Welcome!!!! I'm still nervous and excited about being here but every day it gets a little less scary. I've been maintaining since mid April and still going strong....honestly I'm a couple pounds less now then I was when I first started maintenance and that included a trip to Jamaica.

Hello everyone - Have been lurking on this board for the last couple of weeks. Am just moving into maintenance, slowly.

Have loved the IP program and this board. Looking forward to sharing maintenance stories with all.

Alice

Good Morning,
I started Maintenance on Tuesday. Glad to be here with you.

Good morning! I'm traveling today from Houston to Dallas, after being here for a little over a week (minus the weekend) watching the twin baby girls. Tonight I'll go to the Dallas Symphony and then home on Sunday. Summer vacation is wonderful, but I'l need to work on my eating routines. If I can maintain my current pattern, I'll be fine.

Have a great weekend!

Ishbel, enjoy every moment of the "pre-wedding" excitement! It's a whirlwind, but breathe and enjoy! --And watch Liz as she navigates maintenance + pregnancy! Whenever you are ready, you've got a great model there!

Welcome Alice and Becky!!! You'll do great!! Glad to have you here!!!

I'm still fairly new at maintenance; it's been about 3 weeks and I took a full month to get here with 2 weeks on P2 and two weeks on P3. It's a great system that eases us gradually back into the world of choices.

Welcome to all the new maintainers, and congratulations on reaching your goals!

I have been so busy lately, getting ready for a garage sale and doing yard work that I haven't been on here much. Today & tomorrow are 'sale' days, and it has been SLOW this morning. Of course, it is also COLD, there was a very heavy frost until around 8 a.m. Am hoping things will pick up after lunch...

Diet-wise, I decided I'm stopping P1 for now. My heart isn't in it, nor my head, at this time. I'm OK with where I'm at for the short term (still up about 6 lbs from original goal), and have been staying within the same couple of lbs since losing those 7 lbs a month or so ago. I'm eating healthy, but trying to stay with P1 when not in ketosis was causing serious cravings every day. Hopefully, going back to having things like yogurt, a bit of cheese, and a little carb for dinner will take care of the cravings. Honestly, it is kind of depressing to realize I'm not as strong as I thought I was, or want to be, at least not all the time. But this is temporary, and things will shake out ok eventually.

Happy Memorial Day to everyone in the US, especially those that have served in our military or have loved ones that do/did.

Hi everyone. Work, etc., has kept me so busy I haven't posted much this week but wanted to see how everyone is doing.

I got a little worried a couple of days ago, when my weight suddenly popped up a couple of lbs over my maintenance ceiling of 150lbs. It's down a lb today - I'm sitting at 151lbs as at this morning's weight-in. Keeping a strict eye on it so I don't slide upwards anymore, even though I'm suspicious that it's just water retention again.

As I've been busier through the day with work, etc., I've fallen into a bad habit of not drinking enough water these past couple of weeks, and really need to work on that.

Greeniris - I hear you re the suddenly chilly temps again... had to haul all my balcony potted plants, etc., into the apartment last night for fear everything would get hit by frost. And some of the big containers are seriously heavy. It was really cold again around here, with wind chills that were below 0 C again. Brr.... And from what I'm seeing on the weather forecasts, it's going to get colder again tonight and I'll have to do it again. I would have left them inside today, but for the lack of enough light and difficulties presented with inside watering of 'over the balcony railing' containers that usually drain right onto the ground. So they got put back outside just long enough to get watered and let them drain.. then I'll haul them back inside tonight again when the temps drop again.

Not much else to report from my end. Just hanging in and doing my thing.

Hope everyone is having a good day (and week)... and weekend!

Happy Memorial Day to my American IP-friends.

safetylady & De11s & beckyjwebb Wecome to maintenance!

joysh I'm trying, I'm trying LOL

maile/mom2cs I don't think the weigh gain from any potential future kids will make me NOT want kids. But I know that I'll freak out gaining..even though I know I'm suppose too.

greeniris don't forget to be kind to yourself, you can tackle 6 lbs following low carb it just won't be as fast as Phase 1 (and that's ok!). It can be done and you will do it. Don't discount how well you've done to get where you're at. It's hard to be kind to youself, I work on it EVERYDAY (and I'm not always sucessful lol). But, if you'd never say something to someone else, why would you say it to yourself. You're stronger then you think you are, remind yourself of that.

+++++++++++

VIP is in Vegas on his stag...first day there...he's babysitting one of the guys that went with him because he drank to much. All this before supper yet!! I said "umm, something is wrong with this picture hun" he just laughed. He's playing 'laser tag' in a plane today (he's a big geek lol) so I told him that he should figure out call signs for all his buddies that reference any tomfoolry and shenanigans that happen during the stag. We'd put them in the thank you for coming notes. I said that guys call sign should be "LUSH" he doesn't think that would be nice but I said "call signs aren't always nice" lol

My shower/stagette is this weekend. I have a close friend that is flying in from Vancouver (and her and her family are coming to the wedding too!)...she's my college friend. Her hubbie decided she needed a break from her life so sent her as a surprise. I'm so excited to see her I'll probably bawl when I pick her up!

I've been too busy to track anything other then my daily weigh ins this week. I've noticed that if I don't track my food intake I'm naturally eating less by being concerned that I don't 'know'. Find that interesting.

Ishbel - your stagette is just what you need to forget about the last-minute-wedding-planning nerves. So glad to hear your friend is going to be able to join you!
And Thank you (again) for reminding me to be kind to myself. You're right, most of us are harder on ourselves than we are on anyone else. It is so hard not to be - I have very high expectations of myself and I need to 'get over it!' lol

Turns out I'll be attending a wedding at the end of June - my nephew is getting married. Have no idea what I'll wear...it won't be too dressy, and the 'reception' will be outdoors (think bonfire), so jeans for later.

Later...

Cindy, You can lose weight by just eating low carb and not doing Phase 1. Keeping those 7 pounds off is showing strength. I think you are wise to listen to yourself and ease off the strict P1 if it was not going well. We are cold here also. I was going to plant flowers this weekend..but not in 30 degree weather. Weddings are fun!

Ishbel: Have fun at your stagette/shower weekend! You can relax with your close friend!

Safetylady, Dells and Beckywebb welcome and congratulations for reaching maintenance.

Evepet: I hope your new job and move is going well. I forget to drink all my water on some days!

Joysh I will have to also change my routines for the summer. I am looking forward to sleeping in, but I end up waking up early anyway.

I am traveling for the weekend. I hope this is the last moving weekend for my son!!!

The June Prevention Magazine has a great article called The Metabolism Miracle for 40plus. " The main culprit that slows metabolism and often leads to yo-yo dieting is what I call shrinking muscle syndrome." The average sedentary woman may have lost nearly 15 pounds of muscle by the time she reaches her late 50s, a change that could cause to gain nearly 15 pounds of fat." Eating protein-rich foods to support muscle mass, strength train twice a week to fight muscle loss, and cardio 3 times a week..help.

Welcome to the new maintainers!

Isabel - Hope your weekend with your friend is great! The Vegas thing does not appeal to me at all, but spending time with a good friend is always nice.

Maile - thanks for the info. Have been thinking about starting some strength training. I definitely have less muscle now (in my 50s) than when I was younger....

So, today I have been on maintenance for 6 months. Original goal was 150, but after getting down below 145, I decided my safe range would be 142 - 145. Well, today, after eating out for DDs birthday last night, I weighed in at 146! Thinking I will do phase 3 for a while, since I contined to lose in phase 3 when phasing off. Hopefully, it's mostly water retention.

Anyhow, I am choosing to remain positive! I feel pretty good about where I am, just want to get back into my safe range while its still easily manageable.

Hope you are all having a great long weekend (in the US)!

New maintainers, congrats and welcome!

Ishbel, Have an awesome time with your friend and at the stagette!

Hope everyone else is having a nice weekend!

Wondering if anyone else has had issues adding more food/wine etc when
they got to maintenance? I've been a maintainer for a month now
and its like I want to have some foods or drinks I havnt had in along
while but its like I'm scared, sounds crazy I know, but just dont want
to go overboard and start gaining. Feel like if I have one thing it will
just make my cravings come back, ugh! Want to stay in control, LOL!

Any advice would be appreciated!

And I just got all new shorts, capris and shirts etc for the summer! Its exciting and I dont want to blow it.

thanks,
D

DRegan - I think it is perfectly normal to worry about this. I think you will be fine as long as you don't try all of those things you've been missing at once, and you do them in moderation. I was terribly afraid of pizza, but now I find I can have it as often as once a week, I manage the portion size and toss leftovers right away. I also found out that having frozen treats (Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, no sugar added) is a bad idea - I just can't stop... while one would be fine, 3 is not!

It does take a while to find the right balance, but that can definitely include some of those things you've been missing.

greeniris/lizzy/Dregan/maile It was SO cheesy and fun...we had a card board cut out of Boba Fett LMAO (Cap if you're reading this I think you'd appreciate that lol!)...totally wanted a cheesy stagette and totally got it. Had a party bus...many of my friends are mom's so they were all worried but they all had a blast (or at least I have many pictures with huge grins on their faces). (FYI - had the 'proper shower' before the stagette)

I really really watched what I was eating that day knowing I was going to 'tie one on' for the first time in years. I'm happy to announce it didn't hurt me too badly at all, I was prepared to have a shake this morning if I was above goal and I'm not. There was many many danties and I tried quite a few of them so tons and tons of sugar (plus the sugar in the boose)...apparently my body has 'settled' a bit.

Dregan I agree with Lizzy...it takes a while to find the balance. I avoided wine quite a bit at the beginning because the scaled complained and then 8 months into it I had two glasses on 'fun day' with the 'fun meal' and it didn't complain. Just take it slow and don't add too much too fast or you won't know what the scale is complaining about.

Hope everyone has a great day!

@DRegan - I am still finding my way in maintenance, but have been in that mode for almost 2 months. When it comes to red wine, I have been able to add that back in on a pretty regular basis. I have a simple decanter that I use, and I will drink a bottle of wine over 4-5 days now. (I keep the decanted wine in the fridge, which might sound strange for red wine, but a poured glass comes up to drinking temperature in no time.) Just a glass a day with my evening meal. Once a week, I will have a couple glasses and some days none at all.
This is a far cry from my pre-IP days where I would drink less frequently - say weekends only - but probably have an entire bottle in an evening. And an even further cry from being somewhat of a connoisseur (consuming machine) of craft beer - something I have not had since I started IP.
So, is it possible to add back wine and different foods without the cravings coming back? Most definitely. If I can do it, believe me, you can!
I find that I appreciate the wine even more now. Maybe it has something to do with knowing that I am only having a glass, so I better enjoy it.