in my mouth, but I am definitely not feeling deprived.

Of course everyone is different, but I think if you are committed and follow the plan, and make careful choices in maintenance, you can do this!

rubygirl. I have PCOS, I was told I had it when I was 18ish....main symptoms were obesity and thinning hair. I didn't really attribute my obesity to the PCOS mainly because everytime my elbow bent my mouth opened ..I did not have a good lifestyle. Honesty, I didn't give my diagnosis too much attention. I didn't lose weight easily though...but I did lose with IP.

Today is 10 months of maintenance. Is it easy everyday? Nope, I struggle in maintenance too....some days I want to eat everything in sight. Some days I can honestly think..."wow, it's noon?" I find if I eat less simple sugar I'll have more of the forgetful days then the eat everything days.

Best thing to remember, it's that it's never done...ever. So when you hit goal, you have to really listen to YOUR body. The rules of maintenance are simple but some people can have things that I can't. Which is why they are simple. My VIP (fiancé) can have rum and coke on his free day and not see anything on the scale. We both follow the separation of fat and carb and each have a "fun day" once a week. If I drank rum and coke like him the scale would complain for me. I can't have pasta, others on this forum can.

It's a good diet if you follow it thru and change your lifestyle when you hit maintenance. I was also medically supervised the entire time, not thru the clinic but I took the diet to my doc and asked her to watch me and if we could do blood work every three months.

Good luck!

Back later, off to ski...will try to say something about everyone...sorry!

On a different topic... I am going to lower my maintenance range. I have continued to lose very slowly and I am now down to 142.6. In the past I would have looked at this as an excuse to eat my way back to my 150 goal, but the new me says my maintenance range should now be 142 - 145. Besides, I've invested loads of $ in a new wardrobe that fits me at this weight!

I actually started this note by saying I was thinking about it, but just edited to say I'm doing it - thanks for listening!

Thanks Maile and Liz for your healthy fat suggestions. I've been thinking coconut oil and avocado as well. I have to be careful as I'm still trying to knock off these last few post maintenance pounds off, so I think it might be better to think IP/Atkins combo along with good old calorie counting to make sure I don't go over my limit which is 1400 a day for slow loss. I've been at around 1000 most days, more or less. My instincts are telling me that some caloric confusion will probably work. I've also come to understand that healthy fats actually help to burn other fats in the body...fascinating.
So...onward I go.
Thanks as always..OH...and may I say I am sitting here with a great cup of coffee and RainbowSmiles freakin' amazing lemon blueberry scones that I made with her recipe. Holy Moses...this is off the hook delicious!!!!!!

Hi everyone! I havent posted in a few days, but I've officially moved to the Maintainers area since I found out last week that i am pregnant and had to phase off over the past week. I am about 10 lbs from my final goal. I did 2 days of P2 and 3 days of P3.

Not sure what to do about the 'free day' as the routine is to have a P1 day afterward, and i cannot do that while pg.

Can i post a few things that I've been eating over the past few days and maybe you could look it over and tell me if it looks ok? I do have another meeting with my coach this week to make sure I am doing ok.

B: 8 oz 2% cottage cheese or FF plain greek yogurt, 1/4 c low sugar granola, 1 c blueberries or raspberries.

S: handful of almonds and an orange or pear

L: 8oz protein with 2 c veggies and full fat salad dressing or mozzarella cheese

S: string cheese and fruit

D: 8 oz protein, 2 c veggies and 1/2 c quinoa or brown rice, OR pasta, or more fruit for dessert.

I realize that i am pg so maybe ALL the rules in P4 dont apply to me, but I really dont want to revert back to my old habits 'because I'm pg'. I want to eat healthfully for the rest of my life, and to be honest, I really have no desire for any junk food at this point.

Can i have an occasional hot chocolate or small frozen yogurt as my 'carb' with/after dinner?

I need more meal ideas for lunch and dinner, so if you have any tried and true favorites, please share!

Thanks!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I would not worry too much about the phase 1 day thing. I have not done one yet, 3 months in and still doing fine. First priority has to be a healthy baby.

Your breakfast looks a little light on protein to me. I usually have all of that, plus some turkey sausage.

Lunch for me is usually spinach with 3 ounces of chicken and vinegar/oil dressing. I really enjoy it!

Maybe your physician would refer you to a dietitian? Unless your coach is a medical professional, I would not rely on her to advise you on nutritional needs during pregnancy.

Congrats, again!!

Lizzy,

do you mean that you do a cheat day, and then no P1 day after? Just curious. If end up doing a cheat day, I would probably limit the carbs somewhat the next day.

I am so full with everything I eat now, I have no desire to have a big cheat meal at ALL.

And, make no mistake, my coach is NOT counseling me on my prenatal diet...even though she is an RN. I am bringing the maintenance guidelines with me to my 1st appointment with the OB in a couple of weeks. Honestly, I think it's a great way to eat when pg, but I think there needs to be more calcium in there somewhere and I should snack on protein, rather that carbs.

Thanks!

Lizzy63Congratulations on your goal decision! I ended up lowering my original goal as well and have been happy with that decision.

EPAPRN Congratulations to you on your pregnancy! I agree with Lizzy that you shouldn't worry about the P1 days since you need the calories and other nutrients. Your body will be working harder and burning more anyway to feed the little one inside you. Unless I really go overboard on my fun days I usually just cut back on some of the carbs and stick more to a P3 day.
I would suggest a little more protein in the morning as well. I usually have a very similar breakfast and also add either some turkey bacon or sausage. Lunch is most often 6-7oz of protein and a big salad with dressing and a piece of fruit. Dinner I keep pretty much to just protein and veggies, but as so many people have posted, everyone is different and some people can handle more than others.

I haven't really had a cheat day, but I occasionally have a cheat meal, and I have not done any phase 1 days. It just hasn't been necessary. I've had more down weeks than up weeks. I limit my carbs every day, but not any more than usual after I have a cheat meal.

lizz Way to go on finding a plan that's working for you while you're pregnant! You're my hero...I'm taking notes

sunny Missed your query/comments on oils. I've used coconut oil for years in place of olive oil for stir fries etc. And for years have used it as a moisturizer (I use the smelly one for a moisturizer and the de-oderized one for cooking) I only use olive oil for salads and brush it on for baking (haven't found a good replacement for baking just yet) I dislike avocado (blech!). Although I read your post yesterday during a phase 1 day and thought "ok, you need to read rainbows 'stuff' cause you're boring on your phase 1 days now". So I went looking for some of her recipes. Thanks,

EPAPRN Agree with both YOU and lizzy, review the protocol with your docs. My doc and I talked about it "what if" and she doesn't want to think about it or even advise on it until she has too but the dude that trains clinics told me no phase 1 days while pregnant. I'd be interested to know what you find out...please?

I do a 'fun day' with a phase 1 day. Now, I have to confess, my fun days have gotten RIGHT out of hand and I've cut them down again. They were 'perfect' before the VIP finished his phase 1 and then they went nutzo again. SO I'm committed to a few weekends of no simple sugars and only a fun evening. I believe the simple sugars aren't helping me with my cravings during the week. I've reflected on me having my fun days and Phase 1 days. Because I'm so neurotic about tracking what I eat...that I enjoy not worrying about it on the weekend. I enjoy having carbs and fats together, which could mean fruit and some higher fat cheese. I don't think I can...let go of my fun days.

LOL so am I - when I saw your strawberry cheesecake recipe I nearly jumped out of my skin....cheesecake for BREAKFAST????? That's like heaven to me! I have been taking your recipes and figuring out what portions of other fruits I can swap out and still keep within the nutritional guidelines, so now I have 4 or 5 variations on them I might need a bigger fridge!

Great job hitting a new goal! It sounds like you've found a great rhythm for your body in maintenance!

How did you all figure out your calorie ranges in maintenance? I know there are a few online resources but didn't know if you found any to be more accurate than others. I have NEVER been a calorie counter so I don't really have a point of reference for what a healthy range would be for me.