I could do that. Which Sam's? Cortana or Seigen? Either is fine. I have your number, sending you mine.

Congrats to you for your success!
I have never had my body fat totals done, so I obviously didn't go by that. You are the one who has to make the choice of where you feel most comfortable. My advice to you is: If you feel comfortable where you are, lose a few more pounds. This does two things: it gives you a goal range. When in maintenance, you are going to fluctuate by a couple of pounds on any given day, depending on what you eat. Most of us try to stay within a certain window of weight. We try to make sure we don't go above our ceiling. Also, when your glycogen stores return, you will fluff up a little bit, even if your weight doesn't go up. During Phase 1 and 2, those stores are depleted, giving you a hollow feeling and appearance. All that said, it is possible to lose weight in phases 2, 3, and 4, but it is very hard to go back to phase 1 for any extended period after enjoying a good breakfast on phase 3.

I have been reading about refeeds as I have come to really wonder about why the free day (or free meal) is recommended in Phase 4. I don't know if anyone does calorie zig zagging or carb cycling both of which include changing either your caloric intake or carb intake usually in a cycle of three days. Low, Med, High, repeat. Refeeds near as I can tell are recommended to keep your metabolism high as it prevents your body from adjusting to it's caloric intake and too it is purported to help you 'lean out'. The last article I read reiterated something that I have read before but didn't truly absorb. If you are following a low carb regime and have a high carb day your body will glom onto the carbs which is what causes such a huge retention of weight. For every extra gram of carb, four grams of water will attach to it causing the 2-5 pound weight increase the day after the extra carbs...
maile- coconut jalepeno coffee??? Or is it tea? Sounds really different. I love coconut but can't imagine it spicy... Thank you for the explanation of the nautilus circuit- we definitely don't have anything like it at my gym...
paint lady- way to be productive and keep yourself occupied (and your mind off of food!). So great when you can kill two birds with one stone!
desperatetolose- check out your ideal weight using the chart that accounts for your bone structure (usually you'll measure the circumference of your wrist to determine this) and cross reference it to your height which will give you a weight range. Are you happy with how you look now? Your measurements do sound quite small and if you're content with how your clothes are fitting and your look then that's what you were after when you started this diet, yes? Being somewhere that you're willing to fight to stay is the most important part because maintenance does require motivation. Body fat can be tackled with exercise & 'clean' eating if that is something you're concerned with...

Thank you Paint Lady. You're right, I should go to the 130's and have a range where I can fluctuate a bit. I would like to NEVER cross 140 again in my life!

Coconut jalapeno tell me more.

I have just finished phase 3 and am moving in to Phase 4 tomorrow. I am excited that I didn't gain any weight during Phase 2 or Phase 3. My coach made me stay in phase 1 until I got to my goal. She did suggest that I go weigh in once a week for the first month of being on Phase 4 and then at least once a month after that. I still plan on reading all the posts on this thread to keep me in line. I love reading everyone's comments. Hope everyone has a great week.

I do Crossfit, which is a combination of cardio and weights all in 1 workout. I also run and bike when I am training for specific events. Right now I am not training for anything, so I am doing Crossfit most days of the week with barely any running or biking.

Cap- I have done some light reading on carb cycling. It seemed to make sense, but also seemed like a lot of work. Which is something that I am just not really up for at this time

I have been super busy this week and has kept me off the boards. I went out with some girlfriends the other night and had a splurge meal. Did a P1 day on the following day and am back in action. I did a strict P3 today and felt really good.

Definitely planning on a HUGE cheat night for the Superbowl. We always have a big party with all of your typical football foods, and I am planning on indulging. I know Monday and quite possibly Tuesday will be P1 days, but I am ready for it and am planning for it. Which is all part of the learning curve, right? I will make sure that the rest of the weekend I eat on point so not to do too much damage.

Other than that, I am plugging along, tracking food and workouts and staying in my window. A group of girlfriends and I are planning a girls weekend getaway, so I am contimplating doing P1 for a couple of weeks just to lose a couple of vanity pounds. We are not planning to go until the end of March, so I still have a little bit of time to make the decision. But it would be nice to look a little extra good sitting by the pool or on the beach. Some of my friends have the most incredible bodies you have ever seen, so it would be nice to have a little boost.

Paint Lady..I am with you on the sodium..I feel so much better when I eat low sodium..but like you I love Chinese food..especially the Mongolian Grill.
I also don't like that scale going up at all.

Good luck on your Phase today..and your trip to see your uncle.

Cap and 2 Ride: I get the coconut jalapeno coffee from coffee am. I cannot figure out how they do it, but you taste jalapeno mixed with a coconut cream. It is not hot..nor particularly sweet. Anyway..I like the change. It is not Keurig.

2ride : where can I find the recipe for your flatbread? Is it your own?

Cap: I have not heard of refeeding..but am intrigued by that 4 grams of water being attached for each carb ..and the 2-5 pound gain. I am not sure I could do a 3 day cycle..but am going to read about it.

Desperate to Lose girl: My BMI is 22..in the normal range. If you do not want to go as low as your coach wants, don't..just choose where you are healthy and happy.

Jennydoodle..also am going to have a Free day on the Superbowl..I am investigating low carb crab cakes!

Louisiana Chick: congratulations on reaching Pahse 4 and not gaining. You are doing well!!!!

Well. I am skipping the gym this am and will have to go in this pm. I can feel my stress mounting at work..due to doing once a year state testing for all of my kids on the computer. Testing 5 year olds..and making them record their voices..clicking a record button, then stop, then listen, then save, then next..is highly stressful.

I hope you don't mind me posting this from an article by a man who lost 170 pounds. He titles his article: Ultimate Weight Loss, it is not what you think.

In making and keeping small goals, faith builds. One thing that seems so common with so many of us is that our minds, over time, have been pre-programmed for failure. We have been tossed around by the yo-yo so many times that we no longer believe it is possible to change things. Yet something still is never extinguished, hope against hope, yearning for change, refusing to believe that the yo-yo is all there is. Our rational mind needs evidence to support belief. If the only thing that we can relate to is the never-ending cycle of failure, then it is difficult to believe that one more try is going to produce results. When we make and keep small commitments, a little here, a little there, slowly each small success builds upon another. Eventually faith and momentum begin to build and success is the ultimate result.

It has been a slow process, but each goal reached brings about a little more healing. I will always have to work to control emotional eating, but now I know that there is more to life than plunking down on the couch after work and eating my cares away. Every mile I run replaces defeat with a sense of personal accomplishment. This journey is going to last this time. No more stop-and-start, just small, consistent steps leading to a better life.

I like what he says about small consistent steps replacing defeat ..and creating a momentum of faith and success towards a better life.

This is exactly how I feel every time I skip a cookie and go running. Why didn't I do this years ago???

Thanks for sharing this Maile.

Thanks for sharing this! I think this quote is huge. The president of one of our companies spoke to us a couple of months ago, and this was kind of one of his philosophies for developing talent. Give people things that they can do and accomplish, and with that comes confidence. Once you keep building the confidence, that person doesn't doubt themselves or their abilities.

Thank you Maile for posting this. So true and exactly what I needed to read today. I love crab cakes too! If you would Share your low carb recipe it would be much appreciated! Have a happy Superbowl Sunday and I'm sorry to hear of your stress at work... That does seem like an awful lot to expect five year olds to absorb...

Cap - I was just thinking about you. I was reading about carb cycling. I'm not sure I could do it. It seems like it would be like the first 3 days of phase I over and over. I'm not that strong!
Maile - Thanks for your great posts. I feel like I learn new things from you all the time. You are very inspiring.

Hi all. I continue to lurk here everyday. I have been struggling to keep myself from going crazy with food. I have finally made it through 3 days of phase I successfully and am feeling better. I was beginning to think I should be over on the "Hard Time Restarting" (Second Time Around now)Thread. I am 3 pounds over my goal weight but that's better than 2 weeks ago. Hopefully I will be able to do the whole reboot now.

Thanks again to all of you who post often and share you experiences and ideas. I look forward to checking in every day.

Lynn