I have talked about a lot of things, but I haven't mentioned this major life change. One year ago, I retired. I was a professional and coordinated a large program working with developmental disabled persons. I supervised the staff of that program. I was busy, went above and beyond because of my passion for what I was doing. I am now 63 and at home. I help a little with homeschooling my grandchildren (1/2 day a week). I am missing something, need more structure, want to feel worthwhile, and continue to eat healthy and lose weight.

I share this with you, so that it becomes real for me and something to be seriously addressed by me. Thank you for letting me be so honest. (My degree is in Community counseling and that is why I am able to expose myself.)

Rosemary, what about going back to work on a part time or per deim basis? I do understand the need for structure.

Double ear & sinus infection
Been on this antibiotic before and know I will have to eat a fairly generous breakfast in order to not experience nausea. Had scrambled veggie-eggs and a protein shake. Hope they kick in quick - ugh
Also was given flo-nase. Never had it before and it doesn't seem to be doing squat.
Hope everyone had a better weekend!

Hysteria, Flonase takes some time to kick in; don't give up on it yet! It made my husband's life SO MUCH BETTER! Also, I wonder if there are yogurts that are close to IP-legal. I don't really trust probiotics in pill form to still be alive, so I eat yogurt toward the end of my antibiotics doses, to, you know, get everything in order. (Looks like yes, if you can have dairy, 0% Greek yogurt might be an OK thing to eat.)

Rosemary, there are SO MANY opportunities for people to volunteer! Check with your local library, or senior center, or YWCA, or ... the list goes on. With your skills, you'll be in great demand!

Steos, carnitas are probably really close to OP if you take off the tortilla; they might be marinated in something we can't have, but they are just as likely not to be. Tomatoes are OK in small doses, and lettuce is unlimited. Also, like the others here, I try to have an extra packet or, better, a bar with me, in case of emergency. (I actually have a cute little pouch with two packets, a couple Splendas, a couple decaf teas, and a day's worth of supplements; I throw it in my purse before I leave the house. ) Oh, and! A lot of gas stations (think 7-Eleven or Sheetz, more than the little one-room deals) sell hard-boiled eggs in their deli areas. Hard-boiled eggs are MAGIC, because they are fairly filling and take a long time to digest. And I'm sure this varies by coach, but my coach's philosophy is that one hard-boiled egg, one way or the other, isn't going to make much difference.

MiniDoodles, my goal for IP is probably above the healthiest weight I could possibly reach. I figure by the time I'm down to my official IP goal, I'll be thin enough to really go hard with exercise, without hurting myself (after an appropriate build-up time, of course!). I'll probably stay fairly low-carb but dial up my fat intake a little and reintroduce orange vegetables (oh, how I miss butternut squash and sweet potatoes!), to see if I can keep losing, more slowly. (Don't hold me to this. I might do really well with IP and decide to see how far I can stand to take it. ) So, for now, my current plan is not to take off the last 20-30 pounds with IP, but with a more moderate approach.

Jicama tortillas - I found them today at HEB (University in RR). They are in a flat package and are about 5 inches in diameter. They were in the produce section near the prepared foods - ie. Salsa, guacamole, veggie kabobs, etc.

Thank you Magpie!! I was just wondering about this - I too am a big believer in live probiotics & know I will need them - I almost always have 1 or another ungainly side effect of antibiotic use i know almost all dairy is not p1 compliant but know this will be very temporary. & the flonase - isn't it actually for allergies usually? Read its a steroid so makes sense why they gave it to me for the sinus infection...its been a couple hours now and either it's starting to help a little or the motrin is I feel a little more alive

Although dairy isn't allowed on IP P1, do some research about naturally fermented veggies (I make pickles and sauerkraut). These are MUCH different than the jars you'll find in the store (which aren't fermented at all, but pickled with vinegar).

Anyway, you can even make your own & they're a wonderful source of probiotics. If you don't want to make them, look for Bubbie's brand. They're in the refrigerator case at my Whole Foods and they're naturally fermented. But they're pricey compared to the cheaper and less healthy vinegar pickles. I get some really good Ultra probiotic pills. If even SOME of the little buggers are alive, it will help~

Happy Mother's Day to any Brits on the forum! Hope you're being spoiled by those offspring.

Beautiful day here in West Texas, the kind I love. Clear blue skies, bright sunshine, gentle breeze and not hot as Hades yet.

Not much new here - just 1.2 lbs off my pre-bouncing weight 3 weeks ago, and then I can focus on shifting the rest to reach goal.

I enjoyed my 5 day IP break, but am not having any difficulty getting back on plan. Happy to have got rid of the bloated, gassy, nauseous feeling that the carb-heavy foods gave me. I feel comfortable and my get-up-and-go is back to its normal IP level.

Have a wonderful Sunday, IPeeps.

Oooo, let me know what you think! Still haven't been able to get them since everything has gone downhill with my mom. Interested to hear what you think of them!!

The weather is beautiful here in VA, but boy is it WINDY! I'm glad I always wear shorts under by dresses so I didn't faux pas and flash everyone!

Watch out for carnitas! They are traditionally cooked in lard, and I doubt nontraditional carnitas are much better!

Breaks my heart. I love carnitas....

Thanks for the info Lisa - after researching the problem is the 7g of lactose sugar, correct? Everything else, including protein, seems compliant.
Nearest Whole Foods to me is approx. 15 miles away & while that doesn't sound like much any NoVa / DMV person can tell you that can be a hour in traffic
I looked into the fermented veggies though and will say I've been interested in the research going on with gut science for a year or so. Right now the thought of trying to do this (on my own) in time to offset the side effects isn't appealing. Our local Korean grocer has kimchi- not sure how it was produced though. I also read about overwhelming your system with fermented veggies when your not used to them (If you’ve never eaten fermented foods, too large a portion may provoke a healing crisis, which occurs when the probiotics kill off pathogens in your gut. When these pathogens die, they release potent toxins. If you are new to fermented foods, you should introduce them gradually, beginning with as little as one teaspoon of sauerkraut with a meal. Observe your reactions for a couple of days before proceeding with another small portion, and increase your dose gradually, as tolerated. - from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...egetables.aspx)

Yeah, my husband uses it for allergies. But I guess a steroid in the sinuses might help with sinus infections? Or might stave them off in the future, at least.

Ooh, bummer! (Still a better choice, on this particular diet, than beans or tortillas, but not a good choice, then.)

Oooooh, I wonder if that explains some of my tummy troubles after eating a cup of homemade sauerkraut last night. (The person who made it for me didn't warn me!)

Re: yogurt, my suspicion is that the dairy ban has more to do with the sugar content in liquid milk and the fat content in cheese and most yogurts--and the complexity of giving us meaningful rules about which dairy is OK and which isn't. Macronutrient-wise, the 0% Greek yogurt looks compliant, but it's obviously a question for a coach, since the carbs are all simple.

My comment about "if you can eat dairy" was more because I thought I remembered you using almond milk for something.

They're good - it's literally a thin-sliced, really big jicama. I had a couple this afternoon, rolled up with some no salt sliced turkey breast.

I need to find those! I don't have a mandolin, so I tried slicing a big jicama super thin by hand for my shrimp tacos. Easier said than done!

down to my last 10 lbs and it's getting real

this is the struggle for me because I feel like quitting daily, but I can hang on.. I hope