The vegetables are important for providing nutrients and getting you on a path for new eating habits.

Some tips have been to use vegetables that really "cook down" like spinach and/or mushrooms. Zucchini is another one that has a mild flavor and can cook down a lot. Others will blend raw spinach into their shakes.

When I first started I relied a lot on making turnip fries, kale chips and mashed cauliflower plus cutting up celery and cucumbers to toss onto salads.

Skipping them once is not going to have an impact. Skipping them a lot or replacing them with just lettuce will start to impact your health and your fat loss. You'll still lose weight, but I hope one of your goals is improved health.

I am SOOOOO PROUD of you for sticking with the challenge!!....I know its driving you crazy but be VERY PROUD of yourself for NOT stepping on the scale! I can't wait to hear about your results tomorrow....Good Luck

Give your DH a BIG HUG from me and tell him THANK YOU!!!! for hiding that scale so well....haha....YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT THAT SCALE!!!!

Your body will release the weight when it is ready there is NOTHING you can do to speed it up! Follow the program to the letter and you will be surprised as to how fast it will come off BUT if you have 20lbs or less I will tell you your losses will be slower because your body knows what is a good weight for you.

COLOR="Indigo"]That number on the scale is JUST THAT.....a number!!go by the way you feel and the way your clothes fit. Don't get fixated on the number on the scale or it will drive you crazy.
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IF you are following the program to the letter you are in Ketosis. I don't have bad breath all the time but I know I am in Ketosis because I have been 100% OP from the start.

WELCOME back!!!....You know what they say...you have to learn the hard way in order to learn anything at all. I know you will make it to your goal this time, I believe in YOU. You are a southern girl.....TOUGH!....yea, I know we have TON"S of GOOD food but WE can learn to deal with it the right way!!!.....let the journey begin AGAIN for you!!!

WOOHOO!!!!....WELCOME...another southern girl I LOVE IT...not that I don't love when anyone starts but down here in the south IP isn't very well known yet like it is in other areas. You will love this site, great people, tons of support, motivation, suggestions, information and recipes. Make sure to post daily, another way to stay accountable :)
These are great tips Licaba, thanks for passing them along. You are so correct about the size of the meats when eating out, you do just like I do, I split them with lunch and dinner when going out for dinner, unless I plan on eating a steak and ordering it by size. Never be afraid to order how you want at a restaurant, I am sure many of them have really weird request, the ones we make are quiet mild....lol

IF you are skipping out on your veggies then you will NOT get the full effect of the program. Its the mixture of the products along with the veggies to make it work effectively. YOU MUST eat your packets and veggies for the program to work properly.

Can someone explain the reason for the olive oil each day?

Good afternoon. I've been inside all day and was all day yesterday for training. Can't wait to escape.

Hi everyone...Just a really quick check in. I've had a busy day but OP 100%. I'm keeping a friend's two children as well as my two boys today, so it has been a day of fun and entertaining munchkins.

WTG to everyone on their scale and NSV! Y'all are incredible motivation for me!

Happy Friday! TGIF!

Hi everyone! Happy Friday!

I'm new to 3FC site. I've been reading prior posts and love how supportive everyone is! I've been on IP for exactly 1 month today! I've lost a total of 9 pounds.

I went in for my weigh in today and lost 1.8lbs. My coach reviewed journal and said that everything looked good other than my consumption of red meat. I tend to eat steak every night because it’s easy and delicious! I ate steak every night my first week on IP and lost a total of 5.2lbs! However, I haven't seen huge losses since then. My coach told me that I should switch to eating poultry. I am such a picky eater and don't like chicken or turkey (except once a year for Thanksgiving). I tried eating Tilapia last week but I quickly got burnt out.* I went through the recipes on this site but there are just too many to filter through. What are your go to dinner meals?

This is my second week on IP. My first WI was Monday. I had lost 6.7 llbs. I am going out to eat out for the first time tomorrow with a bunch of girlfriends. I took the advice from the newbie forums about checking on the menu online and was excited to see they offer a oil and vinegar dressing! This week I havent saw the scale move much. I guess I need to learn not to look everyday..but it is just so darn hard. :dizzy:

Hi guys! Weigh in #5 today - only down 1 lb (and the days of TOM are over!). I'm more confused than I am upset. I've been 100% OP - even went over my meals for the week with my coach, and she couldn't find any red flags. One thing I have NOT done yet though, is get any kind of activity. I had planned (famous last words) to start walking and just haven't yet. I have no excuses for that. So, that is my goal starting today - get at least 30 min of walking in.

One more thing - in the past, having 'stayed on my diet' for the week and then only losing 1 lb would have thrown me into an all-out pity-party followed by a "what the heck, I'll start again tomorrow" binge fest. I credit this forum for changing my way of thinking. To me that 1 lb loss just makes me more determined to figure out what I need to do to step it up for next week! I KNOW, because of all of you, that this is just part of the ebb and flow of this diet and that I CAN and WILL reach my goal if I just stick to the program. Which leaves me with a much more empowered feeling than my old response would have!

Hi Everyone,

Day 17 on IP....but only my second day not stepping on the scale! lol Hoping for a good loss at my weigh in on Monday but I hear that the 3rd week can be tricky.

Question for you all....I bought some fancy loose leaf teas last week and have been LOVING them. They are white teas, so very little caffiene. However, my favorite has some dried cherries in it. I mean it MIGHT add up to ONE cherry in a big pitcher of wather. Think that's okay? I've been looking online and even emailed the tea shop to ask but haven't found/heard anything.

You have a great attitude! KUDO'S for you!!!! :cheer3: As a suggestion you may want to talked to your coach prior to beginning your exercise program about possibly needing to add a packet or ready made drink to your diet on the days you exercise. If you look at others you will see most have a low or no weight loss somewhere around the 4-6 wk range. You are doing super on your weight loss keep it up! :)

My 4th weigh in is Tuesday. After reading this I'm nervous! Last week was only -2

Thanks Wuv and Aliceb. @Wuv I saw your story on Facebook, and you are truely and inspiration. Not that everyone else isn't but your personality shines thru your words, and your picture journal is amazing. I saw a post your wrote about "Okra", did you ever find a way to cook them. I have cooked mine with shrimp, if you would like the recipe. I'll try to perfect it and post it soon. ;-)

Had 2nd weigh in yesterday..down 6.5 pounds and 2 inches ..so happy!

Congrats! It does feel good to see progress!

probably silly question but is there a spot where i should post my weigh loss