You ladies rock! This has been the most encouraging thread I've read. I'm back on the wagon. :)

Good for you kid! keep it up!!!

Well well well where to start! Your story sounds very much like mine, and at week 3 or 4 I was so disappointed with this diet, I was ready to give it the quits! Then very much like you, I reached out for help to my fellow 3FC board members. Let me tell you from someone who was in your shoes, DO NOT GIVE UP! I too had a weight gain week 3 and had only lost 7 lbs in 3 weeks. But here is my advice, get your oil and salt in, they are very important to the success of this diet. Second you’re a female, females have hormones, which in turn depends on the TOM you could be retaining water, might not have had a bowel movement before your WI, there are so many little factors that will affect your first few weeks, it did for me and now I lose BIG numbers every week, I was not one of those who lost 10lbs in first week, my weight started to come off week 5 and 6 ( 6 weeks on IP and lost 23lbs). Its different for everyone. Give it a few more weeks, everyone’s body is different!

Hang in there. You can do it! If you look at this diet as a quick fix, it will be just that. And when you stop, the weight will come right back on and then some (I know from experience). The BEST part about the diet isn't the rapid weight loss, it is the change in lifestyle. You get the opportunity to take control over your relationship with food and make better choices. It is better to change your life forever than to change your body temporarily.

Be strong :)

This is an amazing thread, I thought I would bump it up for anyone who might be struggling right now! :)

I wish everyone could have listen to the same Dr that came in and went over the program. Oh my goodness you would sfay so true to this and 100 all the way. He even took a 10 year old who was very over weight and she lost 40lbs. Now he had so much more to much to get into. Now I have not cheated once but some stress came into my life and I could not eat like I should now saying that I cannot blame the program if I do not loose like I should. You have to pick up get going like everyone says and take one day at a time. Anyone can give themselves reasons to cheat butt stop and think just how healthy you will be. You can do this, you really can. You have been in the service you can get in the mind set. Good luck.

Sorry your disappointed, but it's not the plan that's not being successful it's your choices. It is expensive. Maybe you can do alternatives. There's some great information on here.

I'm one of those people who has been very successful on this program. It wasn't an easy journey. I had my good days and bad days, but I stuck it out. What got me through was trusting the plan and following it 100%.

If you're truly ready to make changes, than search the alternative threads. You can save tons of money and get the same results. BUT, and this is a very large BUT...YOU MUST FOLLOW THE PLAN!!! ;) K!?

You can do this!!! You just have to want to do this!

LOL!! I Didn't realize this was a bumped thread and really old!!! hehehe... Where's reason00 today??? Are you still out there??? I hope you found success!!!

Ladies, this is an old thread that was revived. I was going to say it would be awesome if Reason came back and posted an update, but she hasn't been here since shortly after posting this thread. :(

I have been on the diet for 5 weeks, starting week 6 today. I have lost 15lbs. For me, this is a miracle. Here is my question though for you who are more familiar with the diet. Last week, I lost 2 lbs. That has been my average, sometimes 1.5 lbs. I have followed the diet 100% with minor exceptions. I had two non-fat lattes from Starbucks last week, a handful (literally ONE handful) of nuts at a party last weekend AND two lamb meatballs at another party this week. This all occurred this past week, a week where I was at a conference for work and contracted a staph infection on my face from a spiderbite. I'm on heavy duty antibiotics now. When I went to the ER, I went armed with RTD chocolate drink just in case I was there for too long. In any event, I went for my weigh in this week with my counselors and they scolded me because of my "cheats" and explained that you have to follow this diet 100% or it won't work. then they told me that even though I lost two pounds I had a horrible week because the muscle mass loss was 6lbs (total I think) and it was too high. They wondered if I was working out too much and I literally worked out once for an hour this past week. In any event, I was very discouraged by this. I know that there is a lot of science and chemistry involved in this diet but I'm not unhappy I lost 2 lbs during a very stressful week. They said I went up two inches. I took my last Birth Control Pill on Saturday so today WOULD be my period if I was getting it but my TOM is so messed up since I started this diet that i have not really gotten it. I'm discouraged because I feel like the counselors are drill Sargents who are not at all encouraging. I don't think its possible for me to lose more than 1.5 - 2 lbs a week on this diet, even with 100% compliance. I started at 145lbs and my goal is 122. I'm now at 130.8. For me, this is thrilling. The least I've weighed in 10 years. For me to get to 122 lbs (I'm 5'1 would be nothing short of a miracle). But these counselors and this program are getting to me. Its REALLY hard to be so good then get scolded like that. Any advice? Help! I've really got only 4 more weeks or less to go and I want to reach my goal.

I'm sorry to say this, but I'll have to give you some tough love here. You can't say you've followed the diet 100% with minor exceptions (2 non-fat Starbucks lattes, a handful of nuts, and 2 lamb meatballs). When you put them all together, I wouldn't call them minor.

I'm a big coffee drinker myself (and I usually take coffee with my milk, if you know what I mean) but every time I meet a friend at a cafe, I come armed with my Vanilla RTD and sugar free coffee syrup and order an iced americano, which I never ordered during my pre-diet days. If you are going to be very honest with yourself, you'll know that you're just making excuses.

Your coaches scolded you because they saw the potential for a GREAT weight loss (and lean muscle growth) which you blew by committing those cheats. Yes, you still lost 2 lbs, but if they told you you could've lost say, 4-5 lbs instead, would you have cheated?

That said, place all that aside and move on. Make a conscious decision to be stricter with yourself this week. No more exceptions, whether they be minor or major. Stick to the plan 100%. Remember, it's not the counselors and the program that's defeating you, it's yourself. Trust that you can do this and do it.

Remember, too, that eating carbs (like popcorn, even if it is low cal without butter) will throw you out of ketosis, your fat-burning mode. Then it takes another 3 or 4 days to get back into ketosis.

On these types of diets, it's better not to give in to temptation...it will set you back! Hang in there, and get back on the wagon :)

I'd say lose the coaches and check out alternatives or order IP products from places like the protein store. A drill sargent approach totally stresses me out. I feel it is my journey and someone thinking giving you heck is going to help doesn't have positive results.

I have been 100% on program and I had been losing about 3 pounds per week, then 1.8 and then 2.4. I am thinking that this will be my average and for that I don't mind. I would love to lose more, but i'll take what i've got. I think that you would have lost more had you stayed on the program 100%, but at some point, you will start to have smaller losses. You can do this, you had a fall, now get back up and keep going! Keep sliced cucumbers and washed salad greens in the fridge or with you so that you won't be tempted. Eat all of your packets so that you don't lose muscle... Try not to be stressed about it, that doesn't help your body... Check in here often too..there is so much help, so many nice people here that have been through what you have! :) Oh, also, don't forget your salt, water and olive oil!!

Wow! You are doing great!:hug:

YOU are doing great!!!! You look fantastic..can't wait to be where you are!! :hug: