I don't know, I am in the US. Sorry.

stuck/plateau/scale woes
 

I have been "stuck" at 185.6 for the past week!

I have not been below 185 since circa 1986! I think my body is trying to stay at this "set point"........kicking and screaming like a 2 year-old getting a shot at the pediatrician's.

Tomorrow is my WI and I am hoping for any kind of downward movement on the scale. I'm hoping at least some inches are gone, my pants are soooo loose.

I will drink loads of water and eat a giant lettuce today:dizzy: to see if it helps.

Shiratake Noodles
 

Yep, Ogdog. You have to rinse them REALLY well or they have a very strong fish odor. I had the most success with them cooking them in whatever sauce I was using, rather than adding the sauce on top after it was cooked. It takes a long time for them to absorb any flavors, and sometimes they feel like rubber bands in your mouth. Play around with them in your kitchen lab.

Torchlaker,

Yes, people are noticing. The thing about it is the first place I gain or lose is in my face. The thinner I am, the younger I look, because my double chin goes away. The last time I was in the low 140s(maybe 4 or 5 years ago), I would get carded at stores. That's my new goal, to get carded one more time. It would probably help if I did something about the new grey hairs I have right down the middle of my head. ;)

Go to the Netrition site and read their advice on International Shipping. I think that it is mostly CYA caveats, and there probably won't be problems. We ship to Canada all the time from my work with no problems....but not food. Order something relatively cheap for a trial run, maybe.

Also, if you order from Lowcarbu.com, there is a customer service # you can call and the owner will actually answer your questions. Yo can also email him.

Lilita, keeping my fingers crossed for you!!! You'll lose!!

Echobaby, thanks for the info on the noodles. I can't wait to try them.

All, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I am going to anyway, I don't follow the diet exactly how we are supposed to. I eat pasta now and then, given a small amount, and have wine with dinner and still am losing at least 3 lbs per week. Not sure why my coach would tell me not to tell y'all....but I felt I needed to. No, I'm not losing the 5-6 lbs per week that some are, however, I notice that when I total up what y'all have lost over time it averages out to 3 - 3.5 lbs per week anyway. Does anyone know anything about Phase 2? Do you still lose weight on it....or is it just to start introducing more carbs back in to see where you start gaining??? I wonder if I am having luck and on more of a phase 2 thing.

For those who only lose a couple of pounds, please please keep in mind that the whole average of weight loss is 3 pounds per week. Don't look at your weekly losses, keep your heads up high and look at your average/week of weight loss!! You are losing, and still fast. I remember reading that losing 2 lbs per week was good, so 3 lbs is even better!!

Found this appetizer recipe for those of you cooking Christmas dinner. Not exactly on plan, but still very low carb. They look scrumptious.

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/t...shrooms-recipe

Ogdog, phase 2 is very similar in carbs to phase 1.
Look at parts 1 and 2 of phase 3, which sounds like what you're doing. So you're gonna have a breeze of a time in maintenance!!

Echobaby, do we have phases 2 or 3 specs listed on here anywhere? I went to the phases area and only 1 is listed. :( (I went and found the phases on trantiendiet.com and listed them). I sure do hope that maintenance is easy, no weight gain back.

[QUOTE=Ogdog13;3039617]
All, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I am going to anyway, I don't follow the diet exactly how we are supposed to. I eat pasta now and then, given a small amount, and have wine with dinner and still am losing at least 3 lbs per week. Not sure why my coach would tell me not to tell y'all....but I felt I needed to. No, I'm not losing the 5-6 lbs per week that some are, however, I notice that when I total up what y'all have lost over time it averages out to 3 - 3.5 lbs per week anyway. Does anyone know anything about Phase 2? Do you still lose weight on it....or is it just to start introducing more carbs back in to see where you start gaining??? I wonder if I am having luck and on more of a phase 2 thing.

OGdog - are you eating any restricted items such as the bars on the days you have some pasta? I was wondering if maybe the carbs work themselves out to be about the same: i.e. 1/2 cup pasta = approx 20 carbs and one IP bar carbs = approx 16-18. So if you were not eating the bars but having a small amount of pasta the carb count for the items would be approx the same and therefore the weight loss would be about the same as others that are eating the bars but not the pasta?

[QUOTE=ottawa;3039691]Ottowa, as a matter of fact I am NOT eating any restricted foods on the days I have pasta. I really try to watch the carb intake. So, yeah, maybe it is like those who are having bars??!! LOL, I still have wine though, restricted food or not. Ooo, and the pasta I do eat is organic whole wheat. ;)

Fish facts
 

I found this interesting for when we are off of Phase 1, or if you can't have an IP food during lunch:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/La.../UCM169242.pdf

Just something I ran across I figured I should share. Gives you the exact steps one should follow during all 3 phases from Dr. Tien himself.

http://www.trantiendiet.com/site/spip.php?rubrique27

friend is "shocked" at my goat weight!
 

On another note:

I got a compliment on my wt. loss from a friend yesterday but when she asked me how much more I planned to lose and I told her " (see ticker below) she was shocked!

She said that it was "too much" weight for me to lose! Then she went on to talk about her ideal wt. and that she never wants to be "that thin" again. She said she would be happy to lose 20 pounds and remain about 20 pounds over her ideal weight.

Granted, she is "curvy" in all the right places and can even get away with staying at her current weight which I deduced to be about 30 or 40 pounds overwt. from her conversation.

She did not know me in my younger years when I was thin. She only knows me as her friend who has always been heavier than her!

"Well" I thought to myself, "it sure will be great to continue to "shock" her with my continued wt. loss." Cause, Sister, ain't nothin' stoppin' me now!

And when she sees me (early next Spring) in a pair of skinny jeans and fitted blouse with some high heels or rockin' boots will she say "you are too thin" or will her mouth just drop open? LOL.

The only thing I really couldn't stand to eat was the cold cereal

correction: meant "goal" wt. not "goat" HAHAHA

I've ordered Spry gum from a company in California and I just had to pay the customs fee. But not troubles getting it here

Link to Dr. TranTiens E-Book. Free download
http://www.trantiendiet.com/site/spip.php?rubrique28

Thanks Princass for the info. I'm finding it hard sometimes to get answers to questions I have about the program from councellor or their website

Way to go, that's fantastic news. I hope I have as good as results this saturday

Tried the BBQ chips last night. Really really like those. Definitely going to become a fav of mine as a snack. I really look forward to my snack at night.
Favorite dinner is steak with portobello mushrooms

I also feel cold all the time. Had to get a heater for under my desk to keep warm during the day and at night I bundle up at home in blankets and turn the heat up.

Well, my coach's scale showed a six pound loss at my first WI, a pound more than my own, so I'll take it!

I forgot to ask her about snow peas. Are these ok?

Just went and weighed in - lost 3.8 lbs so I hit the 20 lbs lost mark. Yipee!! that's after a challenging weekend.

was at my in-laws with a bunch of relatives and had a slice of pizza because there was nothing else to eat. breakfast worked o.k as I drank a chocolate drink - lunch was leftover pizza - had another slice because I was hungry. got invited to supper with carrots, peas, potatoes and roast - i couldn't sit there and eat all the roast and have nothing else so I had a little of everything. Then I had a meeting today over lunch and ate sliced meats, couple of cubes of cheese and celery sticks. Before I ate I took a carb blocker. I had tried them before this diet - they're called Phase 2 - can't remember the correct name but they are an extract of white kidney bean so nothing "bad" in them. bought them at Walmart - I can look up the actual name if anyone's intersted. You take one 30 minutes before eating. I will try to remember to keep them in my purse in case i'm stuck again. They're not a quick fix for sure but they might help when stuck.

Congratulations on the loss!!!

I was told that snow peas, eggplant, brussel sprouts, palm hearts and wax beans were restricted to twice a week in phase one and two.

Do you think they work? Have you tried them while using Ketostix to measure?

Don't listen to these people. I find the ones working really hard to discourage me are the ones who don't want to face how much weight they really have to lose. My whole thing is, "If I've never said anything to you about your weight, and I don't even bring up my diet, why do feel the need to counsel me? I just say thanks and then ignore them. It's their problem.

I have my first weigh in tomorrow and I'm starting to stress out. I have followed the diet exactly without cheating, but worried about the sugar content in some of the veggies. I just really want to have a good number or I feel that I will get discouraged. Wish me luck!

good luck holly jo! don't be discouraged. i can recall my first week, and not really feeling much of a difference, although come weigh in day, results were pleasantly surprising. just remember this program is new to your system, so your body is not sure how to feel. as the first few weeks pass, you will become accustomed to knowing which will be the better, and shorter weeks. they do seem to vary, no matter how much you follow..best of luck tomorrow!

I've never used the ketostix so I'm not sure. the carb blocker I bought is called MetaSlim (I bought mine at WalMart). They're supposed to be a "carb neutralizer & fat blocker, 100% natural non-stimulant". The ones I bought are in a capsule - phaseolamin, also called Phase 2 is a white kidney bean extract. I've read about them a couple of times in First Magazine and I tried them quite a while ago under the name Phase 2 but didn't stick with them. Maybe they just made me feel not so glum about not being able to eat anything and feeling powerless to stay on the plan. Especially since i hadn't cheated once.

here's my latest challenge - my husband and teenage sons are very supportive but the rest of my family hasn't said a word to me. they all know I'm on this diet and I've lost 20 lbs so you can definitely notice but they just don't say a thing - no encouragement, support or anything. Except a couple of times they'll slip something in like - oh you can't eat tomatoes on "that" diet or how are you going to go off a diet like that. After, I think of what I should have said but hindsight is 20/20. They heard some gossip and they'd rather listen to that than just ask me and because they don't say anything I don't get any opening to call them on their attitudes. Other people have said such nice things and I know I shouldn't let it but, it really hurts my feelings. i think it's just kind of mean. It's late and I'm kind of acting like a whiner. thank goodness for this group and the support you all give.

If you haven't tried the new IP cookies and cream bars .....OMG they don't even taste like a protein bar...very good! The soy puffs are great on a salad, like croutons.

Oh, and there are diet altoids in a small little tin with zero everything and .5 calories. They have sorbitol, but haven't looked that up yet.

Hang in there Mom22. Perhaps your family just loves you the way you are and doesn't understand your goals for dieting. When I said I was going on a diet my whole familly said why? Given they are supportive, but still. Let your family know that you need their support!! Perhaps they just aren't responsive and you want responsive support? I explained that I haven't weighed this much since high school, and that I'm unhappy with the way I look and need to lose weight in order to feel better about myself. They all listened and have given their support...heck even my SIL cooked low carb for me for thanksgiving. Talk with them Mom22, you have nothing to lose by trying (you can't win the lottery if you don't play).

I re-read the phase 1 info, thanks Princass, I know now that having an afternoon snack instead of an evening snack is a-okay. :)

I had a conversation with my husband the other day that really shocked me! I have nearly always wieghed more than him and he has always incouraged me to lose weight but when I told him I wanted to lose another 20 or 30 Lb's he actually said that he thought that might be too much! Let me tell you that was an exciting moment in my life. It actually made me want to try even harder because if he thinks I look good now, baby just you waite.

You go vallygirl! My mom said the same thing when I told her what I want to get down to. What is it with us people getting skinny eh?

I'm trying to post a tracker....



http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar070...2/130/194/.png

Welcome to everyone who has just started IP. You are all doing so well! I started on Oct. 23 and have now lost 18 pounds! I've had some challenges..a planned cheating weekend right after I first began and then was sick for a few days and then of course Thanksgiving. But all in all, I'm very happy with my loss and feel great! And I've gone down from a Plus 2X top and size 18 jeans - to Plus 1X or XXL and size 16 jeans!

Thanks Ogdog13 - you're right - at some point I'm just going to have to get over it and ask them flat out for their support.

Maybe I need to take a page from my 17 year old son - he's supportive (in a grunting kind of way) he's into jujitsu and knows about "making weight", eating healthy and has even tried to drink up my chocolate drinks. He asked how much I had lost - when I told him, he said - don't take it personally but you kind of look the same. just the way he said it made me realize that he didn't see me as fat before and to him I look like the same. I guess most other people (there are some exceptions) don't look at us as negativly as we look at ourselves.

I'm so sorry, that your family is not very supportive. Sometimes our families are the biggest challenge when it comes to any changes in our lives. They just see us differently than others do. They also know us too well, I think. So, just try to ignore the negativity and focus on what you know to be true....that you are in this for the long haul, that you are doing this for yourself and that you will succeed!!!
We are here for you!

Also, don't forget that when people see you all the time they won't see the gradual weight loss Mom22. It took my friends not seeing me a month to notice that I lost weight, where as my family doesn't see it at all until I wear something old that is really baggy. LOL. And yes, we are most critical of ourselves!

Thanks! I can now read this book for the first time!