Welcome back to the Daily Chat thread - post your plans for today, share what's been happening, ask questions!

Some forum lingo:
NSV = Non-scale victory
TOM = time of the month
WI = Weigh-in
WF = Walden Farms
OP = on plan

Bookmarking:
Ideal Protein Sub-forum Home page
Consider making it a bookmark or a favorite in your browser so you can come back easily to get your RDA of Ideal Protein information.

Information for newbies:
Check the sticky page (top of forum, above all the topics) for lots of good information and please read here before asking what might be a frequently asked question: Information on Ideal Protein phases (1-4), IP Ultimate List Recipes, FAQ, Newbie Guide, Exercise, and other Important Threads,
and here are the most recent Ideal Protein Protocol sheets

And before you cheat, read this thread:
The Real Cost of Cheating on Ideal Protein

Before starting new threads: spend some time reading the forum. Most new threads are duplicates, triplicates, quadruplicates. Folks who are the most successful, make time for research/reading.

More Recipes Here Mix'n in the kitchen...Recipes from the Rainbow
MiX'N' iN THE KiTCH'N.... Recipes from the Rainbow Volume 2
Fun with Ideal Protein Packets
Fun with Veggie Purees!
Ideal Protein Diet Recipes #4
Tips and Recipes from the Incredible Weight Loss Center

For those looking for alternative products
Here is a thread with tons of info. Spend some time in it. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-1-a.html
And here is a link to a chart to help you choose appropriate products

Tickers and Signatures:
There are 2 requirements to have access to signatures and tickers. You must have been a member of 3fatchicks for 20 days AND posted at least 20 messages anywhere on the 3fatchicks forum. When you've met those requirements check The Ultimate Signature and Ticker Thread for more information and instructions.

Quoting:
The best quoting tip - EVER!! Thanks Rosie, aka 6710.

Searching:
If you can't find what you're looking for in this forum using the website search function, try using the "double search" using Google.

1) Go to Google.com. Search 3fatchicks by using the term site:3fatchicks.com at the end of your Google search.

For example, if you want to look for "big mac in a bowl", type "big mac in a bowl site:3fatchicks.com" in Google search. No need to include the quotation marks when you type.

2) This will bring up the page that you are looking for, now hit Ctrl+F to search on that page. Type "big mac in a bowl" and all instances of that search term will be highlighted.

Progress photos
Mini-Goal Photo Album.

Other helpful links related to the Ideal Protein Dr. Chanh Tran Tien's website

Beck Diet Tuesday Reality Check

If you have the thought [about practicing a diet skill], “Is this really going to make a difference?” remind yourself that the answer is YES, it does make a difference because every time has consequences for the next time and the time after that. If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off, then it DOES make a difference. You don’t even need to engage with that thought because it will only undermine your efforts. Remind yourself that it does make a difference and then move on.

Good morning! Lisa you are up way early this morning!

And I like that quote. Every time we make a decision to stay OP counts in the long run. All those little decisions add up and actually take us where we want to go.

Good morning ladies! Someone asked on yesterday's daily chat about the timing of your snack. Does it matter?

Good morning true true Lisa!!!!
Hey I have a question, I know there is info on this but I couldn't find it. Spaghetti squash is this like corn just high in carbs so we can't have it? Some say depends on your coach?? Thoughts ???

Sorry, wouldn't depend on your coach. It's not on the P1 sheet so it's a no-go.

I'm looking forward to it in maintenance though.

Most people have found that we must fit IP into our lives.

Some people eat dinner later than others so an afternoon snack works better.
Whatever works!

to all my veterans out there....did you ever just get sick and tired of eating on plan? wanted to change it up? i'm getting closer and closer to goal every week but just want to eat fruit again. have a slice of toast. i'm getting antsy! Guidance? My cousin was trying to convince me last night to start phasing off and just do WW. In my mind, that sounds glorious because I can just count points. But then I reminded myself that WW never worked before-too many temptations during a weight loss! I think it's a good idea for maintenance maybe. I need help to keep my motivation. I don't want to convince myself that phasing off is a good idea.....

Ems - I'm getting very close to phasing off and, yes, sometimes I'm just sick and tired of eating on plan and want something different. That's when I hit the recipe threads! And I have to have a talk with myself - I haven't put in all this time and hard work to not finish it up.

Hang in there, you are getting so close to goal - when I got within 5 lbs of my goal and then stayed there for a couple of weeks I was seriously asking myself the same questions you are. I'm so glad I decided to stick with it. I think it's normal to start getting antsy the closer we get but just think of it as strengthening your determination muscle!

Of course, but remember, you have the rest of your life to have the fruit or grain, just hang in there and you will get there!

yall are right. I just got off the phone with a close friend who said the same thing. Her first thought was actually quite funny. she said "I don't know how you've done it for the last 6 months but don't stop now!"

Ems--you already know the closer you get to goal..the slower it goes...and the resolve needed sometimes wears thin! You may be feeling that from time to time at this point. There is diet fatigue...which is your body and physiology screaming enough already...but there is also your mind. My time on this forum has shown me over and over that there seems to be a moment when we long-termers start running on empty mentally, esp if we have had a high degree of success. Usually I believe we start reading of these feelings from each other around the 6 month mark. This is not scientific..(!!!). Just a pattern I've seen more than once...and one I felt myself experiencing, at about the 6 month mark. Some folks reevaluate their goal...some rotate off for a while with the intention of returning...and some keep on trucking. The number on the scale is only one measure of where we should weigh in.. Are you exercising? Building and retaining your lean muscle? (A good thing at this point...but the scale will not show those continuous pound drops as you know. Instead...you keep losing inches and it can be pretty consistent and very noticeable with NO scale change happening at all) More important...how do the clothes you have fit? Are you in the size you want to be in yet?? You are tall, so there is a lot of room to layer that lean muscle and look good. (Always wanted a pair of long lean legs...) However, your BMI is still not quite in the normal range...do you want to consider that or not? Many feel the BMI numbers push to unrealistic low a weight for some body types and it has nothing to do with height and also using BMI can be something that is not one you can maintain.

I'd suggest stick with being on plan a while longer...but maybe it's time to schedule a visit with your physician and discuss your end point. Get some blood work (and bask in good results)...that may motivate you for a little while longer...or that process may tell you you are done. You have adhered and given this a magnificent effort up til now. Know there will possibly be some pounds regained with glycogen restore no matter what you decide for your end to IP, more dieting using another method and maintenance.

Many use the size of their clothing as the real gauge of being ready to phase off. You will also need to think out how you will go it for maintenance...lo carb? calories? Points? Increased exercise? You know a plan of maintenance for life that you can live with needs to be part of your world ... make sure you spend some time figuring that part out before you go off.

I'd really have liked to lose another 6-8 pounds (like 10-12 for someone taller than me...) but had to phase off for medical reasons...and giving my body a rest was pretty much mandatory. Others have had that challenge too for a variety of reasons. I can tell you once the active phase of IP is done you will find a lot of joy in life which has been back-burnered. You will have mental space for things you love and for new endeavors. Be ready for those challenges and the excitement of reclaiming what is yours....being ready for that takes planning and thought too.

Good luck...

So i've decided to do ip again, second time around. I went in to get some ip food and discovered they are not selling any of the products anymore. so i bought what i could from them, which wasnt very much left there, and now I dont have anywhere to get ip stuff, unless i order it online. Does anyone know if there are any alternatives I can use that I can get in Canada, since now there is no where for me to buy here?

65, thank you for that. I do feel like my mind is screaming ENOUGH ALREADY! It is around the 6.5 month mark for me. My goal in regards to a number is 160. My real goal is to wear a bathing suit confidently. Whether that be at 170, 165, 160..we shall see. It's definitely not right now. I'm in a size 10 but would love to be a 6 or 8. Don't know if that's realistic. My cousin and I are built identically and she weighs 155 and is a size 6, sometimes 8. My new coach measures every 3 weeks. I loved getting measured every week because I always saw more results in it. She said because our body changes so much with bloating, etc...she doesn't like to measure every week. The way she looks at the measuring is how I look at the scale. It can change so much throughout the day.

I do exercise. Pilates (2xweek) Yoga (2xweek) and recently I've been getting in about 10,000 steps/day with my fitbit.

I did blood work on 1/2/2014. My results shocked my doctor (Wahoo!) but she still wanted me to keep loosing. Of course, I was 199 when I saw her then. I told her I wanted to get to 160 and she liked that. I also have PCOS so whatever I do for maintenance needs to keep that in mind. My blood work showed high levels of testosterone. They think it's because of the amount of soy i'm eating. They want to retest a few months after I finish IP to make sure it goes down. They are not worried about it enough for me to stop IP.

I was trying to convince myself this AM that I needed to phase off now and learn my new way of eating so that I can loose weight and eat normally. Why must I try to tell myself that? Obviously it hasn't worked in the past. This is what works. I just need to dive into the recipe thread and spice up my meals some more!

Michy,
Go to www.idealprotein.com and find another clinic, there has to be another one not too far. Good luck doing it again! I'm doing it for the second time around and so far so good! Don't let yourself fail again. I learned I had to stop with the excuses and just go with it!


W1: -6.8