First day on Phase 11 as well. Stocked up on lots of meat, and have the slower cooker on low with a roast and turnips and cabbages. I have two coaches, a mother and daughter, the mother told me one week for this phase and the daughter told me two, lol

I do - I still keep them handy in my purse for times when I get hungry. Better for me than grabbing a candy bar or having to resort to making not great choices! I kind of stocked up on boxes while I was phasing off (still buying 3 boxes when I wasn't using that many packets). Plus, you need to have stuff (be it IP or not) around for those phase 1 days.

I don't think that the length of phase 2 is as important as the 2 weeks on phase 3 is! :-)

Yeah, I know that feeling. I was terrified for the first week of phase 3.

I just started phase 4 last week. I was traveling for work, and didn't have all that much control over my food, but I did the best I could.

I have a question for those more experienced than me:
The protocol I have seems like an absurd amount of food (mainly the 7oz of carbs with dinner.) Do we HAVE to eat all of it? Can I cut back (or just neglect to add in) the extra carbs and fat in phase 4?

I've started to gain some back, and while I'm not panicking now, I definitely want to stop this trend before it gets too far.

Lisa, seems like I remember in one of the "Life After" threads that somebody (I'm Svelting, maybe???) said they started out with a smaller amount of dinner carbs, then gradually increased, keeping it where it still felt comfortable...

hugs

I read that, too. It is one of the early posts in the original "life after" thread and there was quite a discussion. I have to go back and read that stuff again this week because I head out of town for my mini spa vacation on Thursday and it will be my first day of maintenance. FREAKY

Hello everyone!

I just started phase III this weekend. I wasn't quite ready to phase off but I was starting to have "spells" of nausea, dizzyness, lightheadedness and feeling faint. I am only 1 lb away from the goal I set when I started IP, so I figure that it is time (even if I had wanted to go even further with it). I changed my goal and starting phasing off.

I am still coming to terms with this decision and feel a little bit like a failure for not going another 5-10 lbs but I am super happy with my figure, weight and size right now and I feel that I have done extremely well and I am sure that I will eventually find my peace with this decision.

I enjoyed my breakfast this morning. I decided that seeing as phase III is only 2 weeks, I am not going to complicate things and I will just eat the individual items as listed on the sheet every day: 2 slices of toast (with just butter), 2 eggs (or I can sandwich the eggs in the toast), a glass of lactose-free milk (I am lactose intolerant) and some fruit on the side (I am thinking mostly berries). I can't believe I am saying this, because I never feel full, but this was a lot of food for me today and I wish we could split it over two (or more sittings) but I read the info sheet and I know that we can't. I will get used to it I suppose but I really miss just having a protein rtd drink box and a coffee for breakfast as it satisfied me and fit my lifestyle. I may go back to that in phase IV if I can...?

How is everyone else doing in phases III and IV? Updates would be nice!

Your slow cooker meal sounds wonderful! I may have to try the meat and cabbage this week!

Today is my third day on Phase III and I have a few questions:

My breakfast consists of:
- 2 slices whole wheat toast;
- 2 eggs OR peanut butter
- 1/2 cup 2% lactose-free milk
- 1/2 cup fresh mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

- What kind/brand of bread are you using?
I find that as I am bringing back milk, bread and fruit, I am feeling moody, grumpy and not as "good" as I was feeling on Phases I and II (well, until the nauseau, dizzy, lighteaded "spells" that I started taking at the end). I am also getting quite gassy. I know that I am (very) lactose and (somewhat) fructose intolerant (could handle a max of 2 fruit portions per day before IP) and I am wondering if I could be fructose and/or gluten intolerant. At least the "spells" have stopped and it's hard to explain because I do not feel "sick" but I do not feel "great" either.

- I think that I would like to try a fat-free, sugar-free 9-grain bread that they make on location at a local bakery near my house, do you think that would be okay?

- If that doesn't work, I may want to try gluten-free bread. Any thoughts/experiences with this would be appreciated.

- Do I have to eat the whole breakfast?
Can I cut in half (1 slice toast + 1 egg + 1/2 cup fruit + 1/2 cup milk)? I NEVER ate such big breakfasts in my life and I am not gettng the hang of it. I actually fell asleep on the bus on my to work this morning trying to digest all of that food.

- Any other advice/comments would be greatly appreciated.


I want to get that "Phase I/Phase II "high" back!"

Please help!

Susie, I'm wondering if you're getting enough protein? It's supposed to be at least 25g, but more is ok. Maybe you need to add back some of the RTD that you were having in phase 1. It wouldn't hurt to try the gluten free bread, or the sugar free. Just go over the nutrient charts on the phase 3 page & make sure you're at or over on the protein, and under but close on the carbs.

Hope that helps - have a great day!

I am three days into phase 3 and so afraid of gaining....it feels like so much food...this is weird....because it is still way less than most people on regular diets eat....wow have we changed our thinking

Thank you so much for responding. I went back to the Phase 3 information sheet and checked my Myfitnesspal entries and I definitely have to revise things... my bread is too high in carbs (18-19 g per slice), I am not getting enough protein at breakfast (I only had 18g today) and I've already reached my fat quota for the day when I had my lunch! Yikes!

I am really messing this up badly! Luckily, I have a tap class tonight, so maybe that will work to my advantage.

Phase III is like being thrown off the deep end! I know that I have to learn to swim on my own sooner or later but this is like going from sitting in a kiddie pool to being thrown in the ocean with only theory lessons a few practices on how to swim and no lifejacket!

I want an IP brand of bread!

I can do this... I can do this...

Hi Everyone,

I'm on phase 3. I'm not really at my goal yet but I htink I need a couple months break. I was feeling like I was going to start eating stuff I was not suppose to so I asked to be put on Phase II (last week) and phase III this week (for 2 weeks). My coach was OK with this as she said it's much better to do this than to start eating everything and gaining weight. I'm a bit disapointed in myself for not losing the last 15 pounds but on the other hand I've done pretty well and I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I love the food we can eat on these phases and I feel like I can start phase I again in a few months.

I am a bit overwhelmed with the planning of the food (just like when I started phase I) so I'll be reading this and other threads.

I wanted to thank you all for posting and putting ideas. It's given me options I had not thought of.

It might have been me girls. I needed to play around with amounts. I'm sure this is the part where we all have to figure out what our individual needs are. I'm so carb sensitive.. especially to potatoes and most bread type products, except for once in a great while. The weight gain is almost instant.
At night I have about 4 oz of lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, but something tasty and with more fiber which the legumes have for sure. I do more phase 1 eating than just after cheat days as well. Some days ph.1 just feels better.
Right now back working in France...so fuggeddaboutit!!!! Last time I was here I was still in ph. 1 and pulled if off pretty well.
Now that I'm on maintenance I'm being careful, but not obsessive. Having a little wine and some nibbles of bread, but also brought my bars with me and that totally helps me keep off the rich desserts. I'll always have to watch the sugar...it triggers me like nobody's business. I've really had to accept this reality for my sweet little body, and I want to treat her as well as I can after all I went thru to take this weight off. I've been lurking and not posting the last little while, but it's nice to chime in tonite. Woops...it's after 4 in the morning. Still have jetlag. I'll let you know how I do when I get back on the 27th.

Today, I tried that 7-grain sugar free fat free bread from my local bakery and I also had more protein with my breakfast (2 eggs and a slice of ham) and I definitely feel better than I have the past few days. So, I am thinking carb/sugar sensitive... maybe not gluten after all (at least I hope not, but it still remains to be seen).

Like Sunnymae said so well in the post above me: "I'll always have to watch the sugar...it triggers me like nobody's business." This is a reality that I am going to have to learn to accept as she did. I already knew that I was lactose intolerant and fructose intolerant, so sucrose is not such a far cry from that and it makes perfect sense that everything that ends in "-ose" does not agree with me!

I love this board and knowing that I am not alone in my struggles!

For me, maintenance does not mean that this over... not by a long shot!

I also have intentions of doing another bout of phase I in the fall to try and lose the final 10 lbs that I have been hoping for (+ anything that I may put back on during maintenance - let's hope that it won't be much to speak of as I've worked too hard to come this far and don't want to blow it)!

Bump