Wow! I did not realize there were so many IP'ers on here. That is awesome! So glad you started this thread Carla! I loved reading your story and thought I better share mine.

I started Ideal Protein back in May of 2010. I was successful on WW before moving to KS and was upset when I discovered there was no WW where I am at. I tried the online but not having the accountability was very hard for me. I never struggled with weight until my second pregnancy. I have always been a very VERY picky eater. While being pregnant all I craved was Dr. Pepper and chocolate. For the next 8 years it was just a downward spiral. I had two more pregnancies with the same cravings and these cravings did not let up after having my babies. It was so bad that I was literally just eating chocolate and drinking pop daily. It was costing me a fortune and my husband was getting very concerned along with other family. I was having chest pains, major mood swings, and lacked energy. I received a card in the mail from a local chiropractic center telling all about this new Diet Ideal Protein. I went to a workshop on it that week and signed up. I followed it very strict and had great results. I went from being 253.6 to 204 in three months. I was so excited. After all that weight loss I made one major mistake. For my anniversary in July I cheated. Ever since then it was off and on until September when I gave up. I went back to eating my chocolate and drinking my pop. I am realizing that this is not the life I want. I want that energy back and I want to be able to run with my kiddos and I want to look good for my husband. I just signed back up yesterday and I am here to stay. This time I am starting at 235.6.

I am 27 years old, married and have four beautiful children. I have three daughters ages 10, 8, 6 and I have a son that is 4. They keep me very busy. I homeschool so my children are here with me all the time and even though I absolutely love it it has been a struggle with the meal preparations. My husband works here on the farm also so I make three meals a day along with what I am eating. Along with my children I have a ragdoll cat named Skippito. One blue heeler dog named Tesha, a puppy that is blue heeler/border collie mix that doesn't have a name yet, a pony named Thunder Duke and many cows.

My hobbies and pastimes are playing games with my kids, archery, and scrapbooking. I love history and I love to read. I also help take care of grandparents and my special needs nephew. I look forward to playing more basketball, softball, and volleyball as the weight comes off.

Bring it on 2011

Sheila

Hi, I am happy to have found this site. This thread is really full of lots of answers to the questions I have about IP. I have always been a curvy woman. My wieght has always fluctuated between 150-160 for the last 10 years. Within the last three however, i have ballooned up to 187. My daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia three years ago, i quit my job and dedicated myself to caring and being her adovocate. During the last three years I did a lot of mindless eating. I am happy to report my daughter has completed her three years of chemo, is in remission and our family is slowly but surely returning to a new normal. I decided to go back to school and am currently completely my prerequisites to start nursing school in fall 2011. I am 39 years old, married and my children are 11 and 12. As I try to resume a new normal with my family, I would also like to get to my ideal weight for my 5ft 4 inch body. We live in the Sunshine state and i would like to welcome the big 40 this year with a slimmer me. So far I am on week two, I lost 6lbs on week one. I am a huge pizza and wine lover so it is quite a challenge. I actually have a pair of shorts I wore when I was 138 and I would love to fit back into them.

She has been on IP since July, went off for awhile and is now back on. We are planning a trip this summer for our "skinnier" selves!! A little extra motivation!

its me again I weighed in again today, and despite going to a family supper, on the weekend...I lost another3 pounds. I weigh 165, and my coach put me into phase 3... I am soooo proud..

YAY! That is awesome!

Welcome back! I'm glad you shared your story. You were leaving 3FC about the same time I was joining (Aug.) so I didn't get to know you the first time around but since I enjoyed reading some of your posts when I was researching IP I'm glad I'll get the chance now.

Welcome to 3FC and IP. I'm so happy to hear your daughter is in remission. My sister had leukemia so it is something that really touches me. Congrats on your first week, you will be amazed at how quickly this program works. Good luck on your journey!

Im just starting week 2 and love this diet! This forum is amazing, I think its what makes me love the diet so much! So THANK YOU ALL!

I agree, I couldn't do it without the support and encouragement this site offers!

Hello. I am new, this is my first post. I have been on IP since November. I did very well the first few months. Then holidays hit, and I am still struggling. I also seemed to have it a plateau, but it could just be that I am having good days and bad days.

I am Type 1 (juvinile onset) diabetic (since I was 13) which means I HAVE to follow the alternate plan, which is very frustrating for me.

I was very active in high school and college, then the "real world" hit and I became sedintary from working at a desk all day. After 15 years, it has certainly caught up and I felt like I had to do something pretty drastic to reverse this and change my behavior.

I have to say that I feel great and am looking forward to the end goal, but sometimes it seems very daunting. I joined this group to help me get support and motivation to help me move past some of my "bad" days.

I am having some trouble figuring out mini goals which I do think would be helpful. Any tips?

ok, let me start by saying that i have never been thin. in high school i weighed around 160/170ish, which, in retrospect,looked ok because of my height and they way i carry it, but i hated my body then. in college i got up to around 190 and maintained that weight as a bartender. when i quit bartending and became an accountant, i put on about 20 lbs from sitting at a desk all day. a few years later i sold my car and moved to san francisco. i was walking to work every day and walking all around the city. needless to say, i dropped about 20 lbs. last year, my office closed down and i started working from my home office. i was working out and calorie counting this time last year to combat the sedentary lifestyle weight gain. that went great until my right knee got really swollen. my doctor told me that i have patellar tendonitis and that i should stop going to the gym. what a terrible
recommendation! i put on about 35 lbs since june of 2010!

in march of this year i will turn 30. it has been my goal since 25 to quit smoking for good before 30. i quit in november of 2010. i also thought it might be a good idea to quit drinking for a while (just to see how productive i could be). since i have already accomplished both of those goals, i figured i would go for the hardest one. i spent my 20s hating my appearance, being shy, not dating (for the most part), and having terrible self esteem. i want my 30s to be amazing. i want to do everything that i was too afraid to do in my 20s. i am doing IP because i want to take care of myself. i want better health. i want my knee problem to get better. i want to date and have fun. i want to be able to go camping and swimming with my friends. i want to ride my bike across the golden gate bridge and up through the Marin hills. i want to like the way i look, and more importantly, like who i am. IP is the first step in the right direction.

I was wondering..in phase three. they say all veggies are allowed..does that include potatoes and sweet potatoes. or r they considered the same as pasta and rice etc.

they are carbs. so not until phase 4. FYI Questions like these will get better responses in the daily thread not here on the introductions thread.

Hello...I am new to IP, week 2, day 9....down almost 10 pounds. I like the plan so far, but worry that I will get tired of the vegetables that are on the plan in phase 1.

I have been heavy since moving from my childhood home to College. I just weighed my heaviest at 198 lbs and couldn't believe that I let myself go back there. Two years ago I was remarried to a wonderful man that is supportive, and (thin, and has never had a weight problem)...he is a farmer by trade and being in the western part of Canada,,likes his beef, potatoes and gravy......the rest makes sense now....anyway 2 years ago i was about 150 lbs.....I am so dissappointed in myself, and being its a new year, decided to make a plan to lose this weight again. Just before Christmas I saw a girl that I had seen before, don't know that well though, and she looked amazing, like skinny...I had only just saw her the month before, so i was shocked,,,I asked her and she told me about IP and where to go for information.

Two years ago this year, I lost my wonderful father. The man that had for 72 years kept me laughing. He was amazing...he was healthy all his life, and then bam, he got lung cancer.(He hadn't smoked for 40 years). This rocked my families world, and today I am dealing better with it, but its still very raw...I am a emotional eater and I admit,,,I ate for comfort from the pain. I am a Oncology/Palliative Care nurse, I should have known better or had better insight into my actions, but pain is pain, and we deal with it as individual as the next person.

Anyhow, sorry to ramble on. I have a goal to get to 140,,,and I hope that I am on my way. . I just found this sight and its incredible, the stories that everyone has, although very different, give people like me the support and encouragement to plow on ahead. I saw plow as there is mega feet of snow outside my window and that too,,,(for me anyway, is a unmotivator, like the jan blues)...

Good luck to everyone...If anyone has a similiar story, please feel free to write me, we could be good support for each other.

I can honestly say that I have no idea if I actually posted on this earlier.. If I did, I am SURE I didn't give much information on myself...
My name is Amanda, although I prefer Mandi. I am 31 years old. I have 2 beautiful daughters, Morgan (13) & Madison (5 months). I am married to the most loving, supportive, and understanding man I've ever met, Matt. I am a communications officer for my local police department. I have been in this profession for 7 years now. Which has probably been the biggest contributor to my weight issues, eating out and not eating healthly meals on a regular basis. In my spare time I love to read, spend time at the lake during the summer, catch my favorite local band at a show once in a while, and most of all spend time with my loves!
I am on day 6 of my ideal protein journey. I don't refer to it as a diet, because I see it as a life long change. Today has been a very stressful day so I have really found myself tempted to cheat.. But I'm standing strong and true and going to resist it all!!! I have my yummy faux taco salad (ground sirloin, lettuce, green peppers, & onion) waiting on me for dinner and a chocolate drink mixed with coffee for my snack.
My first weigh in is Monday and I am REALLY pumped!! =)

Today was WI #1 and I was down 6.7 pounds....YIPPIE!!! This is my first post but I have been reading your posts now for about a week, you all are amazing!!! Have a great IP evening.