Hi all. New to this site but often found myself reading posts throughout my diet. Ive been on IP since October and have lost a total of 26lbs. I was able to loose about 60 on my own before the diet and when I started IP I really just wanted to loose another 15 lbs. I have found myself at a pause with loosing over the past month. Gaining a pound one week then down two the next. Ive been about the same weight since december and am becoming very aggrivated. I dont want to give up however im VERY strict even my coach said ive been doing an awesome job especially through the holidays with no cheats. Ive started quest bars instead of IP bars which I like more because they have more fiber in them and I tend to go above and beyond with water intake. Just not sure what else to do but the $$ every week isn't proving worth it. I tend to think my body is just happy and content at this weight and I need to be too instead of obsessing over wanting to loose 10 more lbs? Just looking for any advice or opinions and thought I could turn here. Thanks all!

Can you give us more info?

What are you eating daily, how old are you, what do you weigh, do you exercise, etc.

Hi and welcome...!



More info needed...
If you have been reading ..(we call it lurking..{lovingly} of course!) then you know the closer to your goal you are...the longer it will take to lose. This diet isn't "magic" but is a real positive jump for those who have a lot to lose, or who have not been able to lose on other types of diets..like counting calories or points. The low glycemic low carb nature of this diet is really a boon to those with any metabolic issues that have made weight loss very hard. Your stats are not listed with your screen name...and you did not include them in your email. So are you at a normal BMI? How close to ideal weight are you? Current size will play into the rate of loss. And those who have already lost the bulk of what their body should lose, find the last 5-10 pounds slow going. How did you lose the first 60 lbs? Is your total loss 86 lbs now??
It sounds as though you have already exceeded your goal..?

Hu tlynne88, A lot us very overweight folks in my workplace lost fast on IP. It motivated many not-so-large people to try it to get off 15 or so lbs. They became frustrated too because the weight doesn't come off as fast as you are nearer to an ideal weight.

If you phase off IP, you may find that your metabolism kicks up a little after you increase calories, and your weight will continue to drop a little. I lost 5 more lbs right after phasing off IP without even trying. I think the ketosis lingers a while if you keep the carbs on the low side.

Im 25 female. I started at 250lbs in high school and college. I got down to 190 with diet and exercise. Im not around 165lbs give or take. I used to walk daily..religiously actually but have started a business (cakes and cupcakes) ontop of working at my parents candy store (and no i have no temtations because ive been aroumd it for 10 years haha its never been a cheat!) and being a full time nurse..so time has been a huge factor for not walking or working out which is probably the issue however being awake from 6am til midnight working all day tends to be alot given the calories we are allowed I tend to be weak and tired when adding more walking into my days. Food wise I usually have a choc shake for breakfast, quest bar and salad around lunch and then chicken or steak (maybe once a week) with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus or some kind of veggies for dinner sometimes with another small salad. If im feeling hungry sometimes ill have an eggwhite or a little extra chicken. And then usually IP garlic chips as my snack

How tall are you?

Sorry I ment I am noW around 165lbs. Also I forgot to add I do eat usually cucumbers or celery or something quick for my afternoon veggies. And im 5'6"

It sounds like you are following the protocol correctly and have realistic goals--you could either stay where you are or lose a little more to get into the so-called normal BMI range. (BMI formula will over-estimate muscular people).

I've read on 3FC about IP Bootcamp protocol, which you can probably find by searching 3FC. It entails 5 IP packets and eliminates the natural protein meal. I think there are no restricteds allowed, so if you try this with alternatives, stick to ones with profiles like IP non-restricted.It's designed to give your metabolism a jolt. Maybe because you have been on a diet for awhile, your body has adapted to "famine" conditions by slowing your metabolism and conserving fat--a miracle of evolution, lol! Either way you are doing fantastic & congratulations on getting healthy with a your busy schedule. Stick to whatever goal is important to you and don't give up even if it's slow going. You won't think about the time it took once you get to your goal.

With a BMI of 26.6...you are getting close to your range..!! Good for you!! And yes..the wt loss is slow from here on. I remember thinking it took forever to go that last few decimal points into the normal range...much slower than those initial weekly losses calculated out on the BMI scale. That is not the be all and end all though. BUT..you know that!!

How about clothing size and inches? I noticed, and have read others with the same experience..as the weight loss slows after a decent bit of progress...all of a sudden inches off speeds with that phase of slower pounds coming off. It's a zig zag balance...and any loss is good.

My size changed every 6 weeks or less during the slowest weight loss period....it was startling! And fun. And wonderful.... then after a while more pounds came off...and the same thing..my measurements would shrink again even when I'd only lost 0.5 lb!!. I'd lose inches in more than one spot week after week. There are waist to hip calculators that also are being touted as indicators of cardiac risk and overall health. Check some of that out to help you be patient. Knowing you are falling into a healthy line within several important health risk categories is something you need to value. You are in for the long haul right??

It will be slow going now because you are doing the next hardest part. The first part was deciding to lose this weight...and the third part is maintaining!

Best wishes!

Thank you for the great advice. Go for weight in tomorrow and look forward to asking many questions there as well. Just hate putting in so much time, effort and money with little to no results. It definitely becomes frustrating!

65: I'm so glad I popped into this thread. I always learn so much from you and you reinforce everything I have already learned. Thank you.

I would just like to add, and forgive me if you are already doing this, or if someone has already mentioned it....when I have been especially active or stressed, or am on my feet and working for many hours, I notice my weight slows, or I experience gains. I realize this is from different factors such as inflammation and stress hormones, etc. It sounds as though you have a very active life with long stressful days. I would imagine that may play a role in your weight losses or sometimes lack thereof. However, I agree with the general consensus that weight loss is much slower near your ideal weight. Congratulations to you on your remarkable progress to date. I commend you on the amazing steps you have taken to improve your health, which is so much more important than those darn numbers on the scale. Hang in there!

Maintaining might not require so much money but will require as much time and effort, if not more. Paraphrasing Ishbel who hosts the IP Maintainers thread:

Being overweight is hard
Dieting is hard
Maintaining is hard
Pick your hard!

Keep up the good work and be sure to celebrate your progress every chance you get. Good luck tomorrow

In my opinion based on what you've said you are in need of a diet break.

Practice maintaining for a while and then start dieting again.

You are pushing yourself quite hard and your cortisol levels are probably quite high right now.

You might gain a lb or three due to glycogen but after a month of maintaining you will probably feel better and when you resume dieting you will see faster results.

Thank you all for the responses! My coach and I have decided its time for phase 2. Ive reached my initial goal of 175..and then some..and my body needs a little change from the constant diet. So onto phase two we go..she insured me I can always go back to phase one if necessary but shes very confident in me which is awesome to have the support! Thanks again guys

Way to go! Congratulations BIGTIME!