I wish! My clinic doesn't take things back. But at least they only make you buy a packet of food at a time, rather than having to buy the whole box. I hear a lot of clinics do that. So I only have a few random packets lying around that I know I will never eat. We should have a "packet swap" on here sometime, and just everyone trade out what they don't want! :)

My coach measures the abdomen, hips, thigh, and arm. But they only measure the abdomen every week. The other ones are every 4 weeks, so I haven't seen those numbers again yet.

This is GREAT advice! It's hard sometimes to not focus on those numbers....and then to compare those numbers to what other people post. Which isn't fair to ourselves. Thanks for putting it in perspective.

I'm glad you found it too...and I'm glad I found it. Everyone is so wonderful on here. I've just started week 2...the headaches are gone ( I make sure I get my salt like the doctor recommended). I wish I could say the same about the hunger. Some days are better than others. Today...not hungry. Yesterday...a totally different story. I felt I could eat everything in sight. However, I am 100% committed to losing the weight (I too would like to lose 100 pounds ideally), so no cheating for me. Made it through the day with extra water to keep my "full". The good news....at the end of the day, I was actually proud of myself for staying OP! A small, but significant victory for me.

Welcome!

If I can do it, you can do it!

Everyone sounds like they are doing so great. I'm starting my first full day tomorrow. Not looking forward to the first couple days but, really excited to start losing!

I'm going to take the great advice and do my best not to touch my scale until I go to my weigh in next week. That is so HARD!! I know the number isn't everything. What I really want is for my clothes to fit better and then for them to be falling off me!!

Kicking the Diet Coke is going to be a struggle for me. My coach said I could ween myself off so I'm going to slowly reduce all week and by next week be done with it! Has anyone else kicked their caffeine habit and lived to tell??

So inspiring to hear everyones progress and how happy and excited they are. Have a great evening and a successful day on the program tomorrow!

Good luck! My husband is doing IP with me. He was hugely addicted to Coke when we started. What he did was to switch to 2 cups of tea during the first week. He had a headache the first couple of days but was much better the second week and was able to get off the tea too. I hope that helps.

Good for you! :D

:welcome2:
I was seriously addicted to Cokes myself....the first week was awful with the headaches, but it does get better. It's only been a couple of weeks, but I really don't think about them anymore. I look forward to getting to know you. :)

Hi, good luck tomorrow! I just kicked real coke, no more red bottles and cans for me. :dizzy: It was tough, because my headache was terrible for 12 days. My coach had encouraged me to ween off, but I was afraid to keep any sugar into my first day. After going cold turkey, finally on day 13 -I woke up with no headache:D. That headache has been a great motivation for no cheating, I never want to detox like that again. But it has been worth it I feel very free from the food. Like I am eating to live, not living to eat.

Welcome to everyone!

Packet Exchange
 

MelisaKate73--

Hello!

My clinic in VA does not exchange or take back any packets we dont like or use and they only sell food by the box. I have 2 drink packets I will never use because I dont like to drink my food.

I have:

1 Wildberry Yogurt Drink Mix EXP 11/2014

1 Peach & Mango Drink Mix EXP 11/2014

I am new - this is my first week so I am open to try other packets/bars of food. I do not like spicy food. Let me know if you are interested. I am in the Northern VA area outside of DC. I will send in US or Canada if it is not too expensive. Thanks:^:

I got off diet coke a couple years ago. I used to drink close to 2 liters a day. I lost 10-12 pounds just from doing that alone. I've seen some studies about people that drink a lot of diet soda that lose weight when they quite.

OK had my second weigh in and am down 2.2 pounds for a total of 6.6. I am happy, but wish I could see those big numbers that most other people see. I know, slow but sure....

I just recommitted to IP. 10 weeks until Christmas, perhaps I can shed 20-25 pounds by them. Im focused and ready!:carrot:

Wine, speaking just for me.. the only reason I lost the amount that I did is because of the total amount of weight I need to lose.. When you start at almost 400lbs, your body does some pretty drastic stuff to compensate for the caloric/ketonic change..

Don't discount the hard work *you* are doing! You're doing GREAT!!!!:carrot: The scale is moving down. You've given away 6.6lbs (losing it infers that you're looking to find it at some point, so I say "give it away".. that's 6.6lbs that you won't have to worry about again!

My coach told me the average to expect to lose a week is 1.5 to 2 pounds a week. You are at least a week ahead! Congratulations. The important thing is how you feel. My weight loss has been similar and in six weeks I am down 19 pounds.Some weeks great other weeks slower. For me it depends on my TOM, hormones and how closely I adhere to the program.

just joined
 

Good Morning, I just joined after looking for information on how to find a bra after weightloss! Argh! Hoping to find some great information and encouragement here. I have been a part of another weightloss community but it has become stagnant :(

Anyhow, no time this morning to do much to my profile, off to work but I am bookmarking the page so I can get back later. See you all soon.

Just a note, I am at the end of the loss and heading into maintaining after 5 years. from 250 to 130. 5lbs to a new 1/2 me :)

Her room.com for bra measurements
I buy mine from barenecessities

Hi everyone I am an October newbie as well. I started on the 10th weighed in yesterday and down 7 lbs. Very excited! Love hearing from you all. I am having some headaches , but my coach told me to take a dash of sea salt and water and it works!
Keep in touch and best of luck to you all.

Welcome Darlac!!! 7lbs is GREAT!!!! :carrot::cp:

Congrats wantanewme, Wine4me, and darlac!! Those are great results! And Wine4me, everything counts! A couple of pounds every week for the next 2 months is 16 pounds gone!

Good luck mpfskinnyme and smileyt03 and welcome to the club!

8ntfat-- that's incredible how much you've lost! Congratulations! Most temporary bra stores will measure you. I personally don't like Victoria's Secret bras, but if you go to the store someone can provide you with actual measurements and then you can shop online or at other department stores.

Good morning all! Congratulations to all of the successes. No matter how small a loss, a loss is a loss. We all lose weight differently. Some people lose inches, then pounds. Some lose large amounts of weight each week. Some have large losses, then small. Some just have consistent small losses. It doesn't matter how YOU lose the weight, the important thing to focus on is that YOU ARE LOSING!

Okay...off my soap box now. I hope you all have an Ideal day! I'll check in with everyone later...off to the gym and to run some errands.

Good morning everyone. Happy to report that I didn't wake up hungry this morning ( day 3). My challenge today through the weekend, my boyfriend will be here. He usually brings me food from the big city. I tend to over eat and drink wine when he is here. I'm going to try my hardest to stay with it. Wish me luck. I can do this !!!!!!!

you can do it!! just think of the ultimate prize!! also when you finish the diet you can indulge your cravings. it's not for ever.

that's what i had to tell myself just now. my daughter requested spaghetti from our favorite italian place. i went there to pick it up and there were plates of pasta and chicken parm all over. i literally had to breathe through my nose to make it out! lol. but i did it. and you can too :)

Thanks, my big problem seems to be that I can't find one small enough for the ribs but still have a cup size to it. I have had to start sewing in eyes and hooks to my current bras to make the bands small enough. Tired of falling out the bottom.

Asfar as incredible, I don't see it as too much. I wouldn't have been abe to do it without the support and encouragement I have had. I think we all win when we are willing to lift someone else up. Really hate to see how hateful people can be when goals are not similar or someone is doing better than oneself. I know I have a life long road ahead and would rather carry people with me as opposed to shove them in the ditch and run ahead. :)

Thanks ladies for those encouraging words. I feel great today!

New to forum and IP!
 

Hello everyone! I just joined this forum as I started the IP diet on October 2 and was looking for people in a similar situation for guidance and support.

I started at 360 and in the first week I lost 12.8 lbs and 7.5 inches! I'm glad I pushed myself through that first week as I was nauseous most days and was discouraged. I have my second weigh-in tomorrow but according to my bathroom scale I'm down to almost 340 for 20 lbs lost!

I can already see a difference looking in the mirror and in how my pants fit. I also was able to use the second notch on a belt that I haven't used in years!

My initial goal is to get down to 225. It's a big goal but I'm going for it, despite my not very helpful roommate who is bringing home pizza and cheese steaks every night. Why did I let him rent a room from me again? :D


http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt...fow/weight.png

Welcome to the group and to IP! Wow! 20 pounds in 2 weeks....AMAZING!!!:bravo: With weight losses like that, you will be at your initial goal weight in no time. And who knows...maybe your roommate will get on board when he sees how amazing you are doing.

I am going to borrow "give it away", if that is okay. I have heard "getting rid of it", but not giving it away! LOVE it!:lol:

Me too! I love it.

Hi everyone! Congrats on your success!! We can do this. I'm on day 18 and don't even feel hungry any more. And I feel so much better than when I'm on the sugar roller coaster. I know this way of eating agrees with me. That motivates me to keep on chugging along.
Have a good night everyone :)

Made it through my 1st day on the road, over the lunch hour ! Was not sure how this was going to work. However, 1 cup raw broccoli w/IP salt and 1 cup of dill pickle spears & the IP Chocolate chip cookie worked perfectly !! All were easy to snack on while driving. Not to mention I am putting together "treat buckets" for my clients, full of Halloween candy & haven't eaten ONE PIECE !! Only day 4 on phase I for me.

Good for you! Great planning and fortitude.

Awesome job!!!

I know what you mean!! Giving up Diet Coke was the HARDEST thing by far. I just made the decision and I try not to romanticize it! It's still a struggle but so far I haven't even had a sip! It won't kill me to give it up, but it may if I don't stop what I've been doing all these years. I just think of my poor stomach lining screaming STOP! lol

I understand that totally...just focus on yourself...your body is doing exactly as it should.

Jig,

You and I started the exact same day and have almost spot on losses too!! It's AMAZING!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!:carrot:

I started out at 395.4, first week 17.4lbs lost, second week 7.6 for a total of 25lbs. Never in a million years did I think that I would be doing THAT well! I'd be happy to talk with you any time you'd like :)

Kawaii

Welcome Jig! And well done with the 20 pounds! I'm sorry about the roommate eating tempting foods, but you seem to be doing just fine!! My boyfriend (who can eat whatever he wants including 4000 cookies a day and still not gain an ounce...grrrrr) has been kind enough to hide all his tempting treats from me and not eat them when I'm around. The cupboards are now empty, so long as I don't look in the cat's stoop, the dishwasher (we never use it), or his desk drawer I'm safe!

Started on Oct. 15
 

I'm a newbie and am on my 4th day. The first two days were tough, I had headaches for most of the day. On day 3 it was mostly a decline in energy that I noticed. One of my problems is that I haven't been able to eat the 2 cups of veggies that are required at lunch and dinner. Will this impact my weight loss?

Welcome! The first few days were definitely the hardest for me. I was sluggish and had headaches, but I kept drinking my water, made sure I had my salt and stuck it out. Yesterday I wasn't hungry at all (this is a first for me...EVER!).

As for the veggies...I would think this would affect your weight loss, but I couldn't tell you for sure. The veggies are there for vitamins and roughage. You definitely need both. Have you tried "snacking" on your veggies. Cut up some peppers into strips, celery, cucumber, etc. You might be able to get them in that way if you don't like putting them on your salad (that's what I do).

Good luck and welcome to IP!

Welcome Alioop!! I think it is pretty important to get those veggies in! Remember you can split them up, as a snack. I had the same problem though but I have been trying to get creative. One of my favorites is to cut up some Jicama and Cucumber, put it in a ziploc, sprinkle some Apple Cider Vinegar and water in there and it's a crunchy yummy side salad to my dinner or as a snack throughout the day. Creativity will be your friend!

Hey Kawaii! Go us! Got an extra little surprise at the doctor, I had actually lost 8 lbs so down 21 total in just over 2 weeks! Can't believe how well this is going!

A couple years ago I tried to lose weight on my own diet. I spent nearly a year and only lost about 30 lbs through diet and heavy exercise. Good, but it's funny to think I can do in about 3 weeks what took almost a year before.

I look forward to hearing from you and everyone else going forward. Keep inspiring each other!