twinsmonmmy Snacks are cheese strings, fruit and greek yogurt, protein bar, ummm...anything high in protein lol. I've had a hard boiled egg. Generally I prefer the fruit and yogurt as I went a year without fruit so I still really REALLY enjoy it.

mooselover I believe without a doubt it can be done without Phase 1. Keep us posted!

AlisonS Congratulations! Welcome to maintenance!

slownsteady Thanks for popping in here, we've been talking about that book for a while due to maile and her never ending quest for finding interesting books and thankfully sharing them with us.

bubbleblower I'm glad that you had it figured out and on your way with a life/eating plan. I hope you get an opportunity to take those pictures again!

Maile Thanks for all the informative posts again. I'm glad the move went well.

+++++++++++++
I was away a week sorry for not posting, but I was reading! I really worked hard at my choices as it was a conference. And if anyone on here has been on a conference they can become a gong show with all the drinking. I still went out but completely held firm on my choices and everyone generally accepted that.

What was really ummm kinda sad for me was that collegues that hadn't seen me in 6 years were REALLY uncomfortable with me (which although surprising I guess shouldn't be?). Some of them were actually quite stand offish one even didn't say 'hello' when he found out from someone else who I was (he was looking for me even!). I worked very hard at not changing personality wise (and have been told that I haven't by someone I didn't ask lol) and still being me...and it was really quite an 'ugh' feeling. I did however have someone give me a pep talk and encourage me to just re engage my relationships. "they were comfortable with you as you were before, you've just put them off kilter". Interesting INTERESTING self reflection that's for sure.

On a side note I worked well enough while on business that I came home lower then I expected, in fact I was 161 this morning and I'm usually 163ish. Funny how two lbs makes you feel! lol!

Thanks Ishbel! I am happy to be here!

Regarding your friends' discomfort, it is an adjustment when people suddenly look different and you haven't seen them for awhile. I have had people ask me point blank if I am "OK" - if someone loses more than they weigh, often times it is because they are ill with cancer or something. It could just be that your friends were concerned that something was wrong and did not know what to say. It has definitely been a mental adjustment for me and I have "been here" the whole time. I agree with your friend who told you to just keep at it and reconnect - they may just need time to process the change.

Also, I have found that people who have weight issues and are not ready to deal with them may suddenly be uncomfortable not because they are not happy for you, but because you have unintentionally brought the whole thing to their attention. It is so much easier to live in denial! Trust me, I lived there for a loooong time! ; )

Congratulations on doing so well in a new and potentially difficult situation!

I maintained my weight easily for 6 months. I had a tummy tuck and breast lift Feb 13th. I have had a hard time since then. I have gained 10 pounds over the past few months and am trying to get it off. I wasn't too worried about it over the summer as we were gone a lot fishing/camping/playing in the Alaska sunshine. But now that fall has arrived I don't want it anymore. I am trying to remember how I was eating last year and what changed for me. I am going back to the basics and cutting out nuts/cheese for now because I think I was eating too many and they can be addicting to me. Back to meats and veggies and my Fage Yogurt till I get my head and weight back in control. I also enjoy fruit so I have to be careful with that as well. I feel so good right now. My anxiety was awful this summer as I was eating too many carbs and it caused me to have high anxiety. So I am glad to be back to feeling calm again. Those statistics on Maintaining are so scary but true. I know so many who gain it all back plus more. That is why I came back here. I need the support

Welcome to maintenance, Alison!

Bubbleblower - sorry about your health problems - sounds like you've got it figured out now, which is great!

Ishbel - conferences ... Ugh! I do not really enjoy the social activities that people expect me to participate in at conferences, but I have to do it once in a while anyhow. Sorry to hear that people were behaving strangely - wish they could just be happy for you!

Mooselover - I'm sure you can get that 10 lbs off - we're here for you!

So, I am on my 2nd day in phase 1 trying to take off a few pounds so I can enjoy the fish & chips and shepherds pie on my trip without too much worrying. I finally decided for me the strict phase 1 rules will work better, and I am less likely to crave things I don't need when I am having very few carbs. So far, so good - not too painful - and I have never even done a phase 1 day in almost 10 months of maintenance. I'm thinking that might not be as bad as I imagined...

Anyone seen Evepet around here lately?

Here I am! Haven't been checking in every day and often just lurking lately...everything is pretty much the same & I haven't had much to say.
I'm also somewhat miffed at myself as I find I'm good with being strictly p1-p2-ish for a week or so, then something happens (generally on the weekend) where I indulge a little 'beyond' what is really acceptable..not necessarily higher carbs, but more fat and/or calories - or sodium - which sabotages the weight loss.

I keep bouncing around -3 or +3 lbs or so with this 'on' and 'off' pattern I've been in.

I know I can do it - after all I spent almost 12 months on P1 (for those of you who weren't with me here during my -60+ weight loss from April of last year to April of this one, I was a slow loser... mostly -1lb/week, except for maybe the first 3 weeks of the dieting process.) I know that I've just gotta get my head 'in gear' and get with it firmly again on a 24/7 consistent basis - including weekends. I think part of my *problem* is that I mostly don't mind the current *me* - overall I'm still pleased with what I see, how I feel, etc., with the exception that there's a little extra weight back in the tummy. But my concern is that I don't want to gain more. And this is why I'd overall feel happier to get back to at least 150 again, and give myself that safety zone. I do not want to be 'pudgy' at Christmas and have to admit to various relatives that I've put too many pounds back on. Thinking about that is actually the motivation I need to get my resolve back.

So I'm still far from maintenance, but something that has been weighing heavy on my mind is the risk of regaining the weight when I get to maintenance. Seeing the statistics above scare me even more. Does anyone here have advice for a IP newbie to keep the weight off? Little about me, weighed over 330 lbs in my early 20s, got down to 235 in my mid to late 20s with diet and exercise (no particular diet), kept it off for a while, but by 32 I got back up to the 290s....any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Meeshellee,
I've been thinking about this a lot -- what information to give someone still in P1 that might help in maintenance, so, thanks for asking.

I think the biggest thing, is that your p1 lunch and dinner is going to become the main ingredients of your p4 lunch and dinner. So use p1 to learn both quick things to throw together and tasty things you enjoy when it comes to preparing salads, meats and vegetables. Then with p4, you are going to "enhance" lunch with a broader range of vegetables and some fat--like cheese or nuts or mayonnaise or unsweetened coconut, and your are going to "enhance" dinner with a broader range of vegetables, and perhaps a serving(!) of potato or pasta or rise or quinoa and/or fruit.

You want the mindset that things you know aren't particularly healthy--cake, ice cream, chips, etc--are only to be eaten on your fun day except for the rarest of exceptions. And if you slip, you get right back on track with the very next meal.

Plus, you'll want to think about whether you are going to keep artificial sweeteners part of your diet or not and how or if you want to transition from the IP/alternative products you have been using.

Once you move along in that direction for awhile, then you experiment with what is OK for a snack--what are still trigger foods? can you handle popcorn? a glass of wine? cheese? nuts? chocolate?

It is still going to take focus to maintain. The diet is never really "over"; it is the unbalanced diet part that has the beginning, middle and end. Maintenance is less socially isolating, but you still only have one day a week where you don't have to pay attention to what you put in your mouth (well, sort of. Because some of what you eat can make you feel sick, so you think twice.) So the "tricks" you learn in p1 for social situations--drink sparkling water with lime, it's about socializing not necessarily eating, eat before the event if appropriate--are sometimes going to be used in p4 as well.

Hopefully, you will become a big breakfast eater and enjoy the p3 breakfasts that carry over into p4. It gives you real food -- fruit! oatmeal! toast! yoghurt! -- to look forward to every day, and often keeps you full until lunch.

Last thing, start thinking about exercise if you haven't already. You'll need to think of something or a variety of somethings that you are willing to do most days (5 out of 7). You can try stuff on P1 if you keep the pace moderate to slow. Check out weight training, zumba, Les Mills, spinning, even walking or at least be thinking about the things you're going to try once you are close to or at your goal.

Read the Maintenance threads and find all of Maile's quotes and book recommendations. You'll also find some back-and-forth on meal frameworks, snack ideas, how much people do/don't exercise, vacation victories, and "stuff".

Keep pursuing your goal. You'll be a maintenance pro before you know it.

Disclaimer: I do not consider myself a maintenance pro.
This is the 3rd time I've lost over 50 lbs. P4 so far seems to be the most liveable maintenance. I have made it to the 1 year mark at least twice before (I think), so I'm shooting for the 2 year mark as my next goal. I'm currently at over 13 months (at lowest maintained weight ever!).

What inspiration all of you are!! Like Meeshellee, I am nowhere near Maintenance, but think about it all the time - I do NOT want to gain my weight back, and I KNOW the odds are against me, so want to soak in all the knowledge I can ahead of time, so I can have a plan when I do get to that point! So, thank you so much for all of your insight and suggestions.

I see many of you follow a Paleo/Primal type eating plan in Maintenance. My son and daughter-in-law eat Paleo by choice (they told me about the Refuse to Regain book, though Maile I see you were already on top of it - should have known you guys would have heard of it - great resource! . Anyway, they are hosting a BBQ this weekend and I wanted to bring a Paleo side dish, something 'carby' that I myself will not indulge in, but I'd like it to be something special outside of the typical meat and veggies. I was thinking of something made with sweet potatoes. Does anyone have a good recipe for a sweet potato side? Or something "carby" to go along with the meat and veggies they'll be supplying?

Meeshellee - just looked back at your ticker and noticed you are way far ahead of me, and a lot closer to Maintenance than I am, so didn't mean to 'lump' us together in my earlier post. Just that you'd mentioned you were not yet in Maintenance

This is great advice. Thank you so much. I'm so, so scared of maintenance. Phase 1 has just been so easy for me, almost too good to be true...I think that's what makes maintaining even scarrier.

As for exercise, I've always spent several days a week at the gym, even before IP. My doctor (who is very familiar with IP) encouraged me to keep doing cardio (eliptical, treadmill, etc) while on IP...so I know that piece will not be an issue for me long-term. Plus I'm already starting to have issues with saggy skin, hoping lots of moisturizing, water, and exercise will help, but I'm afraid the damage has been done as far as that's concerned.

No worries at all. I did not take it the wrong way, I appreciate knowing others are in the same mindset as I am...you comments are appreciated.

Good maintenance advice from infoplease.

One other thing I've realized all of my skinny friends do. They set a strict upper limit on their weight, and when they hit the limit, they work on taking it off without delay!

It's easy to say, "It's just a pound..." But then it's another pound, and so on...

Weigh yourself regularly, and get back to phase 1 as soon as you creep over whatever limit you set. For me, the magic number is 145.

That's great advice, thank you. I was just thinking I needed to do something like that to keep from getting out of control. I know my goal is 199, but once I get under 200 I know I won't ever want to go back, so I might change it to 180-ish and make the 199 the goal number to never go over. These numbers prob seem high for goal weights to most people, but I'm trying to do something I can live with and keep my sanity. Plus, I'm tall and "big boned"...literally. Had a body mass test done and found out my bones, organs, vital mass, etc was 145. I can live with 40 lbs of muscle and fat.

Dear all,

I am a lurker here from time to time... sort of looking forward to when I will 'belong' here and on the other hand, feeling apprehensive about the time for maintenance. I have lost weight via other methods in the past... and regained it plus more. Though IP is by far the easiest programme I've ever done (amazingly miraculous that I feel so little hunger!), for me the acid test of the programme will be how I weather maintenance.

So... hoping i can start learning some pointers now.

Mooselover -- your comment about fruit prompted me to write. I just read an article which said that some nutritionists and physicians are starting to discourage people from eating fruit. The reason: candification of fruit. Many fruits (grapes particularly) have been so hybridised and modified to enhance their sweetness content that:

* sugar levels in them are at an all time high. Our bodies are overwhelmed by the sugar levels
* they've lost many of the enzymes that made them good for us

Fruit in its truer form should be a little more on the tart side than it is now.

Maybe something to think about and explore a little more.

rooting for you,

Annik

Slownsteady: I don't have any sweet potato recipes. I do plain sweet potatoes or bake fries. My side dishes often involve cheese which I think is not paleo. Try looking at Food Network or Allrecipes or googling paleo sweet potatoes. I remember that there is a good salad using both sweet potatoes and yams and an oil vinagrette ..might be South Beach diet.
I think your idea of getting ready for maintenance before you reach it, is wonderful.

Infoplease: I was so inspired by your advice on maintenance. Your steps are excellent and are very similar to the way I am eating. I am basically eating a p1 lunch and dinner with enhancements...and eating a p3 breakfast.
You are doing so well, keeping your weight off for 13 months at your lowest level. You have passed your one year level and are heading to year two!
Like you, I had only kept weight off for around one year in the past. Now I am one month away from year two.

Meeshellie: The positive thing that I can tell you, is that while you are losing the weight, you are developing successful habits that will continue into maintenance.
Ideal Protein got me eating more vegetables than I had ever eaten. I now love vegetables and continue to eat them.
Making exercise a part of your life has also been important.
Establishing a support system has also proved valuable.

Lizzy63: My thin friends do the same. Establish a limit and then cut back. That is why I like using the 3 percent range of your goal weight. However, my thin friends who have never been overweight, seem to lose the up pounds faster. LOL
I call those up pounds..Mr. Creep who needs to be watched.

Annik: that was interesting about high sugar content in hybrid fruits of today.

Evepet: Good luck in breaking your pattern and getting to your goal. It is heading to the holiday season and relatives! I used to dread getting off the plane
at xmas and having family notice I had gained weight. I hear you on eating higher fat and calories..even if they are low carb, you can gain weight,

Ishbel: I had similar experiences at work. People were uncomfortable initially
about being around someone who had lost weight. At staff parties, where they were all indulging, and I was not, they tended to be uncomfortable. Now two years later, people are used to me and my healthy habits and seem just fine...or have stopped talking about it!
Good job on losing two pounds at the conference! I am heading to a two day workshop where I will have to hold firm also while everyone else is indulging.

Mooselover: Good luck on your reboot . You sound like you feel in control and are doing well on p1.

Good morning Maintainers,
As usual the world of IP has many varied answers. I have officially hit my goal!! YAY me!! I’m on P2 at the moment and moving to P3 on Saturday. My question to you is what are the times (days/weeks) that you were on these before moving onto to the next stage.