very nice pic lilita!! you look terrific, and so young!!

i am also having difficulties again. and yes, i would say stress related. this has been pure **** having my husband gone so long. and he is having difficulty now in his physio and it hurts to hear him so down. they just dont think there is anymore they can do for him, and this has been hard for him to digest. i am going to try and persevere, but some days this diet is not the most important thing in my life anymore. i am tired of doing well one week, and not so well the next. no major cheats, just not complete IP eating.

oh well, i will see what this week brings. so far, just not a good one.

thank you ladies for your support! It has been a rough day, and I am so ready for tomorrow to come!! I didn't cheat today. I thought about it, but I didn't. Thanks for getting me through today. We will see what this week brings!

Sandra: This is such a journey. I just came out of the tub. I gave myself a bubble bath. Such a simple and restoring thing to do for myself and I certainly don't do it often enough. I vow to take one at least once a week!

I see that you don't have far to go to your goal! Your hubby is going through so much and it's hard to focus on yourself. But don't give up!

Also, "they don't think there is any more they can do for him" sounds like the rest of his rehab is up to him. It's like IP. It's a program that we learned (are learning) but the rest is up to us. They gave us the protocol but what level do we want to take it to? We can go to the highest level possible if we want to!

Our bodies are limitless! As proven by the Olympians. They, too, had challenges in getting to their goals.

I'm a nurse and I have seen how the human spirit can conquer major physical challenges. And I have seen people "give up" when all they have is a relatively minor challenge.

We don't have far to go!

Let's keep going, Sandra! Be strong for yourself and your hubby.

Did you see the movie "Blind Side?" That is one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen. I highly recommend it if you have a chance to see it.

We are here for you! Keep posting and tell us what is going on with your husband. Pour your heart out, girl. It's a great stress reliever and it's free.

I too liked the Blind Side. And I agree with Lilita that watching inspiring movies helps when we get discouraged.

What other movies have we seen that we found inspiring?

I like a nice warm bath.

I also find that stroking a cat (or simply looking at a sleeping cat) relaxes me.

Hugging my husband is a magical experience for me that instantly dissipates stress.

Amen to that!

Lilita, thanks for posting the pics. Wow what a difference! Whooohooo. And I must add that you are quite beautiful!!!

Sandrab, you have been so strong for both your husband and through your IP journey, and you are so close now. Stay strong!! Some days it can't just be about the diet.....totally understandable! You will have to go off of IP in the near future, so stick to it and finish it out. Do it for yourself. Or, take these not so good weeks and treat them as Phase 2 weeks and that you are relearning to eat. It sure sounds like you are. STAY STRONG!!!

Lilita - I agree with Ogdog's comment - the first thought in my mind when I saw your pictures was what a good-looking bunch of women we must all be! (given the pic's of those who have posted)

Not feeling bueatiful right now - go get my colonoscopy in a couple hours. The prep has been ****..nuff said about that!

Birman, I have 4 cats (& 2 dogs).

Be back later after the procedure!!

For all you dogs lovers out there, this is just too cute and funny.

http://upsidedowndogs.com/

Lilita - you look amazing Thanks for posting pictures, I love seeing the difference in everyone, it gives me motivation to keep on going....even when I lose 5.7 lbs one day and I seem to be up 3 lbs this week for some reason...but seeing stuff like that gives me that boost to keep on trucking instead of shoving white bread in my mouth one piece at a time

SandraB - perfectly understandable that IP doesn't rate very high on your priority list with all the other challenges going on in your life. Cut yourself some slack and find some way of feeling better. Hot bath, a good cry, maybe you need to pour your heart out - maybe to our "annonomous" group or maybe to someone else, a good friend, priest or therapist. Find what works for you - you need to look after yourself first so you can be strong and so that you can give the support to your husband and family.

Lilita - you look good!! So nice to know who we're sharing with - when i reach my goal, i want to show you guys a before and after picture. i too came across a photo of myself from June (I thought I looked good before) but boy oh boy seeing that picture makes me realize how different i look now. no wonder people have said they don't recognize me.

Olympic "snuggies" no idea - i didn't notice them in the opening ceremonies and didn't watch the closing - was too exhausted from the hockey game. Probably some artistic clothing design thing...

Hello everyone, I haven't been posting much but reading as much as I could. Everytime i feel alone or have a difficult time following the diet I always find comfort coming here. After putting on 3 pds on Valentine's week, I was down 6 the week after. Not a good experience to gain, I hope it won't happen to me again and I surely know what to do to keep loosing.

Be strong, we can do it!

Mom22 I am hypnotised by your signature. Only 4 pounds to go to reach your goal, wow! Congratulations!

Thanks for the compliments! I was feeling pretty down and passing time organizing my digital photos when I ran across that picture from last August and I realized how much I had accomplished "one pound at a time."

I have always looked "young" for my age. I used to get "carded" in my 30's.

My "beauty secret" is that I have been using daily sunscreen on my face since age 18 (1971) when they didn't even sell it for facial use. I had to use "tanning lotion" for the body with SPF 8 or something like that. I had read an article by a dermatologist in a magazine that mentioned "new research" that sun exposure caused wrinkles.
My sisters made fun of me because I ran around with a greasy face all the time. (They don't make fun of me anymore, LOL.) I also wear a hat or baseball cap in the summer.

RE: IP and those of us that are so close to goal. I think going into Phase II during stressful weeks is an excellent idea. I'm thinking I'll cook (or buy) an extra portion at dinner time and save it for lunch the next day. That sounds so realistic and do-able, huh?

Then a quick shake in the morning and a pudding at night and it's done.