ChelleFL I am in week 4 and have lost 1 lb so far this week too. I was counting on the 3-5 per week everyone describes and don't really know what more I can do to help the pounds drop. I rode my bike today--But for me, no results increase my impatience and then hunger - real or imagined. Hope to keep moving. I will take a 3 lb loss, but please not 1.

So, I've been struggling the last few days. I make it through the first half of the day fine and then wham...cravings big time. Yesterday it was pizza and today Taco Time. I feel like I get to this point of fear when I get close to losing 50lbs and somehow begin to sabatoge all the hard work I have done. Maybe talking about it will help me get through it and move on. I am so encouraged by everyone here and your successes. I know I can do this it is just one day at a time and the faster I get back on track the easier each day will be. :)

Today I started Week 5, and I am also hoping to lose at least 3 this week. Its been a tough week. Last Monday we found out my Husband's cancer is back and his Brother suddenly died that same afternoon. Despite the Wake, Funeral and having to go out to eat, I managed to stay on the diet.

The week before I was constipated and as soon as I started the olive oil, I dropped 3 lbs. Thats not the problem now. Now it seems to be water retention and my Coach thinks I need more potassium. I'm getting tested Thursday so then I'll know for sure.

We both need to keep the faith and hang in there.

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's cancer and loss of his brother. You have so much to deal with.

Are you seeing the water retention in your legs? My lower legs have been swollen with water. I just thought it was due to TOM. Who is testing your potassium? Is it a blood test?

After all that happened you stayed on the diet. It sounds like you are going to do this "no matter what" and that is the key to success.

Let us know what happens with the potassium test.

Thanks for posting and "hanging in there."

Oh, good, my wt. tracker showed up again. I am so proud of that one pound I lost this week. LOL.

I don't care for the lemon and bananan puddings, they taste chemically to me. I really like the vanilla and butterscotch ones though. I add some cinnamon to them. I like the berry yogurt if I put it in the freezer for a little while.

Hey everyone - I had the cauliflower crusted pizza today. I have pictures and a review of it on my blog and compared it to my egg crusted pizza nutritionally :)

Are we allowed cooked onions? I got the impression that we weren't allowed to have them and I am having a hard time living without!

Wyo Sky -
I think the lemon pudding tastes really fake. Like artificial flavor. I still haven't tried the banana pudding.
I love the wildberry yogurt. I drink it every morning for breakfast- I use 8 ounces of water instead of the 6.5 or whatever it calls for.

Jordanna - congratulations on your 35.5 pounds! :D
Can't wait to check out your blog. Sounds delicious!

My coach told me that if you are going to cook onions not to saute or caramelize them, but to use them in soup, microwave or steam them etc isn't the end of the world...

NSV: I joined the gym today. I want to start "slow and easy" so I went into the heated indoor pool and walked up and down the pool for 20 minutes and did some stretches.

I plan to build up to running on the treadmill and lifting weights. I am pretty much on Phase II of the diet but some days it's easier to do Phase I because there's only one meal to prepare.

Congrats Lilita - joining the gym is such a great step to continue on in a healthy lifestyle after the "diet" is over :) Plus it's going to get that last 9 off that little bit faster!

Well I just booked & paid for a 17 day cruise for April 2011. We're also going to spend a week in Florida before we head out on the cruise...that means I have just over a year to be at my goal weight, because there's no way I'm cruising as a fat kid :)

I had the banana pudding today for breakfast. I added ice and almond extract to the shaker and then sprinkled cinnamon and nutmeg. It doesn't taste like the real thing but it is a change from the routine.

I love the Wildberry Yogurt. It was the first IP package I tried and it got me started on the right foot so it has a special place in my heart.

Haven't tried the lemon pudding.

I love the pre-made vanilla shakes 'cause I add orange extract flavoring and it tastes like a Dreamsicle. And I can grab one as I'm leaving the house.

Wow, Jordanna, that is planning well ahead! Imagine the wardrobe you get to wear! Sundresses, shorts, tank tops and SWIMSUITS!

I was wearing a swimsuit today at the gym and I realized that I didn't feel like I had to cover up as I walked out of the locker room into the pool area.

I have to mention to you that I have a 31 year old niece that has lost 60 pounds on IP since last August. That is only one of several IP success stories in my family.

I was talking to my mum today about the cute sundresses I'll get to wear next year :) Very excited!! I've always been the wearing a hoodie in the hot summer weather because for some reason I think it's my fat girl invisibility cloak...because of course no one would notice I was fat as long as I wore a hoodie right!!?

That's fantastic that you are feeling so good about yourself that you didn't feel the need to cover yourself up - I can't wait to be there!!

Thanks for mentioning your neice, sometimes I feel like one of the only girls who has SO MUCH weight to lose :)

I have had shorts & swimsuits on my mind since the warm weather hit. I have warn jeans and hoodies as much as possible in the last few summers and I can't wait to change that this summer. I am so jealous of your cruise! I have been dreaming of going on one for quite some time... maybe next spring break! I looked at sundresses today.. I have high hopes for us! And even though you feel like you have a lot to lose, you are doing so great that it will be gone in no time!

Thanks Rachel - you're doing wonderfully too, and I'm sure you're going to look amazing at the wedding!

i've just started IP (i'm on day 5). i'm not taking the vitamins like i'm supposed to because i don't do well with large vitamins. do i need to take them? i also have not purchased sea salt. what's the purpose of the sea salt?

i'm finding myself growing tired of so many vegetables already, but think i could enjoy them with the proper recipes for good dressings and stuff to saute in or spice them up with. (i bought several waldenfarms dressings and wish i'd saved my money. ick.)

i like the chocolate drink (although i can't figure out why it clumps sometimes when i'm only heating it for less than 40 seconds??) and the bars. the bars are good. i don't like the omelette mix much, mostly due to the texture of it.

the good news is that i can already tell i've lost some weight by the feel of my clothing and the difference in my facial features. my kids have noticed too. :)

any suggestions, tips, etc for a newbie?

thanks so much! joey

Please take into account that you lost 10 pounds the first week! As time passes, your weekly losses will likely decrease or even out, but your average from day one will be 3-5 pounds. My course over six weeks was a 10 pound loss right up front, evening out to 3 pounds a week. On average, that's still more than 4 pounds a week--as advertised!

Would I like to be losing faster? Of course! Am I happy with my progress so far? Absolutely!

The wildberry yogurt drink is very good. I agree about the banana pudding in particular tasting chemically, though it's better as a smoothie. The lemon isn't as bad to me, and I like that it's only 1 carb. I've also been having that as a smoothie before bed, when I want to keep my carbs down and maximize fat burning during the night.

Do you have any headaches? The sea salt is necessary to balance your sodium level. Since we are not eating processed foods that are loaded with sodium and we are drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, our bodies are flushing the sodium out and we need to add it back in. A friend of mine also does not do well with large pills so our coach had some liquid vitamins (not IP) for her to take. You are eating an unbalanced diet and should be taking supplements. They don't necessarily need to be IP supplements but equivalent to. There have been previous posts on where to buy supplements other than IP and maybe the others will chime in on this to guide you.

Welcome to IP, it really does work!:welcome3:

Good Morning all

I caught up with all the posts from last night and wow, some of you have had some awesome NSVs

Jordanna, how exciting about your cruise. You are going to have a blast shopping for cutesy outfits and you will be able to show off all your hard work.

Lolita, congrats on joining the gym!

Scott, thanks for the welcome, your #s are amazing. I was, as well as my coach, shocked to see a loss of 14 pounds on my first WI.

JOeyBeth, welcome, I am a newbie as well!

Have a great day everyone.
KimAnn

I can join you on that NSV! My rings are so loose, they just slip right off! I have had to put tape on the backs just so I won't lose them!

And, I found out I still have ribs and hip bones! YAYYYYY!!!!!! Feels so good to actually have an indent on my waist again! :)

Sometimes these moments are better then seeing the numbers on the scale!!

At my weight in yesterday, all the weight I lost was fat.
All of it. And after a tough day yesterday where I consumed 4 IPs ( one a bar), I had lost a pound this morning. So... I'll take it! and Novak you are so right. You need to go with the averages. I am way too addicted to my scale and I know it.
I love the yogurt drink - do add some extra water. They are great for traveling- the vanilla box drinks are too heavy to carry. I had been having the crispy cereal every morning but it isn't very good really. Just good when you want something crunchy to chew. The water must be ice cold or it tastes like warm milk. Am trying the vanilla boxes 3x a day for now.

I love the berry yogurt drink! Haven't tried the lemon or banana puddings.

Jordanna & Mystical Mamma
Are your feet any smaller or just your fingers? I bought 4 pairs of shoes last weekend on sale, thinking they would fit fine after my weight loss. (Don't want to spend money on clothes right now that will be too big soon.) Just curious to know-- thanks.

Thanks for the info. I have had them a couple of times in a recipe that I got off Dr. Tran's site and was confused about the no cooked onions edict as well. Now I won't feel so guilty. I do love them carmelized though. But I won't...

Jordanna-- I really like your blog.
http://www.memoirs-of-a-fat-kid.blogspot.com/
I will try your pizza recipe when I am really craving it.
Wish you hadn't mentioned the bacon guacamole thing!

Thanks for the compliment and sorry about mentioning the burger...if it's any consolation that burger has been on my mind for a few weeks and I'm amazed at myself for deciding not to have a planned cheat on the day of my birthday like I had originally planned on.

Welcome, Joey, You MUST start taking your supplements or you could become sick. If the pills are too big (I don't like big pills either, but I take them anyway.) buy some smaller ones with the same nutrient values. The sea salt will replenish the sodium you are going to be peeing out and will keep you from getting light headed and headachy.

For lots of great suggestions and tips, click on "User CP" at the top left of the page. Then click on "forum tools" on the right side of the screen, midway down. Arrow down and click on "other low-carb diets." There's all kinds of Ideal Protein recipes and other helps there.

This is a great forum to be a part of.

Bev

I'm on day five too!! We shall lose together. My clothes are feeling a little looser as well. I've found with the veggies, I saute using olive oil cooking spray and Mrs. Dash, or almost any of my normal spice, oregano, garlic, etc, and they come out delicious.

Jordanna, your blog is fantastic. Thanks for posting recipes and keeping us motivated with variety.
Question for everyone about cheese. I can't stomach the soy cheese. Yesterday I skipped my one ounce of skim milk in my coffee, but for dinner had a turkey burger on a portabello mushroom, with 3/4 ounce of light laughing cow cheese spread in between. Does that sound legal? I sure hope so, because it was fantastic!
I haven't posted for awhile, so just wanted to tell all of you with NSVs and weight loss congrats. :)

Hiya Newsiemom - thanks for the compliment :)

Regarding cheese, my coach says as long as you only have it once in a while, and it's low fat cheese you can use it in place of the oz of skim milk in your coffee. Low fat dairy won't knock you out of ketosis but it can slow down your weight loss if you abuse it :)

The only pudding I've tried is the chocolate and I do not enjoy it at all. The texture and taste just don't work for me.

But the yogurt drink I really like, especially with very cold water. One of my favorites.

I had the same concern about the onions. Though I'm not supposed to, I do saute my onions with my other vegetables. I'm careful not to caramelize them, just take some of the "bite" out of them. I've been doing this since day1 and doubt very seriously that it's affecting my weight loss.

Congrats. There's some built-in motivation.

Here's my tips:

• Find ways to eat your vegetables without just eating vegetables. I chop up a cup of veggies and have it in my omelet for breakfast. Chop up a cup of veggies and mix it into the chicken soup.
• It may be too soon to try Walden Farms dressings. If this is only your 5th day, then you still remember how good real dressings taste. Give yourself a few weeks on the diet and then try them again. When I started, I didn't eat salads at all since I couldn't have dressing. About three weeks in, I decided to buy the WF dressings so I could have salad. I was quite surprised at how edible they are. Give your taste buds some time to adjust.
• Take the supplements. I'm not very good with taking large pills either. When I started IP, I had to work each supplement down individually. Now I can just throw them all in there at once and swallow them with one gulp of water.

Just hang in there and keep going. It all gets easier.

Hi everyone!

I am new to the group! If you don't mind. I have a buddy system going to with a couple others ladies I know. My one friend has lost over 35 pounds on IP. She is doing and looking great and I thought I should do that too.

So here I am .... ready, set and go!

I have read through your posts for a couple weeks now. I am also going to track my food in a fit day schedule. I have to keep track of my fibre anyway so....why not!

Have a great rest of the day!

I have been craving hot cocoa! Can you make the choco pudding into a drink and heat it? What about the choco drink? Has anyone done this and does it work?

I haven't tried heating either of those, but I have tried the Cappucino drink. Even though I dislike coffee, I find the Cappucino drink to be quite good.

Yes - i've done this often. You do need to heat all of the IP drinks in small bursts i.e. 30 seconds and then stir. if you heat them too fast, they cook instead of heat and they're lumpy. I don't buy the chocolate drink anymore - i only buy the pudding and add extra water to make it into a drink. if you check the carb counts, the puddings are lower than the drinks and i don't notice the taste being any different.