Thank you to those of you that replied to my question about the IP packets crossing the border. I'm going to stick them in my luggage and hope for the best because I do not want to be without them. Could probably manage but don't really want to.
woolberger- Very happy to see so many posts from you! I remember the first post in the first maintainers thread. "A thread for those in maintenance to support each other when the compliments stop coming in so frequently..." Giving each other recipe ideas. Discussing what is working for us and what isn't. Acknowledging that even though the weight may be gone the work is far from over. And I will always be thankful to you, for continuing to linger with this site and enabling the support that I now enjoy so fully.
I never found losing weight to be as enjoyable as I did with IP. And I think it was primarily due to the fact I had never joined a weight loss community as tightly knit as this one was. When I first began there was darbs, pxlkitty, cheekywit, 2ride, Mrs. Diettrich, Mamarix, AuntSheeshie, SusieBee and so many others...all of whom seemed so knowledgeable of the diet and provided so much guidance & advice along the way. You had finished before I even began but I would still see posts from you in the daily chat... posts from the land of maintenance. Thankfully pxlkitty, 2ride & determined47 all still post as well. I loved your summation 2ride it was beautiful. You give such thanks for what has been a long journey with the realization that the 'destination' is a moving target. Your strength helps us all and we are blessed to have you amongst us.
Maile- Your weight loss journey is nothing short of amazing and you have been a source of calm in the tornado of maintenance. Thank you.
bigpassport- it makes me smile that you are amongst us again... rebooting and fighting hard. You & disgal & I all 'graduated' to maintenance so close to one another and that we are still here, contributing & focusing is awesome. There was such a harried learning curve with the free day & maintenance eating... it was so nice not to feel alone while I was figuring it out.
gika- I know exactly how you feel about 123. When you see the 'low' number it is near to impossible to let go of it. You will always want it and nothing will seem good enough until it is showing up on the scale at least twice a week I think you're wise to keep sticking it out with the reboot to see how it all plays out and knowing that if Phase 1 doesn't do it for you then modified Phase 3/4 sometimes can. maile, pauley & I who all exercise as you do have all lost in Phase 4 albeit slowly and by modifying it... but it is entirely plausible if needs be.

Cap. Your positive supportive comments are a ray of sunshine on this thread. Your information is also invaluable. Hope you have a great day.

Gika and Cap..I am the same..once you get into the 20s you want to stay there.

Woolberger: You will get those 3 pounds off..and you will feel better being below goal. Your SB party sounded fun. I enjoyed mine.

Biopassport: Is your reboot doing well this week?

Off to drive in freezing fog..I hope that groundhog was right about an early spring.

Great story 2-ride! Thanks for sharing and inspiring us all! It was stories like yours that got me through phase 1. Thanks to everyone else for their encouragement and inspiration as well.

I continue to rely on this message board 4 months into maintenance. Why did I think maintenance would be easier? It feels like a struggle every single day to keep this weight off. I largely continue to manage my weight by managing my environment... rarely eating out and keeping zero trigger foods (anything with sugar) in the house. You'd think I could loosen up a little by now, but I'm not finding that to be the case. I was definitely the weird one on that last business trip, refusing to go out to dinner 3 of the 4 nights. The night I did go, I was with "normal" thin coworker who are able to naturally order a small meal and pick at it rather than gobble the bread, order wine and want dessert (me)! I don't think I will ever be like them and for some reason I'm wallowing in self pity about it this morning.

I'm thinking of establishing a reward system for myself on maintenance like I did in phase 1 to help me keep it going. Do any of you do that? I have my eye on a pair of expensive jeans I may purchase at my year IP anniversary.

Anyone care to enlighten me with their experiences with prescription anti-inflammatory medication and weight loss? I know Linden’s feeling “fluffy” and it sounds like any fluid retention is relieved once medication is stopped. Anyone else seeing this “process” happening? I am petrified as to what post-surgery pain medication is going to do to me. I am so frustrated and doing my best not to be so upset. I feel like the hamster on her wheel……..

ahhh pauley your post honestly made me laugh out loud this morning and I needed to. Because I too am wallowing in self pity after two days of phase 1 only brought me to the high end of my 'comfort zone'. I've honestly been so spoiled over the past month and had come to take it for granted that no matter how bad my free day is that my weight after a day of phase 1 usually returns right to the middle of my comfort zone. Instead I got quite the shocker this week and saw a number I hadn't seen in well over six weeks and truly didn't miss. I could have lived quite happily with never seeing it again. So it was definitely another day of Phase 1 for me and that still only brought it to the very high end of normal. Not particularly reassuring. Today will be a strict phase 3 and probably tomorrow as well. I don't want to continue these head games with myself and have decided that the free day absolutely has to be restricted to a free meal. I'm with you on the sugar. It's still one of those things that once I have it I want more, more, more. So, it's gotta go. I only have it on free days but it is typically what sends me into a tailspin...
Freezing fog, Maile? Yuck. Our groundhog said it would be another 6 weeks of winter... but considering where I live I would count myself very lucky if that comes true

Okay... just have to tack this on... do you know if your an endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph? These are the three scientifically delineated body types. Have a super skinny friend that eats whatever she wants and still looks like a supermodel? She's an ectomorph. Do you develop muscle fairly easily and look fit but have big thighs that you so wish you could 'do' something about? You're a mesomorph. Prone to being 'fleshy', 'plump' or soft? You're an endomorph... Want to take a quiz and see? http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm
Can provide you with good training & diet info as each body type needs different things...

Generally postop anti-inflammatory medication is not prescribed because it impedes healing. Opiates should not cause weight gain.

Thanks.....I so hope you are correct on all counts.

Cap You are so sweet to include everyone in your posts. Honestly, I'm back because of you! You sent me that pm on Fat Secret and got me back in with the IP gang. So thank you!

Maile My reboot is not what I expected. It's been a week and a half, and I really haven't lost any weight. I've decided to cut out one of my exercise classes and see if that gets the scale moving. I am feeling less puffy, so maybe I'm "losing fat and gaining muscle"? Hoping that the body fat monitor at my next weigh in will tell me something. The jury is still out on whether I will limit my Phase 1 to two weeks or keep going.

Have you all read "Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It" by Gary Taubes? Very compelling arguments for the reduction of carbs in our diet. I'm not all the way through it, so I'm not quite to the "And What to Do About It" part. Hope it gives some practical guidance...and by practical I mean includes the occasional cinnamon roll!

I'm a mesomorph. Now, what to do about it...

Pauley: I understand your feelings..Yesterday I was feeling sorry for myself having to exercise almost daily. I too have been the odd one out on work trips and have skipped meals with co-workers in the name of health. I also look at thin people eating and wonder how they do it. I think you should reward yourself in maintenance with those jeans! This is a daily effort and is work!

Cap: I also had the scale jump 3 pounds in one day..Shook me up. I am with you on having a free meal on the free day..or even just indulging in something extra at that meal. Good luck on going down again. Thanks for the quiz..

I am listening to all of these reports on how awful sugar is for you. Did you know that the average American eats 28 tsp of sugar a day? They are supposed to eat 6. Some states are thinking about taxing candy and soda to make them more expensive.

Lee: That books sounds good..going to order it. You know it is always hard when you follow the reboot..stay on..and then don't lose. Something has got to start working soon..glad you are less puffy. Hang in there.

Gettingmy groove back..I have not gained weight from post surgery medication.

Have a great Wednesday everyone.

I really enjoy lurking here (as I'm prepping myself for maintenance) and your posts are so insightful and educational. I wanted to thank you! AND you look absolutely fabulous! Congrats to you and all other for maintaining for life!!!

2Ride...you're inspirational, and awesome! You have so much to be proud of, and I know you'll make this healthy lifestyle a permanent thing. So sorry to hear about Jewel, but you're right about cheering you on.

I started my reboot today (finally)! Not too bad so far, and I even did my step/weights/kickboxing/abs class today. I think I'll add in a 4th packet just in case, but I need to get better about having my lunch packet and salad right after I get back. Anyway, hope everyone's having a great week!

Thank you New Englander, maile & bigpassport for your kind comments! I really enjoy being part of this community as my 'adult interaction' is quite limited. Being happy & self confident is so intrinsically tied with my ability to take pride in my behaviors. Exercising, checking in on here, following a healthy meal plan these all keep me 'feeling well'. A big thanks to those that post and help keep the thread going. It may not seem like much to check in but it does help to keep maintenance a priority for me.
It has been a slow week post wise... just wondering if the superbowl threw things off or is everyone busy? I know jennydoodle mentioned that she has been quite busy... and that pxlkitty travels quite a bit... but paint lady & woolberger & gika & lachick where are you guys???
cajunladybug- congrats on the official restart and doing it with a step class no less! Good for you!!
maile- I completely believe there is a huge problem with sugar consumption. It is an addictive substance and should be taxed as such...
bigpassport- I'm a mesomorph too! Was wondering why my thighs were so unwilling to dissipate when the rest of me did... ahh well...

I'm here. Work has been CRAZY, and my hubby has been working late and the kidlet was sick (fever sunday and monday). I was sick Monday too, so that was a ton of fun. Tuesday I tried to work from home with a bouncing 4-yr old (kid must be fever-free for 24 hrs before retruning to daycare) who decided he wanted to do the following while mommy was on conference calls:

1) gymnastics in the living room on my pilates mat,
2) tambourine -- who knew we even owned one???,
and 3) spontaneous shower at 3pm. Good thing I was on an internal call when I failed to hit "mute" before saying "don't use so much soap!!"

I've been ordering in food, which is normally just fine becuase I know what to order.

I had a hiccup one night and ate an entire bag of lowfat potato chips (it wasn't that big, but still!) with some cream cheese. I haven't fallen down that hole in about a year, so I'm going to cut myself some slack. But, the price I'm paying is terrible. I can't seem to get the weight off.

I'm still at 151.5... Grrr... I ws up over the weekend so only had a tiny cheat on Saturday night. anything other than one full cheat day seems to screw me up. 1/2 cheat day = disaster because then I pick a little here and there over the days that follow. Then something like Tuesday night happens. If I have 1 1/2 cheat days, it's a disaster the other way. Ah, what to do???

Anyway, I'm back on phase 2 today. Going to work in my regular office (not downtown), oatmeal for breakfast. Going to mix in coconut oil after hearing so many good things about it for brain function. I've been using it as face/hand oil for a while, time to eat some! I'm also hoping it will help with hunger. When I don't have my phase 3 breakfast, I feel cranky and hungry from about 10:30 to noon.

My hubby's brithday is next week, so I have to find the perfect gift. I'm thinking espresso machine Since coffee has no calories and he's not as into Keurig as me and has developed quite the nasty Starbucks habit (he orders a quadruple espresso).

OK. Off to the ratrace for me. I have to just take this one day at a time. When I'm back in the "zone" I can have my toast back. At least it's 2lbs not 60 I'm struggling with.

Damn. Being thin is SO much work.