[QUOTE=Maile;4112013]The Chocolate chai I buy is President's choice (Superstore, Lowblaw brand) not sure if you have those in the states. It says 0/0/0 on the label, I am going to have to go home and confirm that. I also bought Tetlye dark chocolate chai (have to check that label too)... My cheat day will probably be nov 26, if I had been close to my sister's it would have been the 24 as she makes an awesome thanksgiving feast. But I can't take the time and it is a 6 hour drive one way... I am glad you toughed it out at the chocolate factory, don't know if I could have.

I find the wine hits me a little harder than it did before IP, but I think it's just because my tolerance is lower. I drank a lot more often then, and my stomach was much fuller! Now if I have a glass of wine, it's the weekend only and usually on an empty stomach. I haven't noticed feeling anxious or depressed. I do go running first thing in the morning on weekends which really gets the endorphins going.

Maile, I went on that chocolate factory tour a few years ago and gobbled up every sample they offered AND bought chocolate to go! I can't believe you made it through there without indulging. You are a superstar!

Hang in there..Stalling is normal, although so very discouraging. You will start losing again. I had some very slow weeks..in a row then it picked up. Cellulite sounds interesting, doesn't it? You are very close to goal..great job.

I have also found that alcohol affects me much quicker..but I have not had the side effects you mention. I also drink tons of water after a glass or two of wine. On the next day..does your weight stay the same?

Before ideal protein, I was actually drinking way too much wine- 1/2a bottle nearly every evening( which isn't hard to do when you count a goblet as a glass!) this amount of wine never bothered me the next day. Now I occasionally have a glass of wine- sometimes 2, but I crave tons of water afterwards which I think helps. Once back in September on my birthday I went out to dinner with girlfriends for my birthday and drank 3 glasses- not goblets of wine and I was very hung over and had that depressed feeling that was described in an earlier post. I swear I can feel the effects of the wine now after a couple of sips as well. Maybe it didn't affect me as much before because I also ate half a brick of cheese and about 50 crackers with the wine each night before. A huge part of what caused my weight to get so out of control. I blamed it on grad school. So glad that is behind me and I now occasionally enjoy ONE GLASS of merlot!

Linden: Now you got me remembering the avocados in Hawaii..Did you ever have the giant ones that were like pineapples? People used to give them away in buckets. Hope the sun pops out in Germany. I am so happy to have the day today. Good luck with the breakfast.

2Ride: Thanks for the info on the tea..I am going to try to track them down. I also am staying out of chocolate factories for a while!

Pauley..That was me also a year ago. I would have tried every sample and indulged in something. I am so near to Thanksgiving, so that kept me focused. I love to exercise on the weekends also..but are you running in snow?

Determined..I also used to consume more wine before IP...which did not help with my weight. Like you I find one glass now and then can do it..much much less and only once in awhile. It does affect you more. We live in wine country 150 wineries..so it was all too easy to indulge. Now I find that I do not miss it..and have much more energy at night.

Capricious..Is your baby keeping you up at nights? It is hard to have the energy for food focus when you are exhausted. I hope you get some sleep this weekend.


Here is my new maintenance thought. I will know that I have truly achieved maintenance when people at work stop commenting about my weight. After 4 months, I am still hearing, "Are you still losing?" Now my theory is that if I keep this weight,(for a year???plus) they will get used to seeing me like this..and will not constantly compare me to the my other heavier image.
Or is it just the need that others have to comment and control other people's lives?

Breakfast was lovely. Just a little nostalgic for the farmer's market and the buckets of -- oranges amd avocados, and my huge tangelo tree. Its fruit should just be getting ripe. I don't think I've ever said this but your signature name is my absolutely favorite Hawaiian girls' name.

It's almost 11 pm here and I'm hungry, shaky hungry. In fact, I started to get hungry about 11 am and was hungry off and on all day. I've eaten everything I should and am about 400 calories above what I normally eat; close to a 50% increase. This is kind of debilitating. Any suggestion will be really appreciated.
Edit: Should ask if this is typical of day one of Phase 3?

I would have a packet. The protein should help with the hunger and the caloric value is low- much better than starting in on something that could really get you into trouble.

I did. And thanks. Still hungry but NOT shaky. Thank goodness. Is this typical???

My weight does stay the same, thankfully. If I drink two days in a row though (I know, I know, that's technically two cheat days in a row, but it happens), even if it's just one cocktail or glass of wine, that my weight will go up a couple lbs, but after a day of Phase 1, it levels back out. Lots of great wineries in WA and OR...kinda glad I'm such a lightweight, or I might be more tempted by them.

Not sure what you mean by " is this typical"?if you mean when you go to phase 3, I did not experience this nor has anyone that I know who have gone to phase 3. Actually it was quite the opposite for me- I felt full and bloated all day. Wonder if you are just having a "hungry day" which I have every couple of weeks where I need extra food and maybe you are coming down with something. If the problem, persists, I would advise you to see a health care professional because also could be an underlying blood sugar issue and the reintroduction of carbs ( sugar) is triggering symptoms.

Thanks. I don't think I'm getting anything except maybe an allergy to fog. But I also wondered about blood sugar. I had 68 grams of carbs yesterday; 13 g sugar.

We will be in San Francisco in the end of December and someone told me we HAVE to go there. I'm a freak about Ghiradelli's chocolate/caramel squares so maybe I shouldn't.

How are you feeling today?