OK., The only thing is the taste is not great. But I take it you've tried it and can live with it, as could I. Maybe I will try them again in the late stages, but honestly, right now would throw me. Good luck!

If you do, will you tell us what you think?

the post about the "distribution of products" is similiar to one i posted awhile back which included my thoughts of the variances in information coming from medical clinics verse distributors.

i was specifically asking about the carbonated water for that reason. i did not necessarily feel that the response i was given from the distributor was accurate so put the question out there to see if anyone here had helpful information.

i am not familiar enough with "sweeteners" to have known to question about the equal, because until this diet, i have never used either products.

thanks for the insight and have a good weekend ladies!!

I agree with the average of 3-3.5# per week. I also have found my weight loss and inches loss are about equal (18#, 18") WOW!
I'm already thinking how to manage Thanksgiving - i'm going to eat turkey, bring a salad to share (forget the pies, they're not my favorite anyway) small amt of potatoes, the bread is "calling my name", so i'll have to stay away from that or i'll eat the whole loaf!)
Good luck to all of you. I've passed on this web site to my center and others on IP. I love all the thoughts and helpful hints. But i do agree with others that we have to do what works for us, sometimes that means not following all the rules!

Wow...I miss 2 days of reading the forum, and there are great posts on here now. Altho I can't remember "who" said "what" - I do have some comments (naturally).

Echobaby -- that was very interesting about the Matrol asking you to be a distributor. Kinda scarey, tho, really! One of the big reasons I went on IP is because it was monitored medically. I do realize not everyone has this advantage, so I feel very fortunate to see both my doctor and her nurse. If my nurse doesn't know the answer, she asks the doctor. On the Miralax question, doc didn't really know the answer either, so she checked it out. I think that is why the forum is so helpful. I truly believe there are very FEW hard and fast rules (i.e., Crystal light, exercise, carbonated water, etc.).. You all know MY plan is to eat more than one restricted a day. Yes, I lose slower, but I lose! Since 9/9/09, I have only NOT lost one time and that was my cheat weekend. YES -- I am disappointed with the usual 2#-3# weight loss...but YET...I think back to Weight Watchers or any other diet I have been on. Heck, everyone used to clap at WW when I lost 1/4# and in MY head, I am thinking, "All this work and it is a 1/4# loss?". As I near my goal, I do expect weight loss to be slower with not as much fat to burn, so I try not to be disappointed! My body fat is nearly normal! My BMI is nearly normal!! I haven't added up the inches yet, but I should. I sure can tell when I am taking 3"-4" out of a pair of pants or tops. I guess my advice is to ask questions on the forum, see what others have been told.....CoolBreeze finds that Crystal Light slowed her weight loss. I added 16oz of Crystal Light 2 weeks ago, and my weight loss is the same....we are not all built the same way.

CoolBreeze -- written like a lawyer!! Great advice! I should write down what I have learned (but I am not that organized).

As far as PMS -- can't help anyone there. Had a radical hysterectomy 20 years ago. I still had chocolate cravings whenever that "time" came around for years. Now -- I will eat some Chocolate Soy Puffs and suck the chocolate off them first!!

I, too - will be looking for substitutes to help me stay close to plan while I am away for 3 weeks. One suggestion - Netrition.net has nutrition values for everything and has reviews! (no, I don't work for them, honest!!). This is something I plan to do in the next few days. I hate shakes...so I am looking for a hot cereal in the a.m., maybe some bars, and puddings. My favorite DiVinci syrup lately has been the "pumpkin pie" flavoring...great in butterscotch OR vanilla puddings. My next favorite is Toasted Marshmallow....again, from Netrition. Once I do my research, I will post what I am ordering (and if I like it). I would be interested to know if anyone has found supplements less expensive but with the same ingredients as IP.

OK -- Josh...what are kelp noodles? Are they like those slimey Shiratake noodles? You are doing SO well.....I will be thinking about you on Thanksgiving as I will be alone and away from family as well.

Someone mentioned Dr. Tan's book...where did you get that? Does it ever give examples of other things to eat beside IP?

OK - another day of altering ahead of me. I live in warmup suits in the winter and I have a bunch of them. Trying to alter my favorites....

I am proud of everyone here. Please don't get discouraged if your weight loss is less than others posting.....Some of you are dealing with PMS - some are built differently...others have health issues. I just keep telling myself it is better than the 1/4# that I was supposed to get excited about on WW!!

TORCHLAKER QUOTE:...so I am looking for a hot cereal in the a.m., maybe some bars, and puddings....

go to lowcarbu.com. They have low carb hot cereals very similar to our oatmeal, and they come in a variety of flavors. A box of 5 is 5.49 plus shipping(affordable). They have 12g. of protien, but they have only 3gs. net carbs and 90 cals. Hey, why didn't I think of this before? You guys are gonna want to kill me for not sharing this earlier when you go to this site. I used them a lot years ago when I was doing Atkins. The store is in L.A. and I would go by when I got off work. For some reason, I forgot about them completely until I just got my monthly email from them this week. Happy shopping!

Sandrab,

I didn't mean that you were responsible for telling us in your post what your advisor told you at the meeting. The advice he gave just made me scratch my head. I thank you for sharing it. Without this forum, I think we would all be flying blind and much less likely to keep sticking with it. You, too, have a great weekend!

Hi all;

The day after I started IP, I got my (.) but managed to make it through w/ out cheating. I lost 5 lbs this week! I forgot to do measurements. I don't want to totally cheat at Thanksgiving, but would really like to have a small slice of pecan pie (w/out crust) and some cranberry sauce w/ the Turkey. Otherwise I'll try to stick to veggies and the IP foods.

How do you all deal w/ negative ninnies who down-play your results or say you'll gain it back? It's so frustrating b/c I feel like I am making good choices, and even after the diet will be able to continue this lifestyle. oh well, I want to focus on the good so will just ignore them (her) as much as possible.

Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

I also had trouble with constipation on this diet. Not so much at the beginning, though. Then I would have a diarrhea day. Several friends told me to try probiotics. So I am taking a Phillips Colon Health tablet every day and my problem is fixed. I was also having a lot of bloating and gas pains with it, so am glad to no longer struggle with that.
Sherry

Pudge b gone,
I also have those around me who question the IP program. I think part of it is that several co-workers started it and then quit. They repeat what those "quitters" have told them. One of my co-workers is on weight watchers. I have done that program also, many times. This person said, "I will keep my diet. (WW). At least, I can have real food", then she exited the room. I had not even told her what I was eating for lunch that day, until she inquired.
Anyway, several days later, the response was nicer and she was impressed with the amount of weight I had lost (37 pounds since Labor Day).
I just chalked it up to "that is the way she is" and everyone has to do their own thing.
Sherry

On the EAS shakes, 4 of my friends started using them after IP and swear by them. If I recall, there are several EAS comparable products, most likely some kind of bar.

OK, so I am out shopping for Thanksgiving dinner this evening....I will be cooking for about 20 as usual, and something happened that makes me want to stay on plan for that day as much as possible. I have lost 19.9 pounds since Oct 6 and have been wishing it was more. Then I picked up a 20 pound turkey and realized that is how much extra weight I had been packing around just a few weeks ago. How encouraging! I couldn't believe how heavy it was! So I encourage each of you to try that! (I plan on a huge salad with olive oil and sea salt plus turkey and maybe a taste of other things, but really want to keep my carbs low.)

Amen to that! I am going to buy a turkey tomorrow...thanks for that tip, can't wait to heft that bird...

Hi there,

I too find there is alot if negativity regarding this diet. but the people it is coming from are usually uninformed, and negative towards most diets. just yesterday i was at a community event i attend regularly. one of my friends noticed i had water instead of a cocktail. she said "don't tell me your on that crazy diet" before i could reply another at the table asked which diet she was referring to. her reply was " oh that one that will shut down your kidneys, and kill you if you have any underlyng medical problems..." PEOPLE..this lady is a nurse!!!! i started to defend the program, than realized it was not worth it. people are adamant about what they believe, and i do like to follow the advice on Dr. trans website about dealing with negativity. i resonated with all the examples he provides!! if you are feeling fine, and you are happy with the results, does it really matter what they think? that is what i tell myself. but - ( it does still P me off sometimes!)

Kelp noodles are clear noodles made from algae.
They dont taste like anything, they taste like the sauce they are put into (in my case, soy sauce.) but you can get them at new frontiers and other health stores

The only negativity i have gotten on this diet is.

"Losing more than like 2 pounds is an unhealthy way to lose weight." my response is "Well you know what, being 160 pounds overweight isnt very healthy either now is it?"

Sherry,

I have these people at my work, too. The messed up thing is that there are only 4 other women (out of maybe 50 people) who work there, and, including me, 3 of us are on diets! What torques my jaw is that ANYONE would be so dang nosy. I said NOTHING to either of the other 2 when they went on (IN ORDER...) Jenny Craig, Weight Watcher's, Lindora, Nutrasystem). But these mylar packs of "astronaut food" have somehow captivated these ladies. They are somehow NOW interested in my general health and are worried for me. P.L.E.A.S.E. I actually feel better, even with raging PMS, than I have in a VERY long time.

I have a question for CANADA: How was this kept secret for this long? I cannot imagine......