You are all amazing! I am so happy to hear so many positive posts! Keep it up -- even if things slow down or you don't have a perfect week, the positive attitudes will keep you (and me!) going!

New Today!
 

Hello all :)

I started August 2nd! I'm working hard and love reading success stories. Hopefully I'll have one of my own! :^:

I started in august 2013. Im down approximately 31 pounds. Should be more but I had a couple of vacations in between that time. i wish my breast and midsection, and back would go away though. i feel so big in those areas.

Welcome! Wow, great results so far! Great job :carrot:

You are ahead of me as far as amount lost and amount yet to lose, but I get that same feeling about "my arms are still so big", "I still have so much fat around my waist" etc. Then I remind myself that though I've lost 27lbs, I am still, after all, in the 190's and 45lbs from my goal, and taking off another 45lbs of fat will make a big difference. I just have to be patient and realize my body has a lot of changing yet to do. So hang in there! It will "go away" :)

[QUOTE=slownsteady;4882392]Welcome! Wow, great results so far! Great job :carrot:



Thank you! I had a WI last night. Only 0.7 lost and I was so good!!! I did hit the gym a few times this week...I still feel good though. :D

Also excited to get my own ticker :)

Hey Augusters, how's everyone doing? I'm hoping well. I see some folks over in the daily thread . Things are a bit wonky for me right now. My scale is showing a gain from last week but it is TOM :(

Getting a little bored with the food choices. Trying a few different recipes out. My sweetie liked Scorbetts chili last night. I think we'll be eating that for a few days! Lol

Happy Friday Augusters!

Nola, you are doing fantastic! Are you exercising? I have yet to get on the exercise wagon, but I have a new plan! I get home from work and am usually really hungry, so the first thing I do is make dinner. By the time that's over with, all I really want to do is put my feet up and relax! And the thought of changing into workout clothes first, just to have to then shower and change into pjs....well, lets just say it hasn't been motivating. We have a small (3 treadmills) workout area at work, so my plan is to bring my workout clothes with me to work, change there, workout on the treadmill for at least 30-45 min, then head home. I will plan to have a snack before my workout so I don't get too terribly hungry. But that way I can avoid that temptation to forego the exercise and head to the easy chair when I get home! Wish me luck because I know how important adding (and sustaining) exercise is so I have to get moving on that!!

Good for you! I hired a personal trainer at my gym (yep - I'm the one who pays for a membership month after month but only manages to go when I have a personal training appointment). I wish I could get motivated to work out without the trainer lol.

I can't believe I am saying this but I'm pretty sure that I have decided to phase off for a while. I love this diet and have had such huge success but in the past three weeks I have been losing hair by the handfuls and it is freaking me out. I spoke with my regular doctor (not an IP coach) who was supportive of me being on this diet and checked me out before and she said the only sure fire way to stop the hair loss is to get out of ketosis. I have long hair that I love and took me so long to grow out!!! I have lost 37 pounds as of this morning and am within spitting distance of the 130s where I have not been since the early 90s!! I hate to stop now but I would hate a bald patch more. I talked to my coach and she suggested phasing off for the holidays and seeing how my body does and maybe going back on phase one after the new year. I just can't decide. I love the way my body looks now and I have gone from a size 14 to a size 6, I just don't feel done yet. I really wanted to get to 130, phase off properly and never let myself get out of the 130s again. I have not cheated once on this diet and have been in ketosis the whole time. I have tried upping my calcium and fish oil and added Biotin but the hair is coming out in handfuls!!! It's hard not to feel like a quitter but I am trying to think of it as a pause not a stop. Anyone else losing their hair like this?!

I will be sad to see you go. I always look to people who are around my height and within my same weight goal and am encouraged by their progress and they serve as an inspiration. However, as always - health first!!

On a side note, my friend used to use this shampoo when she started losing hair because of her thyroid and she swears by it - http://nioxin.com/en-US/home-page.aspx

Good luck!

You are sweet!! I have such thick hair, I am hoping that phasing off for a bit stops the hair loss in its tracks! But I will keep that shampoo in mind just in case!

you have done fabulous! I don't blame you at all.. you have learned a lot during your time on IP, maybe just take a break, watch your carbs and I am sure you will be fine :) Awesome job!

I know this is a difficult decision for you, but I would definitely not call it QUITTING! Like others who have phased off for health reasons, you have decided to phase off and allow your body to get out of a state of ketosis which is causing side effects you are not comfortable with. Obviously, staying 100% OP the whole time and being as successful as you have been does NOT spell "FAILURE" in any way, shape or form. I agree with Clarington - you know now that you can lose the weight and you know what to do. It may slow down some once you are out of ketosis, but you know the key will always be to keep your carbs on the low side, lots of green veggies, etc. I suggest you get the book "Refuse to Regain" - it is excellent and lays out a plan for not only maintenance, but the techniques can be applied to losing weight as well. Best of luck to you! I hope you keep dropping in on the forum every so often though, to let us know how you are doing!! :hug:

I love you guys!! So sweet! Thanks and you are right, it's not quitting and it's ot failure. I just need this hair loss to stop NOW! I wish there were not so many phases to get out of ketosis. I am tempted to just take myself right out!