Hi everyone,

I am on Day 5 of the IP protocol... I was prepared for all the physical difficulties but feel blindsided by my emotional response today.

Has anyone else has had any emotional responses to starting this program?

I have tended to self-sabotage previous weight loss efforts. My main issue is that it makes me very uncomfortable to receive attention from guys. I have some past issues that have led to this.

I am REALLY struggling today for some reason:

• Feeling sad and emotional today
• Struggling with the idea of men noticing me.

Anyone else struggling (or struggled) with their feelings? What feelings come up for you? Any thoughts? Suggestions? Support?

Hi Fearless74. Hmm.. You raise a good question. My emotional responses to the program have mostly stemmed out of fear of failure. I'll be really good and focused for awhile and then something small may de-rail me. In the past, it has been that once people start noticing my loss, I will gain confidence that I am starting to look good. The more friends/family say it the more I use that as an excuse to cave into temptations. That's not good!

I don't know why I do that.. It's like every time I come close to the next 10 lb increment I get to a point where I won't allow myself to drop further. It's an obstacle and I don't know why I do encounter this, I haven't quite figured it out.

Some days I will feel depressed and other days I will feel happy. I think exercise, even a short walk, cures the blues and elevates the mood. Maybe you should sneak in a walk or two a week if you don't already.

Thanks for bringing this up, it's an interesting question to ponder..

Well for me, food was emotional and still is emotional. The trick is to 'just keep swimming' and learn that you can manage those emotions without the help of food.

I really REALLY R-E-A-L-L-Y recommend the beck diet solution. You get the book and workbook and give it a go, I downloaded it and listened to it one weekend while painting a HUGE fence by myself. I have applied what I learned MANY MANY times in my IP journey and actually since I reached goal. You can find her on facebook, she has daily things to think about that I still enjoy reading daily as they STILL apply to me. https://www.facebook.com/#!/BeckDietSolution

Also, as for the whole male thing. I had met the love of my life before starting IP and losing my weight. As I lost weight and got attention (I work in a male based occupation) I would actually feel more proud that I had found someone who loved me for me and not what my shell was. So it gave me confidence in his love for me. In fact, typing this...I remember a young 22 year old winking at me and it made me laugh and I thought "who WINKS anymore!"

I have friends who would use the attention and create a negative comment on it but I would turn that around and think "I knew I was awesome, look at what you missed out on NAH HA!" sounds a little egostical as I type it (I'm actually laughing at how bad I sound right now) but truly I felt that way sometimes and really wanted to say "yeah right, I'm good now but not good then what does that say about YOU" instead of making something negative it about me. If that makes sense?

I know that I took the opportunity to really analyse myself physically and emotionally. In a sense that I didn't need food to make me feel better and the food I was eating was making me feel physically the best I'd felt in years. Even now I don't eat refined sugar only because I feel like crap afterwards. I remember distinctly at 56 lbs loss that I had called my sister "OMG I CAN'T DO THIS, WHAT IF I FAIL!" she was always good for me and gave me the best pep talks.

I still want to eat my face off from time to time, don't get me wrong...I just try to look at food as something that will help me instead of making me feel like crap. Do I want a chocolate bar? H#LL YA! Will I gain from it and will the weight make me feel worse then this emotional moment that makes me want that bar. H#LL YA!

Chin up grasshoppah, it will come...take the time to let it.

NOTE: KareVT losing fat can release estrogen (although I doubt it after 5 days for fearless but for you something to research at least as you continue to lose and have your ups and downs) <---will apply to fearless just not sure it would after 5 days.

Oh yes. Very emotional journey for me...way more than physical. When I started IP in October 2012, I was desperate to get back to myself. I had never been overweight in my life and in the course of three short years I blew up. Between graduating from college, marriage, homeownership, and having a real job, the stress took its toll. Clearly, I turned to food as a source of comfort. I woke up and said enough, I am getting back to a healthier me.

I noticed my anxiety increased a lot as well as some depression here and there and why wouldn't it, I had taken away a component of my comfort, my routine, etc. and very quickly brought on a new lifestyle in the form of food, habits, etc. You could say I was certainly all over the place. The hormones, which were already mentioned, I think played a role as well.

Don't think that what you are experiencing is unusual or abnormal. Rather, I think its right on par with making major life changes and our brains and bodies push back a bit and try to get back into the same habits because its easier.

What emotions come to you over this journey are worth noticing but not beating yourself up over. Day by day and it will all work out. In the meantime, hang on and know that you are making the right decision.

When people struggled with emotional issues or trauma, whatever they may be, that they have not addressed and moved past them, they may turn to drugs, alcohol or food to self medicate. I think that food, especially fatty, sugary, junk food, is often misused by people as means of feeling better in that moment, same as some use substances to achieve the same. I strongly recommend that you seek some sort of counseling to address what sounds me to be a history of trauma. Only that way you will be able to stop holding on to your weight as a security blanket. I wish you all the luck (((())))

I am an emotional eater, too. A lot of my overeating on junk food is also related to work stress. For me, I am not sure I have the answer to all of this or any of it but it is something I need help with if this weight is going to stay off. I might have to seek some kind of professional counseling. I have met with a woman who was a "life coach" before and it was so helpful. I am not sure how that differs from a psychologist. I suppose I should research what the difference is because I am curious.

Anyhow, I got to be a too large person in part due to emotional eating. Also, being an emotional eater has lead me to failure with past diets. This is where I am putting in a plug for the IP diet. I believe Dr. Tran states in his book something along the lines of being in ketosis induces a blissful state. ITA. I have never been able to stick with diets in the past because eventually I am overwhelmed by emotion and I end up self medicating with carbs. This diet has largely taken away that factor. I won't say eliminated it, but it has helped a great GREAT deal. I have never felt so good in my life. Life of course isn't perfect, and I am still troubled at times, but I have been able to ride out the storms and I think it might be the ketosis. I am bringing this up because you are only 5 days in, and with further time on the protocol it might get easier. I don't know how the male attention worry fits into all of this, but as for the emotions, I am hoping it will get better for you. Hang in there, and know you are not alone.

Very well said

Thanks for your contributions everyone - this was extremely beneficial to read. And, ISHBEL, thanks for the link and book suggestion. Also, I had no idea that losing fat releases estrogen. Hmmm... No wonder!

Thanks

I have a driving force in my life. My mother was never satisfied with my accomplishments and that made me feel I never made the mark, no matter what I did. I struggled with that feeling most of my life. Never realizing I was in turmoil and no thought connecting the two or at least no solution to resolve it. In 2009 my mother passed away, my BF broke-up with me, and I felt very alone. My relationship with my mother began to heal as I had new perspective on my part in causing problems and how my resistance kept me from accepting her on her terms. At the same time I lost weight through various diets and exercise. The physical changes brought on emotional changes which brought on physical changes and it spiraled in a positive direction.

A few years ago I began accepting myself and then others. Since then, I've noticed I'm happy most of the time even when stressed with problems. I have more peace in my life and that has reduced my dependence on food and emotional eating. It is a process healing on both levels as well as spiritual. That's why many refer to it as a weight loss journey. Recently I asked myself without expecting an answer, why did I spend the best years of my life obese? A few days later the aforementioned thoughts came to mind, I connected the dots with the lack of peace in my life. Whenever I feel food "insanity" coming on I ask myself, how is my peace being disrupted? I'm still working on it but this seems to be the underlying emotional reason. I have spent my life rebelling and resisting but finding acceptance seems to be the answer for me.

Thank you all SO very much for your kind words and support. I appreciate them so much! What a gift!

I am sorry to hear that others have had this same response - losing weight has so much baggage..no pun intended.

I am on day 6 now and am sticking to the protocol strictly. I am determined to be successful this time!!!

You brought up a good topic, Fearless74. So, thank you for putting it out there. I've found coming to the IP forum helps me to stay on track. I do sway off course and have been going through resistance the past several weeks, not staying OP and basically maintaining. It's time for me to break through the barrier of the 160s and when I do, I'll be the lowest I've weighed since my 20s. It's scary trying to get there.

In the last two years I have experienced divorce and the death of my father. My emotions have always taken their toll on my eating habits. Before the divorce I was obviously in an unhappy marriage and I ate my way through. In the last 6 years I went from 150lbs to almost 300 at one point. I started IP two weeks ago and as I come up on the first anniversary of my dads death I find myself concerned on the toll my emotions will take on my diet. Emotional response is common to any life change.. keep your chin up and remember you are doing this for you, not for anyone else!