Hi! I'm Maria, married to the love of my life. Growing up, I was always a healthy weight and very into sports. Went off to college and gained the basic 20 pounds and never really recovered. Weight slowly crept up until I started to have my kids. First child I gained 60 pounds and lost only 20 before getting pregnant with twins within a few months. Needless to say going full term with twins just added more weight. I didn't have the time or energy to spend on myself. Probably 8 years ago I decided to lose the weight and went to a local "dr" and he put me on weight loss pills. They worked, because I had no appetite. I lost a good amount of weight but felt really unhealthy. After stopping the pills, I gained it all back and then some.

A few months ago I was talking with an old friend who had been doing IP and I decided to join. I am so happy because I am learning how to eat appropriately. I have a long way to go but I can actually see that I can do it.

Thanks for all the support!

Hey, all! Day 3 of the IP diet.....
First off, I'm blown away by what I’ve seen in this forum so far! SO many people working so hard at this and finding success...losing 50#, 100#, and up! And here I am, totally wimpy after 2 days, wondering HOW I'm going manage to lose my 25 pounds on this tortuous diet!!! I'm told it gets better.
5 of my co-workers started this diet 5 weeks ago and they are literally melting! I have always been opposed to the idea of "diet"-I'm embarrassed to admit I'm on one. It's a LIFESTYLE, right?! Eat "clean", move your body with cardio and weightlifting....well that was all well and good until the last couple years. After spending 2 years on 2 medications I gained 10 pounds and once I got off the meds and hit the exercise with earnest, i suffered a low back and shoulder injury...2 months down for the count and 10 more pounds on! I've healed up and spent the last 8 months trying to loose the weight. For the first time in my life, my usual healthy active lifestyle yielded NO results. i increased my weights at the gym to put on fat burning muscle mass, I watched portions, tried to find the right combination of carbs and protein, tried out interval cardio....All I have been able to do is maintain my weight. People say,"well, your hitting 40, that's when we start to fall apart...". Great. I learning that the human body is a wacky thing and that sometimes committing to a healthy lifestyle doesn't work for everyone. Sometimes you have to admit you don't have control and ypou need some help. So, green with envy, I watched my co-workers revel in smaller pant sizes...and I decided to go for it! I look foward to learning from you all and sharing in everyones success.
My greatest fear is that I'll go into my weigh ins only to find that I'm not loosing any weight...that I'm just destined to be frumpy mom and no more hot outdoors woman.....
I AM feeling a bit better today....a blessing. But BOY do I get GRUMPY around 3:30pm...oh, my GAWD!!!!! My poor family. Actually, the husband is on the diet to, which is great!

Hi my name is Rene but everybody calls me Couts. I am a happily married man to a wonderful and beautiful woman. I have two awesome children a daughter who is 16 and a son who is 3 years old. I know big age gap between the two kids but they are are from two seperate marriages. I work in Law Enforcement and it is true what they say we eat donuts and drink coffee, but when you work shift work and midnights there are not many places open in the middle of the night to take a break.

My son has really brought me some great joy and rejuvinated my life. He is a a lot like me a sports nut and likes to play all kinds of sports. I used to find it a chore to play with him because I would get tired easily and sweat a lot and just not feel good.

I have tried Weight Watchers twice and lost weight but gain all of it back soon after stopping. I went in for a check up with my doctor and was told by him I need to lose some weight to feel better and lower my chances of getting diabetes and having serious problems. Thats when it hit me that I needed to do something because my kids and my wife need me to stay around for awhile.

My cousin is the person who introduced me to IP. He has been doing it since March 2010 and has lost a ton of weight. So I thought I would give it a chance and man I am now a believer in this program. I have only been on IP for three weeks and I am already down 25lbs and feel great.

I did research on the internet and found this site with all you great people. I have been reading all the posts and have been inspired to make this work for me and my family. So I hope that you all don't mind having a chubby guy right now hang out on the site to gain knowledge and wisdom to make himself the skinny mini guy.

Hello all!! It really is great to hear about everyone

My name is jules and im 26. I have yo-yo dieted for as long as I can remember. Maintaining the loss for a while then slowy packing the same lbs. back on! up and down with the same 25 lbs!!! I swear its like I would get thin and then think wow I'm skinny now and can eat whatever i want!!! NOPE! I'm now realizing thats not how it works. lol.
I found out about IP when I overheard a coworker talking about it. I got home that day and googled it!!! thats how i found this site and the rest is history!! I found the nearest clinic that offered it and signed my mom and i up for the openhouse! Now my mom and I are on week 2 and both down almost 10 lbs!!!

I lived in hawaii last year and was down the 25 lbs probably due to the active lifestyle there. As soon as I left I came back to a NJ cold winter and an unhealthy relationship and then instantly started gaining.
I am going back to Hawaii this january and cannot wait to hit the beach looking good and feeling good!!!!

Oh..and I cant leave out that this is the first time since high school that ive been single and I am absolutly loving focusing on ME !! Ive decided that 2011 is my year to just be me and really do some soul searching!! I am for once not focused on some guy and I LOVE it!!!

This website had been soo amazing and motivating!!! You are all AWESOME!!!

Hi there, I have been coming to this site since I started with IP and. I love it.
My name is Kim, I am the proud momma of a shih-tzu named Peanut, hense the name. For as long as I can remember I was always the fat kid. I remember my mother coming to visit me (my parents are divorced) bringing me books on how to become more healthy and loose weight. Growing up my dad always called my sis step-mom and I whales. Abuse in its finest form. So I ate more in secret just like my mom did, its how we coped. After a series of not so nice boyfriends my weight starting creeping up to keep those mean boys away, I couldn't have a nice skinny wall between me and the world. I still have grandparents who call me fat every time I see them. Makes me really want to go there, makes my self-esteem really great!! So the last few years I yo-yo up and down, when ever I started to feel good I would quit, the up I would go again. 211 is the highest I think I have ever been. HCG got me here. That wasn't a lifestyle and was too hard to keep up.
So buy the time I turn 40 in march I want to spend my birthday feeling fabulous in another country.
IP was introduced to me by my manager and good friend. She started 4 days ahead of me. It is so nice to have that support as well. Thank you for all your posts I enjoy reading them every day.

Hi there!
My name is rose and I am new to this community. Just a little of my background. All my life, I've always been overweight or chubby, never skinny or thin. I have to say it was hard growing up as a chubby kid because alot of kids and even family made fun of my weight. My nick name at home from my brother's and sister was "fat cow". My mom always pushed me to try and loose weight and exercise, though I did get in the habit of exercise, this still did not help my weight. My weight always fluctuated between 150-160 lbs, with me being 5'2. I've tried to diet many times, but all failed. I was just too much addicted to food and diets were just hard for me to follow.
I finally heard about the IP from my mom. She heard about this through someone at a fitness club that she exercises at. My mom just could not get over on how great this lady looked, compared to how she use to look.
I decided to give it a shot and on Sept 17 I started the IP program and I have lost a total of 30 lbs.
I'm proud to say that I've reached close to my goal, which was in the 120's. I started the IP weighing in at 157, and I'm now at 127, phase 3. I have to admit it was very hard at first starting out because all i wanted was food. However me loosing 6 lbs the first week kept me modivated
I feel great and get many complements on how I look
My self esteem is alot higher and I'm just so much happier.
I love the fact that I can go and buy smaller clothes. I went from a size 13 to a size 7 (sometimes 9 depending on the brand).
My goal is to maintain the weight I am at now, or go even lower. I do not want to gain any weight back what so ever, I worked to hard for this.
Just want to say good luck to all! This is the best diet ever!!

Hello: My name is Ginny. I've been on the IP diet since Nov. 16/10. I have lost about 15 pounds on this diet. I have been on many diets in my 57 years of life, and this is one I am glad to have found.
I am a semi-retired cattle rancher/cattle ranchers wife. (scaled down from the ranching, but still the wife) We live a quiet life on the banks of the Fraser River in British Columbia. Gardening is one of my hobbies, as well as being a glass artist. (stained glass, flame working and slumping) Long trips into the mountains with the horses are on top of the list of things we do in the summer. This year is the first winter that my husband has agreed to travel to a far away winter retreat with me. Usually I go with my girlfriends. Thus, the reason to want to drop a bunch of weight. That as well as the fact that I haven't been 171.5 since I was pregnant. Oh yes, I have 3 lovely children. All young adults and happy and healthy and successful. No grandchildren yet. But, I do have grand *****es. 3 dogs. My youngest has 2 (one only 4 weeks)LOL and my oldest has one.
I'm glad to be on board here with the rest of you. I have enjoyed reading all your posts and I'm looking forward to contributing. Good Luck to all of us to maintain this new look at life.

All of the stories I am reading are truly inspiring - I hope that I too will be joining in on the incredible successes that you have shared. Like many others, I too was the fat girl in school growing up. I wasn't necessarily alone however, as I come from a family where obesity is somewhat prevalent (I tried to blame my Ukrainian descent - then I met a couple of skinny Ukes ;-()
In my early twenties I managed to turn things around and was about 150 pounds and size 8 on my 5'10 frame. That didn't last though, as it seems as soon as I got skinny I got pregnant. DOH!
Since then, the last 14 years have been a roller coaster ride with my weight. It's nothing for me to lose and regain over 40 pounds in under a year. I have tried soooo many other programs, some with militant staff who stalk you 3 times a week to get your butt in there for an injection or to wait in the "cattle call" for your 3 minute degrading. Out of town? Too bad, fly here immediately! The stress of it all brought out my rebellious side and I gained all the weight back...taught them a lesson hey? I can't keep doing this to myself, I just can't.
So here I am today on my first day of IP. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing, moreso after seeing what you all have been able to accomplish on the program! Might just be psychological, but man am I HUNGRY today. haahaa
I now have 3 teenage girls in the house, all of them bordering on having weight issues themselves. That is also part of my motivation - they need to see that they too need to take care of themselves, or the end result may be years of self inflicted "torture" and at many times shame.
I look forward to the relationships that you have all made with each other - I know it truly will make a difference for me.

Hello all! I have been lurking around in this forum for a few weeks now after I decided to start IP... I decided to wait until Christmas and New Years was over so I wouldn't have any distractions right off the bat and so I could focus on it 100%! I am so excited to start on January 3.

I am a yoyo dieter and I have tried WW, LA Weight Lose, South Beach and counting calories... I am hoping this is my last one!! I have heard a lot of great things about IP. After finding this forum, I am so inspired by all the stories and I feel like running out and starting today!! January 3 can't come fast enough... I can't wait to start feeling good about myself and feeling comfortable in my clothes again. I have started drinking more water everyday to help prepare myself... drinking water is a challenge for me. I will maybe get one glass in everyday so if anyone has any tips out there for drinking enough water everyday, I am all ears!

Anyway, hope everyone had a great Christmas! Wishing everyone luck in the New Year!!

This is my second time around doing the IP program. My first time I lost 50lbs then I got pregnant. Needless to say, poor food choices and months of bed rest brought all the weight back again. I re-started the program December 1st and I'm glad to be back on it.

Like many other posters this isn't my first time in the weight loss ring. I don't think I can even count how many times I've tried and how many different ways I've tried. What I really like about this program is how easy it is. I don't have to think really... open a packet, add some vegs and I'm done. This is great because I hate to cook and often don't have time to cook even if I wanted too!!

On a personal note, I have four children 17/8/6/2months that keep me busy. I haven't set a decisive goal yet because I'm just taking things day by day and will make the decision when I get out of the 200s. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to getting this weight off!!

Hey, y'all!

I'm starting IP in the morning. Like most of you, I've yo-yo'd my way up and down (a little) and back up (plus some).

I'm 28 years old, 5'2", and 256lbs. I wear a 22-24 or 2X. Sometimes, especially if I wear purple, I feel like Violet from Willy Wonka, just as round as tall! I have three beautiful kids and a supportive family.

Most of my family have tendencies to be tall and almost skinny. For a while, some of the others envied me because I had the right curves in the right places. Too bad the curves kept on coming! Now, I hate being in pictures, especially with my tall, thin, and happy cousins. I love them, but sometimes I hate me.

My mom found an article about the local IP center, and cut it out for me. I have done other diets, but often didn't even tell my family or friends I was trying to lose weight because I was afraid of failure. Now I realize I was allowing myself to continue the viscious cycle that was eating away my health, self-esteem, and happiness. Right now, my parents know about IP. They also know how much it costs! I think that may help me win at losing. Tomorrow, I'll let my close circle know, and they'll be supportive, and hopefully not sabotaging.

I'm nervous, so up at a ridiculous hour, trying to read as much as possible. I hope to learn from y'all, support y'all, and lose with y'all! To my other newbies, I'm not looking at this as a New Year's resolution, because it's not. It's a new lifestyle, one that I plan to commit to fully. I'll be joining the challenges, and continuing my workouts to get the most for my time and money!

Nice to meet you all, I've read through the boards, and really feel this is the place to be. See you all tomorrow after, gulp, breakfast. Strawberry Vanilla smoothie is calling my name...sort of.

Jolie

Hi, I have been trying to lose the same 20lbs for a number of years. I guess I am a yo-yo dieter and a carbaholic (sp?).

I read about Ip in the local newspaper, started researching it online and stumbled upon this site. Reading all the amazing stories here prompted me to join IP. I am waiting for my package to come in the mail, hoping to start Fri Dec 30.

I am looking forward to getting to know all you better in the upcoming weeks.

Hi! After posting my intro on an incorrect thread, I will try again!

I am 5'7" 36 years old and weigh 187 lbs. I have always been "athletic", competed in track and cross country in high school. After sitting at a desk for the last 15 years of my career, my body has gone through it's ups and downs. After I had my 3rd child at the age of 30, I got committed to fitness, hired a trainer and lost 20 lbs. My skinniest weight was 137, but to get there, I trained 2 hours a day swimminig biking and running 6 days a week. It was too much to maintain with my family's busy schedule and I let it go. I maintained a healthy 160 lb weight until 2008 when I got laid off from my job. My work out routine was disrupted while I found a new job and started work on finishing my bachelor's degree. I finished my degree August 2010 and received a promotion...but my weight has ballooned to 187. Since August I have been training twice a week and have seen no weight loss results. I am strong, but fat, lol. I know how much work and commitment it takes to lose the weight. After reading these posts, I am feeling positive that this is the "kick-start" to my weight loss goals that I have always been looking for. Unlike some of you, I have NEVER followed a formal diet. This program seems very restrictive to me. This morning I started my program and am feeling very nauseous. It was sooo hard to eat that omelet. I am used to drinking a lot of coke, so the transition to tea is not so tasty. I appreciate all the encouragement this site offers; and am very committed to following through no matter how "sick" I feel.
Thanks so much for this website!

Okay, well here we go!

My name is Doug and today is Day 1. I'm confident I'm in the right place. I'm thrilled to read your stories and can identify with most everyone. I heard about Ideal Protein from a friend last night, found a wellness clinic in Seattle, and made an appointment for this morning to get started. I did my weigh-in, measurements, bought my food and I'm on the journey to Ketosis!

I really do believe this is my last option, as I've been considering lap-band surgery, and I'm not quite there yet.

It seems I've had weight loss on my mind since I was about 20yrs old. I am now 47yrs old. I started on Slim Fast back in the early 80's when you had to buy it mail-order. I've tried about everything, and can't even remember all the names of the diets I've tried. Ever heard of Grapefruit 45? I tried that too! Weight has been a struggle most my adult life as well as body image.

Well, back in January of 2007, I thought I had gotten to the end. I weighed in at 328lbs and started OA HOW. I have nothing bad to say about that program, I had lost 100lbs in about 11 months. I no longer had to shop for clothes in the Big & Tall section. I was eating great and got the support from a lot of good people. Slowly over time, I slipped away and started eating whatever I wanted. I've been unsuccessful in getting back on track with that food plan. Just today I was looking at pictures of myself back then when I had lost the weight and then took a picture of myself today. I can't believe the destruction I have done to myself over the last 12 months. My weigh-in today was 319lbs. I've nearly gained it all back! Every month when the house cleaning lady comes over, she leaves a stack of empty pizza boxes near the trash can in the garage. It's embarrassing.

The good thing about all that, is if I did it once I can do it again. I'm confident the IP protocol will take me there. The dinners are very similar to how I had eaten before. So hopefully it won't be as big of a lifestyle adjustment as it was the first time. Although, I can tell ya, today just before dinner I was really jittery!

Thanks for being here and sharing your success. I look forward to sharing a positive experience in the near future. The best thing about day 1 is Hope!

Hi,

I started the second week of December. I've lost 13 pounds so far and I'm quite happy (especially with xmas!). I've been struggling with the veggies but have found that spices really help to make them taste much better. My husband and kids have been very supportive and so I'm very grateful for that.

I work full time and I have two wonderful kids (age 4 and 7) and have been married for 9 years. This year we plan on going on a family trip somewhere fun for the kids (with a beach for Mom!). I want to get fit and be healthy for the trip. It keeps me motivated.

I hope to loose 15 pounds this month. I want to reach my goal by May. It would be great to be 150 for the summer. This is the first time in a long time I actually believe that I can reach that goal. IP has been a real boost for me.

Thanks to everyone that's put a comment, a recipe or their stories. All have been a great help to me!

Go 3FC Go!!
Go IP Go!!

Good luck to everyone, let 2011 be a new start!