Trip, what is the difference in your calories between the two keto styles? What do you class as a "struggle" .. failure to lose? not feeling good? cravings? lack of satiety? lack of variety in the food sources cutting down both carb and fat?

If you can identify what it is that your body seems to be having an issue with, you can probably bend the macros a little to keep you losing AND happy with it. You may be surprised by how much difference macro changes make, rather than caloric restriction.

Every body is unique, and your personal metabolism and biology may not be suited to the "one size fits all" that IP uses. :)

Hi Briael... So far the difference looks to be about 400 or 500 calories less per day on IP... All or which was pretty much coming from fat... I was using about a tbsp of HWC, a tbsp of butter, probably a oz of cheese, and occasionally an oz of nuts... So all things that were helping with saity... And without that I'm finding the increased hungar despite being in ketosis difficult to manage...

The other thing that I think may have started some of the cravings I've been having is the fact that I'm now eating things which are "sweet" to my palette... Prior to IP the only thing remotely "sweet" that I allowed myself as a treat was 2oz of strawberries w/ 1tsp of unsweetened cream on them as a "dessert" once in a while...

The other issue which I think might be underlying all of this is general diet "fatigue"... I began this current round of weight loss last Mothers Day (my first after losing my own Mom over that past Christmas... But I was up to almost 220lbs, so I had my reasons) and I've lost just about 50lbs so far... which is A LOT of weight... especially, considering everything I've been dealing with emotionally this past year...

But I guess ultimately I may have been unrealistic in my expectations... Especially, in how difficult it might be to lose these last 15 to 20lbs...

Sorry you've been struggling TripSwitch. 50# is great and I've heard (have actually never been this close myself!) that those last 15-20# can be some of the hardest to lose. I bet diet fatigue does play a role. Even early in the game it can be tough to feel like you're ALWAYS having to watch what you eat or eat the same things so often. Sometimes I feel like it would be so much easier to not have to THINK about it so much. But, for me anyway, so much of that mindless eating is what got me here in the first place. I think others on here have had some great suggestions in terms of experimenting with spices, eating all your unlimited veggies, checking for new recipes. Hopefully this is just a slump that, unfortunately, you will have to slog through but then it will get better again. Hang in there!! I always have to tell myself, "one meal/day at a time" because if I think about how much weight I need/want to lose it can feel overwhelming.

On a different note....just curious if any of you have had this same feeling: I feel like I've lost more than what I've lost so far. Is that crazy? Maybe it's about the measurements (I haven't done those again yet) but it's strange. I've lost 15.6...and yes that .6 counts =)...but it feels like more. I've lost 20# and more on other diet plans and not felt like I've lost as much as I do now. Not a bad thing of course, just curious if anyone else has had this experience. It's certainly motivating!

Without wanting to give people the idea that it is ok to cheat, I want to share with you that I occasionally have 1oz of cheese (love it on steamed cauliflower at lunchtime), I normally use 2tsp butter for my daily "healthy fats" allowance (or EV coconut oil) in place of the olive/grapeseed oil with a very rare low-sugar natural yoghurt as a treat.

Will it slow you down in terms of loss? Yes, possibly. Will it help with diet fatigue? Yes, probably. It boils down to whether you want to compromise on the IP protocol and keep on the basic principles of their macros .. or if you will fall off the diet completely because you are at a mental and physiological crossroads.

In an ideal world (haha, no pun intended!) this diet would not get us to the stage where we feel fatigued with it, but it does seem to have that effect somewhere down the line. If you look at the Summer 2014 starters thread you will see that most of us have been experiencing the same issues - all at the same time - so it isn't an unusual position to be in.

If you want to stay 100% OP then this stage will pass. You can bypass the sweeter options with your packet choices, or introduce the more savoury flavours of protein powder (an alternative) - many of the vanilla are less sweet than the chocolates and caramels that IP have as drinks and puddings - if you prefer to remove the distractions and possible temptations of the sweet sensation.

Maybe look at changing up your vegetables, make sure to drop in a free salad at lunchtime (that can make a world of difference) and focus on what your body is telling you it needs. If you identify what it is that you are craving (and it sounds like yours is entirely fats) then you can build a workaround that doesn't bend the rules too far. :)

Interestingly enough, I've just watched a UK tv mini-series about Sugars, Calories and Fats (1 program per macro) and it was very informational. Apparently fat isn't just a fuel, it also affects the taste of many carbohydrates and is the basis of the food industry combining fat and sugar for flavour. They did a control group test of eliminating all foods that contained more than 1% fat for a week. By the end of that time frame most of the "dieters" felt bloated, nauseous, deprived and felt their food was either too bland or too sweet. :)

As always .. if you are paying for an IP clinic it is something worth running by your coach to see if they can work with you. If you're doing alternative products but following the IP protocol then you have licence to make changes that you feel may help you.

Provided you continue to lose weight (or inches, or body fat % - they are all important in the journey to better health) then the diet format is a success. The road you take is less important than keeping moving in the right direction. :)

Yes, this is normal for me, too! I go through stages - either lose scale weight or tape measure size, but not often together. It took me 35lbs gone before I started seeing "real" dimension changes, but as I get smaller those inches disappear faster, even on weeks when I gain water weight rather than losing fat.

If you are being measured on the Tanita scale you will see body fat percentage changes as well as weight lost and this is a great indicator of size change where the muscle is smaller in size (although identical in weight) to the same amount of fat. :)

Hello ladies,

I have been away for a while. It turns out I was rushed to emergency last Saturday and had a 10 cm cist removed from my left ovary! I went off the diet for this week. As it was a minor surgery my coach said t give it a weeks break and restart later. If it was a major surgery I would have to stop for a whole month.

Anyhow, I am back in the diet a week later. This week I pigged out a lot! I ate some frozen yogurt and even pizza!!! hehehe However, I was in so much pain I gave myself the excuse. I am now back on track and hoping to lose some weight until next Friday which is my weight in day!

Hows everybody doing?

Oh my, so sorry you had surgery and were in pain. Ouch. The pizza and frozen yogurt were well deserved! I asked my hubby for pizza and choc-peanut butter ice cream for dinner but all I got was chicken and sauteed cabbage:(.

I'm doing okay. Had a teary-eyed day on Wednesday because I'm not losing weight as fast as I'd like. My coach got an email from me complaining about my slow progress. She very nicely told me to take a chill pill. I did, and will have to accept the fact that I lose weight slower than most people. I have my next WI on Monday, fingers crossed.

I hope you continue to heal and kudos to you for coming back to IP!

Thanks Briael! Yah, I sort of expected-based on past experience-that it would take awhile before I really "felt" much difference so that's why I was surprised. I don't know what a Tanita scale is but it must be what my clinic uses because I do know it measures wt. loss from fat vs. muscle vs. water. Most of mine has been from fat, some from water and a small amt from muscle. And I forgot about the "shape and size" of muscle vs. fat..I bet that's part of what I'm seeing. Nice feeling!
:)

Hey all you March starters, where are you?! I'm feeling lonely on this thread!

I have just completed my 3rd week today and had my 3rd WI: I' m down 3.5 lbs this week and if I remember correctly, around 2". Thank you, I'll take it! I was having such difficulty losing weight on my own (low cal, low fat, and reduced carb diet) so this is good for me!

IP has been very difficult for me. I intensely dislike the IP food packets but I insist on staying with this diet. 'One day at a time' is my current mantra.

Anyway, just wanted to share my news, say hi, and encourage others to post. I get a lot of inspiration from other IPers and it contributes so much to my ability to stay on this diet!

Susie you can do it. I had very similar struggles. I can tell you it has been worth it for me - all of the feelings, all of the hard times, all of the physical swings of bad days and good days and very bad days:).
I think it is very possible, because you are going so deeply into these things and so determined, that maybe this is "it" for you, meaning maybe you are making changes in your life such that you will be ready to truly maintain for the rest of your life. I know for me, I went through the whole protocol very consciously determined that this really needed to be the last time I do this - "this" meaning the whole weight loss/regain cycle.
It also helped me that my doctor, and also an old family friend who is a retired doctor, both made it very clear to me that with insulin resistance, once you lose the weight and heal the insulititis and metabolic syndrome, that if you gain more than 5 or 10 lbs, it will be even worse the second time around because the pancreas/organs/hormone system will be that much weaker.

Also tuscanygirl - it was the same for me as Amanda describes - I usually in a week had either loss of weight or loss of inches, but rarely a lot of both. Often I would lose only every two weeks and then have a bit of a "whoosh". I think the key thing in the long run is just keep going, and not have too much anxiety about the week to week.

Good luck everybody!! have a great week!

Hi Susie! I'm just finishing up with week 4. WI: Lost only 2.2 pounds but don't officially measure until tonight. It seems I go every other week. pounds one week, inches the next, so I'm hoping for good inches! Keep up the good work!!!I only like a handful of the IP packets and one of them is the orange drink! I really like it! I'm also really bad about eating veggies. But just like you, just one day at a time!!!

Grateful4Health
It also helped me that my doctor, and also an old family friend who is a retired doctor, both made it very clear to me that with insulin resistance, once you lose the weight and heal the insulititis and metabolic syndrome, that if you gain more than 5 or 10 lbs, it will be even worse the second time around because the pancreas/organs/hormone system will be that much weaker.

Wow, that's a big eye opener, and I believe it's true. I was diagnosed with diabetes about eight years ago and immediately put myself on a diet, lost 40 pounds but didn't keep it off. Now, I'm back to square one (or more like square 200!) and this go around the weight didn't want to come off. I struggled over many weeks and lost 7 lbs total. I couldn't understand what was different but it may be attributed to my weaker body caused by diabetes and metabolic syndrome. There's another incentive not to regain this darn weight! Thank you!

Asmuir, congrats on your weight loss and thank you for the encouragement. I appreciate it!

Hi Susie! Have you tried a variety? Maybe your clinic has individual ones for sale which make good taste testers. If you like oatmeal, they are both really good. I also like the wildberry yogurt smoothie, vanilla/almond RTD, chili is good in a salad (taco salad) and the rotini is good if you mix it with veggies +evoo. I would encourage you to try different ones.

Quit your bellyaching!
 

Yes, I did try a variety of packets. My starter kit (and I don't know if it's unique to my clinic or if all IP clinics have starter kits) had a multitude of packets. But I simply couln't eat them. They didn't make me ill nor did I have a reaction, I just thought they were awful. I hate to say that, as I don't want to discourage anyone from starting IP or venturing into different packets if they're already on IP. Every once in a while I'll have the veggie chili but the first time I had it, it was from the starter kit and it didn't have any cooking instructions. I didn't want to overcook it because I noticed many of the soups said not to boil the product. It turns out I undercooked it and the little nuggets were as hard as gravel. I also don't mind the Chicken Noodle Soup but when preparing it, the smell nauseates me. Then I was the person who posted the Mango Drink Mix comments about the chemical smell. It smelled like I was running a fertilizer production line in my kitchen. I won't go near that drink ever again. And I am sure my recycled cardboard is used to make those damn BBQ crisps.

So there's the ugly truth. My coach said I had the most negative reactions to the food out of all of her patients. She even told me that 'perhaps this wasn't the diet for me'. But then my stubborn gene kicked in and I refused to quit. If this was high school I would probably be voted 'Most Likely to Fail' but I am staying focused to the end!

I don't know if you saw the Today Show this morning but there was a story about the Whole 30 Diet--it was actually a lifestyle change, not a diet. But it reminded me a lot of IP: lean meats, oodles of veggies and no carbs (they didn't go into a lot of detail so I may have the facts wrong). But the author/creator said something that resonated with me:
Beating cancer is hard. Giving birth is hard. But drinking coffee w/o milk is not hard. That put things into perspective for me. This is only a bump in life and I can handle it.

So thanks NowItsMyTurn, I appreciate your support and suggestions but it's definitely 'me' who is a tough nut to crack with regards to the IP food....I shall make do with the Chocolate Drink Mix and PB bars and I shall succeed....:)

Susie,
We could be best friends based off of everything you just said!!! There are very few IP things I can handle. The Orange Drink, The Chocolate RM, the wafers, and Peanut chocolate bar are about the only things I can stomach. the chili is ok, but not my favorite! Now throw in the fact that I actually HATE Vegetables, and now we have a real problem. UGH! I am trying everything under the sun to get vegetables in. Up today....Cauliflower pizza bites.
And I'm pretty sure my coaches or at least one of them is tired of hearing how much I hate VEGGIES!
Didn't lose any inches this last week, and only lost 1 true pound of fat, so yesterdays weigh in was not good. Here's hoping for a good week of veggies and a good week of IP food. BRING ON WEEK 5!

SusieCJ - your motivation is so encouraging! I need to stop making excuses and finally give myself a swift kick in the butt and just get on with this. I'm miserable at my current weight so time to do something about it!

SusieCJ - keep it up, girl! I feel ya. Thanks for being open and honest about your struggles with IP - I too have a hard time w/the food. Except the bars (but they're restricted, dang it!)

I just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone here for all the great support I got here in my attempt on the IP protocol.... But unfortunately I've realized that this isn't the right time for this particular plan for me... While I think I could have adjusted to it physically... Mentally I just could not "Get My Head In The Game" so to speak... So I've decided to just really focus on maintaining the 50lbs I have lost in the past year... Still keep tracking of what I eat, since it's gotten me this far... And eat near maintaince level calories since I feel so much better.... I finally feel like I can begin to even think about running again, which is something I really want to do now that the weather is getting nice again... So we'll see, if in a few months if I still have these final 15lbs to still lose... The IP protocol will still be an option... :)

I know my IP coach said not to exercise. But now that summer is here, I like to walk for an hour, just a moderate speed. This should not affect the weight loss right?

asmuir, how do you do with raw veggies? I ate pretty much this every single day when I was on P1:
Both meals: 2 cups raw cucumber, mix of red/yellow/orange bell peppers, celery, pickle. 2 cup romaine lettuce. I bought organic as the taste, for me, is significantly better - I can taste the chemicals when they are there. I just put them in plastic baggies on the weekend and had them ready for the week. Super easy and I am on the road a lot so if needed could eat them in the car. I even put the lettuce in the baggies.
For lunch I had BBQ crisps with it, every day.

It was the easiest time of my life:) - now on P4 it is slightly more complicated, but sometimes I just eat that exact thing as I like it. I take a baggie of 4 oz grilled chicken instead of the crisps.

It's what I liked, it worked for me. From time to time I would cook up some veg that I like in a soup like thing with broth, and eat that with grilled chicken or ground beef for dinner.

Find what you like, it doesn't matter. I'm sure a lot of people would say it is better to vary everything, but I just wanted to stay on the P1 protocol however I could. I think as long as you're OP you're fine, and my doctor echoed this.

We are all so different, I think it's important to find what works for you. Maybe experiment with new ways of cooking things, etc.

Sounds like you need to reeducate your palate. Veggies aren't the enemy. I think most of us would agree that they are an acquired taste and that you often have to experiment with different ways of cooking them until you find one that works for you.

I used to hate asparagus - but lightly sauteed in a tsp of butter with some sea salt .. yum yum. I had nasty associations of canned, steamed and boiled asparagus which made me steer clear of it for lots of years.

Cauli florets baked in the oven with a sprinkling of olive oil and some curry powder? Yep, can do that, too.

Take a read through the awesome Rainbowsmiles' recipes (Lisa links to it in the first post of the daily chat thread) for inspiration and fresh ideas.

Honestly, I think most of us had to rethink vegetables when we started IP as it's one of the few "real" foods we are allowed and who wants to be deprived of more food groups than we really have to?

Keep trying new things - for your sanity as much as your health. :)

Thanks for the tips! I have been looking through Rainbow's recipes. I'm working on reeducating the palate, one veggie at a time. I have been cooking rhubarb and blending it with an EAS Strawberry shake, and then mostly eating cucumbers, spinach in salads, green beans when I can. I'll keep trying new things. My husband can eat just about ANY veggie and be fine with it. I just think I have the worst taste buds in history! I tried asparagus the other day and it wasn't awful, so I will just keep trying!!!

I have the same question. Before I started on IP I was walking 3 to 4 miles a day with 10,000 steps as a goal each day. I have a treadmill, so it was easy to do on bad weather days. My pace was over 3 mph for at least 30 minutes of those miles. I would like to get back to that same level again, but don't want to halt my weight loss.
BTW, I lost no weight at all over the last year while I was doing that walking.

Hi Woodlily, I too walked all summer last year without loosing a pound. But since last week I have been walking at a stready pace for an hour, and I am still loosing weight at the same pace at before. I found some old threads, where others have done moderate exercise and still lost weight steadily. I have also read that walking will not affect weight loss, as long as you walk at a steady pace, as it does not increase the heart rate too much. Hope this helps. But I guess the best thing would be to try if for a couple of weeks and see. Ohters have also suggested increasing one IP on days of workouts.Hope this helps :)

WooHoo! down 2.8 pounds at weigh-in this week! Down to my smallest pair of jeans that I could not even fasten a month ago! I went out for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes and made a salad of all allowed veggies and then went for the chicken noodle soup and just fished out the chicken for my protein!

Good job! I love sweet tomatoes!

Hi everyone. A lot of people on here have shared some great tips on going out to restaurants and getting their 4 cups of veggies in. I would like to share some of my tips (and missteps) with you, to help make this plan a little easier.

When going out to eat, I find that the biggest thing is planning ahead. When I know that a group of us were going to meet up to do some activities, and then go eat afterwards, I would do a few things. First, I would pack a lunch kit with a pre-made drink, my meds, a snack, and a mini squirt bottle of white vinegar. That way, if the group selected a restaurant where my options were limited to none, I still have my drink. The second thing I would do is to check out the restaurants in the area that we were going to be in, and use MyFitnessPal to look at the menu items, and come up with 3 suggested restaurants to the group. I find that most restaurants whose main focus is seafood (fish in particular), are going to have a lot of healthy options. For example, Bonefish Grill has a Rainbow Trout dish that is great (0 sugar, 0 carbs). I got a side salad, and used my white vinegar, as well as shared the enamame appetizer. My third suggestion would be to discuss healthy dining options with the more healthy-conscious folks in your party, to help sway the consensus :).

I've also learned of restaurant items I can have with no problems. For Mexican food, Fajitas. There are some caveats though. Make sure the meats/seafood are not marinated in sugar (i.e. honey, sauces). You will also have to request to substitute the onions for bell peppers. Since I'm a guy from New Orleans, and it's crawfish and shrimp season, I can fully indulge at crawfish and shrimp boils, and still be in line with the Ideal Protein program. I eat crawfish/shrimp, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Since the onion are not caramelized, they are okay to eat. If Vietnamese food is your thing, Pho is a great option. Just request no noodles, and add extra veggies. However, do not get the Lemongrass chicken Vermicelli. I ordered it without the noodles, carrots, and nuts, and it still knocked me out of ketosis. I guess it was the marinade (I forgot to ask). As I have previously stated, seafood restaurants with grilled/blackened fish options are usually pretty Ideal Protein friendly. Steak restaurants are pretty good as well. Order an 8 oz. filet, and a side salad. Bring your white vinegar with you.

Regarding getting those four cups of veggies in per day, I have two main go-to veggies; fresh spinach and bok choy. I take the fresh spinach and place them in a hot skillet, after spraying the skillet with Pam cooking spray. Once it is almost cooked down, I'll sprinkle onion powder, garlic powder, and Ideal salt on it. I'll usually cook several servings at a time, and put them in containers for the week. I do a similar thing with the bok choy, except I add in light soy sauce and mushrooms. Both veggies cook down to almost nothing, but the 2 cups measured before cooking is what really counts. So, 3 bites of spinach or bok choy, and your finished with downing your veggies!

As far as cooking at home, here are a few options. Using the taco seasoning mix, brown some 90% lean ground sirloin, and the mix, and eat it in a romaine lettuce leaf; so good! Also, the same area where you find the taco seasoning mix in the store, there should be some powdered marinate mixes. Check the back of the packaging for 0 carbs, 0 sugars (also, 1 or 2 of each are okay). When making the marinate, the directions usually call for "oil." I use olive oil. I usually marinate chicken tenders or breast in a ziplock bag for 24 hours, and then grill. A veggie you can grill with it are large mushroom caps. Spray both sides with Pam cooking spray, and add garlic salt. It tastes just like steak!

Anyways, I hope this helps. I'm I little more than a month in, and are 32 pounds lost. I'm hoping to hit my 100 pound goal by the end of June. Keep on going everyone! You are worth it!!!

TripSwitch truly best wishes to you and come back and talk to us whenever you like - I like hearing from everyone, you don't have to feel like you are strictly OP to chat. We are learning about maintenance together, and it sounds like you are basically headed into maintenance.
I am slowly losing a few pounds on P4 through SLIGHT calorie reduction and exercise/toning. Hopefully you will do the same. It will just take a little longer maybe, but my body was the same as you where it was done with P1 and ready for the next thing.

Update: I had a great day yesterday with Veggies. Made some cauliflower pizza bites, basically just cauliflower, spices/herbs and an egg. I have some other ideas on cauliflower and today already I have gotten down 2 cups of Spinach, so I am trying...I promise!!!

IP head office does suggest 'light' exercise (ie: not sweating) on P1 once you have eased into ketosis. You can do weights as well but not at previous intensity. Walking is perfect, cycling, swimming, etc. If you get into heavier exercise, you may need to add an extra packet or eggs & possibly a bit of carb (Jenny38 on the maintainer threads has done half marathons, 10 k runs etc this way). There is a C25K on IP thread and a Movers & Groovers thread for IP & exercise that are good to follow for encouragement & advice. If you were exercising before, keep it up. If you are new to exercise, start slowly with walking, see how you feel and go from there.
As you've already learned, exercise alone doesn't keep the weight off or lower the fat. 'Fat loss is in the kitchen, fitness is in the gym' is a truism.
Exercise is also good for our mental & emotional health, which is a big thing when changing our food habits.

Keep on movin'! :running: :lifter: :swim::ebike:
Liana

Thank you Liana for your wonderful advise. I have been watching my weight this week, and walking has not had any adverse reaction to my weight loss. I am also thinking of starting Callanetics (I had seen some great reviews of this on a previous thread on 3 fat chicks).

I have not felt like exercising, but 20 pounds lighter, I feel like moving my body once again :)

Thanks for the GREAT Advice!!!

2.6lbs this week! Woo! so excited.

Thanks for the advice Kirag and canadjineh. I was hoping I could resume my walking. I did walk for an hour today on the treadmill, but kept my pace under 3 mph so I didn't work up a sweat. I have so much energy that I needed to do something. I will see how my daily walks affect my weight loss as I am now averaging 2 lbs a week.
As a side note, my hubby just cooked a small frozen pizza and will be eating it all himself. The smell doesn't even bother me after having my protein and veggies. :)

I keep reading how people are struggling with the packets, I too do not like a lot but using pinterest and ideal recipes from the internet I am finding it a lot easier. Making the soups into the breads are very yummy and flavorful I am finding it a lot easier. Just thought I'd put that out there before anyone gives up. I had a hectic March and April with travelling for work and holidays and during that five weeks I lost 15 pounds, which I am very happy with (WI was today) I know it could have been better but I find it hard to travel and stay OP but have been doing it for the most part......and very careful when I cannot. Now I thought I am ready to settle down and be 100% but than my 16 year old legally blind son has been accepted to try the eSight glasses and I thought I will send my husband so I do not have to be tempted for the week we would be there, today my coach said is not being there for his first sight more important and I thought she is right I can continue to stay OP till we go away and still do my best when we are away, now I will be there for him to see the wrinkles in his mom"s face!!!

EatingLess and everyone else who has responded to my posts, thank you so much for your suggestions and support! You guys rock!! I haven't tried baking with the packets but I have looked into it! I would hope that the baking would alter the flavor so that I could eat it! Fingers crossed.

I also wanted to commend EatingLess for staying OP while traveling and encourage you to accompany your son when he gets his new glasses. OMG, what a great moment that'll be!! So excited for you and him!

Asmuir, I think you commented you were having a difficult time eating your veggies. Here are a few comments:

- Two cups of one veggie is alot! I try to have at least two different veggies per meal, for example, one cup of broccoli and one cup of cauliflower. That way I'm not overwhelmed by one!
- I grew up with an Italian mom who always cooked her veggies the same way each time: sauteeing them in garlic and olive oil. My mom was able to make any veggie delicious. I even remember once my nephew asked for seconds on sauteed peas (not OP!) and my sister was stunned as she couldn't get him to eat his veggies at home! Luckily cooking with olive oil and garlic is OP (although my mom used more olive oil than allowed on our plan).
- When on the road, I always bring along raw veggies. I'll eat a few at different timess and before I know it, my bag is empty.
- I love grilled 'anything' and prior to OP I was grilling my veggies. Now that the weather is warmer, I am back to the grill. Red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and asparagus are all sooo much better on the grill, imho.

Last, congrats to everybody who has posted weigh loss results. Doesn't it feel great to finally be doing something about the extra weight we are carrying around!! Kudos to everyone! Your stories keep me going!

Thanks so much... I've really learned a lot here... I love that the IP forum is so active and for me it's very motivating....

And so much of what you all do... Like the 4cups of veggies, the salad greens, and the plenty of water each day are really becoming part of my way of eating now... And I want it to stay that way, since I know that's going to be the basis for keeping the 50lbs I did lose off for good...

And plus, I've been turned on to some great tips here... all the different "alternatives"... the different protein powders, the Quest bars and chips, and lots of other things as well... That I definitely see having a place in my plan now and I'm very happy about that... Just knowing I can have some of those things and still stay on track is such a relief.... :)

I am doing better with Veggies. Cauliflower is sort of becoming my best friend. There are so many things to do with it. Also Rhubarb. And tomorrow night or Saturday I will have some rutabaga! I've sorta hit a wall on weeks 4 and 5 have haven't lost much, but just trying to stay positive and enjoy what I have lost!!! :)