My losses have been at a standstill...I did the Novi Cleanse for 2 weeks and that week I lost 5lbs! My coach says it's too early to do it again. I do use Mio in my water sometimes and use oil to broil my veggies in the oven (2tsp). Otherwise, I'm OP....I do have a fatty liver. Any advice?

Plateaus can be so frustrating!
How long is the standstill?
No weight loss or inch loss?
2 tsp oil are allowed (actually required).
Some people find Mio and other items can slow weight loss.
We are all so different!

Are you getting all your water, vitamins, salt?
Making sure to eat 4 c. select veggies per day?
Are you adding salads to lunch and dinner?
Are you using IP products or alts?
I'm sure others will have more questions.

Do any of you use balsamic vinegar? I prefer it to apple cider vinegar and frequently cook with infused vinegars and olive oils. It has about 10 more calories and 2 more carbs per serving. However, I'm avoiding it now for fear it wouldn't be OP? It would be so much tastier for my salads!

I didn't measure my inches, didn't think this would happen, lol! But I will from now on. I eat a big salad at lunch, but not dinner (I'm usually full). I've been eating my veggies and vitamins, water etc. I've been at this for 2 months. I'll lay off the Mio and see what happens. I only use IP...
Is it my liver hanging on? Should I excercise?

Walden Farms balsamic vinegar? Or regular?

There are wiser / more seasoned folks - but I thought balsamic was an IP no-no for a number of reasons:
1. Fat
2. Sugars
- and I dredged up an old thread that mentions this is an 'alkaline' diet and balsamic is very acidic (I use lemon quite a bit though)

This might sound crazy / unappetizing, but after 3 months of plain salads very lightly spritz with extra virgin olive oil & salt, I started putting a drizzle of mustard on and I find it delicious

My coach also suggested when in a bind that the water in the dill pickle jar makes a good dressing and I've used that sometimes with a little mustard

Real balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of well aged wine must so it is actually quite concentrated in sugars and that is why it is so sweet & syrupy. It isn't actually IP compliant, and should be saved for later in your program P4-maintenance. My Uncle lives in Reggio Emilia and I have a source for 20 yr old flavoured balsamic vinegars that can actually can be used as syrup like pancake syrup and are about as thick and sweet although with a bit of a tangy bite at the end. Msg me when you get to P4 and I'll send you a link, lol. They cost $8.50/125 ml (1/2 c).
"Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale) is a costly type of balsamic vinegar produced in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. Unlike inexpensive "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" (BVM), Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (TBV) is produced from cooked grape must, aged at least 12 years, and is protected under the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system.[1] (BVM has lesser protection under the European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) system.[2]) Although the names are similar, TBV and the inexpensive imitation BVM are very different." Wikipedia quote.

Awesome drizzled over berries....
Liana

Balsamic vinegar is surely yummy and you are smart to avoid it. There are many things that taste good that we need to avoid during p1.

Balsamic Vinegar is not on the protocol due to sugar content (added carbs).

Try making a dressing with ACV, a small amount of olive oil, herbs, and a little garlic. Watch out for too much fresh garlic. It is full of sugar, too (just peel a few garlic cloves and feel how sticky your hands become!) and really should be limited on the protocol sheet much like onions. If you use natural ACV (like Braggs) you'll find it to be more flavorful than more refined vinegars.

I make my dressing with ACV, Olive oil, dry "Italian Seasoning", garlic powder, salt, pepper and sometimes some lemon. I put it in a small bottle to use for the week.

Alternatively, many times I put my dinner meat on a bed of lettuce. If it is taco meat, I often use mockamole as my "dressing". If it is a smoked meat, I often use WF BBQ sauce and no other dressing. If it is a burger, I often use the WF Chipotle mayo.

I've learned to like the taste of greens undressed so it doesn't take much dressing for me to be happy.

Enjoy your experiments!

If you're worried about your liver, I'll refer you to your doctor for blood tests.
I didn't see how long the actual plateau is?

If you're only using IP, what is your coach saying? Have they scrutinized your food journal? IP coaches usually do measurements. Yours didn't?

I know I'm asking tons of questions, more than answering but there are SO.MANY factors involved.

As far as exercise. Getting daily movement is a very healthy thing. If you're not walking or doing yoga or something else gentle, I'd suggest starting (due to healthy lifestyle benefits). Contrary to popular belief, however, exercise isn't the main factor in weight loss. Weight loss is approximately 80-90% in the "kitchen" and 10-20% in the "gym".

Wednesday Sabotage:

I can’t resist [those cookies/fill in the blank] – they look too good.

Response: It’s true that it’s hard to resist but it’s not true that I can’t. There is a difference between things that are impossible and things that are hard. Telling myself I ‘can’t’ resist is really just an excuse to give in. I’ve resisted plenty of cravings before, and I know I can now, too. Besides, when I give in I feel mad at myself and when I resist I feel great.

You and I have nearly identical numbers. I started in early June, too. I've consistently lost 3 pounds/week, after that first week with a 6 pound loss.

I don't use Mio. Only rarely will I put some flavored Stevia drops into my water.
Definitely measure your inches, if for no other reason to help you determine if it's a true plateau.
I added exercise about 3 weeks ago. I wear a FitBit and shoot for 10,000 steps/day. That usually means I have to walk 2 -3 miles in the evening to get all my steps in. It's not vigorous exercise, and doesn't raise my heart rate much, so I don't add an extra protein packet. I just save my protein snack for after my walk, so I can protect muscle mass.

Thanks Lisa, your support means a lot...I'm on week 3 of no movement from 186. My coach didn't measure me, but I'll see to it this Friday. I'm a teacher, so in the summer I walk the dog everyday, about 20 minutes. Otherwise, I'm very active at work and do Zumba with my class.
My liver has been this way for 20 years, doctors aren't overly concerned and just say: lose weight...lol....
Maybe she'll have more answers for me this WI or maybe I'll actually go down!

Hi everyone! As usual, Lisa's inspirational posts are SO on point.

At my weigh in today I was only down .8 lbs which is my smallest loss yet. I'm very much of the attitude that "a loss is a loss and I'll take it!" but I do get worried about slowing down this early in the game. Last week was incredibly stressful (dealing with my mom's illness) and I know that I didn't sleep enough. Did stick to protocol.

So today my question for the veterans is - how do you keep from feeling like you failed during what you perceive to be setbacks? I'm trying not to lose myself in negative thoughts this afternoon.

Lizn200 --

I think it's pretty common to have an 'off' week - I certainly had the same experience. I found that the following week was a big loss - so I tried to look at a month-long view. My monthly averages were almost always 10-12 lbs lost - but seriously next week look for some big movement. Also - sometimes the inches goes down but not the weight, then the next week the weight goes down but the inches stay the same.

Hang in there - a major slowdown is probably not going to happen until you get closer to goal.