You can find both on the recipe threads, here and here. You'll find all sorts of great recipes. Everyone I've made so far tastes great. The Big Mac in a Bowl is a big hit, too, just to give you another one to search for.

I am on the pill and have had light bleeding the last 3 days or so, even though I shouldn't have my TOM for another 2 weeks! I do not enjoy this part of the diet.

This does work I've used it before being on IP when my weight was bouncing back and forth. The only potential problems are fighting off the cravings once you've had "that taste" (however, this might not be a problem for those so close to their goal) and waking up your pancreas while they're trying to "heal". For both cases if someone is near their goal this might not affect them, but I struggled with this the first time around when I was on IP. My weight was going down about 3 lbs. per week and I allowed myself 1 cheat night for my wife's bithday and that 1 night turned into 5. I re-gained 9 lbs. that week and then went back on phase 1 of IP afterwards and lost 13 again. The next 2 months were literally phases of me cheating anywhere from 5-10 days and then re-dieting again for 5-10 days (typically matched how long I was off) and in every case for those 2 months I lost exactly what I gained in bouncing back and forth. the problem was that I made no progress towards my goal - didn't help my body w/ the insulin spikes and inevitably once thanksgiving hit I was done. IP starting weight was 332, got down to 272 - once I was off the wagon went back to 323 before starting again at the beginning of March. I've noticed this time that my WL has slowed a lot as well - although I'm smaller at the weights now than I was before (ie shirts that fit me at 275-280 are fitting me at 292).

Not sure if this is a bunch of rambling but hopefully it will help. I'd agree w/ the coach to carb load one night so long as you go back on protocol right after.

I wasn't going to post today but you gave me courage to. I've been 100% OP since the beginning- over 13 weeks. Today has been absolutely crazy because our house is on the market and we had 2 showings pop out of no where so I had to run home and spit shine my house with a 2 year old present. Extremely difficult. Well, my response has been horrible. I had a bar for lunch (but no veggies), then a bar couple hours later and THEN I just polished off some puffs. UMMM...3 restricteds in 4 hours? WTH? I need to re-focus immediately.

Me + stress = not good choices

It's ok, at least you're on the right path. Thank God you're 5'9". Time to move on, we're here to help you. Take a deep breath and get ready for the ride of your life. You can do this. I visualize the fat cells flowing out every time I pee. Drink all your water and give it a try...

Wow, you guys ate $12.00 worth of IP. You could have gone out for a nice steak dinner.

lynn reminded me about this, so i thought i'd post it here too. i finally got my collar bones last month! i have been having a love affair with them ever since!

also, i think it's probably time for a new user picture since i have lost a considerable amount of weight in my face since the last one. i'll do that as soon as my best friend with photoshop returns from NYC!

I KNEW you'd have them by summer! Way to go Laura!

Hang in there through all of the stress. It will get better.

I was thinking the SAME thing. That's an expensive binge... Ladies -- today is a new day. Well, tomorrow is too, for that matter... Stop now!!! Cut up celery, make some tea, and hide the bars/puffs/whatever restricted is calling your name.

Mine have been peeking through more and more too!! I love it as well. Yay IP!

It's okay!! It's just one day!! Get some veggies tonight and get ready for tomorrow. This journey isn't about perfection, it's about making the best choices, you made excellent choices overdoing IP products rather than carb fillled food!

Okay So I went into my WI ready to demand to go to Phase 2!! But... I lost 5 lbs and 4 inches. I have to have faith in myself and that this is working. My pattern is 2 very low weeks and then a big one. Only took me 14 weeks to figure that out. I am only 10lbs or so from a goal and I feel good in this body. I have lost 41 lbs and it feels wonderful.

Hey Juice thanks for listening to my rant this am. I am a women (who hasn't had chocolate in 4 months) and it is my perogative!!

Congrats! I think I have a similar pattern, so I hope I have a good week at my WI tomorrow. You have done a fantastic job.

Thank you so much! I really am looking forward to the numbers going down. I know it's a lot to go, but it could have been worse. I think it's been the wake-up call I needed to make this diet and lifestyle change work. I've found an organic local farm that sells shares of its crops every year. For $800 you get a box load of freshly harvested veggies and fruit from May through October every week. Some of the harvest isn't IP friendly (squash, beans, fruit, etc...) So I am keeping this in mind as a present to me for going on phase 4. There is also a place to buy a whole cow, yes a whole friggin cow, and they do whatever cuts you want, including ground. Another gift to me (so I guess a deep freezer will be a gift to the hubs for this) after I lose all of this extra weight.

Thank you so much! I will try to just weigh myself once or twice a week. I did have fun today by weighing before and after I peed. Hubs said that was a total guy thing to do. I never knew urine weight that much!

Congratulations on the size 12 bathing suit! Amazing!

Thank you!! Yeah, hubs said I don't look like I weigh that much because of the height. I said, but I feel like I weigh this much!

I will visualize the fat cells leaving when I pee. That sounds hilarious and motivating! Will definitely drink even more water!

Love the Sesame Ginger Dressing to use for stir fry. Had heard alot of good things about the Chipotle Ranch but didn't really like it - will have to try and doctor it up some to use up the bottle. I use the Bacon Ranch every day. I have recently been adding a teaspoon of coconut oil to about a tablespoon of dressing and also microwaving a slice of turkey bacon and crumbling that up into the mixture. I love that on my spinach salad. The oil & turkey bacon seem to take away the little bit of off taste that the dressing has. I think a good olive oil would probably do the same thing but I live out in the sticks and haven't been anywhere that has a gourmet store where I could get a good olive oil. One of my sisters was on IP last summer and she said she really liked the WF Marshmallow spread on top of the Raspberry Jelly. I haven't tried that yet. I have mixed the peanut spread with soy sauce and red pepper sauce and that was good for a dip or a sauce with chicken. I also like to put about a 1/4 of a teaspoon of crushed red pepper sauce in a couple of tablespoons of WF Strawberry Syrup and use it for a dip.