Okay, I just looked at your public profile to learn more about your avatar, and spied your signature ticker. Love the horse trotting across the golf course.

No worries! It's sometimes hard to keep up with these boards!

Yes, we used to island hop on Aloha. I remember the decompression accident back in the late '80's. Never been to the big island... Oahu, of course... Maui and Kauai. And I haven't been for quite a long time. It was easier when I lived in Alaska.

It's funny you should ask... I have not done to date, but just ordered some Now Whey Protein Isolate, which is what BevS said she uses. (Bev, correct me if I am wrong.) She is really the person to ask... and I am obviously interested in her response, as well.

Bev?

You're pretty sharp, Novak. Didn't know if anyone would pick up on that. It's always been an almost irresistible temptation on my part. One of our local trails leads around the resident Trump course in Bedminster, and it's all I can do to keep myself and my filly under control when I see those lovely large swaths of green. (The fine is $100 a footprint, which helps restrain me).

The avatar, by the way, is NOT ME. That's an anorexic model in the slinky little number I bought to wear to my brother's 50th birthday party in November. Right after I started IP. My mind was obviously suffering from carbo deficiency. It's hanging in my closet and most days I'm afraid to even look at it. What was I thinking?

Well as I eat breakky at work if I can make bars with more protein, they have all the carbs I need then all I need is a yogurt and fruit, thinking I would sub out some ww flour for protein powder in the recipe... I will have to test out some alternatives. Also, I still plan on eating the same amount of protein as I was eating on program so I figure if I can add some here and there to my reg diet even better without having to add more food. Let me know how the one you purchased works out...

NO LCB (low carb brain) there just positive thinking..... your gonna be able to wear it and your gonna look smokin hot in it... gees by Nov it maybe to big and you will have to go get something else just as sexy....

So true...

have you seen the glycogen weight gain and if so when?

I know you never did novak. I am getting worried about it, on the phase 3 explanation sheet it says "somewhere during phase 3 or first 2 weeks of phase 4, dieter will experience the weight gain". I really want to get that gain over with so I can move on and not worry about it.

2nd week of phase 3 now and haven't seen a gain yet.

thanks.

ps: it would have been very nice if the folk who made it to phase 4 before I got here were still posting

Probably because you're so active. Stop working out so much.

Wannabe, I love your avatar, but you NEED to put something other than a breakfast clown face up to represent the phenomenal weight loss you've achieved. I just looked at your stats--WOW! At least put a couple of pix in your profile (unless you're afraid the camera will somehow steal your skinny soul.... )

too funny

trust me if it doesn't happen in 3 weeks, I am just going to eat a whole pizza and get it over with. At least then I know what to work with; will have the glycogen build up back and can loose some more weight to adjust to where I want to be.

well just had a conversation with someone at work who has done IP; he is actually the person who introduced me to this diet. Him and his wife had done it after their baby boy was born. He said its been a year now, his wife who had lost 20 pounds total has gained back about 3-5 pounds and well he has gained back about 15 after loosing 35. His gain is in no way due to the fault of the diet but the fact that he eats crappy lunches; i've seen him do it.

whole point of this: 3- 5 is going to come back at some point, just don't know when; maybe if I am lucky I can work my booty off and not even notice it. that is me me! always finding something to worry about.

You're hungrier 'cause once you add all the carbs back, you're no longer in ketosis. Make sure you're getting around 400 calories per meal plus another couple of hundred for each snack.

Yes, I use the NOW whey protein isolate in natural unflavored. Sometimes I just don't feel like eating meat or I just have a bit of meat left for a meal. So I supplement the meat protein with a protein drink. The unflavored NOW really doesn't change the taste of anything either. So if I want chocolate "milk," I flavor it with Walden Farms chocolate syrup. I still make my pancakes using 1/6 cup of Maple Grove Farms sugar-free pancake mix and 1/6 cup of the unflavored NOW whey protein isolate. Sometimes I have yogurt for dinner and I put half a scoop of the whey protein in with the yogurt to increase the protein. Here's an article for a different whey product that has some useful information: http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_on333.htm. I buy my NOW whey from netrition.com for a bit less than $50 per 5-lb. container. They charge a flat $4.95 for shipping and handling no matter how much you order.

Just an update: My coach had me move into phase 2 for a couple weeks to push my losses back up when I went back to phase 1. I wanted to lose about another 20#.

I have been on phase 2 this week, and I think I have lost. Tomorrow is the WI. I find that I am so used to phase 1 and have it all down what I need to have prepared and ready to have things to eat. I now have to cook more, as I need to have a protein serving ready for lunch now too. Not hard, but a change. I like phase 2 though, and I don't think my hunger level has increased.

Just like success with any plan, I find that preparation is key.

I know. How dare they move on with their lives...

Hey! Wait a minute... what are BevS and me? Chopped liver?

I think that's the key. It's a one-time plus up, but who can tell whether it's from your normal daily weight fluctuations or real weight gain due to storing fat or change over from fat to muscle? I wouldn't stress about it. You're working out... when you add official cheat days, you'll weigh more for a day or two, then go down again with a recovery day. If you build in a buffer, you should be good to go. Set a weight you don't want to go above for more than a few days, and take note if your clothes are feeling tighter. When that occurs, do a few Phase 1 days to get back down. Or do Phase 2... it doesn't really matter.

The whole maintenance thing is about having those weight management tools at your disposal.

As always, thanks, Bev!

Cool. Let us know how the WI goes. I hope this gave you the boost you and your coach were hoping for!

Well, I just came back from a 10 day road trip across western Canada and have picked up 3lbs along the way. I managed to follow phase 4 easily enough by stopping at grocery stores and quality restaurants along the route. I did cheat a few times over the last few days and expected to see a big gain but I can live with 3lbs. I really think it would have been much worse if I hadn't have gone through phase 2 and 3 before leaving on my vacation. I noticed there have been discussions about how important the phases and protocols really are.....they are vital for success (imo). Well, I am going back to phase 1 to finish losing a few more pounds. See you on the other boards alumni!

Awesome! Congrats... and thanks for helping to validate the importance of the transitional phases. You'll drop the gain quickly, and finish up the job in no time. Then we'll see you back here!