Hi Ladies,

I really enjoy reading your posts and seeing familiar names. :) I am on day 6 and feel SO much better!! I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes already fit so much better! Like Sgrealtor1 said, I refuse to buy more fat clothes. Well actually I did... in December I bought two new pair of jeans, they were size 12, but stretchy so they fit. My "real" size 12's are way to snug!! and the ones without stretch don't fit at all. :^: That's about to change though! I am excited at the thought of fitting back into the clothes in my closet!! and to soon need smaller clothes. :) I FEEL so good when I am on IP. That's the crazy thing, when I went of the rails I didn't FEEL good, I felt bloated, fat, just plain yuck, yet it was so hard to get back on track. But alas, here I am, along with all of you and excited about the journey! One thing that I have learned is that I can control my eating during emotional times. 2015 was a very stressful year for me and I was able to maintain through it all, up until December that is, and then...I don't know what happened...actually I do, I ate my first bite of sugar in over a year and a half and that was the end of me. I wasn't able to say no after that. Strange but when I am on IP I do not want the sweets, breads, pasta's etc... I mean, sure they may look good, but I can easily say no. But after eating that first piece of cake...all he!! broke loose! I'm glad to be back on IP and here with ya'll!!

Good morning and hello again 2014 IPs. I'm back, and am also over here feeling like a stuffed sausage. I got down to 129 of 2014, and maintained for over a year. Now it's time to get back down, because I'm not buying new spring and summer clothing.

I'm on day four of my reboot. So far so good! This time I am using alternatives to save money, and because I found more support here than I did with my coach.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I know I have been absent for a while, I swear winter does me in! It doesn't help where I am with our long, cold winters. But I haven't been able to successfully start back up! I don't think I have been in the right mind set for it. Feeling the winter blues and all.

I read a post in a different thread where someone says they can't get into it until mid Feb because of winter and I think it's the same for me, though we wont see spring until may-ish. Though we are seeing more daylight and higher day temps for the most part we still have snow in the forecasts.

But the longer days are already making me want to be more active. I think I will focus on some workouts and running for a bit get those good feeling endorphin's going and hopefully once the snow is gone I will be in a better mindset and I will be ready to get back at it.

I hope all you lovelies are doing well and overcoming your struggles with more success!

Hello Everyone... Climbing back out of my shell and back on track! Way too many non compliant days have added some extra padding back and spring / summer clothes are busting at the seams.... Ugh. I love IP, but have to learn how to maintain...went right back into my old ways of binge eating when I am depressed...Climbing back out now but man those pounds come back on super quickly!

I am sure you are all wondering what happened to me... a reasonable start to the new year with some loss of regain, despite my husband's fall when he broke his pelvis on January 1st... but then on Valentines Day he had to be hospitalized as I thought he was having a heart attack. He had low BP and low Oxygen saturation - they kept him about 4 days, finding he was retaining fluid in the lungs from Congestive Heart Failure. Then sent him home for continued at-home rehab but he had to come back to the hospital within a few days with dehydration from too much diuretic and orthostatic BP where he was drastically dizzy when he stood up. This led to 10 days in hospital where they also thought he might be losing blood as he was anemic. Finally they released him to a skilled nursing center where he was in short term rehab for 6 days, only to be returned by them to the hospital with another low oxygen situation. After 5 days they sent him back to skilled nursing center -- so that was 4 hospitalizations since January 1, on top of the 3 hospitalizations he had since July 2015.


Back just before Xmas I did find one excellent certified nursing asst (CNA) who began coming to the house to help him with the morning get up, clean up, dress, have breakfast, get pills down, etc. And I had at least 6 different ones try out for the evening shift so that I could get some release from the caregiving role. No luck until the last discharge from the nursing center on March 22 - I found someone from there who was very good. Despite the help, the past 2 months have been miserable and frightening as I have watched my DH decline with amazing speed.


On March 30 I had to call in hospice and my DH peacefully passed away at home on Friday morning April 1st. I am sure he was hoping he could time it for April Fools Day - something about that would have appealed to his sense of humor I am sure.


So I am here alone - having eaten my way through all of February and March, to regain half of my original 80lb losses. I broke the dreaded 200 lb mark - I have to do a digital weigh in before I adjust my ticker... but I need to get back on the IP track and get rid of this excess weight so that I can be strong and healthy enough to make this life adjustment. I really am not ready to be alone like this, and I really miss my best friend, favorite fellow and life partner.

One: My heart aches for you. I am so sorry. Please take care of yourself as best you can and concentrate on one day at a time.

I'm so sorry for your loss Oneuh2.

Oneuh2 - I am so sorry for your loss. Take care of yourself, you have been through a very rough time and need time to heal. When you are ready we are all here for you.

oneuh, :hug: I'm so sorry to hear your sad news.
You've been here helping so many of us for so long, let us be here to help you find your way through this difficult time

Oneuh, I am so sorry for your loss. My heart just broke reading your beautiful words about your dear husband. You will both be in my thoughts and prayers. All of us on the threads are here to support you,when you are ready for program. Hugs, Slip

:hug: one- been thinking about you for awhile. I am so sorry for your loss. Take care of you right now lady

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and remarks everyone -- I look forward to returning to the boards with you all and finding daily encouragement and support. And I look forward to getting back on the protocol so that I will feel better and drop this excess weight I have packed back onto my body.


Just coming here to share my woes gives me strength.
love you guys,
cheryl

Oh Cheryl I just knew something bad happened after our last conversation here of your DH's condition. I am so very very sorry for your loss. I am here for you if you need to talk. As for the weight you will get it off again. I too am working very hard on my backtrack... I do need to get here more often as talking to all you wonderful people does help.

I miss everyone...

Thank you Sue. I have missed being here with you all too - I had so much to do that I could not sit down and spend time on the boards. As I find my sea legs I intend to be more present here.

As I have posted on FB regarding DH I am finding there is a good bit of activity on the FB ideal protein related pages - I think perhaps users are drawn more to that format, and it is where they are already hanging out. Janeva has a GB page with recipes as well as info re her cookbook, too.
Unless radical changes occur with 3fc I think the next Gen of IPeeps will not be as active as we were on here the last few years.

Cheryl – I am SO sorry for your loss!! :hug: My heart goes out to you! I know your DH had been struggling with his health and he certainly fought the good fight. Bless you for taking such good care of him. Be kind to yourself. My dad found grief counseling really helped him. I would encourage you to find a group and talk to others.

Please keep posting here or let me know where you end up. I would hate to lose touch with you!

Hey there!- SO glad to find your post today - thank you for the kind thoughts -- the outcome for my husband was not where I expected things to end up... This is tough - I cannot believe how alone I am. No children, and his daughter from prior marriage is in Kansas City... more like a sister than a daughter, age-wise. And my own siblings are all brothers.... 2 are out of town and the other is 40 miles from my house. Great supporters but in no way do they offset the emptiness without my husband. It will take a while for me to wrap my head around this, and some kind of grief support group may be a good idea.


I have thought often of how well you managed through your loss of your mom without falling off the IP wagon - I am ashamed to say I have not had the same success. Must get back on plan as soon as I can.


Right now people keep bringing the wrong food to me, and I have no one else with me much to eat it and get it gone... this will pass pretty soon, and I hope to get back on track starting Monday. Clear the fridge and pantry and start fresh.


I am amazed at the fall off of participation on 3FC... but quite by accident I discovered a couple of very good group pages on Facebook -- a lot of enthusiasm like we used to see here on 3FC. So I am checking in there as well as here.


I will try to be more present on MFP - I was doing good with that in January and then DH took some downturns and had to return to hospital in February, and twice in March, then into skilled nursing -- I just could not plan ahead for anything, and I ate my way through the stress. I could not bring myself to post my junk food meals on MFP....


So I will need support from everywhere I can find it to get back on track - I love you guys and hope you will be around to help me.
cheryl


ps - I read your plastic surgery story in the Maintainers thread - way to go, girl!!! And I am sure your conclusions re being in good shape are right on - your recuperation will be quicker and your return to full capability will be more certain because you were strong going into the operating room. I am looking forward to new before and after pix after you recover..... wow, 5lbs of skin!!! That alone must make any pain and soreness worthwhile!

Cheryl - I am so very sorry for your loss and having to cope with loneliness. I am wishing you peace and hope you can get back to dance, which I know you enjoy.

Sue and Cheryl - I haven't been posting here because I am not following IP any longer. I stopped in December between frustration of not losing last 10 pounds and working on the presidential campaign. I just couldn't do all I was doing on 800-900 calories. I didn't get back on track until the beginning of March having gained it all back. I just couldn't get started for so long. Part of it was that I could not psych myself up for IP. I had been considering a ketogenic diet for a while and had bought the book, Keto Clarity, in December. Anyhow, I am doing an 800-900 ketogenic diet now so no more packaged food for me. I really enjoy the fat and feel so much more satisfied. And, I don't know if you recall my complaints about measuring my blood ketones and finding myself not even in optimal ketosis in spite of being totally compliant. Well, my readings now are 2.6, which is well into optimal ketosis so I know I am burning fat for energy and enjoying the freedom of very accessible foods especially with ttbeing on the campaign trail. I am in Week 5 and feeling good. I have not weighed myself at all yet. I am going to do that at the end of month 2 (in 3 weeks). Anyways, I just thought I would share in case a change in plan is something you think would be helpful to stay on plan. It was SO hard to get started! It took me 3 months to get on track and I believe mainly driven by not having a plan because I did not want to do IP again. As it turned out, I find that I am carb sensitive so staying under 20 total carbs, which also means that excess protein triggers an insulin response so consequently, to get enough calories but not too much protein, I fill in the remainder with fat. I am very fulfilled by the plan. So, just a thought for you...

Ro22 - so glad to hear from you and so sorry that IP just did now work out for you in the end. I am not back on program yet, so I will give your keto clarity book a look as I try to get myself on some path in the right direction.
At the moment I am still clearing out the kitchen - my husband was losing so much weight that we brought in all manner of calorie loaded foods trying to get his weight to stop dropping, and maybe even increase - now I have all sorts of goodies and stuff in the freezer -- I need to make space for the foods I want to be eating for my good health instead of stuff that just feeds my addictions.

You should stop in here periodically and share your successes and any thing you are learning that might be helpful to know -- you have been a terrific weight loss buddy and I don't want to lose track of you!!

Hi Cheryl... just sending out a hug, thinking of you. Be strong & chuck the bad-for-YOU foods! Fresh start time ;)
Liana

Ro22 - glad to hear from you and that things are back on track. As a long time proponent of LCHF, I highly recommend the "Active Low Carb Forum". There is a core group that has been on those boards a LONG time, and, relatively speaking, have also been very successful. I am personally not following LCHF / Paleo / etc... but still check in over there from time to time, mostly to read currently articles regarding LCHF, sugar, etc...: http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=4

Cheryl - more :hug: to you - please be gentle with yourself

Thanks, Cheryl I will check in periodically because regardless of the type of program, making habit changes requires support.

Thanks, Beth. I will check it out. I have found a couple of great sources and one just this week, ketodietapp.com. Others are ibreatheimhungry.com and sugarfreemom.com. I enjoy looking for recipes to make.

The Keto Clarity book opened my eyes to a full LCHF plan and these online sources have been invaluable with recipes and other guidelines. Ideal Protein started me on the journey of a ketogenic type diet so I am very happy to have found it and done it twice, but I am finding with running my own company and the presidential campaign work, staying on plan for a LCHF diet requires less planning and more convenience and quite honestly, more satisfaction from what I am eating which I know is critical for long term success. Also, I was so nervous and worked up about transition phases on IP and couldn't wait until I could add additional foods but with a general LCHF, I don't have to worry about such things as I am already eating natural foods. The only difference for me will be adding more calories from the same foods when I am satisfied with my weight loss.

My intent is not to dissuade anyone from IP so I hope no one views my comments that way. I just wanted to share my current journey with others that are struggling a bit like I was in case that helps them. IP provided me with the building blocks.

Wishing you ladies all the best!!!
Beth - Congrats on the successful maintenance!

I don't take your sharing as anti IP at all - and I hope others do not either. I am always interested to hear about variations on the ketogenic approach.

btw I read an article in FastCompany newsletter today about work being done to treat sugar addiction in a similar fashion as they treat other addictions, like nicotine -- if I understand it, it's a lower dose Chantix treatment.... and I have to say that Chantix really worked for me - I quit smoking in 2008 using Chantix and I have never smoked since (except while dreaming :D) so I am fascinated by the idea that a similar approach could work for sugar addiction. This will be something to watch - after a year of IP and no sugar, no fruit or dairy, just a small amount put me right back into the sugar craving mode. Unbelievable.

So keep coming back Beth - and I hope everyone else is as glad to have you popping in from time to time as I am.

Waiting for the Whoosh
 

Good explanation of this....

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

Cheryl, thank you for posting the article. I have a major problem with water retention. Even when I went off BP Meds, they had to put me on a diuretic. These last couple weeks with TOM and a head cold have been bumming me out on the scale. I know it is water but my impatient soul wants Phase 1 over!

I have been keeping you in my prayers.

Cheryl, I am so sorry for the loss of your DH. My thoughts are with you as you adjust and I wish you the best of luck getting control of your eating and weight loss. Hugs.

Oh, Cheryl, I'm so sorry. As someone with a husband in fragile health, I know how hard it is to watch them decline. I wish this outcome had been different for you. :( And, yes, you've been missed. Those of us in the 2015 thread wondered how you were doing.

Thanks everyone - you are sending such kind thoughts and remarks, and lots of good vibes!


HereIStand - so sorry to hear you are dealing with fragile health with your DH - it is so hard to stay on top of the medical issues, but at the same time, maximize the quality of the time you have together. You are in my thoughts and prayers in that regard.


I have been getting a variety of chores completed - many dealing with loose ends from the past several months - filed for Long Term Care insurance reimbursement for helping caregivers today, have been gathering tax stuff together and filed for extension, and...


I finally had a real Day 1 on re-Reboot today. Trying my hardest to get with it and watch myself melt away as the days go by. I know that is what will happen when I get on program and stay there. Much better than watching the days go by and weeks go by and seeing the scale continue to rise. I did well in January and then un-did those results in February and kept packing it back on through all of March - eating the stress and emotions really blew me back up in a hurry.

Today I connected with a few of you guys on MyFitnessPal, too -- posting there is very important for the long haul, so I am trying to get a good streak going there.

I actually cooked today for the first time since being alone in the house.... it has been very difficult to get up enough will to cook for just one, and besides, without cooking I could make the excuse to stuff face with junk food. I even let a lot of nice veggies and salad stuff just rot in the fridge. So mad at myself for that... children in China are starving, ya know.... :o

Anyway, today I made myself some pancakes from crispy cereal using Janeva's basic pancake recipe, adding half a cup of finely grated zuke to make them more substantial and filling. And before lunch I roasted a large pan of mixed veggies in the oven - cauliflower, sweet peppers, elephant garlic, chunks of celery, asparagus.... it came out great and was a lovely addition to some IP Leek soup I still have on hand - nice lunch with a green salad. Those veggies also went nicely as a side dish with the porterhouse steak I seared, roasted and rested before enjoying for dinner tonight along with a salad. Finished off with a double choc brownie... pretty good Day 1, I'd say.... :D


Sue - if you are still willing to pick up and send some IP products to me, I'd like to do that - will send you an email in a day or two and see if that's still doable for you. I am trying to do this without the cost of a coach and clinic relationship. Money is tight until the survivor benes from DH's retirement income kicks in... federal retirement operations center has a large backlog, so it will be a few months of watching pennies.



thanks to everyone for the support and love -- it really means a lot to me.
cheryl

Since you find water retention to be frequent issue, I am so glad you read the article - we talk about water retention, and I know when it's happening to me much of the time, but understanding more about it helps to explain a lot of situations we find ourselves in... the relationship to the whoosh was very encouraging to me.


I have run across some interesting posts on the FB groups that have appeared for IP... I swear that many who would have been here with us on 3FC are more attracted to FB -- people go there anyway, so while there it is easy to get an IP encouragement and support fix. Lots of Before and Afters are posted, and the photos of food are fascinating.


But I found this link there and was glad to share it. I post about info that's available here on 3FC over there too... maybe we'll get some new blood from my hints... ;)

April Reboot
 

Hey guys - I am one week in on my April reboot- down 6.8 lbs and only one lb away from One-Derland! YAY!!! I am finding my rhythm with the IP protocol on alternative food items. I will take a pound a day anytime!!!

That is great! Very encouraging to hear :)

Thanks a bunch - and in a week you will posting a nice loss too - hang in with us for your reboot - You can do it!!!




Hey everyone - what happened to the tickers? I cannot edit mine so I deleted it, and I notice most everyone seems to have lost their ticker... what's the deal?

I still see them all, but I am on a desktop and not looking on mobile... maybe that is the difference?? You can still edit it if you go to 'User CP" in the purple click-on panel at the top of the page (on the far left side.)
Liana

That is the weird thing - I go to User CP and click Edit Signature and instead of giving me the url with the numbers that we update to move the ticker forward, it gives me the image that the url produces... I cannot seem to get to the url... very weird.

oneuh2 maybe your browser?? Works for me on IE.... haven't tried it on Chrome.

I worked it out to replace the ticker -- I do use IE - let's see if I can edit it as my current weight changes.... stay tuned till I try tomorrow!!

Barely tipping toe into Onederland....199.9!!! But YAY!!

Yahoo!

Good Morning Everyone....

Cheryl reached out to pull me back in LOL.. Thanks for the hand my friend... Feel guilty posting here since not really following protocol but so many friends were made here on my journey I feel compelled to continue on here. I am doing a similar thing, but not IP. I saw that a slip up sent me on a slippery slope and I gained a large chunk of weight back in a short period of time. I did some soul searching and realized I felt like I was sabatoging myself because I was jealous or mad or sad that I could not have regular foods. I came to the conclusion for myself that I cannot rely on the packets for life. And that I needed to figure a way to incorporate regular food and maintain / lose weight while not feeling deprived. When I felt deprived I had myself a little pity party and those lasted days on end of binge eating any thing and everything in the house that is not nailed down. SO I had to regroup and figure out a way to be happy and healthy for the rest of my life. Sadly for me IP was a GREAT way to get the weight off, I just had a hard time with phasing off and then maintaining was such a struggle...SO I am sad to report that I am back up to 235 as of last week....but this first week of my new eating plan (BTW being helped by my old IP coach whom I love) I am down to 232.8 as of this AM ... And I have had toast every day lol...

I will try to continue to post and support everyone and I am by no means saying IP is not great...it did get me my life back! I would still be 281 if it were not for IP and the support of this community... But I let life get in the way...something I need to work on.

Home update for those of you that know me for the past 2 years.... DH is still not out of the woods. We go for another PET this week. He still had 3 active spots on the last scan.. Pray for good news for us on Friday. And DS has decided to attend Penn State in the fall...

I have been around lurking, but after my last post saying once again "I'm getting back on board!" I was decidedly not on board. My trip to Paris was a mental block, so I just waited rather than waste money on packets. The trip was wonderful, and I've been OP since I returned, about a week and a half now and down 5 pounds, out of the 190s and sinking lower into the 180s. SGrealtor, I went through a similar sort of resentment phase with IP for awhile, and the scale was going up and up. I also think I need to figure something out other than relying on the packets. I just needed to get out of the "danger zone" and move the line in the other direction. I made myself a deal to stick it through til Memorial Day. If I can get to the lower 180s by then, I might give regular keto a try or do regular calorie counting with intermittent fasting. Not that IP isn't great, as you said, but I have serious concerns about eating all of this soy and processed stuff, especially now when I don't think my weight is high enough to be a medical liability and that losing is a higher priority for me than what I'm putting in my body. After eating some packets I feel like there is a brick in my stomach. The $ is a big factor too.

I hope to be more active on here. While I feel for everyone struggling, it's heartening that two years out from my first go at IP, I'm not alone in this battle.

Wishing everyone the best.

Bodies Fight to Regain Weight
 

Double post! Just read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/he...smtyp=cur&_r=1

Interested to hear everyone's thoughts.