The clinic can, however refuse to be your clinic if you don't buy their products.
Wildirsihrose, you don't need to "phase off" to move onto alternative products, just buy them instead and quit going to your clinic.

There is a lot of research about weight loss in women. It actually fluctuates through the month with hormones (not just TOM). Once we expect this, it's easier to live with.

For occasional veggies that say limit to twice a week does that mean I can have two cups, twice a week?

That has been my interpretation.
Some coaches interpret as 1 c. twice weekly so you may want to ask your coach.

Personally (this is just me), I rarely have occasionals. I save them for when we're eating out & the only choice is an occasional. That way I never "go over" for the week. However, a typical serving in a restaurant isn't 2 c.
We ARE having brussels sprouts this weekend, however (oops! and I had rutabaga. Guess I need to wait on the brussels sprouts until after we go out on Sunday to make sure they have a select veggie choice at the restaurant).

Special occasion - bring out an occasional veggie! Isn't it strange that THIS has become the treat?

I know that we have been in this together, step by step! You are just waiting for that whooooosh and then you have a big moment to celebrate. It will happen soon!

Know, Lisa, that I am very aware of your footsteps walking next to me in this journey. It and a few other things on this site are what have kept me going or picked me up when I fell flat on my face. Eternal thanks.

I am starting week 3 after a motivating weigh in yesterday with a 4 lb. loss. I have broken out of the 200's! All you stories and experiencing are very motivating. My small goal is to get through Easter weekend - being surrounded by chocolate is hard. Planning to make some chocolate bark with my dark chocolate pudding for a craving curbed. Any other hints you can share?

Some of the natural approaches for improving my health are taking longer than we'd like so I'm back on my thyroid meds. Hopefully this will help as well.

I'll go back to natural approaches when I can have the amt (and types) of fat they want me to have.

The only one I really like is rutabaga but I recently made chili so I am considering that tomato however I have No idea how to determine how much "tomato" would be in tomato sauce. Stuck with celery as my other veggie that day since some coaches call celery free.

I follow the original rules... 8 net carbs or less = unrestricted, and 9 net carbs or more = restricted. It's working for me!

I should have been more clear, I know they can choose not to take you as a client if you don't use IP food. I simply was referring to forcing you to buy the food. You can choose alternatives and leave the clinic like you said. I assumed she meant she would no longer be using the clinic.

As for TOM and weight right now there seem to be some correlation, but I am having a full TOM every other week for a week. I only get a week off. I have lost the most inches and I'm assuming fat off of my belly so this explains a lot of that. Its not the end of the world, I'm not upset, at least I'm not gaining lol plus there's still 2 more days in this week before weigh in and anything could happen! I'm usually a slow mover M, T, W, losing a half here or there, then I lose bigger on TH-F-Sa and nothing or a .2 or so on Sunday lol. It's been a pretty consistent pattern. I use it all like data because I'm very curious as to if there is a true pattern at all.

I figured if I was going to have a headache anyway, I may as well cut out caffeine since I had to add a cup of water for every cup of coffee I drank (caffeine is a diuretic). The headaches will go away, and luckily for me, I will never have a caffeine headache again My decaf coffee can also count for some of my water. I don't want to start reading about what decaf does to you... I'm sure that is a totally different issue

Wow! Just Wow! That is fantastic. Congratulations.

Thanks to all of you for your encouraging words. Peeps on this board are so supportive. The one good thing about the bad clinic that I started with.. They did blood work right when I started. I will take a look at the results when I get home today and see if they did blood sugars. I know this will pass.

Just got notice that I get the rest of the day off! So yay for that. Happy Easter everyone and a have a great weekend!

I am trying not to rip into a bag of chocolate chips and eat them right now

Schenectady - way to go! You are amazing. Kept up the great work.

Congratulations on all the great loses and NSV's posted.

Wishing everyone who celebrates happy Easter and happy Passover to those that celebrated this week. Enjoy the long weekend and I hope this brings the start of Spring. It sounds like everyone has put a lot of thought into their meals over the holiday. I'm bringing my dinner to two out of three family dinners to stay OP.

You really do not want to do that - it is a craving and it will disappear. Maybe the chips need to disappear?

This is a long holiday weekend and I do not guess that you really wish to start it out that way by ripping into the bag - starts a slippery slope for the weekend because there will be other temptations.

Hang tough, make tea, take a walk, take a shower, read a book......