Hi All-

I am new here, I looked through most of the FAQ's and didn't see a problem similar to mine, I started IP Last Sunday so this is my 9th day, I have not cheated once, I get in all my water veggies and IP's I am not starving-maybe a little weak at times, and when I am I eat another IP or add a little lean protein to my lunch as directed by my coach. Problem I have only lost 3 pounds in the 9 days, my inches did go down at my last weigh-in slightly but I was on my cycle when I started which may have helped with my first week's inches ...I do light to moderate cardio 3x times a week. Has anyone else out there have problems losing on the program??? Did you make changes that helped drop? My coach is stumped and I feel she is guessing now.. This program is expensive if it works it is worth it, I just don't want to dump 100's of dollars into a program not meant for me. I was really hoping it would help me drop my last 20 pounds....Help if you can! Thank you!

Well I am no expert, but I will respond based on the limited information you gave.
You said you only have 20 more pounds to go, which I assume means you have lost a lot recently or aren't that heavy to begin with.
Plus it was TOM according to you.
The last 20 pounds are going to be the slowest anyways, and TOM always makes you retain water etc, many many women complain about no losses or even gains during TOM.
So if you only have 20 pounds to go, and had TOM, and are still working out 3 times a week, really not recommended for at least the first few weeks of this diet and still lost 3 pounds, that could be just all you can expect with all those conditions.
I would suggest trying the next week just doing 3 packets a day plus your dinner, cutting out the exercise while your body adjusts to this diet and see what happens.
But that is just my opinion.

Houndlover, I think it would be a good idea if you give us an example of a typical food day for you. It's not uncommon, especially at the beginning, that we eat/drink things that we think are ok, and they turn out not to be. For example, at the beginning I used my regular chicken seasoning mix, only to find out later that it actually has sugar in it! Other people seemed to have been unaware that they could have only one restricted item a day, or what items were restricted, etc. So yeah, if you could let us know what it is that you consume (IP packets, quantity of meats, water, types of seasoning, types/amount of veggies, etc) I'm sure we can better help you find the culprit.

As wayward said though, it may just be that you don't have much to lose and so you are bound to have smaller losses. Finally, some people, myself included, add in a 4th packet after exercise.

The average for women is 2-4 lbs per week, though some do say 2-5. You are right there. You haven't had your 2nd WI yet, so do not give up! If you are used to working out, I absolutely would not stop that...this is the one part of the diet that I completely disagree with. If you look at my ticker, my first two losses were what I would consider big, but the rest have been okay...and one was really low. I don't cheat either. My coach indicated because I don't have a lot to lose, it will take more time.

All of that to say this...stick with it for at least a month and then evaluate if it was worth it. Physiologically it is impossible not to have an overall loss on this plan...it just may not be as fast as you want to!!!

Oh, and I would stop adding to the plan...try following it exactly without adding the extra protein or an extra IP pack. If you only have 20 lbs to lose, your body should not need those unless you are working out hard core.

Good luck and know that you have come to a great place!!! We are all in this together!!!

Houndlover, without knowing your history or exactly what you're consuming, I can't say for sure, but 99% of the time, people lose slowly or stop losing for 3 reasons: deviation (unintentional or intentional cheating), menstruation, or constipation. You had 1 of 3 going on, so that leaves the other 2, which could also be culprits. Other than the extra packet, are you eating EXACTLY according to the Phase 1 sheet? Are you taking your supplements? Are you using your sea salt? Are you consuming the required amount of olive oil? Are you measuring/weighing your food?

Agree, disagree, or indifferent, there is a biochemical reason exercise (beyond walking the dog, yoga, etc.) discouraged in the first few weeks of being on IP, cardio in particular. Your body is undergoing a major fuel switch, and during the first 3 weeks, it's getting the enzymatic machinery in place that it needs to fully use the ketonic bodies that your body produces from burning fat as fuel. So if you absolutely HAVE to exercise, cut the intensity in half, consume your extra packet afterwards, and increase your daily water intake.

Exercise increases your glucose demand since you're using more fuel, so if you push your body too hard during Phase 1 in particular, you can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is where it basically creates its own glucose by breaking down muscle tissue. Since muscle is the engine that burns calories, you want to retain as much of it as possible, which is exactly what this program is designed to do.

Hope that helps. The only dieters this program doesn't work for are people with medical conditions like liver disease or Parkinson's, or people who aren't motivated/ready to follow a plan 100%...neither of those seem to apply to you. Just FYI, I only had 22 lbs to lose when I went on IP last year, and it took me about 6 weeks, plus another 3 weeks to phase off properly, so hang in there!

I have started writting down what I eat. That helps me watch what I am taking in

I agree with some of the other posters. I think because you are "down to your last 20#" you might not lose at the same rate as someone who has 100# to lose. I think 3# in 9 days is nothing to seriously worry about. That is 1# every 3 days or 1/3# every day. I am within 10# of my goal and my coach has already given me the talk about my losses slowing down.

Also, please do not discount inches because in the end (to me, anyway) they are the most important. It is the inches lost that will allow you to change sizes. I have lost more inches than pounds on this diet, and the inches lost is what people will notice.

I know with TOM, I always retain water, so I try to up my consumption of water to try and flush it out. As someone also mentioned, more than one of us have had problems with the big C, and if you haven't gone to the bathroom in a couple of days, that will cause a stall on the scale.

I have been an avid exerciser for years and I have not stopped working out since starting IP. The one thing that I have done, and advised many people on doing, is adding an extra packet on days I exercise, immediately after working out. I am a firm believer in exercise helping me with my weight loss, not hindering it, although is a large camp of people who are against it. I fully believe that while this is a diet, we are making lifestyle changes and incorporating exercise into your daily life is a huge benefit to your health and well being.

Having said all of that, there are a few tips and tricks out there for breaking out of a stall or jumpstarting your weight loss.

1). Even if you think you are drinking a lot of water, DRINK MORE!!!
2). Drink more water
3). Did I mention, drinking more water???
4). Add lemon to your water
5). If you are using a lot of Walden Farms products or water enhancers, try cutting them out for a few days. Some people are more sensitive than others to fake sugars and fake stuff
6). If you are eating restricted items, try not eating them for a few days and see if it helps the scale
7). Salad! Try eating a big salad at lunch and dinner. It will help with fiber and "movement" and help keep you full
8). Try eating only chicken and / or fish as your protein source
9). Make sure you are not eating restricted veggies more than 2x per week. And try sticking to lower carb veggies
10). Make sure you get your oil and salt requirements

Hope this helps!

Thank you all for the advice!!! I will be extra careful to make sure forbidden items aren't sneaking in! Will increase the water for sure!