Well said
 

I thought about this a lot today, and I have realized that you have to do what works for you. I think so much of my weight loss has been derailed because I listened to bad advice over and over again when I was on various programs. Someone always had something better that they were doing,etc. and I would get doubts, and then as soon as I hit a plateau, I would lose confidence in both myself and the program and stop. I have a lot of confidence in this program, and I am finally at the point where I can look back and say that following through is key. :dust::kickbutt:

I can see that happening. My brother lost a lot of weight and we were all worried about him. Now that he has been at this weight a few years I now realize he is just healthy and looks great.

I know it's not true December, but I started today. Wasn't as bad as I thought - glad I can ease into it while I'm on winter break. Just have to keep it up when I start teaching again!

Anikens, I'm a teacher, too. Started Dec. 1. I'm finding it's easier to do while I'm at school and have a strict schedule.

How did everyone do with Xmas? My birthday is the 27th and no cake was strange. Not so much craving sweets but just because it's a tradition. We always do cheesecake factory, which is phenomenal. This year we did a Mongolian grill restaurant where I could eat meat and veggies.

I've been overdoing it a bit on the meat lately because holiday events have been aplenty and I snack on meat instead of all the other garbage to get through them. But my coach said I can't really overdo the protein so that was good to hear.

I did cheat a little on xmas day with cheese and homemade pasta and wasn't as strict about my eating this week. But I brought my own Salmon & Arugula and veggies to snack on to Christmas dinner and avoided all sweets so it was overall a win for Xmas week.

I'm up .2lbs this week and am happy with it as I was not super strict overall. My coach was more disappointed than me, lol. But knowing the binge eating that could have taken place, this is a major win for sure.

Hope everyone else had a great Xmas and survives New Years!

Inlovewithlive4, you seem to be handling things just fine
 

My birthday isn't until July, and that was the one day I had considered going off program for. My guess is that I won't go off program for it though. I want to stay 100% until I phase out. So I am glad you made it through that day with no glitches. And it looks like you handled the holiday temptations quite well. Congrats on making it through:newyear::snowglo:

Fellow teachers
 

Any tips for making it through the school year on IP? I will have one week down by the time I return to school. What are your go to meals, etc.?:book2::write:

I've been thinking a lot about this too. I started on Dec. 26. I teach HS and our lunch is at 10:51 - about the time I've been eating breakfast on break! I've come up with 2 options for myself a) continue to eat breakfast at this time, just during my lunch period, then eat my lunch packet/veggies as my after school snack at 2:10, then dinner protein and sweet treat packet as I've been doing. or b) breakfast during planning at 9:04 like I've been doing, 1/2 dinner protein and veggie during lunch, other 1/2 as after school snack, then a packet/veggies at dinner, and then sweet treat packet.

I guess I'm just going to have to experiment with everything and see what works best for me. Also, I'm going to have to get a whole lot better about prepping the night before.

I'm a teacher, and this is what works for me:
6 a.m. breakfast of 2 scrambled eggs (4oz protein)
9:30 a.m. grab a drink made from a MR packet mixed with 10oz water. I can drink this down while I'm teaching. I'm a music teacher and have to keep hydrated all day so the kids are used to me drinking water.
11:15 lunch.....2-3 oz protein and 1 C veggies
3:30....snack. This is when I enjoy my restricted bar
6 p.m. supper more protein (anywhere from 3 to 6 oz depending on how much I had earlier in the day) and another C of veggies.
an hour before bedtime ~ another packet....usually the pudding.

I go to the store probably 2X a wk. Sunday evening I cut and measure my veggies for M-W. and put 2 C servings in baggies in the fridge. I cook my lunch veggies for the next day and put it in a container and then cook my supper. All I have to do is grab a baggie out of the fridge. Then I do the same thing on Wed or Thurs evening. If I'm REALLY busy, I buy the pre-cut.

I love a variety and mix yellow squash, mushroom, cabbage, broccoli, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper all together in a bag.

Every Sunday night, I sit down with all my packets for the week and divide them into zipper bags that I reuse every week. I put one Restricted, one drink, and one other packet into each bag. Then into the cupboard. Every night I grab a baggy for the next day and put it in my purse so it's ready to go.

I have 2 shaker cups....one that stays at school and one for home.

I have 2 Rubbermaid 32oz drinking bottles....one for home and one for school. The one at school.....I drink one in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. I visually divide the bottle into 3rds and drink a 3rd during each class. My conference is 7:45-8:30 a.m. so I teach all day with only a short lunch.

I wrote a lot, but I hope this helps. Preparation is EVERYTHING, and it's really not that hard. On busy nights, I pick up a rotisserie chicken at HEB.

Thanks, Fellow Teachers
 

I will definitely be following your lead
1. Yes, I agree planning is everything, and I really like that Ziploc idea. I already have my vitamins for the week in a Ziploc in my purse.

2. Timing is crucial too, and my schedule is so varied on break...hmmm. I will have to see. But one thing I noticed is that I enjoyed having a simple cup of coffee w nothing else. So I will probably do that at work in the morning. But have a morning smoothie before I leave in the morning around 6 am. I shut the door in the living room area, and I think (I hope) that it did not wake my roommate when I put the Ninja on high. And well, I could also blend my shake in the evening and have it ready to go when I leave.

English teacher here, so I write a lot read a lot. Keep the ideas coming:comp::coffee2:

Oops, I noticed I wrote "1 C" of veggies. I have 2 cups at lunch and 2 at supper. Last night was crazy (Mama in the hospital) so I had to eat all 4 cups in the evening. Had indigestion afterward.......

I'm a teacher too.
I travel from school-to-school so don't always have access to a microwave.

For MONTHS, I made a veggie puree to add to IP soup.
I made the soup, added the puree and took it to work in a thermos so I could have it anywhere. Veggies in the puree: bok choy, leeks, celery, mushrooms. I also make home-fermented pickles so I usually take one of those.

My typical schedule:
7 am: coffee
10 am: Breakfast: spinach/chocolate pudding mix/coffee smoothie (made at home, take in 22 oz tervis tumbler). If there is extra that doesn't fit, it goes in my 7 am coffee

L: I used to have soup with puree until I restricted soy protein. I also tend to make the zucchini muffins (recipe thread). I can make 4 batches of them and have 3 muffins (either savory or sweet) and either celery or a pickle. All easily transportable and nothing I need to heat.
If I KNOW I'm going to be somewhere with a microwave, I may take some caulimash with IP potato puree. I still usually have my pickle.
And, I take romaine lettuce leaves to munch on (kinda like chips) if I get hungry.

After school snack: chicken broth with veggies or cooked, pureed rhubarb jello (made with plain gelatin0

D: Usually it is a big salad with meat on top. I usually have my veggies with B/L/S and don't have any left for dinner. Since IP has added more "unlimiteds" this hasn't been as big of an issue (when I first started, I had to count the spinach, celery, and pickle (cuke)).

S: In the winter I prefer a hot chocolate (LOVE WLS cocomint cream). In the warmer months, it is usually a fruity drink.

**Other ideas
If I take anything that needs to be shaken, I mix/shake at home & put in an empty strawberry/banana smoothie bottle (I save a bunch). Then I don't have to lug a shaker to work. I already take enough!
My lunch bag has two 1-liter bottles of water, my breakfast smoothie, and my lunch/lettuce. It is pretty big

Also: I have emergency packets EVERYWHERE. Desk, car, DH's car, purse. Just in case I forget something.

Sunday is my veggie prep day. And weekends are the time we make most of our meat for the week (mostly crockpot, smoker, roasting). If I cook during the week, it usually to make some taco meat for a taco salad or something else easy.

I usually stir fry some veggies for the week (same veggies as puree but also add bell peppers).

These are just my go-tos. Of course I vary things. But I try to keep it very simple.

What is WLS Cocomint cream and where can I get it? Would LOVE some hot chocolate. Before I started IP, I would sometimes make hot chocolate from unsweetened cocoa and unsweetened almond milk. Really miss it although I didn't do it that often. Sometimes you just want to drink something hot in the winter.

I also keep packages of tuna packed in water in my classroom.....for emergencies.

I'm a teacher, too, and I find it much easier to stay OP during school. Here is what my usual eating day looks like...

4:30-Up and at 'em! Light work out.
5:30-Dark Chocolate Pudding made into a drink with 9 oz water, Nescafe powder, tons of cinnamon.
11:00-Same drink, but with Vanilla Pudding and cauliflower puree made into soup with cilantro, lime, serrano peppers, and curry powder.
3:15-Snack-pudding of various flavors made into a drink.
5:45- Dinner-I make enough vegetables on Sunday to last through Wednesday lunch then make enough on Wednesday night to last through Friday night. Then I just eat whatever meat I'm making for the family.

I also bring 3-32 oz bottles of water with me to school. I use one of the waters to make my lunch and snack because the water at my school is disgusting.

Easy peasy.