Hi Liz! First of all, never say "only" to a loss!! Around here we celebrate every nth of a pound! Stress will definitely slow down weight loss. Did you get measured? Did you lose more fat than muscle? Sometimes the scale doesn't move very far but we drop inches, or our body fat % goes down - all that to say there's other movement, and the # on the scale isn't the end-all, be-all.

Yes, it can be discouraging, but this isn't a sprint it's a journey - sometimes you have to take it one week, one day, one meal at a time. If you stick with the plan, it will work!

Brand new to site. Looking for general advice and support as I get ready to start Optifast. Hoping to join next Kaiser group at end August.

It's hard and I understand - btdt...I weigh daily so know about jumping on and off the scale and panicking... "why is it up 2 pounds this morning! "

Then, since I decided I wasn't going to stop weighing daily, I started keeping a spreadsheet and suddenly I saw these terrific averages in black & white

Remember too - A loss, no matter how small, is a loss

Also, as has already been noted, overall averages are much more important than 1 WI & everyone's journey is individual. I've had + weeks, 0 weeks, and then whoosh weeks...some people its steady 1 / 2 / 3 pound losses, etc...keep OP and it WILL work!

Thanks you guys. I love hearing about how you've been there and continued to move forward so successfully. I am officially feeling much better.

Sending digital hugs to you all!!!!

It's encouraging to see someone with similar numbers! I finally dropped this week...phew...
After dissecting my diet, here's what we came up with, perhaps this will help someone else: I was drinking diet Pop and using Mio. I was putting half a cream in my coffees (4 a day) and I was making my grilled veggies with sunflower oil. So these changes, although small, have helped me let go of the fat.
I was so excited about the loss that I forgot to ask to be measured! Next time

Hi, this has probably been asked a billion times but I'm having trouble finding anything. Does anyone have a list of soy-free IP products? I'm thinking Lisa might - I remember her saying she was staying away from soy at one point.

Thanks in advance!

S.

I don't do soy protein but I also don't use IP brand any longer. I hope someone has an updated list. Mine is from 2012 and is outdated (new products/product changes)

I use syntrax nectar and quest powders/bars/chips. Also simply chips and simply whey bars. Other than that, I read labels carefully

Steph - I have to avoid soy too which was why I went alt-products, the IP choices were too limited...

...before going alt-prod though, my old coach sent me a link to a .pdf that worked when I started in February, but it's been removed It listed all IP foods and marked potential allergens.

If you are going through a clinic, talk to your coach - LOTS of folks have various allergies to soy / gluten / dairy / artificial sweeteners etc & they should have immediate access to this information

Friday Weekend Warm-up

This weekend, work on other healthy habits that help promote weight loss, like getting enough sleep, exercising, and hydrating properly. Being healthy and losing weight is not just about the food!

Think Thin Thursday

When you want to eat, ask yourself “Am I really hungry, or is this about something else?” A lot of the eating we do is motivated by other things – stress, boredom, anxiety, wanting to procrastinate. If you can identify that you’re not hungry, then you can work on finding other things to do to fulfill that need.

Hi there,
I just started on IP, today is my day 4. I know I was told the first few days were not going to be easy, that I would feel irritable and tired, and very hungry. I definitely was all those things. On my 4th day, I don't feel horrible, I seem to get full faster, and I snack on my unlimited veggies from time to time. I do feel SO tired all the time, and that my brain doesn't work as quickly. I hydrate ALL the time, making sure I get 3 liters a day.

How did you all get through the first hump?

Welcome mrina! Congrats - some people are lucky and never suffer the keto-flu, others (raises my hand) get it good.

You are doing fantastic with the water - but are you also getting your salt?

Not 100% sure if you are going through a clinic or on-your-own, but if coached, they should have told you & recommended the IP salt. Most IP products are low salt and with the water, your electrolytes can get out of balance pretty quick.

If o-y-o, 1/4 tsp Nu-Salt (or No Salt substitute) for potassium (also VERY important!) and 1/4 tsp table salt - every day...on top of being liberal with salting your foods

Hi! Yes, I salt literally everything! And I am part of the IP program in my city with a coach.

Thanks everyone for the welcome. I've made the call and have my consult Monday. I'll check back in after that. I do have a quick question. How does ********** shake compare to the IP meal replacement shake ?
....oops, guess we can't use other product names

Excellent! That was a hard lesson to learn - and I still forget from time to time.

<3 salt lol

Mrina you're likely through the worst part. For me the first 4 to 5 days were the hardest. Every week after the first week gets better, and after a month much better. For me I had some thyroid and hormone issues that were uncovered through the first few months of phase 1, so I did have some fatigue that others don't have, but once I got on the thyroid it was better. To get through the first week or two I had to take things very easy, sleep a lot, not do too much socially. Definitely I didn't exercise for the first two months – just some walking but not the normal intensity that I was used to. After two months I was able to do a little more and had more energy. For sure it was all worth it, no question. My health is so much better now.