IP Daily Chat
 

:welcome2:
Welcome back to the Daily Chat thread - post your plans for today, share what's been happening, ask questions!

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TOM = time of the month
WI = Weigh-in
WF = Walden Farms
OP = on plan

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Check the sticky page (top of forum, above all the topics) for lots of good information and please read here before asking what might be a frequently asked question: Information on Ideal Protein phases (1-4), IP Ultimate List Recipes, FAQ, Newbie Guide, Exercise, and other Important Threads,
and here are the most recent Ideal Protein Protocol sheets

And before you cheat, read this thread:
The Real Cost of Cheating on Ideal Protein

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More Recipes Here Mix'n in the kitchen...Recipes from the Rainbow
MiX'N' iN THE KiTCH'N.... Recipes from the Rainbow Volume 2
Fun with Ideal Protein Packets
Fun with Veggie Purees!
Ideal Protein Diet Recipes #4
Tips and Recipes from the Incredible Weight Loss Center

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Good morning everyone. Been a while since I've checked in. My mornings are so hectic and then when I get to work I forget to stop by. Hope everyone is doing well!!

I'm starting my 14th week on the plan. I have dropped 73 lbs and only 7 lb to go to my goal. I feel like I have reached a fork in the road. With only 7 lb to go, I am excited. However, part of me feels like I should keep on going. But then I fear if I do, I'll hit a stall. If I decide to keep going, my next goal will be 25lb more to get to an even 200lb. I guess you could equate that to the same thing prisoners fear when the are being released, the fear of freedom. I guess I have fear of freedom from the plan or phase I to the next phase. I do fear putting the weight back on, but I have made up my mind that I will not let myself get back over 240lbs.

In other news, I have been spending a lot of time in my workshop making Christmas presents. Not sure why I don't start earlier and not put so much stress on myself. There's always next year!

Thanksgiving was ok. I stuck to the plan even though there was French Silk pie........
Went to my first holiday party Friday evening. Took my own dinner, ate it and socialized with everyone. Not as bad as I thought. Have a couple more of those down the road.

Hope everyone has a good Monday and week. For those of us that saw snow and ice this weekend, stay WARM!!

slownsteady the Simply Protein Chips that I got have 10g net carbs, so they are restricted.

Good morning all! Woke up to snow. It all just melted and now they are calling for snow all week. Yuck!

Hope everyone has a great day. Trying to convince myself to get out of bed... :p

Thanks Susie!

Good Morning! Hope you all have a great Monday! Stay strong :carrot:

CONGRATS on loosing 73 lbs!! That's INCREDIBLE. Looks like we have been on the plan for about the same length of time. I'd love to be at that number but know we all loose at different speeds. I don't know about you but since starting IP and coming to 3FC...these women, their success and what they do to stay there really inspires me. One thing that kept popping up in my mind was the book 'The Beck Diet Solution'. I went to Barnes and Noble the other night and picked it up. It's a GREAT read for everyone! It targets beginners at the start of their diet but is just as great for someone like you and I who have been working hard for a few months. I would really consider looking into it. If you're like me, you've been living a life concerned about weight. You have worked SO HARD to get it off, now is not the time to fear it coming back on! Give yourself the tools to keep it off!

Morning, all!

Enjoying a snow day here. What a nice treat!

Have a great day!

Good morning all. Hope everyone is having an amazing day, despite so many of us dealing with cold weather! Still clipping along through maintenance although I was a triggered by sleep deprivation last night and engaged in a little more emotional eating than I should have. Nothing out of program, but it was an extra packet later at night while watching TV before bed. Total trigger. I gave in but recognized what was going on. Sigh. Onwards and upwards.

First and foremost - congrats! Awesome job. As for whether to continue or to stop. I think you should continue. See what your body does. If you hit a stall, phase off for a little while. If you don't, just keep trucking. I have heard/read that it is more difficult dealing with P1 the 2nd time around and, if you are doing so awesome already - why stop? My 2 cents - not that you asked for it. :dizzy: Whatever you do, congrats!!

Morning!
Lost 10 pounds my first week! I also decided to ditch my coach and do the program on my own. I didn't want to have to lie about using alternative products so I wrote my coach an email this morning and told her I was going to do the program on my own. I am glad to have a little more leeway in my food decisions without having cook my food diary!

I know my weight loss will slow down now that my first week is done but I'm hoping for a good solid 2 pounds per week.

I'm going to go eat my Quest bar now ;)

You hit the nail on the head. Lack of sleep is a huge trigger for me and it hitme this weekend. We went to a show Thurs nite, out w friends Fri and Sat. I may have gotten 4 hours sleep each night. I was tired, achy and hungry all weekend. Ate way more than I should have and had a few off plan items. :(

Send some positive vibes my way today ya'll. my daughter (16) has an appt with an orthopedist. She did a jump in dance last week and when she landed her left knee buckled, she's been all week and the trainer at school (a physical therapist and kinisologist) thinks she torn the patellar tendon. She's so upset because the Sugar Bowl is in a few weeks and she was chosen to dance in the halftime show. She's worked hard since Sept raising money to pay for it and learn the moves. Hoping it's just a strain!

Hope everyone has a good day, those of you with snow, stay warm!

Good morning all. Off work today due to snow/ice closure of school district.
I need to go purchase more EAS drinks which is a thirty five mile drive for me. It's so cold I just want to stay in. Gotta motivate myself to get out.

Moning all. Back from 2 weeks in South America on vaca, stayed OP except for my birthday - they made a chocolate cake for me, candles and singing, it was great. I had 2 bites of my husband's piece. Very yummy after 12 weeks OP. My first off-plan moment and I don't regret it a bit. The days were long, filled with hiking, walking at altitude, swimming, it was a very active vacation. The veggies were the most challenging for me, had to be very insistent to get my 4 cups and I just gave up worrying about bacteria and ate the lettuce. Over 14 days, I had one bout of diarrhea, that was it. My weight in is Saturday, but according to my scales, I'm down 6.4 lbs! I'm within 5 lbs of my goal, unbelievable! So for all of you who worry you can't do this on vacation, you can! I never felt tired but once or twice did go to bed hungry because of the lack of veggies. I missed this forum, but all the encouragement helped me stay on plan.

Today I passed the 40lb mark!!!!!

An interesting observation I've made here is how differently people carry their weight. I see people post their new sizes of pants they are buying and there weight. I couldn't breath, sit down or have a muffin top with some of the sizes people buy that weigh the same or more than me. Just an observation I've made.

maybe it's because I carry most of my weight in my tummy idk.

WoooHOooo!! That is awesome and also so inspiring for when I do go on vacation!

Congrats!!!!

Everyone is shaped differently for sure. I have to admit, I would compare myself as well, however, we just can't do that. Sometimes brands fit differently as well and I know I can fit into a couple different sizes depending on brand and cut.

I've noticed that too. People my height and around or even at a slightly higher weight than me are fitting into 8s and 10s - I'm still in a 14! Just goes to show how people's shapes are different

A question about exercise - when I get to phase 4 on IP (hopefully in another 3-4 months) I would really like to make exercise a regular part of my routine and also tone up my muscles. I am feeling like I would like to start getting into the habit now. What is a reasonable amount of exercise for phase 1? Would 20 minutes of brisk walking and 20 minutes of strength training a few times a week be okay?

Some great stories on here day - what an encouraging thing for me to read while I am struggling to get back to losing. Haven't gained, haven't lost and working to put together some back-to-back 100% days. Big "C" issues....

Allend - what great fortitude you have shown to lose so much weight with such consistency. Kudos to you.

nolasmurf - fingers crossed that your daughter will be OK and can dance in the Sugar Bowl. We have had rounds with our sons and ankles, feet and such and I got tired of the very slow recovery. It is hard to keep kids quiet and still enough for those ankles and stuff to heal. Good luck.

aliexpat - how wonderful to approach the holidays with the nice big and significant loss behind you. Hang in there and the new year will bring more gat victories.

ecdslim - You REALLY impress me with the discipline you showed on your vacation and your weigh in was impressive. I know such a wonderful vacation would have been a real challenge for me so I am doubly impressed.

gemma51 - most everything has been said about the issue of sizes, but just to add a personal note - I am now and have been 3 sizes larger on the bottom half than the top so at some weights I can wear an 8-10 on top while wearing 14-16 below - go figure!

Allend428 - That is just amazing!! 73lbs in 14 weeks..so inspirational for me and my journey...thanks for sharing!:hug: My advise would be to do what feels right to you, but you did so amazingly well so far...why would you want to stop now? I actually asked this question a few days ago because I do not know when I want to stop either. In the end, I think it will be when I feel comfortable and not trying to hide excess lbs with clothing.

Ems70508 - I love to read and the last few I books I bought ref dieting in general have been Salt, Sugar, Fat and Wheat Belly. I like to read books that really supply the facts so that hopefully I will have an aha moment that I will remember. I will pick up the book you recommend next.

AliExpat - congrats on the 40lbs lost!!:D

KnitSewSpin - woo hoo!:carrot:

Not sure why, but this afternoon was the first time that I had to open a choc bar and eat half because I was craving. Normally I just grab another water but this time I reached for a bar. I am going to have to watch that...:(

just left my IP Clinic
 

couldn't really find alternatives to the vitamins so I just bought the IP ones. I told them i was doing alternative and they told me that it's not as affective, is that true? Because it's not the actual program...has alternatives not worked for people? Im just in a financial hardship and can't spend $21 a box right now.

I've been doing the alternatives since 6 weeks in. I've continued to lose weight. The clinic told me the same thing but I truly believe that's just a party line to make you stay. I couldn't afford the $85 a week either.

About sizing - if you are muscular, you will weigh more and wear a smaller size. I am very muscular, which is why I can do that. The size 8's I bought last weekend were not a fluke. I pulled out the rest of the 8's I have and they fit!

I've done alternatives the entire 21/almost 22 weeks I've been OP. There is nothing "special" about the IP products compared to alternatives, as long as you are sticking within the guidelines of what to look for in alternative items. :) They likely just said that because they are a business so their priority is making money. :p

Way to go!!!!

I carry a lot of my weight in my thighs and calves, so I am finding a lot of my pants are loose in the waist or saggy in the bum, but just right on my legs. Hoping things balance out soon! A while back someone posted a link to a website with several girls of different weights to show how people carry weight differently and how someone who weighs more can look smaller than someone who weighs less. I wish I bookmarked it. :)

Shrinkingsusie:

I LOVE simply chips! They have 3 flavors. They are one of my restricteds since I went soy/gluten-free last January. All of the IP restricteds have one or the other.

IP coaches only know IP products/plan. They can't really give advice about off-plan products because it isn't in their limited training.
However, there is no magic in the IP products. I WISH they were organic or non-GMO or some other "specialness" but alas...
People I have seen go to alternative products but stick to the plan 100% appear to get similar results to people using IP (and results vary by person no matter which product is being used).

The store I got them at only had Herb flavor, but I was curious so I checked the website and saw BBQ and Chili flavors as well, neither of which I like, so I am glad that it was the Herb ones I found. Going back tomorrow after work to snag up the other two boxes! Can't beat the price!! Not so fond of the terrible garlic breath they gave me afterwards. lol I want to try crushing some up and making a "schnitzel". Now that I tried them, I don't know how I made it this far OP without them!! :p

I can tell that your body changes too. I haven't been this weight in 15 years, but jeans I could wear when I was 10 lbs heavier than I am now, just fit. And the fit is different - baggy butt and legs but just buttoning on my waist. I haven't had kids, and I've maintained a weight-lifting/gym routine fairly consistently over the 15 years. So I think your body just changes as it gets older. It's hard not to compare, but focus on the progress you've made, it'll happen.

Thanks guys :D i figured it was all about the money lol

I wish our boxes were $21!!! That's a BARGAIN compared to what we pay down here!!! We pay DOUBLE with the currency conversion!!!

omg double!! no way I could do that lol...im so sorry :(

I've been using alternatives from the start and seems to have similar results.

I am a newbie day 10 of ip. I love reading everything I can on this forum! I am thrilled with the plan and plan to stick with it thru maintenance. This Saturday will be my first real challenge-I am going to a baby shower for my first grandchild (a grandson) and its out of town. I can handle restaurants-what are your tips for handling social occasions at someone's home! I am committed to sticking to the plan and could use all your words of wisdom and advise-Since we will be in a hotel overnight-I know I can take a restricted bar for each day but whats easy to do that is unrestricted??
TIA-

For the first month, I used the vitamins from IP. Then I took the bottles to Walmart and Sam's and found their brands with comparable values. Been using them ever since. Another great place to check out foot alternatives is Netrition.com. You can find a lot of comparable products there.

if you can't request food of your hosts, I'd take celery and baby cukes and nibble on them, most parties will have a veggie tray, try to hang out there. Also, drink water with slices of lime or lemon, I try to have that on hand whenever I'm out socially. I've also mixed up my shakes at folk's house, I just tell them it's a protein drink, I've never had a problem. I find focusing on the event itself, visiting with other people, ignoring the food was a big 'pivot' for me, and I realize that all my socializing has been about the food! no wonder I got heavy! Staying on IP, I've realized that I need to make the event the event, not the eating and drinking at the event.

Good luck, but you'll be fine!

Well Katie's appt went well. The Dr said its most likely a sprain and gave her. A cortisone shot. That should help, otherwise we'll go back for an MRI.

Going to make some of Scrobett's yummy chili for dinner. ;)

Would love to know names of vitamins. I have searched a lot and cannot find any that have the calcium citrate. They all have the carbonate.
Thanks!

Great job!!
Everyone on this site is so supportive and answer questions great. It really helps. Thanks for support. Love reading forum.


Cold here today to, hate going to work and coming home in the dark.

Ha! Jemma you read my mind. I was just talking to my Mom about this yesterday. I am quite envious of those people who are around the same weight as me but are wearing size 8's and 10's. I just started fitting into my 12's! I have a big bum and hips though so the waists of my jeans are a bit baggy but often tight in the thighs :o Probably won't be fitting into my 8's and 10's for another 10-15 lbs. Can't wait!

Welcome!!

Offer to bring a veggie tray, that way you know for sure there will be something OP you can eat, and bring extra packets with you just in case.

Yay for you!!! GOOD JOB!!

Wow!! AWESOME results! I am not in your position, but I agree with Sarita. I would keep going. Your body will likely tell you when you've reached your 'natural', 'set' weight. You will stop losing. As long as you are comfortable continuing - and still losing - why not keep going for awhile longer?

Would you guys share what brands you usually use for your alternatives, and what your typical 'go to's' are as far as the alternative products - both restricted and unrestricted?

I just had my very first "Quest" bar (peanut butter). Wow! Those could be dangerous! They are so dense and just.....good! :) Good thing I only bought one bar. I know myself well enough to not tempt fate with having more than one on hand.

So glad your daughter's results didn't show anything bad. What a tremendous opportunity for her! Hard work pays off!

I've looked at the Phase 1 sheet (link) at the beginning of this thread, and can't find the answer to this question. When you use a flavoring for water, such as Mio, or a flavored water with stevia (0 cal/0 carb), can you subtract that water from your daily requirement, or is the plain water in addition to anything you drink with a flavor additive?

slownsteady Up until last week, I have been having two premier protein shakes from Costco per day, plus either a detour bar or pure protein bar that I get at Costco as well as a restricted. Last week I started replacing one premier protein shake with a juice packet that I ordered off of Nashua a while back. I also just found the simply chips yesterday, so I will alternate my restricted between those and bars. I have also had simply bars in the past, but find the bars I get at Costco to be the cheapest and tastiest.

Great job ladies!
I go to my IP coach every 10 days or so. No one has given me any trouble for that. Luckily for me they don't force the products at me all the time. I had a lot of products from friends and family given to me. I know I go for the accountability and support.
So far I haven't gone out to eat or spent a lot of money on groceries. I figure my spending is pretty much even.

Sometimes a good talk with your coach on what you can afford is worth it. If they want your business, I think it would be best to comprimise. It's you goals and your money.

Happy Monday !
From the very cold North!
What's a snow day??? I always giggle when I hear this.......We never have snow days here! Just put on better tires and a warmer jacket .