Congrats on lbs and those inches lost....woohoo!. As far as your ultimate goal...so many of us find that we are looking and feeling terrific at weights a bit higher than we had thought because if we do this right, we're burning tons of fat from places we've never burned before. So just see how you look and most importantly how you feel as you go down the scale. Be honest....you'll know when you're getting close and your body will say enough when it's time to phase out. Don't be surprised if you change your goal 3 or 4 times. You'll know when you're there. :dancer:

Jeez...could I be any closer to my goal, but not there yet?
.8 lbs to go until I'm 130 on my coaches scale. He wanted to put 130 on his records, but I was like, nope...when it says 130 exactly I will fall to my knees and not a minute sooner. Gotta see this thru (call it a pattern of not finishing things that I want to conquer and the .8 lbs is a matter of principal for me.) I think that will help me get to the finish line on so many other levels, so .8 lbs to go for my goal.:cp:

Oh I had a great day today even though the weather is horrible here... Had my weigh in #3 and lost 5 lbs. Total = 22. I just love this. It is sooo easy. Plus my clothes are getting loose.....

good point linden.... its a good number to guide by, but not necessarily obsess over...

hi svelting..... well said!

i did the basic calculation and was 30.5 on jan 3rd. which medically put me in the obese category....(duh, right?) now i'm 26.6, a step down to overweight... i'll take it! of course at 24.9 my doctor would say i'm normal which is not very far from where i am now. i don't suppose i'll stop at 24.9 just because of a chart unless i feel "right" there as well. ;) juiceman, are you sorry you asked yet? lol :D

Hello All!!!
 

First off I have to say that the help that I have gotten just from reading so many threads and hours spent doing so has been extremely helpful! I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 2 years ago. Had my thyroid removed and all my treatments done and happy to say CANCER FREE!! Yayy!! But the downside is my weight has been the most difficult thing to fix since getting on synthetic hormones. I just happened about this diet and had never heard about it before and it is so different from anything I've seen yet. I figured its a win win!! So many success stories and I had to give it a try! I have searched through several threads and I an wondering if there is a thread that is all about Phase 1 and all that you can have and can't. I want to do this right from the get go! :D

Wow. I did not mean to stir things up here. I know that everyone is built differently and think BMI is just a number. But what I realize now is that the lose is doable. Personally I don't think I would look right at 115 or even 120. But knowing now that I can get there is enough for me. I tried Jenny Craig for 4 weeks and lost 1 lbs. I felt like a fat loser every time I weighed in. On IP I am losing weight and thinking that I am worth it and I CAN do it. I know that when I reach a number that feels right to my body I will know when to maintain. I just want my inside self to match my outside self. Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement. I really could not have done this without you. I am not stuck on a number just this new way of life. ;)

Congrats being Cancer Free!

There is a sticky with the .pdf instructions that explain the phases. Read all about it.

There are lots of postings re: thyroid. And in my opinion synthetic thyroid alone make it hard to regulate your thyroid. I have hypo and my mother just had hers removed. I'd suggest you read about having levels checked using T3/T4 rather than TSH and possibility T3 supplementation. Since adding Cytomel to my Synthroid - I've noticed a huge difference in how I felt. But it wasn't till IP that I saw ANY movement in my weight (well - any movement other than up)

Good Luck and welcome

Soooo I just had my first weigh in today down 4.9lbs and 5 " which is great! but honestly I don't know why i was expecting more! I guess I was seeing these ppl that lost 7-12lbs their first week and I was hoping for that but everyone is different and 4.9lbs is great! and it hasn't even been a full week yet (6days). I was very happy to hear that my coach will let me trade in the foods I don't like for foods that I like :):) I was thinking I wasted a lot of money on some nasty food but thats great!
Question can we eat turkey bacon?? I couldn't see a reason not as its basically turkey in bacon form and its delicious :) and is there such a thing as eating too many pickles?? I'm trying to ration myself here but boy I love pickles (have been eating approx 2-4 at night)

I agree, BMI is just a number, but it give you a good idea where you should be. You're right, as you get closer you'll know where you feel best.

I too did Jenny Craig before starting IP and wasn't as successful as I'd hoped. I lost a whopping 7lbs in 10 weeks while doing Jenny Craig and exercising. Ifelt like I was working really hard for little results. I lost as much in the the 1st week on IP and it was so much easier. And, I felt so much better. What a difference!

You CAN and WILL DO IT! You are worth it! Keep up the good work and you'll be there before you know it. :hug:

I simply cannot finish this spaghetti. My tastes have changed so much, I can't stand it anymore! What can I do to replace it? I just cannot stomach it.

Congratulations!
 

Kaarin, you are an inspiration to those of us who have just begun this IP journey. 51" is fantastic! :carrot: What wonderful news! Thank you for sharing.

Welcome and congratulations on beating thyroid cancer! Here's a link to the sticky thread slickmouse mentioned. Phases thread. On the first page of that thread people have uploaded pdf documents about each phase. Here's the link to the Phase 1 document that Ideal Protein issued last year. Phase 1 info pdf will download upon clicking

Many IP dieters have reported effects on their endocrine systems -- fertility returning, menstrual periods stopping or changing or returning, thyroid levels changing. You'll probably want to keep in close touch with your doctor as you move through this program to make sure that your meds are at the right levels for your rapidly changing body.
Aww, you just said what you had to say. Linden and me, we like to stir things up a little. Well, mostly me. :devil:
:coach: Remember this, you aren't a loser. Jenny Craig's diet is based on incorrect information and doesn't work for lots of people. And your thinking about paying attention to what feels right for your body is a good approach, though I'm doing a similar thing so my opinion is not unbiased. :)
I'm assuming the IP spaghetti, right? Some folks around here quite like the shiratki or "miracle" noodles. Have you tried those? You can buy them online, in Asian markets, and at some health food stores.

Or maybe I'm way off. So, what is it that you don't like about the spaghetti?

I just wanted you guys to know that MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! WI #18 today and after a whole month of disappointing losses, I posted my biggest loss today, tying week 1 (-4.8 lb). After surgery tomorrow, I should be staring down the barrel of 50 lbs lost!!!

Oh, and I managed to finish the Valentine's Day challenge. I was not thinking that was actually going to happen!

I'm really not sure what it is I'm not liking anymore. I used to like it! I just can't eat it anymore and I don't have any extra packets so I am trying to decide what I should eat instead. Someone said we can substitute two eggs for a packet, right?

scramble up two eggs?