[MagnoliaBlssom]

Spiritman-congratulations! I know you are doing your happy dance, big time.

[rhondamarie]

Nolasmurf,

Instead of alcohol you can have SPARKLING ICE drinks. They have some lemonade drinks with strawberry and raspberry, they're great and if you put them in a class with ice it looks like a Cosmopolitan. We're going to Orange Beach and I'm bringing them. Our stats are very similar. Good Luck.

[nolasmurf]

I've tried the sparkling ice and they are good. Made zucchini noodles tonight to try with the WF alfredo, regular Alfredo for the sweetie since he refuses my "diet" stuff lol. Have a chicken breast on the grill to go with it.

[Spiritman]

Thank you everyone for the kind words, it is greatly appreciated. Wifey says thank you as well. I won't tell you what she said to me after I told her I posted her picture.

[Prairie Chicken]

Spiritman, congratulations on an awesome achievement. Having the spouse on board certain is a plus. Keep up the good work!

Found myself reaching for off program foods last night. Logged on to read old threads instead. You don't (or maybe you do) know how helpful and encouraging posts can be. Thanks to all of you who post; it can be a lifesaver!

[rhondamarie]

I have a question, sorry if this is the wrong place to post it. What do you use for you red gravy. Tomatoes have so much sugar. Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks

[JLUS]

Originally Posted by ktgrrl

Hi all,

I usually check in earlier in the day, but boy! This one has been a doozy!!! So glad it's almost over.

I'm curious for some thoughts on my loss so far. I've been doing IP w/ alternative products, and have been tweaking as I've learned more. But, so far, I'm only down about 3lbs. Has anyone else had a slow start? Any thoughts or tips on how to get going?

Hoping everyone else is having a better day than me!!

Hmmmm... Why don't you post a couple days of your menus/beverages, and amount of water, salt, oil so we can see if there are some suggested changes that might help.

[65X65]

Originally Posted by JLUS

Hmmmm... Why don't you post a couple days of your menus/beverages, and amount of water, salt, oil so we can see if there are some suggested changes that might help.

Don't use alternatives myself other than RTD EAS carb control shakes.....but have read enough on here to know there are a lot of alternate products that do NOT fit the IP product profile. Are you sure what you are doing fits the program? Someone ordered a starter PAC from another company and it was suggested this could be a problem. It's necessary to understand the products and match the alternate carefully to create a successful alternate diet plan.
Good luck..!! Undoubtedly people do well on IP when they follow the protocol but many do just as well with the alternate items but they also have become extremely knowledgeable. Best of luck..it can be done and done well.

[65X65]

Originally Posted by Spiritman

Morning all,

jumped on the scale this morning and discovered:





I am down 3 pounds this week and one pound below my goal weight.

Yeah me. Almost 6 months to the day since I started IP and I have achieved the goal I set for myself. I am down 146 pounds - 126 of which was achieved on IP. When I first started I didn't think this day would ever come. Now, when I look back it hardly seems like any time at all has passed.

For the next little while I plan on remaining on phase 2 - my wife is still on phase 1 she has lost 60 pounds and has decided to lose 30 more. So to help support her and because it seems that you will gain some weight back once you transition to phase 3 I plan on losing 4 more pounds to give myself that buffer. At least that's the plan at the moment.

I will be posting some before and after photos in a bit. Have a great day all.

Best wishes and congrats to both of you! What a team!

[Ruth Ann]

Originally Posted by rhondamarie

I have a question, sorry if this is the wrong place to post it. What do you use for you red gravy. Tomatoes have so much sugar. Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks

rhondamarie: I think there is a red pepper puree in this thread - it's wonderful to use as a red gravy.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...ie-purees.html

[silverfighter]

Hello.

Total newbie here. I have been reading all week and I will have my products tomorrow. I have lots of concerns about trying this plan (getting bored with protein since I am a vegetarian and will have to eat eggs or tofu every day and what to do with my pretty hardcore workout lifestyle) but I am also committed to at least 4 weeks. I packed up all the non-plan food at the house to take to my sister once I get my products. I am pretty excited.

I have set a 60 pound goal for the program in its entirety. I did well for awhile after my thyroid improved. Then I gained and my weight has been stable since I was diagnosed with hypercortisolism, pretty much no matter what I do. I have smaller goals at each 10 pounds, all with non-monetary and non-food rewards.

Well, I just wanted to say hi and a little about myself!

[Goodtimes]

Hi silver fighter! Keep reading and you'll get what you need. Although I'm not a vegetarian, I know of many vegetarians that have successfully lost weight on IP. They are close friends of my mother's and are the people who inspired me to join. Good luck and just stay committed!

[dak1lls]

Ktgrrl, i have continued to lose using alternatives. I'm not sure how long it took you to lose the 3 lbs. My losses on IP products and Alts have been low some weeks, maybe 1 lb, and high some weeks, maybe 5 lbs. I am all over the place and after a week or two of low losses I have a higher loss week. I really make sure I pick things that are OP and are within the alternative guidelines. Most of my stuff comes from Nashua Nutrition and I am careful to check for no aspartame.