May 2015 Starters
 

Hi All!

I'm new to this site and finally joined after I got my supplies together to begin IP today. I have struggled to get motivated and follow the IP Protocol for the last 2-1/2 months, but I am ready :carrot:

I'm a little scared since I've given up on myself several times this year...

Good luck everyone - I hope to meet others here and support you all as I finally do something good for myself!

Starting Weight: 164
Goal Weight: 125
Height: 5'4"

I had an emergency invasive surgery on 6/3/13 and gained 40 lbs. while on bedrest and strong meds for 3 months - now, I am hoping to take it all off :cheer2:

Thanks so much for reading :)

:)Wishing you the best of luck in your journey 1t.

I'm re-starting IP with alternatives tomorrow (May 2). Not brave enough to give my stats but I'll be here cheering you all on! I lost 25 pounds last summer and I know this works!

Hi Ladies! Thanks so much for being here with me :) I am really impressed with your success and determination. Sending lots of love!

1/2 a day in... and starving! LOL

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Hi! I kinda eased my way into IP this time (I've done the program in the past) and I think yesterday was my first fully IP day... so I am effectively a May starter.

I have around 35 or 30 or 25 or 20 or 15 pounds to lose, depending on my mood. :dizzy: Mostly I have too much fat. I have tried for a long time to lose weight/fat and I have confirmed that I have to go lower carb to lose any weight. I like the structure of IP and the mandatory 4 cups veggies and the huge amount of dinner protein. I do not like the heavy reliance on processed foods that is IP. But I am willing to commit to doing that if it gets me down to an acceptable maintenance weight where I am comfortable exercising regularly again. So I have committed for the next 4 months and I will see where I am on September 1.

My goals are:
1) Lose in 5-pound increments, with 15 being the minimum "acceptable" loss and 25-30 being the probable outer limits, based on recent experience
2) Figure out how to become more active on this plan - I have been active in the past but not in the last few months
3) Lose some body fat, a lot if possible
4) Utilize as many whole-food strategies as possible that I will continue to use in maintenance

---

Hey you shouldn't be starving! Hopefully you will find the things that fill you up more than others... I find the shakes don't do much for hunger but a bowl of soup with 2 cups of riced cauliflower or chili with 1 cup of mushrooms and 1 cup diced bell pepper is hard to even finish. And take advantage of the unlimited veggies. I knew about lettuces and spinach and cucumbers but I just discovered that mushrooms and celery and radishes are on that list too. I chowed down on some celery sticks yesterday when I got hungry after dinner and celery has never tasted so good!

Best of luck to you and anyone else starting in this month. Oh and post in the main chat thread if you want the experienced folks to contribute. Lots of wisdom there.

Hello May Starters,
I, too, am going to get on this May Day Wagon and get started with 3FC & IP! I did IP 4 years ago and had great success by reaching my goal in 6 months of losing 40 lbs and felt the best I had in a long time (years). However, I've slipped (not gained everything back )but almost all of it. �� At that time, I went with an IP coach at a clinic for which they gave me great support. I am a person who needs to have accountability, so for now I hope to keep connected on 3FC's and purchase Alternative products & some leftover IP products I have purchased over the past year & have not been faithful to. I know the rules (and like them) because once I can get past the first week of carb withdrawals, ���� I like the straightforwardness of knowing exactly what I need to do and know, what to eat & the vitamins, to keep me well & on target. I still have all my paperwork from my coach (including my weight loss chart) -- so I am ready to get my wagon moving. ��
I would like to watch posts with 1tubbychick & EmmaD and any new May starters. Good luck!

Current weight: 170
Realistic weigh goalt: 140
Hopeful weight goal: 130
Height:5'3"

I think this is my very first post even tho I have been a lurker for several years and love to read everyone's helpful posts, recipes, suggestions, and stories.

Let's 'hang in there May Starters. It's going to be an exciting weekend for me getting started on a great 'way of life' again. Yes, I've missed IP. I'll be watching & reading as often as I can. ��

I plan to post my WI each Friday - same as my WI with my IP coach.
Thanks for the new May Beginnings. ��

Oops, my smilies did not work in my post. So sorry. I'm new at this. I used my iPad smilies. Guess I better go read the directions inserting smilies.

:D Got it.

Hi Emma :) Thanks for the tips on how NOT to starve LOL I love the variable goals based on your mood... I totally get that :)

Hey There, GoBug :) I am looking forward to sharing posts and keeping each other motivated and accountable! I definitely need this support :)

Lots of hugs,
Tubby

1tubbychick - Welcome aboard. Give yourself a couple of weeks committed to IP and once you see those results start rolling in you'll want to stick it out. :)

I see you've started a weight tracker for every day. Please try to avoid weighing each day unless you are the kind of person who can shrug at water weight variances and +/- 5lb gains for hormone swings. This is why most IP clinics recommend weighing only once a week.

The longer you're on IP the better you will get at knowing if you have lost or not, just by how your body feels and your clothes fit. Trust the process, it really works. :)



BlessedNotLucky - Welcome back. The alts are a whole different ballgame - so many tasty options and varieties to try. Good luck. :)

gobug - Welcome. I'm sure you'll do fine this time round. No matter how skilled we think we are for maintenance life throws us some wicked curve balls and we relapse. Glad to see you get back up and lose it again. Way to go! :)

Please remember to come join the whole 3FC IP community on the daily chat and say hi, ask questions, share recipes etc. New blood is what keeps the forums alive for many of the veterans and maintainers.

Many people like to keep a record of their food online at MyFitnessPal.com - along with a weight loss tracker and a sodium counter. This can be super helpful the longer you will be on IP, as you can start seeing patterns of weight loss emerge with certain food combinations/choices and water weight "gains" (temporary) with hormone swings.

I did so well the first day and first half of today... Then totally blew it with dinner 😱 I will have to start over tomorrow.

How do you all stay motivated and disciplined?

Hey I'm interested to know which alternatives are you using. I'm trying to get on board as well but with using alternative products. Thanks

Oh no! What happened? Did you get too hungry? Were others around you eating something you thought looked irresisistible? Both of those situations are really hard...

It's a learning process for sure! Just try to take whatever you learned forward.

Well... I am a work in progress... :dizzy:

I am trying to stay motivated and disciplined because I am just exhausted from half-a$$ trying to feel better and fit back into my clothes on and off for years now. I have committed for four months and somehow that seems doable. I am following a system of 5-pound increments so at any given time I am "only" working on losing 5 pounds. But who knows, I am not a very good example. I have had many many failures.

I have my own storage places for "my" foods and I ask the fam to hide the most egregious junk food offenders so I am not constantly tempted.

The Beck Diet Solution book that you will see referenced in this forum has some great general tips. One that helps a lot is called "No Choice." Once you tell yourself that you have no choice about eating off plan foods, you eliminate the internal struggle that often ends in caving just to end the struggle. I find that to be a most helpful strategy. I often overeat/binge just to get rid of whatever caloric-dense treat is calling my name. It is torture! I feel so much better not having that constant angst. So many things others are eating are just "not for me."

I hope things are going better for you today -

Hi!! I'm not BNL, but I use all alternatives. I keep a document reviewing all the products I have tried and it more than 8 pages long. There were a few things I hated, most were acceptable, and a few I really really like and are in my constant rotation. Everyone's tastes vary but I could name a few of my favorites if you want, most ordered from Nashua Nutrition. I also use Ready To Drink shakes from almost any drugstore/Target/etc or Costco, and I use Quest bars, purchased from their website or GNC.

If you are just getting started with these products, I recommend ordering every variety pack offered from Nashua Nutrition . There are definitely other variety packs not listed on that page, such as HealthSmart Protein Bar Variety Pack, Proti-Thin bar variety pack, Weight Loss Systems 15 gram protein bars... They also have samples of almost any protein powder imaginable. I tried almost all of the Syntrax nectars that way

Here are the WonderSlim sample kits I ordered from Diet Direct when I started. Some of these products do not have as much protein though (12g vs. 15g). WonderSlim (at Diet Direct) and Weight Loss Systems (at Nashua) are the exact same products.

I ordered a sampler box of Quest bars and individual bags of each flavor of the chips to try all of them.

It's really fun trying all the different things.

Have you read through the threads about alternative products? SO MUCH INFORMATION THERE :dizzy:. That's where I got ideas on what to try, as well as trying some I had never seen mentioned.

Have fun!

Thanks Briael!

Hi Lisa. I don't have an IP center anywhere near me so I get some products from Amazon like Protidiet soups, Walden Farms dressings, and Kay's Naturals chips. I get RTDs and protein bars from Costco. Also eggs, chicken, fish, fresh veggies, etc. from Trader Joe's. I'm in a rural area so it's slim pickings but I make it work best I can.

EmmaD, thanks for all your alternatives ideas!

April 27 start
 

Well i started a week ago. So this is my second week on on IP. It was a struggle but im going to stick to it this time. Im a restarter. I was on the program 2 years ago but only stuck with it long enough to lose weight for my daughters wedding and fell of the band wagon lol. Well im back on again and ready to stick with it. I look forward to meeting new friends and their ideals for meals. Thanks y'all !

Dora

no center.. online shop
 

Nashuanutrition. com
great site.

Hi Lisa. I don't have an IP center anywhere near me so I get some products from Amazon like Protidiet soups, Walden Farms dressings, and Kay's Naturals chips. I get RTDs and protein bars from Costco. Also eggs, chicken, fish, fresh veggies, etc. from Trader Joe's. I'm in a rural area so it's slim pickings but I make it work best I can.

EmmaD, thanks for all your alternatives ideas![/QUOTE]

Hey there, Emma!

Thanks so much for paying attention 😘 I crashed this weekend, going out to dinner with the family 😫

I'm restarting today... Going to have my 2 IP chocolate shakes, IP Peanut Butter Crunch Bar, veggies and protein.

Today's weigh-in is 162.3

Friday: started at 163.8 followed protocol
Saturday: weigh-in 160 was thrilled, then ate a huge dinner
Sunday: weigh-in 163.2 ate Cheetos, yes, CHEETOS at a picnic 😣 then had a horrible dinner
Today: 162.8 but re-determined LOL

Would you be open to doing accountability lists with me?

I will gladly post my daily eating plan and post whenever I feel like I'm faltering.

Thanks again, lovely Ladies!!!

OMG!!! Thanks for your response. This has been very helpful. The thread was also helpful. I'm going to order a few variety packs today!

Thanks! I will check Amazon out as well!

Hi Dora,

I'm in the same boat - restarting today :) It's awesome knowing that you have done it and CAN do this!

I realized that I need to give myself mini-goals and that my self-control is not as good as it once was, so the accountability of having IP buddies is going to be a great help for me!

I will commit to writing out my daily plans and posting my struggles so that I can visualize it all.

Thanks so much for joining this thread!!!

:hug:

Hi 1 tubbychick,

No worries, I fell off the bandwagon 10 days in. I went from 147 to 137 and I cheated with bread last night at dinner with the family. It was really nice here and we went to NYC to shop and had dinner at my favorite restaurant Angelo's and I crashed!!!! everyone was sitting outside and we were enjoying it so much, but my bad!!!! I dont know why i do this because when we tried on a few dresses a few hours earlier and i looked at myself in the mirror i got super depressed at the sight of myself. A size 8 skirt wouldnt even go up my leg:( so i self sabotage allot:( not sure why

Obviously we all have different tastebuds, but you may find it helps to put a savoury packet in at lunchtime, to encourage you to have your two cups of lunchtime veggies.

Many of the folks who've been here a long time cut up veggies that go in the soup packets or the chicken a la king as it's an easy way to get veg in.

The other thing that you can put in with lunch and/or dinner is a salad made up of your "free" list items - lettuce, cucumber, celery (and others). It really rounds a meal out and helps keep you feeling fuller until the next meal time is due!

Don't forget that you can also have herbal teas (the Celestials Lemon zinger and raspberry zinger are nice, there's a peach one that is great as an iced tea!) with splenda or stevia to sweeten to taste! And, you can even mix the herbal teas with crushed ice in a blender, freeze it into a sorbet and enjoy a refreshing dessert totally free of IP cost! How's that for a sneaky non-cheat? :)

Please please please .. remember to check out the Recipes thread that is linked in the first post of every Daily Chat thread. It really helps with making packets more interesting once you get past those first few weeks and start getting "packet boredom".

Good luck May folks. May your weight loss journey be smooth and consistent. :)

PS If you didn't buy vitamins, you're going to want to make sure you take at least the calcium-magnesium mix, the potassium and the fish oil (omega 3). These aren't recommended, they are essential for your health.

Week 2
 

Im in week 2 and i want Chocolate! need to order more something from Nashua, I'm out of everything sweet! only healthy stuff left!;):(:dizzy:

It's tempting to go all sweet items on the IP protocol, but this will keep the sugary tastebuds active and stop you from developing good habits for eating in maintenance.

Try to vary the flavours and mix up the savoury - it really does make a difference to being able to resist temptation later on. :)

I just started week 2. I didn't go off program at all in week one (patting myself on the back). I did a few things. First, I rid my home of anything that was off program, even things like cereal. Then, I made sure I prepped a lot of both proteins and veggies as possible. Even just portioning things in advance saves steps later. I put a lot of things in the freezer. Last, and this is important, I got on my knees and prayed for the strength to stay focused and not get distracted. I'm not an overly religious but I know I can't do this in my own. I have committed myself to this program 100%. And, as you will see over and over, the program works if you stick with it.

Recommit yourself. Make your kitchen IP ready! Make it happen.

Amanda and Pamara, thanks for the suggestions! I prepped all of my proteins and veggies, an going out to get Celestial Seasonings & stevia to make slushies, and have taken to the "no options" rule just to get myself through the first week :)

I followed the protocol today and although I feel the vacuum of hunger pains in my tummy, it is a great feeling :)

I guess I should technically be in this thread. I went for my first appointment at the clinic last Thursday, but officially only started the program on Friday.

This is my second time on IP. I lost 35 pounds on the program back in 2012 and kept the weight off up until the last 6 months. Lots of life changes that made me lose my routine.

Anyway, it's my TOM this week and also the first week back on the program. I've been feeling pretty tired and I'm still retaining a ton of water, so no real drop in weight yet.

I have my first weigh-in on Friday, and I really hope to see the scale move a little bit, as I know the first week is always the biggest drop.

Good luck to all!

Good goin, IttyBitty! You are the same height as I am, with just a teeny bit more in your goal to lose and close in maintenance weight! It can be done, as you know.
See you on the maintainers threads soon, eh? ;)
Liana

1: 163.8 Followed Protocol
2: 160 Dinner Crash
3: 162.8 Major Crash
4: 161.2 Followed Protocol
5: 160.8 Following Protocol

Yay! 2 days strong :)

WELL - I am no poster child for Ideal Protein that is for sure. I danced around IP for a few years now, kinda sorta done it, but this is the first time I am committing for a period of time (4 months, then I'll see where I am then). I struggle with binge eating (pretty much eliminated when I go low carb) but I still have some black and white thinking that I have to get past.

Some good advice that I try to follow is again from the famous Beck Diet Solution book - she has you pick out at least one backup diet to your main plan. I would not recommend "cheating" on IP at all - but if you are going to, use a backup plan - other low carb, calorie counting, South Beach, etc. At least then maybe you won't do too much damage and retain a feeling of control. That's my strategy at least. For example: Cheetos! :devil: If you have decided that you are going to eat them (and YES it is a decision), at least you could do so with a calorie-counter mentality, noting that 1 serving (probably a handful or so) is going to be something like 150-180 calories (which is already a whole meal on IP!) Just a thought. But like I said, it really isn't a good idea to cheat if you can find a workaround. Sometimes I bring chip and pretzel-type protein snacks to events so I didn't feel like I was missing out too much. The number one best idea I have to avoid cheating is to not get hungry. Hungry brain makes very bad choices!!

You are very welcome! I liked having the list together for myself as well. I posted the list on the alternatives thread as well and I found four more variety pack on Nashua while I was looking for other things. I have added a few more packs to my Nashua wish list. It is so fun when the box arrives but so hard to pace myself when I want to try everything.

I hate buying a whole box of something I am not sure about. If enough people say they like something I might take a chance - I did that with cheesecake pudding that everyone was raving about. Ick. Then I had to get through 6 more packets of it...

Aw, it sounds like you had a great time with your family, don't beat yourself up too much about the bread. As I tell myself, it's all a learning experience, so what can you take away from that night? To keep the bread basket far away? Ask the waiter not to bring it? Tell yourself 'yep, it's delicious but at this stage of my dieting journey it is not for me'? Remind yourself that you can wait X amount of time until you are in maintenance and find a way to work it into your plan? There are a lot of options. None of which taste as good as the bread of course but they make you feel good in a different way. That is something I always have to remind myself if I can get past the moment of temptation: I have never once regretted NOT eating the bread/whatever and often feel quite self-congratulatory if I manage to resist. But yep, it's hard. Especially if you are starving before dinner comes.

I like the Quest Chocolate Peanut Butter bar and Brownie something bar (I don't buy that one any more, I only buy the "naturally sweetened" ones but it is tasty) for a chocolate fix. There are also tons of hot chocolate mixes on Nashua, which are great for chilly mornings. I agree, I would like to get away from the sweets but especially in the beginning stages of this diet, sometimes my Quest bar is a treat that keeps me on plan (like when everyone around me is eating pancakes!) Whatever gets you through the first stages to develop better long-term habits!

That is a GREAT idea, esp for hot summer days. cool

YES! I need to get better about this. One of my biggest problems is getting too hungry and not feeling like prepping and cooking.

You betcha, Liana! Glad to see another Canadian here. Only 1 lb to go for you, that's so exciting! How long have you been on the program for?

Catherine

Hi IttyBitty... I've actually been in maintenance for 14 months today. I don't play much with my ticker anymore, lol. But I have a maintenance range of 6 lbs or so; a couple below and 3 above 132. In maintenance you need to have a range since our bodies differ in what they weigh day to day due to TOM, colon contents, amount of water drunk, sodium, exercise, (see water lol), etc, etc. There's no point in stressing about small changes up & down, just continued up changes. ;)
There is a Canadians on IP thread here - but it doesn't get posted in too much since it seems to be mainly about how to find alternative vitamins and protein packs on the Internet that deliver to us and aren't US priced.
Liana

Don't have to be a poster child, just have to keep coming back until you get where you want to be! Looks like you've got that part under control already! :)

That cheesecake pudding from HealthSmart? Yep, I hear you on it ... not the best tasting, but when you add a packet of the Real Lime lime powder to it, it changes it into something that is very tasty indeed. We made some key lime tartlets (using the oatmeal packet to make a pseudo-pastry) the cheesecake and lime sachet and a couple of slices of lime on top when it had finished setting in the fridge. Pretty sure it's a popularly pinned recipe on Pinterest if you want to give it a look! :)

The Quest bars are interesting, and it always amuses me how much our taste buds differ from others. Some of the really popular ones here make me gag - either because they are too sweet, or not sweet enough.

One of the things that may help some of your fellow May starters is knowing that if you prefer the higher fat content and sugar content ones .. you don't have to eat the entire bar in place of a meal. Split it over a couple of days to bring the carb/calorie/fat macros more in line with an IP bar. The beauty of the Quest bars is that they keep pretty well in a ziplock baggie and, they can be re-textured by heating in the oven or a quick blitz in the microwave. :)

Wow, such a great feat. Congratulations! :carrot:

Oh, that water...haha

I actually did post in the Canada thread as well, but seems like there's only crickets and tumbleweed round those parts :)

Have you purchased any products online? I was curious about how it would work purchasing products that were made in Canada, but sold in the US. I would assume that we wouldn't have to pay any duties on the products, but I could be wrong. With the really low exchange rate, the last thing I'd want to do is get dinged on customs.

IttyBitty, I saw the post in the Canada thread, but haven't bought from Nashua nutrition - they don't have a lot of gluten free choices that I have noticed and every other site I try - it's cheaper for me to buy locally, Vega, GNC, etc.
BTW, I see the Canada IP thread has been closed, probably due to lack of use, lol. There are a few of us around here though... just check out the info on the side under the avatar pix and often the general area where someone lives is posted.
Liana

Cinco De Mayo
 

I want all that MEXICAN FOOD!!!! sigh

not Bueno....



Dora

Perfect timing! I just discovered I have 3 more packets. I was thinking of using them in smoothies but I will try this.