I honestly just got back to exercise. I couldn't do it for the first few weeks as my body was feeling weak and blah. I started hiking again as I let my gym membership lapse, and I go with a pretty high heart rate and lots of hills. I had a pretty good weekend with 2 hikes (even after falling down a hill, ow, and silly blisters), and it is reflecting in my weight loss.

I still feel like I can't run yet, and I don't honestly want to with the heat. I have my lunch protein drink right after and it really helps and I don't feel guilty refueling my body if I need another packet or more veggies.

I just got back to my tread mill yesterday. I am almost finished with week four and I was just feeling too tired all the time. I only walked 1/2 mile yesterday and one mile today. I would like to get back up to two miles this week. I have never been a serious workout type. I have discovered that walking a couple miles every morning before work gives me lots of extra energy throughout the day.

I must say that prior to this week, I physically did not feel like I could even walk a mile. I think it took my body this long to adjust to IP. I am sure we are all different, but I definitely needed three weeks to adjust.

Anyway, that's my story. Not much to report, but I am certainly on the up side of this diet!:)

Thanks Carla! I do like my coach, he's OK most of the time, BUT he thinks that he knows more than I do cuz he's a doc (well chirpractor) . not true! I know quite a bit about nutrition, exercise, and exactly what I need to do to lose weight, etc. my problem was having the motivation and will power to keep at it long enough to make a dent. i lose motivation fast, so this IP diet is working and I finally have a different attitude about it!

i think (and purely my opinion, no medical facts here) physical activity is important, it is just that the IP program is quite low on calories, and of course carbs which is what we really need to fuel our energy during physical activity. the low calories are not good if you are only getting 800-1000 from the IP food and burning 600-700 in an hour of physical activity, hence the reluctance for our coaches to embrace physical activity while on this diet! :)

Thanks for the encouragement, Stacey41... I have to confess, I enjoyed the yoga, but not the class... so, on my way home, I stopped by Walmart & bought a Rodney Yee DVD, "A.M. Yoga For Your Week".. watched it all the way through yesterday evening... shoulda started doing it this morning, but I had an important phone call... so, tomorrow morning, it's me & Rodney!.. :val2: (he's cute!)..

hugs :hug:

I don't know if you get the Oxygen channel or not, but at 6am (in my area) there is a yoga program hosted by Steve Ross called Inhale. It's all reruns, and has been off the air for several years, but it is a great show. If it's on at an inconvenient time you can always record it. I like it because it's not the absolutely serious type of yoga, there's catchy music and I enjoy it.

I have this video too. Be prepared for Rodney's speedo he wears throughout the video. My friend and I couldn't do the video the first time we were so
grossed out. Then, we got over it. The PM video in that series is my favorite.;)

Yea, I've watched his stuff before and the speedo was a turnoff. Way too much information.:o

note to self DO NOT pick up this yoga video EVER....YIKES!

Bahahahahaha, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

I had a 2hr pretty heavy hike yesterday and it knocked me out of ketosis according to my strips this morning. However, I think I just burned all the ketones out of my body and had nothing left to pee out.

However, my strips have been less than reliable lately, and I'm still losing weight (well, not from yesterday to today, but you know what I mean) so I don't really want to give up the hiking 2-3x a week at least in the summer :)

LOL!.. yeah, definitely TMI!.. I just took my glasses off & it was all just a blur!.. I enjoyed the workout, couldn't quite get some of the poses, my balance needs lots of improvement... but I can definitely see that it'll be a great addition to my exercise list... I love how it elongates my joints, especially my back & shoulders... I originally looked into yoga for something to improve my posture, so I'm pretty confident that I've made a good decision...

Thanks for the warning, I guess at my age (61) not much surprises me anymore!..

hugs :hug:

I suspect you're right about the hiking burning up the excess ketones... if you're still losing weight, you're still in ketosis, even if it doesn't show on the strips... keep doing what you're doing, it works...

hugs :hug:

How far do you hike. I love getting outside. There is one thing I really look forward to doing and that is jump roping. I am still heavy and it is hard yet to get off the ground but I can't wait :D:D:D I have been doing the Wii fit and Wii Active. I started the 30 day challenge on the Wii active and my legs are like Jello. My kiddos laugh every time I sit down or get up :dizzy:

My hiking shoes are NOT agreeing with me, I've tried to break them in but I just broke down and got a new pair. I've only been going on 3-5 mile hikes, but it is pretty hilly around here so I get my heart rate up quite a bit. I have a garmin gps/heart rate monitor so I record my distance and calories burned that way very easily. I push myself a lot to get the most out of my workouts.

I need a new pair of hiking shoes/boots & can't decide which ones to get... what brand are yours?.. (the good ones & the bad ones)..

hugs :hug: