Here is an example of the info found on that mariahealth blog I mentioned above:

FUN FACTS ABOUT CHIA SEEDS:
1. Aztec warriors and runners are believed to have sustained themselves for an entire day on just a tablespoon of chia.

2. Chia seeds have more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant food, including flax seeds.

3. Chia seeds are about 20% protein.

4. Chia is hydrophilic and can absorb more than 12 times its weight in water. This makes it helpful in staying hydrated, something that is especially beneficial for athletes who need to remain hydrated during races and endurance activities. This might also cause the scale to go up, but realize that it is water weight...not fat.

5. Chia seeds are so high in antioxidants that they do not spoil easily and can be stored for long periods, unlike flax seeds. Antioxidants are essential for our health and wellbeing.

I didn't know all of this about chia seeds when I started adding it to my yogurt last week. I started adding it because a friend of mine said it was a good source of Omega-3 and when you let it soak in liquid (in my case, yogurt) for at least an hour, they form a thick gel and makes my yogurt more filling because of it. She has tons of little bits of info like this. I love it and thought I would share

I love chia seeds and dont have to take omega's because I have a Chia Shake every morning! You'd like it! It's like a vanilla milkshake that keeps you extremely full. No blender needed and using the IP shaker works perfectly. I was having it with my breakfast but it's making me too full... I'm going to start having it after workouts in place of my RTD.
Here's the link: Dr oz says its good for hair or skin or something but it's great for energy.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/super...k-young?page=2

Wow!!! I am a kindle addict so went right to amazon .com. I downloaded the book and just read the intro and it is fascinating.

Then I came back and read your highlights more carefully. It seems to be describing me exactly.

The breakfast bit you summarized sure explains my blowout with phase 3. I didn't last a week because I was gaining rapidly and drained of energy. I don't think anyone was happier to have a protein/spinach breakfast shake than I was after a week of phase 3.

I have to be a daily weigher no matter the current wisdom is. My weight can skyrocket rapidly and I have to monitor it daily. I also fell into the nut trap. Hubby bought a big jar of cashews at Costco. He can have a handful now and then but I can't control the portion size. So that has gone on a upper shelf.
But so glad that you shared about Dr. Turner at this critical point in my journey. I am forcing myself to get some work papers finished before I read more in the book but I am so looking forward to reading more and talking about if more people on here read it too.

The book "Carb Sensitivity" sounds interesting. Went to amazon and it won't be released till 8/12 and so I put it on my wish list. I'll order it shortly.

Interesting to read the info on it. I'm on day 3 of Phase 3 and always get sleepy about a half hour after breakfast (only on p3). The additional carbs, few as they are, must be the cause...any insight on that? (since I have to wait till August to get the book).

Thanks,
Chloe

I got the Kindle edition today on amazon.com.

I noticed I was sleepy after I ate a big breakfast. This did not happen when I was under the 400 calories but when I added more food. It seemed like the combination of different foods and the large amt sometimes made me tired. It only happened a few times in the first week of P3.

Cap: It is good to hear from you. I am going to get that book as it sounds fascinating. I am still not sure what carbs set me off..so I would like to learn more. Keep posting..we missed you. It does not matter if you are following IP or not..We all used IP as a tool to lose weight..now we are all trying to figure out how to maintain the loss. You sound like you are in control and working hard at figuring out what works for you.

PurpleSky: I agree with you..I think food, hormones and diet all affect us more than we know..and could definitely affect moods and play a role in depression.

I am still stunned by your loss...we started at a similar weight (I was 5 pounds more) and I am about 40 pounds more than you now. YOu must be so tiny (we are also same height). I started a size 18 and I am currently a nice loose 8. You must be a zero at 128. Do you have pictures...I would love to see the results. I keep thinking I might go for the 130's at some point.

Weight is a strange thing
At 5'8" and 145 i am trying to accept that I look good. I see others at 130....I was there at 25, but at 40, with 2 kids by c section, I feel good.
The scale is tough...my 145 can still fit a lululemon 6, and a 27 jean
But still jealous...

It just goes to show how our bodies are all shaped so differently. I am just over 5'-2" and at 135 and wear a size 4 pretty much across the board. I have a couple of 6's and a couple of 2's but I fit into 4's for most designers. I have a curvy figure, not hourglass as my chest is not big, but I have a small waist and have curvy hips and butt. My upper half is quite small and I wear XS and some Small.

It's weird, because I actually weigh about the same as a girl here at work, but to look at us, you would say she is heavier simply because of our body shape and the fact that I "look" fit (I workout) and she doesn't. But in the end we weigh within 5# of each other.

It plays a role in a lot of things. It literally can be used as medicine. I guess it is basically supposed to get in there and do all this good stuff for you and then leave taking the waste and things you don't need with it. But, I think for some of us, things stick around and wreck havoc like unwanted visitors.

I've been a medium since Feb. and that ain't changing any time soon. Apparently "the girls" decided this is where they want to stay.

I think my skin is starting to reattach. My tummy has felt flatter this week as if I were wearing a girdle.

Ha ha my girls have shrunk to a 32 d...I think about a lift, but I hate doctors!
Thankfully my stomach just shrunk in. No leftover skin....

Well, I am very pleased to report that 3 of my pounds are gone and there was no IP Phase 1 involved. Incredibly happy about this as for me it almost seemed a choice between IP or exercise- I can only seem to just barely function in Phase 1 and adding exercise to the mix is a recipe for disaster for me. That and the one week I tried to do both I only lost 2 pounds. I'll take an extra 700 calories a day and not be being a hangry witch with an extra pound of loss! I've had the energy to work out a couple times a day a couple days this week. Exercising in the evening, maybe especially because I'm running outside has drastically improved my sense of well being. Fresh air is wonderful on its own but mixed in with cardio it really something.
From what I can gather our digestive system and our hormones are directly interlinked. Which is why so many of us have self medicated our emotions with food. The belly can also make us feel angry, depressed, anxious or stressed and flip side it can make us feel euphoric (hello chocolate!!). Maintenance is an uphill battle in that our bodies want to return their fat stores to what they were previously and will increase the hormones that make us feel hungry & stressed so that we will use that wonderful antidote of food. And when the food comes in so does the fat. Insulin resistance makes us especially prone to gaining along with what seems to be the evil villain lurking within- cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone and it rules all when it is produced. Means of controlling its production include eating within one hour of waking, eating small meals 5 times per day, no eating after 8 and going to bed by 11 at the latest. Of course lessening other stressors in life helps to decrease production as well but sometimes this is impossible...
The book is very in depth explaining what each hormone's function is- how to increase the 'good' that help us maintain healthy weights and mental well being and decrease 'bad' that are fighting for us to gain.
Some interesting facts I've come across...
Whey Protein is proven to decrease belly fat and increase satiety...
Severe salt reduction in a diet has been proven in lab mice to increase insulin resistance...
Not that having a diet high in salt is a great thing... but moderate usage is purported to be a good thing.
Darbs -I'm not sure which part of the program you're interested in Phase 1 or the metabolic repair?
Maile- thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I'm so thankful to have this group to share with and it is so nice to read that so many are leaning away from the packets and to finding something more natural... Good for you for having reduced so many of your sugar & sugar alcohols. You are so very good at challenging yourself!
Mom2cs- You crack me up! Not only were are stats the same- we think the same! I feel the exact same way... happy with my size 6's... happier with size 4 and still a lil jealous at the gym of the ladies who have it all going on... If I want to feel really thin I go to Lucky brand jeans- I fit a size 26 comfortably Silver brand also makes me feel pretty darn good about myself usually a 26/ 27. Guess brings reality back definitely need a 28 there. Pretty much any 'designer' jean is a 28. The other day I was peering at the jeans of women in the store trying to read the tags to see what size they were. Sad but true. It is my basis of comparison because I really don't think we see ourselves as we are there is a tendency to be overly critical and unless someone is standing beside me looking in a mirror I honestly can't decipher if I'm bigger or smaller than them.
I remember going to a wedding and having the most petite girl (both in height and weight) tell me that I'm sooo tiny. REALLY???? No, you're tiny I'm an amazon next to you is going through my head... Just goes to show...we all do it... Kind of like what Maile & Purple Sky were talking about with clothes. You pick something up and look at it and think "there is no way I'm going to fit into this" and then it's baggy on you. And this is with clothes in my closet sometimes!
Chloe- I will have to pick through the book again to see if I can pinpoint which hormones are responsible for fatigue. It is on her checklist though coming in at number two so I would say it is pretty likely that one of the carbs you are eating is causing an adverse reaction.
Patns- so glad you bought the book... now I can have someone to chat about it with... I really feel like I can commit to this style of eating and supplements long term. It is nice to feel so stable both in mood and food. I haven't been having cravings or wanting to steal bites. It is only the first week but this is how I've been wanting to be and eat and just couldn't quite figure out how. I'm very interested to see if next week will result in another loss... some starchy vegetables will be added back in...