Hi Posh 'n' the rest of the gals: I'm not sure why it seems so many of the coaches (or maybe it's the posters themselves) talk about phasing off when we aren't at goal. They seem to suggest it all the time for vacations or special events or even just because. Unless there is a physical reason (ie. Lisa's case) - why would one stop their weight loss before they get to goal? I've never heard any of the coaches at my clinic mention this, so I am curious. Is it due to food boredom, maybe? It does take a lot of discipline to eat this way when others around you are going 'hog-wild,' but it will still take discipline to eat properly once in maintenance - may as well learn it now and then you can get to maintenance sooner and have more 'food choice freedom.'
Chime in ladies, on this discussion, and fill me in or argue with me, whichever you prefer. I'm not taking any of it personally & hope you don't either .
Liana
Hi, I am on Day 1 of a reboot after phasing off in March. I had lost about half the weight to get to my goal and then just got stuck losing and regaining the same few pounds for weeks - despite being OP and for no apparent medical reason. My doc (I was using alternatives at the time) suggested phasing off to see if giving my body a break and changing my food intake would help me lose more once I restarted. During maintenance I did gain some back, but I'm hoping the program will work once more now that I am back and 100% OP.
As far as goal setting, it's interesting - when I stalled I was feeling pretty good, even though I was only halfway to goal. I wondered whether my body was comfortable at that weight and that's why I wasn't continuing to lose. I think maybe that's what coaches mean by "see how you feel." I was still in the overweight range for my height according to the scale and my BMI, so my doc has been encouraging me to keep going. In the end, my body will hopefully tell me when to stop and I'm also hopeful I won't stall at that same spot this time around!
Your case makes sense lighthouse... I had a stall and my body 'decided' it didn't have enough food, so I did the Alternative Phases (like the diabetics do) instead & that worked great.
I don't feel vacation is a legit reason though... but it's a matter of choice I guess, like whether you lurk on the 90%ers threads for ideas or the 100%ers threads for ideas.
Good to hear that the alternative plan is another option - I didn't consider doing that the last time but if I have a stall again, that is probably what I would do. It's not easy to get restarted - I've put if off a bit longer than I should have and am starting by having to re-lose 10 pounds I've already lost.
I know lots of people phase off and then restart for various reasons, but from experience and what I've seen on the boards, it's very hard to get going again for many people.
The only time my coach said to phase off for a vacation was to a person who said they had no plan to stay OP. She wanted then to understand it would be better for them. For me when my 90 goal seemed so far away she did say phasing off and maintaining a bit was always an option but after reading the restart struggles on here and reflecting on how quickly things gave gone for me as well as the fact that I have not had to deal with a stall has kept me motivated to keep going.
I am two pounds away from the lowest weight I remember in 10 years ( my last pregnancy). I chose 160 because I got there after my first baby. I want to settle on something that isn't painful to maintain. I will never be a constant workout kind of person but do think I have really changed my understanding on how much food I really need and what that food should be.
What Pishposh said regarding the struggle as to what her real goal should be resonates with me too. I have had gradual weight increases since I was 21 so I have a point of reference however; it's been so long since I've been a healthy weight that I don't know what my almightly, one and only weight should be. I honestly picked 150 because it's realistic for my height and what I weighed when I was 21, which was 16 years ago. *chuckle
My BMI and the normal weight says I should weigh no more than 145. I'm sticking to 150 and open to 145 but, I'm playing it by ear and seeing how I feel and look.
I want to get to my goal weight and introduce some cardio. My hubby is a farmer and works 7 days a week, and I part-time with a toddler. Going to the gym at the butt crack of dawn before my hubby goes to work doesn't sound like something I would enjoy but, doing downstairs in the basement and doing some Turbo Jam does. I can do it during nap time. I really want to honestly introduce exercise so that I can have the occassional rice/potato at dinner or a piece of cake at a birthday party. If exercise will allow me to do that and still maintain my goal weight, bring it, I'm all for it. I just can't do one without the other in the long term.
I was wondering how much TOM affects everyone's weight. I usually dont weigh around that time, but I did this week and I was up 2lbs. Just wondering...
Your case makes sense lighthouse... I had a stall and my body 'decided' it didn't have enough food, so I did the Alternative Phases (like the diabetics do) instead & that worked great.
I don't feel vacation is a legit reason though... but it's a matter of choice I guess, like whether you lurk on the 90%ers threads for ideas or the 100%ers threads for ideas.
My coach only said that if I felt like quitting to come in and learn how to phase off properly so I didn't regain.
But I think it's important to realize that we all have different starting points and phase 1 is a tough lifestyle. When you have 80, 100, 150 lbs to lose, it's going to take you longer than losing 20, obviously. Eating phase 1 for a year or longer is no small task. Maybe some people need a break. Better to phase off and maintain than not.
Personally it's very hard for me to think about how far I still have to go. I'm trying to feel good about what I've done, but with so far to go, I still don't feel good about myself. My committment is a day to day struggle.
Anyone have someone in "real-life" say that IP doesn't work? I've had someone recently say this and it actually pissed me off. Pissed me off because I've been around this person socially and know that they have made poor food choices and have not been following it 100%. Here they are going out and having cheat days and then misrepresenting this diet and ultimately it's potential results. It works if you work it, is really what it comes down to.
This is also someone that also pushes you to make poor food choices and try to sabotage your effots. No thanks! Sabotage yourself, I'm not having it.
I've had people say all kinds of things.
What I know is it works for me & nobody else has to do it or like it or anything else. Mostly, the negativity seems to come from folks who are jealous.
Anyone have someone in "real-life" say that IP doesn't work? I've had someone recently say this and it actually pissed me off. Pissed me off because I've been around this person socially and know that they have made poor food choices and have not been following it 100%. Here they are going out and having cheat days and then misrepresenting this diet and ultimately it's potential results. It works if you work it, is really what it comes down to.
This is also someone that also pushes you to make poor food choices and try to sabotage your effots. No thanks! Sabotage yourself, I'm not having it.
I haven't had anyone outright say it won't work, but I have friends who were my main cheerleaders when I started and were always asking for updates in the beginning. Now it's radio silence. If I ever talk about the diet they abruptly change the subject. That's been hurtful...I guess they're just tired of me talking about it or something else is going on (we're still on good terms, we just never talk about IP anymore).
pishposh - interesting, I don't talk about IP much, it's others who bring it up to me. In fact one does it 80% and is always calling me skinny, etc. I really would not talk about it to be quite honest. I do appreciate those of my peeps who have supported me from the beginning and how they have made observations on how I've changed, since I don't really "see" them myself.
There is something to be said about someone who is making change in their lives, regardless of what the change is, if it's for the good. I think it threatens others and forces them to see where they might need to make improvements. Some people can be supportive while assesing their own areas of improvement, and some...not so much.
I'm sorry you can't talk about IP with your friends especially since it is such a big part of your life.
Yeah, I've seen it where everyone is all excited for you at first as you turn over a new leaf so to speak... then after a while it's no longer the new thing, you are still consistently losing or maintaining so "meh, whatever." If there is no drama involved and it's just steady state... they need to find the next excitement. Magpies with shiny bling, lol.
Liana
I've had people say all kinds of things.
What I know is it works for me & nobody else has to do it or like it or anything else. Mostly, the negativity seems to come from folks who are jealous.
whichever you prefer. I'm not taking any of it personally & hope you don't either 
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