I get that 14 weeks was probably too long to lose 29 pounds (22 lost the first 9 weeks). But I stayed in ketosis the whole time. I gave myself permission from the beginning to enjoy events with extra fat (cheeses, sauces,meats) and alcohol (champagne and vodka). But I also told myself I had to walk 20K steps on those days and drink double my normal water. I feel so good about never quitting and getting rid of that all or nothing mentality.

Now I am in maintenance for 2.5 months...hoping to learn to stay at this weight...reallly focusing hard on it.

1. Weigh in once a week only, BUT must weigh in (hubby is weighing me in on Friday mornings)

2. Staying on this website for support.

3. following up two vacations (cruise on 2/14) and Vegas on 4/6 with a week of phase 1 for two days and then phase 3 for 1...staying out of ketosis.

This is very, very helpful. I have been feeling stressed about seeing an old friend who knew me 40 pounds thinner. It's hard to not feel some anxiety and embarrassment about having been so "on my game" back then - but I am on my game now! Going forward! Thanks for this terrific post.

Hey all.

I'm back.

I reached my lowest a few years ago on my first go-around with IP. Checking in daily (sometimes multiple times a day) was a huge help for me staying on track. I lost slowly, but surely, as I'm a gym rat and didn't give up my sanity as my well-being is linked to exercise. I also struggle with thyroid and adrenal issues - as do many that struggle with slow losing.

I phased off and never once stuck with maintenance. I went right back to eating and drinking like always. Gained most everything I lost right back - and then some.

I've rebooted several times through these last few years, but never stuck with it to reach that low weight I found in the beginning. My mindset wasn't right - I wasn't ready to commit.

I hope I am now.

Good to see so many familiar faces that were doing this journey with me years ago. Hope that I can connect again with everyone and stick with this until I get back to my happy weight!!

Welcome back ladies....to learning from our mis steps and not focusing on mistakes.

I officially reboot tomorrow after gaining all of my weight back from 2 years ago. I've struggled with a few false starts, focusing on all the foods I would miss (yogurt, fruit, etc). Thought I could modify and still lose as much as I did when I was 100% committed (that didn't work so well). Finally have my head in it...turning point was two quotes I've been digesting "When the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, you will be ready to change" and "A year from now, what a shame if you look back and said, I should have started a year ago".
Was pretty embarrassed about coming back to this forum with all of my weight gained back, but am relieved to see familiar faces. Hoping for lots of support and encouragement from you all!

Welcome back...this is a marathon....not a journey.

I rebooted for 14 weeks and lost 29 of the 35 I had gained back (out of my original 75 I lost). After phasing off I put 3 back on (in past put about 6 on during phase off). Bummed that I didn't get back to goal, but needed a break. Focusing on maintaining for a few months and then back at it. Trying hard to see the big picture.

Well I mostly made it through the weekend. Had a small slip on Sunday, but didn't let it deter me, at least not too much. Yesterday was a crummy day, but I think it was mostly because it was Monday!

I've always been a daily weigher, but was still hiding from the truth when I got back on track last week. I have been weighing the last few days though and the scale hasn't seemed to budge much... tomorrow is my weigh in, so I'm going to drink some of my Ballerina tea (similar to Smooth Move from what I hear) and hoping that helps flush me out before I jump on the scale!

This time around I'm not giving up my workouts, but can tell I don't have the energy or the strength that I did in the past, so might need to increase my carbs a bit more. Will buy some ketosticks and will have to carefully track my carbs and ketosis results to find my limit.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and keep trucking along!

I didn't get it all back. Darn near. I did my reboot consultation today. After 4 years off. first 2.5 years were maintained really well, the last year or so the wheels gradually fell off into this train wreck needing this correction. Tomorrow is day 1 and start back to restriction.
After this go around I just have to have the realization that I have cashed in all my tickets for eating the bad stuff. I burned them up in the first decades of life. Luckily I was always pretty active so many other associated ailments with obesity I don't have.

I plan to stay pretty much on the unrestricted and fast track. The only tweaks I plan aren't for finding places to tweak for liberties or save money but to do this as quickly as possible and get back into real food.

My first round was 6 months and 80#. I didn't phase out because of moving to a new state. Big mistake but it wasn't the worse. It was deviating from eating a autoimmune protocol JERF absent of safe starches. Primarily insulin stimulating foods yes even natural ones.

Image of my 1st time before/ after IP.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=photo%2cjpg

Hey! How's everyone's reboot been going?

I was doing really well until I got sick late last week and didn't stick to plan over the weekend. I didn't eat terribly, but can tell I'm retaining water. Feeling very bloated and guess it's from the soups I had and I'm sure having ham for dinner last night didn't help things!

I'm pounding the water like crazy today and drank some tea last night that is helping flush everything out of me. Hoping tomorrow is a better day!

Still here, how is everyone doing?

I am in the middle of my third week on maintenance. I gained 3 the first week, lost .2 the second, and won't know this week until Friday.

Plan to do maintenance until March 1st and then phase 1 again for 3 weeks (I still need to lose 6 pounds to goal plus the 3 I am up in maintenance). I will phase off again for two back to back trips and then May 3rd I will do phase 1 until I am 7 pounds below my goal weight.

I will say...I feel fluffy...phase 1 gives you such a "skinny feeling"

Went out last night for hubby birthday. He wanted to go to an Italian restaurant. I looked online before we went to see if there was anything I could eat. I think it is a good idea to figure this out before you get there so you have your mind set to staying 100% OP. I had a plain salad no dressing, grilled salmon told them to leave off the butter on the salmon with grilled vegetables and also told them no butter. I have learned the hard way that most places put butter on steamed vegetables. It was delicious. The rest of the family ///all skinny people enjoyed their pasta and pizza and I loved my meal. Didn't feel deprived at all. The key to this diet is preparation. I am on a reboot.

Good going, coffeebean!! That's the way to get to maintenance (and stay in it so you don't have to reboot/yoyo again)! Prepare in your mind what you are going to order by doing a bit of research! You got this!

Liana

On this whole site, this is the thread that scares me the most...that several fine, smart people here did IP, lost the weight and still regained it.

I certainly applaud ALL of you for restarting, and for succeeding in your restart...but the fact that it happens occasionally/frequently does scare me a little.

Any suggestions for folks doing this for the very first time, on NOT regaining when done? What were your traps?

I love my current food modification of Ideal Protein....notice I did not say Diet. For long term success we all have to MODIFY our food intake and increase our exercise to support the weight we want to remain at. Educating & reprogramming our mental image of what we Want to eat vs. what our body needs to perform at it's best-- is the key to maintaining the goal weight.
If we educate ourselves-- you can maintain the goal weight and have an occasional indulgence... if planned for, we hold ourselves accountable and make an educated choice and have a return plan.

The key to anyone's success is not in the foil packet.... it's in themselves. In the end, we will each do what we want to do... we can not blame it on the Diet, the spouse, or society.... it is personal accountability.

In 2012 and early 2013 my husband and I both lost about 40lbs doing IP. Maintained until about mid spring 2014 and then we both fell off the bus!!! We both now weigh more than our pre IP weights from last time. We're both in week 1 of reboot now.