Hi all,

my name is michelle and ive been lurking around the forum for a while and decided to sign up finally. I love the recipes and the support that goes on around here....so, here i am.


OK here's my story:

My partner has been doing IP since last june (i was pregnant so i didnt start with her) She's just moved to phase 4 and has lost 90 lbs. Fast forward till now....I just started on Feb. 9th, so im almost a month in...I've only lost 6.5 lbs according to my coach. Her scale tells a much different tale than mine does. According to my home scale and i try to weigh myself at the same time of the morning everyday(i have a 4 month old so im up at 5 a.m. everyday), it says i have lost 10.4lbs. Our friends who have started this program at the same time as me have all lost more than 20 lbs the first month. Im not eating off program at all, except for the restricted bars. I have a soy allergy so i had to go out and get some whey bars that match the IP bars. Other than that im not cheating. My carb intake is hovering around 38 a day and i drink a lot of water... My coach seems non supportive, as she chastizes me for eating too many high carbed vegetables in one day. Like brussles/kale and cauliflower. My partner's coach (different clinic) said she can eat any combo of vegetables she wanted. They had no restrictions in the "non restricted vegetables list". Well to make a long story short, im really frustrated, i feel like quitting and im totally over eating this packet crap. Im not feeling motivated to do so, because the weight is NOT "falling off". Is there anyone out there feeling the same. It seems everyone I talk to or read about has lost weight rapidly and thats just not the case for me....

First of all welcome! I'm sorry to hear you're so down I know what a rollercoaster the weight loss process can be. Although it is difficult to not compare yourself to others on the program you have to remember that this is YOUR journey and no one can define it for you. I know how frustrating it can be when you know you're on plan, but one suggestion I do have is keeping a daily journal and sharing it either here on this forum or if you're partner has been through the process share it with her and see if she can help you tweak it. I had been stalling the past 2 weeks in weight loss, but the second I decided to stay commited and look at the bigger picture i was visited by the "whoosh fairy" and lost almost 6lbs. I read posts on here any time I'm feeling down or feel like cheating and it really does help me get through that moment. Wishing you health and success.

Good luck! Ip will work for you, but for some things are just slower...plus 4 months post partum you might just be sleep deprived,which can slow weight loss.
Relax. Give it another month and then decide. Find some packets that you like. Life is easier that way.

You are very likely in hormonal flux after having given birth. Try to relax and don't stress yourself out.

is it possible to switch to the coach your partner had. There is no such thing as restrictions on non restricted veggies.
Are the bars you substituted much higher in carbs than the IP ones or higher in fat and cals. If not that should not be an issue either.
You might feel more comfortable working on your own with alternative products than with a coach who is changing the program and giving you grief.
Many of us do it on our own with alternatives.
I just noticed you mentioned the big C on another thread. this will totally mess with your losses. Get some magnesium citrate.

You don't need any unnecessary stress when enjoying a new addition. I hope it works out for you.
Pat

Hi and Welcome
Has your coach been taking your measurements? Have they changed at all? Sometimes the scale wont show a loss but the measurements do. (I dont know why, but this does happen).

Good luck to you.

I hate to hear that you are frustrated. Your body's hormones will be changing for months so hang in there. When I get frustrated I think of all of the weight I would have gained if I had not started the program. 6.5 pounds of fat gone is something to celebrate. I also weigh on my home scale first thing in the morning and record it and go by that. I have nothing in my body at that point and feel like it is a more accurate benchmark. By the time I go for my office WI it is at the end of the day and clothes as well make a difference. Try to remember to look "up" and not "side to side" siince all of our bodies are different. The main concern that I had when I read your e-mail is that you feel like you are eating this crap......go through the message boards and try adding other things to your packets - recipe threads are wonderful. I have made some fantastic recipes and am finally very satisfied. I don't think that I would survive with the packets alone. Hang in there......everyone is here for you. Good Luck!

You lost 10 lbs in less than a month...that's awesome! I go with what my home scale says, naked weigh in first thing in the morning. Too many variables with the clinic weigh in: food, water, clothes. I didn't lose 20 lbs in my first month. Stop comparing your losses on IP to other people's losses on IP. Compare your losses on IP to not dieting at all or what you would be losing on another diet. Again, 10 lbs in a month is great! Check the carbs on your restricted bars, double check the list of restricted vegetables, and look at ways to doctor the packets so you don't feel like it's packet crap. You might want to change the time of day you eat your restricted packet. Are you breastfeeding?

Don't give up! Find another coach. We are grown women and there is no excuse for anyone treating us like 5 year olds. This journey is tough enough without some twit beating us down.

So there!

Make sure you drink lots of water; it helps the kidneys and actually helps us purge water in the body. Make sure you aren't constipated. It has been a real struggle for me, as the protein takes more work for the body to digest, and it can make a big difference on the scale. The journal is a great idea too. I never kept a food log before this and it has helped me to remain focused and conscious of what I eat. Don't know if you are exercising much, but if you are, the muscles can tend to hold water.

Finally, think of your vision. I get frustrated too when I've only lost a pound, or when I've cheated, or when I go up, but it's the end goal I try to keep in mind, and pride that I'm doing something good for myself and my future.

Thank you all for the re-assurance.

I forgot to mention that my frustration level was kicked up a notch due to having gained .5 lbs in my week 3 WI. But I'm sure it more because of my TOM than anything else.Also, someone asked if I was breast feeding. No is the answer to that, my little princess went on a nursing strike in mid november and that was the end of that.

On another note, I have been making different things with the packets, but i still dont find the food enjoyable. I've decided that im not going to let my coach deter me. She can be as unhelpful as she wants to be, as long as i stick to the program, there is NO way i wont lose weight. Like Life, weight loss requires patience....im working on growing mine,

Thank you everyone.

PS i have some recipes i will post later...

Pat, with the magnesium citrate, are those just pills? I struggle with the big C everyday on this diet and have not yet found some that works so I can go daily or even every other day. It really plays with the numbers on my scale and therefore my mind as well. How much of this do you suggest taking for regularity? Sorry to hijack your comment to the original post, but this stood out to me! Thanks so much

When I was doing Phase 1, I didn't think of the packets as food. I thought of them as short term diet supplements. It tookma mental shift when I first started IP. I looked forward to my veggies at lunch, my dinner and my restricted packet as a treat. It helped to find veggies that I really liked and looked forward to (my favorite is sauteed red, yellow and orange bell peppers and asparagus). I also think of the chocolate drink mix made as a shake is a treat. For me, not thinking about the packets as real food really helped me. P1is a short term transformational diet, not a long term sustainability diet. P3 and P4 are long term sustainability diets and the food at that point does need to be enjoyable for maintenance. That being said, I only had 30 lbs to lose, so the 4 months it took really was short term. How much weight do you want to lose?

To help with the bic c I take my 3 calcium/ magnesiums right before bed. They are supposed to "relax" things. Works every morning...
If I take 4 it works too well!
It is also supposed to help you sleep.

Michelle,
Glad you are hanging in there! This diet is so worth it and I echo what the others have so wisely said.

But I was under the impression that we can ony have 2 cup of non starchy, non restricted veggies at lunch and again at dinner. Not unrestricted amounts as the carbs will add up. I noticed when I made kale chips my scale wouldn't budge. Also haven't had caulifower although am looking forward to cauliflower mashed potatoes...however, I want to get as much weight loss as possible under my belt, so am being strict on the veggie front as well. Just a thought for your consideration.

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!! How wonderful you are becoming healthier for her, as well as yourself.

Be well and stay strong. We're here for you.

Noticed that you stated that you have a "soy allergy" are you staying away from all of the IP products that have soy? Has your coach given you the non-soy product list so you know what you can and can't have? I have the same issue and once I completely eliminated the soy IP products my body started to respond. Let me know if you need the "non-soy" list!
Hang in there, you are worth the it.

Where can I find that list? I thought all or most of their products have soy. I find that I do better if I stay away from the bars.