Make sure you avoid the carrots and corn. I believe green beans are ocassional foods. I wasn't a veggie eater but I looked at the recipe thread and grilled cauliflower and now like it. I stick more with spinach and the turnip fries. But just try different and also my taste buds did change.

Isn't that a great feeling to have clothes fall off of you!! I can't wait to get back into all of my 12s and 10s hanging in the closet. These 16s and 14s need to go!!! WTG PAU!
Outback was a wonderful very lean filet.

Love your avatar. I have the issue of now I can fit things in my closet but now need to rid myself the bigger sizes. Keep up the good work!

I went to the movie tonight with a container full of red, yellow and orange pepper strips and an english cucumber. munched away and was quite content while DH scarfed down a jumbo tub of you know what... but i felt great anyway! now i'm ready for a IP friendly salted caramel hot cocoa for my snack. a nice finish to a great day!

tomorrow i'm making cauliflower fried rice with chicken. mmmmm that was my standby the first weeks. it's gonna be so good and one head makes about 3 servings. so lunch on monday is covered as well!

stay warm everyone-

Welcome to the forum you have come to a great place for support and information. :welcome2:

Welcome to the forum you have come to a great place for support and information. :welcome2:

You are darn right you can do this don't worry about last week look forward to a successful week to come you can do this.:hug: I believe in you.

Vous êtes sacrément droite, vous pouvez le faire ne vous inquiétez pas la semaine dernière s'attendre à une bonne semaine à venir, vous pouvez le faire.:hug: Je crois en toi.

Welcome to the forum you have come to a great place for support and information. :welcome2:

Congrats to all of you for your weight loss and NSV. You can all do this and are doing a great job. Keep it up we can all do this!!! :bravo:

Very nice Avatar Couts. It's the new you!

Lynn

Weigh in # 4 today - it was actually the end of my 5th week. Pretty disapponting, I only lost 1 lb. in the last (almost) 2 weeks. I lost some inches, but the scale needs to move more than this. My coach discussed my food journal - and while I've not eaten anything off program, I do have a restricted every day. Actually, I usually have half of a salty restricted and half a sweet restricted. I'm a Type II diabetic and my sugars have risen eating this way which is why I'm not losing weight. So I have to cut out the restricteds and even the higher carb unrestricteds (the omelette, the cholocate drink) for a week and see if I can get back into ketosis. I drink all my waters, get all my supplements, eat 3/4 of my veggies raw, don't use any WF products. I feel like I have to work so much harder at losing weight since I became a diabetic 5 years ago. In addition to that - I'm a direct descendent of the Mayflower- I come from one of those 17 women who survived that first winter. My geneology can literally make fat out of rock soup and hay. So - I have to follow a stricter protocol than other people. Pray God I can do it. I'm just feeling like it's all a little unfair.

Fabulous! Very inspiring. Reading this and other posts help me get focused for the day!

If you read my Avatar - friends are like bras, close to the heart and always there for support.... this describes you all...what an amazing bunch!

Please don't get discouraged, we all have to tweak the program while still staying OP. I have found that I cannot have restricted everyday either. I tried but at the most, once a week. Also I seem to do better having my big meal at lunch instead of dinner. Also when I do have the restricted I used to have it as a late snack and have learned that it is a no_no. So now I will have it after breakfast or lunch. Try it for a week, it may be the answer.keep us posted because what may help you can also help others. just stay OP.

[QUOTE=Camio87;3731743]Has anybody else experienced ridiculous mood swings? It seems like I am crying all the time lately for no reason. I don`t feel happy, I`m losing interest in the diet because of boredom and lack of appeal with the food choices from IP. I was expecting to feel better, happier but all I`m feeling is in a slump. My coach has no advice and I feel like I`m hitting a dead end.:([/QUOTe

When I get bored I try a new IP recipe. It seems to make me feel like I have more variety. Or go to the store and find a new seasoning, a new WF, or even something that is pre made, Like there is Talapia premade at my shoprite that is awesome.

I stick to mostly the Choc. Shake. I also use a rocket blender - cheap alternative to the magic bullet. It really helps with an even consistency. Also it you blend and put it in the fridge for a bit and it tastes just like the choc. premade. Or add some ice for a frosty drink. I take the choc shake in the blender cup with me to work with the blender lid on it and some cucumber with sea salt or some veggie or salad.

My favorite with the choc!!!!! Is make some strong decafe Mint Tea and put in the fridge to ice, I like trader joes. Then use that as your water with the choc. tastes just like mint choc and its natural flavoring. Might even help with calming the stomach with the mint?

There are few packets that I will eat also and I try to stay away from restricted. but they really help to avoid a cheat. Just tried the apple cinnamon last night and they were great. and the oreo bar is wonderful.

Also, I have cheated and it takes much longer. I should be done already, but now I am looking at all of the other IP's here and Im using their example to keep me on the non cheat track. I want to be down by the summer and feel comfortable in my skin.

Cheer up!!! you are giving yourself a great gift and I know there is no other diet that I have been so successful on that will get me to my goal If I keep on program.

I've had few WIs where I lost a pound and a half or so, too. I try to stay positive....at least we're losing. How many inches did you lose? I am more interested in the inches lost rather than the number on the scale.
I don't think I can have restricted items every day either...I am going to cut down and only have 2-3 this week and see if it matters. I was a carb junkie, I love sweets..I mean loved sweets! LOL
Keep your head up, be positive!! You can do this...we all can!

Wow, that's impressive! Congrats!! :carrot:

Looking pretty fab!!! What an awesome job your doing...such an inspiration!!
You're almost to your goal, congrats to you!! Cheers!! :cb:

Ok, Here's an offer for ya Camio.....

I'll eat all your veggies for the next week, if you get my MIL out of my hair.... deal? LOL.

Good morning IP'ers! :wave:

Hope everyone is off to a great OP day!

Going up to the rafters to get a few things done, I'll be popping in and out.

**TOGETHER WE CAN**

Sounds good :) I can handle that!

:hug: esammy :hug: It is unfair. One question for you ... do you use a blood glucose meter? If not might be worthwhile to invest in one to discover what's driving up your BG. I'd be testing before every meal, and 60 minutes after every meal. If you want links with more info about this, PM me.

Good morning IPers! Didn't this weekend go WAY too fast?!

Catching up and I have to say that Couts, you look amazing. What a difference in such a short period of time. That keeps us all very encouraged. Makes me wish I took a "before" pic!

I only have 2 more days on bootcamp and the scale has moved 3 pounds so I'm hoping for a 4th by weigh in. I missed my bars and other restricteds so I'm considering bootcamp every other week- we'll see.

Hope everyone has a great IP 100% day. We're hosting a big family dinner (lasagna night!) and I plan to make a big ole salad with chicken and munch on that.

Good Morning Svelting! :wave:

What is bootcamp? Sounds interesting!

Good morning All!
Welcome newbies! Congrats on all weight losses and NSV's!(Non scale Victories)
Well My scales finally moved down a pound! woo hoo! Remember that ONE POUND poem ( I think it was Pegsi who posted it?)

Anyway, I am having another little irritating problem, I have to ask- PLEASE forgive Me, I am drinking my water and Not constipated but all of a sudden I have hemorrhoid or two..??? Is it diet related? I do stand on my feet for work and thought it may be that? Again, I apologize...

Whoo hoo!!! Congrats on getting rid of that pesky pound! I love that poem!!

Bootcamp is no restricted packets and no occasional veggies. I was on a 2 week slump and so I gave it a go.

Welcome!
 

Welcome RachaelCash! You will love it here. I don't have a coach so I rely on these fabulous people to answer any and all questions. Don't be shy, everyone is wonderful!

Thanks, I think my next week will be a bootcamp week!!

Good Morning all you IP Champions!!! I just want to drop in and THANK YOU everyone for all the compliments on my pictures and to say I couldn't have done it without all your support and information that each and everyone of you bring to the site. Keep up all the hard work you are all doing and together we can do this. Have a great day.:bravo:

Way To Go!
 

Wow you are doing superb. Thanks for putting our post on, keeps all of us encouraged. We have to do all we can to support others in their weight loss journey. We have a lot of specs in common, we are the same height, started at the same weight. And I am too, to start on my 8th week, and down 26 lbs. When your short, losing that amount of weight, is so inspiring to keep you going. I feel too, like a new person. Clothes are fitting incredible. Keep going all, patience is required but the weight loss makes it so worthwhile.

Good morning everyone! Looks like everyone did really well this weekend so many weight losses and NSV's it is amazing!

Couts71 - you rock man! You look amazing! You must be so proud of yourself. Thank you on behalf of everyone on this thread for your support. It is great seeing everyone show their support to you since you have given us your support on a daily basis! Enjoy the ride my friend!

I am on day 2 of the Novi Cleanse and so far so good. I did increase my water intake to additional 64 oz so I am up to 128 oz and I am feeling fine. Not feeling ill like many folks said I would. So day 2 of 23 and feeling a ok...

I went out to dinner with friends last night did the Tex Mex thing and did really well. I had veggie fajitas no cheese, no sour cream, no onions, no wrap but it was still good...I took a little grilled chicken from one of my friends plates to put with it. Real easy place to do the IP program...If you guys have a Jose Tajas around it is Ideal friendly. I have eaten out once or twice a week since day one of this plan and have had no issues. I get a little sad when I see folks say they are not going to go out to eat....give it another try you will be ok. I always say to the waiter sorry in advance for all my questions and tell them I am on a special meal plan and they are always so helpful. I have never had any issues.

Well happy Sunday and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Incredible
 

Wow, couts71, way to go. Its people like you that keep the rest of us going, you have done incredible. Your pictures are just amazing. I am sure you are feeling so great.

Hi I'm Svelting. Thank you for the suggestion. I've been a diabetic for 5 years, I used to test my bs 5 times a day, I quickly weaned everything that spiked me out of my diet. I haven't consumed pizza, rice, cookies, cakes, pasta, potatoes, bread or alcohol of any kind in 5 years. I got to the point where I knew what even one bite of those items would do to my blood sugar, so I didn't have to test as often. I kept my fasting blood sugar (through diet and my nightly 45 minutes on my treadmill) at around 110-120 and never went post-pradial to more than 150-160. Within 1 week on IP my fasting was 85-89. I was astonished! Not only that I felt like I was eating more carbs on this program (BBQ ridges, Breakfast bars) than I had in years. Well, that caught up to me after 3 weeks and my fasting went back up to 103-105. Still not as high as before, but enough to tell my liver to store the excess as fat. It is very, very, hard for me to lose weight. Even with all my dietary restrictions (I was a low carb, mostly vegan, almost raw foodist who exercised an hour a day) before IP, I was still losing weight at around 5 lbs a year. It was exhausting and frustrating. But having said that, within 5 weeks of IP, I'm at a lower weight, and blood sugar level, than I've been in over 10 years. I gained all this weight very quickly 10 years ago - diagnosed hypothyroid, then had my gallbladder removed - I gained 63 pounds in one year, then diagnosed diabetic, gained another 30 lbs. within 2 years All while dieting and exercising. I'd taken almost 40 lbs of that off before IP. I can feel an end to this nightmare in sight, and I am beginning to feel hopeful. I'll cut the restricteds and it's been nice to hear that other people figured out that they can't eat them every day either.

Ok No one else need reply to my "H" questioning.. Rondar sent me a very informative Private Message.. thanks again dear friend!

Hi esammy and Teresa,

I was a SLOW loser too and I couldn't figure it out in the beginning. The slow losses did take some of the steam out of me and I considered throwing in the towel at times. But, like Teresa, I decided to eat no restricteds and even limited my restricted veggies! Who would have thought (prior to IP) that too many tomatoes were going to cause a problem? I also did my real protein meal at lunch and found that it worked better for me because I didn't get that crazy- hungry-get- out- of- my- way-or-I-will-eat-you type hunger later on in the afternoon. I also forced myself to find some tea that I enjoyed and that helped me in the afternoons too. I am such a big coffee person and had to limit my coffee to one or two at the most cups of joe per day. But, keep plugging away at it and you will retrain your bodies and they will repay you by losing weight and you will feel great too!

Good luck everyone! Here's to a new month starting soon!!:flow2:

Hi everyone! I wanted to make a quick stop and say hello.

I still haven't read carefully enough to respond to everyone. I did see couts new photo! YOU LOOK GREAT! I am so happy you are feeling confident about joining LaCrosse. You and your family must be so proud of all you are accomplishing.

I have some errands to run but, wanted to give a quick hello while I had a minute. I will stop back a little later today. :)

I'm on my way out to do some running... Carla!!! :hug: it's just awesome to see you again! Awwwww, now I feel complete. :D

The kale chips rock!!!

ok, swimming out the door ~~~~~~>

I tried making kale chips once, they turned out horrible!!! I think I baked them too long. I 'm going to have to try them again!

Glad to see Carla posting. I really really want to see esammy12 meet her goal. I don't think there is any hope that Coloradodivegirl will ever be calm or boring ( thank goodness). Has any one heard from my friend Linden, haven't seen a post from her in quite a while. I am thankful for all the friends I have on this forum. I am so proud of all of your accomplishments. I am thrilled to be off the CC (Carb. Carousel). There is a great freedom in being full, satisified and not having to eat more and more carbs. to try to get to that point. 74 degrees today, I'm going to take a second walk in a few minutes. We will have some more cold days. We don't usually plant our garden this early, but we have already planted some veg., hope the chilly nights don't harm the young plants. Think I'll have turnip fries for supper.

Pass it on!
 

Last Sunday I had been on a modified version of IP for a week and it inspired my mom since she saw the success that I had after only a week. A little background on her is that she is 65 with fibroymyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, high blood pressure, and many other problems that come with being overweight. She asked me many questions about it when I went to see her so I just took her to the grocery store and bought everything she needed to do it for over a week. She calmed this afternoon and told me that she had lost 10lbs since she started it Monday. She started out at 250 and weighed 240 and is 5'7. This is a big thing for her because she has been a lifetime yoyo dieter and she has really lost any weight in a long time and slowly progressed to where she is at. She is doing a modified version of it but I'm really impressed with her progress. She has told many people about it and is excited that she stuck with it and is finding it easier every day.

Sandman - what a great story! So glad to hear that you have inspired your momma, good for you! I bet you will inspire many others before this journey is thru. :)

My hubby has neuropathy and honestly, it has ruined our lives. I keep thinking it will get some what better and we can move on, but it hasn't happened yet. I still have faith, but in a way I feel guilty because I am done sitting around, I'm on this protocol & the minute I get the go ahead I will be exercising and if he can't travel or dive, in November I'm going on a dive trip with the company and crew who certified me 11 years ago. I feel like I'm moving on in my life without him, and it breaks my heart. I don't know whats gonna happen to his business (owns a sprinkler system company) all he does is pop drugs, eats and sleeps. Cymbalta seems to help some what but he's still on Narco since his 3rd back surgery in August, I know he's addicted, Neuro doc was on vacation the last time they needed to be refilled, so they refilled the exact same script. They were suppose to start weening him off, well I guess thats on hold until next month. That ought to be a real fun experience.

If your mom has ever found anything that has helped with her neuropathy, I would like to know about it. I have spent hours and hours researching it, then most of the drugs they use and have worked for many, hasn't even touched my hubby's pain.


Welllllll.... that was a bit off topic (sorry) where's that carmel nut bar? I'm hungry...

lol.

My mom has tried many things and nothing has really worked for her. I have tried to really encourage her to do her best and get the weight off then try some whole food diet and see if anything helps or hurts her. I think the weight has added a lot to her pain. She told me that when she loses some of the water weight she feels better.
As for your husband, is he overweight? whats his diet like? In my opinion many of the medications just try to put a bandaid on the pain and not really help. I'm in grad school for mental health counseling, so I have some empathy for you and his situation. Because when he starts coming off of that stuff he will probably not be to easy to get along with. You need to be proactive about it though. Try to put a support system in place and prepare ahead of time. Prescription drug addiction is a rough thing to overcome. I hope things get better for you and him.