Thank-you! I have one other question, I have been constipated since I started IP a week and a half ago, started taking the floralax but they have not helped, does anyone have any ideas that might help. I used to be very regular.

I take at least one serving of Benefiber every day. It seems to help. Also, people here are saying that the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, combined with EXTRA water and the salads will help.

I know your pain.

Probiotics help too.

There is a product called CALM that works well for this according to my mom.

My coach recommends Novi-Lax

This comes from Mike Ciel, RPH & Clinical Director of Ideal Protein:
For serious constipation-
When you combine Vit C with Cal-Mag it will open/stimulate the colon
Purchase Walgreen's or CVS brand 1000mg vit C tablet
-Take 1 in am w/ Cal-Mag supplement
-Take 2 at noon w/ Cal-Mag supplement
If you do not receive relief, continue adding 1000mg vit C until bowels are evacuated.

HTH!

There seems to be a lot that think the diet can be tweaked and they can do what they want with it. Does this come from people not thinking they don't have to follow the "rules" or is it just that so many don't believe the "rules" are for them? The rules are in place for a reason.....and the biggest one I know of is to protect your health! The most beneficial result from doing this diet is the rest for the pancreas and it not having to process the "crap" anymore. That's the whole reason for the restrictions. But any good coach will tell you that it's not good for the body to go in and out of ketosis over and over again.....it takes a while to get into ketosis but just the drop of a hat to get out of it.

It's not just people here, it's everywhere.....my coach talks about different ones that just can't take the diet seriously and just want to drop the weight and move on.....and could really care less about the good things it could do for you. When the had the initial introduction to kick off the program at my chiropractor's, they made it very emphatic not to sign up for the program if you weren't serious about it.....and when everyone at the introduction signed up, you had to wonder who wanted the health benefit and who was looking for a quick fix.

My hope would be that all of us here are in this for the health benefits and what it can do for us long term. I personally know this is the first diet in over 10 years that has budged a pound from me and I love, love, love that it's allowing things in my body to work the way they're supposed to.

Hang in there everybody and if you haven't had a chance to read Dr. Chan's book, please do.....it explains why things are the way they are....and I, for one, am thankful for his discovery.

Hugs,

Mary

Question: I know it's been asked already (and I know we're not supposted to be counting these things) but what is the maximum amount of carbs (preferably in grams) permitted per day on phase I?

I am logging my intake in MFP and today, I had 36 grams (that is without any retricteds except a piece of tomato in my salad, which I logged as 1/4 tomato but it's not that much). With restricteds, what is it supposed to max out at?



What a great tip! I will keep that in mind as the weather gets nicer and my family starts indulging in summertime treats!



Oh wow! You are so close! Now is not the time to give up... you have to cross that finish line!

I find it is getting harder as the season is changing too... ...but I am determined to do this.


I too have a bit of a problem with some of the restricteds (all IP in my case with maybe the occasional Pure Protein bar). The soy puffs are too "more-ish" for me, so I stopped buying them. I seem okay with the bars, ridges, cheese curls, chili and spaghetti, so they get to stay! However, right now, I seem to be stalled (or worse), so I am cutting the restricteds for a little while to see what will happen. When I am haivng them, I also make sure to not buy more of them than I absolutely want to have in a week to avoid going overboard. If I have too big a "stash", I am more likely to dig into it when things get tough.



The Floralax works for me but then, before IP, I would normally have the opposite problem.

I would discuss with your coach... some things that I can think of are:

- Make sure to have all of the water;
- Make sure you are getting all of your olive oil (I sometimes add a bit to my WF salad dressing before putting it on my salad to make sure of this);
- Make sure to have some lettuce every day;
- Take the optional Omega 3's (and maybe the optional digetive enzymes);
- Try the salt water flush described on this site;
- Find out if Miralax is compatible with IP;

Hi all. I had wi #3 today. I was down just over 7 lbs for a 19 day total of 23 lbs

that is wonderful!

Very Well Said Mary!! I completely agree with you.

Thank you Mary. I was beginning to wonder about all of this on again off again stuff. It was my impression as you said that you either do it or don't, you take it serious or you don't, you lose weight or you don't. Also, I've been hearing so much about alternative stuff. I thought this was the IP forum and that there were separate forums/threads for Alternative styles. Sometimes I almost get off track in my thinking after reading so much of this. Then I have to bring myself back to "I am learning my lifestyle changes by following the IP program." I too am thankful for the discovery of why things are the way they are.

Congrats that is great.

You are so right, I did a lot of research before I decided this is the program for me, Yes I liked the fast weight loss but I also wanted to make sure it was safe. It is safe as long as you follow the system. I wanted to be healthy at the end of this not just skinny. I am so scared to leave ketoisis that I don't cheat. sure there are temptations out there, but even events where it is so easy I don't do planned cheats either, I mean if I am still here in a year and haven't cheated that just proves that I have the willpower and strength to do anything I want to do. I worry about the friends who cheat and then wonder why they aren't losing weight. I worry for them when they keep going in and out of ketosis what they might be doing to their bodies.
Thanks Mary for your words you said what I think a lot.

So it was wi 13, not as lucky as I thought I lost hooray but only .6, speaking with the coach when I told her last week about not doing restricted, she basically said to me, that our bodies function on carbs and that the restricted items will not slow our weight loss down and that one a day is good for us. I am not worrying about my small lose this week as things happen next week will be better. I did however lose 1.5" from my chest.... like my friend at work keeps telling me, you are going to loose your boobies.... I am okay with smaller ones as it will suit my smaller body.
I track my info on mfp as well and I am not worried about calories, carbs anything follow the plan and you are okay.

Have a great IP weekend everyone, yours always just this close to 50lb mark, for sure it will happen next week. half way to success, even though every day on IP I am having a successful day.

Joanne

Good morning all....had WI6 yesterday and am down 7.8lbs!!!! So excited!!! I worked hard this week and started Zumba on my wii (ho boy, that's not easy!)

Loving IP and excited for the future even though in my world the future is super uncertain.

Have a great OP weekend friends!

WOW! Great WI, you must be so happy. WTG!

When my WI is anywhere from 3-4 days before aunt Flo (Tom) shows up to 3-4 days after, I am either up 2 pounds or no weight loss at all. Even though I know logically that it is hormonal/fluid related, it sure messes with me mentally. Feeling all bloated and crampy doesn't help you feel any slimmer either!

Have a GREAT on plan ideal protein day!: