Originally Posted by wuv2bloved:
Y'all need to change y'all way of thinking...If you are still a "foodie" then you WILL have problems now and when you are in Maintenance. This is a lifestyle change and your life can no longer revolve around food. You have to find another "out" instead of food. You can not let food rule your life, you need to rule your life. Have too keep an open mind with different things to keep you occupied instead of always thinking about food and what you are missing out on.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at things now. Most of the food I used to eat now when I see someone eating makes me sick to my stomach because I know even though I really enjoyed those foods before, its those foods that made me the size I WAS and I AM NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SIZE....EVER!....I still have 61lbs left to go but I am not even thinking of the foods I will have once I go into maintenance, I think about the food I can have NOW and just be satisfied with it because I know this is how I will get MYSELF back, by eating this way. Once I am done I will still eat this way to a point. Because FOOD DOES NOT CONTROL ME ANY MORE.....I CONTROL ME and what goes INTO MY MOUTH!

LIKE BUTTON.

Originally Posted by panda13:
I have been having a hard time with the diet the past week or so. I'm losing weight, but I am just so sick of the food. I'm doing alternatives, I imagine IP might taste a little better, but I can't afford it (I can't really afford the alternatives either!). Anyway, I just feel like everything, except for dinner, just tastes fake, fake, fake. I have a hard time with substitutions - so pudding or pudding muffins are okay, but they don't really cut it. I had a protidiet pancake this morning with WF syrup, and I had to choke it down. I drink the EAS Carb Advantedge RTDs, which I like, but I'm hungry an hour later. I like the soy puffs, but of course can only have one of those a day, and they don't fill me up. Same with the OhYeah bars I've been having as a restricted - love the taste, but can only have one per day (and I have a feeling there's too much fat in them, compared to IP, so I might have to cut those out).

Just wondering how you keep going? The weight loss is motivating, but I'm a foodie and it's not so much that I want to cheat as it is that I just want to be done so I can eat real food again. I'm worried about when I do go into the maintenance phase as well, but I'm trying not to think about that until I cross that bridge.

Any encouraging words would be so helpful. Thanks!

I've been on IP [alternatives] for a 4 weeks as of Monday and this last 2 weeks has been a breeze for me. If I feel hungry, I will have some hard boiled egg whites with some veggies or something like that. Have you tried splitting your food up and having it through out the day? How long have you been on it? Have you tried the chocolate soy balls from Protithin? They're DELICIOUS!

I do my menu like this or a different variation, just depends.
Breakfast: rtd shake & sometimes 2 scrambled egg whites. OR my restricted.
Snack: 1 cup veggies.
Lunch: rtd shake & 1 cup veggies [OR restricted!]
Snack: 1 cup veggies.
Dinner: 8oz protein & 1 cup veggies.
Snack: rtd shake.

I also chew extra sugar free gum & have plenty of results. and LOADS of water. 5 or more liters of water a day!

Originally Posted by wuv2bloved:
Y'all need to change y'all way of thinking...If you are still a "foodie" then you WILL have problems now and when you are in Maintenance. This is a lifestyle change and your life can no longer revolve around food. You have to find another "out" instead of food. You can not let food rule your life, you need to rule your life. Have too keep an open mind with different things to keep you occupied instead of always thinking about food and what you are missing out on.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at things now. Most of the food I used to eat now when I see someone eating makes me sick to my stomach because I know even though I really enjoyed those foods before, its those foods that made me the size I WAS and I AM NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SIZE....EVER!....I still have 61lbs left to go but I am not even thinking of the foods I will have once I go into maintenance, I think about the food I can have NOW and just be satisfied with it because I know this is how I will get MYSELF back, by eating this way. Once I am done I will still eat this way to a point. Because FOOD DOES NOT CONTROL ME ANY MORE.....I CONTROL ME and what goes INTO MY MOUTH!

LOVE THIS!!

I feel so sad when I read of people choking things down. If you are a "foodie" get into using the recipes to improve the packets. Neither of you mentioned veggies, there are so many interesting ways to prepare veggies.
Then there is the "regular' meal of the day. My husband goesn't need to lose an ounce but he loves the dinners I make after being on this plan.
Also don't cut back too far on the fat. I had done that and my weigh slowed to a crawl. I have a small Oh Yeah bar every day and I make sure I get my olive oil in and my loss has really picked up again.

I am sure if I was on a plan where I was "choking" things down I'd wouldn't be on it for very long.

Originally Posted by wuv2bloved:
Y'all need to change y'all way of thinking...If you are still a "foodie" then you WILL have problems now and when you are in Maintenance. This is a lifestyle change and your life can no longer revolve around food. You have to find another "out" instead of food. You can not let food rule your life, you need to rule your life. Have too keep an open mind with different things to keep you occupied instead of always thinking about food and what you are missing out on.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at things now. Most of the food I used to eat now when I see someone eating makes me sick to my stomach because I know even though I really enjoyed those foods before, its those foods that made me the size I WAS and I AM NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SIZE....EVER!....I still have 61lbs left to go but I am not even thinking of the foods I will have once I go into maintenance, I think about the food I can have NOW and just be satisfied with it because I know this is how I will get MYSELF back, by eating this way. Once I am done I will still eat this way to a point. Because FOOD DOES NOT CONTROL ME ANY MORE.....I CONTROL ME and what goes INTO MY MOUTH!

double like!

Originally Posted by wuv2bloved:
Y'all need to change y'all way of thinking...If you are still a "foodie" then you WILL have problems now and when you are in Maintenance. This is a lifestyle change and your life can no longer revolve around food. You have to find another "out" instead of food. You can not let food rule your life, you need to rule your life. Have too keep an open mind with different things to keep you occupied instead of always thinking about food and what you are missing out on.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at things now. Most of the food I used to eat now when I see someone eating makes me sick to my stomach because I know even though I really enjoyed those foods before, its those foods that made me the size I WAS and I AM NEVER GOING BACK TO THAT SIZE....EVER!....I still have 61lbs left to go but I am not even thinking of the foods I will have once I go into maintenance, I think about the food I can have NOW and just be satisfied with it because I know this is how I will get MYSELF back, by eating this way. Once I am done I will still eat this way to a point. Because FOOD DOES NOT CONTROL ME ANY MORE.....I CONTROL ME and what goes INTO MY MOUTH!

I have to agree with Wuv, if you want something different you have to do something different. You cannot expect different results if you keep doing things the same way. We all were foodies, obviously. Now I have to find another identifyer and you can too. Good luck!;)

Good Saturday everyone! I was catching up on this post and sounds like we have a lot of good news. Congrats to all who have had "wins", I know you worked hard for them!
The sun is shining here and now I am ready for spring. Unfortunately it won't really be here for another month at least. I love the idea of new beginnings.
Have a great weekend.

"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
-Hans Christian Andersen

Originally Posted by panda13:
I have been having a hard time with the diet the past week or so. I'm losing weight, but I am just so sick of the food. I'm doing alternatives, I imagine IP might taste a little better, but I can't afford it (I can't really afford the alternatives either!). Anyway, I just feel like everything, except for dinner, just tastes fake, fake, fake. I have a hard time with substitutions - so pudding or pudding muffins are okay, but they don't really cut it. I had a protidiet pancake this morning with WF syrup, and I had to choke it down. I drink the EAS Carb Advantedge RTDs, which I like, but I'm hungry an hour later. I like the soy puffs, but of course can only have one of those a day, and they don't fill me up. Same with the OhYeah bars I've been having as a restricted - love the taste, but can only have one per day (and I have a feeling there's too much fat in them, compared to IP, so I might have to cut those out).

Just wondering how you keep going? The weight loss is motivating, but I'm a foodie and it's not so much that I want to cheat as it is that I just want to be done so I can eat real food again. I'm worried about when I do go into the maintenance phase as well, but I'm trying not to think about that until I cross that bridge.

Any encouraging words would be so helpful. Thanks!

I feel bad for you as I don't think I ever viewd the diet this way...are you playing with spices and doing different things with your veggies? Did you try any new salad dressings you can make yourself, have you tried baking your veggies (yummy with thyme and rosemary and olive oil)...lots of ideas in the recipe thread.

Personally, some days it's a breeze and some days it's tough...like life, it comes and goes. Not everyday I'm hungry but sometimes I could eat my arm off and I just think "have some tea you're just hungry you are NOT starving...it's only uncomfortable it's not going to kill you". I think back to when my mom would tell me as a child "you can wait an hour"...and I smile and repeat it to myself. ;)

Seriously though you really need to mix it up. I have 4-5 go to recipes for the supper meal and when I'm 'tired' of that I go looking for a new one...there are tons of really good recipes. I think this diet has made me look forward to supper and I knew at the beginning this would be a long haul for me so I really prepped myself to research new recipes so that I'd NOT get bored.

I had a friend doing this diet that had 40 lbs to lose and she commented "your working to hard at all the different recipes aren't you, just pick something and stick with it for a bit". When I said "I don't want to be bored" she said "well, I'm not bored" so I replied "yeah, me either and I DON'T want to be bored"

If you're hungry an hour after your RTD drink, then have veggies throughout the day...maybe one hour before maybe one hour after OR both if you do 1 cup before and 1 cup after. You can have salad and baked veggies for your meal for something different.

Personally...I'm calling myself a fru fru foodie now lol (so your reference to a foodie isn't my definition)...as I've REALLY gotten into the spices. Chicken has become my staple for a meat and I'm always looking for something "different" to do to it...ALWAYS keeping my eye out. I'm beginning to love to cook and really prefer it now as to going out for dinner...this way I know EXACTLY how it's cooked.

This diet is work even if it's a breeze some days...it takes work to keep from being bored and it takes work to stay focused on the long term goal.

Good luck!

Great advice Ishbel!

Thanks everyone. I guess I just need to "suck it up." The veggies have been fine, same with the meat, for the most part. I love to do a curry stir-fry. The preparation w/the veggies is a bit more work, especially since it's lunch and dinner, but I think maybe I'm trying too many things and should just stick to a few that I like. Salad, stir-fry, celery root fries, cauliflower-curry soup. Those are all pretty good. I guess I didn't want to get bored, but maybe bored is a better alternative to "yuck." (Kale chips and I do not agree).

I do have a hard time with the protein packets. I think one issue is that I had about 20 pudding packets, and didn't like the puddings so I had to use some of the packet recipes (muffins, pancakes, etc.) to use them up. Maybe it is just best for me to stick to the RTD drinks, bars, and I do like the ProtiDiet chicken soup (I've been blending that w/some zucchini and cauliflower plus curry, splenda and coconut extract).

Anyway, yeah, I do have to change my attitude a bit. I hope that during maintenance I can enjoy good, real food - not unhealthy food, though. I don't know if I'll ever lose my "foodie-ness," but we'll see.

I worry that once I hit maintenance I'll go off track. Although, I gave my kids some berries and cottage cheese w/cinnamon for breakfast the other day, and I thought it looked (and smelled) super delicious. So, maybe I'll be okay.
I may try to spread out my veggies a bit like some suggested. And boiled egg whites w/some sea salt sounds like a good snack too.

Thanks everyone. I just needed to vent, and this is a really great place to do that.

One thing that I always remind myself of when I get discouraged with losing weight, is that it didn't take me a month or 2 to pack it on, so why would it take a month or 2 to take it all off. I worked to get it on, just have to stay 100% OP to get it off :)

You do have a point about the puddings though. The alternative puddings just don't work as well in the recipies as the IP ones. I ended up usually using them as drinks.
As puddings they taste better if I break up a few ice cubes in my magic bullet, add very cold water to it until it's 4 ounces then mixing the package in quickly. It firms up right away. If the water is not super cold it sometimes doesn't set at all no matter how long it is in the fridge it just stays as swill.
I really dislike the alternative berry types shakes and pudding. They are sickenly sweet. I just get the chocolate and vanilla now.

Originally Posted by panda13:
Thanks everyone. I guess I just need to "suck it up." The veggies have been fine, same with the meat, for the most part. I love to do a curry stir-fry. The preparation w/the veggies is a bit more work, especially since it's lunch and dinner, but I think maybe I'm trying too many things and should just stick to a few that I like. Salad, stir-fry, celery root fries, cauliflower-curry soup. Those are all pretty good. I guess I didn't want to get bored, but maybe bored is a better alternative to "yuck." (Kale chips and I do not agree).

I do have a hard time with the protein packets. I think one issue is that I had about 20 pudding packets, and didn't like the puddings so I had to use some of the packet recipes (muffins, pancakes, etc.) to use them up. Maybe it is just best for me to stick to the RTD drinks, bars, and I do like the ProtiDiet chicken soup (I've been blending that w/some zucchini and cauliflower plus curry, splenda and coconut extract).

Anyway, yeah, I do have to change my attitude a bit. I hope that during maintenance I can enjoy good, real food - not unhealthy food, though. I don't know if I'll ever lose my "foodie-ness," but we'll see.

I worry that once I hit maintenance I'll go off track. Although, I gave my kids some berries and cottage cheese w/cinnamon for breakfast the other day, and I thought it looked (and smelled) super delicious. So, maybe I'll be okay.
I may try to spread out my veggies a bit like some suggested. And boiled egg whites w/some sea salt sounds like a good snack too.

Thanks everyone. I just needed to vent, and this is a really great place to do that.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you to "suck it up" by any means. You have to decide what is right for YOU, if it's IP then great, if not, then that's up to you :)! I mainly stick with the same things for a week or until I'm just flat out tired of it, like hamburger steaks for dinner every night LOL. Then the next week or whatever I will go to chicken or something else, just depends on my mood :) I'm very picky, so I eat cucumbers a LOT! I get my EVOO in the best I can, I don't care too much for salad, so I don't usually eat that too much. Sometimes I will eat off the "restricted veggies" list [tomatoes], but not every week.

This diet isn't for everyone, but it's very effective if you decide to do it :) Seems like you've been on it longer than me, so i'm sure you know how it goes haha. Sounds like you've gotten your hands on things that aren't so "appealing", so that may be part of the problem. Have you tried the chocolate soy balls? It's basically like candy, I love them!

I hope it's okay for me to post here too, I am 100% OP I do use alternative products is that okay? I'm also new only 9 days in so I have a few questions still...

is cinnamon okay? Is baking powder okay?

Originally Posted by panda13:
I have been having a hard time with the diet the past week or so. I'm losing weight, but I am just so sick of the food. I'm doing alternatives, I imagine IP might taste a little better, but I can't afford it (I can't really afford the alternatives either!). Anyway, I just feel like everything, except for dinner, just tastes fake, fake, fake. I have a hard time with substitutions - so pudding or pudding muffins are okay, but they don't really cut it. I had a protidiet pancake this morning with WF syrup, and I had to choke it down. I drink the EAS Carb Advantedge RTDs, which I like, but I'm hungry an hour later. I like the soy puffs, but of course can only have one of those a day, and they don't fill me up. Same with the OhYeah bars I've been having as a restricted - love the taste, but can only have one per day (and I have a feeling there's too much fat in them, compared to IP, so I might have to cut those out).

Just wondering how you keep going? The weight loss is motivating, but I'm a foodie and it's not so much that I want to cheat as it is that I just want to be done so I can eat real food again. I'm worried about when I do go into the maintenance phase as well, but I'm trying not to think about that until I cross that bridge.

Any encouraging words would be so helpful. Thanks!

I am a total foodie too and dislike and avoid fake tasting things as well. I am now having a bigger lunch: Cooked Vegetables, big salad, and 3 ounces of my protein. Shortly after that I have a bar (important treat for me!). I am completely happy the rest of the day and am just slightly hungry at dinner time.