SoccerMom: I've wondered the same thing, plus I've been getting dizzy too. But it almost seems like all they heard was I cheated on Sunday so thats the reason for everything, even though it was all going on before I cheated. I really don't know how to get more calories in. I added it all up the, 4 cps of veggies, the drinks and the protein. Lettuce barely adds any calories at all. So even if I ate an entire head of lettuce a day it would still only be like 15 cals!!! I added it up that if I eat chicken as my protein (beef is higher) which I alternate between chicken and sirloin. I'm at 691 cal/day including the restricted bar, and not including the lettuce. And she wants me to stop eating the bars?!?!?

BevS: I have taken all that in, my WI appts are at the same time each week, and I wear the same outfit, jeans and a hoodie. If its in the laundry then I wear something I know is comparable. I don't eat or drink anything for about an hour before my WI because I don't want to weigh a bunch of water sitting in my stomach My clinic uses a hand held thingy to measure your BMI and Body Fat%. Both of which stayed the same as last week, and my BP was back up from the prior reading 2 wks ago.

The only 2 things this past week I can think of that may have made that big of an impact was that I was exercising for about half an hour 3 of those days. Was playing Just Dance on the Wii, which is fairly intense cardio, at least for me. And the only other thing was maybe PMS? But i was over that by yesterday, so I don't know.

BlueMermaid:Did you continue to eat restricted items when you came back from your little break in Vegas? Or did you get back into it like starting from Day1 and only do the NR foods for a few days/week??

Yea! I have a ticker!! Ta Da!

Sounds like you're doing most everything right. Hard to believe that just one cheat could stop your weight loss cold like that. If your BP is up, maybe your sodium level is too so you could be retaining water. Anyway, I bet you'll have a good loss next week.

Hey, thanks Birman!

By the way, I saw that nasty batch of gray you're sporting. Funny thing is, last visit to my hairdresser she noticed a similar patch sprouting from MY head, and said it was time to adjust my highlights accordingly. I hadn't considered that my change in diet might be responsible, but that might be a more palatable explanation than just getting older...

Just came back from week #4 weigh in. Down 2.6 lbs. Down a total of 16 lbs in 4 weeks. I got the WF carmel and the marshmellow today. Both are good and might help with the sweet tooth craving that I get every once in a while. I'm still doing boot camp except for the occassional bag of salt/vinegar crisps. Yesterday was a little bit of a challenge while having a fun day with my girl friend. Went to Olive Garden(her third choice, I passed on chinese and mexican) and had the chicken ceaser salad with no dressing or croutons(had to pick out some parm cheese). But, of course, they brought breadsticks and put them on the table. WOW, that was close. They smelled soooo good. I just had to keep focusing on our discussion. Believe me, I could have eaten all 3 and gone for seconds. But.......I kept thinking about having to weigh in this morning...so, I got past it. Whew....sometimes it is tough, because I love bread. Hope the rest of you have a good weigh in.

Cinnamon, I'm not sure you received accurate information. Please see excerpt below from interview with pharmacist and IP Clinical Director Mike Ciell regarding the IP diet:

Mike Ciell: There are different phases of the protocol. Length depends on how much you want to lose. Most men will lose 5-6 pounds a week. Most women will lose 3-4 pounds a week. Phases I and II of the protocol are the weight loss phases.

Phase III reintroduces some complex carbs, which will add around 3 pounds of weight, so I tell people to lose 3 pounds more than their ideal weight because that 3 pounds will come back with the addition of complex carbs in the diet at the end.

Once people reach their ideal weights, they may return to Phase I and II every year or so for a couple of weeks as maintenance. I do a maintenance program myself at least every year, and I have never had more energy or fewer health problems.

thanks for all the nice comments - appreciate it! I have to also give loads of credit to this message board for keeping me motivated - or if not motivated at least honest. Others have mentioned it (and if you read Dr. Tran's book it's in there too) about the comments you get from friends, co-workers and family. I was pretty bummed at one point by my family's response to dieting - while my husband and teenage sons are very supportive other family members said some really non-supportive and downright rude things to me - either that or they just ignored my weight loss and hard work. That's almost as bad when it (the diet) is consuming your life and thoughts. Then there's the people who can't resist - well how are you going to maintain your weight loss, you're going to wreck you kidneys - yada, yada, yada. I always thought of the response later of course. But it's amazing how a nice comment by some random person, a good weigh in and the support of message board friends can go such a long way. Thanks! Again, i'd recomend downloading and reading Dr. Tran's book - he talks about this in there too and the info really clarifies what we're doing on this diet and the science behind it.

There's been some discussion about the Nestea singles that are sweetened with splenda/sucralose. Here's what the big IP consultant who was in town doing a presentation told me. He looked at the label and told me that while you would think that it's o.k. to drink this because it doesn't have sugar in it, the problem is with the acid level. the acid can throw a monkey wrench into your weight loss (I just about choked him because i was excited about finding this splenda sweetened product). Of course this all depends on where you are in the diet - I was stalled at one point and my coach asked me if i was drinking enough water - I admitted that i wasn't and that drinking so much water was a challenge for me. She said, that it's important to get enough to drink and that i could use the nestea packets - i discussed what the ip guy had told me and she said that it's more important to make sure you're getting enough to drink and if using the nestea singles does that for you than to use them (in moderation). Of course, don't forget they're not totally carb free either. Anyway - that's the iced tea story.

Hi Everyone-

I am fairly new to IP (just ended week 3) and on the scale at the doctor's office I was down 11 lbs. I am pretty pleased but I am finding that I am really hungry this week. I am hoping this passes. Did anyone else experience this? Any encouragement would be helpful!

Thanks for this thread...it is really nice to see other people on this wonderful program

Yes Band Mom I had this experience. I didn't get it because all the papers and people told me that i wouldn't be hungry after 3 or 4 days. I think i was hungry for 2 or 3 weeks - not hungry - starving - especially mid afternoon. I put it down to the fact that i've always been a big eater - lots on my plate and second servings. I figured my stomach had to shrink a lot. I drank lots of water and tea when hungry and it did eventually change - one day i just noticed that i wasn't starving anymore. I figured every hunger pang was another weight loss happening.

Band Mom....it is pretty hard to go from eating almost constantly(in my case) to eating on the IP diet. My head was in the right place, so I just chalked up those hunger pangs to "that's what you get for being a pig for so long". I still get hungry once in a while, but truly not very often. When I do I try to go do some mild excersize or drink water. I seem to be able to get through it fairly easily. Or get on this board and type. Can't eat when you are typing!!!! Hopefully by the time you have posted the hunger will have passed. If I find I can't go without something I have celery with some sea salt or WF peanut butter. I consider celery free(it works for me). Not everyone does, but that's why this diet works so well for most people. You can adapt to what works for you. Some need a diet soda, some need the bars, I use celery as my "need". Don't know if any of this helps you, but that is what works for me.

Band mom....another thing, I find that the thick packets keep me more satisfied. Like the cream soup, pudding, omelette. If I have just a drink mix for lunch I can't make it till supper for sure. I need something with more substance and I use the more watery items for snacks.

[QUOTE=Mom22;
There's been some discussion about the Nestea singles that are sweetened with splenda/sucralose. Here's what the big IP consultant who was in town doing a presentation told me. He looked at the label and told me that while you would think that it's o.k. to drink this because it doesn't have sugar in it, the problem is with the acid level. the acid can throw a monkey wrench into your weight loss (I just about choked him because i was excited about finding this splenda sweetened product). Of course this all depends on where you are in the diet - I was stalled at one point and my coach asked me if i was drinking enough water - I admitted that i wasn't and that drinking so much water was a challenge for me. She said, that it's important to get enough to drink and that i could use the nestea packets - i discussed what the ip guy had told me and she said that it's more important to make sure you're getting enough to drink and if using the nestea singles does that for you than to use them (in moderation). Of course, don't forget they're not totally carb free either. Anyway - that's the iced tea story.[/QUOTE]

I am curious to know if the citric acid is in the tea itself or as result of the splenda in it? I would not drink this personally, but I DO drink 2-3 cups of green tea each day with stevia...my doctor recommended this for detox purposes. I wonder if I'm having a problem with citric acid in my tea, meaning is this possibly contributing to my not really seeing the loss numbers I'd like to see..? I do drink 100 oz H2O daily over the teas. Any thoughts are appreciated

I'm the same - so breakfast was omelet, lunch was chicken soup and i would cook some frozen broccoli/cauliflower, mash them, pour the chicken soup over them, salt/pepper and it's very filling and i really liked the taste.

Novak - thanks for the info. I read that too. I just shared the in-depth Phase 3 sheet with the doc which also plainly states that. I was told by the girls at the front desk when I hit my goal weight that I needed to lose 3 more pounds since in the end you gain those 3 pounds back. Oh well I guess. That place is a mad house sometimes. I wish they would keep track of something! My bf just started (had his second weigh in on Monday) and he keeps forgetting/misplacing his sheet with the measurements on it. I would think they would have a file for each of us and track that info? The only thing they do I can't do at home is weigh me because I don't have a scale. Going to buy one this week though. Glad you're back - you were missed!

Guess I'll skip the Nestea packets - so glad you all chimed in about them!

MuayThaiGoddess - Thanks for the post! Especially the info about citric acid - you have educated me! I laughed so hard about the sugar alcohols in SF candy. All that AND they kick you out of ketosis anyway! Wow I don't want to experience that bathroom trouble so I will stay far, far away from them. Some IP bars have sugar alcohols - the caramel nut ones have 3 grams. Now I have to do more research on sugar alcohols. I have to go back to your post from yesterday, but I'd like to know what's wrong with coffee? Wow there's so much about weight loss that I had no idea about. I have to read that book now- The Ketogenic Diet. Too bad they don't have it at my library! I'd write more but I have to eat lunch now! Hope you slept last night!!