Just checking in. Weighed this morning and lost 2 more pounds! So happy I found a diet that actually works for me. 12 more and I reach my goal.

Fantastic! Way to go!!!

Wow, this thread is bumping! I love that!

Welcome to the newbies and way to go to all of you experiencing such great weigh ins! You guys are rocking it!

SusieCJ - I was under the impression each extra (starch, fruit, dairy) was to be eaten at a separate meal, but I'm also not a coach. Maybe double check with your coach that there wasn't a miscommunication, or maybe someone on here with more experience with the alternate plan will weigh in.

As for me, I finally made it through a Friday AND Saturday with no cheats! As I've mentioned before, I can be 100% compliant during the work week, and then the weekend hits and I lose all my strength. Well this may finally be the end to that... knock on wood... I know if I can stick to the plan for 4-6 weeks I can be at goal, just in time for summer!

Congrats knm:)

UGH! I have been in ketosis since like day 3 of this plan..Friday night as I was cleaning up from my families weekly pizza night ( I ate a yummy salad with chicken, homemade) yea me....I was fine until the garlic bread won the battle of temptation! And today, Sunday only trace ketones. Dang it all! So I feel like I am starting all over again...

So on a positive note, I love kale chips! First Rutabegas now Kale! I am trying new things and finding things on the list that I actually enjoy.

Has anyone found a bread-like substitute? I think of all the things that are restricted bread is the hardest for me.

I love reading everyone's successes and struggles. When I need a bit of motivation I always check in! Keep it up everyone!

Hi everyone! Spring has finally arrived here in my neck of the woods (hope it stays!) and I can't wait to get outside. Starting my fourth week so my coach said it was okay to go ahead and start-carefully-exercising. She said to start with 20 min walk or similar three times a week and to have an extra packet before I walk. Part of me finds it hard to believe I'll really need it for just a 20min walk but I'm trusting that they know better than I do after my vast 3 weeks of experience =) Down 3.3 this week so happy with that.

Welcome to all the new members!!! Definitely come here for support and suggestions because we know what you're going through. And for all of those who have had a little slip...just get back on the IP bandwagon. We are human after all so as long as we don't let one little slip become a BIG slip I bet you'll be okay!

Have a great week everyone!

Having a good first day here now... But earlier I was feeling pretty bad... sort of shaky and weak... tried to lay down for a little while, but that didn't seem to help... So I decided to have my "restricted" that I was saving for a snack, earlier than I planned... took a while, but I feel better now... In fact I'm not really hungry for dinner now... Even though I was really looking forward to it.... I roasted a whole chicken for my family's dinner, so I'm planning on having that with asparagus and 1tsp EVOO...

Was definitely a bit surprised by how bad I felt... Since I've already been in ketosis for over a month already... I guess my body really didn't like the drop in calories and fat... Hopefully I'll adjust soon enough.... But I've have a feeling that my body is really going to " fight" me pretty hard for these last 15lbs...

Fantastic advice, thanks for sharing it. In the scheme of things 1 day is just 1 day out of the rest of your life. Don't sweat the small stuff. :)

Welcome Trip. Glad to have you on the keto-side of the 3FC house. :)

If you have Facebook you should check out (request to join as it's a Closed group) Janeva's Ideal Recipes Cookbook - Phase 1. She has some bread recipes in the Files area.

You can make pseudo bread rolls using the potato puree packets combined with the crispy cereal (assuming you're not soy intolerant). You can also make good cinnamon bread using the crispy cereal with one of the pudding packets, or a banana cake with a choc pudding and banana pudding packets. They don't require much beyond the usual (some egg white, baking powder, little salt) and can often fill that "texture" void that IP packet foods can leave in our lives. :)

Janeva also has a great french toast recipe that I am going to try out as a supper treat later in the week. :)

Interesting, when I re-read my sheets it doesn't technically say that you can't mix 1/2n1/2. It only says you cannot substitute to have more than one of each group. Sorry if I sent you 'down the garden path.' My clinic suggested keeping them separate. In maintenance the guideline is to separate fats & carbs (3:1 ratio in grams), because usually the combination of the two together is what got us here in the first place. In very simple terms the insulin release due to the carbs tells our cells to store the fat that is circulating along with it. It is good practice for later, trust me (speaking from experience in combining craisins and cheese, lol).
Let us know how it goes, SusieCJ! Are you diabetic or just doing Alternative because it works better for you?

Liana

Had a fantastic Weekend and turned my kitchen into an IP Test Kitchen! Made some zucchini chocolate cookies, made some rutabaga Fries that I LOVED, and tried cauliflower tator tots! I'm loving Rainbow's recipes!

AND Today is weigh in day! Down another 5.2 pounds, which makes 16 pounds!!!! :)

Hi all... Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and all the encouragement!

I'm having some "irregularity" issues that I'm working through today, so I'm not all that hungry... Seems to be an unfortunate side effect from this way of eating for me... I am looking forward to my dinner tonight... Poached fish and asparagus... Yum!... And I think I'm going to sub out one of my packets with 1 egg and 3 egg whites lightly scrambled... I feel that will help "settle" my stomach a little bit better...

Hope everyone is having a Great and OP Day... :)

TripSwitch I think by irregularity you might mean constipation?
If so, many of us have had trouble with this on P1, I think there might be a thread if you search for it.
You also will see people refer to it was "The Big C".

It was definitely one of my bigger issues during P1. I took a lot of Magnesium in various forms, and at times my doctor had me take an over the counter stool softener/activator. If it helps to know, after I was finished with P1, things have been much better again.

Good luck and have a good week!

This was a fairly major problem for me too (again, guessing you mean constipation as opposed to diarrhea). I went and bought "Natural Calm" magnesium (GNC, Amazon). I am super sensitive (to most meds) and so a large 1/8 tsp in some hot water every night has turned the trick, so to speak. Also, a bottle of this stuff (even at 2 tsp a day) will last months!

ETA - oh! and it is helping me fall asleep / sleep deeper.

IP / Proti restart
 

Hi, I hope I'm in the correct place to talk about a IP alternative diet that I'm going on, Proti Diet. I was on IP 3 years ago and lost 30 pounds and have gained some of that back. Because my clinic has switched from IP to Proti I'm doing Proti as I live in a rural area. I will likely buy most of my product online. I love the honey nut cereal, vanilla shakes, chicken noodle soup, chocolate dreams bars and the BBQ crisps.
My question, does anyone have the phase 1 sheet and/or comparable for IP and Proti. It's been 3 years and I'm not quite sure what I can have outside of the 3 paks a day. I've read on Proti you can have fruit??
I did well on IP before and want to stick to that as much as possible to have the same results. The clinic is letting me purchase my food without going through the whole signup again.
Any input, especially on Proti would be great.
Happy Monday !!:carrot:

Thanks Grateful4Health and hysteria...

That was what I was talking about... Lol... well, now I can laugh about it since I did use some Mag earlier and now I feel so much better... ;)

I have heard that Proti is just the generic version of IP. There is a store near my house that sells Proti Diet products and many are identical to the IP products. I would say follow the same P1 protocol (which is saved as a sticky), just with alternative packets. That's what I have been doing!

Health Smart, Weight Loss Systems, Proti Thin and Proti Diet are ALL equivalents of the IP packets - they work on similar macros. All can be purchased from NashuaNutrition if you cannot source locally. :)

Alternate IP Carb Issue
 

knm and Canadjineh, Regarding carbs on the Alternate IP, I did confirm with my coach that it was okay for me to divide my carbs if I wanted. For me this meant eating 1/2 bread and 1/2 cheese at two meals then a third carb, fruit, at another meal. I am on the Alternate Plan due to diabetes type 2. I followed this for the first two weeks (while on the alternate plan) per my coach's instructions. I am assuming this is not allowed if one is on the Alternate Plan by choice, ie, not due to diabetes. In the same breath, I want to stress that if anyone is reading this and wants the protocol for diabetics this is not what the IP protocol states--my coach okayed it for me. But for anyone else, consult your coach please as your coach may want you to do something different!

Coincidentally today I started the regular protocol for IP as the Alternate Plan for diabetics is recommended for the initial two weeks.

Clear as mud? :dizzy:

But thank you, ladies, for bringing this up. One of the reasons I am on 3FC is to ensure I am following protocol!

Its a great feeling when clothes start feeling loose...yay

OH MY Goodness! It does feel good! finally got into some pants that have been hanging out of the back of the closet! Wish I could lose some inches in the bottom half a little more, but my chest keeps shrinking....:dizzy:

I am having issues with losing inches where the measurements will show. I carry my weight evenly from head to toe, so I am sure I am losing in places that I am not tracking as my clothes are not fitting me any longer. The tape measure shows 1" on B and only 1/4" in both W and H. Anyone else have these issues? I have lost 13 lbs.

Thanks for your update SusieCJ! I did kind of wonder if suggested ways of dividing your 'extras' on Alternative may be adjusted according to one's medical issues (or lack thereof). I can certainly see that as a diabetic you may need to keep a more even mix of macronutrients in your meals. Have you had to adjust meds yet or are you seeing some change in your sugars, Susie? That's such a wondrous thing when IP dieters get to drop or lower their old meds because their bodies are moving back to better health.
:dance::dance::dance:

Liana

Happened to me, too. The bust is nearly all fat though, and it isn't necessary to have the store there for our survival so I guess the body regards boobage as disposable.

Fear not, it does slow down and the fat starts going from other places, too! :)

I have lost 2 and 1/2 inches in the boobie area!! I'm also ready for it to go out of other places!!! LOL! I have lost some in the W and H as well, and this week I lost an inch in the Thigh! Hang in there! Your body will respond!

Funny you should say that, seems to be the first place for weight to go lol

Hi all, I haven't written since I've introduced myself... so a little update. ..I've had 3 weighins...lost 15 lbs so far. I've had a few cheats..( leftover kids food, a bite here and there... ) definitely not worth it as my last weigh in was only 1lb. Everyone who says don't cheat that first time because it'll be so much harder to stop IS RIGHT! Everyday I would try to stop the "bites" and I would fail...for a week straight. I decided to stop the games and try my best... I've been 3 straight days with no cheats!

You'll find the most successful in both short term & long term into maintenance are those that don't cheat - stay 100% - it's actually easier than allowing yourself a little extra (that very often leads to more extras). That said, if you fall down, pick yourself up and dust off and carry on 100%. Don't plan the cheats :nono:!

Good work, NowItsMyTurn29!

Liana

Liana, I've only been on IP for 17 days so I have no med changes yet, but I hope to experience that in the future!! As a matter of fact, I just got the results of bloodwork which was drawn at the end of last week and it shows a significant drop in my A1C (a long term test showing the blood sugar levels)! I need to mention that there was a wait list to sign up for IP, so in the interim I went on a low carb/low cal diet which I'm sure contributed to my good A1C.

IP won't be able to reverse my diabetes (nothing can!) but it has already improved my health and may lead to rx changes for me! So there's another reason for me to carry on. Thanks for asking.
http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar-bl...6/150/190/.png

I am 17 days in....I feel like I am not losing anything. I can't tell if it is TOM because I had a hysterectomy but still have my ovaries. Hoping that is why I am feeling like crap. Kinda bored with the food we are having as well. Tried going out to get something different but hard to know what they are cooking with. Telling the server No carbs, sugar or dairy in my food, they look at my like I am crazy. Need to get out of this funk!!!

Hang in there lalbers77, you are probably losing in measurements. I'm a slow loser on the scale, and my clinic's scale weighs 4 pounds heavier because I go in the afternoon, usually after lunch and 3 bottles of water. If you're able to choose ahead from the restaurant's menu, I find it's less hassle to order. I just say I have dietary restrictions, and usually order grilled veggies with no oil or butter; salad, no dressing, meat the same, that kind of thing. Check the recipe threads for a way to change up the packets. You've got this!

I am down 7 lbs after 2.5 weeks. The first 8 days were intensely hard, my head was spinning and and I think I could lose more but I cheated a bit had some chips some bites here and there and some wine....but I'm still down. ;):cool::smug::smug::smug::smug::smug:

Yeah, sticking with it 100% is always easiest. A cheat here and there can snowball very quickly.
When it comes to off plan food, I don't look at it as food I can never have again, they're just foods I cannot have right now.

I might want some fettucine Alfredo, but by passing up on it today, I'm probably a week closer to getting to eat it again, and at that point in time I'll be better equipped to make the choices that will help me eat that pasta with little affect to my body/weight.

All that said, I'm not 100%. I eat way more tomatoes and onions than is allowed, but I don't eat any restricted food, so that's my trade off.

I know the temptation NowItsMyTurn29 but I agree with everyone else...try not to give in to cheats because I think it's a pretty slippery slope! I try to tell myself "no" because if I taste it then I'll remind myself of what I'm NOT eating right NOW (but will again in the future)instead of being content with all of the good things we do get to eat. For me, I play a bunch of little games like, "Well, I could have that now but I'll just have it later". Of course I don't really plan to have it later but somehow it seems like I'm not really telling myself "absolutely not". Silly but works for me.

Congratulations for 3 days of no cheats!!:carrot: That is great.

Hang in there everyone else too! We're all going to have good and bad days but hopefully more good than bad.

Accountability time. I had some cheats on vacation. Have you heard about the camel's nose and the tent parable? If you give in once, it is hard and harder to say no in the future. SO TRUE. Anyway, I am back on the wagon. In the two weeks that I've been on IP, I lost 6 pounds. Not bad, but if I was 100% compliant, I would have lost more. Good luck to my fellow IPers, never give up!
:cheer2: :cheer3: :cheer2:

Couple of places I've found will help you out with such requirements:- Any good steakhouse - just ask them not to put butter on the steak and bring steamed or grilled veggies without any dressing. This has been my absolute saving grace on days when I've really been desperate for a change.

Olive Garden - they have a Rosemary chicken dish which they can bring to the table without any sauce. I always ask for a side of asparagus with no balsamic vinegar and have them bring olive oil to the table and carefully measure it off. Unfortunately, their salads either come house dressed or without dressing. You can ask for oil and vinegar on the side and try to be very mean with them, but at least it gives you the option to socialise if you need to.

Check out Rainbowsmiles' cooking with packets thread (it's linked from the first post in the Daily Chat threads every single day). She (and others) put some truly amazing recipes in there for us to make food that doesn't feel like a restriction from the packets.

Don't forget that you can use spices and herbs to change things up, but be careful of the sodium amounts as these can (and frequently do) lead to water retention.

Be patient while your tastebuds get used to the relatively bland flavours of IP food. It's very much worth it once you can get firmly into ketosis and see those numbers coming off each week, but it does take a little time for your body to adapt to the lack of fat, sugar and salt that you've been used to. No way round that, sadly.

Stay strong, it will get easier. :)

I wanted to chime in and tell you I'm slow at losing weight, too. It's frustrating when you see everyone else losing large amounts. While I'm happy for them, I wish I could experience the same! So keep reading 3fc posts to keep yourself motivated, look for new items to eat (search recipes and what people are eating today), review your food journal to make sure you are IP compliant, and ask questions on this forum! There are so many experienced posters who understand the science behind the diet, and they can and will help you if you reach out. The remainder of us (your fellow newbies) will be your cheeleaders. Stay strong, good luck, and keep posting!:cheer3:

I'm struggling with IP... Even though I was already doing a ketogenic diet... I just think the drop in calories is more than my body can handle right now... I'm really not sure what to do... :?:

Hi TripSwitch: Your body is craving the fats you were substituting for carbs on your previous diet. Hang on and distract your tastebuds with allowable strongly flavoured items. The fat is where the flavour resides so that is why you are missing it. I use a lot of Frank's Hot Sauce (only the Regular, Extra Hot, or Chili & Lime), Cholula, Tabasco, Braggs Amino's (or soy sauce - not gluten free for me though), mustards (German, grainy, Dijon, yellow), and infused vinegars (herbs or garlic steeped in them). Pickles are a great way to distract yourself. Choose quality ones that are crunchy and not too salty (I always buy garlic 1/2 salt). Try using herbal teas with lots of flavour and steep for a longer time for more intensity. Look at different herbs and spices, curry powders, rosemary, fresh basil leaves, mint, adobo spice, cilantro, etc. to get more interesting flavour. Just be careful to experiment with the amounts as too much can ruin your dish. Start small and add if needed.
Above all, Hang ON! One meal at a time! Eat your allowable extra veggies whenever you feel like it.

Liana

Everytime I want to cheat I should remember this....
last week "small" cheats: lost 0.6lbs
this week no cheats: lost 4lbs
VERY excited with my loss and hopeful to continue having willpower!

Awesome, and yeah... pretty straightforward! Congrats on your awesome loss this week!!!