Good morning maintainers and happy thanksgiving to our Canadian friends!

Posting again as I must have the most boring life of all the maintainers, lol!!!!!

I was happy that weight was up a pound but still low after free day, so I'm confident that I have actually lost some fat on my new plan to increase calories. How crazy is that? Crazy awesome. Looking forward to my P1 day today to clear the palette.

My kids are off school today for Columbus Day, so I don't expect I will be getting much work done! We are going to a family friend's house this morning for the kids to play and for me to talk to her (and her hubby) about Ideal Protein! They have already signed up with my coach....which I have mixed feelings about since my coach was more of a packet salesperson and not much else. I understand they may want to start with the official vitamins/food, but I am going to offer to show them how to do it with alternatives also. I have another meeting planned with another friend to show her how to do P3 breakfasts and phase off properly as she ALSO has the same awful coach. Maybe I'm in the wrong business??????

I had a HUGE NSV yesterday as my son wanted to set me up with Wii Fit. Before I lost this weight, I would have been too embarrassed to weigh myself with my kids watching. Instead, I felt proud of myself to have a BMI of 21 (according to the Wii) and have a "fitness age" of 35 (going to be 40 this year). Frankly, I was NOT fit at all at 35, so I'm thinking I'd like to call my fitness age lower....but that's just vanity talking!

What a blessing....and worth EVERY missed french fry since April!

Morning, All!

Evemomma -- That is a huge NSV, congrats! Isn't it wonderful to lose so much self-consciousness? Sometimes I think that is what lightens us up even more than losing the actual weight. Nice of you to tutor your various friends on IP. It's too bad that there is such a wide variation between IP coaches. Thank God for this forum. Way to go on your success in bumping up your calorie intake. That must be such a good feeling! And 50 more daily calories this week, wheeee!

Those pumpkin muffins look delicious. I will be making them for sure once I am back to P4. Thanks!

Day 2 of my 1-1-2-3 plan this week. Down 2 already this morning. That makes me feel better, but still have a ways to go. As much as I was loving my "just relax" campaign, I had absolutely no room to groove, so I need to get back down a little and then resume my campaign.

Wishing you all a great day ~

Thanks for the answers and encouragement everyone!

evemomma I have the same issue. Everyone wants to know how I lost and where to go but I went to a weigh/measure/buy clinic too. And I can't be the coach to all these people as they are work acquaintances and I need to get my job done! My friends clinic is telling her crisps are restricted. It is crazy the inconsistencies and "house rules" some of which I think will keep people from staying on plan. I needed those crisps to help me resist chips and some people need the bars!

I was able to go to another clinic to buy the P3/4 cookbook since my clinic didn't want to order 4.

I'm actually getting tired of 8oz of protein at lunch and very much looking forward to the more varied menu I can have in a few days.

Still struggling with exactly how I will eat but reading how everyone works the plan and knowing I always have P1 to work off the up pounds. Referring more to the bodies natural desire to put on the ten a year. No matter which way, I am determined to not start a binge/diet pattern. My kids keep asking me what my first fun day will be. My son is saving me some ice cream but I don't really have anything planned.

Had to buy a coat and I was determined to get something in women's and fitted. You are right, SylviesGirl about losing the self consciousness. I've never been interested in clothes since I felt horrible in everything. DH helped me pick something out. Going to the US this coming weekend so hoping to add to the wardrobe.

Sylviegirl...I wish you luck with your continued P1 stint. Having a P1 here and enjoying the simplicity of it! I hope you get to a place where you can feel more at peace with the ever-evolving process of maintenance. I felt badly this morning telling my friend and hubby my experience with my coach....mostly because I could sense her hubby's resistance and her HUGE wanting to make it work. I strongly suggested they check out Three Fat Chicks Ideal Protein forum (so I can be absolved as their "coach") but also b/c this forum was my real coach!

ChipnDip.....Are you onto to P3 or or your at P4 already? I was BEYOND sick of the extra protein on P2/P3. But protein is my struggle in maintenance also...I think I could easily become a vegetarian - or, a carbohydrarian if left to my own devices! So, I make sure that most of my snacks are protein-based also as I always seem a little short. I did not have my first fun day on maintenance until the weekend after I started. As you can see by everyone's menus, everyone does P4 a little differently. A month in, and I am still experimenting with how to do maintenance.

BTW....ChipNDIp....I saw you posting about clothes in another thread. I may have some clothes for you to get by if you are interested. Just PM me!

P4 starts Thursday. Thanks for the offer of clothes but being up in Canada it isn't worth the trouble. I hit second hand stores and will buy some new along the way. I was more commenting that I wish I was Ina smaller size now tang I hit my goal.

Ah, no problem! P4 is here already....woohoo!!!!!!! Yes, I guess I'm a cheapskate because I'm having a hard time just paying full price on a whole wardrobe of new clothes. I am doing an internet-personal shopper thing once a month for a while for my clothes-induldging and then doing clearance (found three pair of jeans on clearance at Walmart for $5 a piece...yay!) and thrift store for the "filler". I decided my too-big fall jacket will have to do until I can buy one off-season, but I am hoping to score a sale on a fitted winter coat BEFORE winter starts.

I hear you on size wackiness. Even at 127lbs, I am in an 8 with the occasional 6. For me to get into anything smaller, I have to be way unhealthy.

I was just reading the thread about the sizes as well. It's nuts how everything fits differently for everyone. I'm currently pretty solidly in a 10 and size medium tops, but I've seen others post who are the same height and a similar weight who are either smaller or bigger sizes. Would love to get into a single digit, but meh, pretty happy where I'm at!

And, with posts exceeding the magic limit of 500, it's time again.

Would some kind soul start Maintainers Volume 16?