Morning! It seems that just when I'm not feeling hungry at all and in the 'zone'... something will come to throw me off my routine! I have one week till I travel for work again but with all these weddings and conferences looming, its also motivating. I have two weddings, a conference and a convention in June! My goal is to just get through the month!! Oh and fit into the dresses I bought in Hawaii!!

Staying OP is totally doable, it just requires more effort and planning.

Hiker- have you tried on the dresses lately? It is always motivating to me to see my progress and how far I have to go. Even with all your travel, it is totally doable. The wedding places around here have been very accommodating, I just told them that I had serious dietary restrictions. You have been very successful staying OP while traveling before- you can do this! Keep your momentum going and just focus on one OP meal at a time.

Thanks Slip... its so nice to feel like the diet is easy again and I hope all this hooplah in June doesn't make me lose my mojo! You are right though, I have been to lots of conferences since I started and had no problem staying OP... The only thing I found hard at first was standing out at the dinner table with one of the owners of the company sitting beside me wondering why I'm not eating much! She's super nice but a bazillionaire and it was a little intimidating.. I will see her again next week and will be curious to see if she notices my weight loss... if she happens to remember me! LOL!

I'm not sure I would have been able to stick it out and stay determined to get serious again if it wasn't for this forum. I wasn't gaining but wasn't losing for the past while... I just didn't have the focus, but I kept coming back here and reading... the support is just what I needed.... I'm hoping to hit an 80 pound loss by next Sunday... now that will be worth celebrating!

No I haven't tried the dresses lately... will do that when I hit 80!!

Right back at ya- I would have totally lost focus without the forum. I have had such slowdowns without going off program that I would have become discouraged. There is a definite comfort in knowing that others are experiencing the same joys, sorrows, struggles and triumphs.

You will be at your 80 pound loss in no time! :yay: I am at 87 pounds since last June. When I reach my goal it will be 90 pounds gone forever! I am hoping to reach that goal by the end of next week (when TOM is done).

After doing a lot of Phase 3 reading, one Dr. said that if you have struggled with C throughout Phase1(which I have!!!) then you may not see the Phase 3 weight gain. Possibly your body will become more efficient at processing waste after the Phase 3 foods are introduced. It will also be interesting to see if my ankle water retention goes away after decreasing IP products.

What is your 80 pound reward? That is how you and I bonded! furniture rewards :) I do think I need something meaningful to commemorate reaching goal. Something visual to serve as a reminder of the journey. I need to think about it.

I know, I've been all about the rewards but have spent so much money lately... I definitely want to get something meaningful when I get to goal but my original reward (garmin gps workout gadget) doesn't seem to be meaningful enough... Right now I have two pieces of art in my house (different artists) that show the back of a blonde woman walking along the beach and another of a blonde woman looking at the ocean... the woman in both pictures is what I consider my 'goal'... maybe another piece of art so I can look at it and remind myself of where I've come from and why I want to maintain!!

Hiker: Great attitude you have with all the events you have in June. Events are hard but I like them because it teaches us how to eat in control. 80lbs is something to get excited about, looking forward to celebrating with you...and me soon after!

Slip: 87lbs is huge!! You better hurry up and think of a 90lb goal item, you are almost there!!! Interested in seeing what you pick this time!

I agree with both of you about the forum, it has been a huge source of support for me too. DH is dieting with me but sometimes he just doesn't "get it" like you guys do. LOL.
I haven't bought anything as my rewards other then clothes, and most of those were out of necessity! I am thinking about waiting until I am 6 months or a year into maintenance until I get something. The easy part for me has always been getting the weight off, I have never kept it off, so I may need to use rewards then as more of an incentive to stay on track.

I have been working in the yard since about 12:00. I feel like I am winning the battle! There is always so much work to get the garden and yard back in shape. So today, I created about 7 containers with a variety of plants, planted all the annuals, trimmed back the vines and brush and planted 7 perennials. Now- we are about to get a thunderstorm with hail. Had to bring all the pots into the house. Man, were they heavy! I sure hope the hail misses us!!!!!

Want2b- I have never made it to my official goal weight- EVER! I have my niece/godchild's wedding next August, that is plenty of incentive for me to work hard at maintenance. As for the reward, I am thinking a piece of jewelry. Meaningful, not necessarily expensive.

Jewelery..... Great idea!! I have a sister who manages a jewelery store... I can usually get good deals from her! You know what they say.... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!! We both got furniture... so why not! LOL.. was the furniture for 50 pounds??? I can't remember??? Terrible... I know!

Sounds good to wait for success at maintenance to give yourself a reward... but..... I hope you find a small way to mark the occasion when you hit goal!!! Its a lot of hard work and should be recognized!! Not sure if you've noticed but I'm all about the rewards!! LOL!

Furniture was 60 pounds for me :) I am sitting in one of the chairs as we speak! I am glad that I inspired you. I am thinking ring or bracelet. I lose earrings too easily.

Making meatloaf for dinner. I did not get in all my lunch protein, so it is going to be a big portion tonight.

Hiker & Slipfree- Early congrats and I bet you'll both hit your milestones soon! You both have been extremely active this weekend, so hopefully that helped. I'm looking forward to hearing about what you get for your rewards.

Slipfree- That is encouraging about the big C and P3...I can't wait to be able to have more dietary options to get things moving better. I have to take either Natural Calm or this other natural laxative called Colon Max at least twice a week. I drink all of the water and do the olive oil, etc, but I think all of the meat and the IP products just bind me up.

Hiker- I have full faith in you that you'll do great with the travel coming up. It seems like you've traveled a lot during P1 and your results have been great! You've got to be a pro at IP restaurant dining. I'm getting better. Your advice about steak was good. I also have discovered that I like sashimi and seaweed salad at sushi restaurants. I've noticed when restaurants have gluten free menus, many of those items are often P1 compatible.

Lucci- I'm sorry to hear the house hunt didn't pan out. I hope you find something soon. It's a pain that you have to return the XLs, but it will be much better to be able to have those Larges so you can wear them longer. I'm selling some clothing I bought a few months into IP that I'm a little attached to, but I'm glad I've lost the weight I intended to lose.

Want2B- Grr...people and their rude comments! It's so messed up that overweight people are treated poorly in general, but then we lose weight and people say all kinds of rude stuff to us. It can be discouraging, but I think people say rude things because they are insecure. Losing weight and getting healthier is worth it even if we have to deal with the occasional moron. At least we've all got each other for support and to vent when this stuff happens. :hug:

Slip: When I say I have got the weight off before, that didn't mean I ever got to my "personal goal weight". LOL This time I want to be at 145 so I can have a 5lb window. I only remember being at 145 once in my life, it was 20 years and 2 kids ago. Not sure if this is even reachable but I am sure going to give it an honest try.

Hiker: I have noticed you like rewards and that is great, what ever keeps us motivated. I will have to give it some thought and see if I can come up with something for goal.

Kooky: Thanks for the support. I think you are right, people do say rude things because they are insecure.

Hope you all are enjoying your long weekend( we had ours last weekend). I am off to work today.

Good morning my friends,

No hail at my house, thank goodness! I would have cried. Heading to my brother's house later today for a picnic. Planning on a couple of hamburgers, lettuce, and tomato. Will make some cuc. salad to take with me.

Kooky, I am so with you on the C. It has been the worst part of IP for me. I am looking forward to a mix of foods for just that reason.

Want2b, in my head- my original goal was 172, then the male coach changed it to 160, then the female coach looked at all my stats and said- you can stop now. I am looking at goal as 160. I intend to really work at maintenance and I am far more active during the summer. I am pretty content with where I am body wise. At my nephew's graduation, I was sitting next to my skinny legged brother and our upper legs were about the same size. I carry weight in my thighs, so I was happy and to be honest- surprised by this positive comparison. My upper body is getting pretty thin and I do not want to look like Skeletor!

Does anyone else need all new underwear?

Good morning everyone! Had a productive weekend and now back to the grind stone... not sure why I hadn't realized that I will have to come in next weekend to do month end before I go to my conference on Sunday! Ugh!! Oh well, next week will be a short one cause I will stopping in Vancouver on my way back from Edmonton for a few days before coming home... my older sister will meet me at the airport and I will hang out with her and her hubby on the island for a convention...

I'm excited to see my coach (she lives on the island) I haven't actually seen her since I started IP. We've done this totally on the phone since she lives over 14 hours away... It will be great to touch base with her!

Have a great day everyone.