Hi everyone. I am in my 4th week of IP and I miss food so much! I feel like this diet is so restricted and it is already getting to me. I have lost 12.2 lbs and a few centimeters here and there. (I wish they measured in inches)
I am sick of salad salad salad!!!!! with olive oil...blaH!
I NEED SOME INSPIRATION! I am so tempted to cheat but have not. Well maybe I did today. I had an extra 4 or 5 ounces of chicken around 4 pm because I was so hungry and then I ate supper at 6.
I practically begged my leader (or whatever we call them) to let me add 2 hardboiled eggs to my salad at lunch and she said no way!!!!!
I just need something to bite into.
Sorry to be a downer, but I am disappointed and need some support
Thanks and hope everyone else is coping better than me!!!! ;0)
Renee

Well, I guess all I can say is it does get better You have done well so hopefully that is enough motivation to keep you on track. Your extra chicken was the BEST choice and I don't think you need to add 2 hard boiled eggs but if you are really struggling and added just one I don't think that is so bad but others might disagree with me!

I think you should lose weight in such a way that you would be willing to do it for the rest of your life. YTou cannot eat salad alone for the rest of ur life and stay healthy. You need other nutrients.

By the sound of it, your leader seems more dedicated than you sound. Why not try something you enjoy? Like listening to music and running in the park maybe. Or you can cut down on certain foods slowly...for instance, cut off the sugary drinks, then skip the junk food. My beverage is mainly water and unsweetened hot teabag tea. End that relationship with food thats so controlling to the point where you keep thinking about it.

All of these tips are what are working for me. Enjoy ur journey! congrats in advance.
Slimchic

I feel your pain. you've lost 12 lbs. that's great. Do you feel thinner? I remember that once I got 20 lbs off, I could see such a difference and started getting the compliments. Then with 30 -35 lbs off I felt...hot - as in sexy - not my usual hotflashes! I regained around 10 lbs while maintaining and went back on plan and have lost 5 of that. I'm a size 8. I'm leaving on a cruise in 2 weeks and hope to have lost the last 5 by then. At a size 8 I feel average now. There were times when I felt hungry and my leader at the time said I could add another packet (not restricted) or a little protein when necessary and I did. I believe you could add egg whites quite easily. I went our for brunch a few weeks ago and ordered an egg white omelet for the first time. It was pretty good. It had lots of veggies and was probably cooked in oil but I was so proud of myself for not getting what I normally would have. I also had to get used to the feeling of having less in my stomach. Stick with it. You have to find what works for you. Think of off plan foods as those bad boys that were always so attractive but so not good for you.

I do feel different...lighter...healthier. Dont have that awful feeling that comes on after you overeat. I am committed to the program...i am just finding it rough at the moment. Thanks for the positive comments!

instead of having whole eggs why don't you try just boiling some egg whites or poaching them. That would give you something to bite into. Try eating some raw veggies for lunch. You may have committed to the program but from the sounds of it your aren't as committed as you think.

Salad for lunch doesn't cut it for me, I stick to celery since it gives me something to bite into and crunch. You might talk to your coach about splitting up you meat serving at night and having some at noon, not in addition to but part of.

I'm guessing we started about the same time since my 4th weigh in is Monday. Are you emotionally missing the food (like for comfort) or are you actually hungry? If you're hungry you could always try adding a 1/2 - 1 packet in the afternoons, or some scrambled egg whites if you coach allows them. In the afternoons I occasionally treat myself to an iced coffee. I brew coffee over ice in my Keurig, add a packet or two of Splenda and some of the EAS Carb Control Vanilla shake (I don't do milk or anything in my coffee though). It's delicious and feels like a real treat.

If it's emotional I just have to remind myself that if I give in and eat that ___________ (fill in the blank) yes it's going to taste delicious and I will be full and satisfied, but what about in 30 minutes? In 30 minutes I'm not going to remember what it was I ate, and my body will be better off if I stick to the plan so in the long run I am healthier and happier.

Good luck!!

Check out the recipe threads (Click Here) for tons and tons of ideas.

If you want pix & recipes, visit my Facebook page. I specifically created it for these situations... you are so bored of food and need to SEE what you could be eating and get hints on how to put together the allowed ingredient in order to get inspired.

http://www.facebook.com/idealproteinlohja

The latest post was a compilation of tons & tons of salad dressing ideas... a lifesaver if you have just been eating salad with a drizzle of oil. (Dressing recipes were the first thing I asked for on this board.) Though my coach started me off using Soy Sauce, Mustard (sugar-free), or Tapatio Hot Sauce for my dressings so I didnt have to face the "only oil" option.

Other hints to help hunger are:
1) Make your shakes in a blender, use more water than it calls for (I use 2 cups), and add ice. This gives you about 3 generous glasses of frothy goodness (vs 1 small glass) and doesnt seem to water down the taste. (I pour one glass, drink it, then re-blend the remainder before pouring the next glass to keep it from separating. If I take it with me, I pour it into a "jug" to be able to sip and then shake.

2) The omlettes are really vesatile. Add shredded zucchini and tabasco or hot sauce for one taste. Sprouts and soy sauce for Egg Foo Young. Mushrooms and/ or Bell Peppers for crunch. Adding the zucchini and/or sprouts REALLY stretches the portions so you feel fuller.

Thank you everybody!!!! Today is a new day and I feel much better!
I very much appreciate all of your advice!
Your all so right!
FOOD IS FUEL AND THAT IS ALL THAT IT IS!!!!
Have a great day everybody
Renee

Everyone is different, my coach tells me whole eggs are okay, and she actually encourages me to eat things that are OP if I am feeling hungry, she tells me being happy is most important, and if I stop loosing then we'll look further into specifics. Every Coach is different

As a follow up to FinnS advice about trying different recipes etc, remember it is much easier if you focus on what you can have rather than on what you can't. Experiencing with different IP recipes keeps you from falling into a rut which leads to boredom.

Pat

Actually, egg WHITES are okay, but whole eggs are NOT. And every coach should be the same, not different, so if yours is telling you that it's okay to eat whole eggs and eat OP on Phase 1, she's been misinformed.

She should not be encouraging you to cheat, which is essentially what she's doing...if you're feeling hungry, have an extra packet of non-restricted. In fact, the formula is that for every 40 lbs over 200 lbs, another IP packet should be added, so you can have up to 5 packets of IP (still only 1 restricted), then cut down to 4 packets when you reach 240, and cut down to the regular 3 packets when you reach 200. The extra packets should really help with the hunger. And yes, happiness is important, but the priority while you're OP should be your HEALTH.

Hang in there!! I am finishing up my 4th week and found it a difficult week as far as cravings...my coach pointed me here and thank God! I found some of the recipes to help! I did the Big Mac salad (using extra lean ground beef) and used the pancake recipe this morning that Finn posted, along with WF syrup... both did the trick!

Hang in there, and know you are not alone