So I know it's not really 7/4, but it seemed more logical to make the title of the chat go from a Monday than a Tuesday So how did everyone do with their diets during the 4th of July weekend? Anyone have any tips to help the rest of us stay on plan during these big picnics and fanily get-togethers?

I was lucky (in a way) that I didn't have any picnics or anything to go to--Jeff and I just stayed home and watched movies, so I cooked, which means I know exactly how much of everything went into my food

Has anyone here ever heard of the Idiot Proof Diet? I joined the site and started it yesterday. Seems easy enough so far, but I just wanted to see if anyone else has had any experience with it.

Have a great one!

whats the idiot proof diet? I need some help. I've been stalled lately. I did well though at the cook out. I don't feel like I pigged out at all. I did use some of my flexpoints but not all of them.

The Idiot Proof Diet is a site where you pay $27 for 90 days of access to the diet. The computer generates a menu for you based on your selection of foods you like. It gives you 3 food choices, and you pick which you prefer out of the three. That way, your menu will include foods you like (or at least foods you hate less ). The computer gives you a menu of 4 meals per day and tells you exactly what you can eat. Example: yesterday my 4 meals were:

• omelette and pasta with tomato sauce (it doesn't say you have to, but I had whole-wheat pasta just because that is what I am used to now)
• chicken
• lean ground turkey (I had mine as 2 bunless turkey burgers with ff mayo and bbq sauce--YUM!)
• banana smoothie (banana, skim milk, vanilla extract, optional peanut butter)

Today's 4 meals were:

• omelette
• chicken
• ham and mixed fruit
• egg salad

Now, most times, it's more like 3 meals and a snack (some days have "mixed nuts" as a meal, or just "fresh grapes," so I use those as my mid-morning snack). You can add veggies to almost anything, and there's a list of allowable condiments (ketchup, mustard, fat-free mayo, spices, etc.). I searched on Google and found message boards of a lot of people who have had success with it. You can also eat the meals in any order you want throughout the day, but it says to wait at least 2.5 hours between each meal. Since I get up so early, I eat breakfast at about 5am, snack at 9, lunch at noon, and dinner around 3pm, so it works well for me. This is how I was eating even before I knew this diet existed, so it's not a major change for me to eat just 4 times a day.

A lot of people say it's not worth the $27 just to have the computer generate the menu for you. However, I feel that relying on the computer to make my menu ensures that I do not mess it up! Also, you shouldn't need more than the first 90 days for the site anyway, since you can make as many 11-day manus as you want (you go on the diet for 11 days, then have 3 "cheat" days where you eat what you want--it's supposed to keep your body from ever getting used to a certain pattern or number of calories...keeps your metabolism up by keeping your body on its toes, so to speak). I paid for 90 days, but I already have well over 90 days worth of menus, so I feel it was worth it for me. Besides, how much more than $27 is it to belong to WW or JC or LAWL?

Anyway, it works on the basis of calorie cycling (eating calories from certain sources--carb, protein, and fat--on certain days and in certain moderation), which from my understanding a lot of weight-lifters/body-builders do. It's not low-carb, although some of the meals are simply "chicken" or "lean ground turkey." Some meals are also entirely fruit or veggies, and there is one day in each 11-day cycle where you eat only fruits and veggies (I have heard of people doing this to "cleanse" their bodies, so it wasn't too surprising).

Anyway, it says you lose 9 pounds in 11 days, which I doubt will happen, but even if I only lose like 4, that's a lot more than I have been losing lately, so I figured, why not give it a shot?

Hummm - that idiot free diet thing sounds good if you can follow directions - but it never fails that as soon as I am given a list of foods to eat I want to rebel and eat other things. Maybe it was all those years of taking orders in the Army that has put me off of it!
I went to the grocery store today and I only put healthy things in my cart - now I think I am pretty close to that "no fail enviroment" that Dr. Phil likes to talk about.
Well, I had better get on with starting the hubby's dinner.
Does anyone know of a site where you can enter ingrediants and get a calorie count??

Hi All, hope everyone had a nice fourth.

Jillybean: Thanks for sharing, I just might check that out, although, I'm horrible at following directions/orders also!

I, unfortunately, was an absolute this weekend. Mostly just yesterday though . I ate cheese fondue (with bread, apples, broc & cauli) and THEN I ate chocolate fondue (with angel food cake, graham crackers, marshmallows, cherries & strawberries)...I know...it's terrible !! The good news is that as of this morning, I haven't gained a pound. I figure it might take a few days for my body to realize what I have done because I have been SO good up until now. So, I will probably gain 10 lbs. by tomorrow . Great job to those of you who did not temporarily fall off the wagon!! I'm proud of myself though, for not beating myself up too much or deciding to "give up". I'm not perfect!! AND THAT IS OK!!! I'll just make better choices this week...bring on the greens!!

I didn't do too badly - though I had a little more sugar than I should have had. oh and a hot dog - I couldn't resist - I am not a huge fan, but when they are grilled they are soooo good.

I also am not good at the following direction things - and i can't possibly follow directions - as bad as it i I usually buy a lot of frozen stuff from trader joes. they have these good veggie mix with a soy sauce...chicken stir fry, shrimp things, etc. oh and my favorite, spicy black bean soup. yum!

what else - hrm. i am going to join the gym tomorrow, finally. since i am in school I have to pay 20 bucks for the summer, but I have just been running outside and meeting with my trainer lately so I haven't needed to go in the gym. But I really want to go swimming and start lifting heavier weights, so I will go again and try to up my excersizing.

Hey all,
Good to hear that i'm not the only one who had an off day with the food yesterday. I don't mind it though, i gave myself permission to eat whatever i wanted yesterday, so it's not like i just ate whatever uncontrollably. I really enjoyed those chilly cheese fries. I'm back to watching what i eat now. hey, has anyone tried the dreyers slow churned light ice cream? I got the coffee flavored ice cream and i love it. It is delicious. If you're doing WW, it's only 2 pts for 1/2 cup. I'll just say yum one more time and be done. Yum.
Christine

Good morning, everyone! I'm glad to hear everyone went at least a little off-plan this weekend--now it's out of our systems, and we can move on!

I got on the scale this morning--I know I shouldn't have since tomorrow is my official weigh-in day, but I am addicted. Now, my scale has never said anything less than 294.5, and last week I was up to nearly 300 (thanks to water retention and a few "cheats"). When I got on this morning it said...291! I am PRAYING that this loss is an actual loss and will carry over to the scale again tomorrow for reinforcement

After going over about a million excuses in my head yesterday, I finally just sucked it up and went to the gym between jobs for my 30 minutes on the elliptical. By now, I don't think I'll ever actually enjoy going and working out. I think part of it is knowing that after having worked an 8-hour day at job #1, I go to the gym for my 30 minutes and then still have to go work at job #2. Without the second job, I think I might be able to enjoy it at least a little more since I wouldn't be rushed or have as much to worry about. Ooooh well, maybe once my credit card is paid off...

Good morning everyone!! I didn't do so well this weekend either. Saturday was my bday so we went out to eat I had some chic parm. and lasagna not a lot though. I drank WAY to much beer, and some drunken munchies, not to mention the peice of cheesecake I had. OOPPS! Like I said before, I wasn't ready to fall completly off the wagon, just hang my left foot off for a day or 2!
Other then that, oh and no excercise! not unitl this moriing. Getting right into it! WHOOHOO!
Looks like everyone had a GREAT 4th!

Jilly - 291 is practically a new decade! Congrats! Half the time I enjoy the gym, half the time I hate it. I bet you're right though, once your life is less stressful, you'll enjoy it more. It won't seem so much like a chore, but something you do for yourself, even something that can REDUCE stress.

It sounds like everyone is getting back on track nicely! I finally got back to the gym this morning and I plan on going again tonight just to get in some extra time since I had a mini-falling off this weekend.
I wish I had only had one "cheat" day to celebrate July 4th, but I'm pretty sure my holiday weekend was about 5 days long. Uuuugh!!! Oh well, nobodys fault but my own.

I'm skipping the weigh in this week since I know this time of the month means I'm about five pounds heavier than any other time. I always skip my PMS weigh in because it would only add to the frustration of my week. And thats dangerous!


Anyway.. I understand about not getting excited about going to the gym when you have so much else to do. A few months ago I was working full time and going to school full time and it was all I could do to get myself up in the morning and go knowing that the rest of my day was going to be rushed.
However once I realized that working out makes me feel 500% better, I've learned to love it, look forward to it and accept it. I have more time (for now) so I'm trying to get in as much gym time as possible.

Well, not everyone is back on track... Today was my orientation for nursing school and after telling us how hard it is going to be and how we are going to all gain 15 lbs. the Seniors had a little reception out in the lobby for us. There were mini eclaires and cream puffs, mini cupcakes, and luscious, gooey, frosted chocolate brownies !!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I had some - but I only had ONE of each of the aforementioned evil treats, and I really wanted to go and take the whole plate of brownies into my car and have them all to myself!!
To make it worse it is TOM, so I am even more of a

The good news is that when I got on the scale this morning it said 194.3 We'll see what it says tomorrow...
I hope you all had a great (and more on plan) day than me!

Woohoo! I got on the scale this morning since Thursday is my "official" weigh-in day for the week...290.5 And you bet your a$$ I'll make sure to be in the 280s by next weigh-in!!

My last official home weigh-in had me at 294.5--3 weeks ago. Well then I went on vacation, so I couldn't weigh myself, and then I knewI had gained, so I didn't weigh myself last week. However, I did go to my TOPS meeting last week, and I had a 4.5-pound gain Which means on my home scale, I was probably around 297.5 last Thursday, so to be at 290.5 today ROCKS!

Alright, I'll stop patting my own back now

Congrats Jillybean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!