Discouraged already
 

This is the hardest thing I have ever done! I don't like a lot of veggies and I am hungry all the time. I have not cheated yet, but I haven't been eating my veggies either. How much lettuce and cute can you eat? This is only my first week and I am already tearfully discouraged! Weigh in tomorrow afternoon. How do you all do it?

The beginning was the hardest part for most of us (if not all)! Seriously, hang in there and just keep plugging along. You CAN do it!!! Figure out what veggies you like and roast them. I didn't eat one salad in P1! Couldn't stomach them without regular dressings. Boil some eggs and eat a couple of egg whites during your hungry times...The hunger will go away! Stick with it! Chin up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T GIVE UP!!! The first week is so hard, I admit it but once you get past it, it becomes very easy. Grind up spinach into shakes to help get veggies in and visit the fun with veggie puree thread created by LissRR. There are many recipes out there. You can eat UNLIMITED amounts of lettuce but they do not count towards your 4 cups a day. When I struggled with getting veggies in I would add extra spinach to my coffee-chocolate pudding smoothies. Now, I could eat more than 4 cups of veggies because I love them so much more. You can do this. I NEVER thought I would make it either but after the 1st week, it gets easier. I have lost over 50 pounds and LOVE this program. Good luck! Keep posting when you get discouraged. People on here are AMAZING and so SUPPORTIVE. :)

Ditto what those above have already said. Hang in there - don't give up. The first week is definitely a challenge, and after that everything is so much easier.

Mix the veggies in with your packets. And use fresh vegetables. Frozen veggies are subpar. You can do this. First three days are the hardest. After week 1, it's smooth sailing!

First, BREATHE :)

This diet is not easy, but the payoff is totally worth it, and YOU are totally worth it!

The hunger is normal in the first week. Your body has to have time to adjust to the diet, detox from the carbs, and start burning fat. Remember that lettuce is unlimited, 2 egg whites are a "freebie" allowed once a day, and often hunger is really thirst in disguise. Drink plenty of water (decaf tea/Mio-flavored water/whatever it takes), and use your freebies. You can also have one hard boiled egg in the beginning if you need to take the edge off.

RE: the veggies - the best advice I can give you is to try new things. I never had a rutabaga or jicama before this diet, but now I love them! It was already mentioned, but LizRR's puree thread is a great resource for veggie purees to get those 2 cups into your meals if you can't just eat raw veggies. The Mix'n in the Kitch'n thread also has a ton of great recipes that use veggies. The important thing is to get your 4 cups a day in, every day.

You CAN do it - and when you feel like you need a boost or have questions, everyone on this board is here for you!

OMG! The two cups of spinach in your shake is a MUST! I never did it during my 5 months of P1 and now I make it all the time when I do my P1 day after a "fun day". You don't taste the spinach AT ALL!!! It simply thickens up the shake!!! PLEASE TRY IT!!! It's been my go to now that I made it!!!! I look back at my first week and want to puke at what I was trying to eat as veggies!!! Pathetic things that were so nasty, bland and miserable!!!

Again, hang in there!

Thank you all for your encouragement. I want to do this so bad but am short on willpower. Lol. I will definitely try the spinach shakes and visit the purée thread. I feel more empowered from your comments.

I found the first week the hardest too. Sugar and carb withdrawals for sure. Look for recipes, these IP cooks have done an amazing job. Way beyond my cooking creativity!

I am now on my 8th day but GIRL let me tell ya around the third and fourth day I was literally sobbing! It was all in my head because when I sat down and thought about it I wasn't even hungry! Pickles save me!!!! You can do this!

Like everyone else said, the first week is the hardest. In fact the first week is pretty much terrible. But then it starts to get so much easier. It will become normal, and the hunger will be gone.

Thanks for the tip on the spinach, I am going to have to try that.

Yah! Keep that feeling going. You will have good days and you will have bad days (I think you're having that now)...;) But in the end it will all be worth it! I'm just a stones throw from you in CT, watch out or I'll come to Cranston and make sure you don't fall off plan!!! LOL Just kiddin' :)

And not really a stone's throw..maybe a rocket launchers distance...

Lol.....thank you so much for that! Everyone has been very helpful. You just actually made me laugh! New England humor! Thank you!

ROFL very good point - I'm not far from Cranston either, we can meet in the middle and keep her on track :). Next time I head to Mardi Gras for line dancing I can drag her with me! LOL

You are worth it!! Just remember that and get through this first week after that things get soo much easier. Roast your veggies or blend them into packets, mix them into soups, grate zucchini or cauliflower to use in place of noodles or rice in stir fry, throw them on the grill with your meat! :hug:

They also have some great seasoning blends out there now! I used to NEVER eat veggies! Now I throw them in some EVOO and pour on the spice(I now love cooking with chipotle seasoning, which I had never tried until now) cooking them until they are nice and browned. Not too bad at all. And yes, the spinach shakes are amazing! Mushrooms have saved me, too! I have eaten maybe 2 salads since I started, just can't handle salads hehe. Keep going, it just takes a little bit to get used to!

Before IP it was a rare day that a vegetable passed my lips. Now I have found three or four that I really enjoy and look forward to finding new ways to cook them for me and my husband (he is also on IP). He now asks me, "Why haven't we been eating these all along."

I have found that I have good days and not-so-good days. This forum has certainly helped me on those not-so-good days. When I am feeling low I come here and read. The people are so encouraging to one another.

Hang in there! I am NOT a salad person or a 'raw veggie' eater - hence my extensive list of veggies in purees, sauces, soups, shakes, and ICE CREAM! I consider myself a lazy cooker - I do a LOT with my blender...and more recently my ice cream machine (rhubarb, cucumber, spinach, and lettuce in sorbets, sherbets, and ice cream....yes please!).

Zucchini or cucumber noodles in WF Sesame Ginger & Soy Sauce stirfry, Spinach & Lettuce in your chocolate shake, Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic puree, Cucumber Sorbet, Sweet Fauxtato Pie....omg - I love my veggies now! And Rainbow just came up with a Jicama recipe that I am DYING to try - ran out to the store immediately after our 5 hour drive back from San Antonio so I could stock up on my veggies (and got TWO jicama!!!)

Really open up your mind to trying new vegetables, ones you've never heard of, ones you THINK you don't like, try them in 2 different recipes - and put aside your "I don't like vegetables" mindset. Although I still dont like raw onions...lol...I don't think THAT veggie prejudice will EVER go away.

Rainbows gourmet recipes:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...s-rainbow.html

My lazy blender veggie concoctions:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...t=veggie+puree

Liz---I really want to try your ice cream. I have never pureed a vegie in my life so......how do you make cucumber puree? Do I peel or not? Just stick it in the blender? Thanks for the help

This is what i do now with no ice cream machine.
1. Cut cuke in 1/2 lengthwise, remove seeds w/fingers, cut into chunks ~2" wide. I leave peel on.
2. Throw in blender with juice & zest of 2 limes & 1 cup water w/sweetener.
3. Blend until smooth, ~2 minutes.
4. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.
5. Empty 1 tray into blender with vanilla rtd, prepared pudding, drink mix, etc.
6. Blend until smooth soft serve consistency.
*helps to add 1~2 cubes at a time into blender, may need to add in 1/2~1 cup extra liquid.
*i use 1/3c egg whites and 2/3-1c unsweetened almond milk in P4 when blending down cubes. Water is fine too.

*puree is just a fancy word for 'throw it in a blender'.

Roasting vegetables is great..then dump them in the soup packets. Pureeing is also good. Spinach in shakes is an easy way to get them down. I ate arrugula instead of lettuce.

Hang in there. IP does work.

I was the same way before IP... I pretty much hated vegetables! But stir fry has saved me... I usually use broccoli and bell peppers. Now I look forward to dinner every night! I do need to get more variety in there, but it's working so I'm not questioning it too much! :)

I would take the soup packets and pour them over your veggies. It helped me stomach those veggies better. Also use seasoning on things they are allowed on plan. In addition I usually like cucumbers because they are easy to eat

I am on phase 1 (day 3) - can you please share a good recipe that you include spinach with? Do you put fresh spinach in the same blender? Also, I don't have much time in the mornings and I really like the chocolate/cappuchino drink mixes...any way to thicken them up liek a smoothie?

I put one cup of raw, fresh spinach in the blender with a little cold water. Once it is puréed, I add a few ice cubes and a chocolate pudding or drink. I can't taste the spinach when I use one cup. I don't like this as much with vanilla because it turns green (can't see it with chocolate). I am a visual eater! I like it better when it is really cold. I made a shake and stored it in a cooler. It wasn't great when I drank it.

Sometimes I add a little flavoring.