Thanks for letting me know there is hope! My belly looks like a wrinkled shirt lol. Really hoping some of that goes away. I think I really need to start exercising more regularly now. It was fun to lose 70lbs without, but I think I need it for the homestretch as I have slowed down. Yeah for wine being incorporated into program. That is the 1 thing I do miss is the occasional out to dinner with the girls glass of wine.

Thanks and Great WI :carrot: good for you! I need to buckle down this week and start following ip like I was in the beginning. Keeping my times correct and measuring instead of guessing...I need some big losses if I want onederland for my birthday present in 4 short weeks Ugh!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Winewanderer!

And so glad to see you back here with your July Starters - we summer ladies have done pretty well over these past 7 months, but Sue is right- some of us are having a bit of a winter slow down.... JJTx and Amanda are beating the slowdown the most I think as they seem to have more regular exercise, and it does seem to be paying off with steady losses for them most of the time.

I go for WI today - my home scale has popped up 1.5 this morning so I am fearful of an uptick or at best a zero loss this week when I get on the IP the scale at 6 pm. I kinda bound up again and I realize I missed my dinner supplements th past 3 days !!!! This is not good... :(.

I have constipation remedies at hand and will address this starting today. I ordered the Ultimate Flora products recommended by Avalon on the constipation thread last month - just have not tried them yet. Today is the day.

btw - Ultherapy and Vanquish and Cool Sculpt are all noninvasive treatments that can help with loose skin and residual fat deposits... These could be helpful with the thighs and knee areas CenTXChk - check em out. Washingtonian magazine has an article re non invasive cosmetic therapies this month.

Again - thx to all for good wishes re my DH - the PET scan went fine - we meet with the docs again next week to learn results and next steps.

I will report back scale results this evening after WI. Maybe the shoveling of snow that I am about to do will get my system moving !!

Continuing my pattern alternating 2 and 2.4lbs down, this week was a 2.4. The great new is that I am out of the 180s! Now I have to get through the 170s, and then I am in the decade of my goal weight. I still find it hard to believe that I will actually get there some day soon-ish.

Taking a short trip to warmer weather with my sister in March so I had to go through the boxes of summer clothes. Luckily, I found a few things that fit well enough to get by for a couple of days. I had to buy a bathing suit though which I thought would be awful but it wasn't. Got a size 14 which actually fits. The hard part was uncovering all the flabby body parts that have been covered by layers all winter.
Like Sue, I have enjoyed losing weight without having to do lots of exercise, but I think its time to seriously increase my activity. My new fitbit has me noticing how easy it is to sit down at the computer, or to read or knit and have a whole hour with no activity. Yesterday I jumped on the treadmill for 25 minutes of walking so that I would hit my 10,000 steps for the day.

You can do it Sue!!
I have a similar goal, my nephew is getting married in mid-April and I really want to be in onederland by then. I'll be cutting it close but it's doable. And I'm waiting until it's closer to pick outfits! :D

Glad the scan went well, praying for good results! Good luck at WI this afternoon, hope that silly uptick goes away - unless it means you're gaining muscle and losing fat?!

Congrats on your 2.4!!
When I got my fitbit at Thanksgiving, I really didn't think it would change my habits that much. But I stopped taking the elevator at work, and I am more aware of my steps - plus it's nice to see MFP give me extra credit since I have the two apps linked!

The ultimate probiotics are great and well worth the money. If you get them (and any other alternative supplements) at Vitamin Shoppe sign up for a membership card. We bought ours for two months and ended up with a $35 voucher (and a $20 birthday voucher, too!) for the third month. Makes a difference if you're going to continue the supplements as you phase out and head into maintenance!

Good luck with your WI, Cheryl. It's hard to have an evening weigh in as a woman, so I don't envy you that. Do you use a home scale that measures body fat and hydration percentages?


Need to do some googling on those non-invasive techniques so I can decide which way forward when I reach goal. Thanks for sharing them. :)

oooh congrats on being in the 170s - that's wonderful. :) I think it's crazy how dropping out of a range of 10's makes us feel like a new person, but it always happens for me.

How about a laptop to sit on top of the treadmill, so you can multitask and not feel guilty? LOL

--------

I'm also bouncing around all over the scale again this week. I know I've got a sluggish bowel (thanks to the extra carbs from the sweet potato fries I was told to add back in after running to help with protein synthesis and try to eliminate the loss of lean mass) and am retaining water with TOM due.

Good news is that the body fat percentage shows as down and the water percentage is up (could be muscle retention), so I can see the reason for the failure to "lose". It's weird though - my brain understands that this way is better, but oh, how my heart breaks when I don't see any movement on the dial. We are SO conditioned to the scales, aren't we? Why do so few men suffer this way? It's not fair! LOL

I consoled myself with HealthSmart's chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast though. Amazing how one little IP-compliant "treat" food can change my daily outlook so much! :)

Hi guys!! I am home from WI and as I suspected I am up 1.2 lbs.

Interestingly... JJTX you called it right on the nose -- down in fat percentage and up in lean mass.... plus, I am down three quarters of an inch at the waist, and down half an inch at the hips.... YAY!!! with no inch increases on the other measurements!

I will prefer seeing the numbers move on the scale, but for a WI that's an uptick, this is not so distressing as it might have been otherwise.

I have a few odds and ends to share with everyone:

I began my one week detox with Ultimate Flora 200 this morning. Can't tell you how relieved I am to find that the powder doesn't taste bad. (Amanda - thanks for the advice on The Vitamin Shop - I had a promo code for Vitacost, and the Ultimate Flora reviews indicated that the Vitacost price is good too. But I will price compare with The Vitamin Shop - I pass one on the way home from work every day.) I am hoping this will help with the chronic constipation.

While at WI, I received a sample of a new RTD from IP -- Yogurt, Vanilla Almond drink. Have not tried it yet, but I'll let you know how it tastes when I do try it. I am likely to put it in the Ninja along with ice and some spinach, although as I think about this, maybe some roasted rutabaga would be an interesting addition.... but I will taste it bit itself first to give a true review of the new product.

I also received my shipment from Vitacost and tonite for my snack I am finally able to try the WF caramel syrup with my microwaved IP brownie.... Sue - I think you raved about this in a post - and you are right - it is yummy!!

JJTX and Loser58 - congrats on the pounds lost -- you both are marching ahead to goal, and it's terrific!!

Sue - sorry about the zero loss this week -- from my perspective, that's better than an uptick, but I know you want to see that needle move. I hope your massage was wonderful - you deserve the good feelings that come along with a good massage!

And if you and CenTxChk and I get religious about the little details, we can march ahead to goal, too. And JJTx is right - you can make it to one-derland by your event - you are persistent and attentive to details, and you plan ahead. Those are the competencies it takes to beat this -- it's what will make the difference, I think.

I have taken my supplements today (after missing them for 3 days!!!!! :fr: , and I had already resumed measuring my veggies and weighing my protein a few weeks ago. I have stopped drinking straight Sobe Lifewater - instead I am cutting it 50 percent with plain water. It has .8 grams of carb so I wonder if the extra carbs are adding up from some other free stuff (like WF products and some splenda sweeteners) to drag my loss rate down a bit.... And perhaps I just need more plain water. Just gotta get religious about the little details and see if that does not make a real difference.

ok, this has become too long a post... I need to take my ticker numbers back to my uptick position, now... I hate doing that, but honesty and accountability are critical success factors on this journey.
Love you guys!!!

Oneuh2 - sorry about the pound up, but fabulous results by the tape measure!!! :)

I bought a pack of the new vanilla-almond drink and I think it's delicious! Will be curious to see how it works blended, let us know. Plus it's pretty low in carbs and high in protein.

Ironic that doing the right thing (losing body fat and gaining muscle) feels like a failure, isn't it? It's what drives me crazy some times. Knowing and accepting are two entirely different things.

Congrats on the inches, Cheryl. :)

Wish I could try the new drink but we're not ordering anymore IP products, just finishing up what we have and using alts for the rest. Oh well. I guess I could try making its equivalent with some vanilla essence, 80cal stevia yogurt and some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Hmmm. Might have to play with the blender in the morning. :)

Doesn't it seem like we are all struggling with the scale lately? Maybe it's the time of year? Or maybe the length of being on program. Well, except for Loser58 (so jealous!!). One, so glad you have positive numbers and negative inches to carry you forward! We can do this! Apparently these last months are going to have to be spot on. :). I have faith we will reach goal together and kick butt!

NSV, went to my monthly Bunco group tonight. Ate a couple pieces of celery and brought some carbonated water from home. The candy on the tables didn't even phase me. Oh! And I rolled 3 buncos so I came home with a little cash in my pocket. :carrot:

So excited to hear about the new drink. Glad to hear you liked it JJTX. One, let us know what you think too. I swear I have been purchasing the same 3 items for months. I am in a rut! Just hate having to buy a whole box of I'm not sure I'm going to like it.

One- sorry about the uptic! But good job with the inches....I was shocked to lose an inch in my waist on a 0 loss week, but all in all happy. I know my supplements and measuring has been lacking. Really need to buckle down and be like day 1.

I thought I hit the quote button but I guess I didn't lol....

Re: non invasive things for my hanging skin....so I have read thru posts that your body shifts and redistributes for a while after you reach goal....so when do you consider one of these options?

My clinic is getting the new drink next week. I told her she needs to had out samples lol....the combo sounds delish but i would hate to be stuck with 6 I don't like!

I am out again today and tomorrow with an all day relocation client. Planning on bringing a packet for lunch I can snack on in the car while driving. Will have to make up for the 2c of veggies at dinner lol....my clinic says it's the protien timing that is important. So I will take a bar with me broken into pieces so I can slip them in lol...

Re : exercise.....ok Monday I am going to start with the C25k program. I promise lol

Sunday we are taking DS to see another college. Can't believe we will need to make these decisions by September! Crazy...

Thanks for the encouraging remarks everyone!! Your support and encouragement means so much -- it really does help me to keep the faith!

Sue - it seems that the new Yogurt Vanilla Almond drink comes in 8 packs, rather than 6 packs -- this is an even greater reason for your coach to give you a sample! I am confident it will be a good flavor - the Wildberry Yogurt mix is so good that I am always sad when I use it to make muffins -- the muffins come out great, but it's the lost opportunity to have had the actual drink.... :dizzy:

When you have your all day sessions, those clients need to stop for lunch, too, don't they? Can you map out your property visits to be near a restaurant at an appropriate time, and then let the clients know, as you set out for the day, that you have a plan to pause for a quick lunch break -- Tell 'em you are diabetic and you have to eat every few hours to manage your blood sugar... If they think you are taking care of a medical condition, they will be very supportive. ;) For all the times my DH and I have looked at property (and it used to be a very regular pastime!!!), we always enjoyed stopping for a break -- getting familiar with neighborhood services was always an important consideration in assessing location, too. I must be singing to the choir - You are so resourceful, Sue -- I know you can make those all day sessions work for your IP objectives as well as your RE business!!

Last comment on this week's uptick for me... I don't know why I seem to be hitting this slow down period... My coach says my body composition is adjusting -- this comment was in reaction to the consistent downward fat percentage over the past month, despite the net weight loss of less than 10 lbs over the same period. I really am not diverging from the program except for forgetting my supplements some days, and sometimes being too high on coffee intake and too low on water intake. It seems crazy that these small transgressions could result in my weight on the scale just 'gyrating in place'.... but it is what it is, and I believe in the value of IP enough to carry on and try to be more 'perfect'.

So - I am going dancing tonite - the exercise will do me good, along with some social interaction. I am jazzed!

Thanks Amanda!

re: the new IP drink -- Often there are alternative brands that offer really the same item but in different packaging... it may take awhile for this flavor to show up elsewhere, but I bet someone will find it and share that info here on 3FC.... as a matter of fact... you are one of the gurus of online research. aren't you? I bet you can find something similar or the same!:D

So after all the talk, I drank a vanilla-almond for breakfast! :cool:

I heard/read/something (IP video maybe??) that you should wait for 6 months to a year after you hit maintenance before doing anything to "fix" loose skin. It depends on how old you are, how long you were heavy, and I guess just your body in general.

I really don't know what I would do - there's no way insurance would cover something "cosmetic" like that. I'll just have to hope my body will tighten up on its own, or live with the "war wounds" :dizzy:

Yes the new drink is an 8-pack of deliciousness (have I mentioned how good it is?!) :) This comment made me laugh though, because I hated the wildberry yogurt drink! Thank goodness for our swap bucket. Interesting how our tastes run differently. And also how using the packet differently makes it better - ie. I also hated the crispy cereal as-is, but I love it baked up as a breakfast bread, or combined with a pudding mix to make "cake."

Have fun dancing Oneuh2!! :carrot:

I'm not sure what we're doing this weekend, we've been in the cold all week and supposed to have rain coming in. My son's baseball season was supposed to start tomorrow but they cancelled all activities.

I was in a rut too, then my clinic ran out of some of my favorites. They haven't had rotini in weeks! So, I was forced to try some new things. I'd relied on the chocolate drink packet with 2 cups of spinach as my veggies-on-the-go option for months. Was afraid to try some of the others because I thought they wouldn't mix well with the spinach. This week I tried the Pina Colada which tasted relish with the spinach in it. The color was a little weird, but the taste was great. Later this week I'll be trying the Peach Mango packet. It is nice after all this time to have some new things, even though I miss my rotini!

Sorry about the disappointing WIs this week, but I am so happy to see how everyone is keeping their perspective. I have been thinking lately that as we are now into our 8th month, adjusting to changes in our bodies, and getting closer to goal, the process is much more about adjusting our thought process than adjusting our food, which we have all "mastered" at this point.

It is so helpful to see how others are dealing with those mental challenges! Thank you, thank you , thank you!

Checking in before bed. So bitterly cold out tonight. We went to some dear friends 15th anniversary dinner. Thought I made a smart choice of scallops and shrimp with veggies. Very clear NO butter. Halfway through dinner I realized there were crumbles of bacon on the shrimp and veggies. I KNEW they tasted too good!

Scraped off what I could. Hoping I didn't mess anything up. I mean, no where in the entrée description did it mention bacon. Gah!

There was much drinking and celebrating but I held tough. Helped that I was the DD shuttling people home after.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Stay warm!!