That makes a whole lot of sense! How would you suggest making the switch though? Would you have 2 pills in one day or skip a pill? ...or maybe take 1/2 in the a.m. and 1/2 at night for the first day?

When you take your meds at night, do you have to wait a certain amount of time after your last meal? I'm on thyroid meds, too. I haven't been having a problem with waiting a while to eat in the morning - I'm usually not hungry for a while after I wake up, anyway. I was just curious.

don't you find that 2 cups seem like nothing now? and it was so daunting having think about eating 4 cups a day.... There are so many vegs that I like more now then I did.

Susie, I say do whatever you do to make the diet work for you. I personally thank you as you have been a great inspiration to me. I occasionally add two egg whites to my afternoon lunch of romaine/baby spinach/ and cukes. I do 4 mile walks at 4.5 miles an hour every other day and doing pilates on the non walk days. I also provide govt safety and environmental oversite in a submarine shipyard so I am always on the go. Some of us need the xtra healthy calories to keep up with life. I have had to tweek this diet to my needs and the lbs and inches seem to come off quicker. You rock!!!

I am wondering if anyone can tell me what they pack for lunch. I have been running home everyday and cooking something but I have errands that I need to do instead. I don't like raw veggies so I fix an omelette with steamed or roasted veggies. What can I pack and reheat?

If you have a microwave available, I buy the ziplock steam bags and throw my two cups in there and what ever spice I want and cook in the microwave. I also make a big batch of roasted vegetable at night and then I have some for the next day's lunch, or I have a spinach and lettuce salad with raw veg, but you could put the roasted veg in that as well. I also do the cauliflower rice and add that to my tomato soup. Hope that gives you a little idea of what you can do.

My immediate family is in Iberia Parish but I have a ton of extended family all along the basin. Wish I was there or someplace a bit closer, I get no local news here is MA.

I am not a huge fan of most of the unrestricted veggies raw, but I do love cucumber (unrestricted) and snap peas (restricted) so they frequent my lunch, they are easy to grab in the morning and take no prep work. For those days I really want a hot lunch I will eat a can of green beans (restricted). I also make extra veggies the night before (usually brocolli or cauliflower) and just re-heat them at work. I need my lunch to be quick and easy and these are some things I eat that I can through in my lunch bag in 30 seconds flat, usually with a ready-made IP drink or pudding.

I don't remember what I did... I must have just taken 1 extra pill (oops). I guess it would make more sense to do 1/2 pill in the am and 1/2 pill in the PM on the day you switch.

I do wait a certain amount of time after my last meal. I try to make sure my stomach is mostly empty. I have the snack usually at 8:30 or 9pm (always liquid protein, now using Syntrax nectar and it doesn't have any added vitamins), then I take my thryoid meds at 10:30 or 11. Last thing I do before my head hits the pillow! It seems to be working. My level is actually too high so I've been told to cut back my dosage on the weekends. I also take all my cal-mag at lunch and dinner (not at snack because Iron and Calcium are the 2 major suspects in the vitamin family that really interfere with thyroid medicine absorption- I think, but I don't remember where I heard that).

Oh absolutely! Especially when I cook them and they get smaller! And yeah, before this diet, I don't think I've ever even tasted half the veggies I've eaten in the past 2 months, let alone LIKED them.

Traeh: I rarely ever prepare my lunch during my lunch break. I've made scrambled eggs with 2 cups of veggies and the IP omelette mix the night before and just heated it up at work. Sometimes I sautee veggies and bring them in with a restricted IP packet, or a regular IP packet and my shaker. Sometimes I stir fry bean sprouts ("noodles" ), mushrooms, and diced zucchini with soy sauce, or instead of bean sprouts I use shredded cauliflower if I'm in the mood for rice.

My favorite, by far, was today, which required extra preparation: I sauteed some veggies last night and brough my crepe packet. I put 50mL water in it, mixed it up and prepared it in a skillet (it ends up much thicker), then I poured some EVOO mixed with chives, mixed Italian herbs, and garlic powder on top of it, and put the re-heated veggies on top for some pizza. My tastebuds were sooo happy.

I make my lunch for the next day while I make dinner. You can make enough for 2 or 3 lunches in a row, split them up in separate small containers, and just grab one before you leave for work in the morning.

Big surprise this morning! I found out I`m pregnant! Totally didn`t see this one coming. So no more IP for me. I am concerned with keeping the weight off, and in the meantime eating healthy for the pregnancy. I had just started phase 3 to phase off for a church conference coming up, and then I was going back on to lose the last 8 pounds that stubbornly refused to budge! So now I am totally having to rethink everything.....my "baby" is 2 years old, and my oldest is 5 1/2; we wanted another child, but in another year or so. It must be true that this diet messes with your whole body. We were very much "ahem", taking precautions, but something happened. So I am reeling and in shock, and a tiny bit excited. I`m a little sad my IP journey is over so abruptly, but really hoping to incorporate all this healthiness into my pregnancy. I am at higher risk for a miscarriage due to low progesterone, but my doctor will be monitoring it closely, so hoping it all goes smoothly. Sorry for the ramble, I am just majorly in shock!!

Excellent! Thank you so much. I am going to do that as of tomorrow and I will also move my vitamins up as you suggested! ...and I will cut out the eggs at breakfast too to see how all of that works out for me. I will keep you posted.

Oh oh oh! And my new favorite: chopped up rhubarb, heated with a little water until soft, then mash them, add splenda or stevia, and WF strawberry syrup or jam. Amazing!!! Great heated up in the microwave or even refridgerated.

I also like to chop up zucchini or cucumber in the shape of apple slices, mix with cinnamon and WF caramel dip (splenda/stevia is good too if you don't have the WF caramel dip), good both cold or microwaved. I do this when I don't have much time to prepare lunch and it's GREAT.

Yes, I heard about calcium preventing the absorption of the thyroid hormone, too. I didn't know that about iron, but either way thanks for the information!

I think you should keep eating the egg(s) as you have been with breakfast. Sounds totally good for your extra energy and movement. Wouldn't cut it out as it has been working, right? Also, you probably need those extra protein grams because you are amazingly active. Commuting, tap dancing, walking, running around after 2 small children! Wow I'm in awe!

Congrats! Be happy that you are this much smaller entering into this pregnancy, eat a balanced diet and you will be fine Perhaps this explains why the weight has not been moving!