Emotions and things and life have mentally prevented me from actually starting the IP diet. I did it for a solid 2 weeks a year ago. 6 days last week and it went great. Have had a couple of "bad" days. Stress, emotions, etc. The same ol' problem that is always my excuse. I need to get this started and stick with it. I know there are some many good things that come with it besides the weight loss. (Restart my pancreas, lose the cravings, etc). Anyone have any tips, advice, encouragement?

I'm new here too, and have no real advice, but just wanted to say GOOD LUCK and you know the old adage...a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step......

Take that first step!

I just started week 4, and I am on cloud 9 about it. I truly thought I was dying on day 2 and a little bit day 3, but I powered through. It feels amazing to be freed from my obsession with carbs--all the while dropping weight. You can do it. There's absolutely no benefit in waiting--except to keep feeding that monkey on your back. Do it for yourself!

All my tips I learned right here on this forum.

• PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, and then plan some more. Don't make meals an afterthought. Having a plan has gotten me thru tough times and through travel.

• Always make sure there is SOMETHING in the refrigerator to grab. In case of emergency. Right now mine has celery and cukes for emergency. I just used up the rest of my stir fried veggies. I ALWAYS make enough for more than one meal when I cook.

• STAY POSITIVE: I'm guessing 95% of the success I've had so far has nothing to do with what plan I chose. I has EVERYTHING to do with the mindset I brought to it. Fear of failure has become a celebration of success. I'm pretty careful to frame things in a positive light (or look for the silver lining). I took 7 months to decide to start IP so when I started, I was 100% all-in.

• Scour the recipe threads. Don't get stuck in a rut

• Cook veggies. Don't eat them raw all the time. Raw veggies will do in a pinch and are great on a veggie tray to take to a party but for day-to-day, change it up!

You have to commit. Take it one day and one temptation at a time. Just tell yourself "I'm not cheating today" whenever you have the urge.

There will always be a reason you want to cheat, but it doesn't mean it's ok. Just make a commitment to yourself that this time there are no excuses. You are doing this to get to goal and will not cheat or stop until you get there.

I saw this quote on someone's signature when I first started and it stuck with me.

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

Some great ideas already. I also think you need to find your new approach to stress. I was the same way and stress ate myself to my starting weight but I am now at a place where I can say it would stress me more to eat and ruin what I have accomplished. This wasn't easy as I work in a high stress environment. I use aromatherapy sprays like peppermint, I take a walk, I drink herbal tea (sometimes I walk to another location to buy the herbal tea), I talk to others, I read this forum, I take a bath, I stay out of the kitchen, I pet my cats, I read a trashy romance novel, etc. Find the techniques that work to distract you and to retrain your mind on how to cope with the stress in a more healthy manor.

When you think what you really need is food, eat your celery or cucumbers first. If those don't appeal to you, you probably aren't really hungry and should just walk away.

You have to eliminate any and all restricted items from you home....at least until you get to a good point where you think you're strong enough to resist them. Avoid going out, and avoid being around temptations. These items may sound extreme, and they are, but you're telling us you are prone to giving in.
Do you have someone who can hold you accountable? Tell them what you're doing and ask them for support.

My only other advice is "just do it", because you know you can. Believe in yourself and get your mind prepared to never cave again!!!!!!!!!! Well, at least while in P1!!!!

Now go and start now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is all great advice for all of us. It is a struggle every day -- some days more than others. But it's a conscious plan. Choose it. Do it. And you'll be glad you did! If you need a "mini-goal" give yourself a non-food reward in a week (get your nails done? hair tint?) They say if you can stick to somethign for 2 weeks it becomes "routine". So set smaller goals at first. When you can get your 2 weeks in, and see your great results, you'll be motivated to continue

I would just like to add something I read when I first started - "cry if you need to cry and nap if you need a nap"

Otherwise ditto to all above.

Thank you all for the advice and encouragement. Time to get started...one celery stick at a time.

First step is to power through the first week. That is the hardest part.

It is a good idea to have little rewards for yourself as you get to minigoal. Some people get the popular charm bracelets and get a charm for a set amount, say for every 10 pounds down.
This is a good idea because it is something you can always see if you wear it everyday and reminds you how far you have come in your journey.

Just climb back into the saddle.
I truly believe we only learn from our own mistakes.
Acknowledge them and then move on.
Each day is a new start ...There are things in life we have no control over..there are others that we do.
Does not matter why you did ..you did ... move on ,a miss step does not define who or what you are capable of.. we are human and I would much rather a slip up with diet..then something else that I can not undo.
We forgive others much easier than we forgive ourselves.
Yes hold yourself accountable but do not let this under-mind your progress or resolve!
Only you can determine how best to move forward.
Use the inner strength and resolve like when you were going for something that was your heart's desire. Go for it Girl!
Good Luck,Roo2

Lisa, I can tell you've been at this a while, and I love your attitude. I liked the "do what you say you're gonna do" that I saw one day. Every time I get on this site, daily, I see something that encourages or inspires me, or I learn something..a recipe, an idea, where I say "Oh? I didn't know that?" Thank you for taking the time.

I have been on many a diet, as we all have. I've learned many, many things about myself in the process, which is one positive, to having tried and failed at so many diets. The main thing I've learned is that LIFE will always be there, with its many happy times (reasons to eat) and many sad and stressful times (reasons to eat). The house must be cleaned, the kids must be cared for, our parents need help, our pets get sick, money is tight, bills roll in, our husbands get cancer, our loved ones die... but rather than look at those things as a reason to put taking care of yourself off another day, week, month (which could become years -- my son is 12 now), commit to doing it with the knowlege that all of those things, will be so much easier to handle if you are happy in your own skin, and can look forward to the activities that relieve stress (like dancing, biking, horseback riding, hiking, shopping) -- when you have lost the weight. Anyone who knows me, knows how many things in my life are stressful. My job, My mother. My husband. My animals. But I'm not alone. Everyone has things -- big things -- they are dealing with on a daily basis, and those things are a reason do improve your life, not an excuse to let it get worse. If you don't have your health, you have nothing. The time to do it is today. Food is food. Nothing more. It is not an activity. It is not a "thing to do." There are so many more ways to celebrate thing in life, then sitting down to a big plate of food. Going to get an icecream. Having a snack. Going out to dinner. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can look back and say "Wow? It's been 2 weeks..2 months... 6 months already ?" Do it, and then come back on here every day, and read about all the people who believe in and live IP, and get the encourgagement you need, once you start. This site is one of the reasons I got the courage up to do it in the first place. I went to an information session 6 months ago, and just committed to it less than 2 weeks ago. Good luck and I hope you find the encouragement you need in my post, or one of the many others.

So much great advice here from everyone. Cienny, thank you in particular for your words and welcome to our group.

One of the motivating actions I take is to read daily something that is health/diet related. When I started IP, I carefully read Dr Tran's book, the old version is available on his website under publications and link is on the daily chat first post. Even though it is not completely up to date, I found it immensely helpful and motivating. Right now I'm reading a book on the hormone leptin (Mastering Leptin by Byron Richards) and also have the book Fat Chance by Dr Robert Lustig to read as soon the first book is done. Lustig book is about beating the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity and disease.

A great quote I picked up on here last year (can't remember who had it on their page, possibly it was AZShowgirl, if any of you remember her):
"Being fat is hard, being on a diet is hard, maintaining is hard, pick your hard."

If you agree with the above, just get started now and feel good that you have started. We're here for you, rooting for you, every day.