I look at some of the people who have lost so much already and those who have been doing it for months and are at or almost goal and I just cant imagine myself there. How does it feel? Was it worth it?

Oh I can't wait to read the answers! It will help me to visualize my future achievement of my goal. I really believe in the power of visualization and making it as vivid as possible is really important. In fact that's what my book is about. So hearing your exciting experiences - I'm waiting with baited breath.

I am close. Or at least I have surpassed my original goal and am not within 8 lbs of my enhanced goal. You could say I am Mostly there so I think I count =)

It feels wonderful! better than I ever could have imagined. I have SOOO much energy in comparison and feel fabulous. I wear tank tops and tshirts without jackets and shorts! I feel good in them! I enjoy having people look at me because I know they are not thinking I am fat. People around me are now trying to lose too because they see how great I look - I am inspirational! I wear small in some clothes. I have a pair of 6 pants that are too big now. I can fit clothes in stores! I enjoy shopping!

It is completely worth every struggle and hunger and difficulty saying no over the past 7 months. I have re-invented myself and every area of my life is improved because of it. Keep at it! You can get here too!

Most definitely counts and yes you are...........an inspiration. CAN'T WAIT!!!

I met my goal and it feels so good! I bought new clothes and can fit into some things that I haven't been able to in years. I've learned that I have to be really careful in the future about what I eat and can't go back to old habits.

The only thing that kinda frightens me is that I weigh myself everyday and even though all the literature says you will gain 3-5 pounds on maintenance, I've been freaking out the about the 2 pounds that I've put on. I know it's not a lot but I'm not eating the carbs for dinner that you're allowed and I'm trying to really stick to a phase 3 approach.

But overall this has been totally worth the expense and work I've put into IP.

Well, I am not at my goal yet still have 70 something pounds to go. Jackie you said you need to see a visual that is actually works, this is why I have posted the pics in my profile so that you can see the difference each month. I have lost 63lbs as of today. I am hoping by Feb of 2012 I will have accomplished me goal of losing 135lbs once I am there 250lbs I will probably go down to 200lbs, just depends how I look and feel at that point. My ideal weight is around 216 so we will see as time goes on. I already feel great so I know the best is yet to come

i am at my goal now, and i'll be starting phase 3 on friday. was it worth it? yes! 200% yes! am i happy? nope. here is the harsh reality of it... if you have been overweight most of your life, like i have, you have these preconceived ideas of what it will be like to be thin. you think things like, oh, i would be so happy if i just weighed ____. you also think that somehow, even though you have put your body through a lifetime of abuse, you will end up with this miraculous model's body once you have lost all this weight. well, truth be told, my body sucks. i have stretch marks, cellulite and loose skin all over the place. they are my battle scars. you can't abuse you body for so many years and then lose a bunch of weight and everything is perfect. i feel fantastic... for the most part. BUT i also feel like the same fat girl i always was. it's really hard to see anything else. i'm 5'7, i weigh 145, i wear a [now baggy] size 6 skinny jeans (a size that i have never worn in my life), and every day that i look in the mirror i feel fat. everyone that i talk to on this board who is at goal or close to goal feels pretty much the same way. it's really easy to only see what is still wrong, and not all of the progress and the amazing things that you've accomplished. so to answer your questions 100% truthfully, it is totally worth it, but i will never be happy. i will always think that i could lose more weight, i will always be terrified of re-gaining the weight, i will aways have to watch every single thing i eat, i will always be unhappy with something about my body, and i will always struggle with food. that's just the way it is.

We have similar start/ goal weights... and because I can remember being in your shoes... that is, at the beginning of this journey... I will tell you that it is absolutely worth it. It is hard in the beginning to say no, to not be able to participate in social occasions in the same way ie. eating/ drinking but it gets easier. And the feeling of fitting into a 'new' size is AWESOME. Which if you stay OP will usually happen every 2- 3 weeks. It took me 3 and a half months to hit goal but once you get into the groove of this diet it flies by- spend lots of time on here and utilize the recipes from the recipe thread- they will keep you busy and add variety to your menu and many of them are very very good- you'll get so that you don't miss 'regular' food.
I went from a 14 to a 4. I don't ever even remember being a 4. But I always wanted to be and IP gave me the tools to make it happen. I'm much more confident and comfortable within my own skin- which was a goal in and of itself. Everyone I know exclaims over the change (which of course makes me feel good). You can do this! Just take it day by day and after your successful WI's go out and try on some clothes just to see how they fit- it's very encouraging...
Good Luck!

Unfortunately I think this is life. Yes I struggle with eating and I have bulges and battle scars from life but I am no longer overweight and I feel great! Being thin does not make you happy - YOU make you happy. Losing weight alone will not ensure happiness but it does take away one bad aspect freeing you up to embrace life in a new way. Sadly every woman I know feels they are lumpy or fat in some way even the very teeny tiny women I know - this is our lot in life as women but we should not let it control us! I took control, lost the weight and shed the negative feelings about my body as the fat came off (yes I still have the odd bad moment but it passes). Do I look like a model? or my body inspiration Shakira (pre weight loss!)? no... but I look damn hot regardless

Ok self esteem rant over

Did you write a book?

Grrr I answered this and just as I was finishing, my computer did an automatic restart.

but the answer is Yes I did! and believe me - it is almost as exciting and as painful as having a baby!

Actually this year I wrote 4. Well really I wrote Future Pull, Partner with the Universe to Create the Life of Your Dreams and then, during the neverending proofing phase, I took out the action pages and combined them into a playbook and 3 month journal. So now I have the original Future Pull, plus the condensed version and then the playbook. Future Pull is a law of attraction book and I interview people around the world about their own experiences and included their stories.

And then, also during the neverending proofing phase, I decided to write the Seven Day Mental Diet. This is my absolute fav - it's just small but I think it's wonderful (I know I know I'm its mother so I might be biased). It actually is an updated revision of a book originally written in 1935. I mentioned it in my first book and was going to make the free version available on my website and then I thought I'd update it - just the old fashioned language. But one thing leads to another and in the end I interviewed people around the world and came up with 7 guiding principles to help people change their attitude over 7 days from generally negative to positive. And besides - it's pretty.

So now I'm all worn out and even though I now have a distributor so they can get into stores like Chapters, I haven't done a damn thing about setting up the book signings or events all summer. Must get back into it this fall.

Right now they are available on amazon.com and actually selling!!! Even without any promotion. It's very rewarding and the culmination of a lifelong dream to be a published author.

Now I'm writing my next one: Never Apologize, Never Explain: A guide for the weak-kneed and lily-livered. Okay that's the working title - the weakneed and lilly livered part might be too strong. LOL

Wow, very impressive and i love those type of books...I had planned on going to Chapter's tonight, might look it up? Are they in Canada?

They aren't in Chapters yet. But if you ask, they might start getting them in. Right now they are just on amazon.com

I'm in Canada so I am trying to get them in Chapters and I guess I have to start locally.

Ok when i go tonight, i'll put in a request.. I'm in Montréal, Québec so maybe that will get things going

Edit: I think i probably need the Author's name, if so, maybe you can email it to me if you don't want to write it here

No problem:

I'm Jacqueline Garwood and the book is Future Pull, Partner with the Universe to Create the Life of Your Dreams.

My niece lives in Montreal and maybe when I get the distribution set up I'll visit her and do a book signing there too. I visit my son in Ottawa all the time and it's not that far from there.