Hi! Glad to be back on this site. I'm mixing alternatives with IP products when I can afford them. Any really great alternatives you guys recommend?

I can't wait to see either! I'm so impressed with your motivation. I am rooting for you to succeed in this as it will change the course of your life in a positive way. You have a chance to go down the path of life in a fit, healthy body and that will make life more exciting with more opportunities. Yay!! So happy for you already.

Ok wow.... The "baked apples" recipie really worked. Unreal. Delicious. Can't believe it is zucchini!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb....1811825386184 64.45488.181118358624882&type=3&theater

I hope everyone had a great day op. I had my 4th wi today and was down 3.2 lbs for a total of 14 lbs.. so was happy about that..

I also found some walden farms chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce so can't wait ti try it.. I also bought the blue cheese salad dressing which I thought was pretty good

My coach provided me with a whole folder of info to take to my doc..can you ask your coach to do that?

Be advised that most medical school programs don't even offer a whole course in nutrition so they are hardly experts in the subject, unless they have had advanced post-grad studies in the field (or depending on undergrad studies). Even then, most of the curricula are just the food pyramid. Some docs have learned info outside "the box", however. These are my preferred practitioners

Yes.. I also had an information folder and also took in the actual vitamin supplement containers too. Looked up and printed all the packets I was using for the nutritional side panel data from the boxes (my IP site does not require purchase of full boxes but there are sites in the web that do have the breakdown) also took a copy of my weekly progress chart from IP plus my own spreadsheet. I booked an hr with my PCP at the 2 1/2 month mark( and needed every minute. She had a laptop and was googling and looking up stuff as we talked. ) I was down about 28 lbs at that point. The week I started IP I was in there with a sinus infection, so they basically had my starting weight confirmed. My doc ordered complete lab work up at this point. And everything was dead on normal! She gave the program her blessing... And when I recently was back in with the most recent nonsense I have going on... Her reaction to the success was incredible! Very supportive.. Said she was going to put her husband on it!

Lisa32989 and 65x65,

Thank you for the advice. I will email my coach now to see if she can have the info ready the next time I meet her.

My coach sells packets individually and I am still trying different things out so I haven't bought boxes yet. I will pull the nutritional info off off other sources to bring with me.

My primary care doctor is thorough, but open minded. She knows that the nutritionist that I was referred to didn't help me at all and that I am exploring other options.

Thank you both,
Anita

p.s. As an aside (or more like a rant), some nutritionists are really good, but the particular one that I went to last year was NOT useful. She looked to be about 25 and was talking down to me. I have been overweight for 20 years and I have tried many different diets as well as reading up on the more scientific aspects through books and papers (I am a Ph.D. scientist by training). Her talk would have worked great for someone who didn't know anything about portion control, types of calories and quality of calories, good fats vs. bad fats, and the caloric density of various foods, etc., but I needed much more than her cookie cutter, one size fits all approach. Also, she was a naturally rail thin girl/woman who didn't view food as anything more than fuel for her body and didn't particularly enjoy eating. I stuck it out with her for two months and did manage to convince her to stop patronizing me, but I couldn't explain to her why her plan for me was totally unrealistic and wasn't working particularly well. If you made it to the end of this paragraph, thank you for letting me vent. I was waiting for a year to get that one off of my chest. I promise no more rants for a while.

You earned that rant!!!!

OMG! I've been ranting/venting a bunch lately. Let it OUT sista!

Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day

It was pouring rain today, I overslept and work was so nuts that I didn't have lunch until 3!

So glad that I planned ahead yesterday and could cope with today's surprises stay OP. Dinner was a bit late, but other than that, it was a-okay. Even managed to not be tempted by the homemade everything bagels.

I brought 2 days worth of veggies to the office yesterday and made an extra batch of "muffins" last night so I just ate them on the way to work. Who knew it would come in so handy?

B = Butterscotch pudding "muffins" (3) and black coffee

L = shredded zucchini, baby bella mushrooms, bean sprouts steamed and added to IP mushroom soup. Topped the veggies with a little truffle salt from home and olive oil (yum!)

S= coffee + splash skim milk

D= broiled pork tenderloin with a rub, steamed broccoli & shredded zucchini

S = "cocktail" of Vanilla drink mix + dash of rum extract. It tasted like egg nog!

Lots and lots of water.

So sorry you had a rotten day, but it sounds like you handled it admirably. Just wanted to let you know that my daughter has worn the jeans you mailed everyday, except Wednesday, when she needed to wear a skirt. She is one happy camper...thank you again!

I, too, am sorry to hear you had a bad day, but awesome job on staying on program - that's great! And I love this cocktail you speak of. Have you ever put a little nutmeg on top? I think I am going to have give this a whirl.