Thanks for the birthday wishes, the day was very nice. Low key. My birthday wish for the year (among others) is to have a thin year! So many other wishes in the past years were to lose weight.

One of the things that is so great about this forum is to read about other people experiencing the same things I am. Without that camaraderie, it is lonely and I feel like the only one who is gaining weight when you take your eye off the ball or have a little extra of something.

Weight loss/maintenance is a journey that requires so much time and energy. But, we are all in it together. Unless you never eat or drink anything different it requires attention. Aaahhhh, big sigh of thanks for the ongoing support. I really like reading about how other people manage this with P1/P2 modified days, increased exercise, reduction of carbs.

Howdy folks! It's been a while since I've been on here! Things have been pretty hectic, and I am 35 weeks pregnant now, it's pretty much the final countdown until little girl is here.

Just barely time to skim the thread....

Ishbel!! What beautiful pics! Congratulations, I loooove the bobble heads topper.

SaraBean, congrats on your little bundle...I definitely had the carb craving 1st trimester. I still have my chicken/meat aversion, except for beef - I can have burgers and fajitas. I try to sneak in veggies when I can, another aversion.

Maile, thanks for the app suggestion, sounds like something our family could use. My son is gluten & casein free as part of his Autism treatment and sounds like its worth the $2. We also do organic, non-GMO, no artificial colors or flavors.

Lizrr: You are so close..4 weeks away! I seem to recall loving hamburgers when I was pregnant. My son is eating gluten free also..what is casein? You sound in great health and in great spirits!

Workingit50: I find that support is so important in the issue of weight. It is so helpful to have people here who understand this journey of maintenance and of losing up pounds.

No more local strawberries..the season is over...on to blueberries.

Casein is the protein in milk, we have cut out all dairy products but there are so many options to replace the protein & calcium. Cutting out the wheat for the gluten and it sounds closer to Phase 1 with limited carbs & dairy! Luckily my 3yo is not picky and adjusted well, he is a big veggie lover.

It was a great strawberry season...

Hi Everyone -

I have been lurking here enjoying reading all the posts and know it is a good place to get information form people who are succeeding w/maintenance. I have found lots of useful stuff here and tons of inspiration. Your transformations are amazing and your long term success is helping me believe that I will be able to maintain this time too.

I'm about to start phase 3 and am very nervous - seems common from what I've read. It is mostly the fear of carbs and losing control.

I asked a ? on the phase 3 thread and they told me to ask here:

My coach say phase 3 breakfasts are continued into phase 4 - so in other words they are the breakfasts I will eat forever. But reading some phase 3 threads people talk about only eating the phase 3 breakfasts for the 2 weeks of phase 3. I'm wondering what some of you do?

Also - I am going to get back to tracking in myfitnesspal today and wondered if anyone who uses it would like to share user names so we can be friends and see eachother's journals? my username is momof32001.

Thanks for your help.

onmyway - congrats on reaching phase 3. IMO, phase 4 is whatever works for you in the long term to maintain your weight. I continued the phase 3 breakfasts because I loved them so much and it kept me on track.

lizrr - thanks so much for posting. I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. Hope all goes well.

Ishbel - Sounds like you had a great wedding day...beautiful dress!

Maile - Thanks for being a constant and supportive presence on this board. I love all your tips and insight.

I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversay of starting IP. Currently in a mini reboot (phase 1 and 2ish) to lower my operating range. While it had been 141-144, the past couple months its been more like 144-148 with all the vacations and long weekends.

onmyway - After gaining 5 lbs on maintenance and starting to feel out of control, I started using myfitness pal. I am happy to say I was down 1.2 lbs at weigh-in today , so it really helps me. my user name is beckyjwebb so I would love to be friends with you.

Hi Everyone,
I've been pretty quiet since I started maintenance a month ago. I went in to see my coach today, and she said I'm doing great. I wouldn't go that far, but I have managed to keep my weight pretty much consistent (up/down 2-3 pounds with water, TOM, etc). I lost another 1/4-1/2 inch everywhere but my legs, but that's okay, because my legs are getting muscular and defined from working out (love it!). I was excited to learn that they recommend we check in every month or so for the first year to stay on track. That level of accountability, along with checking in on this site, will make a difference in how well I handle maintenance. I hope the rest of you are also given the same level of support.
Have a great day!

Congrats on succeeding in P4! I did good for about a year then went on a vacation for 16 days and am just "recovering"... I learned a lot about my habits and think I'll do a better job my second time around in P4.

My clinic wasn't great at providing support during P4. They had meetings for us every so often, but I wasn't quite sure what the purpose of the meetings were so I never went. Love this group and will begin tracking food online...

A1Texan: Welcome to maintenance. That is wonderful that you accomplished your goal! Someone else is doing crossfit here as well. I hope you enjoy Phase 4.

New Englander: That is too bad you did not have great support on Phase 4 from your clinic. It seems like your reboot is going well.

Sansfilter: I lost inches from working out also. I did check in once a month for most of the first year. It was helpful to have that support.

Beckyjwebb: Good for you being on 1.2 on you weighin! Well done.

Cbl70: It was good to hear from you. One year on IP is an accomplishment. Hopefully your reboot is going well and you will hit that lower range.

Onmyway1014: I kept eating p3 breakfast because I love them. I do eat omelettes for variety.

Lizrr: My son is also alergic to dairy and staying away from cheese..It is interesting to cook both dairy and gluten free. Hope your baby is doing well and I am sure you are ready for the big day! That last month can be tiring.

I have read "Refuse to Regain by B. Berkeley, MD. I think it has some good ideas although I can't eat only the Primarian diet..

I like her comment, " I encourage you to think of yourself as a noble warrior in a very tough fight, one that is truly worth winning. Periods of failure amd backsliding are normal, but guilt is simply not appropriate."

She believes in daily weighing and in reversing the small gains immediately.
She says pick a Scream weight;;5-8 pounds higher that your goal weight. Then to train yourself to immediately reverse small gains. She calls these "reversal days" which should be pleasant and doable.

Here are the clues for a successful senior maintainer:
clue: You rarely miss your old way of eating.
clue: You enjoy and actually prefer your new eating habits.
clue: You no longer feel controlled by food.
clue : You are comfortable with eating many of the same types of foods repeatedly.
clue: You are not particularly interested in sugar or starch foods.
clue: when you do eat these foods you are not compelled to overeat and are able to return to your plan the next day.
clue:When you choose to eat foods that are off your plan, you generally find them less enjoyable that you thought you might.
clue: You intuitively know the foods and amounts that will keep you from gaining weight.
clue: You are acutely aware of unhealthy diet habits of those around you.
Big Clue: You feel free.

One of her tips to stay on track is to "wear Revenge Clothes" I find it amusing that she calls "thin" clothes revenge clothes..clothes that show off your new size..not baggy ones.

Have a great day everyone.

I've only been on Maintenance a few weeks but we're still doing P3 breakfasts. One of the reasons is I found a really good Crock Pot oatmeal recipe that we both enjoy and have that at least 3 days a week. Beyond that we're eating Paleo which fits in very well with IP (but doesn't allow grains so my oatmeal is a no-no) and that seems to keep us where we need to stay.

Welcome and Congratulations again!

I'm happy that I can say "yes" to most of these. There are one or two I'm still struggling with and probably will be for life and I just need to come to terms with it.

NSV tonight: DW and I went to one of our favorite seafood restaurants that I commented when we were there last that "once in P4 I'm coming back and having my old stand-by Fish and Chips." I had seasoned cod, mixed vegetables and vinegar coleslaw tonight. While I really wanted the Fish and Chips I prefer the skinnier me. Now when we go to Ireland at the end of August all bets are off.

Welcome new maintainers! Good to have you here!

Onmyway - I think most of us experimented a bit as we started maintenance. You will have to figure out works for you. The phase 3 breakfasts work for me - breakfast is my favorite meal, so I have some version of a phase 3 breakfast every day. I do track on MFP - I am LizzyH63 over there.

Maile - Refuse to Regain sounds interesting, but what us the primarian diet? Thinking about your suggestion for phase 1 days without packets. I am back in the middle of my range now without doing anything, but I'd still like to drop a couple of pounds. Vacation coming in October - would rather be lower because I will likely gain a couple of pounds. (Just being realistic.)

Hi All,

Today I saw my coach for the first time in a month. I've been away on a trip. Home for 4 days. I leave for Florida on Friday, so I'm off again. It was great to see her and just talk about maintenance issues. She was very supportive and told me it's common to have weight fluctuations. She confirmed that I CAN stay on top of it and be successful. She also is happy to meet with me once a month (or more if needed) at no charge.

I was really upset when I got home Sunday evening and had a weight gain. This had not happened to me before and even though I had read others' experiences, I guess I needed to experience it first-hand. I immediately did a P1 day, and then 2 P3 days. Tomorrow will be another P3 day. The added weight is almost gone, but although I'm below my goal once again, I'm not down to where I was.

I'm determined not to regain so I'm really interested in the "Refuse to Regain" that Maile posted.

I realize that it's a delicate balance and I guess that's just what life will be for me - if I want to keep this new body. And I do, so I'll do what it takes.

I actually enjoyed the P1 and P3 days. Doing that reminded me of how good it feels to be in control.

A1Texan: Welcome to Maintenance!!! Yay!!!

Onmyway: Come on in, the water's great! I was very nervous about the jump out of ketosis into P3, but it's good.

I continue to eat my P3 breakfasts in maintenance. Also, I track on My Fitness Pal, but I don't have buddies on it. It's all I can do to keep up with my own tracking. But I'm sure you'll find some buddies here.

LizRR: So excited for you!! Hang in there!

Maile: Thanks so much for posting that. It was very helpful. I have found that I've become a little obsessive about weighing myself. I did not own a scale until I reached maintenance, but now I weigh every day, just to be sure I'm on track. If there's a gain, I take steps like drinking more water, eliminating any "extras" and extra carbs for a day or two. It usually goes down. This time I was on an extended trip, so I couldn't weigh myself.

Yes, we are "noble warriors." I have copied that post and I will read it every day for a while. I could answer yes to all of the questions and I definitely agree about the clothing and the reversal days. They should be pleasant - that's important. It takes the emotion and guilt away. When we treat this part of our life with objectivity and manage it like we manage other affairs of our lives, it simply becomes a non-emotional thing we do, like balancing a checkbook. It's just TCB - Taking Care of Business. I've got a little way to go here, but I'm learning.

Hi Lizzy!

Sorry for such a long post...

Joysh: I weigh daily also and really like to use the weightgraphers as it will show your average for the week as well as the daily weight. Even though your daily weight might be up, you are still below the average week's weight.
I like the term "reversal days" and really would iike to learn how to enjoy them and find them pleasant. Right now I am fairly positive on reversal days..The important thing is to have a plan of action and we do with our phases. I also liked that comment as getting rid of the guilt is important.

Lizzy63: Good for you being in the middle of your range! Good luck on going down a few more before your October vacation..that is a good plan.
Primarian eating is going back to original non processed foods..no grains, no starches, no sugar..lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. She really feels that the Struggling Insulin Syndrome caused by eating starches and sugar can cause weight gain.
I also learned that eating carbs causes glycogen storage and weight gain.

M35A2: I answered yes to most of them..but still need to work on some.For some reason she feels sticking to the same foods, helps you maintain. I do that for awhile, but love to find new recipes.
You might like the primarian eating..it seem Paleo to me..no starches..protein, fruit, and vegetables. She does say eat like this 90 percent of the time and does allow a daily treat . I also like grains..like oatmeal or low carb breads once a day.

I am feeling positive and happy as we enter August...unfortunately I will also have to go back to work and my posts will be shorter.. LOL.