Here's a little about me. I'm 5'2 and weighed 159 (goal is 130) when I began Ideal Protein 3 weeks ago.

1st week, I lost 5 lbs and was stunned. It's extremely difficult for me to lose weight and I didn't lose that much in a month on Weight Watchers. The second week I lost 1.5lbs. Needless to say, I was supremely disappointed but I kept going. My third week, not only did I not lose, I gained a pound. Up until that point I hadn't cheated but this weekend I treated myself to a small movie theater popcorn with butter! I'm giving this one more week and then I'm quitting because it's too expensive to pay $90 a week and weigh 154 lbs (and only lost 1% bodyfat) after 3 weeks of strict discipline.

Two things that may or may not have made a difference: 2nd and 3rd week I was not religious about the olive oil and up until yesterday, I had not been exercising (I thought it was prohibited and counterproductive.) My doctor told me yesterday to start exercising. I told him I want to skip dinner sometimes because I'm not hungry and he told me not to.

It's very discouraging to read about everyone's success and I'm pretty much where I've been when I was enjoying bagels and cream cheese for breakfast.

i'm guessing you're female?

if so, you are following the exact typical weight-loss curve.

weight loss is not a linear progression - you lose "x" amount each week. i know it SAYS that everywhere, but it's not what happens (i mean, you're not a blow-up doll, right?). what happens is you lose an AVERAGE of "x" per week.

my own case: i startd on march 1st and i have NOT "cheated" - iow, binged - at all. even when i did slide, it was no more than a couple hundred calories for the week.

week one: lost 8-1/2lbs (i'm on a medical diet, btw, not IP or any other named diet)
week two: lost 2-1/2lbs
last week: lost 1-1/2lbs.

this week, i expect i will not lose anything at all or i might have even gained a couple pounds.

next week or the week after, i'll have a huge drop again and the cycle will repeat.

that's just how it goes and that's why you need to have perseverance.

You have lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks? Am I correct? And this is better than a month on weight watchers, right?

Without knowing what exactly you are eating, generally speaking the shorter you are and the less you have to lose the slower your weight loss will be. 10+ weight loss in the same amt of time is often associated with a taller person and/or maybe someone who has more weight to lose.

The amount of time you have carried the extra weight may also be a factor as well as age. (some who are younger and put on weight more recently may lose faster)

But, if you really don't want to do this, you should not. This is a very, very expensive diet and it requires a significant commitment.

As well, could you be close to your TOM (time of the month)? Many women report a gain around that time. Even though IP reports higher weight loss, the true average is probably closer to 2-4 pounds a week for women.

Are your clothes feeling looser? Some lose weight one week and inches the next.

Hang in there, weight loss ebbs and flows. Some will lose faster than you. Some will lose slower. You will get to where you need to be when it is time.

It's important to get your oil in. It's an important fat. It is also very, very important to get your water in.

Decide if this is really what you want then spend some time on this board to learn tips and tricks to make it easier.

something must be off hun....there is lots of help and advice on here

If you choose and have chosen NOT to follow the program 100% then You should not be disappointed in the diet- just stand up and be accountable to YOURSELF. I agree that it is too expensive if you are going to not adhere to it 100%.

Ladies,

Thank you all for your replies. It is encouraging! Purple, you've made a good point as far as my losing 5-6 lbs quickly. I think my issue has been that I have gotten caught up in their literature which basically states that I should be losing that on a WEEKLY basis.

Wuv, I used to be in the military many, many moons ago. I remember falling behind on a run and a drill sergeant said to me, "You know what your problem is, Airman. You give up too easily."

Hmm...maybe those words still ring true... Thanks for the pep talk and tough love.

I'm not on IP... but I have to tell you. No matter what program you lose. That last 20-30 lbs are a BEAST to get off. I'm losing 1/2 a lb. a week doing the same things I lost MUCH faster with when I was a higher weight. You can either keep on truckin' and get this off (because you ARE losing weight at a good pace), or you can give up... Which choice will be better in a year?

Hang in there. You can do it. Fully commit and you will see results, somewhere, somehow. It's not always on the scale. In my fact mine are rarely on the scale. I have fun trying on smaller clothes. Spend time on the board. Ask questions.

Oh and take a restricted to the movie theater. (Dill Zippers, Cheddar Ridges, whatever you like). You will learn new ways to treat yourself.

If you really want to feel better, I lost 1.8 my first week. Yes, a whopping 1.8. The second week I dropped like 2 or 3 lbs of cloths, so...but this weekend I tried on a size I don't remember wearing, like in a long time. So...

I will admit it was hard with my 1.8. to see 4, 7, 10 pounds lost in week one and good loses after but I told myself, I will get there in my own time (story of my life, btw). That was Jan. April is around the corner.

WELL SAID!!! LIKE LIKE LIKE

I've said that to my young cousins going to school...it will take 4 years to get your degree but in four years you'll still be four years older...so really GET TO SCHOOL! and GIT R' DONE!

Your stats are almost exactly like mine in where you started and where you want to go. The literature on how much you will lose in a week are averages. The big numbers belong to big people. We smaller people have the smaller numbers.
That said, I had a stall for about a month when I was at around 138 pounds.
I suddenly realized I only lost when I went out to eat. I looked at what I was doing differently when I ate out. I was ordering a green salad and either grilled chicken or steak. Always with a side of grilled veggies. But I always asked at a restaurant to have olive oil and vinegar ON my salad. At home I was using the olive oil to cook and was not getting all of it.
So started adding my olive oil directly on my lettuce. I also started mixing up my protein choices so they weren't also white meat or fish.
I had gotten myself down to no fat at all and went into a long stall.
So you are on the right track about the oil.
The other factor to consider is age. I am post menopausal so it took me a lot longer to get close to goal than most people.
Pat

I gained wieght for 2 of my 7 weeks. Check my stats. I wasn't perfect the first 5 weeks, but not that bad. Week 5 I became a 100% an program devotee. Better weight loss since. I am also in my mid 50's, post menopausal, with a recently diagnosed thyroid issue which isn't yet been resolved. Being 100% OP (on program) has been immediately helpful to me. While I did have a huge loss the first week, I was also constipated and just had a couple of days of huge (and salty) dinners so it was almost a false high weight.

While there are many good diets out there, I truly think IP is the absolute best for many reasons, but we are all different and entitled to our own opinion.

Do what you know in your heart is best for you and if you do decide to stick with IP, we're here every step of the way to support you.
Chloe

oh, reason, I am sorry that you are discouraged. Like you, I started IP 3 weeks ago; in my case, because I was impressed how quickly a friend of mine had lost over 50 pounds on it. But then my (our) coach at my initial meeting made clear that because I was both shorter and had less weight to lose than my friend, my results would be slower and less dramatic. In fact, she estimated that it will take me 16 weeks to complete the program. What??? I want it gone now! I have complied 100% with the rules, including eating when I am not hungry, forcing those 2 cups of veggies down, and adding both the oil and salt on top of my veggies at lunch and dinner (and I really hate what happens to the taste as a result). I have lost each week, but less pounds each week than the week before. Like Chloe, I am now at the weight that has historically been very difficult for me to get below, so I suspect that I am going to have some very discouraging and frustrating couple of weeks here going forward. IP definitely is a challenge, as well as expensive, so I understand where you are coming from, But I also do believe, thanks to my friend and this forum, that if you and I get through the next couple of weeks and stay both OP and with reasonable expectations, that we WILL get the results.

None of us loose 5 to 6 pounds per week after the first or second week, no matter how overweight we started. My daughter started like you, only needing to loose around 25 pounds. It took her forever since she started out not needing to loose much weight. But she stuck with it and is now on phase 3. Commit to yourself to be 100% OP, otherwise you can't blame the diet, only yourself.