Yes, yesterday was an enjoyable day, and the colors, they're not yet at their peak here, but oh so pretty. I love this time of year...well, usually. VERY cold this morning, low 30s. We went out for an early morning coffee, quick stop at the grocery store. As we were leaving the parking lot, a pickup drove in, with a couple of inches of SNOW on the hood
Waaayyyy too soon.
Just an odd little lake effect flurry, probably a little ways up the lake from here, but OMG, I do NOT want to see that yet.
Besides, I don't think I have a winter coat that fits
(I envy you that thrift shop, nothing like that here. There are a couple of very upscale communities about an hour away, maybe worth a little trip to check to see what they might have. Will have to find some time to do that soon)

Good for you HereIStand! I use to be able to run 5km in just under 30mins but for the life of me, now I cant run longer than 2-3 mins without having to stop. I long to be able to run again! My coach said until I am close to phase 3 she wants me just walking and not running so I think I will use it as my motivation

Yesterday was day 1 for me. I went and got weighed and measured and picked up all my foods. I feel good doing this. I know it worked before (lost 25lbs in 5 weeks) but instead of phasing off I just quit. This time I am going to see it through. My struggle is with sweets though. I have a pantry full but I also have 2 children and a husband who apparently doesn't know how to gain weight, that wont let me get rid of them. I will have to dig deep to find my will power, but I am determined to do it.

Yesterday I went to bed with a bit of a headache, but woke this morning hungry and ready to face the day. Its going to be a great one, I can feel it.

Anyway, Thanks to everyone who welcomed me back. I look forward to being on this journey with all of you! Heres to a fantastic On Program Day!! Enjoy your Saturday everyone

Good luck with the sprints - are you still maintaining P1 with an extra even with all the training?
& lol on the thrifting -that's awesome! I really should look for a thrift store close to my job - I think the zip code down the street is one of the top five richest in the entire country - wonder if there would even be a thrift shop

With the sudden drop in temperatures this weekend from early autumn to December / below normal I went thrifting for a coat. Found a beautiful wool cashmere trench jacket for $17

And guess what!!! 2 pairs of size 6's!!!!! One is a brand new, tag on, Calvin Klein - a little snug - the other pair were just too cute to pass up (designs / sparkles & brand new!) and fit perfectly. All the M sweaters I got fit perfectly too - not too tight in the shoulders

So glad you guys have been here to help me through the tough times todays shopping trip was a great reminder of how much it's been worth the struggles

I'm a bit, um, overly competitive. I knew I had to have firm goals to keep doing well in maintenance, thus the running. So once my focus shifts from weight loss to races, I'll still have something to strive for.

Girl, I feel you on the sweets. My kryptonite is stuff like cookies and cakes. And I'm an excellent baker - my specialty is cheesecake. Since being on IP, if the sweets are out of sight, I do okay. I do eat a lot of sweetened veggies like faux apples (chayote & zucchini) and rhubarb, and I love my Quest bars. But the struggle is real!!

You have a positive attitude, which is a big part of winning the battle. The headache will pass. And, yes, you definitely need to phase off properly this time!

You are doing so amazingly well, despite the mental gyrations. Size 6s!!! That's awesome. I think you probably don't realize how great you look.

Wowsa, wool cashmere for $17. This made me realize I haven't even thought about the coats hanging in my closet. We don't usually need a lot of winter wear in TX, but there's that 4-6 week spell in Jan/Feb when it can get down in the 20s/30s. I did find a nice thrifted LL Bean fleece jacket yesterday that will suit me for the next couple of months.

Definitely check that neighborhood for a thrift store or Goodwill!! It's amazing what people will get rid of. My husband's cousin (a physician) is married to a very high-powered corporate attorney out in Los Angeles. He's one of those guys who buys $2000 Armani suits. Every year or two, he updates his entire wardrobe, and all the "old" suits go to Goodwill, for the tax write off. Can you imagine finding a Givenchy suit for $40 at your local Goodwill?

I finished my sprints. Did 1.3 miles, the last sprint was uphill and afterward my hamstring felt a little tight so I didn't push it further. Yes, I'm still doing my morning routine of drinking 1/2 RTD shake, then running, then having my regular protocol breakfast within 30 minutes. Seems to be working. But I'm looking forward to finding out if my pace improves once I can have simple carbs again.

Aaaahhhh! It's a new decade! 159 this morning, and only 4 pounds from goal. My official WI is tomorrow morning, and I'm going to stick to my plan to move to P2 on Nov. 2. Maybe I can lose a pound or two below my goal by then, to give me wiggle room when the glycogen stores fill back up. I'd really like to permanently stay under 160.

Hope you all have a beautiful Sunday. It's sunny and cool here; I will be enjoying my rest day, with no running or walking. I'm going with my soon-to-be daughter-in-law for her wedding dress fitting after church.

Great news HIS!
So happy to hear you finally broke through that barrier into the 150s I'll be rooting for you to get those last few off before your phase off date
The wedding must be getting pretty close now, you must be getting excited! Hope you have a fun day.


So, yesterday I went to the closet in the spare room to get something, and some of the shelves had come off their brackets. Bit of a mess in there! So I had to empty everything out. Decided to screw the shelves back in place instead of just sitting them on the brackets, probably what we should have done when we put the organizer in. Not a big job, and I'm kind of glad it happened. This is the closet where I put a lot of odds and ends, as well as out of season clothes, and things that "might fit someday", things I used to love but didn't fit anymore, as well as my current "one size up/one size down" clothes. Interesting what I found there . Some of the "might fit someday" - well, I missed the boat on most of them and some of the things I used to love, not so much now! So a nice purge --- and lots more room in there!

Today is a clean out the fridge day, lots of odds and ends of veggies, so soup for lunch, and then I have a chicken for dinner that we'll cook on the grill (on the vertical roaster, best way I've ever found to cook a chicken!), and have whatever veggies are left, probably on the grill too.
Busy week coming up, I have to be out of town on Tuesday and again on Friday, so I'd better make sure I have food to take along.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Happy dance for you HIS - 4 pounds will be gone before you know it!

Blue - omg sorry I missed you mentioning SNOW!!!!! Linda posted a perfect meme / acronym today - Sh*t No One Wants
Congrats on the closet! My closet is my next project because other than the clothes I am thrifting now, nothing "fits" because it's all XL. I am loathe to part with some of my warm winter sweaters - those may just get packed away until I figure out what I want to do...& truthfully with some of the recent psycho-moments I've had recently have started having nagging doubts about maintenance.

Did all my prep today and cleaned the freezer (ugh!). I'm not here to confess really - just noting that I had another episode. Has breakfast about 10:30ish and After being on my feet for 4 hours (around 1:30 / 2:00) started feeling really wonky - tired, sluggish & just yuk. I ate a P2 lunch (8oz chicken) with veggies, then a protein bar, then a bag of BBQ crisps...regular dinner and a pudding.
Also the big C has been a problem again thought I had it solved with the hot pepper - blah, that lasted a few days...now it's been 5 days again since I had a decent movement - drank some smooth move earlier

I hear you about the sweaters. I haven't had any problems giving away tops and pants, but sweaters are harder for some reason. I'm a long-time knitter and I have a lot of sweaters I've made over the years, many of them DO need to go, but I've been hesitating Not sure why really.... Actually I went through them over the weekend, and alt least I put all the ones that I don't think I'll wear again into boxes.

Sorry to hear you're still having problems. I'm sure you've tried different things to tame those hangries...maybe trying to eat something every 2 hours through the day... probably difficult to manage, but it might take the edge off. Good luck though, hope it all settles down for you soon.


Today is election day here in Canada ...
I just hate elections where I don't want to vote for who I know I'm going to vote for. Least bad of the choices
In any case it will probably be a minority government, which can be good, but usually doesn't last long...{{{SIGH}}}

Is election day a 'holiday' in Canada Blue? I always feel like there would be better participation here in the States if elections were moved to Saturday's or at least declared a holiday. The % of people who actually vote is pathetic.

Unfortunately Sunday wasn't just 'hangry' - I think this was low blood pressure (I've always had lower-than-average (110/70) bp) - I took some extra magnesium yesterday morning, on an empty stomach, and knowing my sensitivity that could have caused my bp to go too low. I also think I might be drinking too much water & causing an imbalance so I am adding a 1/4t salt at the start of each bottle (1L) / cup of water (my cup at home is 32oz).

The constipation is really bothering me right now too (bloating, uncomfortable, always feeling like I need to go - ugh) and I am at my wits end with that too - 24 hours and the Smooth Move hasn't worked...so I'm getting some Mira lax today

My normal pattern though...I usually back-up right before TOM

Just curious too if anyone is having low-libido issues? Poor DH / poor me...I've had about zero interest in that department now since getting down to losing these last 15 pounds

Beth, I was thinking your Sunday symptoms sounded like low blood sugar. Is that possible?

Re: libido. This, combined with the other internal struggles you've been having, seem like body image issues. Of course, you've also mentioned that you think your hormones are getting wonky, and that could certainly be part of it. How old are you? Could it be pre-menopause, in the midst of everything else?

Blue, I think every voter, in every country, is fed up with professional politicians.

It's sunny but chilly here this morning. We have rain predicted for the rest of the week, and I haven't had to run in rain yet, so this will be a new experience for me. I guess I'll have to go to the thrift store yet AGAIN and try to find a waterproof jacket.

Eating is going well, except that I've noticed the last two nights that I feel overly full if I eat my snack after dinner. And like Beth, I'm having some worries about maintenance. I so enjoy being this weight, I'm terrified of gaining even 5 pounds, and while I'm looking forward to P3 (I bought peanut butter yesterday, in anticipation!), I'm really rather scared about P4.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the wedding is December 5. It's my baby boy who's getting married. Technically, I could be in maintenance by that date, but I'm scared of not fitting into my dress, so I'll probably stay on P3 for an extra week. I told my kids I would take a piece of wedding cake home and freeze it until I could eat it.

Oh man HIS - I thought about low bs too but am scared to look too hard at that...I was pre-diabetic before starting IP...PDoc wanted me to start Metaformin to see if I could lose some weight - I chose diet / IP instead.

It might be time to invest $50 in the gear necessary to monitor my sugars to see if I am going too low & if there is something triggering these symptoms (ie - too many walden farm / artificial sugar products)

Any chance you could plan out and have your first P4 day be the wedding?

HIS - have I ever told you how much I admire your commitment to running? And envy it too. I know you're going to do great in your upcoming races!! I know a couple of runners (marathons, etc) and they just love it, and it's something age doesn't factor into much.
I've never really done much, and truth be told, running in the rain doesn't sound like a fun day .... but I'm told it can be!
For me, I have RA, and running puts the kind of strain on my joints that is no fun I'm on medication right now that keeps it under control, but if I overdo anything, I know I'll get a flareup - that hurts
So like you, but for different reasons, I worry about maintenance and keeping the weight off.

Beth --- low blood pressure, hormone changes, low blood sugar...wow, none of these are good things. Not sure when during this whole process you got thoroughly checked over by your doc, but if not recently, with all this stuff going on with you, might be a thought. At the very least, it might pin down something for you or eliminate some worries.


Just got back from voting. I just held my nose and marked my X.
I would really love, just one time, to get excited about a candidate for Prime Minister. Well, maybe next time there will be some new faces, one can only hope!
And no, it's not a holiday here either - not that it matters, I'm my own boss and I can give myself a day off if I want

So wasn't that snow fun yesterday. We had none stay on the ground here, but just an hour away, several inches!!!

Beth, hold up. A couple of (possible) episodes of low blood sugar doesn't mean you're diabetic. All of us have dips in our blood sugar when we go without food, and especially on a low-calorie diet like IP. I think you probably just need to make a conscious effort to get a snack between your meals if the meals are 4 or more hours apart, to keep your blood sugar more even. Try that before investing money in a monitor or cutting out your WF products. I'd start with protein foods, like a hard boiled egg or an ounce of lean meat (I like Oscar Meyer oven roasted turkey), and see if that stabilizes you.

As tempting as it sounds to go on P4 right before or on the day of the wedding, so I could eat what I want, I've read enough stories about that first indulgence day being pretty uncomfortable. I think I'll wait.

Blue, I'm not sure I LOVE running, but I like the endorphins it produces afterward. And the feeling that I'm accomplishing something. But it's certainly not for everyone. We all have to find a physical activity that works for us. Personally, I could never be a bicyclist. My butt hurts just thinking about it. With your RA, I'm sure you have to be careful not to induce more pain.

I was surprised this morning. It felt like I was running so slowly, but my time actually improved. I despise those speed training days, but I have to reluctantly admit they're working. I mapped out my training schedule for the next 4 months, and made note of a few spring races I might be interested in if I can successfully complete that 1/2 marathon in February. The great thing about racing at my age is there aren't usually a lot of runners in my age group, so maybe someday I could finish in the top 3! (BIG ASPIRATIONS.)

Thanks HIS...sorry to be going psycho here recently. My last blood work was June and everything was ok...blood sugars, etc. I generally try to eat every 4 hours - breakfast is 8:00, lunch by 12:30 and then dinner...that's my long stretch - is around 7:00 but I do usually have a snack (around 3)- and especially when I walk.

I don't like the exhaustion though - may go ahead and work from home tomorrow / make an appointment to get my blood work done a couple weeks early. Can't hurt and would probably ease my mind

Lol - true true! I like the idea of freezing the wedding cake - you may not ever eat it

One change I decided to make last night was to take the IP groups out of my Facebook feed - it was just too much and an information overload! I would see a post and go 'is that ME?' or 'is THAT me?'
I'm too close...I've done this with y'all / the 3FC forum / my own and been successful...

Blue / HIS - I doubt I am going pre-menopausal, but since both my mother / maternal grandmother had hysterectomies in their 30's I don't have much to base that on & while IP seemed to make my TOM's more regular, I have to remember I am NOT regular...I've had a Mirena IUD for 9 years and generally only had a 'cycle' 3 - 4 times a year...this is the most 'regular' I've been so the fact it's still messed up shouldn't come as a shock...it's just annoying as Also, I am too close to the end of this journey to worry about current estrogen / testosterone levels kwim? I should be back to normal by the first of the year

(TMI) Got some Miralax last night - took the first dose and feeling better this morning I really try to avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs but figure I've dealt with this long enough.

Prepped last night to spread today's food out and see if that will help with the tiredness.

I messaged my PDoc to see if I can get my blood work done 3 weeks early (I have a lady-appt 11/13)