I have been on ip for 5 weeks now. I have only lost 13 lbs. My weightloss has been super slow. I have followed the diet, no cheats! Tomorrow is actually my weigh in and the scale hasn't budged since last week. My counselors really don't offer any advice. I feel rushed every time I have a weigh in. They just suspect I cheat...and I don't. Does anyone have any advice, what can I be overlooking?
This is really tough on my finances, and if I keep going on this track I am not going to be able to afford this diet.
I guess I need words of wisdom because I am really feeling down.
My goal was to lose 50lbs...

Thanks

How many packets a day have you been having? It might be that you're body is going into starvation mode because of the low caloric intake we get on IP, causing you to not shed pounds. Having an extra packet a day might seem counter productive on the surface level, but if you're body isn't 'starving' it will more easily let go of those pounds!

13 pounds in 5 weeks is outstanding, congratulations !

Hi Megabismom I am in the same boat. In 4 weeks I am only down 6lbs. I do not cheat either. I do workout three days a week and on those days I add a packet as soon as I get out of the gym. I'm hoping tomorrows weigh in is better than last week!

Tina

perhaps if you give us more information we can help address your issues

1. What is your height
2. What is your weight
3. what are you eating (how many packets and which ones)
4. How much water do you drink
5. Which supplements do you take
6. Do you eat your alloted olive oil
7. What do you eat for your main dinner meal
8 do you eat your salads
9. what veggies do you eat on a consistent basis
10. what does your meal plans look like for the past 3 days?
11. do you exercise?
12. are you constipated? (sorry may be TMI but this matters...believe me)

We might be able to help if you give us more of an idea of what is going on with you

Thank you for all the replies. Everyone gave me something to think about, especially the going into starvation mode and constipation. There were a few days I didn't have my third packet, because I was not hungry at all.
Here is an example:
Breakfast - I have the cereal 3 days, 2 days a bar, 1 day egg, and 1 day pancake
Lunch - I have the soups, leek, chicken, tomato basil, 1 day a week I have the chilli and another day I have the spagetti bolongese (sp?) I add spinach or broccoli or cauliflower to the soups and have a cucumber and onion salad.
My lunch may be missing more veggies, but I only have 20 min to eat.
Snacks - I love the chocolate drink mixes, and pudding, and pina colada drink

My dinners consists of chicken or red meat 5 oz or 8oz of fish. I wold have to say that most of the week I have grilled chicken. I make a veggie side, usually something sauteed with cooking spray and I'll make a salad.
I do have tomato in my salad. I use 1- 1 1/2 tomato a week, try to spread out throughout my week because I love tomatoes.

If I get really hungry in between I have a sugar free jello-o or I make a low sodium chicken broth soup with mushrooms in it, but I haven't really had those.

I try to take in 64-80oz of h2o a day. Most days its 64 oz. Being a school teacher water intake is hard.
I do use the 2 tsp of olive oil a day and have 1oz skim milk with my coffee

I do take all the vitamins everyday. (multi, mag/cal, potass)

And sorry if its TMI but I do not move my bowels everyday, maybe 3 times a week and I am taking the ip laxatives : ( I suffer from IBS and having a hard time with all the veggies

5ft tall
currently 165.1
goal 125

So here is my day to day...if anyone can give anymore insight to what I might be doing wrong that would be wonderful : )
Thank you!

I am also losing 2lbs per week, and this is nothing comparing to everybody else so I am a little bit frustrated. This is what I can lose with WW without being so restrict. But I'll give it a couple of weeks to see if I lose more.

I agree with the above, Losing an average of only 2lbs is very frustrating when you are on a such restrictive diet plan. I have lost 2lbs a week on ww and it wasn't this tough. I guess I am just really frustrated

I third this! All day I have been thinking I just need to get on WW because this only eating celery and cucumbers is for the birds. My parents are doing WW and are loosing just as much as me so is IP really worth all the money and trouble???

I know it's hard when you're not seeing agressive results, but just hang in there and give it a chance. I know that for me, having Insulin Resistance before starting this diet, WW would only work for a certain amount of time before I completely stopped losing weight. Low carb/high protein is the only thing that really works for my body.

Something to consider before switching. Also, everyone goes through plateaus/stalls, so maybe switch up your dinner protein and lunch packet for a few days to see if that helps. Or try doing a restricted every other day.

Good luck!

Hi! I see below that we are exactly the same height and had near starting weights. I have also been a slower loser. 34 lbs. in 23 weeks (less than 1.5 lbs per week average). However, I have lost plenty of inches/fat and have reshaped my body and am totally pleased with this program. AND, because it has taken me longer I feel that I've had the time to do a lot of thinking/research/figuring out (whatever you want to call it!) as to how I will be able to continue and truly make this a lifestyle change for LIFE! And isn't that what we all strive for: to maintain our weight losses?

Also, I know that often people speak of the costs but (for now, until I get to my goal) I just consider it a trade-off. I'm spending approx $100 on IP food (including supplements), which makes up most of my meals for the week, plus some meat and veggies and I'm sure I was easily spending that much or more on JUNK, plus some meat and veggies BEFORE doing IP.

Finally, I'll just say too--HANG IN THERE! It is so totally worth it.

I feel your frustration as I have been there. My average weekly weight loss over 23 weeks has been less than 1.5 lbs. My biggest loss was only 4.5 lbs and that was the first week. But I've lost inches/fat and reshaped my body--have you taken that into consideration?

AND I have done WW before too, but I never (on WW) lost consistently every week like I have on IP. Also with WW I was eating a lot of junk/processed food . Yes, I reached my goal, but did I keep it off? Obviously, NO!

I really feel in that regard that IP is totally different. I have learned/continue to learn how this will be a lifestyle and, as they promote: "the last diet" I will ever need.

I'll tell you too: HANG IN THERE! It's worth it!

I was a bit of a 'slow loser' on IP as well. I strongly suggest that you measure yourself week to week (even if your clinic is not) because I saw a HUGE difference in measurements even when the losses weren't there.

I understand that with teaching you have restrictions, but you might find a difference if you can up your water intake. I've been surprised by losing more when I get around 100 oz in during a day. Maybe drink it in the evening when you aren't working?

Are you getting your salt? Some have found increasing the oil intake slightly helps in the bathroom and on the scale. Others have found having a restricted each day increases the losses. Make a change, watch what happens for a week and then try something else. That way you know what works for your body.

One last point-- you don't have as much to lose as some others on this site. I know from experience that it is hard to not compare your losses to others, but at the end of the day your body will do what it wants. I got frustrated many times, but in the grand scheme of things the fact is I lost almost 40 lbs. In retrospect, I don't care how I got here...

My losses ranged from 4.8 lbs to .8 lbs. But as I mentioned before, even the weeks when I lost less I lost inches.

Good luck. Try to stick with it!

dont be sad..you are not alone..
look at my ticker
i am on day #16 and my loss is 3 lbs.
BUT i feel good so i will stick to this. * hug* best of luck

Dont loose heart. I would say that on average you will have more consistant results on IP than any other diet. I cant tell you how many times I had wished I could loose even just a pound each week. It never happened despite eating right and exersising 5 times a week. So take heart in the fact that you are loosing