Cindy - I started taking collagen about a week ago and I believe it is making a difference. My skin was constantly ashy, even with lotions / vit E, but is looking less so with the addition of collagen / biotin supplements

mama - sorry - I had bad heartburn before IP but it really seems to have settled down - unless I eat too many raw onions / garlic.

So what a WEEK!

We visited with DH's cousin yesterday. She is doing awful, as we expected, but I think was glad to see us...we genuinely understood her & M
Pulled together the rest of the pictures for the memorial on Monday - tough but nice to reminiscence

Finally caught a break and got some good news too - co-worker who left is COMING BACK!!!! It didn't work out and he texted me last night / this morning and will be back Wednesday :D

NSV - the 10's I bought the week before vacation are getting LOOSE! WHA??? :lol:

I'm so very sorry about your husbands cousin. That is so sad. It's hard enough when we lose an older person, but someone so young. You and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers.
Now, THAT is a piece of news that must be having you jumping for joy!! Thank goodness that stress is going to be over for you. Phew!!
Wha-WHA???? 10s are getting loose? That's incredible!! Good work lady!!! That's so great!!! So proud and happy for you!!
I wonder if my body will let me go below a 12, I went closet shopping again Thursday night, and there are still a bunch of 12 jeans that are still too tiht- there's several that did fit- I'm not complaining, not by any stretch, it's just weird how it takes me so long to move through sizes- it was MONTHS before I was out of my 18s and 16s.
Well, the moment of truth is a few hours away. ( I don't remember if my confession was on this thread or the other one-) My W/I is at 9:30, and we'll see what happens...It's colder here, but I'm still going to wear similar clothing to what I have worn all summer and not jeans. That way if my weight goes up from the cake, it won't have the added weight of the jeans and cooler weather clothing.
Happy saturday everyone- hope that you all have a great one!

Destony, I hope the scale is kind to you. :)
Beth, I'm totally jealous of the loose size 10s! I tried on some 8s yesterday but I'm still pretty far away from that size. Motivation to keep going!

Re: oils. My husband's surgeon recommended Bio Oil after his surgeries, to help the incision scars heal better and itch less. My husband LOVES it. We bought it at Walmart. It is pricey; $30/bottle I think? I need to try it out on my itchy belly.

Losing these last few pounds is TOUGH. It's hard to stay motivated. It's hard to cut back on goodies like restricted bars. I find myself thinking, "Maybe this weight is good enough." But I don't want to be one of those people who later says, "I'm going back on P1 to lose the last 15 pounds." I want to get it done on THIS round of P1. I want to get in size 8s. I want to have "wiggle room" when I phase off and gain a couple of pounds. But, my goodness, I can't wait to have real food again. And I'm not craving junk food - I dream about oatmeal and yogurt and potatoes and apples. LOL.

delayed reply
 

Hysteria, Thanks for your comment and encouragement. I'm sorry for my late reply - I went MIA for a while. Yeah my first week I slipped up on some cheese and then I had absolutely no appetite for days and then totally cheated for three days straight. Now I'm back on plan and sticking to it. :D It has been difficult this time around because I feel like I work so hard (at my job) and food or more like a good latte is a nice reward. I'm trying to remember my low point (not fitting into any of my clothing) and use this as motivation. Thanks again for the encouragement and wish you well.

Well, back from weigh in- and another fortune spent, damn you Janeva's cookbook!! lol-(I'm fine with it, really!) Down 2.4 lbs, though with the exception of my waist, all measurements remained the same- but my waist went up a quarter. Strange, no C issues, in fact, this morning, there were a couple of trips in-so not certain what that was all about. I don't feel bloated or anything - I would have expected that to be last week- I did feel bloated. I do wonder, as I was pretty certain the blasted cake threw me out of ketosis for a bit, as I ate last week, no restricteds till Wednesday, I also did NO exercise at all. Treated it very similar to my first week. Maybe? Maybe not...but starting Monday, I'm back at it- actually tomorrow because I will start my fall garden cut back and that's a pretty fair amount of work.
HISI'm with you- I want to get it all off before I phase off. I dream of cheese, glorious cheese- as for the apples- we go apple picking up North next month when the JonaGolds come in and I WILL have one apple. I will savor ever delicious bite and then be back to OP.
As the weather is getting cooler here, I am noticing the dry skin starting again on my finger tips. I don't think its IP related, more likely just my age, but I hate it- it catches on everything!!!
I bought a box of the rice krispy treats- there were samples at the clinic this morning...mmmmmmmmmmmm delish!! I love how sweet they are. I also bought premade vanilla drink and strawberry syrup- had a straberry milkshake with my salad at lunch...I really do enjoy the food- and again- damn you Janeva's cookbook!!:hungry::thanks:

Congratulations! I am sure you will meet your final goal for Christmas!!!

This is my second weekend on the plan and I definitely feel hungry. I am proud that I was able to attend a few social events and only had celery and club soda with a twist of lime! The scale has not moved since my first weigh in but I know that I can't focus on that. I am determined that IP will give me the results that I desperately need!

Destony, how much is that cookbook? I can't decide if it would be worth it for me to buy it, not being much into cooking myself. And being so close to goal, I don't know if I will continue to use a lot of OP products.

Welcome Jamgirl! For hunger, you can try a hot drink like tea or broth (hot drinks tend to be more filling than cold), or a hard boiled egg (subtract the protein from your evening meal), or a dill pickle. And salads, of course.
_______________

After NOT being able to squeeze into size 8s this week, my motivation got a kick in the pants. I've upped my water intake the last few days and that seems to have helped with the scale, which continues to inch downward.

I looked at the calendar again to figure out the absolute latest I can phase off and still do the 5K on November 21. I think as long as I'm on P3 that week before the race, I'll be okay. My main concern is having a good breakfast before the run. So I'm thinking about staying on P1 for 5 more weeks, and PRAYING the last 11 pounds come off in that time.

I finished Week 3 of the Couch-to-5K yesterday, and felt great. I'm really happy with that program as it keeps me from pushing myself too hard, too soon. I'm looking forward to a good, long leisurely walk this afternoon, though!

HIS - amazing what motivates us...must boss and I were talking the other day and she's always been svelte but after the birth of her 4th hasn't been able to lose weight - so now after she finishes breastfeeding in January wants to get the extra 30 pounds off. She admitted I am now about 5 pounds smaller than her & trust me I never in life expected that to happen! Anyway we were talking about sizes and she couldn't believe the pants I was wearing were 10's - and I think now I might like to go to a 6, IF my hips allow it. Btw - those 8's are really tight right now and will not be worn publicly due to excessive muffin top :lol:

Jam - welcome :)

Linda - :hug:

So what I ask now is for my IP friends to please keep DH's cousin and girls in their thoughts and prayers. Tomorrow is the funeral and it's going to be beyond sad and emotional.

From a personal standpoint I am going in strong and prepared but I believe is going to be the most difficult days I'm going to have staying OP. But trust me I don't need the prayers - they will :(

Beth, will be thinking of you and the extended family today.

I should be out running but I'm procrastinating. Weeks 4 & 5 of the C25K program are kind of scary. At least to me. :D

We went out for lunch with friends yesterday at a restaurant that was new to us, and it was a lose/win for me. I opted for a 10 oz chopped sirloin and steamed broccoli (which I'm sure had butter on it), and two side salads (mine and hubby's). The salad came with some cheese on it, which I happily ate, and there weren't any good salad dressing options except low-fat Italian, so that's what I chose. I'm sure my meal was WAY high in fat and calories. But everyone else at the table had delicious 3-cheese macaroni and cheese as a side, and I didn't even try a bite, even though mac & cheese is one of my comfort food addictions. I ate super carefully the rest of the day and made sure I drank all my water, and managed to lose 1/2 pound. (But I'm definitely going back there when I can eat mac & cheese again!)

The next 5 weeks will probably be the most challenging I've had on this protocol. I really need to get to goal in that time, which means strict adherence to the plan, and fingers crossed I can lose 2 lbs/week. I also need to order a dress for my son's upcoming wedding (December) but I've been putting it off, thinking I will get down another size. I'm going to have to make a decision on that very soon.

Happy Monday everybody. I had quite a busy week last week I had to do quite a bit of travel for work. I was very happy with myself I managed to stay OP throughout it all. I was more active as I was working out in the field and working longer days so I just added a bit of extra protein in and kept a bag of unrestricted veg nearby for quick snacks. I was thankful for hard boiled eggs I would add 1/2 of one then 1.5 of just the whites to my day to get a little more food in.

Generally when I'm on the road I'd go out for big dinners and have a few drinks and do fast food lunches so I managed to avoid that. One thing I encountered though is last Thursday I worked all day so I had my lunch (veg and a RTD chocolate drink) but it was 6:00 dinner time and I had 4 hours of driving to do still. So normally I'd hit up some kind of fast food to get something I could eat while driving. What are some options of P1 food that's quick to grab from somewhere when you're away from home that you can eat while you drive? I couldn't think of anything that would work, everything needed forks etc. So I ended up just having my snack and eating dinner when I got in at 10:00 I went to subway for a chicken chopped salad with no cheese or dressing. But I often end up having to eat while on the road for work so were wondering what other people had found that works.

On another note I was getting dressed to head to church yesterday and threw on a skirt and a shirt. It's a skirt I've had for quite a while and often enjoy wearing it in the fall. I didn't think anything of it then DH reminded me that the last time I tried to wear that skirt I couldn't get it on, it was two small, way to small and ended up with me crying over the fact that I had no clothes that fit, that I can't leave the house naked, and am supposed to wear nice clothes and there is nothing in the house that will fit. I was having a rough morning so might have been a little over dramatic. But it was great to be able to put it on and zip it up without even thinking about it. I also had to go out and buy a new pair of jeans because the girls at work had started calling me diaper but because my current ones are getting too saggy and loose.

Good Morning everyone!

Thinking of you and your family today Beth.

Manda - great NSV yesterday!

Scale was up today (though official weigh in is tomorrow). I know I didn't drink as much water as I should have Saturday and Sunday. I worked on scraping and painting the trim on the outside doors and painted the front door and the door leading to the garage. It was exhausting! My muscles hurt today.

My goal today is to drink what I normally drink plus what I missed the last two days. I need to flush the fat! I'm hoping all the activity I did the last two days doesn't hurt me on the scale.

Beth Definitely thinking of your family.
Manda Wow! I bet you looked great in your skirt. Sometimes I get sad now when I can't wear my cute, bigger clothes...but I get over it quickly.
HIS Great way of managing your lunch! I had plenty of meals that were as close to OP as I could get given the circumstances. It always ended up OK.

I am back on track this week after losing it a bit last week. Maintenance is hard, but IP has taught me that structure keeps me accountable for what I eat. I planned today's food out and tracked it first thing this morning. DH and I were saying how we miss Phase 1 sometimes...it was so easy to know what to eat day to day. It's so hard when the whole world is available. BUT I am just going to tighten up and hopefully that will help me to lose the extra weight I put on.

Thank you everyone for the thoughts and messages today. Still have the reception to get through. I can't even put into words how today went - next to my parents it's probably the hardest goodbye I've had to say. The family has so much support though - the procession was over a mile long!

Happy Monday everyone!
I’m back from vacation, we had a great time, it’s always fun to get away to new places (who knew NJ had so much and such beautiful oceanside ;) ).
Especially nice since we met up with my sister and BIL... we plan a holiday together once or twice a year (otherwise we’d never see each other, I’m in Canada, she’s in Florida!)

My WI day is tomorrow morning. I didn’t weigh myself the whole time we were away :eek:, and I consciously decided not to step on the scale today (so tempted OMG, had to throw a towel over the scale so I wouldn’t ). I usually weigh myself first thing in the morning, and I know mid-day would be different, and I just don't want to know till tomorrow's WI.

I think I did pretty well overall with food, lots of salads for lunch, probably had more tomato than I should, ad dressing wasn't always right, even tho I asked for oil & vinegar of I didn't bring my own. And oh yeah, lots of seafood for dinner, the condo we stayed in had a grill, and we all love salmon, so we grilled salmon and asparagus a couple of times. We found this old inn off the beaten path, right on the ocean, and I had one of the best steamed lobster I’ve had in years, I felt so righteous and only dipped one small piece in the butter.:T (Actually it was so good it didn’t need the butter :D ).
Of course there were a few glitches, stopped for dinner on the drive home, had a steak, and didn’t realize there was a glaze on it and it tasted a bit sweet. Scraped and blotted it off, but hope it wasn’t too bad. Probably some other “a bit off plan” things, hard to measure meat and veg sometimes, but no really bad cheats.
Anyway, tomorrow’s WI will tell the tale. Sure would be nice to lose, but I’ll be happy with no gain :)


I’ve been reading back a few pages, sure is lots going on with everyone!! Happy to hear all the NSV’s :cp::cp::cp:

Just have to send a big hug to you Beth :hug:
So, so sorry to hear about your friend, my heart just aches for their family, my thoughts are with them and with you today.

Hi, all. I'm new here and thrilled to find a support system. I started IP at the need of June, and I'm really close to my goal. I'm trying to decide if I need to lose more; my coach suggested I might want to keep going. I'd love your thoughts - I'm looking healthy for the first time in 25 years. I'm almost in a size 10; am I setting myself up for failure if I lose more weight? Thanks

:carrot:Hey Teach-

You know what feels best for your body and what weight feels "right." If your body isn't fighting you on losing more, I would go ahead give yourself a 5lb-7lb grace and go ahead and lose it now. Phasing out, you could gain a little or not...its nice to have a cushion. Congratulations on being 5lbs from your goal, great job!

Hi Everyone. Just checking in. Last time I did this diet in 2011 I drank the same shakes and ate the same veggies all the time. This time I'm trying to change it up (to keep from getting bored). I've been buying frozen rhubarb and cooking it with cinnamon then mixing it with the maple or apple oatmeal. Very filling and it makes me feel like I'm eating fruit. Also just gobbled a cup of kale chips. Highly recommend those suckers. Yum. Keep it interesting. 37 more pounds...ugh. Wishing you all well in this IP journey.

Welcome! I started in early June, and am also close to goal. I'd say that if you're still losing pretty easily, you might want go lower on your goal. Most people find that when they get close to where their body wants to stop, it's much harder to lose those last few pounds. The main thing is, are you comfortable at the weight, and is it sustainable? I mean, I could possibly get down into the 140s, but I'd have to eat only lettuce and air for the rest of my life. ;)

Welcome, stickingtotheplan. Yum, I love stewed rhubarb. I keep a container of it in my fridge all the time, so I have something I can grab in a hurry when I'm ravenous. My other favorite "fruit" is zucchini that's made to taste like baked apples. If you like to cook, you might like Janeva's IP cookbook. She has a FB page and I think you can order from her there. Or maybe on Amazon?

Congrats on your weight loss. I think this is really so personal. I have been in maintenance for 6 weeks, so it was just a couple of months ago I was thinking about the same thing. I decided to stop at my goal (I lost 4 more lbs during Phase 2 and 3) and I'm still really happy about it. I feel good about myself right now. Now I put all my energy into maintenance and it's hard work. A cushion scares me personally because I think psychologically I'd have an excuse to get out of control, but again, that's me personally. You need to do what's right for you, and if losing a bit more makes sense and makes you feel good, then by all means, go for it!!!

I stayed OP yesterday, but no weight lost this morning. I'm probably due for one of my 4-day plateaus. Hubby and I went kayaking yesterday and I'm feeling a little sore this morning, but plan to do my walk in a couple of hours.

As I'm nearing goal, I'm trying to work out how many packets I have and whether those can get me through the next 6 or 8 weeks. I'd really like to avoid buying more protein food, but I wonder whether I will continue to eat some of these things into maintenance. Miwi, are you eating all "real" foods now, or do you occasionally have an IP food for a snack?

Hi Teach - I am right there with you in trying to decide 'how low will you go'? I have a set weight / clothing size I would like to achieve, but need to be practical as well - at almost 39 having never been a normal weight, I really just don't know and will try to listen to my body the best I can.

Welcome back stick :) I've found new recipes and vegetables on IP I will be incorporating into my diet for the rest of my life - such as rhubarb (so delicious!), that I would have never tried before - I recently went through a couple tough weeks with no WL and being able to shake things up I believe has helped immensely. One recommendation if you don't have it already - Janeva Eckhoffs (sp?) IP cookbook!

Yesterday was hard for everyone. I am still having a hard time sleeping...a lot of that is personal regret and just an overwhelming sadness for DH's cousin and girls. Someone dying so young puts your own life into perspective too...now to be proactive about some of the positives that came out of the last week - ie, staying more closely in touch with friends and family again (DH & I have a core group of friends but had self-isolated from his family for a variety of reasons...We will see how it pans out. I doubt people have changed and for me it is a tolerance issue - too much to go into on a diet blog :p ) I know I have good life insurance and DH is looking into what is available to him.
Come to find out that he did not die of a massive heart attack, but sudden cardiac arrest - apparently very common after a heart attack (he'd had one the week before & had a stint inserted) and there wasn't anything anyone could have done without a defibrillator :( I didn't realize there was a difference, but a heart attack is where blood flow is constricted from the heart (plaque in the arteries, etc...) vs SCA, which is the heart losing its normal rhythm and this quickly leads to blood not getting pumped out of the heart correctly and eventually it stops beating. :( Just too sad and too common - it is the most common cause of death in men 35 - 45.
My family has a history of heart disease - I am glad too for losing the weight and right now have even more incentive to be sure I keep it off.

The scale finally moved and I am firmly in the low 150's now! Yay!

NSV - For the first time in my life I am comfortable wearing slacks and a TUCKED IN blouse :D

Beth I work in a Medical Center and I honestly didn't know the difference. Hopefully going through this difficult time together will help with family in the long-run. Also congrats on your weight loss. Woo hoo! Yay!

HIS For the most part, I eat all "real" food. The exception is sometimes I have an IP-alternative snack bar or EAS carb control shake as a snack. I continue to stick with Phase 3 breakfast for the most part and I allow myself to eat carbs for dinner, although I have yet to cook a pot of pasta which was a total staple for me before IP.

Talking about eating on maintenance, my hubby and I got a medium cheese pizza over the weekend (indulgence day) and I could only eat one and a half pieces and I felt really, really full. There was a time I could eat four pieces of a large pizza and still have dessert. My stomach has shrunk! Yay! I am so happy about that.

Had my WI this morning, and I was holding my breath hoping for even a small loss,
and :cp::cp: DOWN 3.0 for the 2 weeks. Also some inches (hips and thighs)
I'm officially down more than 40lb :dancer: Hopefully by next week, I will say goodbye to the 160s.
My coach is so nice, when I walked in, wearing the size 14 pants that just fit so nicely a few weeks ago, she said to me: look at you, those pants are just way too loose, you have to go shopping. She's right of course :D, I've been putting it off, trying to wait till fall got here (it has!) before I put away summer things and went looking for fall clothes


HIS, you are so close to reaching your goal, :crossed: :goodluck:
We're rooting for you!
And, oh yeah, we're going to want to see that dress when you get it ;)

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Love it!!

I've heard great things about Janeva's cookbook too, am going to order it this week. Also, if you haven't spent some time looking at the recipe threads lately, there's a lot of great ideas there since you haven't been back since 2011.

:cheer: Nice loss this week, and you are getting so close to goal :dancer::dancer:
Love that NSV :) That Tucked in blouse struck a chord with me, for sure, I keep trying to do that, but not a good look for me (YET ;) )

Just my pov as I was reading through this thread.... I still use bars occasionally during the week when I need a quick snack on the run, etc. When you actually think of it these kinds of products replace the 'I will just grab something :cbg: from the *insert fast-food joint here* because I am in a rush and don't have time for a proper sit down meal/snack'. So it's really not a change from our everyday lifestyle, just a better choice of 'real food' replacement. We all know 'fast-food' isn't real food, lol. Of course if you have more time to prep before you run out the door you can always bring HB eggs, veggie spears & a bit of cheese, a small serving of nuts, a mini tub of Greek yogourt, etc. Lots of athletic people run around with protein bars in their gymbags or purses, it's not uncommon in people of healthy weight.

Liana

Thanks Liana that makes sense. I always try to think, "What would people of a healthy weight do?" Mid-afternoon I am going to be hungry. I know that, so I bring my bar so I know I won't eat junk.

blueskies Yay for your weight loss and NSV! I hope you have fun buying new clothes.

True. I know there are at least two days a week when I don't eat a proper meal before leaving the house - Sunday mornings, and one weekday evening when I leave for work at 5:45 and don't eat dinner before. On Sundays, I have a protein shake, and on my work night, I eat a Quest bar in the car. So I guess I will continue to need at least protein powder and bars. I really like the bars and have to keep myself from having more than one a day.

This morning I woke up with a sore throat. Feels like the start of a cold coming on :(
Normally, I'd be having tea with honey and lemon to soothe it, and I've never liked the cough-droppy type candy thingies...I'm sure it'll only last a couple of days, but...
This is the first time I've been at all sick since starting IP, so just thought I'd ask - anyone have any suggestions?

blueskiesahead, I'd probably have the tea with lemon and whatever fake sweetener you like.

Scale edged up a little more today, which always makes me twitchy. Especially since I'm really anxious to lose these last few pounds!! UGH.

blue - take care of you...I got really sick / antibiotics necessary back in March (double ear infection / sinus infection) and it took about a month before I really was back to normal. It started as a cold and quickly went downhill and I stayed protocol throughout. Was that wise...?? Again, idk - I have no proof being IP made me sick(er) but I wonder sometimes if being that low calorie while your body is fighting an infection is really smart :?:
I did lots of organic chicken broth with black pepper and RTD's - just didn't have much appetite for a while.
I know there are liquid medicines you can't take b/c of the sugars (NyQuil). I think pills, like Mucinex, are ok. I was taking that while I was sick, plus the antibiotics.
:hug: feel better soon!

HIS - sorry about the scale-flux - a return to stricter alt-protocol (removing onions, cutting back on Quest bars) finally got things moving again for me...but it took about 10 days to start seeing some results. I know you have a tight deadline with the race coming up...crossing my fingers for you!

Things are getting back to normal - co-worker returned this morning and that's kept me very busy :lol: normally this place moves like molasses but boy they got him out of all the systems ASAP :dizzy:

Finally got a really good nights sleep...so much so, I didn't hear my alarm until I was almost an hour late :o :eek:

I didn't even note that early yesterday (9/29) morning our Labrador got sick so I was cleaning up the hallway at 12:30a & again at 4:00a - she is much better now...on a doggy-BRAT diet for a couple days ;)

Funny & embarrassing story - I've laid off the red onions, both cooked and raw and switched to green onions. Apparently, my intestines really don't like green onions and I made Janeva's fried cauli-rice Monday night after the funeral. So I walked into my bosses office yesterday and with NO warning, went off like a foghorn :lol: :lol: Luckily, we are friends and we both just laughed and laughed...another co-worker came by and said "what, did I fart or something" and that got us laughing even harder!
Once we stopped laughing, boss said "well, I WAS considering IP but if that's a normal side effect, I'm not so sure..." :lol:

Had some yummy steak and zoodle last night. The next 2 nights are 'fend for yourself' as DD10 has dance classes and with all the family stuff had very little prep-time this weekend. I don't have any cauli-rice ready to go...I do have some in the freezer but that requires cooking. Thinking I may do breakfast for dinner tonight with some veggie-eggs (1 whole / 1 egg white, 2C spinach, mushrooms, colored peppers, cilantro) and a proti diet pancake.

For anyone on IP who gets ill, check with the pharmacist for alternative cough syrups, throat soothers, etc. as lots of people cannot have sugars or alcohols in their meds. The alternatives just aren't always advertised as well.

Blue I hope that you feel better soon. Maybe some Chloraseptic spray? Not sure of the ingredients, but when I had strep, that was the only thing that helped my throat.
HISHope that the scale moves soon- that would do the same thing to me-likely will too once I get to that point.
Beth glad things are getting back to normal in your life. You must be so happy to have your work hubs back. He better treat you like gold for all the stress he put you through!:hug:
Here we go again with similarities...started using green onions as the weather has gotten a bit cooler, inspiring me to be creative and cook-my tummy has been a bit (lot) more gassy lately than normal- at work I pray no one comes upstairs until the "effects" *ahem* go away. Sounds like that wasn't an issue for you thank goodness...:D Glad to hear you are sleeping better again, it's been a pretty tough ride for you lately.
So glad it's Thursday. We were planning to pull the boat for the season tomorrow, but in light of the weather here on the East coat (I'm off the coast in MA) we've had to put it off. She's de-rigged, sails and canvas' and such, so we'll just keep our fingers crossed and she'll ride it out on the mooring. I hope that everyone has a great Thursday-time for my morning exercise on demand-I hate that Comcast changes things up- I miss Jennifer Gilardi and the ones I used to do a couple of years ago. Oh well, I'll get used to the new ones. Much success to everyone today!!!

Feeling better this morning, I had many cups of tea yesterday, a long bubble bath followed by an afternoon nap, just a no energy day. Today still a bit of a sore throat, not nearly as bad, but it doesn't feel like it's going to develop into a cold, thank goodness, I just hate feeling crappy. :)
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, and just to be proactive for the next time, I'll go see my pharmacist and get some suggestions.

Linda, sounds like nasty weather your way, and getting worse for the next few days, hope you don't get affected too badly with the wind and flooding.

blue - glad you are feeling better! I had the yukkies too (headache, sore throat) but seem to have fought it off! DD10 / DD19 were both sick though :(

Linda - yes, batten down the hatches lady! The original track of Joaquin brought it right over D.C. but it has shifted east / NE...heard this morning possibly a Jersey hit - but hoping it just goes away! Are you guys under the gun for this Nor-Easter Friday / Saturday? Started raining this morning in NoVa with no let up until Saturday afternoon - blah!
& LOL on the green onions...I love them SO much, but gosh they don't love me at all :( ;) had another embarrassing issue on the ELEVATOR yesterday :o :o - think its time to invest in some Beano :o :o

So yah...I got issues :lol: I am just going to have to suck it up and save green onion eating for the weekends I guess. I know there are pro-biotics out there that would help but omg they are $$$$$$$$ I think I can live without the flavor for a couple more weeks

Well, the mid-atlantic is going to take care of its rain deficit in the next 2 days - prediction is 3 - 6" of rain now through Saturday (and our direct region just got 4" of rain Tuesday night!). Glad I live outside the flood plain. Also glad Joaquin is turning east and hope it just doesn't make landfall

Scale has remained steady the last 3 days. Really enjoying the elliptical and starting to see changes to my thighs / calves :)

One thing to watch...I really don't know about the collagen supplement - thought I was doing ok - but to get a full daily dose, you are suppose to take 6 pills (yuk). I had cut back to 1 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, 2 after dinner and 1 before bed & was doing ok - but was also consistently forgetting a couple pills (so probably taking 4 a day instead of 6). Yesterday / this morning I did 2 again on an empty stomach and am feeling wonky :( Just wish I knew what in the supplement was doing it (it has more than just collagen & biotin)...I had NO issues adding the 5,000 biotin. Obviously i am going back to what I was doing before...Blah - I dislike being so sensitive to medications.

Sounds like everyone is doing well, or at least on the mend. :)

Scale went up another half pound yesterday, despite being OP and doing a fair amount of walking. I don't know what's going on. I don't have TOM any more, and my plumbing is working. I'm trying not to feel stressed about it, because that just adds to the problem. I might have to cut out my evening Quest bar and see if that helps. I'm going to try having shakes twice a day, since those are low in calories and carbs.

Made two batches of zucchini chips in my dehydrator this week. Man, I love those things, but you sure don't get filled up with one dehydrated zucchini! :D But they are easy to take as an out-and-about snack, and they satisfy my craving for a crisp, salty treat.

I'm not on the pumpkin spice bandwagon, but I love all the chocolate peppermint foods that show up around the holidays, especially coffee creamer. Yesterday I found white chocolate peppermint Dunkin Donuts coffee at WM, so I had that this morning with peppermint flavored stevia. YUM YUM YUM.

Question: What is a good unrestricted protein item to grab and go? In the last week, I've had several days where I had to leave the house right around meal time. I have no trouble taking a little cooler of water and veggies - usually cut up cucumber, celery, zucchini chips, etc - but other than bars (which are all restricted), I don't know what protein I can take except a RTD shake.

And for the record, I've tried making several of the baked goods with protein packets or protein powder, and find them all disgusting. It's the cardboard texture that makes me gag. So muffins or things like that are out.

HIS - I've tried some of the baked goods and am also not a fan of many, except the banana oatmeal muffins, which are not bad. (If you haven't tried them, I can link the recipe later, just on my way out this morning.)

Otherwise, how about canned tuna? you could add to veggies with some dressing, if you can find a way to take that. I think they also have tuna in foil packets (sorry I don't use them, maybe someone knows). Is there anything else that comes in a can that could work?

I'm assuming you mean something you have at home to bring with you? If you have some deli turkey you could take that in your cooler, or if not, a quick pop in to a grocery store for some?

Hi HIS
I find I often have the same issue except I am often looking for a dinner I can eat on the go, I find it a bit easier for lunch or snack. I keep a ziplock bag of cut up veggies with me. For a packet I often use that as the opportunity to eat my restricted item but if I'm going non-restricted then I will grab a bag of crisps, a RTD drink, a RTE pudding, or I'll grab my shaker and dump some cold water in it and shake up one of the drinks usually the pina colada or cran-granata.

I'd be interested if anybody has any ideas for dinner on the go, I find myself travelling for work quite a bit and driving during the time I'd normally be sitting down for dinner. My go to when I get stuck out and about is subway chopped chicken but I can't eat that while driving. Anybody have suggestions of what is driving friendly food that you can grab when you are out and about?

With DD10's dance practice I am out of the house a couple evenings per week, but after getting there, have time to sit and eat.

I have eaten dinner on the road before though - I will cook a turkey burger or grill a chicken breast and then bring a bag of vegetables - sliced peppers, cucumbers, celery sticks (I avoid the goiterous veggies b/c of the hypothyroid). You can always pre-cut the protein into bite-sized portions too...Depending on how long you are on the road, you may want to invest in a small cooler to keep in your car. Also, keep a small packet of handi-wipes in the glove box or your purse. Not very exciting, but do-able when you don't want to stop.

HIS - unrestricted? Dinner? Lunch? For lunch, Quest chips are my go-to
...see my response to manda for dinner

Linda - thinking about you!

Thankfully it is looking like Joaquin is pulling further away from the East Coast. We still have today / tonight's rain to get through

Did too much on the elliptical yesterday - had been careful to watch my HR and keep it around / below 130 but kind of spaced out and when I checked (25 minutes in...), it was around 150(ish)...got extremely hungry on the drive home from work and had an extra snack. Had one of those hungry nights too where I went to bed thinking about today's breakfast :p

NSV - the size 8 Banana Republic jeans I got at the thrift store 2 weeks ago FIT (with only a little muffin top)!!!!!!!!! :woohoo: First time in my adult life I have worn a single sized piece of clothing...never thought I would be able to *happy tears*

Manda,
I bumped the travel thread up so you would see it on the first page, but here is the link also:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...warrior-6.html

I probably ate about half to three quarters of my meals in the car, I was on the road A LOT during IP.
I still eat similarly - I make ziplock baggies of cut veggies and also the leafy veg, and eat on the go. Bell peppers, cukes, celery and pickles are my "go tos". Also grilled chicken in a bag, or the IP chips (now I do Quest chips).
SOOOO easy.