workout #3 just now...i know i said i'd start with 2x per week but i'm hooked, will probably do again monday to make 4x this week. oh 6 pack! ready or not, here i come;)

oh and the plank kicks my arse but i love it.

True, as this one measured differently than the one who has measured all of the other weeks! And I CAN feel it in my waist and hips in clothes, so I guess it doesn't matter!

Thank you!

had a vanilla pudding shake for the first time in a month or so after my wokout. now stomach is killing me. is there something in the vanilla that's not in the chocolate that may be causing this? i usually make chocolate pudding shakes...:?:

Different measurements and different bodies. :hug: ;)
The IP record sheet has spots for 15 measurements:

• neck
• shoulders
• around the chest at underarm level
• chest/bust
• midriff/braline
• waist
• hips
• each leg:

If I used your system, I'd be down 10.5".

That's got to be annoying. Chocolate pudding has sucralose; vanilla has sucralose and acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K). Also, if I recall correctly the ingredient list on the chocolate pudding is much shorter than the vanilla.

I feel frustrated today..I went out to lunch for the first time, and it was so depressing! The choices were SO limited. I ended up having a plain piece of salmon wrapped in lettuce and plain steamed broccoli. Now I'm trying to bake cookies for my family (they having been going through cookie withdrawls since I started the diet) and I can't have any cookies either. I don't mean to whine, it's just hard to adapt this diet to my everyday life. It seems to go great during the week, but on the weekends I really struggle. It doesn't help that it's TOM and the scale is up 2 pounds.

Hi, Kelsey, Unfortunately, ourhealthcoop is no longer carrying the IP potassium calcium. Probably IP doesn't like losing the business. :?:

I have been buying another brand of potassium without calcium. It contains 99 mg. of potassium per capsule. I take 4 capsules with breakfast and 4 with dinner. If you want the calcium, you could probably just take a Tums at breakfast?

thank you for this. i cannot for the life of me, find the ip ingredients for any products anywhere online. i wonder if the acesulfame k has something that's just not working with me :-/

just read the vanilla pudding box and the first ingredient is milk protein concentrate. wondering if i have a dairy sensitivity, hmmm...

IP product ingredients
 

You're welcome. Before IP I never had artificial sweeteners, so I pay more attention to it than some. Here's Jordanna's post with a PDF of the ingredients:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3162766-post5.html

The detective work begins ... ;) Good luck!

Another option to consider is the liquid potassium from Twin Lab. I've used liquid minerals before and found them very effective; I also enjoyed the ability to adjust the amount so easily. The reviewers on drugstore.com say they put a teaspoon in a beverage (even coffee!) and it works.

I think everyone has felt this way one time or another on the diet. You are doing so well ---- hang in there --- have an extra packet if needed, just don't give up!!! Feel free to come here and get out all your frustrations - many people go through this and will give you helpful suggestions.:goodvibes:

Stevia
 

Did you know you can grow stevia in you backyard? I just stumbled on this looking for organic tea/tisane plants. While I doubt I'll be allowed to import it into Hawai'i -- extremely strict plant restrictions re: disease and the potential to overtake native plants -- this article says may people can buy cuttings at their local nursery. http://www.stevia.net/growingstevia.htm

Well, I guess all carbs ultimately turn to sugar in our bodies. However, not all carbs have the vitamins and anti-oxidants contained in fruit. That's a big part of why we can't stay on this diet indefinitely. We need those fruits and grains for a healthy diet. Blueberries are my favorite. I mix them in my low-fat, plain yogurt and add some splenda or stevia and cinnamon. Yum! Probably organic is the way to go, especially with apples. I really don't think you can compensate for the lack of fruit by substituting more dairy or grain. I would suggest really trying to find some fruit that doesn't cause you headaches and such. Maybe Carla can give some better advice here.

If you do get pregnant, be sure to discontinue the IP diet. This is not a diet for pregnant or nursing mothers.

Interesting tenor without much vibrato. I don't know how people can compare him to the 3 tenors, whose stock in trade is vibrato.

I believe antacids interfere with the absorption of magnesium and potassium and I know they screw up thyroid medicine.

Which is why I don't bother with taking calcium with my potassium in the a.m. I take thyroid medication in the morning.

I am not sure where it says in the mommy handbook that you have to homemake cookies at a time that it is difficult for you. I can't imagine that the AA would want someone that struggles with alcohol to be a bartender.

I know that my children could never understand why a cookie recipe says that it makes 48 cookies and I only baked 30 cookies. I really did like cookie dough. :) You can find some safe desserts or treats that are healthy for everyone. Or maybe ask someone else to get the desserts.

I did get the nerve to go out to McDonalds with the kids and I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with no mannaise and a side salad instead of french fries, and a Vitamin Water Zero instead of a Coke. I used the knife and fork with the salad to cut up the chicken and ate it without any bread. I was feeling proud of myself until I noticed that my Vitamin Zero drink with zero calories had 4 carbs / serving and that bottle had 2.5 servings. WHAT? Who on earth drinks 1/3 bottle of water? But I learned something and got to be with my family. I read that 4 calories = 1 carb so I am confused.

We're all gonna live to be 150!!!.. good article about calorie restriction on oprah.com... here's some of it:
Read the rest at: http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Oz-on...striction-Diet...

hugs :hug:

Hi everybody. I haven't been on in a long time so most of you will not even remember me but I have a couple of questions for you. I have had some parental issues to deal with this summer so I decided to phase off the diet for the summer. Good news is I still lost a couple of pounds but bad news is that now I am having a very difficult time getting the mindset to get back on. Do you have any ideas/tips to help me with? I had hoped that maybe the break would help me lose fast (like I did at first) when I started back on strict. My second question is have any of you been able to tighten up the loose skin that occurs with weight loss especially under the chin and arms? I have been drinking the blueberry pomegranate drink three times a week but it hasn't seemed to make a difference. Thanks in advance for any help.

Neat. Thanks.

Thanks Bev... Love the new picture!!!

Good idea. I'm getting plenty of calcium, so it's the potassium that I need.

Wow, I'm only 41 and I'm already getting tired, I don't know if I can handle 100 + more years!!! :faint: :faint: :faint:

BevS

I LOVE YOUR PIC!! thank you for the explanation, i will try the blueberries. i think melon doesn't do it to me like apples, oranges and strawberries-so i'll stock up on some honeydew and cantaloupe too.

you are always so informative, i'll miss the blinking caterpillar kind of :)

Well, I don't know. Maybe your attitude will change in another 41 years. My 99 year old father kinda thinks he's going to live forever. :dizzy:

Really super picture, Bev.

Hi Cicibel.. I can only answer one part of your question about the loose skin under the upper arms.. I bought a shake weight and do it 5 mins each day- comes with video.. it works! I have lost an inch off each upper arm already!!!:lifter:

love that you finally put a pic up and oh yes I miss the blinking caterpillar :)

so today should be my first day of phase 4 but I am a little timid to do it. I came to vancouver for the weekend to visit parents. So far I had my normal phase 3 breakfast, lunch was spinach, chicken, and vegies, mom had made rice but I had none. Just had a protein shake and scared to have rice for dinner, kind of full anyways so we'll see. I am just worried that since I don't have access to gym, I am going to balloon up here.

Welcome back, cicibel! I remember you. Sorry you're having family problems. Only advice would be to just do it! I have a bit of loose skin under my neck and under my left arm. But then I am 52. If it hasn't snapped back within a year, I may take pitakitten's advice and look into the Titan laser. My right underarm doesn't have the loose skin. It's my bowling arm. So maybe exercise would work a bit. They have some neck exercises you can read about online too--like kissing the ceiling. :)


Thanks for the kudos, ladies. I had help. I listened to Carla and got a friend to take a picture and email it to me. Then enlisted my husband to help me. He refused to show me how, just did it himself. And says I owe him.:o

I noticed that we have a new blinking caterpillar called OnMyWayForGood so you won't have to miss the avatar. :)

Novak - I think you had the NSV of the month! I would have smiled the rest of the day... that kind of compliment is so sincere. No hidden agenda... just his honest comment. How cool is that????

You are so right about the cookies. It has just been routine for too long! I never can seem to make the right amout of cookies either with half of the dough going into my mouth!

When I went out to lunch today we got a "nutritional menu" along with the regular one. Talk about eye opening. Half of the salads had over 800 calories! The nacho app (which was obviously not an option for me) had 1954 calories! I want to say ignorance is bliss, but try telling that to my thighs.

isn't it amazing now to see that the mere 900 calories we live off of in phase 1 are satisfying? i see nutritional labels now for the groceries i buy my husband and kids and freak. ip has definitely made it's way into my family's eating habits(whether they know it or not!) :D

and BevS, you will always be the blinking caterpillar:):hug:

Then just go as far down with your toes as you can BEFORE you arch your back....just focus on pushing your back down...that in and of itself engages your abs tons

Good job! I know working out can be addicting...in a good way, but don't over do it. Do get some activity in every day, it is good for you, but if you are doing weights and all just every other day of that

Aaawww, shucks! :hug:

Bev - love the new pic! You look great!!

Also, thanks for sharing your pancake recipe a while back.. I've been eating them every day! :D

Steph, I know EXACTLY what you mean and I so clearly remember being at that same point: "will my life just be horrible food choices from now on and will I always feel deprived???". here is what I can tell you happened for me, and maybe others can say if they have had this same "aha" or not...

Given the wonderful encouragement from the women and men on this board, I decided to try to gut it out...then a funny thing happened...I started to look at food very differently. Now when I go out, I look at the menu before I go in (or check it out online before I go) and I either figure out something I can eat, or I find somewhere else to go which will give me choices I like. Sometimes this is very hard, especially when you are with a group or its a work thing...but after awhile you just get other methods in place (carrying packets, etc.)

But a much bigger change has been happening for me at home: I'm lucky because my DH is doing this with me, so I did not have to go it alone. But I realized NOBODY in my house was benefitting from sugary snacks or white rice, etc. Why would I want my daughter to be developing habits and preferences for foods that will destine her to future insulin resistance and possible weight issues? So, I have been changing the way we eat as a family. Now, we have a salad and 1-2 vegetables at every meal--we may or may not have rice, potatoes or other starches (for my daughter). I don't ever buy cookies (never did bake!) or ice cream or anything like that anymore...if she is going to eat it, it should be a "treat" not something available and at hand every day. We can have it when we go out.

All of this is a long way of saying I have finally learned WHY this is the last diet you will ever be on...because if you can use this time on IP to re-learn how to shop, how to eat and how to cook, you WILL solve your weight issues for the rest of your life. If you only do IP as a "sideline" from your other food life, then when you quit the program it will be almost impossible to keep the weight off.

When people say to me, "aren't you worried that you'll just gain it all back?" now I can confidently say, "no, I'm not". IP has changed how I cook and what I cook and THAT in the long run is what will make this stick for the rest of my life.

It's still hard...I was traveling for the past 3 weeks and I thought if I had to eat one more patched together restaurant meal I was going to tear my hair out....we had people over for dinner tonight and finding something that would make them feel as honored guests without cooking something I could not eat was hard...but I can tell you it DOES get easier over time, because your body and mind will change as you go through the plan.

And the great thing is we can all come here for support, so don't worry about whining--we all need to do it, and we are all here for you when you need to just say it out loud!:hug:

That is the perfect example of that aaaauuugghhhhh moment when it just clicks...... great post RM. Grocery shopping takes me forever as I read everything I bring into our house now, its kinda fun for me I like to look at the crap we used to eat....drives my DH mental which is also fun for me:D:D

Novak- Ok you should puddong those shorts and lets see the butt.... and I dont mean a Carla butt shot either :?: tee hee hee ... I am probably gonna get evicted from another thread :p ...... emmmmeeehh. But that definately is the best NSV of the month, you deserve it my friend :hug:

Fantastic perspective Rocky Monarch! Thanks.

Great post, Rocky!

This is the critical "aha!" I've experienced it, others in Phase 4 have mentioned it, as well. Even my sister's husband (who is now totally on an eating plan of his own design sans Phase 3) has changed the way he shops and cooks. It's an awareness that I never picked up on any other diet, and it happened without my realizing that it would stick after the weight loss phases.

Some of that awareness I attribute to these boards, for sure. People like Carla and BevS and Jordanna and Elizabeth have been so giving of their time and knowledge... how wonderful for all of us to have such great resources at our fingertips.

The rest is simply the protocol, and understanding that IP is now a tool I can use at any time to manage my weight. It's very empowering, and I hope everyone feels that when they reach their goals and move on to a new life. It's very cool... :D

It is so true that IP changes the way you think about eating and your lifestyle. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping with my husband. We started in the produce section and I put cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, rommaine lettuce, celery, and broccili in the cart. As we left the produce section, I said to my husband, "This is all I need, except for some lean meat like chicken, fish and turkey." Wow, what a change from before IP. I'm loving it!
Have a blessed Sunday!

Sending a happy and blessed Sunday to all my fellow IP'ers!:flow1:

Thank you Rocky
 

Rocky, a while back I wrote something that a lot of people were able to identify with and commented on how great it was, and how they identified. It felt nice, but in truth it was just how I felt about the program and all that it does and all that it offers. Now you have hit the nail on the head. My quote was more about struggles during IP and yours covers the rest of your life! We need to put our quotes together, and share them with the IP world. :hug: Wonderful quote, Rocky. Just wonderful. Enlightening, uplifting, motivating, and of course encouraging. You're not just another pretty face! Thank you!

On another note: This morning my WI was 175.6, which means according to the CBC my BMI is 30.1 - so close, yet so far away. It's strange to look forward to being "Over Weight," but since I'm coming from "Obese" it is exciting. Almost there; only a couple more pounds.


ON MY 3FC "advertisement" on the right hand side of the screen there are DONUTS!!!! WTF?!?! Fresh, sweet, yummy, KILLER DONUTS! "Best of Orlando" wow! Not cool.

Thanks for putting into words the "bonus opportunity" of IP!

Novak ... great compliment and well deserved! You can dine out on that story for months!

Wannabe & Novak ... you ladies are hilarious. I think the photo is a great idea, though Novak would need to make sure her NSV photo evidence isn't NSFW! ;)

Erin ... you seem sooooo much happier with how things are going. It warms my heart that you carved a way out of the suffering and frustration without quitting on yourself and what you want. Inspiring!

It's great that you want to do this for them. However, nobody really needs cookies, right?

If you still want to do this, here are a couple of ideas:

• You could make cookies that you don't like. My mom did this; I think she didn't like coconut so she often made cookies with coconut in them. I hate candied fruit so if I baked, I'd use lots of that vileness (IMO) to keep it out of my mouth and off my belly & hips.
• Depending on the age of your kids, what about having them do the mixing, etc.? They could count the cookies into day's allotments -- 2 for dad, 2 for me, etc -- and come up with ways to store them. I know you wouldn't eat the treats your children were looking forward to.
• I read about using the IP pancake batters to make a cracker/cookie in the recipe thread. That might be worth investigating if you really wanted to share the munching time with them.
• Could you make smaller batches, i.e. 1 day's worth of family consumption for the family? Or, making full batches when you're going somewhere, take most to your hosts, and leave only 1-2 days worth at home?

I understand completely! When preparing the food for our family reunion yesterday, I was a little bummed that I couldn't eat any of it! But I took my salad and my packets and it seemed to work ok. Everyone was so supportive, so it made things a bit easier.

It was when I got home and was trying to find room for the leftovers that I really felt like cheating. I DID have one little 1" square of brownie and shouldn't have. The pasta salad and potato salad are going with me today to the other family reunion, so at least I can remove those temptations from my fridge.

It's hard sometimes when you know the food is good and you want to chow down, but it will still be good next year when I'm at my goal weight and even then, I know I won't eat as much as I could!!

Barbara

One for every five pounds lost:
:carrot::carrot::carrot:

WI#1: -8.2 lbs, -19.75 in. WI#2: -2.4 lbs, -10.00 in. WI#3: -6.0 lbs, -3.25 in.

Wow, Just realized....BevS is not a book worm???? ;-)

You look absolutely FANTASTIC!