IP - When to start?
 

Good morning all. I hope you are well. I am going to orientation tonight and will likely sign up due to the good feedback in here and from a friend. I am concerned as it seems there will be a few days where I am likely to be grumpy, suffer some headaches, etc. so I am concerned about when to actually begin. I am an attorney and so having a clear head around trials, etc. is important. This week is relatively clear for me (no big client meetings, hearings, etc.), whereas next Tuesday and Wednesday are trial days (Wednesday is more important than Tuesday where I am not the primary attorney).

I was considering stating on Thursday morning, giving me one day to prepare my plan for the week, and allowing for Days 1-4 to fall during late week and weekend. Needless to say, I would love your thoughts.

As well, any tricks for dealing with the 1st days would be great.
Warmest thanks!
Sarah

Sounds like a great plan!

Perhaps! I am nervous. :)

I was nervous too!
Mostly I didn't trust myself to stay on the plan. I had tried and failed at sooooo many diets. It just cannot be said enough that this truly is the easiest diet I've ever done.

It isn't always simple. It takes effort and planning but it really is easy to stay on.

I think the planning is what is going to be hard. I work odd hours sometimes and, due to the stress of my job, tend to be an emotional eater. It is going to be very hard to unlearn some of the old habits I have. I am grateful for a supportive boyfriend who is incredibly tolerant though, so I am hopeful. :) Am also grateful for this community.

Sarah, I think you have a good plan. The first few days, keep busy with things you enjoy-shopping movies, hobbies, etc. The cravings passed quickly for me but the first few days were a little rough.

Keep cut up veggies and hard boiled eggs at eye level in the fridge so when you come home hungry there is something easy for you to grab. Always have emergency ready-to-drink and bars stashed everywhere. Good luck!

Are ready to drink shakes part of the IP foods?

Your plan is a good one. It helped me to have other things to occupy my time the first few days or nap..... I read, read and read this site during those first few days to keep my inspiration and motivation up. I was headachy, but the results are well worth the few days of possible discomfort. Good luck! This forum is really what helped me the most!

Hi Sarah,
I agree with everyone that your plan sounds like a good one. The planning can be tough at first because it is such a different way of thinking then you are used to. Don't overt think it and let it overwhelm you , once you get into the swing of things it becomes a lot easier and really routine.
The first 4 days were rough for me with day 3 the hardest. Physically I was fine, emotionally I missed food and my cravings were tough. I stayed out of the house and as soon as I finished dinner/snack those nights I went to bed.
The good news is , it does pass, your cravings will fade and the pounds and inches will fall off, it really is amazing! Good luck , you will do great!

Thank you Jenn!!!!!

My planning consisted of throwing out or donating everything I couldn't eat in the house. This included everything in the Fridge. Start fresh and it had less temptations. I recruited my lunch friends to work with me and not against me. They now look at every menu and tell me what I can and can't have. Support is what worked for me. I even learned to cook :D

I have considered the same. Tomorrow will be an ideal day for me to go home and remove a lot of the undesirable foods from my cupboards and fridge. Good times.

Sounds good!
My first day was a Wednesday only because I was at the doctors office on Tuesday and was shocked by the number on a scale, and knew unless i start right away i will be depressed. So the very next day i was at the clinic at 7.30am and have stared the program on the spot. Have I weighted, i would have also started the program on Thursday. The first headache kicked in on Friday and It was hard but by Sunday I was feeling great.

Also, what really really helped me out was reading this forum non stop those first few days. I continued to do so to this day, and the people here a awesome, but that was probably the best support, and what I needed those first few days

I am hoping to get all the information and such tonight so that i don't have to finagle getting into the clinic tomorrow morning again. :| Off to my appointment in a few minutes. Yikes!

What helped me as well, was knowing that I might feel bad few days but that I will be felling better and better every day after the first few days.
And I was so right ;) I feel awesome :)

YOU CAN DO IT!!! Go for it ;)

Hi Sarah! Fellow attorney and IP newbie here! I went to the clinic today to get some information, have my formal consultation on Thursday, and I'm planning to start on Friday! I am SUPER nervous, mostly because I don't trust myself to stay on plan (like Lisa!). All of the comments on here make it seem like I (we!) really can do it, so I'm going to give it a try. We WILL succeed!! I hope your meeting went well this evening. Can't wait to hear about it!

Hi amt6

Yes, you can do it;)
Congratulation on a first step, deciding to go for it and help yourself.
It's a journey but the reward is awesome! :)

Hi, Sarah. I am brand new to IP -- just ending Day 2 of the program and, so far, so good! I'm so thankful to all who've made these forums the treasure trove of information they are -- the info, inspiration, & encouragement here is priceless.

I really struggled Sunday evening with the "should I start IP tomorrow?" debate with myself. Truth was, I was terrified to start, 'cause what if this one doesn't work, either? But when I got up Monday morning, I pulled my big girl panties on (literally & figuratively) and just went for it, 'cause if not now, when? There's never a "perfect" time and, while I waited and debated, the pounds just kept accumulating.

Sounds like you've got a plan and are mentally ready, so go for it. Here's to seeing a whole lot less of us in the very near future!

I completely echo those nerves about starting. It's so hard to be motivated to start something new when everything else has failed in the past. How have your first few days gone? I'm nervous about the first week because I have blood sugar stability issues and love my carbs/sugar!

Thank you all! I suffered my first "setback" last night when I went in for orientation. They don't have any appointments to see the Doc until Thursday evening which means that I can't start until Friday. With trials next Tuesday and Wednesday, I am scared that I am not going to be in the right frame of mind to focus enough for their preparation if I start Friday, whereas if I could start tomorrow, Days 1-4 would be Thursday through Sunday.

I got proactive though and emailed the case manager who informed me that she would see about getting me in today. Fortunately they are able to do so which makes me feel good. Will be starting tomorrow morning.

I love my carbs/sugars too so I am worried about that. According to my orientation, you can have another snack if it is needed to help with that. Actually you can have up to 5 IP foods according to her. She said after the 1st week, when you get into ketosis, it should be much better.

when there is a will, there is a way!
Way to go! Glad you could get them to see you earlier

You can do it! :)
The feeling is amazing and I am sure you will get to feel it very, very soon!

Sara, I had the same concerns as you. I'm a physician and I need to be in top mental form every day that I'm seeing patients. I wanted to wait for a long weekend, but decided to just take the plunge. I'm on day 2 and so far, no trouble. Not tired, not having trouble focusing and giving my all. I do feel a little hungry at times, but with large amts of salad, I seem to be able to quell that feeling. So far ok and I hope that any unpleasant effects won't rear their ugly head until the weekend.

All the best!

Sarah, congrats on pushing a bit and getting them to see you today! Really sounds like you're mentally ready to get started and who knows how long until your motivation and trial schedules will be in sync again. I've made it to day 3.5, half way through the first week, and it's been a bit of a struggle, but not too bad. I've been pleased with most of the IP foods I've tried so far and like that my choices are pretty limited, with a fairly rigid protocol to follow. That's definitely what I need right now.

Amt6 - there is no bigger lover of carbs than me!! I'm not so much as a sweets carb eater, but a bread, pasta, potatoes addict. The total elimination of carbs is one of the things that drew me to IP -- I simply don't seem to be able to control my addiction these days, so figured I just needed to totally give them up.

The fear of failure was something I really struggled with before getting started, 'cause nothing else has worked, and I've tried and failed at so many diets. But the longer I feared, the heavier I got.

My doctor, who has really struggled with her weight over the years and is someone I really like and respect, was the one who first mentioned IP to me. Based on her mention, I got on the web and found this site, where I trolled for weeks. The number of successful, truly inspirational stories & struggles found on this site helped me make a decision to just go for it. So to all who post here, many thanks for helping me take the leap!

I didn't really worry so much about picking the day of the week to start, but rather whether to start before or after the holiday season last year. I chose not to procrastinate, ran the gauntlet that was corporate and family Christmas parties, and now feel like a million bucks.
When you take on the challenge, and succeed (I know you will), you will feel great.

Well, my new friends, the bag is in my office filled with IP foods, supplements, shaker, etc. Met my coach and jointed their "Summer Challenge."

I am scared and nervous and feel like I have failed myself in the past, but am facing forward. Tonight will be planning for the next two days and should be interesting. The whole measuring thing is going to be SO new to me so I am intrigued.

THANK YOU ALL for your kind support.

Congratulations!!!! Looking forward to see your posts in the near future.
We are all here to help and support!

All of you CAN do this!! You will feel amazing and the results will motivate you!
Welcome to an incredible journey!