Thanks Ishbel for chiming in on your use of Coconut oil. I'm going to go to the HFS for the good stuff and use one for cooking (non-smelly) and slather myself with the sweet smellin' stuff. I am dry as a bone with this winter and it sounds luxurious! Glad you popped over to Rainbow Smiles for her recipes..she definitely takes the boring out of P1.
This morning, using her guidelines with substitutions.... I'm using my pancake mix with 2-3 slices pickled jalapenos, 1/4 cup southwestern flavor egg whites, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, and an ounce of shredded cheddar flavored almond cheese to make a savory bisquit which I will top off with some WF jam. Sweet and savory and spicy...I LOVE IT!!!!!
AND I broke 127 this morning...7lbs to go. Whew!!!
Have a great one ladies and gents if you're lurking.

Just bumping it so that you know there is a new thread

TY Ishbel- Carrying forward my post:

Hi-I'm hoping ya'll can answer a question for me. If you lost hair on IP, how long did it take before the loss stopped, and what phase were you in when it stopped? I've been losing a lot of hair. I decided to move through phase 2 and on to phase 3 for 2 reasons, a vacation which I just returned from (did phase 3 on it), and in an effort to slow my rapid hair loss (didn't work!) I have 2 days left in my 2 weeks of phase 3. Because my hair loss is extreme, I'm thinking about moving on to maintenance for now to see if it helps. I started taking Biotin about a month ago but it hasn't helped yet. I have gained almost 3 lbs in phase 3 but my pants are still as loose and my body fat % is a bit less as when I started Phase 3. I'd appreciate any thoughts or info you can share. Thanks!

I am now on the right thread and back from my trip.

Chloe and Evepet thanks for the baking advice and the kefir info. I like Julian Bakery proiducts and am going to look for that coconut bread.

Ishbel: Woohoo on 10 months of maintenance. You are doing it. Good luck on cutting back your fun days. I like the Parent Dance also!

Sunnymae: Thanks for posting the recipes. New recipes help when you are tired of the same old things. Great job on losing!

Lizzyrr: You seem happy and are doing well with the baby! You have figured out what works for you!

Nolawhodatchick: I did not have much hair loss, but I have heard it grows back in the frist months of maintenance. I take Hair and Nails from Costco.

Lizzy63: Good luck on setting your new goal weight.

Epaprn: Congratulations on your pregnancy! are you adding more protein in the am?

Becky81: I have always wanted to try that Frenchtoast recipe. Thanks for reminding me.

I had a lovely trip...but I am working on up pounds.

It seems the registry is going to accept my little paragraph.

Nolawhodatchick I lost hair (then I was also on it for 52 weeks not including the month to take off and I did have a break to go to Mexico near the end about a month and a half before goal). I don't know when it stopped but everytime I go into the hair dresser she says "yup, getting thicker"...I think I posted on the "so much hair loss" when I noticed it. I was colouring my hair and leaned into the mirror to make sure that everything was covered and I noticed all the fine little baby hair about 2 inches long.

I'm sure it will take a while but I've also always been thin up (another symptom of PCOS rubygirl). I don't think IP cures PCOS...expecting to still have PCOS (if I asked) as my hair that has always been 'gone' hasn't grown back.

That's probably not helping your fears...but it did stop...and it did grow back. I don't intend to ever do Phase 1 that long again only because I am 110% committed to maintenance so if I did Phase 1 again I doubt my hair would fall out given that it won't be as drastic as a change as it was.

I "think" mine started to fall out around 4 months...and stopped at 6 months (so still in Phase 1). I didn't take biotin, I took the antioxy and omega 3 as recommended by Ideal Protein. I haven't stopped taking the omega 3's because I feel a difference in my skin when I do....not because of my hair.

In the 5 months to reach goal, each day I would clear my brush from the great hair loss. I started biotin probably 2 months in to my IP journey. After 3 months reaching goal, my hair loss is to a minimum. We all lose up to 100 hairs daily, so keep that in mind. My hair is starting to thicken up. I also started using "Matrix Conditioning Balm Continuous Moisture for Dry, Stressed Hair". I am not recommending this specific brand but a good conditioner that would moisturize your scalp.

Thank you all for your posts, I have learned so much from each of you.

scorbett:
On the calories: there are a ton of calculators and you can use any of them to fine tune to the ones place, but you aren't going to get any more accurate than the rule of thumb ones.
For 160 lb goal, totally sedentary, then 1600 calories to start.
work out 3x/week, desk job, then 160x12=1920
work out 5x/week, non-desk job, then 160x15=2400

One site, pretty sure it was "Coach Calorie" said the "goal" is to see how many calories you can eat and still maintain your weight. His thought is you start somewhere, do that calorie amount for two weeks, then adjust by 500 calories depending on what happened.

I am using an ap that tracks weight trends. It is called Libra and is an android ap. Once you get some data in there (one to two weeks) it will tell you how many calories too much or too little you are eating. It runs some kind of calculation that accounts for weight shifts that are most likely due to water and not to "fun day gone wild".

My suggestion would be, assuming you are running (or whatever) 3 days per week, is to start with 2000 calories and see what happens. I believe the food manufacturers get a 10% leeway in their calorie counts on packages, so if you are using MFP and just plugging in measured fruits & vegetables, figure you are plus or minus 10% either way so it won't be exact (1800 to 2200 calorie range).

Scorbett - I did find some sort of formula that seemed reasonable, but I think tracking on MFP was the key. After each weekly weigh in, I would look back at my week and see what my average calories were. I ended up adjusting upward several times and now I am at about 1,850 daily average and hanging around 143 pounds.

That's about 13 calories per pound and I am honestly not terribly active. I walk the dog about 2 miles daily - that's it. I have a desk job. If you are more active, you may be able to go higher, but then we are all different - maybe I have suddenly developed a high metabolism... Or maybe I was just fooling myself about how much I was really eating before IP!

I'm sure you will figure this out pretty quickly. You've been very diligent in preparing for maintenance.

Ok Ladies (and Gents)...question/situation for you.

My weight has been fluctuating quite a bit...like odd numbers from one day to the next. I actually step on the scale 3 times to confirm it lol. 161 to 165 the next day (within 24 hours) with no real reason when I review what I'm eating.

I know I mentioned my fun days were a little nutzo but I don't think they were THAT out of control and they did have a beginning and an end with a perfect or close to perfect (maybe a little extra oil) on Phase 1 day.

Upon review of the last months weigh in's and the last months food intake there is no REAL reason for it to bounce around like that.

Thankfully my hips/back are better - can't say the same for my feet which are all related (I feel like I'm still settling into this body - I feel OLD some days). HOWEVER, I have done yoga, 5 km of cross country skiing and a jillian michael's DVD last night (I dislike her! lol) within the last three days and I feel 'ok'. So things are looking up on the exercise front.

Now, here are some theories I have right now (I'm over analytical, although I think most of us are here when it comes to our weight). Is it the exercise (I don't think so because it's just recently started up and it was a slow start with only skiing on the weekend?) Is it the over active fun days that I've just recently reined in on the simple sugars (it was over board but I don't think that bad). Maybe I'm wrong with both verdicts on the fun days and exercise.

Is it melatonin?

Reference melatonin. I started taking it once a week about a month ago (it occurred to me last night when reviewing). Sunday nights are tough for me to sleep. Always have been, my sisters and mom are the same silly thoughts of 'what if' for the next week. Once Sunday night is over then it's all 'ok' for sleep. I bought some about a month ago....when reviewing my weight chart and food intake...it occurred to me "this is when I started taking melatonin". It's a hormone...do you think it would make my weight fluctuate that much?

Anyone take it and experience it? Anyone have any ideas? Sometimes I wonder if my metabolism hasn't actually 're-set' in the idea that what I ate last week will show up this week (no immediate results). That it's all a result of fundays gone wild (LOL) that it will calm down but it may take a month now since it's been wacky a month (make sense?)

One thing that's keeping me calm...is that I can review what I've eaten. That's a point that I'd like to make for anyone lurking or starting up maintenance. TRACK what you eat...it can help you pin point...AND...keep you calm.

FYI - I'm still seeing a downward trend from Saturday to Saturday, just some really ODD fluctuations and sometimes a little higher Monday morning weigh in that I'm not used to seeing.

Any input is welcome.

Nola - nothing on the hair loss, only suggestion would be keep any harsh hair coloring or drying to a minimum.

On the 3 pound gain, in my seminars I was told when you add carbs back in you "GAIN" 3 pounds of water weight. Your fat % should remain same or lower, but carbs have you hold more water, so you have not gained 3 pounds.

Hope your hair loss is under control soon.

Did six week six pack dvd this morning, wanting to see some ab definition. 9 days to Costa Rica.

Had a fun shopping day with a personal shopper at Nordstrom, she fitted in the most divine outfits. Loved it.

I too have lost a LOT of hair, though my hairdresser says she doesn't see any difference. I began taking Biotin within a couple of weeks of noticing more hair in my brush and coming out in the shower, but not sure it's helping. New hair is growing back now, but still seem to be losing more than "normal." Seems that I'm the only one that notices it, so not worried. (FYI - I color on my own most of the time, every 2 - 3 weeks, and have for years.)

Ishbel - I don't know much about Melatonin, but if it is a hormone, it could very well be the cause of your numbers fluctuating. The timing seems to point to that as well.

Maile - glad you had a good trip! You will lose those up-lbs quickly.


Hi all - it has been awhile since I've posted, though have been reading most days. *Warning - this is a me-me-me post...
I decided to stop P1, as I don't believe I ever went back into Ketosis. Did lose 4 of the up lbs, so am good with it. Not sure what's going on, but my attitude has been really bad lately, and find myself blaming having to be so careful with what I eat, though that's probably not the real reason, just an easy excuse. It's probably a combination of getting tired of winter (really cold this year and terrible road conditions more than usual - yet another storm coming in today) and so little sunlight, my knee limiting exercising, hips hurting again, feeling tired all the time, and other things. Find myself longing for a vacay in some warm beachy climate (not gonna happen), or planting flowers and the veggie garden, or refinishing the directors chairs in the garage. Sigh... Sorry for the pity-party...I need to get a grip and get over it. Maybe I'll get the sewing machine out tonight, find the material I purchased a couple years ago to replace the seats & backs on said chairs, and try to be productive!

Oh! I found a "lighter/healthier" recipe for Chicken Pot-Pie and tried it last night - mmmm, was so good. Going to experiment with making it even 'lighter' this weekend. If it works, will post the recipe here. Great comfort food...

Lizzy and infoplease - thank you so much! I am definitely glad I started using MFP in Phase 1, tracking my meals is just rote by now and it has also gotten me back into planning my meals ahead (a habit I started years ago for budgeting purposes but fell way off of in the last year or two). My first phase 3 day ended around 1400 calories, but that was with an intense bodypump class, plus I had a restricted bar an hour before and a shake afterward. I may have overcompensated a little with the bar, but I didn't know how the class would be so I erred on the side of more fuel than too little.
I will have to check out that other Android app - I like having tools in my toolbelt!

Ishbel - how do your muscles feel with the added exercise? If you're sore and also notice the weight fluctuations it might just be your muscles holding onto water while they repair. I was up .6lb this morning but I expected it after the bodypump class, I am sore in a few places I didn't know I had muscles

(this is what I said outloud lol) "Well I suppose, but it hasn't been massive exercise" - so I guess I've been disregarding it because it's not A LOT...and I know when I was running it took 6 weeks for it to show up as decrease in my weight. They do ache....but I love the feeling (I'm sure most of you know what I mean)

I'm not scared just a little annoyed that my body isn't doing what I think it should be doing

The lack of simple sugars completely has made for a better week this week that's for sure. Digging the 'ease' of THAT. <whew>

There have been studies on water retention directly linked with meletonin and it is typically higher in women and 30+. I have no idea your age, but this could be the culprit!

http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/melatonin/water+retention

On another note, this is my first TOM since phashing to maintenence... Any thoughts what to expect?

Thanks for this! I had no idea this happened! That explains a lot about today's scale #...I did a heavy ropes class yesterday...ouch!