I have had a particularly bad week and a half. I did not cheat, not once last week but still gained 1.5 lbs. And the stress has just continued into this week. Well, today I cheated, I was frustrated cause I had not cheated last week and still gained and I was upset (emotional eater) and just said "oh well" and cheated.

Now of course I feel horrible and I feel like a failure and a loser and I don't know how to regain my motivation or momentum for IP. I want to and need to lose the weight but after last week's gain and the stress I am dealing with I don't know what to do, please any advice would be helpful

My first question is: do you REALLY want this diet to work? If so ,read on. If not, I suggest staying off IP until you are ready to commit. This is not a diet that you "dabble" in or go on and off.
If this really is your last diet, then get up, shake yourself off and get back OP right away! Drink water. Log your foods. Follow the protocol sheet.
Plan your meals out for tomorrow - even put the packets on the counter and prep your veggies. You can post on the "what are you going to eat today" thread. One meal, one day at a time.

If the scale causes you to react badly, stay off it! - even put it away!

Once you are back OP you can step back and try to figure out what caused you to react as you did and find a strategy to implement next time. There is more to this process than being a slave to the scale. We are changing our lives - not just our weight.
We have all been there. In a few days those pounds will be gone and you will be making real progress. This too shall pass!

Will

I put my packets out on the counter and prep and premeasure my veggies when I have a challenging day. Or if I know things are going to be difficult ahead of me.

I know as well that the scale is not the end all. The life style changes are the real victories. So I would say don't think of the scale as your only success.

Also, commit to the 100% thread. That helps me a lot.

Hang in there. Drink lots of water! And count those little successes every day and every hour.

BACK AWAY FROM THE SCALE!! :P Lol... i can say this because that was my whole problem with staying on this diet..I am one of those people who cant step on a scale every day because the little fluctuations like you saw..made me go crazy emotional and i would cheat and feel like a failure..It was a deadly cycle...So put that scale away! and just relax and let the diet do its work..It will work if you work it...

Excellent advice!

Thank You All!!!

I got a good night's sleep and as I have today off I started bright and early at 7 am to organize not just my meal plans but my life. I've been sadly looking at this diet as a "I lose the weight then after I will eat whatever I want." But that is not what I want, I want a lifestyle change. A healthier life is what I want for myself.

I put the scale in the closet for sure now. I prep'd my meals for the rest of the week, made a menu of sorts and I am currently pre-measuring my veggies and cooking them for the rest of the week. This is a change I need to make and be serious about and I am ready. Thank you for the wake up call!!

Hang in there! Try to figure out what is causing your stress (not always so easy to do I know)....but a really good mental exercise. And, drink all or more of your daily water. IP really works. Take it a day at a time. Don't beat yourself up. You CAN do this.