Thank you!

Thanks so much for your support. I don't know how family members can be so insensitive. I guess it's probably their own insecurities and past trauma/mental illness, but in order to keep ourselves healthy, we can't put up with abuse or toxic people.

I joined the spring challenge too. I'm pretty happy with my overall results, but I want to step it up to be finished with Phase 1 as soon as possible. I am likely moving to a new city in the spring, so I want to make a fresh start and being healthy and more fit is part of that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi everyone,

I am so tired today. Need to get motivated to prep for leaving tomorrow. Drove most of CT today and really just want go to bed. Not an option, so I am waiting for my second wind.

Had lunch at our family friend's house today. Really nice visit, but I was freezing all day. This being cold all the time is getting a bit old.


Want2beskinnyagain, you will look even more fab by the Hawaii trip. I def. wonder about sizes and where my weight will be.

Dir, I am looking at this as a forever change in my life- there are going to be slips because we are human. Kooky is right, it is about getting right back on program and mentally letting the slip go. You have been doing it 100% for months. Just have to fight the cravings like in the beginning and remember that they go away. You can do it.

Happy Sunday to all!!!

I am back from the cruise. Weather was ok but had a great time. I am in fear that I have gained 10lbs! I am kinda of shocked by this. I will not know until Monday at my WI but on my scale that is what it is showing.

I feel I have wasted $$$ and time on IP. I am worried I cant back into the diet again. I am semi freaking out. I also have my anniversary Dec 30 and then New Years-I know we are going out for both.

At the beginning of my trip I was doing pretty good by the end I guess I started to eat anything and everything but I did not feel I was really doing that.

Also my tongue problems totally went away by like the 5 day of my trip. No white stuff no sores.

I have been thinking about my friends here on IP and how great you all are. I did miss your support. I hope you all had a nice XMAS.

I need to get back on track and get back on to a schedule again. It will be nice.

Welcome back Luccilove! Was the cruise fun? You can't worry about what has already been done. Of course, you can get back on track, I have no doubt at all. It is a choice that you have made everyday for months. It will take a few days to get back to where you were, but this whole weight loss journey is a process for life. Also, as for your tongue, I would try products individually to see which is causing the reaction.

Since it has been so quiet here over the holidays, I have read a lot of other threads. Many people gain this weight back it seems, if they look at it as a short term fix. Get the weight off -eat again. I have decided that this is not a race to get done with phase 1, I need this time to learn what it is going to take to stay in Onederland.

Need to get going. Have to clean out the car. Leaving for NY at 12:00.

I am going to put it into words. I am completely stressed out about this trip. I hate driving through NY. Some of the people involved make me crazy, seems as though they have not matured a lick since college. Dealing with them without wine is going to be a struggle. I am dreading seeing how sad my friend's mom is going to be. Her husband was her partner and purpose in life. The patriarch of this family is gone and my heart is already sad. Can't imagine what it will be like around his 6 kids. Taking deep breaths, just have to get it done. Rant over.

This sounds like it is going to be physically and emotionally draining for you. It certainly would be got me. I feel bad for you because you've just had a really busy month and needed some down time. As for dealing with the immature, heavy drinking crowd, it will be tough without wine, but maybe you can find someone in the group who has matured a bit or maybe someone who is pregnant and not drinking. Just try to stay calm and think about the progress you've been making in the past few months and how excited you are about the coming year. It might even make you feel better about your choices in life to be around the people who haven't made such good choices. I'm not encouraging you to be smug, but you should be proud that you've matured, have a rewarding career, and are setting yourself up for a healthy, active life.

As for the sadness with the funeral, you're human and very empathic. If you need to cry at the funeral, do (maybe bring a little pack of tissues in your purse). I'm sure it will mean a lot to your friend and her family that you're there. It will be tough to witness the family in such grief, but you'll get through it.

After you get back home, maybe you can take a day or two to yourself and watch movies or read a good book. Go get a massage or pedicure. When I got back from visiting my parents I allowed myself a couple of days to recover and I finally feel recharged.

Safe travels and I hope everything goes ok for you. Keep us posted and we're here for you.

Hi Lucci! Welcome back! I'm glad you had fun on the cruise. From what I've heard about the food choices on cruises, it seems like staying on IP would be tough. I hope you're not beating yourself up over your possible weight gain. Some of that is probably water retention from flying and eating salty foods. Try to drink a lot of water to flush that out. You also might be constipated from the foods on the cruise. I am still trying to get regular from my 3 day trip to see my parents because I didn't have access to my kitchen and only had IP shakes/bars, eggs, and salmon while I was away. I'm still up 2 lbs from the day I left for the trip which was a disaster...see my previous posts.

Anyways you just need some time to get your body back on track and you'll do well.

Please don't give up...you can get right back where you were and move forward. I can tell you're upset with yourself, but I hope you can let that go, accept what happened, and get back OP on the day you choose. If that day is Jan 1st, then do that.

Slipfree: Thinking about you and your friend. Stay strong, take care of yourself and know we are all hoping it goes as well as can be expected.

Thanks KookySuki and Slipfree--

It helps to know u guys are here for me. I will restart tom after my WI and food shopping. I am mad at myself-I am WAY to hard on myself for no reason. Usually when I mess up with a diet I give up and call it a day but IP is different. I will hang in there. Just wanted to vent my disappointment in myself. My hubby says that I cant change anything from the cruise and just get back on track since I was doing so good.

The cruise was great and relaxing we did have a good time. It was nice to be in warm weather.

Monday I should be ok after WI.

Slipfree--sorry to hear about the funeral. I have friends who are in their 40s who still think they are in their 20s and like to drink, etc. That is not my scene either. I think it is great you are going to show your respects--that is all that matters--it will be alot to the family that u are there. And it is ok to cry--it is a sad thing. Hang in there. You inspire me since being on this IP diet. You have kept going through everything - I admire u for that.

KookySuki--I think u did the right thing and left early from ur parents. It is hard to take when u see ur parents have bad habits. You were adult enough to walk away from a scene that could have been alot worse for u. You need to worry about yourself no one else will do it for u. It is true. No family or husband/wife/partner can do it for u. I realize this now. It takes alot to do what u did. I am proud of u for this.

I just cant believe how quickly things can go wrong when u are out of ur environment while being on IP. It is hard but the results are worth it.

Glad to be back! I will check in tom. after my WI

Lucci...thank you! The realizations you describe are so important. I'm so glad to have you and the other members of this forum for support.

I'm proud of you for deciding to get back OP. it sucks dealing with a setback, but you'll get rid of that weight in no time.

Slipfree, thinking of you! Death is never an easy thing, your friends will be grateful you were there for them. Take it one day, one hour at a time, you will get thru it and probably be glad you went.

Luccilove, don't beat yourself up about the cruise. If you gained a few so what, you will lose those pounds as well. Drink lots of water. I think vacations are always going to come up and I think we have to expect that we are going to not be on program 100% all the time.

I have been thinking of maintanence lately, because I know I will get there this time! And I think once I am in maintance I will go up a few pounds(holidays, birthdays, vacations) and then need to get back to P1 for a couple of weeks. For me, most days this diet is easy, and it will take me ALOT less time to get back to ideal weight from 5-10lbs then it is going to from 85lbs. I guess I am planning my maintanence game plan already!!

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for the support. The drive was done completely in the rain,but I was amazingly calm. I think because the driving was slower. One of my close friends had agreed, no matter what to getting dinner where I could eat. Everyone else went for free food to one of the brother's house. Ate completely OP except I am short on veggies. Went to the wake from 7-9. Very touching tribute, pictures everywhere. After all of the girls, including my friend that lost her dad went out. Everything was closed, we ended up at Chili's. Entire table of various apps. What did I have, water. Most of the food looked a bit gross.

Kooky, I do need some time to relax. Not sure that will happen because we go back to school Thursday.

Want2beskinnyagain, maintenence is on my mind too, that is amazing because I know that I am going to make my goal. I never had that faith before.

After my rant this morning, I decided to let compassion and kindness rule my day. A sense of peace came over me and my anxiety ebbed. I knew that this family would appreciate my presence and it would be worth it-to be there for them.

Let's make a effort to really get our water in today!
I find I lose much easier when I get in a lot of water, get our bodies working better and flushing!

Good plan! I definitely didn't get enough water in yesterday with our 12 hour drive home.