Well finally made through one day...day 1 again...,this time for good! I cant wait for a week to go by to start feeling better...get rid of the carb envy and just feel good and not blaw! It is so hard to make it through one day...not looking back....day 2 tomorrow!

Hi all,
Hope you're hanging in there ok. I am getting a little frustrated. I feel like the scale has barely budged in two weeks. Also, TOM came around, so that's impacting the scale, and the temperature went from 50s and 60s last week to 80s up to almost 90 today, so my summer fluff layer is returning.

Trying to drink a lot of water, but man this is hard. All I want is a big Popsicle. Has anyone tried making popsicles out of the drinks? I have some of the pink lemonade drink and a popsicle mold so maybe I'll give that a try.

Looking forward to getting some yard work done this weekend even though it will be HOT. :hot:

1 more day to the weekend! :carrot:

Oh pink lemonade popsicles sound so good! I tried the drink but it was soooo sweet. I have 2 more on order for this week thinking it'd be good (we order on our weigh-in day for the next week).

I put on my bathing suit today for the first time to go to the beach with friends last minute.:stress::stress::stress:

I gained way too much since last summer. Ugh. All I kept saying to myself was "this is the before picture, Labor Day will be amazing". And then I said a little prayer.

My friends stopped for drinks but I just came home. Felt defeated, sad, depressed, all of the above. I didn't want to tempt myself in my current mood. Just 2 years ago I was in such a better place. And I'm on my way back, one step at a time.

You can always mix in more water and Realemon or Realime, or squeeze in the fruit if it is handy. Then you get to eat more popsicle for the same packet size, mwahahaha! AND feel like you are getting a treat. I think some people did this with the chocolate puddings to make a 'fudgesicle'. I'm thinking the Pina Colada drink would be awesome for this too.

Liana

Thank you, Monica. :hug: I was just exhausted from the sun and feeling sorry for myself. But I knew I could come home and post here knowing you'd all understand. Thank you for your kind words. I'm still perfect on plan and glad I didn't give in. I was so tempted though. The devil on my shoulder was poking hard. This is really the first time in 2 months I've been considering a slip and I know I'll be sad if I do.

Thanks Liana, those are great ideas! Fudgicles sound so good too!

I bought Janeva's cookbook, I need to find something yummy to make for our holiday weekend. I do really love this way of eating.

Has anyone ever heard of Shirataki Pasta Noodles? They are zero calorie, 4 carb and 3 fiber, 15 calories a serving. I ate them last night for dinner and they were pretty good. Are they allowed?? :?:

pishposhappelsauce that's a great idea!! Making Popsicles out of drinks. I saw that they make freeze pop baggies now, I was thinking of making sugar free freeze pops.

I traded in my wine for seltzer water with mio, I put it in a wine glass and call it my "fake" wine. LOL It does the trick!

I did really good this week, stayed 100% all week. That is major for me. I haven't been able to stick to it. I went to the doctor on Monday and my blood pressure was a little high, well it is always high when they first take it, white coat syndrome, but it was enough to make me want to get serious. I had blood work done and my numbers were great my doctor said, so that's good. I'm 50 now, I want to make sure that I am healthy to see my grandkids grow up! That is a big motivator for me. I don't want to go down hill as I age, I want to be fit and healthy.

We are going to a vinyard Saturday to listen to music. Outside food and non alcholic drinks are allowed so I will be fine. I plan on bringing fresh veggies to nibble on and my seltzer water. If i'm feeling weak, I won't go!! I refuse to get derailed this time. I managed to lose 2lbs this weigh in, which is great, especially considering that I weighed last Thursday and ate/drank Friday, Sat, and Sun and didn't get 100% until Monday, so I basically lost 2 lbs between mon and wed. I'll take it! I weighed 199.2 on my scale this morning, so back in the hundreds!! :carrot: My next goal is to get under 190.

Happy Friday!!

I've done them in moderation and my coach told me they were ok. Kind of rubbery and you really have to rinse them (smell fishy as they are derived from seaweed), but good in some things.

Hi Kelly,

I believe shiritaki noodles are OP. I hear some clinics sell them.

If you do a search of this forum, you will find a load of posts about shiritaki noodles. Some folks count them as a part of their veggie allotment, some limit the serving to 1/2 Cup. I have used them twice with good results. I find them a nice way to change things up.

For those who find them fishy, I learned online to rinse, then soak for about 15 minutes, and then sautee them in a dry pan to leech out more of the water they come packed in. Only about 3 minutes in the pan or they do get really rubbery.

OMG OMG OMG (one each for your 3 doggies) and here are 3 hugs---- :hug: :hug: :hug:

monica first of all...GROSS...second bravo for staying on plan!

Well...well did not make it through day 2 ....but did make it to day 3 and working on day 4...i have to learn to go to bed when im tired..even if it is 9..this is what got me in trouble...falling asleep....but my body fighting it and then for a weird reason was thinking about junk..had some..and some more....ehmmm so weird that i did not have one thought or craving that day (and there were temptations) but all ofma sudden im diving into doritos...
I have added a countdown on my phone...thanks for suggestion..sorry cant remember who suggested this..it is for 33 days...for June 30th..my last day of work before holidays...hoping to below 170... One goal at a time!

I copied someone else's idea for the countdown, I find it highly motivating.

IP greatly improved my sleeping habits, even if it just made me go upstairs to avoid the kitchen.

Now I'd never tell anyone what to do here but....please throw away the Doritos. They aren't worth all the effort you've already invested in this eating plan. :hug:

Thankyou from me and the dogs :D

I already suffer from insomnia, and my first go around for the first while the diet made that worse. I found and article here for you as to why, I had done the research the last go around and know that this can happen. What my doctor recommended is OTC melatonin each night. It is not a sleeping pill but a naturally occurring hormone we have that signals or body to sleep. Taking it each night helps our body get better into sleep and the longer you take it the better it is supposed to work. Also what I do id keep hard boiled eggs on hand so if I am craving or hungry at night i have that instead of something off plan, or have and extra IP food, it will be less likely to get you out of ketosis. Hope that helps.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/48...low-carb-diet/

Carrors i know i should not buy these but they are for my boys....i have told them to keep them in the basement and TO NOT eat in front of mom!...and please never hesitate to tell me what to do...lol

Monica thanks for the info...i will read up on this.

I read on another forum about BCAA....hereistand had written about these....i had never heard of these before...others say these help before/after workout....i started walking over an hour each day and want to do Jillian workout next week...anyone using these...any recommendations?...

Really bummed that my gNC has not had quest chips since December...miss them so much. Bought kays natral but not as good...restricted...dont enjoy as much...excpet for the price...lol

Have a great OP week ladies! Rember we did not gain in a day...so we wont lose it in a day....but we will lose it one day at a time!

Hi Ladies,

You all seem like you are cruising through your reboots!

Monica, so sorry to hear about the dogs and skunk. Poor dogs and poor you.

Carrots, trigger foods are a no-go in my house too.

Loser13, you are strong Mama! Love the last line of your post.

As for me, I am down 2 more pounds and below my goal. Phase 3 helped vanquish that miserable pound, yippee!!!

:hug: I was hoping you took it the kind way I meant it. :hug:

Monica---how are the doggies?

Slipfree---not in my house either! I literally have my own container in the pantry cabinet for my packets and a shelf in the fridge with all my approved IP condiments/pickles/WF, etc. plus water/veggies. Otherwise, it's not even on my radar anymore.

I did buy Ritz crackers at the store the other day though, first time in ages! My elderly dog gets one at night for a tiny treat. He's a snob and won't eat any other brand. :lol: I buy no other junk but am unwilling to stop this evening ritual. I'm not tempted though because those are the dog's crackers. :lol:

First weigh in for the challenge is tomorrow morning and I woke up starting my cycle. :( Ugh.

This might be TMI but it's funny.....

My parents' best friends dog got sprayed and apparently Massengill is one of the better products to buy to bathe your dog at home after a skunk spray. Needless to say, the cashier at CVS did side-eye my friends mom when she bought 12 boxes on a late Saturday night! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks...I wish I listened to myself more often...lol

DOWN 2 more pounds! WAY TO GO! Below goal...BRAVO!

OK that is funny...your dog will only eat Ritz crackers...

Well I try not to buy the stuff but they all want some...if I was living alone...but...I need to get it under control because temptation will always be a part of my life...

NSV...did not cheat during the weekend...yeah..I did not even have one thought about junk food (ok...maybe one...lol)...officially on day 4 today..already feeling better...had a little bounce in my step this morning.

One day at a time, one pound at a time! (Of course 10 pounds at a time would be better...lol)

Hello! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Slip - WAHOO! So glad that pound finally skedaddled.

Monica - I can't even imagine, way to stay strong through the stink. ;)

Had a good weekend overall, with cook outs on Saturday and Sunday. Had some salty marinated meats, so I'm avoiding the scale for a couple of days. But have been drinking TONS of water. I got a new water bottle that's 30 oz and have been drinking 4 a day. Bathroom breaks every half hour, but I feel way less swollen in the summer when I am super hydrated.

Got my veggie garden planted on Monday - moved the raised bed to a new spot that should get a lot more sun so hopefully we'll actually get some veggies this year. Just doing tomatoes, zucchini and string beans.

I'm sitting at 184ish, almost down 10 from my highest regain, and about 20 from my lowest weight. That milestone is making things seem more doable. Still fiddling with whether I'll stick with IP all the way down to goal, but I'll see the challenge at least through July 4. It's so much easier for me to set those short term time limits and reevaluate.

This weekend, I finished "It was me all along" by Andie Mitchell who lost 135 pounds after struggling with emotional eating and depression her whole life. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone easily triggered by descriptions of luscious food, but I totally identified with her and it made me feel less alone in my experience. Before I lost the weight with IP, I never really was a "normal" weight. I was heavy the minute I hit puberty and had a lot of problems with binges. I remember in the 8th grade, age 13 my doctor telling me I really needed reverse my gaining trend and recommending Atkins. After IP, I dealt with emotional eating again once I phased off, and that coupled with not making the effort to get the weight back down after vacations led me to the 30 pound weight creep. After I finished the book, I checked out her blog and read her posts for hours about her experience and a relapse into depression and a regain. That was heartening to read as well, because it's so easy to feel like a failure for letting this happen and not being the perfect maintainer. She also has a very balanced approach to "do whatever works for you" and self acceptance. Anyway, would recommend if you want a beach read this summer and I'd love to discuss it with anyone!

So glad that it's Tuesday, four day work week! Woo hoo!

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I sure enjoyed my three day weekend! I am very happy to say that I have stayed 100% OP for a week and one day!! that is MAJOR for me. I have been having a difficult time this go around, but I think I am finally there, my head is back in the game, and I KNOW I can do this.

I am excited to weigh on Thursday. I managed to lose a little over a pound last week, but that was with four cheat days and three 100% days, so I took that loss. lol

Ya'll have a HAPPY WEEK!!! :)

Starting.....Again.....
 

So I'm starting IP again. I still have so many packets that call my name on a weekly basis. I'm back up to 172. I started with a personal trainer last week and I know I need to get back to the healthier weight for me (I'm 5'2" so the 120s-130s is ideal for me). Wish me luck! I know my biggest challenge is balancing mealtime with my husband and 4 year old!

You are doing amazing!!!! I'm so proud of you and thankful to have you back here on this journey with us. 13lbs!!! And I think you should do things your way, you know how to be successful on this plan and know what works for you. :hug:

I have cauliflower rice almost every day. The only place I can find it is Trader Joes and it's over an hour each way so I buy 6-8 packages at a time. I love it so much. I add my olive oil to it once it's on the plate ready to eat (you can't even taste it) plus a little soy sauce. So good!

My other go-tos are steam bag broccoli and/or cauliflower. Plus I always have cucumbers/celery/romaine lettuce at the ready for meal time or hungry times. I never want to be tempted to stray.

I keep a jar of dill pickles around too. My dh worked late tonight and he's grilling dinner now. I had a pickle about an hour ago and it kept me occupied.

I usually keep my restricted food for 730pm. It makes me feel like I get a treat for being 100% on plan for the day. Tonight is the double chocolate brownie warmed up with WF caramel sauce. It's seriously amazing for "diet" food. :carrot:

Monica - 13 pounds, congrats!

Carrots - I dream of having cauli rice pre-riced. I look for it at trader joes every time i go but the one near me never seems to have it. I've also looked at wegmans because I know they offer it as well, but no luck.


Well I thought with June having a nice even 30 days, it would be good to get my exercise routine back and try the 30 day shred. Halfway through, I threw out my back just running in place. :( I guess I am really out of shape. Will try again tomorrow if I am not sore.

Two days to the weekend!

Pishposh, my TJs sells out of it all the time! It took me weeks to get my hands on any and it's a long ride for when they are sold out. When I do get it, I feel like I have precious goods in my car! :lol: TJs now sells fresh cauliflower crumbles too so I grab one to use the same day, yum. OMG the 30 day shred is torture, I hope your back feels better quickly.

Monica---that kohlrabi sounds good! I miss potato/hash brown/starchy veggies, in going to try it that way!

Pishposh, I wanted to comment on your heartfelt reflection on "It was me all along". I would be happy to read it this summer after I get back from Italy. I really do think there is a strong emotional component for most people on this weight management journey. Finding peace within your own skin seems to be the key to figuring out this crazy puzzle. Keep looking within, my friend.

Thank you! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do pick it up. It's a pretty easy read, only took me a couple days.


One time I was at TJs and I heard another woman asking an employee there for it. They had no idea what she was talking about so who knows if my TJs has ever had it. I'm not the only one on the hunt. :dizzy: Also, if you are craving starchy veggies, one thing I used to do on the weekends is make hash browns out of turnips, shredding them with the grater disc that came with my food processor. It was pretty involved, but it was a nice Sunday brunch treat, and you could probably make a bunch at once and freeze it for future use. I got a spiralizer recently and was wondering if I could make baked turnip curly fries. I may attempt that this weekend with some turkey burgers.

Someone told me you have to get there in the morning, not sure how true it is but now I make sure I'm there early just in case. They either have a bunch or none, there's no middle ground. It's only $1.99 for a 12oz bag. The time it saves me cutting a fresh one and then hassling with my food processor is priceless.

Oh! Good idea! I have a spiralizer too. I'm having zucchini noodles for my lunch now that Monica brought it up! I bought the WF basil sauce, it's actually better than some brand name junk that contains sugar.

My tastebuds are so different now, just a couple of months in.

I lost 5.6 lbs this week!! YAY I do believe that I am back on track!! FINALLY!!!
I wish I could find cauliflower rice here. I'm too lazy to make it. :^:
My DH cut up some jicma for me and I brought it to work to nibble on when I am hungry.

It feels SOOOOO good to be back on track and losing weight! I was worried that I couldn't do it again.

Just a note- Trader Joe's has it in the frozen section as well if they are out of the fresh cut rice and its organic.