I haven't checked in for quite a while. Life has been very busy!
May was a rough month for me. After a couple of months of feeling frustrated and falling off the wagon for a day or 2, then trying but not succeeding to get back on 100%, I made a decision.
I took a full week off and allowed myself to eat what ever I wanted, in the quantity I wanted. I paid for it - gained 10 lbs in a week. I know most of it was water weight but some was definitely fat. What helped me though was I no longer felt deprived or liek I had no say in what I was eating. I made sure I stuck to my 7 days and on day 8 - threw out everything that was a non-ip approved product and started over 100%.
In the 3 weeks I have been back on, I lost the 10pounds I gained, plus an additional 4 this week alone. Finally! Past my 178 plateau and moving downward again. Best part is, I felt so lousy when I was eating those foods. I could barely move I was so exhausted, my RA pain spiked out of control and most foods didnt taste as good as I remembered.
All of that enabled me to be hardcore again and I am making that push now to get to my final goal weight. Two thirds of the way there!!!
Hope everyone is doing well and keeps moving forward!
Current Weight -- 174 pounds
Weight Lost -- 106 pounds
slimcommitted Yesterday was an extremely stressful...emotionally taxing UNPLANNED day for me.Some pietybig life changing decisions were made and I tried so hard to stay on plan, but I was (and still am) away from home and all my OP groceries. However, I had to eat but I never realized what crap was really out there for people to choose from. This is only day 16 for me on phase 1 and up until yesterday it's been extremely successful. But now with this unplanned crisis thrown my way yesterday, Im scared I've totally screwed myself. I woke up at 7 am yesterday, then by 8:30 when I would normally be getting to my healthy IP breakfast, is when the world came crashing down. 2 o clock rolled around I realized I still had not eat or had anything to drink since I woke up. I ended up stopping by subway and kept on plan as much as I could with a chopped chicken salad with allowed veggies only and oil and vinegar. However... because I wasn't anywhere near home and definitely not prepared, my only option for food when dinner rolled around was... gas station food!! I knew we would be on the road for a while still so I didn't have much of a choice. It was that or don't eat. After spending the longest I've ever spent reading labels at a gas station I finally decided on this. :/
A giant pickle in a bag, a special K fruit crisp bar, a propel zero, a WW string cheese, and a small stale bag of popcorn ( i ate about a handful and threw it out).
I was well over my grams of fat, sugar, and carbs for the day I'm sure. Now what? Should I restrict my carbs and fats more than normal today? I plan on going by the grocery storethis morning to load up on alternative foods and veggies to get back OP but what damage have I already done? It's so frustrating because I was commited to this and I only "cheated" because my options were very slim and I was forced into a sucky situation. BLAH! Any advicewould be much appreciated!
I just had my 4th WI and am down 4.8 lbs this week and 1 1/2 inches. I was so excited. The really cool thing is that I am now in the 160's!!!! Yay!
Huzzah! Huzzah! Congrats to you!
I am so glad that it is Thursday. I have a haircut scheduled (trim, really, perhaps some layers) and am wearing a dress that I love but haven't been able to wear in a while. Weird dreams last night, although thankfully, not about food (for once, I wasn't a cookie monster). Looking forward to the weekend with my niece's 1st birthday (she's so adorable; I am so biased) and relaxing in some sunshine (although I may need to travel for it due to living in SF).
I was well over my grams of fat, sugar, and carbs for the day I'm sure. Now what? Should I restrict my carbs and fats more than normal today? I plan on going by the grocery storethis morning to load up on alternative foods and veggies to get back OP but what damage have I already done? It's so frustrating because I was commited to this and I only "cheated" because my options were very slim and I was forced into a sucky situation. BLAH! Any advicewould be much appreciated!
The BEST thing you can do is just pick yourself up and stick to the plan 100% starting NOW. You can't "undo" whatever damage may have been done by further restricting an already restrictive diet. Just get back on the wagon and push forward!
One thing that helped me in unexpected situations was to ALWAYS keep emergency packs around - in the car, in my purse, at work...and to know where I could pick up alternative products at a moment's notice. Wal-Mart and most drugstores sell either EAS Carb AdvantEDGE or Pure Protein shakes - both are completely compatible with IP. I learned which bars in the "diet" section of the stores were OK to have, so that if I got stuck I could pull into a Walgreens or CVS and know what I could have. You did the best you could, now you can arm yourself for the next time a stressful situation pops up!
Today is Day 12 for me and one thing I am noticing is how clear my mind is. I'm involved in some pretty intense work these days and I find that my focus is razor sharp and I can stay on a work related task or activity for a very long time. I think those carbs were slowing down my brain! I feel like I could run a mental marathon right now.
My advice is as follows. You did the best you could do with the resources you had at hand. You learned that planning is key but that at times its not possible to plan. Do the best you can going forward and try not to stress over what has been done. Also when you stop at the store today look for the EAS Advantage low carb shakes, I love both flavors of chocolate and the vanilla! It is a perfect alternative and is considered unrestricted. Good luck and I hope you find a way to release some of this stress in your life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by heritagesoftail
Good morning everyone . Somber day for me today, it is my Grandmothers funeral. She had a great long and healthy life and lived to 100 years old. Can you believe she wasn't on any medication at all ! We sure are going to miss her .
My condolences on your loss.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa32989
My "evil plan" is working, scale movement on P3!
2 lbs closer to my next mini goal (160s)
Are you petting a bald cat at the moment? lol But seriously I know you mentioned it before but did you do some time on phase 2 for this shake up, err evil plan of yours?
Oh also meant to tell you, your new pic is stunning! Very beautiful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SylviesGirl
How did you know that I have a big bag of kale to use up this week? My CSA gave us kale. Kale does not have a great following in my family to date, and the bunny can only eat so much. I'm going to try this today. Thanks so much!
I wanted to say, belatedly of course. . . welcome to Onederland! oh and what is a CSA?
Quote:
Originally Posted by workingit50
Made a delicious Kale salad last night, so good for you and tasty (hard to believe).
Take a bunch of Kale clean and remove from stem. Chop and place in bowl. Put in olive oil, salt, lemon, and pressed garlic and with hands, massage the kale, it really softens up nicely. Refrigerate and enjoy as your 2 C veggie.
I really like Kale salad although I tend to buy it pre chopped up for me already. I will have to try it like this, thanks for sharing!
Just have to say I have been in a bit of a funk for at least a week. Not to whine as I know there are many that have been doing this so much longer than I have, but this is the longest I have ever stuck to a diet. Part of this started when someone told me I am doing IP all wrong because of course they know everything in 8 weeks already and can judge how I try to help others. Back on point though, With the talk of 'carb ups' on one topic and Lisa's 'Evil Plan' I am just wondering if I should look at Phase 3 and give myself a small break by doing that. It's not that I want to do a version of Girls Gone Wild, I just wonder if that would help lighten my mood.
heritagesoftail: So sorry for your loss. Sounds like your grandmother led a long, full life full of love. You were lucky to have each other.
hlfoster9290: Ditto what scorbett1103 said. Don't beat yourself up about it. You did the best you could in a tough situation. Next time you will be better prepared for any emergency by storing a drink pack and/or bar (IP or alternative) in your car and/or purse. But what's done is done, and today is a new day and a fresh start to staying on plan and losing the weight.
I've been hanging around this forum since I started IP in April and have lost about 20 pounds so far. (My scale and my coaches seem to conflict a bit, with my scale usually being a bit kinder to me.) I haven't posted a lot, but plan on contributing more as my confidence with the plan increases. I have to say that you guys have been an inspiration and a GIANT help as I've started this journey. The information and recipes here have provided more help than my coach has -- and for free! You all rock.
I've started flirting with alternative products for the past week or so and am planning on ditching the coach and weight loss center to go it alone. As much as I realize that I can't put a price tag on being thin and healthy, it's also hard to justify the $100 a week price tag when I have weeks where I lose less than 2 pounds. $50 a pound is pretty steep -- for that price can't I just have a tummy tuck? Kidding, of course. (Kinda.)
Anyway, I'm loving the alternative products I've been trying (thanks to recs from this board, natch), both the greater variety and the cheaper prices. The Quest bars in particular are a lifesaver. I love having an unrestricted bar choice (and yes, I realize that many have too high of a fat/calorie ratio to be unrestricted, but I'm digging the ones the don't!).
Question for those of you who have ditched the coach and switched to alternatives: What did you tell your coach? I've got a vacation coming up and am thinking that when I return I will tell her that I fell off the wagon in a big way and am not ready to recommit to the plan. Then if I find that I need the accountability of seeing her ever week I can return without any hassles.
On a different note, I'm not a huge coffee drinker but pre-IP I enjoyed the high-calorie high-carb flavored Starbucks drinks with some regularity. This morning I made a pretty passable mocha cappuccino by blending 1 tablespoon of Isopure Zero Carb Vanilla Protein Powder and a drizzle of WF chocolate syrup with some hot coffee in my Magic Bullet. It frothed up pretty good and I poured it on top of the rest of my cup of black coffee. Pretty tasty and filling. It was about 20 more calories than using the sanctioned 1 oz. of skim milk or the 1 oz. of IP RTD shake that my coach recommended, and it gave me 8 grams of protein, so I'm cool with the trade-off. Plus, as I mentioned, yum.
Just have to say I have been in a bit of a funk for at least a week. Not to whine as I know there are many that have been doing this so much longer than I have, but this is the longest I have ever stuck to a diet. Part of this started when someone told me I am doing IP all wrong because of course they know everything in 8 weeks already and can judge how I try to help others. Back on point though, With the talk of 'carb ups' on one topic and Lisa's 'Evil Plan' I am just wondering if I should look at Phase 3 and give myself a small break by doing that. It's not that I want to do a version of Girls Gone Wild, I just wonder if that would help lighten my mood.
I will say that I have been in a funk too. There was a part of me that just didn't want anymore darn veggies this week. But a brownie? Okay!
I am sorry that you are experiencing the same. And I am sure that you know what you are doing so don't listen to that person's voice or the own "voice inside your head" but do what you know in your heart is right. Yeah, just don't go Girls Gone Wild on us or you will have a LOT of explaining to do.
Low carb diets can cause you to be in a funk. It's part of the deal I guess. The carbs give us a happy high and without it we don't get the boost in serotonin that makes us feel happy.
I know I've been feeling down lately. Mostly about myself.
Just have to say I have been in a bit of a funk for at least a week. Not to whine as I know there are many that have been doing this so much longer than I have, but this is the longest I have ever stuck to a diet. Part of this started when someone told me I am doing IP all wrong because of course they know everything in 8 weeks already and can judge how I try to help others. Back on point though, With the talk of 'carb ups' on one topic and Lisa's 'Evil Plan' I am just wondering if I should look at Phase 3 and give myself a small break by doing that. It's not that I want to do a version of Girls Gone Wild, I just wonder if that would help lighten my mood.
I've been through a couple of those funks, and they eventually pass. Try mixing things up a bit with your food (new recipes, veggies, protein, etc). It does help get you through those times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by formertexan
Question for those of you who have ditched the coach and switched to alternatives: What did you tell your coach? I've got a vacation coming up and am thinking that when I return I will tell her that I fell off the wagon in a big way and am not ready to recommit to the plan. Then if I find that I need the accountability of seeing her ever week I can return without any hassles.
I emailed my coach to tell her I would not be back because of a pay cut at work. She never called or replied to my email. I legitimately had a pay cut, but you could just as easily say you need to stop due to finances but would like to come back later if things inmprove.
slimcommitted Yesterday was an extremely stressful...emotionally taxing UNPLANNED day for me.Some pietybig life changing decisions were made and I tried so hard to stay on plan, but I was (and still am) away from home and all my OP groceries. However, I had to eat but I never realized what crap was really out there for people to choose from. This is only day 16 for me on phase 1 and up until yesterday it's been extremely successful. But now with this unplanned crisis thrown my way yesterday, Im scared I've totally screwed myself. I woke up at 7 am yesterday, then by 8:30 when I would normally be getting to my healthy IP breakfast, is when the world came crashing down. 2 o clock rolled around I realized I still had not eat or had anything to drink since I woke up. I ended up stopping by subway and kept on plan as much as I could with a chopped chicken salad with allowed veggies only and oil and vinegar. However... because I wasn't anywhere near home and definitely not prepared, my only option for food when dinner rolled around was... gas station food!! I knew we would be on the road for a while still so I didn't have much of a choice. It was that or don't eat. After spending the longest I've ever spent reading labels at a gas station I finally decided on this. :/
A giant pickle in a bag, a special K fruit crisp bar, a propel zero, a WW string cheese, and a small stale bag of popcorn ( i ate about a handful and threw it out).
I was well over my grams of fat, sugar, and carbs for the day I'm sure. Now what? Should I restrict my carbs and fats more than normal today? I plan on going by the grocery storethis morning to load up on alternative foods and veggies to get back OP but what damage have I already done? It's so frustrating because I was commited to this and I only "cheated" because my options were very slim and I was forced into a sucky situation. BLAH! Any advicewould be much appreciated!
I see a lot of positives here and think you should be patting yourself on the back. It sounds like you were immersed in a very stressful situation all day on top of not eating regularly. The fact that you were in a gas station toward the end of a day like that and did your best to make good choices is great news. Was it all IP compliant? No, but you could have done so much worse -- it would have been so easy to go off the rails and have an emotional-eating binge. You did not do that. You didn't even finish the popcorn. That is wonderful focus and effort. Next time, you might be prepared differently as others have mentioned, but I don't think you have anything to beat yourself up for or even need to consider it a cheat. I give you a high-five for making the best choices in a bad situation. Move on with your head held high and a clear conscience. No need to restrict further. This IP is already plenty restrictive!
Ooo thanks for the Tip on the Kale. Not a big fan but I'm trying to change that! Will try that today. Today I'm having a hard time. 0nly 4th day in and I am struggling not to cheat. I should have more will power than this. I don't know why I feel so discouraged today
Lisa- love that the "evil" plan is working to move you to the 160's, congrats.
Made a delicious Kale salad last night, so good for you and tasty (hard to believe).
Take a bunch of Kale clean and remove from stem. Chop and place in bowl. Put in olive oil, salt, lemon, and pressed garlic and with hands, massage the kale, it really softens up nicely. Refrigerate and enjoy as your 2 C veggie.
Working it- Thank you for this recipe! I always heard massaged kale is Yum! Trying it tonight!!!
Lisa- So glad the evil plan is working! You are so helpful to so many of us, glad you are finding a way to make the scale move again!!! Great pic!! =)
Heritage- So sorry for your loss. No, I can't believe she wasn't on medication! My grandma is 99 and I am very close to her, especially since I lost my mother ( her daughter) 20 years ago. We go to the dollar store every Friday. She loves wine and sweets but does on her own version of "Weight Watchers" when she feels her pants are getting too tight. ( i.e. no cake from the dining room...)She has always been a moderation person as well and done ok by it! She's my inspiration for life in maintenance. Thoughts and prayers are with your family.
