As a working mama of a new pup have you been introduced to piddle pads? (I know. I know. This is even worse than discussing bra sizes. BUT important.)

If you buy a rotisserie chicken save all the bones and the broken up carcass, then add water to cover plus 2-3 inches, celery, onion, and garlic (if you want). Simmer slowly for an hour or two; refrigerate; skim off all the fat; and you have great chicken soup --something you could carry with you and drink hot or cool.

From oe pet lover to another....I think you were thinking about all that uncondtional love you're going to get....is there anything better than "puppy breath"?

Marilyn (2 chihuahua's, 1 Hemingway cat, 2 birds):)

Congratulations for finding IP and welcome!!

My husband started IP on Monday ( secret sister in law don't tell anyone) he has been starving and didn't think he was losing. I have given him bowls and bowls of lettace with Walden Farms Thousand Island mixed with hot sauce. Finally today he seems more energetic. He got on the scale and is down 5 pounds so he is very happy. He needs to lose about 20 lbs. He is drinking tons of water too!
My son who is 27 went on IP and he just had an extra 25 pounds he just couldn't get rid of and he worked out and ran like crazy. He lost his weight and feels fantastic, took him 2 months or so. He was told with the exercise, stop for phase 1. He did but a few times just missed it and went anyway and then didn't have the losses like the other weeks when he didn't exercise. I know they say if you were a person that worked out you can keep it up but you have to add packets or you will be very hungry! Don't feel like a wussy for doing IP or being on this site!! They both had me to turn too! Keep it up. We all drink coffee, I have been drinking at least 3 really strong cups a day for the entire time I have been using IP. I do drink at least 120 oz. of water a day and follow all of the rules. I didn't use restricted packets until phase 3. Good luck, keep it up!!!!!!:hug: Here's a hug back!

Congratulations!!!!! I meant what I said on the phone earlier, now go get yourself 1 new pair of pants! The joy of seeing what size you can get and it will show your weight loss. They can be transition pants so you are right a thrift store or Wallyworld. I have given all of my too big clothes to other IPers that started after me. We are all paying it forward with clothes, it is fun! Have another good week!:carrot:


At my clinic they tell you right off the bat, if you cheat or go off protocol we can kick you out. If you drink or start to gain instead of lose etc... But not if you just have a slip. I tell them when I am going out of town or have an event they always just say good luck and see you when you get back. So with your great losses then one cheat that sounds way too harsh. Maybe your coach was just having a really bad day.;)

Hi Pegsi! You are doing great! I know what you mean, after the first couple of big losses, I thought I would be done by Halloween, for sure! Now I am hoping by my cruise on January 30th. I would really like to be in maintenance by Christmas but I don't think that will happen. Especially after I see so many people on these boards that are our height and get down into their 120's. I haven't been that low since before kids (20 years ago)! But, I am already thinking about lowering my goal - they are such an inspiration! I can't imagine trying to eat a salad while driving. That would be tough; I'd end up wearing it! I luckily have a desk job and take an hour to eat (salad, cucumber, green pepper, IP pudding) and read the 3FC board! It gives me something to look forward to and it keeps me motivated!

Great Day!
 

:carrot: Whoohooo, today's a great day! My NWI says I made it to the 150's! 159.6 but hey, I'm there! Lets hope they sail on by pretty quickly!

I'm finally catching up with the posts..my family was here for a week visiting..left on Thursday morning. When I was ready to make dinner, I went to the pantry to get a can of tuna and there ion the shelf was a large half-filled jar of roasted peanuts...My brain said, "Oh, roasted peanuts" as my hand reached for the jar. Then I pulled my hand back like I'd touched a hot stove and thought "what are you thinking"? and quickly hid the jar behind my WF products. Out of sight, out of mind. Couldn't believe after all this time I had that knee-jerk reaction. I guess it's all about being aware. My family thinks I'm tired from the diet...I didn't tell them, that having 3 extra people around with all the commotion MIGHT have something to do with it! I just have to prepare myself a little beforehand.

I have a question...does anyone notice a change in the products? I'm having trouble getting the Wildberry yogurt and the orange drink to completely dissolve....wondered if IP is playing around with the formulations again.

For those who think no one is noticing their weight loss...they are...just will take them awhile to mention it...someone here has a signature that says "It's none of my business what anyone else thinks of me"....I tell myself that daily having been raised by a pretty critical family. The other day I went to work in jeggings, a white denim jacket, and boots...the lady down the hall came in and said "oh, biker chick today"...I repeated the above statement silently to myself....but the next day she came in and said "let me see what you are wearing today"....I asked why and she said "because you always look so nice and you have done a wonderful job....so you justnnever know

Marilyn

Loved your office story, Pumpkinparry, and also love the signature you quoted. Will remember that!

I was away for a few days visiting relatives in South Carolina and was around all that delicious Southern cooking. It was really difficult, but I never cheated. Came back home Thursday night and was weighed in yesterday morning. All that restraint and all I had to show for it was a 1-lb loss. Disappointing. Keep reminding myself, "One pound is still a loss," but I'm worried about the slowdown, since I'm only halfway to my goal. I measure everything and have not cheated once since starting the diet in August...feeling a little frustrated right now.

Oh my gosh, don't be frustrated - 36 pounds since August is great! Wow, I wish I could have done so well. And just think of the pounds you would have put on if you hadn't used restraint! Losing 1 pound is still losing and that is the important thing!!

Congratulations! A new member of the family, how exciting! I'm always thinking about adding a new puppy to our family, I would love to get a labradoodle! But, my 8 year old Airedale thinks he is still a puppy and he is agressive with some dogs so I'm not sure he would tolerate another dog in the family. Best of luck to you and your new baby. What did you name him/her?

Hey all!
I tried the IP chocolate pancakes this morning....what in the world???? It turned out like pudding in a pan. They won't rise, they won't set. I finally scraped it into a bowl and microwaved the goo. I couldn't put the goo in the trash because it's so expensive! Does anyone know where I went wrong? Anyone made these pancakes before?

Whatever you did wrong...I did the same thing. Both the crepe and the pancakes turned out like goo for me. I did make the chocolate pancakes as muffins before and they were good. I think they should have told us what size pan to use and how big to make them. I tried one large crepe and two medium pancakes and neither of them set.

LOL! Apparently you missed the WTF are these things message from me! I did the exact same thing, and I have no idea what went wrong. I have only one other packet and am pretty sure I am gonna make a muffin with it. I ended up eating the large chocolate (it doesn't even taste good chocolate) blob from my frying pan (because of the cost) and choked it down. Will most likely be the last packet in my cupboard at the end of this diet. :p

Hey everyone! Hope your having a fantastic weekend. I'm in the middle of remodeling a room. Lots of spackle and paint in my day. I'm one pound away from having lost 30 lbs! Not bad for under 7 weeks on the program. Love this plan!

I think you are doing great too! After reading all these posts, you've got to know that sometimes your body just has to catch up. My only thought is make sure you drink all (and more) or your water!
I was feeling frustrated last week (week 3 for me). I was weighing myself obsessively at home (every time I was in the bathroom) and it was playing with my head until I finally had my hubby hide the damn scale. :lol:
I am still going on my Wii to weigh myself and do some yoga, but that's only every other day or so, and only in the mornings. Well, this morning it says I'm down almost 5 lbs from last Tuesday's WI!!! :broc: I'm sure I'm going to have a good week this week after last week's piddly .6 lbs. But I'm not going to update my signature weight until my official WI (don't want to jinx it!).
Hope everyone has a wonderful IP Sunday!

JessicaCourez, you should be totally happy! Your success is very inspiring!!

JollyCrewzer, Congrats! You are there, but not for long ... keep on sailing!


jency, not bad indeed. Thanks for sharing as your news encourages us all!

as for me, working the plan and reading, as all of your posts remind me of different things. Time well spent with my IP friends. I spent a good chunk of time away from home yesterday, but was prepared and kept on protocol. Have to do the same today, but if I go with my plan on what to eat and drink my water, I'm good. Cheers, all!

Thank you! I'm trying my best to stick with it as best I can. Today is a little better, it feels like my hunger has subsided a bit....even with the tons of candy that is laying around work lol. :)

Didn't have a good day yesterday. I am only eating what I am suppose to but since I got up so late, my schedule was WAY off. Only had 3 cups of vegs and two packets and appx 6 oz of fish :( I know that in the WW program if you don't eat enough you gain, so I am a little worried.

Also, tried making chips for lunch today and it flopped:( but I also didn't go by a receipe, just cut and salt and cook so...funny but they were still good, just not crispy! Gonna go surf the receipes again :) Happy Sunday all!

Brown fat
 

Here's a subject carried over from aev4vball's post in FAQs (And WELCOME.) regarding brown fat. This interview from NPR's "Science Friday" is quite informative and a little bit of a teaser because clearly scientists don't yet have a handle of what it totally is and how it functions. I'd really like to hear what others know about this subject.

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPl...07&m=102964794

Re: the chocolate pancakes and crepes...

I did my pancake mix up as mini muffins (It made 8 mini muffins). Baked at 350 for abour 18 minutes or so. They were set, but not that great. I probably won't get them again.

I turned my pack of crepes into crackers! Mix the packet with water until relatively thinish (pancake batter like), then spread on a cookie sheet (I covered my cookies sheet in parchment paper), sprinkle salt over the top and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until good and set. Pull the giant cracker thing out of the oven (it will be soft and flexible), turn your oven down to 300 and use a pizza cutter to cut it into squares or whatever. Put the crackers back on the cookie sheet and put them back in the oven at 300 for an hour or so, so they can dry out and get crispy.

It totally fulfilled my need for crackers - you could even sprinkle it with the white cheddar seasoning... Mmmmmm.... cheez-its!

Question for the ladies. Men, cover your eyes, this might be TMI!

Did anyone have any spotting at the beginning or continue to have spotting? Both me and my weight loss buddy have both started spotting and I am still 10 days before TOM.

Thanks!

We have movement on the scale!
 

Well for my weigh in tomorrow morning, I think I might be able to report some lbs lost.

And a scale-related victory ... I bought some size 16 jeans that are good fit on the hips/belly and loose on the band -- in a regular store! And, because I know that I'm going to continue to reshape, I picked up a size 14. My belly has total muffin top in them, but not for long!

:p to you my little self-induced weight slowdown!

Yay girl! Good way to end a weekend!:carrot:

Brown fat, again
 

Please, go read CARLA'S post in the FAQ sticky.

hey ladies!!!

i feel heavy today... sucks

anyhow, im going to go do my wii fit workout and jillian michaels wii.. I think tomorrow morning I will start my 30DS back... wish me luck...

oh, i created a blog today...its not just about weight loss...but i will be blogging about that...

elysejanelward.blogspot.com

Hi...yep IP can play havoc with your periods....some have them early..some have 2 a month...things will smooth out when your body adjusts to the eating program. Hmmm thought I should mention...use extra caution with birth control!!!

You are doing great!!!
Gaile

I totally skipped mine this month. Hopefully that is caused by IP too!!

Great victories!!!!!

Your body may be adjusting. Is it a craving or is it real hunger? What type of food are you seeking? Someone who craves peanut butter or other nuts might be needing more protein or more omega oils. Someone craving chocolate might need more iron, copper, or magnesium. If you are wanting chips, pretzels or, something similar is it the cruch or the salt you miss? OR do you feel "I NEED to eat!" If that is the feeling, are you eating restricted food items? How many or how often? If you are not having any, try having 1/2 of a restricted bar or soy puffs if that doesn't work have the other half.
IF YOU ARE HAVING restricted, cut back on the frequency or quantity.

In some respects this is like working in a lab. As people adapt their bodies may need more carbs (that is why adding a restricted if you aren't using it helps) or, they may need more protein to help their body regulate blood sugar (the reason to add an extra meat portion (3oz or so) or a packet. Alternatively, you may have started using too many restricted products thereby coming to close to your carb threshold and drift in and out of ketosis OR you may have stopped carefully measuring your vegetables or protein both of which can cause problems. Extra veggies can add carbs and extra protein that is unneeded or unuseable by the body is able to be converted to glucose.

Take some time and look at your journal. First, make sure you are not increasing portion sizes. Second, if you are using restricted packets/bars/etc see how often and what then, cut down a little to see if that makes a difference. Third, if your portions are good and you are not using restricteds, try adding a half of a bar or soy puffs when the craving hits (it is possible to have low blood sugar on this diet and following that event you may have a craving), see if that corrects it. You can add up to one restricted packet per day as ONE of your 3 packets per day. Try adding them in slowly. Some people find they can only use 2 or 3 a week and not in sequential days.

You also have the option of adding a cup of chicken broth that is low sodium or adding a protein portion (about 3oz or 2eggs) or another low carb (unrestricted ie pudding/drink/yogurt/eggs/soup) packet if you are feeling hungry.

Another option, temporarily increase your essential oil or olive oil in take. Fat triggers the release of the cholecystokinin hormone which slows down food movement through the digestive tract. A new study in Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, reveals that once this type of fat, known as oleic acid, reaches the intestine, it is converted into a lipid hormone (oleoylethanolamide, or OEA) that wards off the next round of hunger pangs.It is the last nutrient to get digested and leave the stomach, supplying you a delayed feeling of satisfaction after eating. Two teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil taken 20 to 30 minutes before a meal to slow the stomach's constant contractions.

You can also add some crushed red pepper or a dash of cayenne to your recipes or in a glass of water with lemon. Capsaicin is recognized in the natural remedies and naturopathic community with having the ability to reduce or quell cravings.

Another nice addition is a bit of cinnamon. Cinnamon is recognized by the american diabetes association to be able to help regulate blood sugar in as little as 1/2 tsp per day added to food.


You have done GREAT! :bravo:

:welcome:

You may be surrounded by a group of women but, we do have a few men on this program posting or lurking on the boards. Men are definitely welcome here! :)

You mention that you were 240 and are going, I think, for 195 with only 10 pounds to go. (I hope I am reading that right). First, every pound counts and your concern is in no way insensitive and it just as important as any pound anyone else is wishing to lose. Next, I am wondering how tall you are. If you are very tall and have a large amount of muscle AND have an athletic background, you may have a faster metabolism and need to have more protein in a day. That said, I would add an extra packet of protein a day the first week or add an extra 3 to 5 oz portion of lean protein to your day. This will not effect your weight loss and will help manage the hunger. You should be in ketosis between today and Wednesday (if you are slow about this, I don't think you are). You may or may not notice a change in your mouth. You may find you have more energy, need less sleep, or just pee a lot. You may also start to have some light headed feelings next week. Make sure you get plenty of water and all you sea salt and supplemental potassium/calcium/magnesium.

Your understanding of coffee is the same as the one I was coached with. One "free" cup of coffee then any extra costs you an equal amount of water.

Exercise. It really depends on you. If you have been recently very active, you may get away with it but, you must add an extra packet or protein portion. If you haven't been recently active keep it to low intensity (50 -75% of max heart rate) and ease into it slowly after week 2. If you ease in slowly you can see how much it boosts or slows your loss and know what is the right workout threshold for you.

(I just started back on phase 1 and, during my second week did weight training for 3 of the days. I actually lost 4 pounds. For me that is a normal week. I am going to see if it continues this week. If it does, I have an acceptable routine.)

Good luck! And, welcome to the group! :hug:

If you want to do better, you can try cutting back on the restricted. You should only be having one restricted a day. Maybe have it every other or every third day.

During my first run at phase 1 I did it with out any restricted foods or occasional veggies for 5 months. During the first 10 weeks I lost 43 pounds. If you try one week with out any restricted items you will have an idea of how much impact the restricted foods are making on your loss. If it isn't much, don't worry about it. If you see a big difference, you have a new strategy to get where you want to be. :)


YEP! The official IP corporate rules are two cheats and you are out of the program. It doesn't matter why. Some coaches really try to use the strict and hard approach and others are more lenient. The coaches that take a hard approach tend to try and make the first cheat very "meaningful" so another won't occur.

Yes, all of the products are being reformulated. I am aware of 4 or 5 having already been done. The reason is, in part, to use an even higher quality of protein. The difference this is making is HUGE! These products will not even be close in quality to other similar, alternate products out there. The bio-availability of the proteins is definitely higher in the new IP lines.


Be patient! :hug: you may have done your best but, especially if you were eating other people's cooking, you may still have had more table salt than normal. You may just be holding water. Drink plenty of water the next few days and I bet you see a change.

I found it interesting. I have done some research and come to the same conclusion.. brown fat is a healthy fat with properties similar to muscle. I shared some of what I learned in the FAQ area.

Yes, I did this for about 3 or 4 months then it went away. It has something to do with the added hormones running around our body.

I got back from a weekend conference a little while ago. It was great, but I'm pretty tired. I have no idea how I did weight loss wise and I'm pretty sure being female will mess up the scale tomorrow morning, but I think I did well. We went out to a steakhouse last night and the smallest steak was 20 oz! We split it 3 ways and took leftovers home. They brought me a plate with baked potato and cheesetoast on it. I handed my daughter the bread and ignored the potato. I really didn't want it. Lunch today was out too and I had chicken, salad and broccoli. If I blew anything it is probably not eating enough veggies today, but I'm tired and I've consumed the last cucumber I'm going to for the day! LOL

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend! I'm so thankful knowing you all are here!

Newbie
 

Good evening everyone,

This is my first day on IP. Let me start off by saying that you all are wonderfully supportive to each other and I really like that! I have read a lot of older posts and have copied some recipes for the future.

Congratulations to everyone’s weight loss success!

My biggest hurdle is going to be eating 4 cups of vegetables a day! I hope it doesn’t take me long to get used to that.

When do most of you have your snack?

I look forward to posting on this section of 3fatchicks and getting to “know” you all better.

That happened to me too!LOL I couldn't even choke them down...man that was a waste! Haven't bought any of those pancakes since.

I had a great NSV today...still in shock! My younger sis has a bunch of size 10's that are too big for her (did I mention she's skinny these were post baby jeans for her!!), and all of the 10's I tried on fit wonderful! No sucking in to button or zip, no muffin tops or anything!WOOT! I was in a SKIN TIGHT 16 (should have been in 18;s) mid-August, and never imagined sticking to this diet, and actually getting thin again in this lifetime, but I was SO wrong! I feel like crying I'm so happy and shocked! She also has a lot of 8's and 6's waiting for me too! Oh, and she buys nice nice jeans that I wouldn't so it's even better! Sisters are the best!

This sounds great!!!! Could use the crunch...think that's why I like the vinegar soy crisps.

Hi ladies,

I'm just dropping in to say hello to everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend full of losses and NSVs. I've been busy celebrating my birthday with friends and family this weekend. I feel very blessed. Everyone made me feel great about my weight loss progress. I officially weigh less at 34 than I did on my 30th birthday. (Yay, small victory for me). I've had a great weekend and ready to tackle the week (after some much needed sleep).

I look forward to returning to my daily stalking and participation on the forum. You ladies are great. I've missed keeping up with the posts over the weekend.

This made me :lol: and almost :rofl: Great work on staring down those off-program foods. :yay:

:welcome2: cmsgrrl! I hope your first day went well. I heartily support your decision to read the older posts -- I found it time not just well spent but wisely invested.

I used to joke that I would do one of my monthly rituals, buy vegetables. Then 3-4 weeks later, another monthly ritual -- cleaning the slime out of my fridge. I totally hear you on the veggies!

Planning, buying, and eating the veggies is a big adjustment. After all, if we ate that much before this diet, it's likely we wouldn't be on site with "fatchicks" in its name. :) You don't have to eat the 2 cups of veggies in one sitting with the protein. If you need to have some of the veggies between meals, try that. It can help with between meal hunger and/or cravings.

When I have only 3 packets, I usually have my snack in the late afternoon. It just works better for my schedule which would usually have 6.5-7 hours between lunch and dinner. Sometimes, I'll have a lower carb, lower calorie packet (i.e. the jelly/jello or a drink) as a second snack in the evening well after dinner and before bed.

Yes, all of the products are being reformulated. I am aware of 4 or 5 having already been done. The reason is, in part, to use an even higher quality of protein. The difference this is making is HUGE! These products will not even be close in quality to other similar, alternate products out there. The bio-availability of the proteins is definitely higher in the new IP lines.

Well, if this is for the common good, I'll just have to "hush-up" and shake or stir a little harder..lol

Marilyn

Hello!! I have a question for you all about the salt in our diet. I have been on IP since Sept 20th eating strictly phase I with few restricted veges and no restricted packets. I have been feeling really good. I drink at the least 110 oz of water per day. I add my salt and oil when I am cooking or on salads. I have been feeling lately like I am retaining water which seems so odd to me considering all the drinking and peeing I am doing! By the way, I am not used to using so much salt in my diet. My immediate family suffer with heart disease etc so I have always watched my salt intake. I have low blood pressure typically. But there is some nagging feeling I am having about the retaining of water and I wonder what effect it would have if I cut back on the required amount of salt. Anyone know?

I had the same thing happen to me about the same time you are. I blamed it on my changing hormones. i just kept drinking water and did add taking a novi-lax that I got from IP every night. It got better the next week. I was the same as you, I drank then and still do at least 120 oz a day and sometimes more. I had loose stools and sometimes that can make you dehydrated and you wouldn't think of it when you are drinking so much water. Mine got better, I hope yours does too. I was retaining so much my wedding rings were cut off your circulation tight. Not fun! Good luck.

Welcome! It will be great to get to know you too! This is a fabulous forum to gain knowledge (=power) and inspiration!

You must have felt so great wearing those jeans! It is so amazing that such transformations can happen so quickly with this program.

Congratulations on not getting older, but better (and lighter!).

This made me :lol: !! In our family I always had best intentions to make salad every night. But the slimy science experiments still happened in the bottom of the veggie crisper on a regular basis. Now we're trying to get used to buying enough veggies so we don't run out! It seems every time I open the fridge we're out of lettuce or radishes or broccoli....you get the idea.

Sally, this is really funny because we started the same day and I had the same problem last week. Mind you, I have inherited my mom's gift of water retention and swelling ankles. At last Tuesday's WI I was only down .6 lbs and we figured it had to be water retention even though I'd been drinking what I thought was enough water. But I hadn't been peeing as much as I was the first 2 weeks for some reason. After reading a few posts here, I upped my water from about 95 oz to over 120 and this week has been much better for me. We'll see on Tuesday.

Well, it's nite nite time for me. Another packed work week coming up. 'See' you all tomorrow. :)

It's Monday - new day, new thread!
 

The new daily thread is open. This thread will close sometime later today.

We leave this thread open so that you can multi-quote posts from this thread and reply to them in the new thread.

Where do I post? Join us in Monday's chat thread.