Hi everyone, my internet went down on Saturday night til this morning and I didn't realize just how much I miss this forum til it's out of my reach LOL..

Marionm - love the profile pic with you and your daughter in your former shirt - I would frame that one as a conversation piece!

Linden - I never knew that either about pain killers but then again my "coach" sounds related to yours we call her jekyll/hyde because you never know who you are going to get.. today she didn't even bother to show up for my appointment - not that I had worked my schedule around to accommodate when she actually likes to be in the office!! Thank goodness you saved your pup and I hope they don't allow that owner or lack of back into the program!!

tbf410 - wahooo congrats.. we call those poopy pants and you are right they are not attractive but down 2 sizes what a wonderful feeling.. we love Khols when we go state side shopping.. keep on saying no!

So week one I lost 5 pounds. Week two 4.5. Week three nothing. Week four nothing.

I was getting creative.

Time to get back on the real plan!!!!!


Thanks to all of you for sharing!!!

Anybody heard from Chelle or Melissa (Kelsey) lately?? I am wondering what happened to them and some of the other regulars...

I am definitely going to save that photo. I'm actually hoping I can fit another daughter in by the time this is all over! LOL Good thing I have skinny girls!

Chelle was asking after you in a daily chat thread within the last week. Melissa popped in briefly a while back.

Try a PM. That way, they'll probably get an email message informing them that you're looking for them!

Wow good job you are your dogs hero my neighbor has a bunch of over sized husky/maniac dogs and they are real rednecks and one of there dogs has already killed 2 small dogs and I have a chihuahua well this summer the maniac went after my Febe and I almost broke myself running to save her! Luckily when the maniac flipped her up in the air when she landed she got away. One of the scariest moments of my life! Some people just shouldn't own dogs!

Soooooo.....I went to a birthday party for my niece today. There was 2 fruit platters, cheesies, pretzels, Cola, KFC, and Ice cream cake. I think I wanted to bite my arm off! LOL!
I made it. With only a bite of a pretzel and a popcorn chicken off my son's plate, which actually happened more by accident, but I was in public and couldn't spit it out like I have at home!
So all in all, I think, a victory. It was tough, I wanted that food so bad. And to be honest, the fruit tray was the hardest. I am a huge fruit eater, and normally eat 2 apples a day, plus more. I use fruit for the long nights when I'm awake for more than normal hours, so fruit has been hard for me!
I work next door to KFC, so I smell the stuff daily, and thats almost enough to make one nauseous at the best of times!

NSV - I bought an expensive spring coat this year, I never spend money on myself. Wore it 3 times, then could no longer get the zipper together to do up. Today, I wore my fancy coat! And there is room for another layer!

WOW! Sounds like an undertaking but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

How do I make my ticker go on my posts? I have done this on other boards, but cannot figure this out. Is there a standard place for a signature that I am not finding?

1 Dragonfly for every 5 pounds lost.

Week 6 weigh in tomorrow and I feel like the scale hasn't moved at all. Hoping for an overnight drop, but even if that doesn't happen I am going to stay strong, reevaluate my food/packet choices, drink more water, and keep on going!

thanks, I'm svelting!, Carla and makeitmatter for the input. WI on Wednesday, so I'll have some instant feedback, but I appreciate your experience !

Good evening friends,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Monday.

I seem to have hit a slow point for my weight loss. I hope to stay focused and keep on plan. I have had a lot of stress lately in my life...that could be some of the problem. My dad is not doing well and my mom was in a bad accident and can not do anything for at least 6 weeks. She is a very independent lady and is not use to asking others for help. It has been a huge adjustment for all of us. I hate alzheimer's. It is a terrible, terrible disease. My dad is now bed fast and does not know any of us. It is really hard on Mom. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Carla, organizing the recipes is a terrific idea, and a HUGE undertaking! Thank you so much!

I would suggest you start right now with tapering off all sugar, and cutting back on caffeine, etc. And don't give yourself a last "blowout" weekend of gorging on carbs (can you tell this is the painful voice of experience?)..

Once you begin IP, the first thing that happens is your body has to "flip" into ketosis. This will only happen once you have burned through your glycogen stores.

So if you can start lowering your carb intake now, it will make you go into ketosis A LOT faster. If you are a big sugar eater, then trying to get into ketosis, change your eating habits AND live through getting off sugar addiction all at the same time is pretty miserable. So if you can get the sugar out of your life this week you will feel much better much more quickly once you start IP.

And start now upping your water intake. You want to start flushing out your body and this will help.

If you can, go through your cupboards and box up all the foods you will not be eating on IP and take them to a food bank or throw them away. Get them out of sight or out of the house. Clean out your refrigerator and make room for a LOT of vegetables--you'll need it. Buy a salad spinner if you don't have one.

Start reading the recipe threads and planning what you will eat for dinner the first week, and what groceries you need. And how you will make that dinner (and all your future meals) work for you and anyone else you might be cooking for. (my DH and I would have an on plan meal and I would make rice or pasta or potatoes for our daughter, since she is dancing at an arts school about 5 hours/day and needs carbs.) Be sure to look for salad dressing recipes, you will need them!

TAKE A BEFORE PHOTO, or a bunch of them. I never did and I really wish I had. I was so distressed by how bad I looked I had not let anyone take a photo of me for a long time and I was not confident enough to believe I was going to succeed so I did not do it. wish I had!

GOOD LUCK! (and btw: since you are already thinking/working this out a week before you start, you have a great attitude...making IP work is ALL about planning ahead, so you've got a good start!)

Disregard! I realize now that even though I have hit my 20 posts, that I will not have a signature until after 20 days or so!
Go figure, I've lost weight for a ticker to show in less time than it takes to get a ticker! :P

Happy Monday My Fellow IPers!