P3 TO LIFE INTERVIEW EPISODE 28

Annette's Experience with:

 

the P3toLife Program During Phase 3 of the hCG Protocol

 

What were/have been your biggest concerns when contemplating going into P3? 

Of course, regaining what I'd lost.  What I should eat/should I just stay on Atkins Induction for the rest of my life, below 20 grams of carbs.  Scared to exercise, since I would likely retain water and see the scale go up. 

 

What did the P3 program provide to you that you feel like you didn't have before without it in past Phase 3s?  

Peace of mind, and variety!  Knowing exactly what to eat and being able to enjoy cooking again.  I just trusted the plan and went for it.  I ate the large portions and really hoped that I wouldn't go over the next day.  It felt like I should have, but I was good. 

Before having these recipes, I was living on meat, broccoli, green beans, salad, greek yogurt, berries and nuts. I didn't like cooking from recipes because it felt like I would be eating something that was going to make me fat; why cook something that would hang over my head that way.  So, I stopped.  My husband and I would just grill a bunch of meat over the weekend and eat that with one of the veggies I mentioned throughout the week.  Very Sad!  Very boring!

 

How did you end up following the program - did you do the original plan, the simplified, or build your own meal plan or just tweaks to one of these? Can you give a few details of how you utilized the program and tailored it to yourself and your circumstances? 

I followed the three-week original plan nearly exactly, except fasting on Mondays (week 2-4) and not having the smoothie every day.  

 

Did you have to do any correction days during P3 this time and if so, what do you think was the cause and how did your correction day(s) go? 

I had trouble with things moving the way they should if you know what I mean.  On the first day of week 2, I was 1.8 Lbs above my LDW and I realized that I hadn't gone in a week, so I fasted till dinner and took milk of magnesia around noon; I was back down to .8 above LWD the next day. 

By the end of Week 3 things were better, taking probiotics and magnesium citrate, but my body just seemed to want to settle between 1.5 to 2.3 above my LDW;  I weigh in at either 135.6 or 136.4.  I plan to continue to fast one day a week though.  

 

In a nutshell, can you share your tangible results from following the P3tolife program? - how your weight has been, while following the P3 program? 

Well, my LDW was 134.1, lol. 

The first week I went up a half a pound to .8 of a pound, except for the1.8 lb episode the first day of week two. 

Week two is where I seemed to want to stabilize 1.5 above LDW, and at the end of week three, I started working out again and went up a little on those days. 

I fasted the first day of week three and didn't go down at all the next day.  So, I weigh in at either 135.6 or 136.4...I'm not sure what to think about that.  

 

How did you feel about the portion sizes & taste of the P3 meals? Did the portions and taste of the food make any difference in how you felt about eating/relationship with food while on p3? If you still felt hungry, how did you adapt it to add calories?

The food is so good that I felt guilty not including my husband in week one.  I felt that something this good should be shared. Now, mind you, I didn't feel guilty excluding him from P2, but Phase 3 just felt like gourmet dining and I just felt extra selfish keeping that to myself.  So, I made enough for him during dinners of weeks 2 and 3. 

I did all recipes in the original plan as laid out, so I was cooking something nearly every day for three weeks. 

The first week, I tried to eat the huge portions and realized that I just couldn't handle that much food at all the meals.  I realized that I didn't need to eat every three hours and I can do fine with just one evening snack on most days.  Some days I was hungrier and I'd eat a snack from the leftover meals...I generally had a cup or two leftover in the fridge from some of the meals.  

During week three, I ate nuts and sometimes frozen fruit when I felt hungry between meals.  I didn't count calories for anything I added.  I drank about 2 ounces of wine, just for taste, with dinner every day during weeks 2 & 3.  Hey, it was fine dining; I just couldn't leave red wine completely out of the picture, lol.

 

Can you share a little about your personal life- ie work full time/part time, kids or hubby or school? Would love to hear how you made the logistics work of cooking the program with whatever time constraints you deal with. How did you manage to fit in preparing the meals with your schedule each week? 

I work 40 hours a week and I commute in heavy traffic about 45 minutes one way.  Both of my daughters are grown and out of the house, so it's just hubby and me (and our dog Halle).

For the most part, cooking felt like a long-lost hobby.  It felt good to be combining ingredients again.  It did get a bit tough making dinner some days, especially those that had sort of a three-part process...say meat, roasted veggies, and a sauce or blending roasted veggies to make a sauce for the meat and veggies. Just one simple, extra step, would stress me a little.  So, I labeled those meals, "Saturday" meals, so I'll know not to try to make them during a work-evening in the future. 

With my schedule, the simple meat and roasted veggie meals are better for dinner.  My breakfast meals were always made ahead of time, on Saturday or Sunday, and either refrigerated or frozen. And, lunch for Monday was always made on Saturday or Sunday, but other than that, I cooked nearly every evening.

I didn't want to spend a lot of my weekend cooking.  I did all the grocery shopping on Saturday.  Some things I'd buy from Amazon the week before I needed them.  And, my grocery store is also online, so I could pull of unfamiliar ingredients to find out which aisle it's on in the store.   

Have you struggled on past p3's and if so what were your struggles? Did the P3 program help address these struggles/how so?

My first P3, which I count, was scary because I didn't eat the fruit in P2 and I couldn't stabilize near two pounds over.  I lived in a state of correction for eight weeks, long enough for the clinic to give me another round. 

The 2nd P3, I went far too fast adding things back in, including wine, and not just five ounces. I'd attend parties week one of P3 and be totally disappointed the next morning.  I'd end up maintaining at about 7 pounds above LDW each round. 

I stabilized well in my 4th round and stayed around 1 pound above LDW for about four months, then all hell broke loose with a menopause episode and I gained 10 pounds in seemingly six weeks.  I think I fasted too much that time.  I was afraid to exercise because I knew I would gain.  That time, I just didn't drink wine the first week in order to stabilize.  It was a good round, too, so my body was okay with stabilizing coming off P2...but I messed things up later.

 

Were there any positive results from following the plan that surprised you, that you weren't expecting? Have you learned anything new from the program? 

I'm surprised that, on most days, I don't have to eat every two or three hours; the portions are larger than I'd normally eat and they keep me full longer.  The food is nutritious because the volume is added through high fiber vegetables; I thought that food had to be high fat and low carb in order to keep me fuller longer, but I'm finding out that food doesn't have to be loaded with fat to keep me full. 

I'm pleasantly surprised that I can eat nearly 100 carbs a day and still maintain. Before, I tried to stay away from anything that had more than say 3-5 grams of carbs but knew that I was missing nutrients.

 

What were one or two of your favorite recipes in the plan? 

It would probably be easier to tell you the one or two that were not my favorite! 

Week one favorites are the Apple Spice Mornin Mug Bread, and the Spanish Cauli Rice and Steak;

Week 2 favorites are the Rosemary Butternut Squash & Garlic Herb Pork chops and the Peppermint Patty Smoothie;

Week 3 favorites are the Blueberry Lemon Muffins, the Fish Taco Bowl, and the Verde Chili over Butternut Squash. 

And tons more.

 

 

 

Was there anything in the coaching section you found useful or that resonated with you and how so? 

Healthier emotional eating: I realized that as an introvert, socializing is draining, even when it's fun.  So, I end up eating much more in social situations.  I've even eaten before going to a party and realized that after being there a little while I will eat as if I hadn't already eaten. 

It's hard to explain because I like socializing most of the time, but since it's also draining me of energy, I end up eating to compensate.  Also, if there's a deficit in alone time, I end up eating more for some reason.  So holidays are really hard because I end up being around people 24/7 for weeks at a time. Trigger foods is another one; I don't have many but I've discovered that pecans are one of them.  Once I start eating those, I can eat half of a medium-size bag in one sitting, around 1000 calories in one sitting.  

 

Any other closing thoughts that you want to share about your experience with the program, or that might help others considering whether or not to give it a try?

Just that this program provides peace of mind that is rare in p3.  I decided to trust it, higher carbs and all, and just eat the delicious, nutritious meals.  I feel healthier than I have in a very long time because I'm including higher-carb vegetables and fruit.  I was afraid to do that before, but I decided to trust this process and I'm so glad I did.  

 

What type of hCG did you use? 

Injections

 

Have you ever used Lipo shots or b12 shots, and if so, what do you think of them?

I don't think they help with weight loss, but B-12 seemed to help me sleep better for a while.  I tried the Lipo shots that I can do at home five days a week (from DietDoc), but I stalled the week I did them on P2.

As soon as I stopped, the weight loss started again.  And, they HURT for a while after the injections.  I chatted with a rep, who told me to put ice on the injection spot, which did help.  I took maybe eight or so injections before I just gave up on those.