Hi...I am so happy I found this forum. Today was my first day. It was not so bad, however, I find myself doing things without even thinking (finishing my daughter's ice cream). The spoon was in my mouth when I realised it. Day 2 tomorrow...I was wondering, how long did it take before you started noticing changes? Am I allowed a "cheat" day? What do you do when you are invited to friends' houses for supper?

Yes Day 1 Finished...Can't wait for Day 2 and the end of the week to get these extra lbs off of my back...tired of carry it around! I caught myself today also, there were home made cookies in the luch room, I had one in my mouth before I realized I had even taken it... I was previously on the program and lost 15 lbs in 1 month, I started noticing around wk 2, noticed my shirts fit better and pants were not as tight, it was a great feeling, and just made me want to go on...very motivating for sure...a couple of friends noticed right after the first week, but my first week I had a cheat day...so it was like starting allover again after that, but when that 2nd week weigh In came and seen that I had lost 7 lbs and 7 1/2 inches...it made me feel amazing...like nothing could stop me....I hope it is the same for you! Good luch.

I think that fixing those unconscious habits is even harder than changing the way we eat! :-) I noticed changes in the first week. My tummy started to disappear even in the first week. It was great.

No, you're not allowed cheat days on this. Every time you cheat, it kicks you out of ketosis and you spend money (on the packets you are consuming to get back into ketosis) and lose momentum in your weight loss. Your coach should be able to help you out with figuring all of that out. Some coaches allow occasional cheat days for special events, but that is against official IP protocol. Again, talk to your coach about it.

When I go over to friends' houses for dinner, if they are a close friend (you know, that you can explain it to), I'll tell them that I'm on a pretty restricted diet and that while I absolutely don't expect them to cater to my dietary needs, I don't want them to be offended if I bring another protein for dinner, or only eat salad. Generally if we are going to a friend's house, I'll offer to bring something (always a salad!), so that I know that there will be something there that I can eat. Last month, we had a dinner party with my husband's band mates (whom I had never met) and all I heard was that the hostess was doing chicken and salad and then she asked us to bring dessert. Chicken and salad - safe right? That's what I thought too. The salad was a green salad with apple, craisins, blue cheese & a raspberry vinaigrette. The chicken was a chicken casserole with lord knows what in it.

Sometimes you just have to adapt to the situation, try to make the best decision possible under the circumstances and move on. I had salad but tried to leave all the fuit & cheese and I ate the chicken but tried to push the sauce and extra stuff off to the side. It's not a situation where I would have felt comfortable calling the hostess and asking her to accomodate me (since I didn't know her) and so I tried to make the best decision I could while I was there. The farther along you get in the program, the more comfortable you will get with making these decisions and being proactive about your health.

Some people just hide out for a while and avoid going out to dinner with friends, being around other people, etc. Figure out how you can handle it and what is going to be best for YOU.

grated cauliflower is my staple food. I take it when I am invited to dinner at friends. I have learned to make enough for everyone! The first time I took my cauliflower with me everyone wondered what it was, they thought it was rice, and all wanted to try it and loved it! so now I bring a casserole dish of it. haha

I would love the details on how you prepare this cauliflower!

SIMPLE! I use a food processor with the grating blade and I grate 2 sometimes 3 heads at a time and put it in a ziplock. I cook up a cup or 2 at a time. I measure it raw and then cook it in the microwave. I do not add water at all. Just steam it. I add different spices depending on my mood. Mrs. Dash. Chinese 3 spice. Sea salt and pepper. whatever strikes your fancy. If I cook it alot it can be like mashed potatoes. There are recipes on the recipe thread for garlic mashed potatoes using cauliflower. If I want more of a "rice" I don't cook it at much so it is still somewhat crunchy.
Very versitile.

here is the story on cheat days:
most diets depend on lower calories=lose weight. So if you "cheat" you are temporarily not eating lower calories and while it will slow you down, it is not that big of a deal (depending on the cheat!). But IP depends on a specific body chemistry thing going on: lower calories+no available glycogen= burn fat, lots of it, and really fast. So if you cheat, you don't just have a small set back, you have a pretty big set back as your body has to get back to the right chemistry (ketosis) to do it again. So, there are no cheat days if you want IP to work. I know some people say that if they cheat with things other than sugar or pasta etc, that they won't knock themselves out of ketosis, but that is not always true. You need both elements (low calorie and no available glycogen) or you will most likely drop out of ketosis for some amount of time. Sorry I don't have better news

regarding eating out: at first I took the chicken way out. I was invited out with some people I did not know very well and I told them I was going to be unavailable. I realized after the fact that I should not be ashamed of trying to get healthy. Then a month or so later I was invited by some people I kind of knew, and I told them I was on such a specific meal plan it was too stressful for me to eat out at this time (which was the exact truth of the situation). When it was family or close friends, I was able to show up with some combination of food to share and food for me and make it work.

This is a big new challenge in your life--allow yourself the time to adapt without putting yourself under more pressure. You are working really hard to get control of your life, and you deserve to cut yourself a little slack! Best of luck!!

Hey... if you need any help or advice I am from Fort McMurray as well, just ask Good luck!!!

Also, congrats on your first day original poster... the cravings will come within' the first week then it will be fine, I know what you mean about finishing things it use to be habit for myself but since starting this program I thankfully have not had that happen. Good luck on your journey!

Thanks for your answers!!! I am also having a hard time with the things I can drink...COKE ZERO??? I am not sure if it is permitted. By the way, my "coach" is a friend. I don't have a real coach because the closest center where I live is 45 minutes away. I live in Quebec, Canada. My friend recently did IP and it worked great for her. She gave me all her papers and advice but some questions are still unanswered...thats why I need you guys loll!!!

Sorry, no pop! This is a alkaline diet and acidic food and drinks mess it up. I don't know the exact science of it, but it has been discussed on here before. You are required to drink A LOT of water and other then that you are permitted coffee and tea but if they are caffinated then you need to drink the same amount MORE in water. If you are having a hard time drinking just water all the time then you can try to flavour it with lemon or some use Crystal light (with splenda) but using too much can be problematic.

Are you using IP products? The shakes or even the puddings mixed thin like a shake are also an alternative liquid.

Being and ex-pop addict who never drank plain water (only flavoured Aquafina) I can tell you that you do get used to plain water. I do have a sparkling water that I use as a treat (when I go to the movies) but I have grown to appreciate good old water.

I agree that it is the habits that are hard to break. When my kids don't finish their dinner or or scooped ice cream and want to lick the spoon. You just have to stop yourself it's just not worth it to set you back a few more days. "I want to lose this weight more then I want to lick that spoon." That also helped me realized how I got the size I was, eatting all those additional calories from what my kids didn't finish.

I would def recommend going to www.trantiendiet.com read the book and watch the videos. It will expalin completely what you are doing and why. Unfortunately no soda (no carbonation) no cheat days. I look forward to my prepared meal everyday. It makes you be a little more creative with you spices and how you cook your vegetable. Like eatting turnip fries, so good even my 6 year old likes them.