[natural girl]

Wow everyone is doing great this week! I haven't been around in a few days between work, school and driving 3 kids to every social/sport activity known to man sometimes I can't get a break.

I have my first official WI tomorrow, I have no idea how much I have lost as I am to chicken to get on my home scale lol. I am really hoping for a big number BUT my TOM is due tomorrow and after reading all the posts how this has affected so many others I am a bit concerned. Why did it have to be due at my FIRST WI?! Oh well. Also when I signed up they just gave us samples of a bunch of product (more restricted than not) and my coach said I could have 1 restricted item per day. I haven't cheated but I have had one restricted per day most days but after reading everyone's posts it sounds like this can stall weight loss? I think I will just finish the restricted items I have and not order anymore except for occasionally the salt & vinegar ridges and some oatmeal. I really like the oatmeal sometimes after a workout when I feel I need something more substantial but I want to lose as quick as possible.

[chimpchamp]

My understanding is that the strict, true IP protocol means no olives and no pepper rings....I love 'em both...but again, I am modifying IP b/c of $$$$

[Sweetstina]

After two weeks on IP, I've lost 11.6 pounds and 8.3 inches. I have yet to eat any of the restricted foods and have only been drinking water. I feel terrific and only have 24.4 pounds to go!! Like Olygirl40, I am also wondering whether olives (black and green) are allowed? They would definitely add a welcome new flavour to salads!!

[chimpchamp]

Natural Girl---careful with the workouts. You're not consuming enough calories to work out hard. Just move, walk, clean house, etc. but don't go for serious sweat b/c it'll backfire. Elizabeth knows more about this but we simply cannot workout heavily with so few calories. Our natural body processes burn about 1000 calories a day as it is.

[Novak]

Originally Posted by Sweetstina

After two weeks on IP, I've lost 11.6 pounds and 8.3 inches. I have yet to eat any of the restricted foods and have only been drinking water. I feel terrific and only have 24.4 pounds to go!! Like Olygirl40, I am also wondering whether olives (black and green) are allowed? They would definitely add a welcome new flavour to salads!!

I love them too, but they are not on the list.

[mamaerinb]

chimpchamp
why is it OK to go off protocol for pork rinds but not a sucralose containing soda? ip contains lots of sucralose so i am just wondering...are pork rinds on the list?

and not to be naggy but it seems that there are a lot of harsh words today about people questioning certain foods. i have screwed up once by drinking alcohol but i have also lost almost half of my desired weight in less than 4 weeks. i ask questions on here for friendly advice not a firestorm of "oh no you shouldn't haves"

in my honest opinion-i say look at the calories and ingredients. pickles are ok, so pickeled okra should be OK too, they haven't affected me, and i would say the same goes for a few olives here or there in moderation.

squash is not a food listed on "the list" but the carbs, fat and calories are almost IDENTICAL to zucchini. my coach has advised the that "the list" is a short list of acceptable foods and that there is no way that there could be an entire list of every acceptable vegetable on the planet.

research your foods! and make educated choices about what you put in your mouth-you WILL lose the weight if you follow the plan and makes educated food choices.

Have a fabulous day everyone!!

[chimpchamp]

TO JORDANNA I'm nervous about going on my cruise next spring - it's for 3 weeks..imagine the weight i could gain lol.

Nah! You'll be thinking, "WOW! Look at all these wonderful, low-carb veggies that are already washed, cut, and diced for me. MMM, this cruise offers me so many lean meats and proteins. I won't gain any weight with this wide array of IP-compliant choices!!!"

[jordanna]

Originally Posted by Calgarygirlie

Welcome kiki28 and TXrealtor, glad to have you aboard!
Mamaerinb- ..Nice work!
Canadianmama...yayayay! That has to feel great!
Lady5andy.....J'espère que vous vous sentez mieux bientôt!

Jordanna and Novak.... I absolutely agree with you guys in following the IP protocol. The ONLY non IP product I use are the Dr.B vanilla/choc ready made drink which is half the price and word for word the same ingredients and package as IP. I have posted a few times this week my struggle but with no responses (except Yellie..thanks!) My body seems to have just stopped losing. I measure my food, have extra water, get in all my supplements, walk 5kms, 4 times a week, and didn't even lick my fingers when making my son's b-day cake this weekend past. My coach thinks I am too stressed out about losing this weight, and that may be my problem. I have no interest in cheating because I am so concerned with losing weight.. Am I too obsessed? Have you guys ever had a week or two of no movement on the scale or in inches?

If you're stalling there are a few things you can try:
1) add an extra package of food in to change things up
2) stop exercising for a week
3) eat some higher fat foods ie: don't trim your steak, add extra oil to your food/salads
4) wait it out, eventually you're body is going to stop stalling (my coach says it can take up to 3 weeks for your body to respond to a stall - basically your body goes "whoa, where are my fat stores going??" and holds on to everything for a few weeks before going back to losing.)

Hope that helps! If you aren't cheating the weight will come off eventually. I think Showgirl had a huge stall for a bit and then bounced back with a big loss after a few weeks....(if I remember correctly)

[chimpchamp]

PEPSI ONE is also sweetened with Sucralose but it's the other stuff that can present a problem...like the phosphoric acid. Don't be too fooled by HANSEN'S "natural" sodas....nothing is really natural about any soda. Hansen's just uses real cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup in their non-diet sodas. Nonetheless, I agree that it's best to stick to the IP protocol but if it's going to make you crazy, have a li'l sip of diet soda so you don't to into full-blown cheat!!!! Choose the "lesser of 2 evils"...so to speak.

[Journeysend]

Hi! My councilor told me absolutely no soda of ANY KIND!! I had kind of cut back on sodas anyways after watching Dr. Oz show!!

CALGARYGIRLIE::My daughter and I were just wondering about the Dr. B. ready drinks and if they were the same as what we get with IP, sure look the same. Thanks for telling us the ingredients are the same, I think we will order some as the price even with shipping is WAY CHEAPER!!

MAMAERINB: Congratulations for getting into the 170s!!!! Can hardly wait just to be in onederland!!!

TXREALTOR & KIKI28: Welcome!! IP works wonderfully and this forum is a great source of info and support.

[jordanna]

Originally Posted by mamaerinb

chimpchamp
why is it OK to go off protocol for pork rinds but not a sucralose containing soda? ip contains lots of sucralose so i am just wondering...are pork rinds on the list?

pork rinds are absolutely not IP Legal, they are very high in fat, just because something is 0 carbs doesn't mean it's okay on IP....

some coaches say splenda sweetened soda is okay, some say no, some even say aspartame sweetened soda is okay.... I suppose you need to decide for yourself if it's affecting your weight loss or not?

I think some people stay true to the IP Protocol and some don't - it's up to you and your coach to decide how true you are going to stay to the program.

Many factors can effect ketosis - the amount of citric acid in something can knock you out of ketosis, for some people even a tiny bit of aspartame will keep you out of ketosis, the length of time you've been on the diet before introducing these things can help or hinder you....

It all comes down to how fast you want to lose the weight...some people are happy to lose more slowly but drink pop and eat cheese & nuts, some people stay 100% to protocol and lose quicker...

a lot of it comes down to personal choice and what works for you...

[Calgarygirlie]

THANK YOU JORDANNA!!!!!!...I have been starting to feel a little crazy

Journeysend....if you can find a Dr.B clinic in a close town/city, they seem to always have plenty in stock. Saves you the shipping. In Calgary I pay $16.00 for 6 drinks, although it appears that in other places the cost may be different.

[yelliemom]

Originally Posted by Lady5andy

It's amazing to see everyone having great result!! Wow !

I'm feeling a little bit better this morning. I think I'll skip this week WI not to discourage myself because it's been since monday that I can only eat rice-pasta-bread because I was so sick.. I'm really hopeful to start IP again tomorrow ! Wish me luck

Glad to hear you're starting to feel better.

Originally Posted by CanadianMama

Check out my ticker, 209. No 1 as the middle number.

I am so psyched today, its truly amazing.

I know it may take two or three weeks but I know that elusive 199 is just around the corner.

This motivation will get me through the next four days, we are going to the cottage for VIctoria Day Weekend which would normally involve alcohol and some nice tasty snacks. Instead I will stick to the water, and be making those snacks for hubby and the kids.

My coach lets you have a cheat week during the summer, so I am saving my major cheat until then




you can do it, .7 and you will be there.



I don't know about the athletes part, but today I saw 209, 209, 209 I was so excited. That second number has never been below a 1 in over 10 years.

The first week was a killer I will say that. I almost didn't make it, the headaches were horrible.

I'm 10 days in 8 pounds down, 9.5 inches and I feel great

I have more energy, and I'm not as hungry ( I won't lie I struggle waiting for my lunch, my stomach is grumbling)

I started taking a bite of a chocolate peanut butter bar around 10:30 to tide me over.

Yay Kim! The first week is tough but you stuck with it and it shows! Stay strong this weekend, just keep thinking about how close you are to Onederland if you get tempted to cheat.

Originally Posted by Chaplains wifey

taking my husband to the airport at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning . Trying not to be too emotional yet .Going to enjoy my last day with him before he heads back to iraq . Im going to miss him .Thanks for all the kind words .

I can't even imagine how hard that is for the whole family. I'll be thinking about you all.

Originally Posted by yinyang

CW- You will lose that weight in a flash when you get back on IP. You only get so much time with hubby, so just enjoy without guilt. When I went on vaction, I gained 5# and it was gone in 3 days.
I second the comment thanking you and all other military families for what you do to help all of us here in the U.S.

I lost .8# last night. I really lost inches last night though, even with a little loss. Most of us have had a week where we lost very little, but it is a little discouraging. To be honest, I probably need to tighten up my program a little. Over time it is easy to slip a little in all the good habits needed to do great. I had several social outings last week, and while I did well, it is hard to be 100% at those times when what you are served is out of your control. I take my own food, or bring a big salad to share usually.

I didn't lose as much on the scale this week as I usually do, but like you I lost inches all over and my body fat percentage went down more than it has any other week so far. Sometimes smaller losses on the scale just means that other changes are going on and sometimes it's the reminder we may need to make sure that we aren't getting too lax on following the plan. Of course there are those darn plateaus too, but thankfully I haven't had that happen yet.

Originally Posted by mamaerinb

WI #4 today and guess what, I got over that plateau!! Down 3.7 lbs to 177, YES, I AM IN THE 170s PEOPLE!! ok, back to work now, but everyone PLEASE remember that when the scale doesn't budge for 4 days or even a week, over a matter of 2 days I dropped that weight like THAT! keep it up y'all and congrats on the losses

Congrats Erin! Every single week I get nervous because I don't see much movement on the scale for several days and then a day or two before my weigh in there is usually a nice drop. One of these days I'll learn to stop getting on the scale numerous times a day every day and just wait for my weigh in day.............. or not! LOL

Originally Posted by TXRealtor

Hello ladies,
Most of you seem to be doing great. I have been reading all the old posts (all original 28 screen pages) and have a good basic understanding of this diet. I am hoping to start soon. I did lose on WW but never on Atkins, so I am a little nervous. I have 80 pounds to lose and this diet sounds to work quicker than others plus protein and the selected veggies are good and sound. I will check back soon.

If you follow the protocol how it's meant to be followed you will lose the weight and it will come off quickly! Looking forward to you joining us and celebrating your losses with you.

Originally Posted by kiki28

Hi ppl!!

I am new to the forum! I started the IP program on May 3rd and as of May 13th at my weigh in, I've lost 14.4 inches and 14 lbs!! I love the puddings!! my friend started the program today!!

Its only been a few weeks and I am sick of salad!!!!! lol

anyone else suffer from hypothyroid? hows it working for ya?

Welcome! Congrats on your losses so far! I also got sick of the salads after about 2 weeks. Have you seen our posts about the rhubarb yet? That's a current favorite legal veggie for a lot of us.

[chimpchamp]

mamaerin...no, pork rinds are not on IP list...they are just rinds, oil, salt---no other ingredients whereas the sodas have several other ingredients that are kind of mysterious to me. I'm not saying when it's okay to go on or off plan b/c I'm not a coach and I modify IP for financial reasons. I was told the phos. acid, and other ingredients in sodas can stall some loss but again, I'm going modified b/c I cannot afford $2000 for 3 months of IP. On the other hand, Atkins (yes, I know...a completely different approach) allows pork rinds, olives, avocado, etc but IP is designed for rapid, healthy FAT loss and it works. I've had a friend go through 3 months of it and she lost 30 # of FAT! More important, the inches she lost were incredible. I eat one small pork rind when i'm craving crunch....not a whole bag or even an ounce but just one sample sized to curb my craving.

[QueenJumbie]

My coach and I are meeting tonight and I'll do WI, but this is only day 10 and my second weigh in. (First WI at day 5, second at 10) I feel like I might be more impressed with my results if I got in a full 7 days. Hopefully there will be a loss. I want to be able to keep modivated.