Great job! Isn't it amazing that a 'diet' can help you identify your trigger points and help teach you how to live differently? The weight loss is great on IP, but the life lessons are even more valuable.

I can't believe I like the big breakfast, but I'm keeping that as well. I have never been much of a breakfast eater but I feel great for the entire day after these breakfasts. It has been a nice change.

There was a diet coke in the fridge on Saturday left over from our babysitter. I opened it (much to the dismay of my husband) and dumped it after one sip. One sip! I used to have 4 cans a day... I'm glad that phase of my life is over.

Hello all! I am not past Phase 1 yet but I try to read this post everyday to give me the motivation to continue through to my goal.

I have attached a document called "Phase 4 Explanation" and I am not sure if I downloaded it from this site or not but the following phrases describe exactly what expandingwaistline noted in her post:

Eat like a King for Breakfast
Eat like a Prince for Lunch
Eat like a Pauper for Dinner

Congratulations to everyone who has made their goal.

Thank you all so so vey much for all of this insight... "for the rest of my life" is a fantastic mind set and calming influence. I'm very grateful.

I have been on Phase 4 for about a week now...

I am so grateful to IP for making it possible for me to reach my weight goal but the biggest surprise for me was how much better and more energetic I felt.

As I reintegrate certain foods back into my diet for maintenance/life, I see certain symptoms coming back and I am learning what works for me and what does not for my own personal health and well-being. Dairy is a no-no for me as it causes inflammation in my intestines (as explained to me by my GP). I have to be careful with fruit as I have a fructose malabsorption issue... gluten and or sugar seem to increase anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues... my complexion is also better without them and so is the skin on my feet (no cracked heels, etc.). My face is also a lot less "puffy" without them!

I was pleasantly surprised to continue to lose weight in Phase 3 and I have to admit that I am finding it difficult to go from weight loss mode to maintenance mode in phase 4. I am still avoiding restricted veggies and carbs in general (sweet potato, potato, rice, etc.). I also still have IP bars and RTD drink boxes for snacks. I actually like these...

As some of you may know, I did phase off a little sooner than I had wanted to due to dizzy/nausea spells (which immediately disappeared when I phased off) and it did take me some time to come to terms with this even though I knew it was the right decision for me. I have finally come to terms with it and I am loving my new body, shape & size.

I think I like shopping for my new body a little too much! Shopping used to be exhausting (trying on as many items as I can bring into the cabin and maybe walking out with 1 item on a good day) but now it is too easy and too much fun (my wallet is not liking this)! I would love to invest in some Tilley clothes but they are very expensive (for me), so I am going to wait until I've been maintaining for a while. I think buying good quality clothes that are "timeless classics" and that will last may be a good motivation not to regain the weight. When the Tilley clothes get tight, it's time to do some Phase I again!

I am also enjoying exercising again (Wii Fit, Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Workout DVD, walking and etc.). I am also looking forward to rejoining the gym. I am still considering doing another bout of Phase I in September to lose another 10 lbs but we'll see! I don't think my mind is in the right place to make such a decision right now. I still need to adjust to maintenance.

I have had a cheat day (cocktails at the office in the Executive Boardroom) and I had no problems with doing a Phase I day the following day... in fact, I rather enjoyed it, oddly enough! Certain packets (chili for example) are so easy and convenient for office life! I really am more interesting in feeding my body than in eating for the pleasure of eating and that is amazing to me! I also believe that before IP, I somehow lost the ability to feel full. I have certainly regained that. I ate out with my husband the other night (I had fajitas and a strawberry-banana daiquiry - I ate 2 small tortillas and then, had the meat and vegetables on their own without the tortillas) and I felt very (uncomfortably) full afterwards and had trouble staying asleep during the night.

I have also, noticed that diet soft drinks make me feel full and bloated and I really don't like that. I am still drinking lots of water, I just don't feel right without it.

Susie- you are doing great! It is great hearing about other peoples' experiences in maintenance. I find I default more to the phase 3-like plan, but I did just order some bars to have as snacks. I think that is one of the things I'm missing these days. Thanks for sharing!

I seem to be up a couple pounds right now and can't figure out if it is a normal fluctuation or an actual gain. I'm going to watch it closely and decided to do a second phase 1 day this week just in case. It makes me NERVOUS!

bump

Okay, I need Help!!!! I don't have time to adjust my ticker. I finished IP in October with a loss of 28 pounds. I averaged a loss of about 4 pounds a week. I finished the entire program with phases 2 and 3, then into 4. I followed the program without cheating. I gained back 4 pounds of glycogen stores in the first month or so. During the last year, I had gained back about 5 and half pounds and wanted to "shape up" for summer and lose the 5 I had gained and maybe 1 or 2 more, if I could in a reasonable amount of time. I started back on Phase 1. The first week I lost 5 pounds. I wanted to lose 4 more for my glycogen "cushion" But in my second and 3rd week, my weight loss has stopped. I am not cheating. In the last 11 days, I have only lost half a pound! I am not constipated, I am drinking about 100 ounces of water, I am following protocol for veggies and protein. My main veggies are lettuces, greens, cucumbers, asparagus, mushrooms, celery. I am not exercising. I am taking all my vitamins. Compared to last time I did phase 1, I am much less hungry. I feel like I could go a long time without eating food. I kind of have to force myself to eat. I have also been much busier this time around. I have a slightly underactive thyroid, but that never affected me before on this diet. And I don't feel tired. Sometimes I feel dizzy, but I have lots of energy.

I'm at 139 right now. I wouldn't mind being 136, but heck at this point I'd be happy to be 139 after my glycogen stores are back in. I'm afraid to move to phase 2 (and, I hate phase 2) because I still have that 4-6 pounds to lose including room for the glycogen stores.

I really was expecting to do 2 weeks on phase 1, then a quick run through phase 2 and 3 in week 3. I was on phase 1 last summer and I promised myself I wouldn't be back on it for this summer. And here I am. I feel stuck. I've almost finished three weeks, and I'm only at a 5 and half pound loss. And I also have the walk through phase 2 and 3 to go after I reach my goal. Bahhhh!

Has anyone experienced anything like this? I thought it would be an easy thing to lose this extra 5 pounds, but so far it's not working!

Kelley

Well I've only been in maintenance for a couple of weeks, so I'm certainly not in a position to offer advice, but i'll just throw this out there.

It sounds like maybe your body just really is resisting being back on the program. If this is different than your experience the first time around, then maybe your body's response to phase 3 will also be different, and you might not gain when you phase off. Lots of people (including myself) actually lost in phase 3 instead of gaining.

Don't know if that's at all helpful, I just know how painfully that last few pounds can be to deal with, and it does seem that our bodies sometimes 'know' when they've had enough. Hate to see you waste any of your summer in frustration if you can avoid it. Take care, (from one Kelly to another!)

Kelly

Been home from my trip a few days and catching up a bit on some posts. I know what you mean about stressing over the fluctuations, even a few pounds. I only gained about 2 pounds while away, and it's already gone, so that's good, but I'm still up 2 pounds from my lowest point, and I'm trying to be cool about it.

The trip was awesome - had a really wonderful time with my daughter. Gonna try to post a new pic one of these days!

How's your summer going so far? I've decided I'm much better suited to drinking wine & shopping than weeding my yard & cleaning my house. Sigh!

I agree - sounds like you're doing great on maintenance (& more disciplined than I am!) Although I sometimes feel guilty for the carbs, I have been having some.

Nope... not disciplined at all, my friend. I had to head to the east coast for a funeral last week and I decided to throw caution to the wind and ate whatever I desired the entire time. I'm still hovering around 143 or 144, but I think i can see the difference in my body. Imagine that... eating candy and crackers can cause you to gain weight. Didn't I know that????

I'm not stressing about it right now (all of my clothes stll fit), but I need to get focused so it doesn't suddenly become 5 lbs. I'm considering do phase 1 in a couple weeks and I'm going to be exercising a little more regularly now. I'm doing better, but need to focus some more. The funeral threw me off, but the fact is that's life and I need to learn to deal with even the really hard times.

I hope the rest of you are well. Kelly, it sounds like you are doing great. Keep it up, my friend!!

It's sounding like your body wants more food. You're starting to conserve energy. In my experience it was only after I started adding more food did I then take off my last 5 pounds in ph. 2, 3 and even 4. Just move on...you'll get there if you start feeding your body more of what she needs. Combine that with some more exercise and you'll be golden. Good luck!

Thank you so much for sharing your insights on phase 4. I too have noticed added anxiety and insomnia with sugar/and or certain alcohols and the gluten/wheat connection to inflammation. It's amazing how clearly we can feel the roots of our symptoms. Now the challenge for me is listening to that voice. I have found that more challenging the longer I've been on maintainance. I'm still going against my body sometimes and giving in to cravings, much more now than when I started phase 4. Old habits die hard as they say. I'm up around 3 pounds, but to me it feels like 10!
It's now interesting (and a pain in the arse) to be less 35 pounds and developing distorted body image once again. Some days I have to put on something old to re=orient myself to how far I've come and prove the weight loss to myself. I now understand the anorexic mindset.
It's been an amazing journey and my work really begins now...all the issues are on the table and there's no fat to hide behind.
I'll keep you all posted and I appreciate all the comments and sharing that we have on this great network.
Have a great week everyone!

I know exactly what you're saying. The 2 pounds I'm up right now look like 35 in my mind. WTF?! I don't understand how I can still have this distorted mental image even after being on maintenance for a month now. It can be disheartening. I need a mental adjustment.