[canadjineh]

Originally Posted by kissi

NSV - That size 10 pencil skirt...
I'm going take in my size 12 skirts when they get to the point that they don't stay on at all. Thankfully, I know how to sew quick and easy jobs.

Way to go, Kissi!!! I like to sew too and if you can tailor things down a bit it sure helps cut 'new clothes' costs. Soon you will have all new pencil skirts

Originally Posted by MarylandMom

First day back at work after a week's vacation. BOO! I am happy to say that I stayed 99.9% OP while away. There were a few things at restaurants that I am not sure were delivered exactly as ordered, but I did manage to lose .8.

I REALLY do not want to phase off as I still have 36 pounds to go to reach goal. I have decided to give the Alternative Plan a try first. Not sure if the added calories/carbs and not being in ketosis will stop the hair loss. I am absolutely TERRIFIED that I will not lose any weight on the Alternative Plan or (worse!) gain some back!! Anyone have experience switching to the Alternative Plan? Did you continue to lose weight albeit more slowly?

Between the hair loss and my vacation being over, I am in a bit of a funk today!

I didn't have the hair loss issue but I only had just over 30 lbs to lose and was on for 15 weeks or so to get to maintenance. I did do the Alternative plan because I had stopped losing weight and wasn't feeling well. I actually began to lose weight better when on Alternative - I guess my body just needed more food. Perhaps that is your issue as well; maybe it will help with the hair fallout and stop it, beginning the regrowth phase as you will have more calories & nutrients for your body to use. It's worth a try but remember it won't be instant growth.
If you get really desperate, there are really good wigs out there for not too expensive a price (I have several just for fun) and they don't have to look 'wiggy' like in the old days. You could get something in a similar colour shape & texture to your own hair and believe me that comes in handy on a really bad hair day after IP, lol. Or you could just "own it, girl!" and wear something completely different in colour or length or texture. Paula Young has some good inexpensive options... a US company and if you phone them you can talk to an actual person and get advice. They do medical type wigs too for cancer survivors. Their quality for the price is especially good. http://www.paulayoung.com/

I have the Brittany, Chantal, and Reese wigs on this page in different colours from light blonde to dark auburn: http://www.paulayoung.com/category/w...Picks&page=all

Liana

[Hawaii69]

Originally Posted by evemomma

Good Morning everyone! Did a sneak at my old dial scale (my digital scale is still battery-less...not replacing it until I get to my maintenance goal weight and weigh daily) and I don't seem to be too much under 140. Grrrrrr. I have my official weigh-in on Wednesday. Not sure how long I sit at ALMOST 135 before I decide to go ahead and start P2. Part of me wants to be really stubborn and make sure that I "officially" hit 135....and part of me is ready to keep moving. Advice welcome!

Evemomma; This is a common issue with most of us that get close to our goal number. I continued to lose through P2 and P3 and once I got into maintenance started to really exercise so the scale went up a bit but my measurements stayed the same. I'm definately toned compared to when I started maintenance. I saw my goal number before I phased off. Its easy to get obsessed about the number so remember to think about if you are happy with the size you are and the measurements you have. Its not always about that number on the scale which is the best advice that my coach gave me. Its a very individual thing and decision! I hope this gives you some food for thought! You have done great!

[bcart1618]

Hello everyone! I've been on IP for almost three weeks and have lost 10 lbs (slow going, but very excited!) I'm LOVING all the new veggies and opportunities to cook!

I'll be off to college soon, so does anyone know of any success stories (or even other users) from IP in college? I'd love to get some tips and tricks.

Also, favorite IP foods?

[kissi]

Originally Posted by bcart1618

Hello everyone! I've been on IP for almost three weeks and have lost 10 lbs (slow going, but very excited!) I'm LOVING all the new veggies and opportunities to cook!

I'll be off to college soon, so does anyone know of any success stories (or even other users) from IP in college? I'd love to get some tips and tricks.

Also, favorite IP foods?

Congrats on 10 lbs down!

I don't have any college advice. Convenience looks like it would be the name of the game.

I try different IP foods each time I order (aside from the bars - I like the wafers and soy puffs and dill pickle zippers and white cheddar ridges way too much to substitute it for a bar) I keep my sheet printed out of all the IP products my clinic offers and have them highlighted in green if I really liked them, yellow if they were okay and pink if they are never to be ordered again!!!

Some of my favs and not so favs

Breakfast Items:
Crispy Cereal - I like to make pancakes out of this. So easy and it satisfies that craving
Fine Cheese & Herb Omelet - I like the taste of this one. Part of me just wished it were real eggs though....I order it to keep a variety.

RTD:

My morning routine is easy. Vanilla RTD mixed with about 4 oz of coffee and a packet of splenda. I also like the RTD Cappuccino and Strawberry Banana. (Wasn't a fan of the chocolate and have yet to try the mango).

Drink Powders:

Blueberry, Cranberry Pomegranate - Love, Love, Love this. And it has 0 sodium (I drink think the days before my WI as my snack).

Cappuccino Drink Mix was okay but I liked the RTD more. Then I figured out I could get more to drink if I mixed the RTD Vanilla with Coffee so I have kept it there.

Wildberry Yogurt - Loved this. I freeze it in popsicle molds sometimes and have an 'ice cream' treat. It's also good plain too (I mix it up and let it sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes or so to get the fruit bits rehydrated).

Wasn't much of a fan of any of the other Drink Powders.

Soups:

Broccoli & Cheese Soup - I like it plain or poured over some roasted cauliflower.
Chicken Soup - I eat this one plain.
Potato Puree - Quick and easy. It has an aftertaste but I kinda let convenience win this one over.
Tomato & Basil Soup - I like this one okay.
Rotini Tom & Basil - This one gets a lot of negative reviews but it's a BOGO item at my clinic and I tried it for the first time this weekend and it wasn't so bad. I can tell why people would not like it though.
Chicken Patty - I ordered this once. It was okay. Just the idea of eating rehydrated chicken got to me. I was like "why am I not just eating a real chicken breast instead of this?" I won't order this one again

I didn't really care for the mushroom soup and a lot of people like that one. It just was really salty and I used to eat these chicken mushroom ramen noodles in college and that's what it reminded me of.

Chips:

BBQ Soy Chips are tasty
Garlic and Herb Chips are my favorite of the three
Sea Salt and Vinegar just left a weird taste in my mouth

I treat my chips as a 'restricted' food because I wasn't seeing losses that I wanted to see when I mixed the chips with a restricted food. So the days I eat chips, I'll have a drink as my afternoon snack usually.

Puddings/Jell-o:

Majority of my puddings I turn into waffles. My Mom got me this fancy double decker cooks two waffles at a time waffle maker one Christmas (like I really needed that being a single gal living by myself) so I put it to use with my puddings.

So please note that my pudding preferences are from my waffles.

Banana Pudding - Tastes kinda chemically IMO
Butterscotch Pudding - Tasted Great
Lemon Pudding - Tastes kinda chemically like the banana pudding
Vanilla Pudding - Perfect for waffles. My favorite. Order it every week so I can waffle it up on the weekend.

Raspberry Jell-O - Tried this for the first time this weekend and I will definitely order it again. It was quick and easy and tasted good.

Restricted Foods:

Apple Cinnamon Soy Puffs - DELICIOUS! Reminds me of yummy kid cereal. I do miss getting to have milk with my sweets but these things are so good.
Chocolate Soy Puffs - Tasty. Kinda reminded me of a whopper candy
Dill Pickle Zippers - I love Dill Pickles and these are really good. I only order them every other week though because they seem REALLY restricted IMO
Triple Chocolate Wafer - Tasty
Lemon Wafer - My favorite Restricted Food by a long shot (I didn't really care for the strawberry wafer)
White Cheddar Ridges - Helps on the days that I am craving something cheesy. They taste good, kinda tangy.

I know this was a lot of information and a very long post, but these are my favorites of the IP items that my clinic offers and that I have tried. I try not to do Restricted breakfast/lunch items because I like my Restricted Snacks too much. Everyone's tastes are different, that's why I will pick a new item every week or so and try it and I keep my list up to date.

Good luck on your journey and IPing at college!!

[JJTx]

I wish they would sell some of these things in variety packs. That's what I loved about my starter kit, having different things to try before buying a box. At least our clinic has a "swap box" where we can buy a single pack of something or swap something we don't like.

Last week I bought a pack of potato puree and found a recipe for these garlic/herb muffin bread things - delicious!

[pishposhappelsauce]

Went to the beach this weekend with girlfriends and spent a lot of time at the outlets. I fit into size 12 now!! They are a teeny bit snug, but 5-10 more pounds and they'll be perfect. I'm hoping when I hit 165 I'll be at a 10, so 12s can be my new "fat pants". Medium tops are still a bit more fitted than I'd like, but I bought a few cause larges seem too big. My weight seems to be sticking to my thighs and my belly...I still have a bit of a pooch. Hoping that will start shrinking soon.

[bcart1618]

Originally Posted by kissi

Congrats on 10 lbs down!

I don't have any college advice. Convenience looks like it would be the name of the game.

I try different IP foods each time I order (aside from the bars - I like the wafers and soy puffs and dill pickle zippers and white cheddar ridges way too much to substitute it for a bar) I keep my sheet printed out of all the IP products my clinic offers and have them highlighted in green if I really liked them, yellow if they were okay and pink if they are never to be ordered again!!!

Thanks for the advice! I've also been trying different things each weigh in, I especially like the plain omelet and the BBQ crisps. I like the idea of highlighting in different colors... will have to try! My clinic doesn't have any way of getting around ordering a box of whatever it is you want to try, so this week I'm stuck with pineapple-banana drink, which isn't as yummy as it sounds...

Definitely ordering the lemon wafers next!

[kissi]

Yeah, Pineapple & Banana Drink garnered a bright pink NEVER AGAIN from me. I really do like the Blueberry, Cranberry Pomegranate Drink. I don't even know what it reminds me of, but it's good.

[evemomma]

Originally Posted by Hawaii69

Evemomma; This is a common issue with most of us that get close to our goal number. I continued to lose through P2 and P3 and once I got into maintenance started to really exercise so the scale went up a bit but my measurements stayed the same. I'm definitely toned compared to when I started maintenance. I saw my goal number before I phased off. Its easy to get obsessed about the number so remember to think about if you are happy with the size you are and the measurements you have. Its not always about that number on the scale which is the best advice that my coach gave me. Its a very individual thing and decision! I hope this gives you some food for thought! You have done great!

Thanks so much for the thoughtful advice! I don't want to get "number obsessed" either. I have not been exercising much at all besides just being an active mom with two young kiddos. I have a gym membership ready to start once I can up my exercise. I was planning to wait until P4 to start. I have to say I'm pretty happy with how my clothes are fitting. But boy do I need some toning! The last time I was this thin I was doing Pilates daily and running 5 miles at a time (but eating TERRIBLY I'll admit). I'll talk to my coach at my weigh in and see what she thinks about it also.

[canadiancandy]

Good afternoon everyone. Hope you all had a great weekend.

[nat1015]

I had my WI today. Down 30 pounds total! Woohoo!

Congratulations to everyone on their victories this week!

[Jenny38]

Originally Posted by bcart1618

Hello everyone! I've been on IP for almost three weeks and have lost 10 lbs (slow going, but very excited!) I'm LOVING all the new veggies and opportunities to cook!
I'll be off to college soon, so does anyone know of any success stories (or even other users) from IP in college? I'd love to get some tips and tricks.
Also, favorite IP foods?

Congrats on losing the 10lbs, a great way to start the next school year. My favourite is crispy cereal -pancake, and of course all the treat food is delicious.

Originally Posted by pishposhappelsauce

Went to the beach this weekend with girlfriends and spent a lot of time at the outlets. I fit into size 12 now!! They are a teeny bit snug, but 5-10 more pounds and they'll be perfect. I'm hoping when I hit 165 I'll be at a 10, so 12s can be my new "fat pants". Medium tops are still a bit more fitted than I'd like, but I bought a few cause larges seem too big. My weight seems to be sticking to my thighs and my belly...I still have a bit of a pooch. Hoping that will start shrinking soon.

Way to go pishposh applesauce! Snug is good, it will losen or keep motivating you to stay OP.

Diane- Hope you had a good vacation, where did you end up going?

Nat- that is awesome keep up the good work.

Marylandmom - I haven't had the hair lose issue, although I have noticed more strands this month. Do what will make you feel better and it seems like many people have had success on Alternatives.

It seems like the scale is dancing for me this week but likey responding to where I have gone off track a little with not measuring or small tastes of this or that. I am so close to my goal of the final 5 that I don't want to self sabatoge now.

[oneuh2]

Nat1015: Wow !! 30 lbs in about 35 days - you rock!!!

[Wamk40]

Hi everyone. This is my first time ever getting involved in a site like this. What I have read so far is so encouraging. I started with a 2000 calorie diet today, and perhaps can lower it as time goes. I have a fibromyalgia flare up going on right now, so there was no exercise of any sort today. Did do the accountability on paper though of what I have been eating. I am at a point in my life where I am tired if feeling bad, in many ways. My goal is 30 lbs. I have more to go, but don't want to talk about the whole picture. So I will put this site in favorites and check it often.

[ChipnDip]

Originally Posted by kissi

Yeah, Pineapple & Banana Drink garnered a bright pink NEVER AGAIN from me. I really do like the Blueberry, Cranberry Pomegranate Drink. I don't even know what it reminds me of, but it's good.

Try mixing the jelly and the drink mix. Prepare each with required water, combine them and then separate into two bowls for two servings and then chill until solid. I did it with the peach mango drink and it was very tasty.

Also the blueberry cran and the jelly should not be used daily. They are not a full chain protein. Both are excellent for their collagen.