I've been crawling around the forum for awhile, and figured I'd introduce myself, tell you my experience and mostly, thank you for being here!
So, here's one long post from me!
After over two years of eating 'healthy', (whole foods/very little processed foods) I just kept putting weight on and feeling horrible. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2009 and basically felt like crap every day. I'm a very active person. I just forged through the aches and pains. But, it sucked!
Mid-2013 I started researching metabolic syndrome and trying to figure out how to attack that problem. (I was not diagnosed, but believe that I was headed in that direction.)
Thank goodness, somebody mentioned IP to me in November. I looked into it. Wow! It gave me a no-thinking program to follow! It was exactly what I was trying to put together on my own. I was exhausted from all the reading and researching I'd done over the years! I just wanted to get on it and see what would happen. So, this was not a new year's resolution.
I started IP on Christmas Eve with a tentative goal to lose 30 lbs. At the end of February I was down 25 lbs and feeling great. I decided to start phasing off IP. I continued to lose weight through phase 2 and I'm finishing up phase 3 still losing inches.
I'm ready for maintenance, which is actually mostly like I've been eating for the past few years. I feel absolutely fantastic and ready to take on life!
My IP experience:
- followed the protocol (Just follow it. Why complicate it?!?)
-light exercise the entire time I was OP
-hated WF products, except for apple butter and raspberry fruit spread/
I made salad dressing and Rainbow's homemade mayo. I just don't like 'fake' tasting food.
-Thank you Rainbow for the recipes!
-using the IP salt was so necessary to ward off headaches
-Within a week OP, I was drinking a gallon of water a day...and still am
(I always drank a lot of water and green tea, but never this much!)
-After the first couple weeks OP, I did not fret over exact weights and measurement of food. I pretty much eye-balled everything.
-I listened to my body. I tuned into how it was responding and adjusted if necessary.
My only advice would be that some folks need to relax!
Breath. Don't try to force it. Are you listening to your body?
Don't compare yourself to others. I know, it's difficult not to, but we are all very individual!
NOTE: I cannot comprehend being on IP for as long as some of you have been, and I send a thumbs up and hugs to all of you!!!!
Thank you for keeping this forum active, asking the questions and freely giving out so much info.
Take care!
Stay strong; stay the course.
