Carrots- I am the same as you, I use the cost of IP to keep me on track. I am literally throwing my money away when I cheat and it's just not worth it. Well, actually the past few months if I cheated I would just stop eating IP foods all together and try again the next week!!! NOT GOOD!!!

For me it's a "head" thing and I do believe that my head is finally back in the game. Thank you dear Lord!!! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get back on track. I'm even taking my supplements, that is good for me. I am doing it for my health this go around. Of course I want to lose weight and fit back into the clothes I was able to wear last summer, and then have those be too big! But ultimately, I want to be healthy. I want to see my grandkids grow up, I want to be able to enjoy them and play with them. I work with disabled individuals and it's an eye opener when I go to a client's home and find out that they are younger than me. This one in particular got the way she is because she has diabetes and she didn't take care of it. It's very sad. And preventable.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Thank y'all for the words of encouragement. I've been heavy my whole life, so I don't have a point of reference for being slim and fit in my body. A large part of the struggle is definitely a mental, mind over matter sort of thing. Eating in social situations is still a bit depressing to me, but I'll get over it. I just need to come back here to keep my motivation up! :)

Here's a helpful thread to keep on plan... and I will bump it to front page for ease of search. Oops cant bump it as it's closed to comments now, but someone can always start a new 100%'er thread. Anyhow, it's a good read and there are 35 pages if you are really obsessed, lol.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...lume-35-a.html

I started IP on May 21. My weight-loss goal is to lose 30 or 35 pounds. My health goal is to lower my cholesterol and reduce my risk of heart disease. I've had good success on Weight Watchers in the past and was down to (and sometimes a smidge below) my goal weight ... and maintained for a few years. I took up running around that time, too, and eventually ran some 5Ks, 10Ks, and a half-marathon in 2013. But, I eventually let a whole bunch of life situations (surgery, foot injury, work/life stress) derail me from health. So, I decided to try IP and I hope the phases and the process and the coaching will help me learn how to maintain better. With WW, I didn't really know how to maintain ... particularly as my activity increased or decreased. It wasn't clear to me how much more (and of what type of foods) I should eat when my running was at peak - and then how to adjust when all that came to a halt due to surgery & injury.

Okay, enough history :)

I lost 7.2 pounds in the first two weeks ... but after the initial 5 pounds, the scale didn't move for 5 or 6 days. I was following the protocol (no cheats), so that was perplexing and a bit depressing. I had hoped for a bit more loss on the front end. I kept encouraging myself by reminding myself that the weight-loss was a healthy weight-loss (vs. unhealthy loss of muscle).

I'll also note that I was still battling a respiratory infection when I visited my health coach for the initial consultation (a Wednesday). So, she encouraged me to wait to actually begin the program until I felt better. I left with my food and wasn't sure exactly what day I would start. I decided to start on Saturday. I was still under the weather, but I figured I'd rather start it on a weekend (even if under the weather) than a workday. I didn't struggle too much with hunger ... in fact, it was quite difficult to fit all the veggies into the day. I have since figured out the best way to spread out my veggies, my own protein, and the IP products throughout the day. Now when I get hungry, it is because it is time to eat :-) I was a bit tired that first week, but is hard to tell if that was from having been sick or the program or both.

I'm really hoping this next week shows a bit more progress on weight-loss.

Oh, somewhat funny story. A week into the program, I had to mow my yard (push mow; not self-propelled; some slope). Not normally a fun job anyways, but tolerable. Except, I nearly fainted half-way through. MyFitnessPal says I burned around 460 calories mowing (which was 460 calories I didn't have to spare). I was staying hydrated, but at that point I went in to fill up my water bottle again and I added the IP salt (which I should have done with the first bottle). I also had one of the lighter IP products for breakfast. I shared this with my coach who said next time I could have an extra IP product on days I mow (or 2 HB eggs, or 3 oz. of lean protein). I did end up eating a bit extra lean protein that first day, but I was still pretty much wiped out and zonked by 7PM that night. I'm happy to report that the second time I mowed (yesterday) it went much better. I had a heartier IP breakfast (a restricted item), stayed hydrated with the salt-water (add some lemon juice for flavor), and had a wildberry yogurt shake as soon as I came in (to replenish).

I wish you all the very best and I'm looking forward to cheering and encouraging each other through progress and challenges!

Nice to meet you GroovyCheri. Those days are hard when things don't seem to be moving down. But you know the scale will eventually move again, so stay with it. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

Congrats on your weight loss so far!!!

Hi everyone, I just had my consultation today, 6/6/2016 and plan on starting this journey tomorrow. I am excited, yet a bit nervous about it all. Please wish me luck! I will try to post my progress.
Thanks!

Well, WI today. Good news and bad news.
The bad news is I feel like such a slow loser compared to others! My gosh people smaller than me pulling in first week numbers of 15# 😳😳😳

The good news is, I'm down another 2.25# and the best part??
I'm only 0.21lbs from onederland! I will never again be in the 200's! Weight today 200.2
😃

RealNatalia, wonderland feels so good! I just got there recently! Good job!

SMNoll, just remember the first few days are pretty hard. But it's crazy how much easier it gets after that, so hang in there! Good for you for getting going.

My weigh in day is tomorrow so I'll report how things went then. I was down 7.6 my first week (last week). It's getting easier as time goes on. Now and then I have a hungry day, but most days are good. Something that has helped me is to stop eating after 6. It's freeing really!

Everyone, keep going!!!!!

You are doing great! You are losing, that is the goal! You can't compare yourself to others, or you will always be disappointed. My first go around I lost 11 lbs the first week. This time I lost 5.6. I'm good as long as I am losing! Of course I would like it to go faster (I sure can pile it on fast!!) but I am losing and that is what matters.

One weird thing I have noticed about me, I tend to drop a bunch at one time, like over night and then I stay at that number and drop a few again. It's like my body does it's best to hold on to the weight until it is forced to let it go!
It's really weird. I have been having a great week, a 100% week, but my scale hasn't budged. My scale reads 195.3 and has been that for the past 4 days. Yet I KNOW that I have lost weight. So i'm positive that in the next day or two I will step on it and it will be 192 or 193. I weigh less on my scale than I do at the clinic, so the number in my ticker is what I weigh at the clinic.

:wel3fc:

Kellyc14, you are SO right on not comparing yourself to others. I had just under a 3 pound loss my first week and I'd see so many people with 7+ pound losses that first week. Some weeks I've lost less than 2. Other weeks, I've lost 4 or 5 and I'm averaging out to 3 pounds a week which is awesome (better than anything ever kind of awesome). I'm definitely like the tortoise in a race- slow and steady, but going!

SE72 Exactly! ANY Loss is a GOOD Loss!! :carrot: You have to look at the big picture. Week 1 you may lose 3 lbs, week 2- 1 lb, week 3- 2 lbs, and week 4- 3 lbs- that averages out to 9 lbs a month, 18 lbs in two months 27 lbs in three months. Doesn't look so bad when you look at it like that!!

2nd Weigh in today was down 3. 6 lbs! Continuing on now for my third week. Very happy!

Congrats, imfree! ... and thanks for your encouragement!

Welcome SMNoll and RealNatalia!

Thanks to all for the encouragement about not comparing to others. I was falling into that mindset as well. I had much bigger expectations for my first week or so based on what I had heard others lost on IP over that period of time. I want to see that needle move a bit faster, but I will work on being happy that my choices are good and healthful ones and that will ... and that will eventually reveal itself one way or another.

My coach only does measurements once per month. My measurements will take place next week, so hoping I see good results there, too. I can say that I have more energy now and sleep a bit better. I'm able to wake up and get going in the AMs better than before IP ... even if I stay up until 11PM or later. I very much appreciate that progress. I also used to drink an INSANE amount of Diet Pepsi per day (probably over 4 liters a day) ... so that's saying alot about the program that I feel BETTER in the AMs with NO CAFFEINE whatsoever at all.

Keep up the great work all!

http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt...3um/weight.png

Weighed in today. Down 2.8 pounds. Lost another inch from my chest, but nowhere else. Not sure where the weight loss is coming from, since I'm not losing inches really, but I guess I'll take it!

Way to go Positraction! Great to be heading downward! Keep up the great work.