Hello everyone – found the new thread – being new to it all it took me a few days :-)

I am doing really well and thank you all for your help and support – my doctor has been very helpful – we decided last week to take me off phase 2 after seven days – the feeling was that I had waited too long to go into phase 2, as some of you suggested. So I started phase 3 three days ago, and already feel hundred percent better and interestingly lost 3 pounds already, even though it feels like a lot more food.

I am already able to exercise again which I love - I had to pull it back the last 30 days because I was so low energy. My doctor is pretty clear that we waited too long to put me on phase 2 – he said it is uncommon that someone would be so low energy otherwise.

Darthkitten, would you mind reposting the link to your granola? I am also having a hard time finding the right grains for the morning as I don't do well with flour products. I am interested in the one with the Pb powder.

Breakfasts are somewhat of a challenge to figure out aren't they? I ended up figuring out three different versions that would work for me/ and I am just going to stick to those three and keep it easy.

Thank you all and have a good weekend!

Morning ladies,

Thanks Lisa, Eve, and Slip for the support. I will embrace the "keep calm and carry on". Going to stay focused this weekend and do some mindful eating and stick to my plan.

Grateful4health, that is great news that you have transitioned so successfully to P3 and with the benefit of feeling better and eating more.
I will go back an look but the granola recipe was in the last maintainers volume or the beginning of this thread. If I find I will try to copy, never posted a link on here before.

Anyone have any special plans this weekend?

Jenny, I've been hard on myself lately,and then keep reminding myself it is a continuum.

As far as plans go, this morning i will be mowing the bit of grass that is in back, then digging out some red twig dogwoods that are in a too small location. Then the fun begins...an impromptu visit with friends on Whidbey island. It is supposed to be 60 degrees and sunny here this weekend. A long walk or hike would feel good.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Saturday Maintainers!

I spent Friday evening with friends, wine, cheese, crackers, etc. I didn't feel guilty, instead I enjoyed myself. The scale this morning shows no gain. I was surprised, especially considering when I got home I had no electricity. I was so worried about that during the ice/snow/sleet storm we had Wed/Thur. It happened the day after. Apparently a circuit relay blew in my HVAC. So even after I got the electricity back I had no heat. Emergency maintenance came out and got it going again, but it was after midnight before it was all taken care of. I was really stressed and COLD. Even though I sometimes miss being a homeowner, there are benefits to apartment living, like immediate repairs at no cost to me. Like.

Jenny: Sorry to hear your son is ill. I hope he is better. As the others have said, take it easy on yourself. You've made such great progress. Don't beat yourself up.

Grateful: I was so glad to move from P2 to P3. I LOVE my breakfast. I still eat a P3 breakfast every day! And like you, I rotate 3-4 breakfasts menus to keep it simple.

Murrcat: Whidbey Island! Sounds lovely. It's supposed to be at least 50 here today. Funny but there are still some patches of snow here and there. But at least the sun is out. Unfortunately I will be at work making up for lost time. But I hope to get out for a nice level non elevated hike tomorrow.

This weekend I had a great long walk with an old friend, and tomorrow some hot yoga which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love it.
Also some movies tomorrow…

I am loving my P3 breakfasts, what a nice change after a year. Very happy my body is responding so well from for them.

Truly grateful for health!

Hi Maintainers - Those last five pounds are really holding on so now I'm trying to decide if I start phasing off before my spring break trip at the end of March/beginning of April or if I just go in PHase 1. I spoke with my friend who we will be visiting and travelling with and she's very supportive either way. I think I will stick with Phase 1 but add in some cheats (like wine). That way I won't accelerate phasing off and won't be a newbie and mess it up. But, I realize that could mean I'm on phase 1 longer. These darn 5 pounds!

Hi Everybody -

Jenny - I have to agree with the others, you have done SO WELL on maintenance. Be kind to yourself and hang in there! I'm sorry about your sick son, I hope he is getting better?

catlady - Friday evening sounds wonderful - wine, cheese, crackers and friends! Glad your heat eventually came back on!

Grateful4Health - I love P3 breakfasts too! Sounds like you are doing well in P3.

shasta - my last 5 lbs hung on forever! The losses are SO slow the closer you get to your goal and that's so hard! Hang in there!

I am learning a new way to eat on a Hi Fat Low Carb ketogenic diet. Lots of cheeses, avocados, some nuts, full fat 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee, lots of protein. Most all my carbs come from veggies - am trying to stay around 35 carbs a day and it is hard! I am usually going over a little bit but I think as long as I don't go more than 45, MAX 50 carbs a day I am ok. It is taking some adjusting for sure!

Hello Maintainers!!!!

SallyE....I'm glad to hear you are settling in to your new diet.

Shasta10.....OK, here's my thoughts. It's a good possiblility you will lose your last 5 lbs when you phase off. If you are planning a few cheats on P1, why not go ahead and phase off properly? By not giving yourself a chance to settle in slowly to carbs, you run the risk of gaining rapidly even with a few cheats on P1 (now, honestly, a lot of it is water weight - but it could also be pretty frustrating and set you back two several more weeks again on P1). I lost 5 lbs with phasing off (and then lost another 5 lbs just tweaking maintenance). I know that is not everyone's experience, but I would say a lot of people who were stalled on P1 lose on P2 and P3 because your body needs a boost in calories and carbs. Good luck!

I am hanging in there with all kinds of busy-busy going on. Looking forward to a breath later this week (once my taxes are done) to check in again!

I've been lurking in this thread since I'm getting a little closer to goal! Thank you for this evemomma. I'm losing pretty slowly in the last month so I feel like I may not get to my goal by the time I want (need!) to phase off. I'm going to Bermuda on May 15th so my goal was 150 by April 13th so I can begin a proper phase off and be in P4 for my trip. This gives me hope that I may still make goal (or under) by the trip. Thank you!

Hello to everybody.

I hope this week is better for you Jenny!!

Kimo88 & shasta10: The last few pounds are definitely a long slow wait, but make sure you phase off properly when you decide. I also lost weight in P2 & 3 & early maintenance like evemomma.

WTG SallyE for getting this all figured out, you are doing so well with your macros for your neuro issue, I bet your doc is pretty proud of you too.

murrcat: mowing!! Our lawn is nowhere near that yet... it needs serious power raking to get the dead brown stuff worked out, lol. DH is still cutting away at the pile of snow next to the house (the only spot left after shovelling it off the roof a couple times this year). He takes shovelfuls and tosses them around the yard and into the driveway to melt in the sun...

Liana

Evemomma - I just don't know! My coach said either way is okay. Stay P1 but add in little cheats or phase off. She said I could cut the phases shorter also...but that seems wrong to me. Now I only have 3 weeks before the trip and I'm stuck here with just 5 pounds to go. I am attending a P3/P4 seminar this weekend so maybe I'll just phase off....it's weird how I'm clinging to P1 now! Ha ha.

Liana--Yes, mowing!!! Can you believe it? In Seattle, we have had an unseasonably warm and dry winter while many parts of the country have had lots and lots of snow. The ski areas in the passes have been closed or partially closed. We'll see how the summer goes since we might not have the typical snow melt. I was able to take out the red twig dogwoods very easily and someone from CL claimed them that morning. Whidbey was great--friends and wine tasting and fun.

Shasta and Kimo, Just offering my experience phasing off this winter and so far as a new maintainer in case this is helpful:

I was losing very very slowly by the end of phase 1, and I had hit my diet fatigue wall. I set a date for starting phase 2 (jan 1), and stuck to it even though my weight was at 132 instead of 130. I did two weeks of phase 2, and two weeks of phase 3. I upped my calories slightly more than protocol, but I did reach goal at the end of four weeks of phasing off--130. I then gained back 3 pounds in glycogen, and it looks like I may end up with another pound. My inches have not increased. I have not been doing phase 1 after treats, just lowering my net carbs to around 60. I have been slowly upping my net carbs, and hope to be able to maintain at about 100-120g net carbs, but I will have to see how it works for my body. I am carb intolerant and was in the beginning stages of insulin resistance when I started IP in June 2014. I also have the wrinkle of low thyroid and am on medication for it.

I highly recommend phasing off as protocol recommends if possible. You can do this!!!!!!

I did 2 big vacations (one to Ecuador for 12 days) while on P1 - it was easy. I was strict on the phasing off, and it worked for me too. So it's basically up to you. You're close but maintaining will be a lifetime practice.

E

Hello ladies,

Kimo, so great that you are close to your goal.

Sally - your eating plan sounds great. How are you feeling with it?

Grateful4- good for you for doing hot yoga, I found it super hard. Glad your enjoying the P3 breakfast. They are my favourite part of the day.

Andrea - glad you heat came back on.

My son is better after a quiet weekend at home. Still feeling off with my eating plan and wake up with good intentions but struggling with follow thru. Will work harder to quiet my inner brat and be more compassionate with self. Having TOM doesn't help.

It's warming up here, here to hoping winter is over.

Morning all,

So been thinking about maintenance and the back and forth I seem to do. been wondering if my 2 days of P1 after 1 fun day to lose the weight is really just dumping and reloading glycogen? Does that make sense? After fun days where I don't overeat, but mix my fats and carbs, I show weight gain - usually 1.5 - 3 lbs. So I do a P1 day and I'm usually still up over a pound, so I do a 2nd P1 day and most of the time that does it. But I've started to think about this - there's no way that 1.5- 3lbs is real - it's mostly water and what's stuck in my gut. So how does starving myself on a P1 day - cause it's not only no carbs but it's really low calories 750- - 800- help? Am I just depleting/rebuilding/depleting my glycogen? Why does a fun day, within calorie intake, result in a 1.5 - 3 lb gain? I have just finished 2 P1 days after a fun day on Sunday where I actually finished the day 100 calories under my requirement. On Monday, I was up 3.5 lbs, I weighed this morning and I'm still up 1 lb. I'm just trying to make sense of all this, cause I feel like I'm missing something.