Linda I had no idea about tangerine water enhancers! Sounds delicious.
Jenny I love your positive attitude.
HIS Your running is inspiring.
SueYour friend sounds fabulous and thoughtful.
BethLOL!!!
Blue Last May I did a brief phase off for a week's vacation to the beach. I think it was a few days Phase 2 and a few days Phase 3...something like that. Anyway, I am so glad that I did it. I didn't go crazy on vacation, but I did have peanut butter and a drink or two. I went back on Phase 1 immediately after I got back, and ended up losing a ton from my previous weigh-in. Vacation gave me enough of a break to have the motivation to continue three more months until my official phase off.

I have had my ups and downs since reboot. Good news: I lost 6.4 lbs since I started. Bad news: I continue to struggle with headaches and the estrogen release has AGAIN messed up my menstrual cycle. And headaches often come with AF so it sucks. I am hanging in though and looking forward to feeling healthy and doing maintenance better this time...

Also, my coworker is going to do Ideal Protein!!!

Hello everyone! I feel like I've been absent. There was a lot of reading to catch up on!

Football - Well, the Bison won! It's their 5th straight FCS title and no other college football team has done it. Pretty exciting! On the other hand, sadly I'm a Vikings fan. On the bright side, I know how to deal with continued disappointment. :P

HIS - congrats on the PR!
Beth - hope you are able to get your tummy issues handled!
MiWi - I agree with your little break. Though I didn't phase off, I did have planned cheats and I feel it has actually helped me to stay on this plan for as long as I have. Thought I don't recommend it for anyone. This was something I put a lot of consideration into and knew going into it that I would likely set myself back a week each time I cheated.
Jenny - congrats on getting to your #20 mark!

WI this morning and I was down another 4.4lbs! Can't believe I had two great losses in a row! I am 1.9lbs away from being in a new decade and 3.8lbs away from what I weighed when I stopped IP last time. I need to remind myself that it took me 5 months to get back to that weight so I don't let it happen again.

Have a great OP day everyone!

Mama - congrats on the fantastic WI!
Mi - getting there! It is nice having a diet buddy
Linda - lol - I'll be good the Ravens sucked big toe this season so I have no room to talk...but we DID sweep the Steelers how's your tummy been lately with p2 portions?
HIS - imvho, go for it (13.1) - you got this! Btw - we can both "hate on" my DH...I don't say much about his running b/c I am no where near his level and I doubt ever will be (he runs high 6:00 miles!!!) - but he also goes and on his training days, runs 10k's...at least 3 times a week

Thank you everyone for the well wishes - Jenny, given my sensitivity to meds I am definitely going to start out lightly. & no, once we move, that's it - only our director will have an office, where as right now, there are 5 of us in offices. Part of the new structure of the company - more transparency, blah blah...Our director has already said we are implementing a new telecommute policy - thank goodness! Still have to get my issue under control though

Brussel sprouts don't really bother me - go figure - but broccoli and beans seem to be a deadly combo

I ended up staying home today. Woke up extremely nauseated last night and thought for sure I was going to be sick...took some Pepto and after about an hour went back to sleep. Still felt awful this morning (and traffic was already sucking at 6:30a!) so I took DD10 to school and came home and slept until almost 11:30am holy cow I guess I needed the sleep I've ate a bunch today too (about 800 calories) - some good, some i said I was going to avoid (oops). I am still tired but feel a thousand times better than I did this morning.
Guess it's a wait-n-see on tomorrow mornings run

Thanks HIS good point about how the clothes fit. I suppose I could always keep an eye out for a gym and see if they'll just let me come in and weigh. Or I could just plan on forgetting about it and have fun
I'm not really worried too much about P4, I'm going to stay away from sweets, and I've never been much of a drinker, so an occasional glass of wine. I know you and Beth and some of the other runners have been trying to find a balance that works, but I think that's just related to the running, wouldn't you say? It should be easier to manage with less intense exercise. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how it's going to work out for me.

Thanks for the FL info, We've been to Tampa area on vacation several times, and like the area (hopefully won't need the health care facilities, we Canadians don't like to get sick south of the border ). We've also been to the Ft Lauderdale area a few times. And up in the north - Jacksonville where my sister is. So it'll be fun looking around at other places.

MiWi - Interesting. I had thought about doing just a few days of P2 and a few P3 days before my vacation, but my coach said it would be better to just do the full 2 weeks. I'm so close to goal that it shouldn't be too bad to reboot once I get back, assuming I don't gain too much
I feel for you about the headaches, I used to have migraines...fortunately I got old and menopause made them stop

mama another great loss

jenny - you're just rocking that reboot

Beth sorry to hear you're sick, hope the day off helps! Feel better

Had to go over to the hospital this afternoon for a bone density scan (no worries, just been awhile). Quick test, in and out, easy-peasy. Hated to go out again though - cold and blustery here today, blowing snow all over the streets, brrrr.

I got some of the tangerine stuff this morning at the clinic, haven't tried it yet, but will add it to my water jug tomorrow. Looking forward to it, I love all the citrus flavors.
And my coach gave me a few packets that were close to expiring, including a lemon bar which I haven't tried since way back at the start. Did't really care for it the, surprisingly, since I love lemon, but I know my tastes have changes a lot, so it'll be interesting to see if I like it now.

Quick post before I head out to work....

blue, yes, a big part of the challenge of P4 for Beth and me is the need for fuel for exercise. If you're just doing normal daily living stuff, you may find it much easier to manage your eating on vacation. I do think you should track your food, if you can, just to make sure you're staying under a reasonable number of calories. It's amazing how quickly you can go over - waaaayyyy over.

Beth, I guess it's good your guy is a runner and supportive of your efforts.... but 6's?! I might have to hate on him just a little bit.

There's a tummy thing going around, wonder if you got a touch of that. I'm glad it wasn't any worse. Some people are having symptoms for days.

I had a little pasta tonight, followed by a few celery sticks, and I'm taking a bar to eat right after work. Hopefully I won't regret that during tomorrow morning's run.

I can only tell you my experience, but it may help.

When I did IP the first time, I phased off completely in the middle of my journey to take an already planned trip to Europe. I did a week at P2, a week at P3 and then for the 10 days of my vacation, I ate / drank whatever. I gained 5# on that trip. I went right back on P1 when I came home and lost those 5# in less than a week.

This time on my reboot, I didn't actually "phase off", but basically for the month of Dec, I didn't follow the diet at all. I didn't go "hog wild", but I certainly ate and drank what I wanted through the holidays. I will caveat this to say that through this time, I continued with my exercise regime. At the end of the day, I had a net gain of 0.2# when I got back on my reboot and lost 3.4# on my first week back.

For ME, I really liked having the freedom to enjoy both my trip to Europe and this time, during the holidays. I knew going into both that I would get right back on P1, so there wouldn't be any wavering, stretching it one more week, etc... I set my mind and made a deal with myself. Enjoy while you can and then it is back to business.

I consider myself to have been extremely successful on both accounts. And I feel that it was the right choice for me.

A fascinating read from the NY Times: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/01/01...l?referer&_r=0
Very sobering and a reminder of just how vigilant most of us will have to be - and how the tools we have gained doing IP will help us overcome the statistics

Blue - thanks for the well wishes ah - snowbirds fwiw, I think staying off the scales for a couple weeks and relaxing could have it's pluses. I tell myself to stay off every morning but it's like a magnet...

HIS - yes, he deserves some hate j/k - I love my guy and his natural athleticism has always blown me away.
I will never forget the first time we went skiing (late 90's) - he'd never skateboarded or anything...and hopped onto a pair of skis and just went - was doing double black diamonds with his buddy (who had been skiing since he was kid) by lunch time...otoh, I had to take private lessons
Hope the bar didn't bother you & I'll touch on the tummy issue below...

I feel SO much better today! I may honestly have had something 24 hours...although I never really had any major *ahem* issues - just the super-upset stomach and a lot of trips to the bathroom (but all normal)...and I was just 100% wiped out yesterday - even after sleeping until almost noon. I just chilled and ate - my Fitbit numbers looked like poop yesterday I still felt tired / drained when I forced myself into bed after the SOTU so my hopes weren't high for a morning run...

I was shocked when my alarm went off and I genuinely felt ok - awake and energized at 5:15am Took one of the 'easier' 5 mile routes, but ran 2 under 10 minute splits! First time doing a 9:XX on a 'hilly' route I even improved my split time on the 3/4 mile hill climb...and it was 18 degrees, with a wind chill of 9!

I also added back my 1/2 banana pre-run and stuck with Monday's eating routine and sucked down a 1/4C of steel cut oats (I let them cook while I shower & dress) with the other 1/2 of the banana. So far, so good.

My other theory is my body just hadn't recovered from my long run on Saturday...

So now we'll see how tomorrow morning goes...& Saturday is 90 minutes.

Trial & error...as I like to remind others, you only fail when you stop trying

I read the NYT article yesterday... It pretty much confirmed my thoughts that this weight management thing is going to have to be a daily, life-long focus. No point complaining about it, that's just how it is.

Beth, good to hear your stomach issues have resolved. Several people around me have had it, to varying degrees. Same symptoms - belly troubles and exhaustion, for 1-4 days.

Well, having the bar last night turned out to be a not-so-great idea. I chose one of my bars with less fiber, but still..... When I got up this morning, I could tell I needed to stay home for a while. After it was safe , I ran, but didn't have the energy I usually have, and while I intended to do an easy run, I didn't want to go as slowly as I did. I think I do better with straight protein + carbs for dinner, and then some carbs again before bed. (I also had a spoonful of p.b. last night, and I know better. The fat helps curb my hunger, but I pay for it the next day.) Of course, it was also my 3rd running day in a row, so maybe my body was just tired.

The good news is, the scale continues to creep down, and I was below my goal weight this morning for the first time in a month. Still hoping that will help my running times. Tomorrow I'll do a 2 mile walk, and then Friday will be resting all day.

*SIGH*
So it's not looking like a 24 hour anything...
Having issues similar to Monday again this afternoon absolutely horrendous bloating & other issues

So...is it the morning steel cut oats with banana or the roasted cauliflower??

My 'gut' (ha,ha) is saying its the roasted cauliflower (since I didn't have this issue with OIAJ) oh and its so flippin yummy and was something different to have with lunch...

Here is crossing my fingers to not having another horrible tummy night

Happy Wednesday,

Beth glad you are feeling somewhat better. I hope you figure out the gut issues soon. I am impressed that you went running in the cold weather. Thanks for the article. It is kind of scary to read, but I think there are some tips for success in the article.

HIS nice to hear the scale is moving downward.

Jenny and Blue your thoughts about phasing off for vacations has me questioning my plan to try to do phase 2 during the cruise. I think that I have reconvinced myself that this is the best for me as my long term goal is to phase off for my Hawaii trip in May.

It has been very cold here so I have not been getting my walking in, so I am back to 3 packets per day. We will see how this weeks wi goes.

I am all packed for my cruise. We leave in 2 weeks, but my parents are taking luggage in car with them. Tried on a lot of summer cloths. I am definitely losing on top faster than bottom. DH and I decided that most of my summer shirts from last summer are too big. The capris and shorts still fit, but so do those that were too small before.

Sue

Did cauliflower ever bother you before, like in P1?

Just stopping in to say Good Morning to you all!!
Still staying off the scale- for some reason this morning it is especially difficult. I'm trying though, I really am.
Beth, sorry to hear about the tummy issues. I hope that you are feeling better soon!!!
HIS-GREAT news about the scale movement!!! So happy for you! Good luck again this weekend!!!! How is your daughter doing?
SMDA wish I had some words of wisdom. It's somewhat different, but- when I went on vacation over the summer, I had already planned on my "tastes" of this and that- and in all honesty- I didn't do any of it- I may have had a taste of one or 2 things, can't remember-but what I can remember is I lost 3.4 lbs. while on vacation.
**Isn't that an interesting concept- I can't remember what I did or didn't eat, BUT I can remember what I lost for weight. Hmmmm...I'm going to ponder on that for a while. Insight....
***Ok, I just broke- I couldn't help myself. 126.4 this morning- That's the best weight I have seen on the scale yet- P2 for a couple of more days, then on to 3.
Ooops- there's the music on the news that signals my time is up here and time to go work out before breakfast.
Have a great day one and all!!! Keep rockin this my friends- we got this!!

jenny - thanks for the reassurances, I really appreciate it. I hope I have the same results as you , but in any case, this plan feels Ok to me, and I'm comfortable with my decision to phase off. I'm looking forward to P2/P3, and I really believe that all my time on here, reading everyone's experiences, especially the maintainers, have given so much good information to stay on track. And I'm prepared to get right back in P1 to finish off if I decide I need to lose a bit more. I do think you're right about exercise, though, and that's where I'm going to have to pay attention. Vacation should be fine, should be pretty active, lots of walking if nothing else.

Beth Sorry to hear you're still battling tummy troubles. Maybe it is a bug, and not just what you ate...tis the season for bugs
I'm so impressed with how amazingly well you're doing with the running, and even better that you're enjoying it so much. WTG!!

Sue - You should be fine with P2 on the cruise. I think that's what I would do. There is SO much food available, so many options, that you should have no problem with meals, and staying in one place means you can have all your packets/bars handy. Isn't it fun when clothes don't fit but glad to hear you have some that do fit! I've been looking for summery things here, and not much to choose from in the stores, even the thrifts don't have much. We northern peeps, bit of a challenge for us. Of course tops are easier to find than shorts or capris in the winter, and I have tops that fit, but only 1 pair of capris.

Linda - 126.4 Fantastic, well below goal, you've lost how many lb on P2? I know they say a lot of people do, but it still amazes me that adding all that protein at lunch, and you can still lose. You must be SO looking forward to P3!

I can't help myself either I can't resist weighing myself every morning, and my scale was down a bit this morning, 138.8 I know my "official" weight is a few lb more, but in my head, this is more the "real" number
This is set up day for our big book sale this weekend, this means unloading and setting books on tables, we figure we have about 40K-50K books, so a lot of work involved. Fortunately the coach of a local rugby team has volunteered his guys to be the muscle, but it still takes the whole day. It's one of our best fundraisers, so well worth all the work. I expect to be tired when I get home later this aft. Yesterday I made a big batch of chili (Janeva's recipe), very good, I added beans and extra heat for DH , and enough leftover to have it again tonight for dinner.

Oh, almost forgot, I added the tangerine enhancer to my water yesterday, really like it. But I only added about 1/4 of the packet to a 64oz jug of water, it was more than enough - I only like a hint of flavor in my water.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Got a nice surprise this morning as I was down a half a pound. We went to a friends dinner last night. She knew I was on the program but didn't really understand it so served meatloaf with a sauce a spinach salad with dressing already on it , green beans, carrots, sauté peppers in more oil than I needed, I am sure, potatoes. I took the meatloaf, a bit of salad and bean and peppers. God bless her she had made a pie for the rest of the group and a fruit salad for me. I felt terrible saying I could not have it. Was worried even with what I ate that I would be up this morning but thankfully not.
I am having weekend guests and have all my planning done for meals. This loss this morning reminded me if you work the program , it will work for you.
Boy the day I can get on the scale and see me below the goal weight will be amazing. Congratulations
Have a good day everyone. Off for my walk.

Hi Everyone, just a brief check-in.

My reboot is going OK. I am in my IP routine and the scale is showing good progress. I was having some early constipation issues but I drank Total Tea three days in a row and that seems to have worked itself out (lol). But I don't like that I get a marathon AF with headaches. I have to admit it. If I didn't know this diet worked so well for me, I don't know if I would continue. However, I am going to finish my reboot as planned. I'm a trooper.

Linda No worries about checking the scale. You rock. Phase 2 seems to be working well for you.
Blue Yes, I have heard that my migraines will go away with age. My dad used to get them and his went away in his mid-50's so that's only 15 to 20 years for me to go.
Beth Sorry about your tummy issues. I would experiment with removing the cauliflower as an experiment. I would hate giving up something that worked for me on plan/maintenance. We give up enough on IP...AND something yummy? No way.