Port, I know this reply is a little late, but wanted to share. I was craving salty/greasy last night. I made the kale chips and they totally satisfied my salty craving. I only used a tsp of olive il with my big mac in a bowl so had another left. I admit I used slightly more than a tsp for the chips. They were SO satisfying sprinkled wit the sea salt.

I have always been a very slow loser, but this program works for me like none other. I think blood type might have something to do with it. Type O's especially do very well with high protein diets. I have NEVER lost like this before, except for the first few months after my separation from my husband when i just could not eat. I'm also realizing the importance of not getting into a food rutt and changing things up a lot....Hoping we all see losses as we enter into a new week!

Port, everytime you have carbs your body has to go through this all over again. It is the awful withdrawal from carbs you are going through.

After many years of work and raising a family when I look back the only thing I regret is time spent worrying over work. Those are mostly other people's problems. You will have enough to think about with taking your courses and looking after your little one and spending time with hubby. Those are the things that will impact you personally. Let the owner stress over the work issues.

Pat

Justamom,
I am so very sorry to hear that you are going through such hardships. Life can be so unfair sometimes. You are a brave soul to be able to share and get support where you can. I can't imagine how you are feeling but you are doing something for yourself and that's awesome. You can do this!!! I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:" We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other"
Hang in there and stay strong. I will keep you in my thoughts :hug:

Justamom,

YOu are in my prayers. You have alot going on.

Welcome Stella...I am a very new member (joined this week) really enjoy this group! Great bunch of people!! :)

Well..Good morning..im frustrated!!! I was supposed to stay off the scale...last night i had major hunger pains..like growling hungry tummy..and i followed the program to the T and the result this morning is no change on the scale at all! Im used to seeing it go down at least some time???? argh!!!

Hope all my Southie friends are doing alright after that hurricane!

justamom, all i can say is hang in there.

thanks for the welcomes everyone. so far, i'm fine. i never realized how much i was accustomed to eating and how often i did eat until i couldn't anymore. really eye opening. while the first day passed without hunger pangs, i had random cravings for textures, not flavors. like hard and crunchy or soft and chewy. i'm a night owl, so that's when most of my snacking use to go down. i broke protocol last night and had an extra snack, a carmel nut bar. it was either that or something not ip because i felt like i would loose it if i didn't chew on something. luckly i threw out all my snacks, but i can get pretty creative in a pinch. now i know to stock-up on sugar free gum until i get over my oral fixation.

Thanks all, i feels good to talk to others who know what this feels like.

Just realized that the chewable papaya enzymes i've been taking have sugar in them. Granted it's less than 1gm per serving, but I don't want to start off on the wrong foot. darn it. i knew there was a reason i looked forward to them after my meals.

i'd taken them years ago when i worked at a health food store, so when i started ip, i bought a bottle. I just had lunch and took a serving as suggested, and then it hit me how sweet they taste. Checked the ingredients and sucrose is the first ingredient.

i was really hoping to have at least one chewable supplement because i hate swallowing so many pills after eating. oh well.

Well i caved in and now im..screwed over yet again for another day...i couldnt deal with the hunger pains and i gave in and ate crackers... i was so hungry!!!!

The last time i re-started IP, i was eating bacon for the first week to help get me over the hunger pains and the cravings..for some reason it helped me get by and got me through to ketosis so i wonder if i should try that approach again even though its not protocol? Just to get me through?

The first week is ****.....well for me it was LOL...thought...no wonder people lose weight on this diet...There's NO FOOD ..:dizzy:.but it does get better. Now I am very satisfied with my meals. It is better that you ate an extra IP snack rather than something full of carbs and sugar. My coach had told me to eat an extrat snack for my first week. When I get hungry I drink MORE water (seems that's all I do lol..or make some green tea) and do something to keep busy. I too was a night owl . I used to eat to keep myself awake. Now I hardly watch tv. I find that helps alot. Keep up the good work.:goodluck:

This is just a suggestion but if you are adding an extra packet I would make it an unrestricted unless you had not eaten a restricted yet.


Maybe you are right Port, try your bacon again but couldn't you add something extra of the food you are eating, like another shake or pudding instead?

Where is Wayward....its been 2 days since we have heard from him...Hope everyone is ok.

Well i think he said that he was going to be busy with the little one..something to do with his wife not feeling good? or something??

Where is Coliep????? I havent heard from her in awhile..starting to worry about these ones who have gone M.I.A..hopefully they will be back since its monday.. i find they all come back mondays..

Well i went out and bought some bacon to try and help myself get through this week..oh Wuv..dont even mention pudding...im having to choke it down..i went overboard and bought too much chocolate pudding and not enough variety..and now i can barely stand it!

So..i will try again tommorow..told my hunny..no more cheats till we go on vacation..

Thanks so much for the encouragement! :D I am feeling good and glad I made the decision to give this a shot. Tomorrow is WI #1!!!

Today, for lunch my DH asked me if I was going to be whipping some fresh veggies - seems he is lurking now waiting for my next creation. That definetly helps me stay on track knowing that he is so supportive. Now, if I could just get my 3 yr old to try some of these veggies too...

I have to ask... why are you eating BACON? It is not allowed ?

So please tell me if there is a place to find the recipes for the Kale Chips & Big Mac. I have been reading about them in several places, but have not run across the actual recipe anywhere. Probably not reading the right thread, but if someone would kindly direct me, it would be much appreciated!

Here but the internet has been down almost all day. They gor rained out with a lot of thunder and lightning so couldn't go walking today.
Rode the bike a little but was out of practice.
Still going strong and hoping to have a good week at this weeks WI.

Everyone keep positive.
Be back at work tomorrow so should be around more.

Firesides-i think you might have missed the part in the post where i said "EVEN though its NOT on protocol"...if your like me..you are probably skimming through posts..and missing a thing here or there.

I find it really hard to tough it out for the first few days on IP-alternatives... i found myself getting extremely hungry especially at night..like way late at night..and one thing i found besides drinking 4 to 5 litres of water...was to eat like 3 pieces of bacon a day..i found that the combination of salt and fat content helped keep my hunger and cravings at bay more.. i found i didnt crave nearly as much and it helped me stay full longer...im not sure why?? i know people on atkins-which is ketogenic..are told to eat bacon..i also recognize that there diet is higher in fat..and while i dont want a high fat high calorie diet personally.. i found that i can still keep my calorie count over the first 4 days to about 1000 or just under..so i just make sure calorically it doesnt go higher than 1200..and really..im more concerned about getting myself into ketosis in the first four days as opposed to just caring about caloric intake and weight loss..cause i know that once im into ketosis..im good..i can do 3 packets only and i can sleep well..eat well and not crave and never feel hungry..its just the 4 days..so..i was simply telling Wuv that i thought i might try doing that again..because really.. i care more about getting to my long term goal of being healthy as opposed to just following protocol 100%..what works for some..doesnt always work for others..i know for a few on here ive seen similar issues with hunger and ive seen people tweak and add things here and take things there to make it work for them..and thats all im doing..trying to make it work for me.. make sense?

IMO- NO diet was taylor made for every single person..i often compare a diet protocol to the canadian education system..there may be many teachers and many students, but each student learns differently..not every single student will learn the exact way..not every student will fit within the learning paramaters that are outlined in the education format because we all have different learning styles, intellects..Likewise with diets..Just because IP was made with a specific protocol, does not mean that every single person will necessarily fit within the paramaters of it..because we are all different, with different needs, different goals, different health issues..

I know some may look at me and go "your not following it to the T" and "your not going to lose as fast"...well i got news for ya :P ... I dont care if it takes me a year.. i rather lose it slowly than not lose at all..and if that means that i have to tweak this program to make it work (which by the way has been succesfull the most out of all programs to date) then i will...because i am determined not to let a piece of bacon or anything else..stop me or tell me that i cant lose weight and that i cant do this..

I can do this! I will do this!!! im going to do this! now watch me!!

-(Gets off soap box)

Port-I have to say I agree with you. Do what ya gotta do to stay consistent. For me it was allowing myself a small glass of wine last night. I realize it could throw me off for a few days, but willing to accept that. The good company I was with and fine glass of wine was worth it to me. A cookie, cake, brownie, or high carb food are not worth it at this point. I guess because i'm so close, at my original goal I feel as if I can do this at times. I dont recommend it for everyone but gotta do what works for me and not going to beat myself up.

Big Mac in a bowl:
* 1/2 pound raw ground beef, about 5 1/2 ounces cooked weight or 153 grams cooked *
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* 1 teaspoon minced dry onions
* 46 grams dill pickle slices or 2 dill spears, chopped, about 1 5/8 ounces
* 2 tablespoons WF Thousand Island Dressing
* 1 1/2 ounces iceberg lettuce, shredded

Brown the ground beef, drain off any fat, season with salt and pepper.. Meanwhile, soak the dry onions in a little water to rehydrate them. Put the meat in a large salad bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss and eat at once.

This was posted by showgirlaz:

Kale Chips
adapted from Stacie Billis at ChowMama.com

1 bunch organic kale, torn into 1/2″ pieces
3 tablespoons organic olive oil
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt

Preheat oven to 400° F. Whisk oil and vinegar and toss kale in the dressing until thoroughly coated.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place kale on sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or so, until crispy.



Tip to keep them crisp from CheekyWit:
I can keep kale chips in a ziploc bag for at least 4-5 days still crisp -- the secret is to make sure they are very dry - remove them immediately from the pan you used to cook them in - lay them on a cooling rack until they are no longer warm - put them in the ziploc -- close the bag leaving it open about an inch -- normally they stay crisp - on day 2 I usually close the bag.

Port,

Diet Diversity!

I know I worked for a Fortune 500 company for 25 yrs. and they were big into diversity, but my last boss was her way or no way. I brought up to her and the big boss, this company "preaches diversity" but has no "work-style" diversity. For Heavens sakes, this is research and my approach may different than *(&), but she thinks her way is the only way. If you want people to be creative and successful, try letting them approach their work in a manner that works well for them. of course "Deer in the headlight" look form my boss.. I feel the same about education, I was more of a 'hands-on" type ( no wonder I became a chemist), but everyone learns "what" works best for them. Now, off my soapbox and on to cleaning the hourse! Have a great monday, beautiful here in upstate NY.

Port, I put different kinds of flavoring in my chocolate pudding to give it different tastes (caramel, coconut, peppermint) changes it up a bit.

I saw coliep on another thread, I think it was the less than 20lbs, so she is around just busy.

Justamom - the fact that you are here, trying and persisting in the face of so many distractions is quite a testament to your tenacity here. I know it myst seem discouraging, but 20% is A LOT and A LOT closer to your goal than not. You will likely find the diet just becomes your way of life and the time will pass more quickly. IN the meantime, be gentle with yourself!!

Stellar - I don't think 1 gram will kill ya, but I know how you feel. I contemplated buying those in lieu of the IP kind but opted not to. I need to research a good alternative.

As for me, I was easing out of the low carb thing all week my own way (increasing calories and carbs and real food) but then this weekend had an all out off a diet 2 days. Today, I am doing a Phase I day and hope to continue for a few. I am very curious to see if there will be any movement on the scale after this. (surprisingly it doesn't seem like I gained over the weekend though I fully deserve too -- calories and carbs were too high). Anyway, here I am =)

Port - sorry you are having a hard time getting back into the groove. I am sure you can get back on track again in time for your trip. It is strange that I don't really have too hard a time getting back OP (if i actually commit, which is where my problem is) - I am not starving, don't have pre-ketosis symptoms, etc. Funny how each person is so different!

I signed up this weekend. I am excited but there is something weighing heavily on my mind. I did a lot of research before I made the appointment and decided before I even got there that I knew the program, costs, and that I was ready. When I got there I noticed that my coach was overweight. I figured that she is still losing weight but I found out that she has gained 100 pounds back after losing the weight 10 months ago doing IP. I am having a hard time with that. I can't help but question IP.

The coach told me that she is embarrassed and the she needs to restart and I feel bad for her but . . . Seriously this is how she makes a living and she really does need to represent herself better. I guess she might have insights to the pitfalls, right?

What are your thoughts? Can you reassure me that I can do this? Can you tell me anything to make me believe that I can keep the weight off as long as I follow phase 4 and don't start eating excessive processed carbs and junk?

Gina - I think that question would be better posed in the daily thread or maintainers thread, rather than the "newbies". However, I will say this. Nothing is going to magically keep weight off for you. The diet is not magical - it is an ultra low calorie ketogenic diet so it faciliates weight loss more rapidly than a "regular" diet. The different phases add carbs back in as well as slowly increase calories (I believe). They teach you how to eat properly. If you continue to eat properly than I believe (though I obviously don't know) you will maintain the weight loss. I suspect that for the most part anybody who gains it back after losing it did so because they returned to poor eating habits. Best of luck!

well im alive..im on day 1 again..and ive survived so far..no cravings really..been using the "alernative atkins idea" using bacon to help me with my cravings and hunger pains until i get back into ketosis!

Well, I was a little down in the dumps today but think I have talked my way out of it somewhat.

It is my first day back to work fulltime as school is starting. The plan is actually quite easy to follow on a work day. They brought in lunch today, the usual carb laden stuff. I just had my IP stuff and salad and it actually was more tempting to me than the stuff they brought in.

Today was my 5th weigh in but because of work schedule I didn't get into the clinic so weighed in unofficially at home. I got enough IP products for two weeks last week.

Anyway I was down -.4 last week, -.5 this week. That is a total of 9 pounds for the month, so that is not bad but the past two weeks add up to less than a pound. I am post menopausal so I knew when I started that it was not going to be a quick journey.
But I find it so discouraging to come on the site and see so many people unset with 1 and 2 pound losses.
But then I thought what the heck, I'm enjoying the food, I'm not hungry. So I'll keep on trucking until the end of September. If the losses continue to be so slow I'll switch to alternative products then because I can't afford to continue for months.
So I guess the only option is to suck it up and keep on trucking as I actually gain on conventional plans such as WW.

Pat

Hey everyone! My name is Ashley, and I currently looking to drop another 15-20 pounds before my wedding next July. I know I can drop it, I just hope Ill be strong and KEEP it off!
I am finally starting IP on Labor Day after months of being "not ready". A good friend of mine is an IP coach and invited me a few months ago to sit in on one of her free open houses to explain the diet. I went, loved what I saw, but thought "this is way to expensive". Well...after a few months and trying other avenues, including Atkins, I have finally taken the leap and signed up for IP. I can't wait to start. Already trying to up my water intake and start eating my veggies at the times I need to on IP, and hopefully this will help "tansition" into the new diet.

Anyway, hello all, and I am glad to have your support, and hope to one day contribute with my own knowlege here!

Actually, today I made the kale chips everyone is talking about and he just loved them! Yes, some more veggies and he doesn't even know it :D

Welcome Ashley, Looks like you will have a lot of support being that one of your good friends is an IP coach. If you phase off probably when you get to goal there should be no reason you can't keep it off. This program is expensive but worth every penny. Good luck

Wow! That sounds really good. Thanks a bunch :-) Can't wait to go buy some WF 1000 Island.:carrot:

So today was WI#1 and I lost 7.4 lbs!!!! Now that is encouraging versus the the 6 weeks I went away and worked out 3 times a day tracking 10+ miles a day. I was doing cardio and weights and at the end of the 6 weeks I lost a whopping 6 LBs.... This is so much better than that :-) So I am ready to see next Monday how week 2 is going to fare. I know it won't be as large of a number, but I finally found what my body needed to get moving in the right direction.

Congrats on the first WI and well done with the loss that is for sure. Here is to week 2 for you....keep it going and you will see a thinner new your sooner than you know :)

Really wiped tonightm did over 11 miles tonight, but did my monthly goal in 15 days, so stoked for that.
My week is slowing down with the weight loss, but I am still hoping for a good week.
Welcome to the new members and good luck.
Redy, awesome job!!!

Hopefully I will actually have time to post stuff tomorrow, today was just one of those Mondays when I was slammed at work.
Stay strong everyone, and hope you had a good night at work Port!!

[QUOTE=Wayward;4012573]Really wiped tonightm did over 11 miles tonight, but did my monthly goal in 15 days, so stoked for that.
QUOTE]

Congrats for reaching your goal. Very impressive!

Hi Ashley - welcome to the forum. I am 100% confident that you can lose the weight you want in plenty of time for your wedding.

Keep coming back to this site. It's really helped me stay OP. I kind of feel 'accountable' to everyone on here to stay on track and not cheat.

Keep us all posted on your journey.

Hi Gina, here's the deal. Many of us have lost weight only to gain it back afterwards by going right on back to our old eating habits that made us fat in the first place. In order to maintain weight loss we simply cannot eat the same way we did before, the way that mad us gain in the first place. Why would we think anything would be different this time? That we could lose weight by dieting and then continue in the old pattern.

I used to get so sick of hearing it, but truly our diet has to become a new way of life. We have to change the way we eat forever if we want to stay slim and fit.

This is the challenging part. BUT thats what I love about this diet. It is very doable.

The final phase of this diet is totally doable for me! And having a fit body is worth it for me. I feel so much better almost 30 pounds down.

This is not to say that we will never be able to indulge in our favorite foods again. I cannot live without cheesecake forever! This diet in the final phase allows for those 'free days' and we get right back on for one day afterwards.
You CAN do this, but you must look at this as not a quick fix, but a total diet overhaul. Might do ya some good to look at the 'maintainers' thread. I know people personally who HAVE kept the weight off for 5 plus years so far.
Welcome!

Wayward - Congrats on the exercise. I know you mentioned that your coach knows you are walking but does he/she know the extent of it? I really think you might see bigger losses if you added an additional packet (or 2) per the IP Athletic Protocol. 11 miles would have put you beyond a calorie deficit and perhaps your body is responding in a manner less conducive to weight loss. Just a thought, perhaps just add 1 more IP product mid day to see if the additional protein and fuel can help speed your losses. I know it sounds counterintuitive but I think with your level of exercise perhaps it is a good idea to test for 1 week.


Uh oh gotta run . . .