Colliep, I get what you're saying. Yesterday I was walking home from my Weight Watchers meeting and getting a manicure. I had to walk past our farmer's market and while walking home I sampled about half of a nectarine. Fruit is what I miss most. The other carbs don't tempt me much. I'm still in ketosis but I disappointed myself in not walking right past the market.
I'm glad that I get an other opportunity to do it better today!
Hello from Alaska! I graduated from IP in January and thought I was at my goal weight....I have decided that I want to go a lil bit further and drop another 20lbs. So, this is my accountability post I am starting back up today! I think its fantastic that there is so much support here and look forward to seeing everyone meet their goals!
Welcome Sweet! Well, I am definitely not a model IP citizen. I just cannot seem to "restart" on this diet. I do well for a few meals or a few days, then I pretty much blow it. Yesterday was had a cookout and my intentions were good, but one glass of wine led to some more and then that led to a bad of light microwave popcorn. I ended up over maintenance calories, over 100 carbs. It's like in my mind, I really want to be thinner and get these last 10 pounds off but that all goes out the window over the weekends. I even saw a post by someone a little taller than me now weighing a little less -- someone who obviously persevered and succeeded on IP. Yet, I seem to falter day after day after day. I wonder if maybe I should just go back to calorie counting and forget about the IP approach since I just cannot seem to stick to it.
I'm seriously thinking about switching over to regular Low Carb eating. I seem to do better without the chemicals of the IP/Alternative products and enjoy eating more natural protein sources. I'm going to try it this week and see if I can get my weight loss restarted this week and down to my normal BMI range. I'll let you know how it's going. I have a lot of IP Alternative products and may include them in my eating if the carbs numbers allow it. I find that the carb counts are higher than what work for me. I'm better with more calories and under 20 carbs. I'll keep you posted on my experiment. This morning I'm 149.8 and delighted that I maintained what I lost during my first week on IP.
Yay! Calee, I am not doing IP products anymore either. I have EAS CarbAdvantage RTD shakes and some muscle milk light. I haven't ventured into other packaged food replacements because I just don't particularly want all my food in a pouch -- very hard to explain to your toddlers why mommy is eating foil food.
I such at IP and am thinking I am just going to go for more balanced eating with less processed food/added sugars. I think it is sustainable, sets a good example, etc. I may need to add in a yogurt with frozen berries for breakfast though because the constipation/bloating that keeps recurring is ridiculous and has a negative impact on other aspects of my life.
I am thinking maybe more IPesque weekdays with a normal healthy eating on weekends. I think I can sustain that. I get that it is not IP etc. etc. but I think it could be a workable solution for me.
I felt pretty lame today - just tired and unmotivated. At the gym taking the kiddos to gymnastics and dressed to get down to business and what do I do? I come home instead. That's a first. I think today might be nap day.
Keep us posted Calee and great job on being in the 140s!! My breakthrough I want is the 130s. My goal was to be 135 by October 1st. I need to lose 10 pounds between now and then so not sure how likely that is at this rate!
Yes - Keep us posted Calee - I thought I was being cheat proof free - i.e. 17 days guys - COMEE ONNN, but no, I'm already out of that. Saturday I resisted so many things - I drove a huge birthday cake down to my mom, ate an early chicken and veggies to resist b-day cake and snacks at my nieces 1 year old birthday party, then drove to my home where my boyfriend and I were celebrating one of our best friends birthdays. I ignored another cake, chocolate covered strawberries, tater tots, guacomole burgers, and drinking. Only to go out and drink vodka sodas and eat cold tater tots when I got home. The next day I snacked on pita chips, hummus, cut up vegggies, jarslberg cheese and had some multigrain pasta. I still had a 1lb loss from my IP low (actually a little more of a loss - but I was overly inflated from vacation week) - but that would have been a 2.2lb loss from my low if I hadn't had carb snack fest!!!!
I just want to do this - just FINISH it out until step 6. then I'll start reincorporating carbs - like greek yogurt and apples and then oatmeal ... slowly - over 3 - 4 weeks. Then just start eating clean. I'm concerned I dont' have a clear exit strategy and that I'm not being as efficient as I could be on this diet - I just have 15 more days - I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!
Yes, yes and yes. I had to laugh at resisting everything only to have a vodka soda lead to your demise. That is me, too!
I need to be locked in a closet for 17 days!
You know what I wish? I wish there was someone out there getting down to their last 10 who would chime in and say, Hey Ladies! If you are 100% OP you (like me) can drop 4 pounds in a week still! That would be encouraging. What is not encouraging? Living on vanilla shakes and losing only 1 pound per week . . . at best.
So, I have a dumb question. If we are "off" the diet (which I am, I am low carb but def not IP), then if we restart with Phase 1 week 1, will we see a significant loss like we did week 1? Or, because we are already low carb, there really won't be a drastic change? I think I might post this on the main discussion and see what kind of feedback we get. I think we need some positive reinforcement / motivation to know that our efforts will yield some encouraging results like they did in the very beginning.
DH is leaving town tomorrow, so I am going to take it 1 day at a time. I commit to being 100% Phase 1 for Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri. One foot in front of another.
Coliep - I'm phase 1 , 100% this time I swear, ending on Sept. 5th. Let's be the guinea pigs? Why not!!! Is not being 100% worth the mental exhaustion we're giving ourselves wondering what if? If it doesn't work - I mean - we're just out a week. We have to push the pause button to get to where we want to go. We can't live like we're trying to mantain - or even lose - because when you don't have much to lose - those pounds either take a lot of time (forget calorie in versus calorie out for the last 10) or some major strictness. I'm fortunate in some ways - because my body obviously isn't at a plateau. I came back from vacation on Tue. at 143.6, I immediately dropped back to 142, then was at 139.8 by Saturday morning ... due to above weekend cheats I'm now at 141 this morning - but I think I could see a good drop if I just stayed consistent. It's the 130 - 120 weights that I'm more concerned about ......
I know you are right. I absolutely hear you. I want to shout "YES!!", but I don't trust myself. I will aim for now til Saturday, starting . . . . now (not IP this morning either, of course). I did put a post in the main area too. I agree, I do spend WAY too much time thinking about this and thinking about food. I annoy myself!
I hope there is a little room in the boat for me too because I'm right there with you! It has taken 7 weeks to take off 10 lbs. and I still have 10 to go. I have taken off 11 inches which is great but for how restrictive this diet is, I would think more would be coming off!
I started at 146 lbs. which is the most I've ever weighed so I keep wondering if not needing to take off much is why it seems so hard.
As for cheats, I have done a few but still lost the exact same amount each week. Even the cheats were minimal and didn't seem to make a difference.
I wonder if a high protein, low carb diet wouldn't get me there just as fast with more quality of food. I don't mind the IP products but I'm a little picky on the vegetables so I'm burning out on zucchini, bell peppers and the occasional green bean! I also am really tired of lettuce!!!
I do love how I feel and I know I've changed my thoughts on food and will be able to maintain once I'm off IP. Still I just feel like I've done everything right and feel like 7 weeks for 10 lbs. is not that great, especially for the cost of IP.
Ahhh Emmy, music to my ears. Not your plight, but that you are in a similar boat. First off, I see you picture and you look fabulous! Not to discourage you from continuing on, but i can see in you picture that you look pretty fit. Also if 146 was your highest weight, then you are definitely not the "usual" candidate for this diet either.
I lost 11.2 pounds in 6 weeks on the diet, even with my cheats (starting in week 2 I had a love of PB and I allowed myself 1-2 tbsp / day depending on my workout and I did this in exchange for my oil). I felt so guilty about cheating, even though I felt good and was losing that I started to have a "bad relationship" with the diet and it became a slippery slope. Anyway, I digress...
I have been trying to low carb, reduced calorie approach for the last 2 weeks, when I couldn't afford IP products anymore. I have lost nothing and it makes me take a second look at IP. Now, there are some caveats (1) I don't weigh/measure my food when calorie counting, I estimate and I don't think I have been as diligent as I should (2) I was on estrogen for a week and saw a gain that same week of 3 pounds (but also I was less IP this week). Anyway, I am not sure what the cause of the gain is for sure but I am going to assume the hormones since even if I poorly estimated calories I certainly didn't eat enough to gain a few. Nevertheless, the pounds are here to stay. Just goes to show what a signifcant role hormones have on our weight loss!!
Anyway, all this to say that I am feeling conflicted and confused . . .
Ahhh Emmy, music to my ears. Not your plight, but that you are in a similar boat. First off, I see you picture and you look fabulous! Not to discourage you from continuing on, but i can see in you picture that you look pretty fit. Also if 146 was your highest weight, then you are definitely not the "usual" candidate for this diet either.
I lost 11.2 pounds in 6 weeks on the diet, even with my cheats (starting in week 2 I had a love of PB and I allowed myself 1-2 tbsp / day depending on my workout and I did this in exchange for my oil). I felt so guilty about cheating, even though I felt good and was losing that I started to have a "bad relationship" with the diet and it became a slippery slope. Anyway, I digress...
I have been trying to low carb, reduced calorie approach for the last 2 weeks, when I couldn't afford IP products anymore. I have lost nothing and it makes me take a second look at IP. Now, there are some caveats (1) I don't weigh/measure my food when calorie counting, I estimate and I don't think I have been as diligent as I should (2) I was on estrogen for a week and saw a gain that same week of 3 pounds (but also I was less IP this week). Anyway, I am not sure what the cause of the gain is for sure but I am going to assume the hormones since even if I poorly estimated calories I certainly didn't eat enough to gain a few. Nevertheless, the pounds are here to stay. Just goes to show what a signifcant role hormones have on our weight loss!!
Anyway, all this to say that I am feeling conflicted and confused . . .
Coliep,
Thank you, I so appreciate the support. Although I am about 6 lbs. lighter in the picture than I am right now, it's still pretty accurate. With the extra weight on, it seemed to go to my chest, arms and upper thighs, plus not great tone either. I hate working out! I am not obsessed with the number on the scale, it's more that I want to feel more tone and look good in my clothing. Still, the number on the scale is the deciding factor on whether what you're doing is actually working! The only thing keeping me sane is that 2 lbs. per week must be fat and therefore it will stay off, right??? LOL
My Coach and others told me that IP was really great for someone who only needed to take off 20 or 30 lbs. and that is why I tried it. Sure, I know people that had 40 lbs. to take off but they took it off quicker than I have, so I thought surely it would be the same for me. I have to say that every person on this site that has had to take off more weight, on IP, is a HUGE HERO in my book. This is not for sissies!
Luckily, I have no other issues, like hormones or a monthly cycle to contend with, which means it should be a little easier. I agree, the hormone issue you're facing is definitely harder for you.
Obviously we would all like it to be easier but that really isn't the issue. Something so restrictive should show you results, especially when you're really staying on program. I want to try my own program and see if it works but I'm scared to do so. I don't think I'd gain but what if I don't actually loose that 1.5 pounds, in a week! HA!
I only have 14 more days with IP - after Sept. 6 I'm done - and the most terrifying part is the ... what next. How do I mantain the loss? If I stall on something this strict, how can I possible lose on something else? The hard truth is the last 10lbs are triccckkyy lil lbs. I'm not quite to the last 10 as I'm shorter - but I know I'll be in that boat sooner than I'd like. However, readoing over things had made me rethink my - maybe I should go get indian for dinner theory.
Lol. Indian for dinner . . . maybe not the best choice for the low carb dieter!! 14 days, you CAN do it!! Just think of how AMAZING you will feel in 2 weeks, most likely at least 5 pounds lighter!!!!! Don't let my discouraging words (whcih are the result of my own flailings at a diet that does work when followed) disuade you from moving forward giving it all you've got!!!!
I am starting back up today! I think its fantastic that there is so much support here and look forward to seeing everyone meet their goals!
However, readoing over things had made me rethink my - maybe I should go get indian for dinner theory.
