Started on a Thursday... Bad idea for me
 

Hi I'm new to 3 fat chicks and new to ideal protein. My goal is to lose 115 pounds. I'm 5'6, 246. Upon the recommendation of my coach she recommended I start on a Thursday because the fourth day would be the hardest. I should have followed my gut... To withdraw on a Saturday is TOUGH. I'm so used to sleeping in, eating and just vegging out on the weekend. At least if I started on a Monday I would be busy (At Work) for the first few days to not be tempted to eat! Since it's such a drastic lifestyle change, I wasn't ready to be home, with a t.v. On and not be able to eat. It's not an excuse to delay my start date but it is seriously too hard my first few days to land on a weekend. So I decided to re start on Monday with a fresh start. Did anyone else find this to be true? Does the start date matter for you?
P.s. I LOVE the food!

Good luck on your IP journey, Mariposah. :)

Thursday is a great day for WI - better than Monday as most people don't drink all their water and tend to have more temptation put in their way on the weekend (well meaning family and friends trying to offer you food and alcohol).

Glad you like the food, that is a real bonus and will help keep you on plan. :)

I started on a Friday for which I stuck to it for 7 months. I started a higher protein approach on Monday of that first week but I didn't start IP until Friday corresponding to the first availability for an appointment with the local IP clinic which I found to be much more rigid than what I was doing the prior 4 days. I was fed up by that point, and quite frankly, it would not have mattered what day of the week it was. Sorry if that sounds harsh but you have to look long and hard at this and determine if you are really ready. Think about this - if you had started Thursday, you would already be in ketosis using fat for energy!

You're absolutely right. I just basically ate a whole bunch of junk and am starting to feel guilty:/
I thought i was ready and on some levels I think I am. I was craving sugar really badly. I know when I'm in ketosis the hunger shouldn't be an issue. I just needed to get there. The truth is that while being within a few days into ideal protein, it is tough when it falls on a weekend because I'm bored and I can't focus on anything else besides eating. But no excuses. Back on the wagon. I just hope I didn't do much damage!

I know I need to start on a Monday to make me feel like I have a fresh start and my past mistakes are truly in the past. I was overweight LAST week, but THIS week, I'm trying to be healthy. But I agree with Ro- if you're truly motivated, you'll make it work. Next week is another weekend with the same challenges you're experiencing now.

If you need to wait until Monday to restart so you can shake off the mistakes of this weekend, I completely understand. But don't use that as an excuse to go all out tomorrow- eat clean and healthy, and go into Monday feeling a little stronger than you would have otherwise. And remember, LAST week you were weak and fell off the wagon. THIS week, you are trying to be a better person, and you're going to succeed.

Thank you. It's just being on day 3 on a Saturday leaves me very vulnerable because all of my cravings haven't cleared and being home alone and bored is not good for me. At least if I start on Monday by Saturday I would have been strong into the plan and temptation wouldn't be as much of a big deal. (I hope this makes sense) but thank you for your kind words! I want to make this work.

Don't beat yourself up - what's done is done. But, given the nice weather that seems to be happening many places, don't sit home and be bored - go for a walk, etc. Try a new hobby or something that you have been meaning to do. Plan ways to be creative with this diet - there's lots of recipes and ideas here. Good luck and know this forum is a great place for support, a kick in the pants when you need it and a wealth of info!

I was going to say what Ro said -- don't get stuck at home, if home is too tempting!

The other thing that I wish someone had told me when I was first starting IP: eat low-carb for a few days before you start. (In your case, at least tomorrow.) The transition is a little easier if you aren't burning through LOTS of extra glycogen.

My other advice? Throw out the junk! You have your sheet, listing what is and isn't OK to eat; throw out what isn't OK! I know it's hard to throw away food, and if you really can't bear to do that, then take it somewhere and donate it, or give it to a friend or family member. Just don't keep it around.

Finally, remember: on your first week (or two? I think it depends on your coach) you are allowed an extra packet if you're hungry. You'll still lose weight. It's OK.

I was the exact opposite- I need to be 100% during the work week and the thought of going through the worst of the keto-flu was in no way, shape, or form appealing. Plus, I knew I needed to work on developing new weekend habits. I found 3FC, started posting, finding new recipes - so now Saturday's tend to be shopping, chopping, cooking, and cleaning - or Sunday depending on what day we do something with our DD10. I started reading again, playing games with DD10, and when the weather clears, plan to add in a nice walk.

Also sounds like you need to plan your snacks and packets carefully for your first week.

If you crave sweet things and/or chocolate, choose your packets to include a shake or pudding and get some of the chocolate soy puffs. Identify your "weakest" willpower time of the day and put your snack in there - or divide it into two and have them when you are finding temptation hard to resist.

You're right - the cravings will disappear once you are firmly into ketosis. It doesn't mean you won't want them anymore, just that you don't have hunger adding to the equation and driving the "need" to have "something", which just happens to be junk food.

You CAN do this. Your WI day ultimately doesn't matter, it's just a weekly marker to identify how much you are losing in that time frame. Pick one that works for you. :)

Let me give you my trick for the first 4 days. Allow yourself up to 6 IP packs a day ... or a double dose of meat and veggies for the first few days. This will really help you stay on track while you are breaking all the "bad" food cravings and addictions -- and get you used to the foods to be eaten in the IP diet. Then on day 5 drop back to the strict phase 1 diet. This works like a charm -- and is much better than spending day number 2 and 3 with a massive headache and climbing the walls with food cravings. Yes, it's a bit like "easing in" to the IP P1 diet -- and actually delays your start to the strict IP P1 protocol -- but is much preferred to caving in with a cheat on day 2 or 3 and having to start over completely. Once you get to day 5 all your cravings should be gone and staying 100% becomes relatively easy.

What everyone has said already! Another trick that really helped me is to not go more then 3-4 hours without a protein. So for me, this meant I broke up my lunch to have a mid-morning bar or shake and then my veggies at lunch (I even added in a portion of my dinner protein at lunch). Use the free veggies also to fill in for the afternoon. Or, have your evening snack bar between lunch & dinner (and at the beggining add in extra. I started with 4 packets, but I think some clinics allow up to 5 depending on your starting weight) Last, when I was having the keto flu, there were a few times where I went to bed at 8:00 right after I put my kids to bed. I felt better and didn't sit around wishing for food!

I was thinking of doing something like this except no real food. Did you mean no real food or 6 packets in addition to food?

Thanks, all. They were all very helpful. I am new to IP and have been reading around of people only doing un restricted packets to speed up weight loss. Have any of you found this true?

You'll find differing opinions on this, because people either make use of restricted packets and think they're necessary, or don't use them and think it speeds things along. I haven't really found much comparison by one person using both methods, unless they overdo it on the Quest bars one week, which is a no no for both camps.

I don't think it makes much difference, what makes the difference is what works for you. I don't make a point to have a restricted a day, but sometimes I want chocolate covered soy balls for my snack, and I'm not going to stop myself, because that'll do more damage to my motivation than just allowing myself the damn soy balls! :P

The official word from IP is that you should include restricted packets daily, because they're built into the program. Also because it gives you something easy to take away, should you plateau (and it seems like we all plateau).

I happen to really like having a food each day that is portable*, and the lemon and orange wafers taste like candy, so I kind of look forward to them. :) So I'm doing a restricted per day, for now, though if my weight loss drops below 2.5 pounds per week, I'll cut back to every other day and see if that improves it. (I was at 2.6 last week, so this could be soon.)

*Not just portable. Also, easy to disguise as non-diet food. The cheddar ridges, put in a plastic baggie, look like a totally normal gluten-free snack. That's important to me, because, right now, I'm not telling people I'm doing this. It isn't fear of failure, oddly. It has a lot to do with fatphobia and fat-shaming and my fear of both. I know from experience that there are haters, and I am not yet ready to take them on. (I am also a wuss and prone to anxiety about stupid things, so if you prefer to be open about it, by all means, DO! The extra accountability helps some people! And finding supporters is a beautiful thing.)

If you're concerned about the effects of detox, do the real food plus the extra packets the first few days. They really will make all the difference in the transition.

Why quest bars when they can eat IP bars? Am I missing something

Quest bars are protein bars that are comparable to IP bars (restricted), but there is a bigger variety of flavors AND they're a lot cheaper, so a lot of us use them in place of IP bars. They're easy to find, too, so when you find yourself needing something between IP appointments, they're a great alternative. But, again, they're restricted, so we have to remember to keep them to one a day!

No one person can answer this because there is no comparison as each person is different. I would tell you that I never used a restricted in 6+ months and averaged more than 3 pounds loss a week which my coach said was optimal, not to change a thing. What would it have been if I had a restricted each day - can't tell you? And you can't compare to someone who say they had same result with having 1 restricted per day because each of us is different. Would that person have lost more in same time frame if not for restricted or would I have lost less in same time frame if I did have a daily restricted? I did it thinking I would get quicker results but I also did it for a more important reason...they reminded me too much of a sugary dessert and for me, I need to go cold turkey so as to not be tempted so I took these out completely so as to not trigger any cravings. And, as I was afraid of, the first time I deviated from Phase 1, it was with 5 restricted bars :dizzy:

I think for some of us, our motivation imprints these things on our IP soul and makes it like an AA confession, lol.

The last time I was on IP, I stopped the diet cold turkey when I fell off the wagon at a Chinese buffet.

Never forget. Never again!

VLC diets can be really hard in thyroid. Cutting the restricted can make it even harder in the thyroid. My personal preference is to follow the plan as written and to be medically monitored. For myself, the thyroid issues came about 5 months in. Over two years later I'm still recovering the thyroid. I can't imagine how much worse it would be had I tried to game the plan for even quicker results by cutting the restricted.

Good Morning!

Mariposah, are you ready to go today? :) We are all rooting for you! :carrot: Have you cleared your house of all non-protocol foods that can sabotage you? Have you stocked up on those things that will help you stay the course through cravings? Dill pickles, chopped and ready veggies, hard boiled eggs. Have you grocery shopped so you have everything you need for your non-packet protein/veggie meals? You CAN do this!

As far as restricted bars - I am like Ro, I don't include these as part of my daily routine by personal choice - for me, because I fear it will trigger my cravings. I do carry a bar with me, but it is reserved as 'emergency rations' should I be in a position of having only non-protocol food available to me. But like Lisa, I buy only 1 at a time - I never have a "supply" within reach. This I learned from my last IP stint - I binged on 4 or 5 IP bars at one sitting last time!

PS - I started on a Thursday. I live alone, and my past pattern is that weekends have been tougher when on a diet. But this time, when I started my reboot - it didn't matter what day it was. I was SO ready to start, I picked up the phone and got into my coach the same day - a Thursday - and I didn't give the upcoming weekend a second thought. And 3 wks in, I haven't looked back. When you are ready, you are ready.

GO FOR IT today! We're here to help! :hug:

True words. I've seen many people start and never finish, but when you are ready you will go the entire journey. A diet is 80% mental and 20% physical. :)

You can do this, Mariposah. It's just one day at a time to get through. After the first couple of weeks it becomes a habit and a pattern of eating that you do without thinking. When you get to the stage where that changes, start seeking out all the wonderful recipes shared by Rainbowsmiles, Frawniemae, Lisa and others to keep the boredom at bay.

Thank you. I made it up until 5 and then it went downhill. I had a headache ALL Day and the normal response is to eat to starve it off. Again, feeling deflated. For me it's not a matter of being ready. It's just the cravings :/ I even allowed myself 6 packets today. I wasn't even physically hungry. I'm at a loss. But there's always tomorrow right?

I, too had headaches. My coach recommended me putting salt in 8oz of water and drinking that to help. If you can push past the first few days, you will feel so much better! Part of it is a mental battle! Good luck to you!

Thank you. It's hard after having so many false starts but I'll get there. Just one day at a time for me.

"In addition to the real food" ... I think of it as a DOUBLE DOSE of IP P1 for the first few days as an "ease in" period. Just to get you through those TOUGH few days early on while you are breaking all the bad food addictions.

You are still restricting carbs and sugar ... but getting closer to 1500 calories instead of only 900 calories. I completely bypass the lethargy, headache, and climbing the walls cravings that I would normally get on days 2 and 3 by doing this method. By day 4 or 5 my body is ready to drop back into the strict IP P1 mode without any problems or symptoms whatsoever.

If you do get to day 5 again ... and start getting a headache ... rather than cheating with carbs or sugar ... simply have an extra meat and veggies dinner in addition to the normal foods. Try about 4 oz's of diced chicken breast and rainbow peppers and a tsp of olive oil (you can buy frozen organic rainbow peppers in the frozen food aisle -- they taste fantastic). If you "cheat" with no carb no sugar foods ... you dont break your keytosis and dont have to start over getting over the first-week wall.

Another thing to use is some great decaf coffee ... with some Saigon Cinnamon ... and some Stevia ... and some sugar free hazelnut creamer ... that tastes like desert and has less than 10 calories and no sugar.

Another thing I have used when I start feeling famished or munchy is some diced up chicken breast with some French's Mustard (maybe 4 ounces or so of chicken). That will satisfy and kill any craving without giving you a carb/sugar jolt.

All of these are in ADDITION TO the regular IP P1 ... The trick is just to use these little extras occasionally when your body starts to freak out.

I have tended to just be very abrasive about stupid questions and observations about what I am eating by others. People who ask probing questions know what they are asking and yes, your probably not paranoid they are probably prodding you in the guise of an innocent question. Some typical responses I give are:

Diet? I wish, I'm positive but the retro viral drugs are helping (then picked up his coffee mug and took a sip before setting it down and walking away)

Why? I always wanted to bully fat people but it never felt right.

And to a co-worker who I am now slightly skinnier than who offered me breakfast burritos just this morning (who knows I have been on this system for over half a year) No, not going to have any, don't want to be a FF with clogged arteries. That was priceless as he stood there with a half eaten burrito while I watched him finish it.

I know guys tend to be far less polite, or feigned polite, but I am telling you the look on the other person's face is the ultimate cure for anxiety.

Yes! And your 'tomorrow' is TODAY!! I feel pretty confident in saying that almost all of us had cravings - at least when first starting, if not still, occasionally. So, it IS possible to get past them. Are you prepared? Do you have some dill pickles, cut up cucumbers and celery, hard boiled eggs, ready for when those cravings hit? Avalon has given you some great ideas as well. Remind yourself that you will only get PAST this initial hard part, if you get THROUGH this initial hard part! Accept that it will be hard, but once you have conquered it, things will go much more smoothly for you. But if you never get past it, you will continue to have to battle the cravings. So if you don't have your 'ammunition' ready - do that today! You need to give yourself the tools needed to succeed. Make today your FRESH START!! Resolve that by the time Thursday rolls around again, you will be over the hump and well on your way! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! :carrot:

Decaf coffee is also something I drink a lot of. I find if I buy a kind that I really like, I don't even have to add the sweetener to it.

I'm also glad I'm not the only one who does mustard on chicken (and, like, everything else). I have craved mustard several times since starting, and my best guess is that a hamburger with mustard on a bed of diced dill pickles and lettuce was one of my go-to meals, last time I did IP. :)

Whew, I don't know if I could manage it, but your comebacks did make me laugh!

My approach is more often to be vague and change the subject, although someone in another forum suggested answering EVERY question in GREAT DETAIL as another possible tactic.

If someone really made me uncomfortable, I think I would probably just tell them so and say I don't want to talk about it.

Thank you! I do feel renewed and ready to do this today. I have all my IP meals ready and good to go! I wish that I had some hard boiled eggs but I do have my IP foods. I feel optimistic!

OMG. P1 brings out the craving for STRONG flavor in me.
I use so much extra spice. I'm pretty sure it is because of the limited fat. Fat is where a lot of food flavor resides. Therefore, I replace with kicking up the heat and spices several notches.

I love, LOVE the positivity in your message! :cp:

Fantastic! Sounds like you've got this!! :D


Just to catch up with your question about restricteds, my opinion from what I've seen and experienced is that it's different for everyone. When I started, my coach encouraged me to stay away from restricted products because it can speed up losses (I also asked the IP guru's this in one of the video forums and they confirmed it, but said to work with your coach). I started adding them in 1-2 times per week after about 3 months.

That said, I switched clinics last week and my new coach said that now I am much more active, she wants me to have one every day - during the day before dinner. My friend who lost 70+ pounds at this same clinic tried a restricted every day, but it was too much for her so they had her go to every other day.

TL;DR - Every body is different. Hopefully your coach has the knowledge to help you make the program work for you.

That's interesting. Thanks for that!