Good for you Sue! I hope whatever they found during your DH tests is nothing serious.

Officially starting Phase 2 with 50lbs lost! It's not quite where I want to be, but 50 seems like such a notable milestone

DD - You ROCK!!


I spent some time on setup of MFP yesterday on my laptop - PM me with your MFP screen name and I will request you as my friend - or you can add me - I am oneuh2 there as well. Today I will load the app to my phone.

I am surprised at how much carb, even net carb is my IP phase 1 day of foods yesterday.... I can see how MFP can really be helpful. I will be interested in the goals you are using for macronutrients.

Do you try to plan your day with your food diary entries? Or do you post as the day goes by?

Congratulations!!!!

Thanks!

I plan. Sometimes a day or two in advance, just in case I want to switch things around and to make sure what I want doesn't push me over anything.

You don't want to get ready for dinner and realize what you planned won't work with what you already ate that day. Of course it will get easier once you've been at it awhile and have some regular meals saved for easy entries.

Thanks

Sue - way to stay strong! I hope your hubby is ok, please let us know what you need for support!!

Re. Planning - we go to the grocery store once a week (normally), and plan out the week's dinners. These are based on scheduled evening activities (ie tball practice? We plan crockpot or leftovers) I really don't plan out my IP foods, other than if I want a flatbread for lunch or br breakfast I will try to bake it the night before to make busy mornings easier.

I'm doing a little more thinking ahead this week since I'm supposed to add a restricted daily and have it before dinner.

NSV for me today - i actually got up early for yoga class! It was "gentle" so lots of stretching and floor work, just what I needed after all the walking yesterday. As I drove to the studio I kept wondering what I was doing up early and going to exercise. (With no coffee!!) it was great and I will be trying to add that into my week when I can.

Weekend weather is beautiful- on the agenda is working on our yard, planting herb garden and veggies. I'm ready to soak up some vitamin D!

Sue - Hang in there, and hopefully, there is nothing serious with DH.

I second what Amanda shared about taking a mini-break. I did this the first week of Feb and it got me back to being as motivated as months 1-5 (that is, before the medical stuff became known so I know this was a contributing factor).

If you don't want to do that, another thing I did was introduce some new foods/recipes. For example, I made breaded chicken strips with rhubarb crisp (minus the crisp). I also introduced more of Quest products vs IP as a change of pace.

So, just some ideas depending upon which way you want to go.

I'm in the 5th day of the detox/anti-inflammatory diet and am about 65-70% carb loaded and am maintaining my weight. I am up .5 pound from my lowest. I feel bloated though - my clothes fit fine but I feel bloated. I can't wait until I am done on Thursday so I can bring my protein sources back (my issue is I don't eat fish and that is the only option on this detox that doesn't bring carbs into the mix).
In regards to the treatment, I definitely feel I have more energy. Not fully back to myself but after quite a few weeks, it is so nice to have some especially with the nice weather that is here!

Once I am done with the 10 day program, in spite of what doctor says, I think I am going to do P1 for at least a week to eliminate this bloated feeling. I think I'll then do P3 for 2 weeks before going into maintenance as I want the pancreas training (if I am up to it, I may fly East and pay the $75 to attend the workshop). I am going to start back at the gym next Thursday when this detox is over and get back to my strength training - I am so looking forward to this! This is assuming that I continue to get my energy back and resolve the headaches/light-headedness that continues even though I have a bit more energy. He doubled my medicine starting today so hopefully that fully does the trick.

JJTx - yard work and soaking up the sun sounds nice! And, congrats on NSV. Sounds like your new coach has been motivational in more ways than one with that weight off your shoulders ;-)
DD - Congrats on your milestone!!!
Cheryl - Hopefully, you get the new technology all integrated and it further helps get that last 20 pounds off as quickly as possible!

I hope everyone can get out and enjoy the weather this weekend.

Hi Ro22, Hope the Summer 2014 Starters don't mind me dropping in this lively thread! I've been following your posts about your symptoms & diagnosis. I'm glad you are regaining energy & hope the other things resolve soon. It's been a long haul to feel like that, esp. after your hard work of IP. Your recent posts have really caught my attention.

Imho,the phase off makes no difference at all. It has not been systematically tested, so there is no empirical evidence to support that the pancreas is reset or retrained. There is much anecdotal evidence that people do equally well in maintenance by any number of phase-off methods. Since you are no longer in ketosis, your pancreas is already exposed to higher carbs and calories & is already adapting, as is the rest of your body. Something to watch for are craving for sweets and rich food that is almost a cause-effect reflex after a long period of extreme restriction like P1. Try instead to eat enough so that hunger doesn't trigger those urges. Hope that helps!

I experienced a different set of issues with IP that led me to consult a clinical nutritionist. Like your MD, she also advised to stop ketogenic dieting going forward. It's been extremely hard to do--that's been the only way I know to lose & reboot effectively. Moreover, my WOE has been low carb, about 50-70 net, as a form of hunger control. As someone who gets seasonal depression, I learned that low carb doesn't work well in those dark months when I am most wanting to reboot, ie after holiday season. The brain needs carbs to make serotonin, some of us more than others.

Following her advice, I first went off the deep end with carbs, and then settled at about 125 net carbs, with no weight gain & wonderful energy, mood, mental clarity. But I have felt more hunger with this WOE and still have ~10 lbs to get off to fit comfortably into my clothes. She suggested dropping to the lower range of my calories, ie 1500, and to lose gradually.

I do better with a structured plan & was JUST about to toss her warning out the window and do a modified P1-2. Then I read your detailed post about your diagnosis & treatment plan. I'm concerned that P1 is too much stress on adrenals & thyroid, and I may be pushing my luck by doing it anymore.

Since your doctor feels IP is a nutritionally sound diet & that you already had an underlying thyroid issue that had not yet manifested, I can see why you would consider going back to P1. Before doing so, may I suggest asking why he recommended against it, and what sort of consequences there might be? Then you can make the most informed choice. (And I hope you'll share, if you do ask! )

Meanwhile I think i'll get my thyroid checked. Huge thanks for continuing to post your updates. I wish you the very best and am confident that you will figure out a plan to stay healthy and fit.

Fingers crossed for good news for DH, and how incredible your willpower has become. So proud of and for you, Sue.

Woot woot! Go DD ! You realise that we'll all be scrutinising your macros to copy you, right?

Although I have a login on MFP, I prefer SparkPeople. If anyone's over there, I'm also Briael on that.

I got quite a shock at the macros on IP when I started plugging food in. Based on choice it can have widely varying ratios.


Happy to report that I appear to be back in ketosis, and have lost the mini-break glycogen stores already. Now to lose the extra 3lbs that I was bouncing around with during the two weeks prior to that.

I've switched to organic extra virgin coconut oil instead of the EVOO, and I can really taste the difference. Fried my leftover chicken in it and it was very tasty indeed.

2 weeks away from the running - just haven't had the energy for it (or the discipline) on carbs, so I'm hoping to get back to it on Monday. Body has been willing but the mind has gone rogue!

mars - thank you so much for chiming in and sharing your experiences. It seems we are helping each other which was the intention of my information-sharing :-)
Your response is definitely thought-provoking. Perhaps, I will do a higher protein ratio but not so restrictive as IP as I just want to get rid of this bloated feeling. As you can tell, I am trying to figure out a maintenance plan. I did get my resting metabolism tested; although, we have to redo it once my thyroid and adrenals have normalized. I am also intending to do an active metabolism analysis. I think I could plan a higher protein less stressful maintenance program around that (more calories) so I thank your for your input!

In answer to your question, he has not yet given a medical reason for stopping IP. His response was my overall fitness numbers are good enough and one shouldn't obsess with striving for perfection. I think he recognized that 168 (I have been this weight since late Jan) seems to be where my body keeps coming back to and I should listen to it (as I did when I knew something was wrong physically) and that any additional loss will also happen naturally with fixing thyroid and adrenal issues.

I do plan to discuss maintenance with him, and I will share what he shares with me. You may recall he had me do a food sensitivity test so I know he strongly recommends I incorporate those results into my maintenance plan. One question I have as I research thyroid/adrenal more and more is that I wonder what affect all that soy had on my extremely low T3 number and ratio to Reverse T3. I am going to discuss this with him. I actually just went through all the products I have been consuming on IP Phase 1 and realized many of my protein sources were soy.

You should not just get your thyroid checked but your adrenals as well as I have come to learn there is a connection there. And, you need to make sure that when you get your thyroid checked, you get the additional panel(s) to test your T3 as the standard one does not do this (including iron, d3, and ferritin as these are all connected too). If they had done the standard on me, my thyroid results would have shown up as normal as my TSH and T4 are in the "normal" range (not optimal range though). My issue is that my body is not making useable energy for my cells (T3) from the T4 which is where the high platelet count is a clue as inflammation can prevent this which is why I am on a 10 day anti-inflammation diet.

I'll share what additionally I find out from him about maintenance.
I am also going to modify my plan given your input. Thank you!!!
It will be interesting to see what the food sensitivity shows - this takes 4-5 weeks for the results as only certain labs do it.

Thanks, Ro22, I will take the list of tests with me when I see my doc, and also get some metabolic measurements.

Re bloating as a response to upping carbs... It's likely that some of your digestive enzymes have gone offline temporarily in P1, so incompletely digested carbs are reaching your colon. Also the gut flora changes in response to diet and right now your balance is based on a previously low carb, low fat diet. Eventually the usual digestive enzymes ramp up, the ketosis enzymes ramp down, and the gut microflora rebalance. So the bloat might be very be temporary even if you don't modify the diet.

That said, there might be a specific intolerance in your new menu. For me, it's cumin and quinoa--automatic bloat. I think upping your protein is a good strategy. I've decided to keep protein as my mainstay (and to drink plenty of water).

I've had regular thyroid monitoring since a few yrs before IP, and T3, T4, & TSH have always been right smack in the middle of the reference range. I have elevated thyroid antibodies, but my internist thinks they are not indicative of a problem as I have never had symptoms of thyroid problems. Fwiw, I ate tons of soy up until 1 month ago--decided to drop it for a while just for variety, and just to be on the safe side. It never occurred to me specifically what kind of stress I might be putting on my organs until I read your posts and started thinking about thyroid and adrenals. At least the stress of obesity is gone, tho.

As much as I love IP, I think my body has had enough. I do plan to keep my carbs low & increase healthy carbs in the winter months. Making sure to have adequate calories seems to keep me out of binge mode. In case it's helpful to know, my nutritionist said that when you first add back in previously off limit food groups such as carbs, it's a normal reaction to go off the rails. The novelty wears off and then it's easier to regulate amounts.

Thanks again for all the great info.

mars - I just noticed that my lab report shows exactly what tests were ordered (these were ordered based upon my symptoms and IP diet - he said my symptoms weren't just a clue for him as to what to order but also the rate at which I lost (even though my clinic said it was optimal and I thought I was doing great - he said I should have lost 65 pounds in half the time it took based upon my height, muscle mass and commitment to the program - never deviated, never had any restricted items, do not eat red meat, drank 1 gallon of water a day, etc).

Anyway, here is the list:
CMP14+LP+CBC/D/Plt+TSH+T4F+T3F; Iron and TIBC; T3Reve+TPO; Magnesium, Serum; Ferritin, Serum

He explained to me the following about my result and what he wants to see for optimal results (as I understand it, one can have normal results and still have thyroid issues):
Note I cite what my lab considers normal as I understand it can vary from lab to lab and units of measure can be different
- TSH 1.0 (normal uIU/mL 0.450-4.500)
- Free T3 3.5 (normal pg/mL 2.0 - 4.4)
- Free T3/Reverse T3 > 25 (this has to be calculated as it is in not in the lab report and because each is in a different unit of measure, you need to convert it - I found a website that calculates that and interprets it for you, which reaffirmed what he told me. Also note that some labs calculate Total T3 rather than Free - if that is the case, the optimal ratio is greater than 10 vs 25)

We didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about T4 so sorry I don't have a lot of info or optimal numbers for you. I have found a number of interesting articles on thyroid/adrenal stuff so if you are interested in them, PM me and I'll provide you with those unless others would be interested in all this info too - I could just post the links in a posting. I am learning a ton about all of this!
That is one thing I can say about IP - I have learned to eat vegetables I never knew existed (jicama, chayote squash, rhubarb) and I am learning about hormones and such that I did not know one thing about beforehand.

Briael, I was interested to read your post ... I think you and I are on a bit of parallel track. I also hit major 6 month "diet fatigue" this month. After 6 months of no cheat Phase 1 from Sept 1 through Feb 28 -- March has been a continual struggle.

The bad news is my weight loss stopped dead in it's tracks in March, but the good news is I have only gained about 3 pounds from my absolute minimum weight. Have to look at the bright side I suppose.

It's so true that I have had a few things that I was just so heavily craving -- and it's interesting that the craving and the thought of eating those things was so much better than the actual experience of eating them. In any case, I am hopeful that this sidetrack will give me new wind in my sails for another push downward. It's funny but I felt so polluted after eating some of my "intense craving" foods, that it actually is motivating to get back on track.

I wonder if there is some typical period of time that people can stay on no-cheat phase 1. I recall reading on this board that some people were able to stay 100% for a year. My hats off to them! I guess I did pretty well to stay on IP P1 for 6 full months and melt off 75 pounds. Now to get back on track and melt off a bit more!

Thanks so much and you know I will get my support here I do a restricted every day....always have. I really really look forward to it lol. I do it around 3Pm. My favorite is the brownie, I warm it for 15 seconds in the microwave and eat it with a fork and have a cup of decaf with it...my afternoon treat!

Glad your starting to feel better!

Stop by any time! Great group of people here, and always great advice!

Thanks my friend....I really am kind of surprised that I didn't cave in to temptation but honestly I was not really craving the food, just the action of stuffing my face If that makes any sense. It's just what I had always done when I was depressed. So grateful IP has changed that. I don't need food to hide my feelings. I actually had to deal with them... I did however spend $300 at Costco...so shopping my new addiction.

Ok seems we all have hit a bit of this. From January 13 to now I have played with 5 lbs. up one week down one week up the next...this was the first week I lost 2 weeks in a row, however it was 1 last week and .5 this week. However I will say that the tape measure has been moving....so I am sticking to it. Especially with whatever chapter is next in my life I need to get the rest of the weight off. At my best calculations I think I should be down to my goal some time this summer. It will have taken over a year, but Rome wasn't built in a day. I can do this!

Hello to my summer peeps. So much activity going on here in the boards the last few days!

Sue - I am thinking of you and your DH during his testing. Hope it turns out to be nothing. Also, I just wanted to say how much I admire your perseverance. You keep plugging away at this and you will succeed! This diet is not easy but you've got this!

JJTx- so glad you found a new coach that you are happy with. IMHO, they can really make all the difference. I won the lottery with mine and I hope your new coach is just as much of a rockstar!

One - Sorry the maintenance meeting didn't work out. Almost wondered if Dr Z doesn't check this page and saw the discussion. It is a shame that clinic isn't more supportive of the IP community as a whole. I am seriously researching fitbits and the aria scale. I want one! Just can't decide which Fitbit to buy. Thinking I like the One since it can be clipped discretely. Now that I've lost some much weight I don't want to be tied to a bracelet...may not match my outfit Which one to you have?

Weighed in a couple days early since I was leaving town to be with my mom. Only .4 lost in 5 days. Actually I think that is a huge accomplishment considering the stress I am feeling. My sister and even my dad have been stress eating. Amazingly, I haven't felt the urge to turn to food. I do feel weirdly lost. Don't know what to do with myself. I can see how food could fill that void.

I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to go to my mom. She went from walking (with assistance) and talking on Tues to bedridden today. Her drop in energy level yesterday alone made it hairy in getting her into bed last night using a wheelchair and 3 people. She is safer and more comfortable in bed. Other than mouthing "I love you" she hasn't said anything. Just nodding or shaking her head. Declining food and drink. Just a couple nibbles of food. Hospice says this is all normal.

I know she is ready to go, the rest of us are a mess. Thank you again for your kind words and support.