Oh, and yesterday- I went to w/i-back to my original coach and what a difference!! She is so full of information, what to do to prep me for the wedding so I don't end up making myself sick, letting me know that I can call her or email her during vacation, actually reviewing my food journal instead of just quickly going through and ticking off to make sure I had my 3 IP packets per day, commenting on making sure I had an extra packet if I felt hungry on the days that I exercise, giving me tips- like be careful of onions because she notices I eat them frequently- they're on the higher carb side, she pays attention to her people- so I am really glad that I switched back.
Bethglad to hear that things went well, and the a/c is up and running. We just put it in this year, and as cold as I always am, I am still glad that we have it. Happy vacation!! I just need to get through today, and it's off to the deep blue sea! I am counting the minutes. I would say, as long as you are seeing the changes- you are doing just fine!!! You've been such an inspiration to me, I think we're very similar, our jobs, our weight, our time on the journey. You've done amazing! It's fun to see also because I am 100% IP and you are alternative---I shouldn't be allowed on here early in the morning- I ramble too much...lol-oh and yes, I am going to keep visions of the MOG dress in my head when we are at Back Door Donuts and he gets his fresh, hot over the top delicious donuts at night...OMG...you have no idea- but I WILL stick my nose in the bag for a good long mouth watering smell....(I did this over 4th of July when we were there, after dinner - and it was all I needed.) *I will be on guard though... ☺ When I went to my w/i yesterday we went over the trip and then talked about the wedding and I told her that I will be having cake- and not just a piece of cake- buta corner just a corner, buit where the frosting is and (I'm a frosting junkie) she laughed and said that she will phase me in to that starting at the weigh in when I come back -otherwise I will get sick- that would be nice huh? MOG throwing up or passing out in the middle of the reception...lol
Happy Thursday one and all!!!
SO glad to see you were able to make it work with your regular coach!
Vacation! Ahhhhhh - & totally hear you on smelling various foods. There is a home made ice cream shop in Myrtle I've gone too since I was little and it is just the best...but I have to remember, it is only ONE year. One - I can do this & really, chips (Doritos) are my *bane* oh myyyyy on the wedding cake - guess she's worried about that much sugar hitting your system at once after 7 months & setting off a chain reaction - fwiw, I think you will be fine
and I see the ticker moved to the right some more congrats!
Aro - 3 more pounds in P2 is fantastic! Congrats!
I was in bed by 9:45. Part was just wanting / needing 30 quiet minutes to myself and it was wonderful - watched / fell asleep to a meditation video.
I did miss the Perseid meteors last night / early this AM - maybe tonight
The extra sleep didn't help on the scale - still stuck in the mid-high 160's
A piece of advice to anyone just starting out without a coach / clinic - TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS!!!!!!!!!! Kept saying I was going to do it and keep forgetting to grab a tape measure in Wal Mart or Target.
I've still lost an average of 2.4 #'s per week though!
Beth: I'm looking at different alternative food snacks, because I really don't want to have to go back to the Clinic after Phase 3 is over on Friday. Do you have any good suggestions? I ordered some Quest bars from Amazon to try.
Aro: You rock! I lost weight on both Phase 2 and Phase 3, but never that much at one time. Wow! That's awesome because I think we gain 3 to 7 lbs from carb bloat. Yick. I hope it's not 7!!!
I'm doing fine. I can't believe I have the rest of the day and tomorrow and I'm starting life. I have the guidelines for Phase 4, and I now know why I gained so much weight before...I was eating way too much. Ha! Obvious, right? But actually I don't think I knew that when I was heavy. Again, I may stick with doing a lot of Phase 3 days until I get the hang of what works for me on Phase 4. I don't want to give myself too much wiggle room.
I haven’t been around here for a bit, so just checking in and catching up with everyone. Lots of progress for everyone, goals reached and you all are doing so well with losses, and vacations to look forward to …Wow!
Frawnie – I’ve just seen your new picture...FABULOUS, just Fabulous… You must be getting so many compliments! and looks like Onederland in sight for your birthday!
GreenWithEnnui and Arobed Congratulations to you both on reaching goal!
You’ve both done great on Phase 1 ……. phase 2 and 3 will be easy-peasy!! You can do it!
Beth,
good to hear the appraisal is over, keeping fingers crossed the results are what you’re looking for.
And vacation coming up,…sounds like you’ve been stressed out a bit lately, you must be looking forward to some time to relax and have a wonderful time.
And OMG! Size 12! Awesome! You are getting SO CLOSE to Goal!
Linda – vacation for you too! Boating to Martha’s Vineyard, sounds wonderful ! – I’m green with envy (may change my name to greenskiesahead)
HereIStand – Halfway to goal. That’s a milestone, how awesome for you! The hard part is over, it’s so nice to be able to start seeing Goal…just a downhill ride from here.
MiWi – so glad to hear Phase 3 has been easy for you, I know we’re all looking ahead and feeling kind of nervous about when we leave Phase 1. It will be interesting to hear how things go for you as you get more into Phase 4
I’ve had my sister visiting this week and last, she lives in Florida, so we only see each other a couple of times a year. We took a few days to go up north for a family/friends reunion, great to get caught up with so many people (some we haven’t seen since high school!) Great fun! Something going on every day, morning, noon and nite! And OMG! Food, food, food! Temptations everywhere (including TWO birthday cakes! ) Mostly catered, food on platters, and mostly NOT OP. Still, I did my best, figured maybe 80% OP. Have to admit, I was really worried about my WI when I got back. Thought for sure I’d be up a bit, but somehow, I managed to lose 1 lb.
I’m officially down more than 30lb, feels so good! I know I still have a long way to go, though, but I’m starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
I have to say I'm inspired by everyone to continue the IP journey. Getting discouraged but not giving up. Plus my scale is messed up. Last week my scale at home showed a .2 gain but my coach's showed 1 lb loss, the week before it showed .6 gain but I lost .4 at the clinic.
My ticker shows my home weight/WI. Maybe I should change it lol.
Overall I guess I'm still losing, although very very slow. When I add exercise, even the least intense ones I don't lose. Day 28 of the 30 day Ab challenge and at least I'm succeeding at that! 1 min 45 sec plank is a killer but 3 weeks ago I could barely do 20 secs.
Arobed, congratulations. What an amazing accomplishment!
Miwi, re: snack foods. I discovered Quest cheddar and sour cream chips at my little local health food store last night, so I bought 'em up. They're baked, but they definitely satisfy that desire for a crispy, salty snack. (My favorite savory snack is still protein pretzels, though). The chips are unrestricted on P1.
I'm in the middle of my 10th week on Phase 1, and although I've been consistently losing 3 lbs/week, I appear to have hit a mini plateau. I've lost only half a pound halfway through this week (yeah, I'm one of those people who weighs every day), and no inches lost in two weeks. I've been walking a lot more and wonder if that's why. If nothing changes by my WI next week, I may try adding an extra packet.
NSV: I'm kind of between 14s and 12s, so I hit the thrift stores yesterday. Scored a beautiful Ann Taylor dress and skirt, both ins size 12, and they fit perfectly! I also got a Rebecca Malone top in small! I haven't worn a size small since junior high. I can't quite wear size 12 jeans, but I found a cute pair of size 14 skinny jeans that look great and have spandex in them, so I think they'll work for quite a while yet. The problem is my belly fat. It just keeps hanging around like it wants to be my BFF.
HIS: Thanks for the chips recommendation! Also, you crack me up with the belly fat wanting to be your BFF!!! Great NSV's! I had many weeks of less than a lb weigh-ins and many weeks of 2 or 3 lbs. It all averages out in the end.
Sunflower: I never use my at-home scale as an official guide...just something I use informally to know how I'm doing between weigh-ins. I just assume it can't be as sophisticated as the Clinic scale. My profile and ticker are based on the weigh-ins on Mondays between 5:30 and 6pm at my Clinic. But then again there are lots of people who are doing 100% alternative and never weigh at a Clinic, so just do what works for you as long as it's the same time each day.
HIS - don't know if you want to hear this, but most of what was going on in my belly around 10 lbs from goal was actually extra skin. I kept being bothered by it and it's taken me months to come to terms with no amount of fat loss is going to get rid of that skin. I actually stayed on P1 a few months too long trying to get rid of it, until after 3 consultations - with 2 doctors and a plastic surgeon - they finally drilled it into my brain that it was not fat. I wish I could look at it as a BFF but I am starting to come to terms with it - I will decide next year of the cost and risks of surgery would be worth it to me.
Beth: I'm looking at different alternative food snacks, because I really don't want to have to go back to the Clinic after Phase 3 is over on Friday. Do you have any good suggestions? I ordered some Quest bars from Amazon to try.
I'm doing fine. I can't believe I have the rest of the day and tomorrow and I'm starting life. I have the guidelines for Phase 4, and I now know why I gained so much weight before...I was eating way too much. Ha! Obvious, right? But actually I don't think I knew that when I was heavy. Again, I may stick with doing a lot of Phase 3 days until I get the hang of what works for me on Phase 4. I don't want to give myself too much wiggle room.
P4 - Amazing MiWi - so proud of you!!! :congrats:
Alt-snacks:
Quest is a great product, but taste is individual also, not sure what the $ was on Amazon, but Nashua also sells the bars, chips, and powder.
Chips: I would recommend trying a variety. Salt & Vinegar (really weird b/c I can't stand S&V potato chips ) and BBQ are my favorites - I found the Cheddar Sour Cream leave an awful chemical aftertaste - but I am finding that to be the case with artificial cheese flavored stuff (ie - the Proti-Diet white cheddar crisps)
Bars - again, recommend maybe getting one of each None are restricted for you now Cookie Dough & White Chocolate Raspberry kick BUTT (but are not allowed per IP )!!! I started out loving the Strawberry Cheesecake, but my tastes have changed and now I like Cookies and Cream or Cinnamon Roll better...never cared much for any of the chocolate flavors
Much to my delight, our local Wegmans is now carrying the chips and powder, along with the bars
Have you used Nashua's at all? If it's just the clinic you want to avoid, and not necessarily the cost, Nashua's has a ton of selection. I love the Proti Thin puddings for a quick, light evening snack while watching TV
Beth I use Nashua's also - if you email them and request a lifetime membership I think it costs $30 or so but you save 10% from then on and it has more than paid for itself, for me.
I use the Quest Chips, I like all the flavors - it took me a while to develop a taste for them - sometimes I sprinkle a little of the bag on a salad for extra protein and crunch.
Also now in P4 I like the Peanut Butter Cups - they are not at all sweet but I like that - they're high in calories so I have to be careful but sometimes having one of them (there are two in the package) is a nice "dessert" treat esp. when I need some extra protein in the meal because each cup has 10 grams protein.
Last edited by Grateful4Health; 08-13-2015 at 01:02 PM.
HIS - don't know if you want to hear this, but most of what was going on in my belly around 10 lbs from goal was actually extra skin. I kept being bothered by it and it's taken me months to come to terms with no amount of fat loss is going to get rid of that skin. I actually stayed on P1 a few months too long trying to get rid of it, until after 3 consultations - with 2 doctors and a plastic surgeon - they finally drilled it into my brain that it was not fat. I wish I could look at it as a BFF but I am starting to come to terms with it - I will decide next year of the cost and risks of surgery would be worth it to me.
Rats. I will keep that in mind, and hope you're wrong. I have love handles, and I'm pretty sure those aren't skin, and since I'm still 30 pounds from goal, I'm hopeful that at least part of the belly roundness is fat. I think being post-menopausal has a lot to do with holding fat in that area. I've always had very good skin tone; even when I gained 60 pounds with my first pregnancy, I didn't get any stretch marks, so I'm hoping that most of what I'm dealing with in my mid-section is fat.
Miwi, yes, pudding! I bought a variety from Nashua, and those are my favorite evening snack. They're light enough that I don't go to bed feeling stuffed, and they completely satisfy my sweet tooth.
Glad to read of everyone's great successes, and goals reached. lLinda, looks like you had a nice loss this week... SO close to goal! Beth, Amazons prices on Quest bars are cheaper than nashua, I've been ordering from Amazon for those.
Hey Amber, I was wondering if you still use the protein products so was glad to see your post today. I was searching for high protein foods today because I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue using the protein products after phasing out. What are you still using besides the Quest chips and pb bars?
_______
Mary
HIS - don't know if you want to hear this, but most of what was going on in my belly around 10 lbs from goal was actually extra skin. I kept being bothered by it and it's taken me months to come to terms with no amount of fat loss is going to get rid of that skin. I actually stayed on P1 a few months too long trying to get rid of it, until after 3 consultations - with 2 doctors and a plastic surgeon - they finally drilled it into my brain that it was not fat. I wish I could look at it as a BFF but I am starting to come to terms with it - I will decide next year of the cost and risks of surgery would be worth it to me.
I went through the same thought process and because of the added procedures the cost and risk has risen. For me the extra skin is a constant reminder of what I put my body through with the constant yo yo dieting ( of course it all started with my pregnancies ) but the weight gain and loss augmented the amount of skin. The removal is like the last piece of the puzzle in finding the new me, it is very hard to put into words but to give you an idea when I was at my consultation I was so emotional knowing that I was finally at this point. I think it is a physical representation of my emotional transformation....does that even make sense
You will make the decision when the timing is best for you it is definitely something you want to be sure of. I have done mega amounts of research if ever you want to pick my brain
Glad to read of everyone's great successes, and goals reached. lLinda, looks like you had a nice loss this week... SO close to goal! Beth, Amazons prices on Quest bars are cheaper than nashua, I've been ordering from Amazon for those.
Hey Amber, I was wondering if you still use the protein products so was glad to see your post today. I was searching for high protein foods today because I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue using the protein products after phasing out. What are you still using besides the Quest chips and pb bars?
_______
Mary
Mary - thanks for the heads up! I didn't know Quest had pasta! With free shipping, the Quest Powder on Amazon is $5 less than Wegmans! Wegmans still has the advantage with the bars / chips - $24.49 (12 pack) & $14.99 (8 bags) respectively in-store. So lucky to have this option now!
It is good to read the discussion going on regarding excess skin, etc...so the other day I was planking and looked back between my feet OMG - the loose skin on my thighs! It looks like elephant skin having been over weight most of my life since I was 5 years old, I was never expecting to have 6 pack abs or a super flat tummy and could accept that...but the elephant skin on the legs really shocked me...ugh - the joys of aging DH and I have talked before and my biggest body issue is having a very lopsided chest If I was going to invest in myself, that's where it would be!
Happy Friday! Destony - I know you set sail today - best wishes
Bills are paid and my vacation order from Nashua is scheduled for delivery today. I'm not sure my husband is going to be very happy when he sees the amount of food I plan to pack next Friday - probably an entire small suitcase lol!
I did decide to not travel with protein powders / baking powders and bought a box of blueberry pancake mix for some breakfast variety. I am also planning to cook up a double batch of rhubarb compote to freeze. Fresh veggies won't be an issue & I am going to sneak my Veggitini in my suitcase We stay in a (resort) suite with a full kitchen, so cooking isn't an issue - just won't be able to grill.
I've also made a conscious, thought out, and hopefully correct decision to P2 (definitely) / P3 if necessary for the 10 days we are away. We are fairly active vacationers and after last week absolutely don't want to deal with (or worry about) extreme fatigue and hunger when I want to be relaxing and enjoying time with my family. No plans to go on a bender, drink, or even have an ice cream cone but eat good, healthy choices when I'm hungry. I figure this will be a test to see if the last 7 months have taught me the difference between true hunger and boredom.
The scale finally nudged in the right direction this morning...I did my 2 miles yesterday, but didn't have the afternoon snack. I logically & scientifically cannot accept that the scale budged because I cut out 70 / 80 calories - but I did get woken by my bladder twice last night and attribute it more to a release of water. Guess all those fat cells are desperately trying to hold on and refill with water - be gone!
NSV - A couple compliments again this week...the walking is helping - especially in the hips / thighs. I can see my body changing, but the validation from others is nice
& I no longer have to unbutton my size 14 pants to pull them off
You've been such an inspiration to me, I think we're very similar, our jobs, our weight, our time on the journey. You've done amazing! It's fun to see also because I am 100% IP and you are alternative---I shouldn't be allowed on here early in the morning- I ramble too much...lol-oh and yes, I am going to keep visions of the MOG dress in my head when we are at Back Door Donuts and he gets his fresh, hot over the top delicious donuts at night...OMG...you have no idea- but I WILL stick my nose in the bag for a good long mouth watering smell....(I did this over 4th of July when we were there, after dinner - and it was all I needed.) *I will be on guard though... ☺ When I went to my w/i yesterday we went over the trip and then talked about the wedding and I told her that I will be having cake- and not just a piece of cake- buta corner just a corner, buit where the frosting is and (I'm a frosting junkie) she laughed and said that she will phase me in to that starting at the weigh in when I come back -otherwise I will get sick- that would be nice huh? MOG throwing up or passing out in the middle of the reception...lol 
totally hear you on smelling various foods. There is a home made ice cream shop in Myrtle I've gone too since I was little and it is just the best...but I have to remember, it is only ONE year. One - I can do this 
& really, chips (Doritos) are my *bane* 
oh myyyyy on the wedding cake - guess she's worried about that much sugar hitting your system at once after 7 months & setting off a chain reaction - fwiw, I think you will be fine 
3 more pounds in P2 is fantastic! Congrats!
You must be getting so many compliments! and looks like Onederland in sight for your birthday! 
Awesome! You are getting SO CLOSE to Goal!
That’s a milestone, how awesome for you! The hard part is over, it’s so nice to be able to start seeing Goal…just a downhill ride from here. 
) Mostly catered, food on platters, and mostly NOT OP. Still, I did my best, figured maybe 80% OP. Have to admit, I was really worried about my WI when I got back. Thought for sure I’d be up a bit, but somehow, I managed to lose 1 lb. 
) and BBQ are my favorites - I found the Cheddar Sour Cream leave an awful chemical aftertaste - but I am finding that to be the case with artificial cheese flavored stuff (ie - the Proti-Diet white cheddar crisps)
)!!! I started out loving the Strawberry Cheesecake, but my tastes have changed and now I like Cookies and Cream or Cinnamon Roll better...never cared much for any of the chocolate flavors
If I was going to invest in myself, that's where it would be!