Welcome to you Raylynn!
HIS oh my goodness, I wonder what it is? That's weird, especially with not eating a lot of salt.

HIS - I would get that checked out asap. Get a blood test to test kidneys, etc. That is not a "P2 thing". Even if the swelling subsides, I would go get a check-up. And, this is coming from somebody who has white coat syndrome so I avoid the doctor like the plague. I got to goal and felt awful and was very dizzy and blood test revealed a bunch of abnormalities that took me many months to recover from. I was shocked that had been going on without me realizing it until I hit the wall physically - I could not function. I know you have your race tomorrow, but I would get that checked out asap.

Quick update: Things are much better since my lie-down and having had several big glasses of water. While on the sofa, I looked over my food diary from the last couple of days and I think the culprit is probably the 10 pre-made turkey meatballs I had yesterday. However, I am going to keep an eye on things and if I have another episode of unexpected edema, I'll call the doctor. (Also checked my b.p. and it's okay.)

I'm heading to bed since I have to be up at 6:15 to get ready for the race sign-in at 7 am. I'm excited!

Raylynn glad you're joining us here. Lots of us here have been where you are, IP really works if you stick with it. let us know how it's going, we're all here to help each other

HIS - OMG, just getting caught up this morning .... what a scare, but so glad for you it seems like you've found the cause. Do be watchful, though.
You're probably headed to the race already, so you won't see this till after, but GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!! We want to hear all about it when you get back!

Hi all!
Checking in over here too! Things are plugging along. Official weigh in this morning has me down another 2.4#. I couldn't believe it. I did a mid-week check and had lost a pound, so I was so happy that I lost another 1.4. I am down 5# in 2 weeks being back on P1. I have surpassed my mini goal of 155# and am now laser focused on getting to 150#.

HIS- can't wait to hear about the race! And glad the swelling went down in your legs. I am very reactionary to sodium too. I haven't ever had an episode like that, but I know when I eat too much sodium, my rings are tighter and my shoes too.

HIS - hope your race went well! After letting my hypoglycemic episodes go, probably too long, I would definitely suggest at least calling your PDoc and letting them know. I am also sodium sensitive - Janeva's spaghetti sauce bloats me (my own fault) but like Jenny, it sausages my fingers and will show on the scale...no edema.

Welcome Raylynn! This group has been invaluable to me on this journey. Tons of support and lots of weight lost!

Congrats Jenny! :broc:

So last night was so much fun - at least once we got in with the band :D I was a big ball of mess leading up to the actual m&g - idk why though. They were all awesome and we had some great personal conversations - Halloween, kids, etc.
Yes, we 'paid' for this - but for anyone who has done or paid for VIP concert tickets, or even a m&g, especially with a popular band - this was very different.
My cousin did a m&g with Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac and it was $500 for tickets, a handshake, and a picture :eek: We didn't pay anywhere near that much, got over an hour with the guys, a song (not three...but that was our fault b/c we were yapping) and drinks (I had water) / snacks :)
A picture is attached. :D (I am in the red dress)

So I went Thursday and purchased a blood glucose meter - about $30 total. I took my fasting sugars today & yesterday morning - and it was 80 (good / normal). This morning I had a good compliant breakfast around 9am, took DD10 to dance, went shopping, and came home to get my prepping / cooking done for the week. Started feeling funny around 2:30 - 5.5 hours after I'd last ate. Normally I would have gone straight for the salt / potassium, instead I took my BG and the alarm went off...60 :eek: ate and it was fine.

Another low blood sugar episode :(

I have messaged my pDoc and will continue to monitor / make sure I eat regularly.

Beth - your M&G with the band sounds like you had fun, BIG smile on your face in the pic, and BTW, look at skinny you!!;) Lookin' good!!

Glad to hear that it sounds like you pinned down the cause for your BG episodes, like you said, just make sure you keep some food with you so you can eat often enough... even a bite or 2 of a bar. Hope that's all it is! It'll probably be less of an issue anyway with P3, which is good!

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't popped in sooner; it was a day of back-to-back events and commitments.

I didn't sleep well last night, which wasn't totally unexpected, feeling a bit anxious about the race. Got up at 6:15 and weighed, and I was at goal! So that started the day off right. :) I had my coffee and something I'd been waiting for for weeks: an Oreo cookie. That was my pre-race carbs. :) Also drank half a GNC shake.

The weather was perfect, 52 and cloudy, not hot at all. The course was mostly flat and uncrowded. This was a charity run hosted by a local group in a neighboring small town, so attendance was low. Maybe 40 people total? It was also very low-tech, so no stress about chip timers or anything like that. I was the 3rd woman to finish (could have been 2nd but I spent too long dinking around with my iPod at the start), and according to the race organizers, I finished in 26 minutes. Personally, I find that totally unbelievable. The course was definitely 3.1 miles, so they must have mis-read their clocks or something, because there's no way I ran sub-9-minute miles, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Power of the Oreo. But I felt great. They had fruit for us at the finish, but I just had the other half of my shake and a bottle of water.

Later in the day, I had to exchange a pair of pants I'd bought at NY&Co two weeks ago because I just didn't like the way they fit in the thighs. I decided to try a different cut but the same size, 8 tall. Naturally, that was the one size they were sold out of. The salesgirl said, "Why don't you try a 6?" I was thinking, "I probably won't even be able to get them zipped," but I said okay. OMgosh. THEY FIT. PERFECTLY. :carrot:

Finally got home at 8:30 pm. I stayed on protocol all day except for the Oreo and not getting enough veggies. My ankles look good.

_______

Beth, you look so happy and healthy in that photo! I'm glad the glucometer is helping you manage your diet.

Jenny, you're rocking the diet.

Such a great read first thing in the morning ladies!!!
Beth I hope that this solves things and was the crux of the problem for you. Sounds like an easy enough fix. Manageable is more what I mean I think. Your picture with the band, what can I say?? That beaming smile and that waist, did everyone see that waist? You look MAHVELOUS lady!!! Simply awesome!!!
Jenny congratulations on your continuing success!! Thank you too, you are showing me, and all of us, how to use the tools to get back to where we need to be when life creeps up on us. Recognizing it before it's too late, and that it's doable! Thank you for that!!!
HISYAY!!! Goal weight, an Oreo AND an amazing race time!!! I'm going with the theory that things happen In threes, and that race time was accurate! You had so much in your favor, so I say, YOU.DID.IT!!! I'm happy for you that th swelling didn't return. That must have been scary, it would have freaked me right out, as would Beth's issue. Oh, and a 6?? How much more perfect could your day have gotten? That's incredible!!!
Had my w/I yesterday, down a pound and officially in to the 130s. Though on my bathroom scale in the morning first thing I am 136, but officially, 139.6. I'll take it!!! I haven't been I the 130s for probably 20 years?? Or more...last night we went to dbf's 40th high school reunion. It was fun, though I really didn't know anyone. I've been to his 30th when we first started dating, and 35th so there were a couple of people,I did remember. I hula hooped for about forty minutes yesterday afternoon, then before we went (it was to be passed h'ors doerves) I had a quest peanut butter shake (yum) some salad greens WF honey balsamic dressing and four oz of grilled chicken. Just in case there wasn't anything I could eat. So, around 9ish, I had a scallop wrapped in bacon (first bacon since February ) it was really good, the first bite anyways, I didn't need to finish it, but I ate the rest, a couple of slices of baked ham and a slice of salami. They were very thin, not salty at all, and if it was 2 oz total, I'd be surprised, and 5 kalamata olives. I drank water with lemon. When we got home, I did have a crispy square, I just felt the need for it. I thought I'd pay a hefty price this morning, having been 136 on the nose yestrday morning, I was 136.2 this morning. I will drink plenty of water to flush the salt from the olives through and probably not have a restricted today and maybe not tomorrow. We are planning on going oysteing this afternoon. Looking forward to that. I'll probably do my usual 3 or 4 raw on the half shell and be good.
I hope that everyone has a great day!!

This is so nice, waking up to all this good news!

HIS ------ :cp: :cp: :cp: BEST. DAY. EVER .
Wow, that was quite a day for you!

:cheer: for goal weight !!!
:cheer: for the Oreo!!
:cheer: for the fantastic race!! you've worked so hard for it, so happy for you!
:cheer: and OMG, just to add the icing on the cake (so to speak :D ) ---SIZE 6!!!

:congrat:


Linda -- 140s gone forever, you must be so thrilled to be in the 130s! That change in decade just feels so great, doesn't it!
Glad you had fun at the reunion, and managed the food part of it so well.


I had a late-ish night yesterday, out with some friends. Not much food involved, and I had dinner before, so no problems there, and it was easy to bypass drinks. Having a bit of a late start this morning, and it will probably be a lazy Sunday morning for me. Very chilly out (35) but lovely and sunny, so I might just bundle up a bit later and go for a walk.

I'm so thrilled that we're all seeing so much success on our journeys! This is such a positive place to come, first thing in the morning. :D Especially after all that we all struggled with in the weeks/months past.

Linda, man oh man, you look fantastic. And congrats on the new decade!! Are you starting to calculate a due date for moving to P2?

Blue, thanks for all the cheerleaders. :) Yes, yesterday was pretty amazing for me. Brrr, 35 degrees! It's 42 here this morning, and if I weren't heading out the door in an hour, I'd start a fire in our wood stove.

Another 3/4 pound gone this morning, which confirms to me that I'd been retaining quite a bit of fluid. I might just make my wished-for goal of 153, which would be a total of 60 pounds lost. Starting tomorrow, I'm upping my running days per week from 3 to 4. I found out there are yoga classes at my gym, and have thought about trying one of those. Have any of you done yoga? I feel like it might be good for stretching and flexibility. I'm about as flexible as a brick.

HIS - CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :cheer: Goal, size 6, and an amazing 5K time!! I second Blue - one of the best days ever I'm sure :D & thanks
...just to be a nag though ;) , you are still going to mention the edema to your PDoc, right?

Linda - :bravo: A new decade!!!! & Thank you :) The bra I wore with the outfit was HORRIBLE though lol (and SO uncomfortable) - I see so many imperfections in that picture, but yah, I LOVE the fact I got my waist back ;) Saw your fb picture today too - both this one and fb are amazing and btw - you don't look a day over 35 :D

Blue - weather changed here too - but nice and fall-ish...the 80's on Friday just didn't feel right

So the group that met with the band Friday night were 'regulars' and we all knew each other - a few of us refer to ourselves as the "Carbon Leaf Family" - we are actually the newbies lol That picture ended up being slightly awkward as we are all looking in different directions with 3 different people taking pictures. I love it though and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do that with DH and our friend.

I am still concerned about the hypoglycemic episodes - but I guess I've had a history of them...they just seem to be coming quicker / harder now than they used to. Just doesn't seem the 5.5 hours is that long to go without food, kwim?
Numbers were good today though and I ate regularly.

I hope P3 & the reintroduction of carbs takes care of this...but if not, I guess going into P4 I am going to have to adjust my normal eating pattern and become a 'snacker'...something I've never been...I actually like intermittent fasting and have done that some what successfully - but IP might (probably) have changed the way my body works.

Guess I will see tomorrow what PDoc has to say - but I refuse to go in again before my appointment Friday (my insurance is crap).

I know my glycogen stores are back too - areas that had hallowed out (my armpit of all places :dizzy:) are filling in again.

I am currently averaging about 1,300 k/cal

The scale hasn't really been my friend though...was up 2.4 pounds yesterday morning :eek: but this morning I saw my lowest weight yet - 146.2! Yay :) Let's have some flux

Had plenty of energy today and enjoyed a 3.5 mile walk this afternoon. Beautiful

Beth - I had this happen to me which I have posted extensively about. I got quite ill after not eating for 5 hours and thought I was going to pass out - as soon as I ate I felt much better. I'm sure if I had taken my blood sugar it would have been low but this would have just been a symptom. This situation plus another one that happened on the golf course is what led me to the doctor with my thinking my electrolytes were off kilter. They ran a battery of tests and found abnormalities with my blood - elevated platelets, low T3 (thyroid problem), non-existent production of testosterone, very high cortisol and very low Vitamin D. I never got a definitive diagnosis as they have varied among 3 doctors I have seen. The first doctor had me stop the diet completely and the 2nd one was in agreement with the first to stop the diet, which led to me gaining the weight back. I did get treated with the Vitamin D, but I think the most important thing I did was increase my calories and eat a variety of foods as they instructed. After 5 months, I finally got a normal blood test back. The first 3 months were awful with no energy and migraine type headaches - it was like having the flu minus the body aches.

But, if I remember correctly, you had all that checked, right?

I am not trying to scare you but just convey to you that you should be vigilant in getting this checked out. Like you, this occurred at the point of my transition. Based upon what I know now, I would have increased my calories to my BMR/AMR and been focused on maintaining my weight with a ketogenic diet as I was taken off the diet immediately and didn't get a chance to gradually re-introduce carbs. The doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory diet that was predominantly carbs which I think just shocked my system. I think the key was an increase in calories and whole foods, which is what I would do now if it happened again.

Thanks Ro - yes, I just went in for blood work 10 days ago - I was hypothyroid & medicated on 125mcg levoxyl when I started IP - I was also very low Vit D & have been supplementing 10,000 IU through the whole WL process.
Anyway, my last tests showed normal CBC (including platelets), Vit D is perfect, and I am actually hyperthyroid now (0.25 total TSH) and they've lowered my meds.
The only "odd" thing from this test was my iron being slightly elevated. I saw another Dr in the practice that day but my PDoc confirmed that with the amount of vegetables I've been eating (spinach) that it wasn't anything to worry about. They did advise me to go ahead and start phasing off and watch to see if I had more episodes. They also recommended I eat every 2 - 3 hours (which I obviously didn't do).
That was why I went ahead and got a monitor - my BS that day I went in was 75 - slightly low but 60 - 100 is "normal", although many people will start feeling funny under 80
So they are aware I have slightly elevated iron and have been having hypoglycemic episodes. I let them know about Saturday with full disclosure that I hadn't ate in over 5 hours.
I had already started adding good fats back in and I've "officially" been P2 since that day and my first P3 breakfast will be this coming Saturday :)
I admit though that I am a little scared I've done something to my pancreas / insulin production
I will definitely be keeping everyone posted as I work my way through this.

I should have also mentioned that I have had inexplicable spikes in my cholesterol too. This is the main reason why I am getting my blood checked again tomorrow. Doc wanted to test again after 3 month mark from last one. Has that happened or happening with you? And, another symptom for those awful 3 months was severe insomnia. My current doctor believes it was either a virus my body was not able to fight off due to being on such a low calorie diet for a long time coupled with getting run down from holidays and home remodel. But, my reaction to that is doctors diagnose a virus when they aren't sure such that it is a catch-all when stumped. The other possibility she said is an episode of hypothyroidism. She said that the general public believe you either have it or you don't but she said it is more episodic than that such that more people get "bouts" of hypo or hyper thyroidism. One symptom she said is fluctuations in cholesterol which is reason she is testing me tomorrow. She said nodules can grow on thyroid so she told me not to be alarmed if after the test, she tells me she wants to ultrasound my thyroid. Just wanted to provide you with that additional info I had from my experience to see if it applicable at all...

Beth, fortunately my primary care guy goes to my church, so I can hit him up with, "Hey, such-and-such happened, do I need to come in and see you?" But he's been out of town on National Guard duty for the last couple of weeks. I'll talk to him next Sunday, unless I have a repeat of the swelling before then, in which case I'll call the office. It might be time for a check-up anyway. My last physical was July 2014, and the only abnormal marker in my blood work at that time was low niacin. I'm actually amazingly healthy for someone in her late 50s. Most of my peers are either on bp meds or have diabetes or high cholesterol.

haha, it's funny that you mentioned the armpits. I just noticed recently how hollowed out mine are, too! I mean, to the point that it's hard to get a razor in there! :D

Today marks the start of my 2nd week on P2. Yesterday I finally had the acute hunger that some people talk about. My stomach was growling so loudly in church, my daughter noticed it. I stayed OP, but had to supplement with tea, coffee, lots of cucumbers, and then some pickles before bed. I didn't do anything strenuous yesterday, but after I took some old lettuce out to my cows, I thought, "Well, as long as I'm outside, I might as well take a walk," so I strolled 2 miles. It was nice to just walk leisurely, rather than thinking about time and pacing.

Getting ready for P3.... I bought muesli, and of course the peanut butter that I mentioned 2 weeks ago. This week I'll get out my yogurt maker and get a quart made on Saturday or Sunday. I will probably do oatmeal in a jar mostly, but gosh, pb on toast sounds pretty amazing, too. Can't wait!

I'm starting my new routine of 4 days of running this week, and one day of cross-training. I have to find a cross training exercise that I enjoy, something besides walking. The gym has the elliptical, a pool, and assorted fitness classes, so it will probably be one of those.

Hope everyone has a GREAT week!

Ro - again, thank you so much. I have a complete physical coming up Friday and will get the rest of the blood markers done then - cholesterol, complete metabolic, etc...They probably will not retest what I just had done as it will have only been 2 weeks since starting the new Levoxyl dosage.

HIS - :D sounds like a plan. How is you daughter doing with IP?
For me, I know better - or at least I should know better :p I've kept a 'diary' of sorts for years and hypoglycemic episodes are nothing new...heck, DH, who is healthy as can be, had a severe episode in 2014, right before my dad passed away while we were visiting in the hospital. Heavy exertion + no food = man down in the hallway of the hospital! It can effect anyone.

Oh mmmmmm peanut butter *drool* I've been looking at steel cut oats / Ezekiel Bread. One of my favorite pre-IP 'healthy' breakfasts was oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in. My first P3 breakfast is suppose to be Thursday, but I am going to wait until Saturday when I have time to cook / enjoy.
I am also pushing it back b/c I really don't want Thanksgiving to be 'official' Day 1 / P4. I had already planned out my P2 meal based on originally starting P2 11/21 and I am going to stick to the plan, relatively speaking, but have a good P3 breakfast.
The plan is: mashed rutabagas w/ WF syrup, dark turkey (I always get a leg!), and probably some crock pot green beans (made with fatback!)

I'm also weary of having a splurge meal right out of the gates - although that Saturday I may indulge in a slice of Pumpkin Pie - maybe...

The other reason for my hesitation is the scale is being kind to me again. Down another -1.2 this morning - 145!!!

I really, really, really think 150 - 152 should / will be my scream weight (after hopefully getting to 140 - 142) and that makes these last 5 pounds so friggin annoying & important.

and I will post this over in maintenance too - but am wondering how long does one hold out doing more than a day of P1 once that weight is hit...ie, I have a splurge meal and the next morning see 150 - 152...I get that after a splurge meal / day you immediately drop back to P1 / P2 for a day and then resume healthy habits...but I am just curious how long folks hold out at their scream weight before doing something more extreme...a week? 10 days? 2 weeks?

Thank GAWD someone mentioned the armpits....I have had the worst time in the past couple of weeks, more so on my right side than my left trying to shave them babies- thank goodness it isn't tank top season anymore...I've been slightly afraid that it was something really bad....
Beth congrats on the ongoing weight loss- and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you with the issues you have been going through. Oh, and thank you for the HUGE compliment- this 51 year old will take every one she can!!
HISYou're probably going to think I'm wacky for saying this, but I'll bet the oreo and the run have a lot to do with it. I know it was only one, but with everything I am reading I think it is a definite possibility. Thank you for the congrats - honestly I haven't set a date for P2, I'm still pretty much enjoying P1, so I'm just going to keep on going. I really want to get to 130. Then I'll consider getting to P2- I think part of my reasoning is that I am super comfy here, trying new things to eat-so I'm not bored, so I'm happy to keep plugging away-unless something drastic happens- I'm a Gemini-lol- ask me the same thing in a day or 2- it could be a totally different response-lol

Destony - I'm so glad we can share the armpit discussion. My real-life friends would think I'm nuts for saying I'm having trouble shaving in that area. :o

Funny about the Oreo.... Today I ate 1/4 of one of those large bakery muffins before my run. (I had calculated the carbs and felt that that portion would be okay.) Usually I run up and down my long driveway, but today I decided to go out on one of the local, rural roads. I ran for 35 minutes (although I had to walk up two pretty steep but short hills), and then when I got home, I used Google maps to calculate the distance. Turns out I was running 10 minute miles! So maybe that 9 min/mile pace on Saturday WAS accurate, since it was a flat distance. Was it the pre-run carbs? I don't know. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, changes when I can have real breakfast food in P3/4.

Speaking of breakfast food, I have my eye on a 5K in January, called "The Hotcake Hustle." The post-run festivities are held indoors, with a free pancake breakfast. That just sounds heavenly to me right now. :D

My daughter is doing GREAT on the protocol. She just finished her 4th week and is down 19 pounds. She's a little discouraged that she hasn't gone down a pants size yet, but she says they are definitely loose in the thighs. And she had to wear a belt today. :) She has a total of 60 to lose, and like me, she's very impatient. She's much more creative with her meals. She experiments with all kinds of recipes, whereas I'm likely to eat the same thing 5 days a week. I'm really very proud of her.

HIS/Beth - I saw my doctor today and some things we discussed I thought I would share with each of you as it may resonate given what you are going through. My doctor is board-certified in bariatric medicine (I specially sought out a specialist to see while doing round 2 of IP to avoid what happened the first time).

My doctor asked me if I have had any leg swelling. I told her no, but then I thought of you, HIS, so I inquired as to why she asked. She said that for me she is asking to see if I had a sodium build-up and she felt around on my legs. She then said if it was other patients she has, she would be asking for a different reason. I didn't pry at that point because I didn't want to violate any confidentiality so it seems like the most common reason is fluid retention from sodium build-up so I think you may have already reached your answer. However, she said if it happens repeatedly, it is something she would want to investigate further.

I told her about episodes last 3 weeks of strong hunger pangs (which I told her are unusual for me on this program) and that was what happened to me as the first symptom that something was wrong the last time. I also told her that the next symptom was almost passing out from not eating for 5 hours. Her response beyond doing blood work is she said that our brains will give us very strong indicators when we reach our thermostat of where our bodies think we should be. She said you can change that thermostat over a long period of time, and it is an area that scientists are extensively studying so she told me this time if that is happening to transition. I told her I am about 15 pounds from goal so I am going to keep going as I told her I think I just overdid with doing minimums and boot camps and such but I thought of you two when she was explaining that.

Along the same lines, when speaking with the nutritionist today, she told me she has a number of clients that are needing to consume more calories than their BMR/AMR indicate as they are continuing to lose in transition and maintenance mode. So, she said if feelings like I described are happening to consume more calories as certain people's metabolisms at the end of the weight loss journey have become so efficient that they just need fuel. So, she said if that happens with me, we'll increase calories until I see a gain on scale for 2 weeks. So, consider increasing your calories with whole foods!

I have the hollowed out armpits too - I had a tougher time shaving this morning. I remember this from last time and have been anxiously awaiting when I was going to hit this point this time around - LOL.

Thank you, Ro, for sharing that info, and for remembering your 3FC IP peeps. :) Yes, I definitely think that the swelling was sodium related. One of my non-protocol (bad) habits is to salt my food fairly liberally. My bp has always been good so I never tried very hard to change that habit, and I haven't ever measured my salt intake while OP, although I am usually careful about reading labels on things like pickles. I don't know how I didn't notice that those meatballs were sodium-rich. I think now I will have to re-examine my practice of adding salt to meals. Obviously, my body was letting me know to watch the sodium.

I love the idea that my body may be becoming more efficient at calorie burning! I've noticed that I am still losing in P2, and a little more or faster than I expected - once I got past the fluid retention - , so maybe I will need a few more calories than planned, to maintain once I get to P3/4.

I just spent about 30 minutes working on the P3 breakfast calculation sheet that I got in the IP Alternatives FB group. So I know my Oatmeal In A Jar choices are okay. I need to figure out what bread and cereal to buy, and then I can do the calculations for french toast or cereal w/ yogurt. Not a big egg eater. I like them, but they don't like me - terrible heartburn. I saw a suggestion for a breakfast grilled cheese sandwich, which is intriguing.

HIS - Here's some more detail on that which we discussed. She asked me how much sodium I consume a day. I track this so I knew exactly so I told her 2,000-3,000 mg a day. She said that 2,000-5000 mg a day is fine and in a healthy person, would not cause fluid retention.
Like you, I salt my food liberally with salt. I have blood pressure on the lower end. For example, today's was 106/68 which is normal for me. Btw, the IP salt, if you use it, is 250 mg for 1/4 tsp.

Fwiw ladies, imho sodium alone isn't the problem - it's combining it with a Standard American Diet (SAD) / processed foods from boxes, bags, and cans that also contain ingredients I doubt we were meant to ingest- just a theory though...but it takes A TON of sodium now to get sausage fingers

Ro - thanks and I hope your blood work comes back perfect :) I would like to think that between the diet and exercise I have done over the last 8 months maybe I've improved my metabolism- as opposed to wrecked it - so I definitely like your nutritionists theory :D
I also find the thermostat theory interesting...this was why I went ahead and got the bg meter.
Today I started testing how different foods are going to effect my bg - so am fasting was 80...breakfast this morning was protein / fat (eggs and 1.5t of coconut oil in my coffee) - sugars stayed stable - even exercised and 4.5 hours later bg was 96. I ate about 1:30 and took bg again at 3:30 = 109. I started feeling a little hungry but knew from the reading it wasn't an episode, but since I did an hour at the gym I had a protein pudding.
On Saturday when my bg went to 60, I had ate 2 scrambled eggs with a protein pancake / WF syrup. Tomorrow morning I am going to do a PP chocolate shake with the coconut oil so something with af sweetener and see what happens. The shakes - at least the PP ones, have never really kept me satiated.

Thanks, Beth. I am curious to know if you have used it to measure blood ketones. I got one and have only measured ketones vs glucose. The ketone readings have made no sense to me so I just assumed the device isn't working properly as it has me between .4-.6 ketones in last 12 weeks - I should be measuring much higher in nutritional ketosis. I was trying to use it for the same purpose you are to see what effects certain foods had on ketones/ketosis. For example, I wanted to see what the Quest bars did to determine if I could really trust the amount of dietary fiber. I had bread from the Great Low Carb Bread Company and wanted to measure for the same purpose. But, I have took enough readings and they are always .4-.6 which make no sense to me being under 25-35 total carbs a day, primarily from the 4 c vegetables.

IIRC, I'm in the 2000-ish range every day, but last week I did have a day where it was closer to 4000 - and that was not counting what I added to my food. So I was probably over 5000 that day. Definitely have to start watching that.
____________

Yesterday's run felt so good, I was considering going out again this morning, but then I remembered that the last time I increased my running days and mileage too fast, I ended up with repetitive stress fractures. So I'm practicing self-restraint and sticking with my plan to run 4 days/week until this next 5K, and then I will add in a 5th day of running or cross training.

A couple of weeks ago, I got in on a "Two Free" offer from the YUP company. They make B-Up protein bars, sometimes found in GNC, and they were doing a promotion to send two bars to the first however many people who signed up. So my bars arrived yesterday - Vanilla Sugar Cookie and CC Cookie Dough. I had the vanilla one last night. It's restricted, per IP protocol. The texture was nice and soft, and it had a nice flavor with no chemical taste. I'm more of a chocolate girl, so I probably wouldn't buy this particular flavor, but they're definitely on my radar to replace Quest bars.

Ro - the fact it never varies would make me suspicious. Guessing it works the same as a glucose meter - strip, reader, lancet, blood...and don't get me wrong, as someone who has low-carbed for over 12 years, I know being in ketosis produces optimal weight loss results...but I've also learned that there are a hundred other factors - and we are all different :) I don't think I would be very concerned about being in ketosis - generally you remain in ketosis as long as you are eating less than 50g net carb...some are more carb sensitive though

Fasting bg was 80 again this morning

Today I am mixing it up with both artificial sweeteners (RTD) + fat...Tomorrows experiment will be a true P1 breakfast (protein pancake with wf syrup - no fats) to see what my body does. This has been eye opening and very fascinating for me - it is one thing to tell yourself / know in the back of your mind how certain foods effect you - it is something completely different to see it on the screen!

Steady on the scale this morning - had some serious sodium last night & made turnip fries - my rings aren't flopping around.

When I started this diet, I thought to myself, I would really love to lose 50 lbs. Never, ever thought I'd get there

...But, today, at my WI

Down 1.8lb

for a grand total of 51.2 lb

:cp::cp::woohoo:

Now, excited as I am about that, I still have a ways to go....
but today, I am celebrating! :yes:

Your daughter is doing amazing!!!!!! Tell her not to be frustrated - it took forfreakinever for me to move down in sizes. For me, it really was months- I think it was probably 4 months before I felt comfortable in the 14's. Granted when I started I was easily an 18 but also squeezing my self in to 16's...UgggLEE- It was pretty frustrating- but once it started, then it was a couple of weeks to go from 14 to 12, now my 12's are getting loose and the black pants I have on in the picture from the other night are 10's- however, for me- my 12's and 14's are easily 10 years old- so the reality is likely that the 10s (which are new) are probably the equivilant of my old 12's.

WTG BLUE!!!!!:bravo::cp::hat::dancer::hyper::congrat:

HIS - glad your daughter is doing so well - and yes, the pants falling off WILL happen soon enough ;) Hopefully you have a couple pairs of jeans you can 'thrift' to her as she drops sizes

Interesting - 2 hour post RTD / coconut oil & bg = 75! A little low so I had 1/2 a Quest bar pre-gym...and a lot lower than yesterday with eggs / coconut oil. Calories are similar (RTD is actually slightly higher) but 2 hours post yesterday bg = 116...& I was hungry

:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::c arrot:YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue - YAY!! I knew it would happen for you this week! That's such a milestone number, no matter how far you still have to go. Kudos to you.

I HIGHLY recommend Combat Bars from Muscle Pharm - Peant Butter Cup - it is baked unlike any protein bar I've ever had. I would say it is a cross between Reese's and 100 Grand Bar. This would be healthier alternative to Oreos and it would be great energy for your running.

Ro, where can you purchase these? My closest GNC has very little in the way of bars, except for Quest.
________

I've come to the conclusion that on the days (well, evenings) that I work, I'm just going to have to do a modified P1 instead of P2. My normal daily schedule is breakfast around 9 am, lunch at 1 or 2 pm, dinner at 6 pm, snack at 8 or 9. But on my work days, I leave the house at 6 pm, which means I have to eat dinner way early, like 5 pm, and I'm just not hungry then, so cramming in 8 oz of protein and 2 c veggies just isn't do-able. Last night I just had a protein pudding before work and felt a lot better. I only work two nights a week, so I don't think it will hurt me to do P1 (with a P3 breakfast) twice a week.

I had a binge last night. :( The night shift crew had brought food to share and it was in the break room, and someone had made chocolate bark. And I couldn't stop at one piece. UGH UGH UGH. I wasn't even hungry when I put the first piece in my mouth. So I think I will have to avoid the break room for a while, at least through the holidays when there are likely to be goodies in there.

I'm running 2 miles of sprint intervals this morning, and then off to do some shopping for wedding decorating supplies.

HIS - I get mine from GNC. I spoke to the manager there and was instrumental in getting him to order these as well as all the Quest products. They are now selling well so he is grateful to me for sharing this insight with him. So, with the discount that he gives, I pay $22 a box (I believe 10 are in a box). He keeps them on the shelves for me as I don't trust myself to stock up at home because they are just too good :-)

If that doesn't work for you, then I have seen single bars at Vitamin Shoppe (and you could probably get them to order them for you also). Lastly, you can order from Amazon, but you will pay about $10 more. My brother just found this out. He was so proud of himself getting them and not paying shipping because of his Prime membership, and I told him that I get them for $10 cheaper than he is so I told him to let me buy them for him from now on. He is dieting up until the holidays so that he has room to gain a few pounds through the holidays. It was tough for him because he is a carpet installer and needs his strength/energy, and he said these bars have worked wonders for him as I had him replace the Nutri-grain bar he was eating for breakfast with this.

In regards to the "meat" thing, on days I am going to be away from the house at dinner time, I do 1 of 3 things depending upon whether I have access to a microwave:
- if I have access to a microwave, then I'll have the IP chicken soup with 2 c cauliflower added in for my dinner along with another packet for 2 protein portions to equate to 8 oz of protein. This is quite filling. And, because I had a big lunch, I save my Snack for the evening.
- If I have access to a microwave, I make my 4 oz turkey burger ahead of time with my Quest bun made with multi-purpose powder and bring my WF Thousand Island and other toppings and keep in a cooler pack until I am ready to microwave it to heat it up. I'll heat up on defrost so as to not cook the burger any more than it already is.
- If I don't have access to a microwave, then I bring my cookies - 2 of them to replace 8 oz of meat protein. I actually enjoy these more. Or, I will bring 1 cookie and 1 bag of chips - either Quest for IP BBQ Crisps.

Sorry to hear about the binge, but I have no doubt you didn't cause any damage, especially with the running, and sure you will get right back on track. The key is to move past it and not dwell - if you get right back on track, you won't even remember you did it in a few days. I had a bit of a binge last Monday and got right back on track and didn't then even think about it and lost 2.7# for the week. If I had let it perpetuate by making other bad choices, it would be a very different story today.

Happy Veteran's Day!
The news never stops, so I am at work, but at least around NoVa, traffic will be amazingly light today :)
Still not in the habit of doing the morning testing and I was thrown off routine this morning since DD10 didn't have school...and I was really curious as I had a larger-than-average evening snack.

Today's experiment has me dipping back to P1 breakfast - black coffee & a Quest PB mug cake with cinnamon & WF syrup - 131 calories. I will be curious to see at 10am what my glucose levels are and if my theory about af sweeteners holds (ie - I am sensitive to them - or at least WF products / spike & dip)

NSV - went to Kohl's last Friday for a pair of boots & got my first "S" ladies shirt (Simply Vera) :D Granted, I think Kohl's women clothes runs a little on the big side anyway, but I'll take it!!!! I also picked up some super cute tanks from the 'teen' area - clearance! $5.00!!!! (and M) Gives me more incentive to work the "guns" and try to tighten up some of the bat-flap (which HAS improved already)

Btw - the armpit-dips were back last night...I have to shave blind b/c holding my arm up makes me think I looking in a black hole :lol:

Hysteria- I found the first time on P1 that I could not do any of the artificial sweeteners (WF, Mio, Crystal Light...). Any time I would have these products, I would stall out and as soon as I stopped using them, I would lose again. I also found this to be true with soy products, so I had to stop using those as well.

So, I had a (planned) cheat meal on Sat. night and I am still paying the piper. Ugh. Weight is up by .8 at my mid-week check, so I am crossing every finger and toe that my weight will be back down to 154.6 by Sat (official weigh day).

The funny thing is, last week I had a huge loss and I didn't feel like I had lost any weight. Now I am up (just a bit) and I could have sworn that I would have lost this week because I feel and look smaller. Very strange.

I know that this is a difficult time of year to be fully compliant and even be dieting, but something is better than nothing. Any weight that I can lose from now until the end of the year will be gravy, because I definitely have other planned cheats on my radar. I figure this, I am already down almost 11# and that is weight I won't take into the new year and I will be that much less I have to tackle in January.

But right now, I am hoping against all hope that I can at least get back to where I was by Sat. :p I have been 100% OP, so that is really the only thing I can do, is keep staying OP and plugging along.

Jenny - I have a soy intolerance I discovered in January so have been 95% soy-free this whole journey (and doing it on my own with alternatives)...and I was doing fine for the most part until the end of September & then BAM! I started having issues with my blood sugars & finally went into the Dr's 10/29, thus I started P2.
I had a couple episodes pre-TOM through the summer, but this was ridiculous...I've heard of people developing sensitivities though...

BUT, that said, it doesn't look like Quest / stevia / WF syrup are an issue. I tested perfect 2 hours later.
Went to the gym - gassed up with 1/2 a Quest bar and had a great workout.
Obviously 1 test could be an outlier, so the poking will continue.
I find it interesting the Premier Protein shake / coconut oil coffee had my glucose at 75 2 hours post meal & but Quest protein products have me 20+ higher...thinking it may say something about the quality of the product.

Since I am working from home tomorrow I think I may experiment again and make a regular Quest "shake", as opposed to turning it into an edible product (mug cake) just to see if there is a difference - maybe in the way my body digests liquid fuel as opposed to solids.

Dr's appointment is Friday and I am spread-sheeting my numbers for her to look at and we will decide if I need to do a full work up.

Oh - and slightly weird NSV - random guy walked up to me at the gym and fist-bumped me - said he had been gone 7 months and "you're kicking ***!" I was totally taken back - I don't know this guy from Adam :lol: but smiled, said "thank you" and went back to my stretching. I haven't been going to the gym on a regular basis for probably close to 2 / 3 years lol

I was over near my GNC today (it's 30 miles away from my house), so I stopped in there since I needed fish oil anyway. They didn't have these bars, but they had Combat Crunch bars. I bought 4, and 4 Arnold "muscle" bars. The calories are scary high, but I think I will try using 1/2 or maybe even 1/3 of a bar before a run, for the carbs/protein.

The Vitamin Shoppe was on the other end of town and I didn't have time to get over there today. I still have more wedding shopping to do this week, in a different city, so I'll look while I'm there.

I also noticed that GNC carries Quest powdered coconut oil, and MCL oil, which, according to the label, can be added to the Quest baking mix for better tasting results. About 60 calories per serving, all fat, no carbs. I wonder if it's worth using it instead of EVOO?

Beth that's awesome - Scenarios like that are super validating for all of your hard work!

Those are the ones I was referring to.
Because of the calories, I am waiting to have them in P3/maintenance.
I didn't figure it was an issue for you as you are there plus the exercise.

I plan to incorporate those when I get to maintenance. Quest's cookbook provides recipes for them. I am anxious to start making things from that cookbook. It is truly ketogenic - much higher fat % in the macros than IP phases.