Soooo.....I didn't phase out properly and GAINED back the weight. I did really well through phase 1 and phase 2 but that is where I stopped and starting eating my normal foods without phasing off. My weight all came back plus a few pounds I have NEVER had. This is the heaviest I have weighed.

What do I do, do I have to go back through the ideal protein process?

Anyone with experience on this, please let me know!


Thanks

That's totally up to you - there are many of us here on a "reboot" - starting all over again on Phase 1 and following the program including phasing off into maintenance - to lose what was gained back. Some people choose to try other programs (Weight Watchers, Atkins, Paleo, etc) and do not go back to IP. You just have to decide what's going to work best for you!

Good luck in whatever you choose!

Okay, so then another question I have. Since I didn't phase off properly have I trained my body to hold on to carbs since it was deprived of carbs throughout phase 1 and phase 2?

I am just wondering if I have to go back into IP and retrain my body to not hold onto carbs. Since going off this diet inproperly this is the most I have ever weighed.

I am on my 2nd time through the IP program, and have had the same success in losing the weight as I did the first time. There was about a year and a half between phasing off into maintenance and getting back on Phase 1, and I ate plenty of carbs during that time.

I am fairly sure the idea of "training your body to hold onto carbs" is a myth.

But sounds like you phased off properly, and kept the weight off? Or did I misunderstand you?

I phased off properly, kept the weight off for about 9 months, then went through a bunch of life changes and took up my old, bad eating habits again.

Whether you phase off properly or not, reintroducing carbs the way IP lays it out has nothing to do with "training" your body as much as it does easing your digestive system back into processing certain types of foods. Introduce things too quickly and you might suffer some upset stomachs, but that's about it.

You have not done any irreversible damage to your body by not phasing off properly, and I am so sorry if someone scared you into believing that. If you encountered any difficulty losing weight on P1 I would put money on it being due to a food sensitivity/allergy and not something you did "wrong" the last time.

Thanks for that! I started at 153 and after Phase 1 & 2 I was down to 143. Now phasing off improperly I am up to 157.

I was told that a person needs to phase off properly because your body has been deprived of carbs so when it gets re-introduced (too fast) that your body hangs on to all of the carbs and stores them as fat which in return would be the weight gained.

I don't think I eat that bad, but somehow I have gained weight. I was even running 3 miles a day and working out at the gym 1 or 2 times a week after IP and haven't shed a pound. Ahhhh to be a girl.

MyFitnessPal is your best friend in maintenance. What might seem like a healthy meal might turn out to be LOADED with hidden carbs, or you might just be eating too many calories overall for what your body actually needs.

If you phase off improperly, your digestive system can go into a bit of shock, which can lead to inflammation....which causes water weight gain. But it's not much beyond that AT FIRST.....More often than not gaining in maintenance is due to too much relaxation in our maintenance diets - it's soooo easy to forget once all the weight comes off that we are not naturally thin - maintenance is a lifelong battle between food and our bodies.

I took a while before I was ready to jump back on the IP bandwagon, but I'm 4 weeks in and SO glad I gave it another try....I'm taking my lessons and plan to be MUCH more diligent in maintenance this time We're here for ya if you decide to start up again too!

I am in the same boat but phased off correctly. I started to gain rapidly on phase 3 even though I never did reintroduce grains.

I am unfortunately very carb sensative and older. So realistically my ongoing lifetime plan is phase 2. This is the part I did did best on.

I was using MFP strictly while I was on IP so that I could track my sugars and carbs, and even going off IP I still use MFP strictly. I feel like I am going so much right that I don't understand why I have gained this weight all back.

Frustrating for sure!

Just had a thought, do you think your hormones could be contributing to the perplexing weight gain? Thyroid perhaps?

I don't think it's my thyroids. I don't feel tired etc. The only thing I can think of is going off birth control (but it has almost been a year now.) That is the only difference. Maybe just more stress?

IP is also about retraining your insulin response so your body handles carbs properly in the future. Phase 3 reintroduces the insulin spike. Phase 4 is for life. If you don't choose to eat the way phase 4 dictates with the fat and carb separation you will put weight back on and it will come with friends.

You didn't have much to lose In the first place so you have caught things pretty early, relatively speaking.

Wow! Just goes to show it doesn't work for everyone. My DH lost only 1 pound after 10 days on phase 1. P2 isn't a horrible way to eat, I suppose. Do you still let yourself have a fun day?

Bls- you mentioned you are running, do you think you are gaining muscle mass? Are your inches changing? Are you eating the extra calories that MFP gives for working out? They give way to much so all your really need is an egg or 10 almonds something light.
It's good you are on top of it and you know what you need to do to do to get back on track.