I reorganized my closet today and tried on a few capris that wouldn't fit a few weeks ago -- and now they do! I can't wait to lose more every week so that hopefully the cute smaller clothes that haven't been worn in several years can come out in rotation again. Saturday, my WI day, can't come soon enough!

Asmuir - Thyroid is relatively new to me too - about a year now. Let us know how the tests go - maybe you need more, who knows.

Congrats Tarier

Oneuh2- thank you for that quote. My 87 year old mom was gravely ill just a couple of weeks ago, and is now in rehab. She went from being completely independent to needing help will all her needs. I am going to make a cute card or frame using your quote for her room! (I'll make one for me, too!)

Hi
I'm a January 2015 starter, haven't been very active on the forum for the last three weeks because I was on vacation. I had a great time I did not phase off before going away, my coach didn't think it was necessary. I had a game plan which I didn't stick to 100% but I exercised everyday and I made healthy smart choices (for the most part) concerning my food consumption. That being said I returned with a 6 pound souvenir LOL. I was able to get back OP immediately which is a new success for me as I usually can't after a vacation and then the downward spiral starts. So I am proud of myself and I have in the last week lost the 6 pounds and then some. What I have learned is that I need to learn more before I hit the maintenance phase and to be very watchful during the phase 2 and 3.

Hi there,

I'm also a January 2015 starter and lurker. I went on a vacation to celebrate 15 yrs with hubby and kids and phased off the week of. I learned more about my body during and after the vacation. My body does not react well to alcohol and sugar, even though my taste buds like it. I'm back and focused to finish what I started and this experience just gives me more clarity for maintenance. It is amazing just how much bloat and joint pain I had. Feel so much better on Phase 1.

Beth - sorry for the rough weekend! Family drama is the worst!
Mary - you are so close!

Hi everyone else, nice to meet you

I am on day 4. I feel like I have lost a couple pounds but I have one of those spin scales, not a digital one so its hard to tell. Buying a digital scale this weekend! My first weigh in is Saturday, after just 6 days, so hoping for maybe 2-3 pounds?

A little about me -- I tried to add it to my profile but it wouldn't let me. I weight 167 and would ultimately like to get back to 140ish (what I weighed when I got married, size 4-6)

Any tips on how to get through a family vacation? Our family has a beach week planned in a couple weeks. I plan on bringing my mini blender to make shakes -- and bringing a lot of the premade foods. We will eat at the house mostly so that should be easy - and every night we will have some type of meat -- chicken, shrimp, burgers, steaks - and I will just cook my own veggies as a side.

Also, how does that work with weigh ins? I will literally have just done the diet for 2 weeks before missing 2 Saturday weigh ins! Will that be okay? Anyway I can weigh in at a local IP place - there is one 15 minutes from where we are staying at the beach?

I started IP in mid January and posting here has become part of my morning routine (unless I am without internet). It has changed my life in more ways than I can say but anyone who has had a successful WL journey will know what they are. I will never go back to they way I was before IP; not just the weight but the way I look at food. I know that once I reach my goal weight, and phase into maintenance, I will forevermore have to monitor what I eat. That can be a daunting thought but I know that is just the way it will have to be or I will end up back at 300+ pounds.

I will not allow that.

I posted this in daily chat but I'm posting it here as well. I guess I just need some advice:
I wish I had the option to go to another clinic. The people there are nice enough but yesterday when I went in, the receptionist all but rolled her eyes when she saw me. I can't help but believe it is because I don't buy a week's worth of product each time I go in there. When I first started IP (going into my 20th week now) I really stocked up on IP products so that I would have plenty of choices in those early weeks and not get bogged down with eating the same thing every day. I also read up on alternatives and ordered several things online. My pantry is very welled stocked. I probably have about 4 months worth of product on hand. I also do not buy their supplements (except for the salt but I will look for the Real Salt that Lisa mentioned above). I get mine online or at CVS (you have to check labels to find products that are close in what they provide). I order my WF products mostly from vitacost unless I have a code for WF website.
Basically what I am trying to say is they don't make money off of me regularly so I feel as if I am frowned on. My original coach quit to start her own business (unrelated to IP). She knew I used alternatives occasionally but was genuinely concerned with my success so she said "As long as it's working, I won't say anything." Now, with another coach, things may be different. I feel fairly confident that I would continue having great success on my journey if I went to using straight alternatives. I'm not sure why I don't just go ahead and do that. I had originally told my hubbie that I would stick to going to the clinic for 6 months and then decide. I am just about there. Any advice?

Thanks to all for being here.

I'm so sorry to hear about your coach. I too am super stocked up and I told my clinic. Hubby phased off and now he doesn't need the packets and they understand that. We have a really understanding Clinic and I appreciate everything they do!! I sure hope you can find a good clinic! I wish you all the luck and I am bummed you are having to worry about this on your Journey! I'll say a little prayer for yoU! Keep up all your hard work and thank you for your inspiration.

Frawniemae -- I am sorry to hear that. I have only had one coaching session so far as I just started this weekend but I am already irritated with my coach and clinic. Hopefully, it gets better. I have done this diet before - years ago and my coach was so great. I bought plenty from them but still supplemented some. She knew I was just out of law school with school loans and couldn't spend as much. I always supported them and even sent business their way, but I didn't buy all my products there. Also, I did not think that unnecessary items were pushed on me.

This time around, totally different. I already take a ton of supplements because I am trying to get pregnant, including many of the supplements they want me to take. I am not buying extra pills to take and I am not quitting taking what I am taking just to please them. The coach tried to tell me my magneesium calcium supplements weren't good enough and I should replace with theirs (this is without even seeing the bottle of my pills)

There are other centers near me so if this is a constant, I could change, but hopefully they were just so intense because of the first week. I might explain next time that I have X amount of money a week to do this. My husband is already not thrilled I am spending the money... And, who knows, my coach may end up being great? I just liked my coach last time so much and didn't feel like I was just a way to make money.

Frawnie -- also, is there a friend doing the diet who you would be willing to do weigh ins with? For me, the advantage of the clinic is that someone weighs me and we can evaluate why i'm not loosing or adjust, etc. Its also accountability. You know the diet well enough that you could do it at home on your own with alternative products- but maybe if you had a weekly or monthly weigh in and support session with a friend, that could be the support you needed.

Hi Katy!

We went on a beach vacation when I was about 6 weeks into the program. The key for me was planning ahead. I made up a suggested "menu" for myself, to get an idea of what packets I needed to bring. Then I brought extras. My coach told me that if I needed to on some days, to do Phase 2 - which is the same as Phase 1 except you have protein for lunch and dinner and drop a packet.

I took vinegar crisps out with us to the beach for a snack - portable, salty and easy to manage.

SomethingI didn't know then but wish I had - when you exercise, you should add an extra packet. So if you're out all day at the the beach, have an extra drink - peach mango or orange drink are particularly good for this - those are low in cals and carbs, and high in protein.

As for going two weeks with no WI, I would ask your coach how to handle that. What you might need to plan on is stocking up on product before you go.

One of the Oprah Super Soul Sunday guests that I heard a couple of weeks ago had a really good commentary that reflects what you just said -- I jotted these comments down, but failed to capture his name... Here are the comments and I'll check on who it was (he has a book that seemed very timely for people like us who want to take a different path and avoid the re-gain):
"A 'comeback' is not a 'go back' "
"You cannot go back to what you were doing before and 'fix' it."
"Life is transformation, one step at a time. "

frawniemae - If you can find another clinic that's a reasonable commute, and perhaps get some good reviews by clients of that clinic, I would change clinics.

Meanwhile, here's an idea... what if you take a photo of your pantry of IP products (maybe put the other brands out of view, behind the IP stuff - get a print that's 5x7, and also take a print of your before and progress so far pix. Put them into a little folder and take those into your coach -- suggest to them that you really feel you are a STAR IPeep, and they might want to be able to share your success to date with new potential clients who come into the clinic. I'd make sure the receptionist sees the pix. Also, it occurs to me that my very southern godmother from South Carolina would 'polite her to death' everytime she came in contact with her... I'll bet there is a Texan version of that.....

No matter what, maybe you ought to speak to the clinic owner about the receptionist -- is it a Chiropractor or some other kind of doctor, maybe. I would report the rolling eyes to the owner. You have invested a lot of money in that clinic, and you have several more months on your journey when you will likely buy at least half your products from IP (now that you have tried a week of no alts and had a nice loss). Or, maybe that receptionist looks at you and thinks you are never going to be able to really win at the weight loss game... or maybe she is jealous of your results to date... it's had to know for sure just what she's thinking, but that clinic owner should be aware of any employee in the clinic who is chastising or dissing clients, especially such good customer clients like you.

JJTx - thanks for the tips!

I think it would be difficult to stay OP if I were travelling in a city or different country, etc - but since we are eating most meals at home, I can do my veggies and protein products during the day and dinner at night. The only way I may "cheat" is if the meat is cooked with butter, more oil, etc. We take turns making meals and I won't flip out if the cook for the night uses butter, etc. My mom has done IP before so she will be willing to work with me.

I like to take beach walks/ride bikes - so I will remember the extra packet. I will talk to my coach about W/I's. I feel they probably won't be thrilled that I started the diet, knowing I would soon be missing 2 W/I's in a row, but I thought it was best to start now, so I could be losing on vacay instead of gaining!

In case you think about making a move, and since you have less than 30 lbs to lose so maintenance is not that far in the future.... there is a clinic in Gaithersburg, Maryland... that is run by Dr Zumbado who is the Regional director or rep of the Ideal Protein U.S. company that really looks like a good place to do IP.

I have been annoyed with my clinic in Fairfax from time to time.... I don't really get much substantive advice or guidance there..... If I decide to make a move, it will be to that clinic because they do maintenance workshops once or twice a month to help their clients successfully phase off and maintain. And there was a really good review of the workshop by Novak, an IPeep here on 3FC.

Sadly, I learned there is a $75 transfer fee to move to that Maryland clinic and I could not attend a workshop without paying that fee.... so I have putt it off and am kinda hoping I can make that investment when I get to phasing off.... and for me, that should happen in about a month.

Oneuh -- there is a clinic in Tysons (Mclean) and one in old town Mclean. I am actually going to the Mclean clinic, but I *thought* I had made a reservation an appointment in the Tyson's location. I showed up on Saturday and they did not have me in their appointment list. That's when I realized I booked at a different location.

The one in Tysons is just an IP clinic. It's nice, spacious, etc. The Mclean location is basically a closet in a dr's office. Depending how long this takes, I may switch. I hate to be a jerk - but the other one was closer to me and it was the clinic I meant to sign up for!

But, I will give it a chance for a few weeks! My last apt was rushed (as I was late after going to the wrong location) so it may be that the coach is great and I don't know it yet.

Gaithersburg would be quite a hike right? I guess if the coach is that great, it might be worth it. If you want something closer, check out that clinic in Tyson's. It seemed pretty professional!