check your other thread started mommymeg! :)

Thanks Liana

Lose2Win2014….congrats & I'm right there with you! I entered Onederland today & I am thrilled. There aren't words to say how much I love IP! 12 weeks OP & 37lbs gone!

Hello ladies! :wave:

Lose2Win- I should soon join you! ;) I'm very close to Onederland!! I'm very happy that we're still following the plan and that we can come here to find out about each other and to encourage one another :carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot: I'm very proud of you and how you've handled and planned your meals to stay OP when you're traveling! Are you going to be traveling for Thanksgiving?

Briael - Grats on the steady weight loss!!:D 3 to 4 lbs. per week is awesome!! Hehe, you mentioned you're now a more shapely pear, I am discovering that I am a pear too :o I keep on losing mostly on my breast and my waist, so I might be wider on my hips and thighs with smaller waist and small breast? Well, we'll have curves for sure ;)
I'm a cat lover and I want to thank you for all you do for them :hug: I will take a look at their website and get more information on how I can help during the summer when I am off work :D

Stacynak- GRATS!!! on getting to ONEDERLAND!!!! Woohoo!!! Nice job :D


This week I lost 3.5lbs, I'm 2 lbs. away from Onederland!! and 3 away from hitting the 60lb. loss!! :carrot::carrot: Thank you everyone for your continuous support!!:hug:

Congrats on ONEDERLAND. Awesome stuff, especially to be doing it in chilly Alaska. :)


Thanks Ariel, for looking into URRKN (Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network). I also drive for Imagine Home when they have transport legs coming through this I-10 corridor, but more drivers are always welcome. Or, if you don't drive but live in a town/city that is on a major interstate, you could consider overnight or week long B&B'ing for these little furry travelers. :)

Check out the link above if you have time.

How is everyone doing? Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday? Do any of you have anything special to wear now that you've lost some weight?
I've been ordering things online, not clothes because I'm still losing weight, but accessories and shoes :o Yesterday I received my shoes, I bought me 5 pairs this time ( last time it was 4 pairs, which they're still in their boxes, and 2 of those are new snow boots)
so, I bought me two pairs of designer flat shoes, some cute and fluffy slippers, and 2 pairs of 5 1/2- 6in pumps, they're gorgeous! My mom told me that she was worried I would fall and break something, and I was worried too, but I didn't let her know that...I told her that I don't plan on using them till the summer, when I'll be like 50lbs lighter, then she asked me why did I buy them now then? ...Good question, ma! :D Well, I bought them because they might not have this style later and they were on sale. I should stop buying things, but I can't seem to stop! I also bought me a coach purse because it was on sale and I purchased the new IPhone 6 plus last week..Could it be that I'm substituting my bad eating habits and my smoking (I quit on July 1st and haven't had a smoke ever since) with shopping? :?:

Hi All! Doing really good and feeling confident going into the holidays. I recently went away for the weekend with my DH and stayed 100% OP! Congrats everyone on the great losses!

Yep, it sounds like displacement. I used to be a chronic shopper when I was compensating for doing a job I hated, but the money was too good to quit it. :)

Ariel- Do you ever just go window shopping? I know you don't want to put down money on things you can't keep in your closet... but sometimes it's helpful just to go out and try things on. It can help keep you focused, gives you a reward besides what the scale is giving you. It seems reasonable to think you are wanting to reward yourself, but you can't do it with clothes and are replacing it with things. As to the compulsiveness of it...yes, it could very well be you are using your time for shopping rather than eating. I think we are all guilty of a bit of compulsiveness (or a lot ;))... come maintenance the healthiest thing to throw this onto is exercise... being as you're kind of 'stuck' right now... it may help to consider positive uses for extra time... a hobby/ activity or volunteering. It is proven you are more likely to maintain a weight loss when you have something in your life that is not weight related that gives you satisfaction & validation. Now may be the time to start considering what might fulfill this...:hug::hug::hug::hug:

WI is tomorrow and I think I am moving to Phase 2...I am 2.2 lbs away from my goal...so hopefully will be 1.8 away from it tomorrow...I lose about 0.4lbs a day....My coach recommends two weeks on Phase 2. First week to get me to my goal...second week to lose a little more because Phase 3 will see a gain of a couple pounds...Anyone else have Coach recommending similar plan. Will be excited to be in Maintenance for Christmas....hoping to be able to not to much damage on my Black Friday adventure this week....plan to eat right food...just worried about funky hours.
Ariel13...why not take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy (so no snacking or online shopping)...like knitting, cross-stitch...

Hi All, well on Monday I had to go to Toronto for a team meeting. I work in as part of a 'geographically dispersed' team so we only see each other when we get together about 3 times a year for meetings. So since the last time they saw me, I've lost 34 pounds and got my blond long straggly hair cut real short and dyed red with highlights. I also got eyelash extensions just before I went. OMG! People didn't recognize me, did double takes, raved about my new look, but I have to tell you, the first few minutes when I met my closest friend/teammates for breakfast it was fun. But then it became embarrassing. Like we're in the middle of a meeting in a boardroom and someone knocks on the door to come in for a second, looks around and then squeals 'OMG Look at Jackie'. Very embarrassing. It got tiresome real fast.

Nice to have lost the weight though. Nice to get the compliments. I guess I'm being ungrateful but I was embarrassed and tired of it after a while.

But I have to say the best part was that I was perfect while I was gone for 2 days! In fact, I ended up taking my food and will only have to claim one meal - a good thing because our expense reports are always challenged and it's a major pain.

Good going on staying strong, Jackie. Being good at home is one thing, managing to stay OP while away is another entirely. :)

Thank you so much Briael, RefreshingMe and mommymeg for your suggestions, I really would like to go window shopping, but I dislike crowded malls, specially right now around the holidays. I am very busy, I wish I could take a knitting course ( I don't know how to knit) but I don't have the time. Ever since starting IP I've had tons of energy, so I joined 3 clubs/groups before and after school, and I enrolled in graduate school, taking classes in the evening, that besides the work I bring home from work. Since I work on the computer, it is very easy to just start browsing away! :( I still have Christmas shopping to do, and after that, I'll put away my credit cards! ;):carrot::carrot:

Oh before I forget, I want to announce that I am officially a resident of ONEDERLAND!!!! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::cheer3::cheer3::woohoo:
:cheer3: I'm SO, SO, SO, SO happy and wanted to share it with you! Thank you for your constant support!! :carrot::hug::hug::carrot:

Ohhhhhh congrats Ariel13 .. that is wonderful news on Thanksgiving. Enjoy it. :)

OK Augustans .. where did you all go? I know Thanksgiving was a time of kicking back, but we've got to get our engines revved up to lose, lose, lose before the new year! :)

Thanks Briael! :hug: I know you'll come join me in Onederland in no time! :D

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? I really didn't suffer, the only thing that I craved for like last than a minute was my mom's yummy pineapple pie, so I just remembered how it tasted, and the craving was gone, it was nothing out of control, everything went well, everyone ate and drink. I enjoyed everyone's company, and I had a great time staying OP (my mom made me some delicious chicken with veggies) and I had my usual chocolaty brownie for desert :D The best thing about staying OP was that after dinner I was feeling satisfied, and everyone else was so full. bloated and felt uncomfortable for overeating. I then also remembered how I would eat till almost exploding, and how uncomfortable that feeling was, and I was so thankful that I didn't feel like that anymore. :dance::carrot:

I can't wait for Christmas! :santa: I really need a vacation :beach: This weekend was not a break for me, I've been doing school work, presentation and I have final exam this week. :book2: After this upcoming week is over, hopefully I'll have a bit of time to relax and sleep...Oh, how I miss my pillow! :cloud9:

Gosh, I am so proud of everyone here! You all are doing fantastic with great losses since August. (And a big shout out to those making it to "onederland" -- such a big milestone!) Keep it up!! It's really fun reading all your posts and participating in your journeys from afar.

I couldn't find a September starters thread, so I hope you all don't mind if I glom onto your August thread. I was just 1 day late technically. I wonder what it is about certain months that get a lot of "starters". August seems to be a real trigger month for starting IP. As a matter of fact, I had my first go-round with IP over a year ago, in August 2013, and lost 76 pounds in 4.5 months. Then stopped IP and proceeded to gain all the weight back over the next 8.5 months. Then did an IP restart on 9/1/2014. I do feel much more laser-focused this time-around not to backslide. Maybe the second time on IP will be the charm for me.

Here are my 3-month Weight Loss and Measurement Loss charts. I have had some really nice weight loss in this second go-round with IP. It's interesting that the marked change in my weight loss slope occurred on Oct 24th, when I increased my exercise adding a 3 mile morning walk.

https://mindstar.com/scratch/WL_2014_11_30_2Line_Sm.jpg

It's cool that I am starting to get a tiny bit of an hourglass figure back.
When I started IP, my waist was my biggest measurement, now it's my smallest by nearly 2"

https://mindstar.com/scratch/ML_2014_11_30_Sm.jpg

Thanks Ariel ... I am *so* hoping to be in Onederland next week, but you know how it goes. The weight will go when it goes. I'm sure I'll be in the 1's by new year anyway, and that's good enough for me. :)

On the subject of Thanksgiving, I'm actually lucky. Being British I don't actually celebrate it so it wasn't going to derail me. Hubby is retired military so he is used to being deployed for most of the holidays and is also doing IP, so we lucked out. :) Did you know that Britain doesn't have Thanksgiving? The closest thing is Harvest Festival, normally the week after the farming community hauls in the summer crops. It's not widely celebrated because most Brits aren't churchgoers - which is sad considering how many beautiful parish churches there are.

Best of luck in your final exams. I remember exams being a stressful period, so make sure you touch base with us to keep you focused on your good habits (including sleeping!!!) as well as your studying. :)

Maybe August is a popular starting month because the kids are all back at school and life has become more stable again after the long summer holidays - and people have indulged while the sun shines? You are always welcome in August. We're an equal opportunity month. ;)

It IS interesting that you should be seeing a change in loss pattern to an increase in exercise. I am wondering how much of your loss is actually a muscle gain initially, and that then driving greater loss as you progress.

Hubby drags me to the gym for some machine resistance and free weights training twice a week, and I notice that I have marked losses two days later. I am constantly amazed by all the things our bodies do, completely quietly and in the background to our obvious emotional and mental states.

I remember a health company advert from years ago saying we were amazing machines, but we take it all for granted until something goes wrong. I've never forgotten it, and now it seems more relevant than ever. I am loving this weight loss journey, more so now I spend time researching HOW my body works rather than accepting that it just does. I'm hoping this will be the difference I need to stop the weight bounce cycle. :)

Have to admit that I love my morning walks, too, and I also like to get in 3 miles when I can (often hindered when hubby wants to join me, because he doesn't like to go so far). It's a great way of getting rid of stress and clearing the head. Some days I take the iPod, other days I just stomp along in the sunshine that west Texas is blessed with.

Avalon, I have to say that I love your weight loss chart tracker. Do you use a program for that, or did you create it yourself? SparkPeople have one of their own, but it is very basic and certainly doesn't allow pattern tracking like yours. Your loss seems very consistent, too. Was it like that the first time round or is this exclusive to the reboot?

---

This week sees my 50lb down mark. Another 7 lbs and I'm halfway through my journey.

Hubby is determined to test my resolve .. we went to World Markets last night and he picked up TWO tins of my favourite chocolates in the world (Quality Street is a milk choc assortment of toffees, soft centers, solid chocolate, pralines and nuts) and has put them in the "naughty cupboard" along with four boxes (not packets) of Haribo candies. I haven't felt tempted before, but this may be the tricky part to IP compliance. :)

Looking thru all your losses is incredible! I started august 28. I started losing very quickly, more quickly than most, however about 5 weeks ago it slowed. I believe its because my body doesnt like to go above or below 225, as every time i have lost or gained weight, i usually stop there for awhile. (A blessing when that scale is going up, and a curse when its going down).

However the last time i lost weight by exercising and a diet that wasn't IP, it took 3 months to get past rather than 5 weeks, so I'm learning to put things on perspective.


Congrats to you all on your successes! And for making it thru thanksgiving -- which i didnt. :-(.

Welcome back, Snozzie. :) You're still here and ready to climb back on, and you WILL get back to losing.

From what I've read there are any number of valid reasons that you can stall out, so good job on staying positive. This is just a blip, and you'll be back to losing again soon!

It's not like we're here for a couple months, Snozzie, so I'm sure we'll balance out as we keep going. :)

Thanks B!

Your losses are amazing! Have you cheated at all? You should be so proud! Almost to onederland!

I'm not really very compliant most of the time. I still have about a 1/4 to 1/2 tbsp of butter per day, use some alternatives and use GNC products for the gym and long walk days, use unapproved spices that have a carb or two (although carefully) so it's hard to know whether they are classed as cheating or not. To me they are modifications that allow me to stay on IP, as it's going to be at least another 4-5 months, maybe more. It's working for me, so I stick with it. :)

One thing I did notice though, is that not all alternatives are created equal. I loved the Weight Loss Systems pudding/shakes until I noticed that they contain sugar as well as approved artificial sweetener. Now they are special occasion restricted (when I'm really craving something that has the sweetness of real sugar).

Now I tend to use the vanilla drink as a pancake base (just add a half tsp of baking powder, no egg white needed) or the vanilla pudding as a waffle base (same deal, no egg). The texture isn't quite as light and fluffy but the taste is yummy! and some days I just scramble it like eggs and make it crispy. :)

Hi Amanda, Good theory on why there are so many August starters. I think you might be right!

On my increased weight loss rate since my exercise bump ... my body is very susceptible to changes in my "calories in / calories out" equation -- but that might NOT be true for everyone here. I think all I did was increase my burn rate -- and yes your idea that a slight increase in muscle mass might be increasing my resting burn rate as well is also probably true.

That being said, many on this board claim that IP has little to do with exercise that it's all about sugar depletion and ketosis (which I totally get). And I do think it's true that IP does work fine with little to no exercise -- I have lost a lot of weight on IP doing little moving -- but for me at least, moving more seems to make a difference in how fast I lose.

Good for you for occasionally doing weight training. I have never had good scale results from doing that -- I always seem to gain weight when I touch weights -- (I'm sure it's muscle) -- and I do think it's likely beneficial long term for the reason noted above. But I have been burned too many times with lifting and seeing a quick 3-7 pound gain, which always freaks me out! But that's just me and my weird body. I never get that weight increase with increasing aerobic exercise.

I totally agree that our bodies are amazing machines. The more I learn about it the more I am amazed by the complexity.

Yes, my weight loss and measurements loss chart was a free Microsoft Excel Template that I downloaded a number of years ago. You simply punch in the numbers and those pretty graphs get spit out.

Yes, my IP loss rate is very consistent and sometimes as predictable as clockwork -- but I do hit occasional plateaus. It was the same in my first go round with IP as well. The only thing I've noticed between my first go-round with IP and my second go-round, is my weight loss was FASTER in my first go-round. A good reason not to backslide!

One plateau should be coming up for me very soon in the low to mid 270's range ... that area always seems to bring with it a slowdown/stall that lasts a week or more. I am wondering if the body remembers certain body weights and feels "comfortable" there -- which increases the odds of a stall. It's interesting -- but I don't really have a good explanation for it.

Stay STRONG with your husband tempting you with chocolate. That's a real test of will power! If you are a chocaholic like me, get those IP Chocolate Drink mixes -- they really help with the cravings!

Good Luck in your journey!! You are doing FANTASTIC!

Sun is shining brightly (although not warmly) here today. 3 lbs down this week, and hubby has actually gone up.

Now that he's close to goal weight he's bouncing around like crazy, but I know he's been lifting heavier weights at the gym so I suspect he's gained muscle. I didn't think men would fret about it as much as we women do, but apparently they do. :)

Hope you're all headed for good weigh ins this week, my August buddies. :)

Avalon - Of course you can join our thread, it would be awesome to have you with us :D I am very impressed with your graphs, you've done a great job keeping track of your weight loss, I might do that too myself, thanks for sharing your amazing data with us :carrot: Congratulations on your losses, you're doing great! :D


Snozzeberries - Good to see you again, keep up the good job! :D

Briael - Congratulations on your weight loss!! :carrot: you're doing an amazing job :D

August Starters, the month of December is here already!!! :o Time is passing by super fast for me, I feel great, I know I've lost weight because my clothes are lose, but I know I have a long way to go, but I know I've already advanced half of the way, and every day my goal gets closer.

Today I went for my WI, ( I lost 3.6lbs) and when talking to my coach, I told her about my Thanksgiving long weekend, and she was amazed, surprised and very proud of me for not cheating...she told me that I was her only patient/dieter who didn't cheat because all others cheated...so she told me to pick a free WF product- I think that's how they're called- I picked the caramel, I haven't tasted it yet, I hope it tastes good because I've purchased the peanut butter and the mayo and I disliked them. Keep up the good work! I'm very proud of all of you :hug: :dust:

Well done on 3.6 over Thanksgiving, Ariel. That's some serious willpower! :)

Have you tried any of the sugar free/carb free Torani syrups? We absolutely detested all the WF products but the Torani ones are pretty good. Can pick some of them up at Target, but World Markets sell all of them (just have to make sure it's the SF/CF variety as they sell the regular ones, too).

I like the caramel one on waffles, the salted caramel in dark choc pudding and the english toffee in the cappuccino drink. :)

I am officially 50 pounds down as of today!!!! So excited!

Finally broke thru whatever was slowing me down last month -- and i seem to be back to my 4-5 pound average weekly weight loss. 215 today. Official WI tomorrow with my coach, so maybe I will be a pound more down by then?

Have a good week everyone! Ariel good job on thanksgiving! I didnt bode so well but I'm ok with it.

Finals next week, so you probably wont hear much from me until after I get thru the next week and a half.

See you later fellow losers! (Losers is meant in a positive way!).

Yay, congrats Snozzie! :) Good luck with the finals, stay strong. Good food = brain in good working order.

Major milestone for me after 4 months on IP, I'm officially no longer considered obese.... I'm merely OVERWEIGHT! I'm so excited to be able to say that! :carrot::carrot:

Oh and for the first time in at least a decade, my driver's license weight is accurate ;).

Congratulations Snozzeberries and 2BSkinnyAgain!!! Those are tremendous milestones! Love it.

Briael - Thanks, it paid off to be 100% OP :D I tried the WF caramel and it wasn't bad but it wasn't good either, so I can live without it, but it wasn't terrible as the peanut butter. I have not tried those Torani syrups, but I will look for them, I would want to some English toffee and some caramel, thanks for the information, I really hope to like them!:carrot:


Snozzeberries - WOW!!! :congrat: I know how you feel! It's such a great accomplishment to hit the big 50 loss, you should be very proud of yourself, and we are too! :D Also, I hope your finals went well, I had mine last week, right after Thanksgiving break, and I was exhausted, well, I have been exhausted ever since, I still haven't been able to catch up on my sleep and I'm still tired, so Good luck to you and I hope you do great! :carrot:

2bskinnyagain - :cp: Congratulations!!! You're no longer obese (Oh, how I dislike that word) I don't ever want to be there again! That's great that now your DL's weight is true :o Keep up the good work! :carrot:

Avalon - Nice to see you here :) I will try to work on creating a graph of my weight loss and inches loss during this upcoming Christmas break. Did you join Lisa's mini challenge?

Tomorrow will be my WI- It's TOM for me, so we'll see how it goes, it will be my 17th WI. I'm losing inches from everywhere, my lower stomach is going away, I'm surprised because I would always have it big, but now it's almost gone! ;) but my upper stomach, that's another story, I have that pouch, tire, love handle, I hope it would also go away :( My coach says that it will also go down, and I've read the stomach is the last thing to go away. I don't have a big belly or look pregnant like before, its just a big love handle, I don't know, it bothers me. I mean, I'm glad is not like I had it back in the summer, but I can't wait for it to go down too!! Anyone else having this problem?
Have a great day everyone!!! :hug:

Morning Augustuns! :)

ONEDERLAND has arrived - 199.8 on the scale this morning.

Congrats 2bskinnyagain, that's got to be a wonderful feeling to know that you aren't officially obese any more. Looking forward to joining you there in the future! :)

From what I've read, Avalon, fat will go from everywhere once your body fat percentage decreases, but genetic predisposition determines where your body's natural storage location is, and that will go last. I don't mind if it goes at the last possible second, provided it DOES go. :)

How are you doing this week, Snozzie? Back on target?

Ariel, what's your plan for the Christmas period? You did so well at Thanksgiving that I'm sure you have something in mind for the "period of indulgence". :)

WOW Amanda :woohoo::cheer3::cheer2: CONGRATULATIONS on reaching ONEDERLAND!!! It's a beautiful place to be! :D I'm so excited for you :hug: Now we have to move to the 80's ;)

I hope that you're right, and that ALL my fat finally goes away, along with that belly! Have you been doing any exercise? I'm noticing that I am going to have to do some serious toning. This weight loss has been rapid, and my skin will need some time to catch up and shrink? I hope I can reach my goal by May, so I can hit the gym all summer long to tone up.

This week's WI I didn't lose any weight or inches :o and my coach asked me if I had followed the protocol- Of course I did, as always- then she asked me if it was my TOM, and I said it was, so she blamed it on my TOM...Maybe I was bloated? It was the first time that I had no loss, the least I've ever lost was half a lb. I have to confess that I kept on asking myself what did I do wrong, but I didn't do anything out of the plan, I had my water, supplements, everything...Is this normal? Having weeks with no weight loss even though you follow plan 100%?

Sounds like you're in a consolidation period. Mine seems to coincide with ToM every other week, too. I normally lose a lot less then. I tend to get very bloated and retain water like crazy, but if ToM is at the start of the week I can usually pull some loss by the start of the next week (my WI is Tuesdays).

Yes, I'm exercising. I go strength training twice a week with hubby, and I walk every day. For the first six weeks I didn't really see any difference. The "hard" fat on the knees eventually went soft, and the squats appear to be getting rid of it completely. The thighs, unfortunately, are not yet playing nice! :)

I know that everyone is busy with the holidays, but it has been a bit quiet on our board. I just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing?

The holidays have definitely been a challenge, but so far I've been 100% OP and feeling pretty proud. It's not easy and I've been craving a glass of wine like nobody's business! Anyone know of a zero calorie wine ;).

I hope that everyone is still on track!

you are doing FANTASTIC 2bskinny, looks like you are almost done!!!! WOW! Great job.

Thank you! I'm a little scared to be honest.

You are doing great too Avalon! Keep it up!

Just keeping on keeping on with IP and a few alternatives. Nice drop this week after last week's single lb, so feeling happier. :)

Did I see mention of Zevia as a sugar free one glass wine or beer? It was on yesterday's daily thread, I believe. Watch for high sodium levels and the usual culprits in any sugar free wines.

I am still on track, but my weight loss has slowed. I feel like I have worked hard for every one of the last 10 pounds I have lost.

I've done well through the holidays. Before I go to parties, I eat my IP dinner. Basically, I've completely ignored food at parties. I've also ignored all the gift food that is coming into my house for the holidays. I've been able to let others eat it without sampling.

I'm hoping that the weight loss speeds up soon. I'm so excited to watch all of you still losing at a quick rate. I am losing and in the end, that is what really matters.

I am very focused on making it to goal.