Happy Monday everyone..

My son has 2 more days of finals and then I officially have a Senior in High School who needs to pick a college this summer and figure out what he will do with his life LOL..SO hard to believe I am at this place.

Busy week ahead for me ...WI tomorrow and if my pattern countinues as it has, should be an uptic week for me. I have learned to handle the bumps in the road and look ahead to the finish line...Its almost here...

Good Morning! It's been awhile since I've posted - vacation, computer on the fritz, busy summer..... Still hanging in there, though! Things slowed for awhile as I 'strayed' off plan a bit during vacation, but in general am still heading downward and am back on plan 100%. Excited I am so close to seeing the 170's on the scale (actually did at home this morning, but don't consider it 'official' until I see it at weigh-in)! I was 176 about 5 years ago - the lowest I have been in probably 20 years. So being so close to the 170's again and to my previous 'lowest' is really motivating me! Can't wait to set a new 'lowest' for myself and keep moving toward goal. Question - I have a wedding coming up August 8th, about 6.5 weeks. Seeing as my weekly losses have slowed a bit at this point, suppose because I don't have as much to lose as I did and because of a few detours from plan - do you think it is a reasonable goal to try to lose another 15-20 by August 8th? This would include being 100% OP and adding some exercise - probably walking, maybe a little resistance. I have so far added NO activity (I know, bad me) - so do you think this might help kick start the larger losses? SO excited to see those 170's - came at just the right time to spark my motivation and renew my resolve!

Welcome back to the Daily Chat thread - post your plans for today, share what's been happening, ask questions!

Some forum lingo:
NSV = Non-scale victory
TOM = time of the month
WI = Weigh-in
WF = Walden Farms
OP = on plan

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Check the sticky page (top of forum, above all the topics) for lots of good information and please read here before asking what might be a frequently asked question: Information on Ideal Protein phases (1-4), IP Ultimate List Recipes, FAQ, Newbie Guide, Exercise, and other Important Threads,
and here are the most recent Ideal Protein Protocol sheets

And before you cheat, read this thread:
The Real Cost of Cheating on Ideal Protein

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Recipes Here
Ideal Protein Diet Recipes #4 -current thread open for posting
Recipe thread #3
Tips and Recipes from the Incredible Weight Loss Center
Fun with Ideal Protein Packets
Fun with Veggie Purees!
Mix'n in the kitchen...Recipes from the Rainbow
MiX'N' iN THE KiTCH'N.... Recipes from the Rainbow Volume 2
Here are a couple "older" .pdf files of many of Rainbow's recipes: Rainbowsmiles Recipes
and Rainbows IP Inspired Alternative Recipes

For those looking for alternative products
Here is a thread with tons of info. Spend some time in it. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-1-a.html
And here is a link to a chart to help you choose appropriate products

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Progress photos
Mini-Goal Photo Album.

Other helpful links related to the Ideal Protein Dr. Chanh Tran Tien's website
Link to a pdf of the doctor's book here.
Note: this is not the same as the current IP plan.

I would think that as long as you stick to Protocol, a WL of 12- 16 pounds would be a reasonable expectation for me. But your body is different and it may see different results. When you first started IP and was 100% OP, what was your average weekly loss? That is what I would gauge any expectations on. A little walking and toning exercises can't hurt but don't work out so hard that you need another packet. Good luck!!

Hello! I had a big NSV (for me) this weekend. I have this tee shirt that my husband bought me before our honeymoon that I LOVE and the last time I wore it... well metaphors of sausages come to mind. This weekend I grabbed it, just to try, and it looked AWESOME. I have not lost a ton yet. I hope to hit my first mini-goal of -10 this week, but the shirt fitting was a pretty cool moment for me.

Congratulations! It's always great when you get "new" clothes without having to go shopping for them

I'm going to my first fitness class today. It's called HardCORE and it's a 30 minute core workout class. I'm going to eat something before I go (I think lunch will be my main fork and knife meal today) but do I need any extra packet after the 30 minute workout? I think it'll be a bit intense but it's only 30 minutes long...? Help!

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope you all have a great week planned. Hit and miss attendance today as my sweet kitty, Elly, is at the vet's for removal of a large bladder stone. So glad to finally know what was causing the blood in her pee, and even happier that the surgery should fix it and leave her pain free.

J - hardcore sounds intense. Take a bar with you - they're higher in carbs than the packets - and split it half before class, half after. That way you have it if you need it during class. Remember to add extra water in on top of your daily allowance to account for the amount of perspiration you push out. Hope you enjoy your class.

Hello everyone!

Wrapping up Week 6 and have my WI on Wednesday. Hoping to hit my first goal of losing 20 lbs at this WI. So many little NSVs these past few weeks. I'm donating a lot of clothing that no longer fits. Most importantly however is that I now consider this a "lifestyle change" and not just a diet.

Yippee!

Putting great NSV - you will have many more of them over the next few months.

Amanda great your kitten is getting what it needs.

Jlnelson I agree with what Briael wrote above. I added a packet on workout days, per my clinic. Also in the summer esp. lots of extra water and potassium - the mangosteen packets helped.

3 sisters the typical trend with weight loss is you will exponentially slow down as your body gets smaller. Of course everyone is different. My advice given my own path and watching others here is don’t consider it a race, just let your body do what it does, and stick it out until the end. If you start to judge what your body is doing or not doing it just causes suffering and is not helpful and can sometimes lead to a certain kind of self sabotage or people actually start starving their body to lose faster and that’s not helpful either. Your body needs time to stay the same weight and adjust at times, and also there are times where your weight is the same but your fat is still burning and you are losing inches. There are many things going on all at the same time, and our bodies are actually really smart and taking care of us. If you are staying OP all is well. I didn’t worry about the weekly or monthly losses, as long as I was headed downward. If my friends asked me how long until I finished, I would just say “until I’m done”.

For me non-muscle building exercise really helped my mental state during P1 and I was able to retain the tone of my muscles that I already had starting into P1. I didn’t worry about whether it sped or slowed the loss, as I needed it and wanted it.

Okay, great suggestion. Thank you, Briael and Grateful! Do you think this bar is in addition to my normal 3 packets? Also, good luck with your kitty!!

If this is the class you are talking about you will need the extra bar for sure and lots of water. http://fitvillains.tumblr.com/post/1...-minute-cardio

Just my pov but I would choose something a bit less intense for your first workout - plank jacks and cobra burpees are killers.

Liana

Today is my third day on the program. I did IP 5 years ago and lost about 45 pounds. Unfortunately I quit after phase 1 and gained everything back. The first time I didn't workout. This time I joined Curves for Women in order to avoid loose hanging skin. I also understand that in order to have a long term success I must go through all the phases. This forum was very helpful back then and I hope it will again.

Ana

Smart girl! Now you get the importance of phases and learning to add in exercise for lifetime maintenance! I did a couple of years as a Curves Coach myself. It does work well (if you work it and don't just use it as an excuse to visit with others as you go around the circuit, lol). We are here for you...
Liana

Great comment regarding loose skin. Do toning exercises help with that? I'm in p1 and will be there for a while.

Yesterday I had my week 8 weigh in and I'm down 25.6 lbs! I have never been able to lose more than 20 lbs so the is both a scale and NSV. Woo hoo.