My coach preferred stevia first and then sucralose/splenda. The stevia is most "healthy". NOT truvia or purvia, those are process rebianna just like splenda is a processed sugar. ACTUAL stevia like from sweet leaf.

I really don't see much of a difference. If you use a large amount of added sweetener switch to stevia. It will save you having hidden, added carbs.

I just have two questions, why do you think you allowed yourself to have the fried foods and were you prepared to be able to avoid them? Also, what can you do differently next time?

You can't undo what you did. It will make you feel bad. It wasn't the right choice but, you knew that. You can make this program work through the holidays. It is more than possible but, it means not associating this "season" with food and food traditions. It also means being prepared. The holiday is just kicking off sooooo, how will you be better prepared next time?

DON'T get on the scale. It will change. Just eat as your are advised. Also, this plan works for anyone, athletic or not. If you have it to lose it will go.

Drinks can be hard to do. Some of them have strong smells. I also found I need something more substantial to start my day. I have drinks only with a salad or veggie.

BRAVO!!! That is fantastic news!




First, this is about you not her.

DO NOT internalize her words or anxiety. DO NOT all her to transfer her frustration to you. DON'T try and take on and own the emotions someone else feels. What matters is how you feel, how you see this, what you need.

You may have started on this journey at the same time but, like the travelers in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, we are each on our own journey and have our own story to tell. Don't forget that you and she are approaching this with different needs, strengths, willingness and, weakness.

If you want to succeed, you must find your own commitment, not that of a group, and then do whatever it takes to keep reinforcing that commitment. Be delicate in how you refuse her food but, if you can't trust it, then don't. If it were a restaurant you were unsure of or a friend, you wouldn't have a problem refusing the food, Would you?

This is about you right now. It is about you gaining back your health. That is something only we can do for ourselves and no one else can force us to (without court order ). If she wants to approach it differently, find a way to make room for her and to retain the strength for you. YOU ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON HER TO SUCCEED.



You didn't gain fat over night. The up a pound is fluids or other bodily changes. Give it some time, drink extra water. I am sure that will fall right back off.

Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming
Love Dora

Do you weigh every day or just once a week for WI? If you can, I'd really suggest staying off of it during the week - reading other peoples' posts, it seems fairly common for the scale to be up and down during the week, but you'll show a loss at your WI. Weighing every day makes you focus more on the number on the scale and less how your body is feeling and changing. I weighed myself every day the first week, just because I wanted to believe that feeling as miserable as I did was actually going to pay off. After weighing myself 4 times in a row on the same scale and getting 4 different weights, I swore it off!

Are you getting at least 100 oz. of water?

Hang in there - it is going to work for you.

Sooo... Im trying to come up with a low carb cheesecake recipe for xmas (my mom and i are both on IP). I really want to make us a treat for xmas but DO NOT want to stray from protocol more then a bit.

here are my thoughts:

Obviously it wouldnt have a crust at all
Low fat whipped Cream cheese and using stevia or splenda for sweetner.
also an egg OR egg whites to bind it.

im thinkin just use a mixer and whip it up a lot so its as airy as possible.

I will put out WF choc syup and caramel to top it.
I think itll work!!!

Obviously we would have very small pieces.

I know that small portions of certain cheeses will not pull you out of ketosis.

Any thoughts???? Would this be complete sabatoge??? if so...i wont even attempt!


Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Before I joined IP I went to an IP conference, there was a doctor who was explaining about the program and He said the program doesn't recommend Splenda because it is made with dextrose, and sometimes also with maltodextrin, neither of which were included in the original studies and trials of sucralose then the reality is that we are the guinea pigs for Splenda!!! -
He also said that there are studies that found that Sucralose triggers migraine, side effects such as skin rashes, panic, agitation, dizziness, numbness, diarrhea, swelling, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain. He said they recommend Stevia because it is a natural sweetener.
I asked my coach also about sweeteners and her opinion/recommendation is similar to the doctor who was in the conference.

Personally, I really don't know what to believe, I heard that Stevia also has some carcinogens components, I only try to avoid using this as much as I can, I am just dreaming for the day I am able to eat some fruits!!

Good luck!

You could do that. You could do a knox gelatin with cream cheese or ricotta.

OR..... YOU COULD GO TO LINDORA.COM


They have a cheesecake pudding. I made it last night... not bad. I added some sugar free strawberry sauce from walden farms after the pudding had set up a bit and swirled it through in light ribbons. Then I topped it with some land of lakes sugarfree (splenda) whipping creme.

I thought next time I make it I might add it to the knox gelatin recipe for cheese cake (instead of knox) and see what happens.


Interesting. I don't understand how he could say what he did. Nearly all of the products in Ideal Protein are made with sucralose.

Why avoid it in one case and use it in large quantity in another?

Lindora sells cheesecake... check under the beverages & puddings section. I haven't tried it yet but several others on here recommended it.

Say Cheese makes a gluten free diet cheesecake. They are single serving: 90 calories, 4.5g fat, 1 carb, and 10 protein. Just another idea for you to consider I have bought them online occasionally.

Don't feel bad Lesley, you have done great so far and every once in a while a cheat is not the end of the world if you get right back on the plan the next day. From what I hear you just may not lose any weight for up to 72 hours, but then your body should get back to burning again. Don't sweat it! I bet it was YUMMY))

Does anyone know what the exchange for stevia would be in recipes? I know Splenda is cup for cup, but how does Stevia work?

all these cheesecakes sound so yummy looking on lindora now

So, I got my miracle noodles order today - It's my first time experimenting with them - I cooked 5oz of lean ground turkey in 1 tsp of oil olive, added 1tbsp of tomato paste, salt (the one I get from my coach), some chicken broth, 1/2 cup of mushroom, 1/2 cup of green beens, then I added the noodles - let me tell you, that was very good!!! those noodles taste nothing, I followed very closed the instructions that came with the package... at first I didn't like the fishy smell that was on the air while opening the pack but after washing them that smell was gone...
I'm so excited, I can enjoy pasta again Thank you for the ideas you share so I can use for my own..

Nashua nutrition has 2 different cheesecakes for $9.95/7 packs

Thanks Carla. I really appreciate your response.

Today held a huge willpower test for me as my mom ordered pizza hut for supper. It looked so good. I had a moment of - how about one bite? But no!! I stopped myself, distracted myself with drinking water (I was cooking DH and I's supper -- hot "wings"). I got through so much temptation today. I think I may reward myself with a restricted snack-- one of the bars I have froze in the freezer (I love frozen chocolate).
I also spent 30minutes on the treadmill after lunch today.

Question:: I am permitted a restricted per day. I do want to lose the weight as fast as possible. I go on the treadmill every other day (just walking for 30mins). Should I have a restricted pack ONLY on the days I exercise for the best results?

You can try it and see. The program allows for a restricted every day. It can cause some people to lose more slowly. If you are very much overweight and even obese on BMI scales, it is encouraged to use it.

OR you could think of it this way, carbs are fast fuel, you need to be active to burn it because it burns first and then we tap into fat. If you have too many for your activity level or you aren't that active in a day, then you don't tap into as much fat. This is because the body will first burn off that quick fuel.

You have a large margin or difference between where you are now and your ideal weight that means you need more calories now to get by at just "essential activities" than you will in the future. Right now, you can probably have a restricted a day or every other day and lose very well without exercise. As you get closer too your goal, you will need to start walking or exercising to keep up the pace.

If you start now by thinking of restricted items as added fast fuel it makes it an encouragement to walk or do some activity to earn the special treat.


I can't recall how frequently you are having them but, if you try having them 2 days a week, then 3 days a week you will be able to see if adding an extra restricted changes your weight loss. If you want to have more, then do the same thing add another one and see how it goes. If you add to many and don't like how it works out, you can always back it off.



Just a side note, we are complex "machines" and not all alike. Some people need more fat to lose, some need more carbs to lose, and some just need more calories. All of us need healthy amounts of proteins. The goal in the future is for you to understand how your body "runs" best.

Many people are afraid to add a bit of carbs (honestly, adding a restricted only adds about 14 carbs and YES, that seems like a lot RELATIVELY) but, for the right person having the carbs may be just what there body needs to burn well given their metabolism and lifestyle. No one should be afraid of the carbs in the restricteds.