Newbie
 

Hi, my name is Dee, and I am 44 years old, I am a special education teacher. I just started the IP Diet on 2/28/2013. The first day wasn't all that hard until my husband and I went out to dinner later on that evening. I stuck to the plan, but I had a very hard time. I had the tomato and basil soup yesterday for lunch, and it was good, along with my two vegetable and salad. The Walden Farm Salad dressing is also great on salad!!
Today is my second, everything has gone well so far, I had one of the drinks for lunch today, along with my salad and my two vegetables. So far so good !!!

Welcome and congratulations on starting your journey!

Great start so far, hang in there and come on these boards for support. Everyone here will help you get through all the ups and downs. :)

Good luck!

Great job! And welcome!

Newbie
 

Thanks, I am truly going to need all the help, and words of encouragement over the weekend. The weekends seen to be very hard for me to stay focus. Thanks for the support :)

Welcome newbee - from another newbee

Welcome & Good Luck!

Welcome, and great job!

I didn't even chance eating out for the first 3 weeks... now I'm a pro. ;)

We have the same start date :D

3 weeks in and can tell you it gets easier. Eating out is still hard for me but that to will pass. I am down 25 lbs and am really getting the compliments. Keep it up!

Welcome and good luck! I also just restarted yesterday and am looking forward to a great IP journey.

Welcome. I'm new too and learning a lot.

Congratulations and good luck,I started just a few days before you :)

Hi and welcome, sounds like you are off to a great start!

Three days in -New to IP
 

Hello everyone!

I am hoping to use this site and you for additional encouragement.
I have been on IP for three days now and quite frankly doing fine with the food it is really the exercise withdrawl that I am having. I worked with a trainer two times a week and worked out 5X a week just immediately before starting IP. I wasn't seen much weight loss with the trainer so I decided to try IP at the same gym. I've always been told it takes both diet and exercise so I am having a difficult time pulling myself away from the exercise part for another 2-3 weeks.

I hope to reach my mini goals and to stay encouraged by your successes.

The thing you have to remember is that IP is NOT a conventional diet. It was designed for the French Ballet and the French Olympic teams for the off season - when they were SUPPOSED to be resting and not working out - as a way to TRULY rest but still retain lean mass and keep weight off.

Also, something to be aware of is that exercise will NOT improve the results you get on Phase 1 - if you choose to add exercise after the first few weeks, be very aware that your losses will probably slow down, PLUS you need to add an extra packet right after you exercise. The calorie count is far too low to fuel muscle recovery so you have to replace those calories. For most people, they also have to dial down the intensity of their workouts.

Welcome to the journey. It is very rewarding.

Thank you for the additional information. I have scanned the site before posting and I have surmised that you are an IP guru. I look forward to talking to you throughout my journey

Thank you. The perfectionist tendency have to be toned down. I keep telling myself this is a marathon and not a sprint.

Good evening, I made it, my first week is over, I weight in today and I lost 6pds :-)!! I am so excited ! Thanks everyone for your support. I cannot wait to start back exercising that is something I do everyday, so one more week of not going to the gym:-(

Great job!

I'm sure you've read it here before, but just make sure that if you decide to add back exercise, you also add an extra packet right after you finish. And depending on the intensity of what you choose to do, be aware that it might actually slow your losses - that may be a fair trade-off if you really enjoy the exercise, just something to keep in mind :)

I'm new too :). I started on Monday and my coach wanted to see me in Thursday to see how I was making out. To both her and my surprise I was down 3.4 pounds and had lost 2.2lbs of body fat! So excited. One question, is anyone else getting bored of all the veggies yet? Any tips that can be offered would be greatly appreciated :).

I LOVE roasted veggies. Asparagus, okra, cauliflower, turnips, rutabaga, cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, almost anything will work!

I line a cookie sheet with foil, mist with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Roast at 350* for 20-25 minutes until they start to crisp up/blacken slightly. Delicious!

You can also blend baby spinach leaves right into a chocolate shake...you can't taste it!

Taking a break from exercise
 

Hi there! Just finished Day 5 of IP and doing well. My first major temptation came while grocery shopping and I walked down the aisle that just seemed full if Cadbury Cream Eggs!!! I wanted to make a comment on what you said about exercise. I am also used to being pretty active (gym 3x per week, walking my dog every day, etc). i have stuck to the IP protocol as recommendwd by my coach and am avoiding any strenuous exercise. My coach said many of her clients who have exercised seem to stall in the program, and really, the carb/cal content doesn't seem enough to sustain someone doing strenuous exercise. For now, I am focusing on healthier eating and ridding myself if my sygar addiction :) I know I can out the exercise back in later once these excess pounds are gone!

Welcome! Good luck! I started around the same time :)