You ladies are fabulous at encouraging each other, and great motivators, though I know you hear it all the time, thanks! This is my day 5, heading to my moms for dinner tonight, (which if you are from an Italian family you know nothing is small or carb free) I brought zucchini pasta the other night and made my tomato basil soup into bread, I felt like I was having a big meal. The only part I hate is dessert! (Well I love dessert, but you know I hate the not for me dessert) I get a tiny panic attack when I think of how long it will take to lose all the weight I have. My coach said if we need to go to phase 2 for a while just to change it up after a couple months we can. I just want this to stick. I know I am starting to feel better than each day before. I have done a protein diet before, but it was not livable. I am racing up on alternatives, I need to replace a bar before my weigh in.

ALSO: TARGET FLYER has a $10 off a $30 nutrition purchase (protein bars, and powder etc.)

An article I found interesting: How to calculate accurate BMI for large frame (via livestrong.com)

One of the best bits for me was that it tells you how to tell if you're officially a large-framed person (slightly different one than the old see-if-there's-a-gap-when-you-wrap-your-fingers-around-your-wrist method) and how that affects your healthy BMI range. I am--my wrist measurement is 6.75"--which puts me in the 134-151 healthy weight range. That's achievable.

So, since I've started IP, I've been getting facial flushing really bad. I get really hot around my face and down my neck. My face does turn a little red and it feels like I have a fever, but my temperature is completely fine. At first I was joking I was just burning so much fat it was making my face flush. Now I'm a little worried because I thought it might go away. :/ I've read sometimes that happens when in ketosis or sometimes when it comes to vitamins, you can have a "niacin flush". I'm not sure what it is, just thought I'd see if anyone else has had this happen.

It's hard to pinpoint because it doesn't happen the same time every day or even follow any type of pattern. I feel fine, just hot with a flushed face/neck. Anyone?

It definitely has been happening to me too..I am getting over pneumonia, and got a cold this weekend on top of that, so I also thought I had a fever, it only happens in the evening though.

I had it off & on for about the first 6 weeks.

Thanks for the positive messages today. I stayed home today rather than tempting myself. I will start the grill soon and throw on some chicken tenders. I marinated them in a bit of WF dressing. The day is almost over and I have a bit more water to drink. I have recommitted to 100%. For me that means drinking all my water and not skipping a meal.

Good link, here's another spot and the way we used to find it at the gym since epicondyles (those bumps on the ends of your long bones) don't change, no matter what weight you are at the moment, lol. Elbow measurement: (by either measure I have a small frame 5'8" and 5.6 inches, elbow epicondyle measure = 2.2 inches)
http://www.healthstatus.com/perl/calculator.cgi
http://www.livestrong.com/article/21...ur-body-frame/

Today has been the roughest day I've had since starting May 6th! I have just been thinking too much about food. So I decided to clean out the garage! I did my cookout last night so today was just a lazy day--still 100% on plan of course! But I think I got a little bored and couldn't stop thinking about food! Now I have a clean garage! I have a lot more energy on this diet so I can really get going on that kind of stuff! Did the closets on Saturday!! I know...try not to be envious of my exciting life!!! Really I have just made a commitment not to go out to dinner for a while so I can get comfortable on this diet! At least I will be organized!!

Hello ladies! Day six and although I'm still very weak I feel pretty good. No headaches and not "starving". Went out to eat twice, both times had a grilled chicken salad...which started out on the menu as a chicken Caesar salad...minus the cheese, croutons, dressing...The waitress said "what DO you like about this salad?" I added my WF dressing and delighted in the fact that I was eating with friends.

At what point do I get to add a ticker signature?

I have found that my face is generally more pink since starting IP. I don't get bright red but I definitely am more rosy in the cheeks than I used to be. I'm just attributing it to my youthful glow releasing itself from under the fat.

I had a weird experience today at a family cookout. I was telling my aunt about the diet, she was genuinely interested, and I was saying how I hoped to hit my goal by October. I heard myself also say, "I'm tired though, I'm really just ready to be done now." I don't know why I said that, I'm not "ready to be done" or give up as my tone suggested, I'm ready to stick through to the end. I have much more willpower than I vocalize and I don't know why I can't get myself to reflect my confidence in the plan and determination to see it through in my demeanor and conversations. I feel like my impatience and negative self talk is lurking in the background, trying to slip in whenever it can.

As mentioned in the conversations earlier in this thread, it really does take a lot of time to get into the "lifestyle change" mindset. I'm proud of the progress I've made in recognizing my bad food behaviors and my ability to get creative with healthy foods, but I have a ways to go for sure in making that full mental leap. I also will likely be clinging on to this forum and to my coach well into maintenance, but both are awesome, so I'm ok with that.

My mom went to see her doctor, knowing he'd tell her to lose weight. When he said it she said "But doctor, you have to consider my "large frame"?.... He just looked at her and said "If you lost 50 pounds, your frame wouldn't be so large"... now that's a good doc!


20 days I believe -- see top of first posting for when and how to do it

hi team, does anyone know if slathering on cocoa butter for stretch marks is "eaten" by your body and can effect weightloss on IP? i know that sounds ridiculous but that's what my mom's IP coach said. my IP coach said that wasn't accurate. Both coaches don't have my full trust. Just throwing it out there in case you've heard of this.
Thanks!

Tonight I was eating dinner and I looked down at my plate and thought, how am I able to lose weight with all of this yummy stuff? (It was flank steak, 1 cup cauliflower rice, 1 cup broccoli/mushrooms, with a deviled egg w/ homemade mayonnaise OP). SO GOOD!

What is this cauliflower rice you speak of?