Today is my 7th day of week one. From my cheap old scale it appears I'm down over 7 lbs. But I'll wait until my 'official' weigh in on Monday.

I thought not being able to drink (fresh jersey) milk, have cream in my coffee, eat cheeses would be tough.

But what is really tough is when the house is clean, chores are done, and in a moment of relaxation I'd like a glass of white wine. So I start looking online about wine and if it can throw you out of ketosis. Hmmmm - one glass won't. Have lots of red wine which I don't like but no white wine in the house. Damn. Internal temper tantrum going on. And I'm not about to fail by making a trip to the store for one glass of wine that would probably turn into two.

So I settle for a strawberry-banana drink instead. Phew. Disaster averted. Boy that was a tough moment.

Way to resist!!! A total NSV, in my opinion.

I think the hardest thing is watching others eat "normal" food when I'm stuck eating IP food. But I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it.

Whether or not a food can throw you out of Ketosis or not has nothing to do with the commitment to sticking with the IP plan, which doesn't allow many items that are allowed in other low carb plans.

When these feelings arise, I had to learn it is about learning to overcome the need for immediate gratification. Eating/drinking what I wanted when I wanted it or making excuses for not following a plan is what got me in the mess I was in!

Luckily, IP is very cut & dried. Have this--- don't have that. And P1 is temporary.

Greyfaery - I mean this in the most constructive way possible and hope you will take it the way it's intended, but the attitude that you are "stuck" eating IP food can cause you a lot of problems and make you feel deprived and resentful.

There are so many ways to be creative with the packets, veggies and meat that you really shouldn't ever feel deprived in IP. If you think about what others are eating rather than concentrate on what you are putting in your own body you are setting yourself up to feel like you are making a huge sacrifice and that is not a good mindset to have.

Instead, knowing that eating a bunch of carbs is probably going to make you feel ill and bloated, not to mention setting you back on your weight loss endeavor - how about embracing the new, healthy way you are learning to eat? Try out new recipes, try new veggies, learn to use spices, etc., etc. I have been on IP for nearly 9 months - including events, two surgeries, eating out, the holidays, etc. and have stayed OP the entire time and never felt deprived. Yes, I get an occasional "hm, that would taste good" but it's just a fleeting thought. I enjoy the way I feel - less pain and bloating and, most importantly, less weight - too much to let myself go off plan or spend much energy pining for food I'm not eating right now.

All the food will still be there when you get to maintenance when you can enjoy it in moderation.

Just my two cents - take it for what it's worth. I just hate to see anyone get their mind set that IP can't include yummy food that you can feel good about eating rather than "stuck."

Too add to what Ruth Ann just said:

What we say to ourselves DOES matter

Ruth Ann, you nailed it once again. Too true. I'm now in my third week of IP and I'm actually enjoying the food. Having coffee with a packet of chocolate or vanilla with cinnamon on top is something I look forward to and yes, sometimes it would be nice to have that piece of carrot cake I see being served to the table next to me at the coffee shop but I remind myself that eating that is what got me here in the first place. Learning to control the 'wanting' (and I call it that as opposed to craving as I think craving means that I will literally die if I don't have it) is a big step towards the whole process of not only being successful on Phase 1 but also maintaining, which is what we will all be doing for the rest of our lives.

Good Job Ruth Ann...!! and Good luck GreyFairy.

This HUGE mental step is the most critical one in you actually achieving success. Feeling deprived ..? Really?? Thank your lucky stars you have found a tool to get you to a healthy place and the support you need is here. Many have gone years not finding the right diet for how their metabolism works. This diet is not about deprivation. It is about learning as you go through this process what healthy eating will actually be like for you and discovering how carbs might influence your individual metabolism so you can gauge what "healthy" is for you. There are some who are luckier than others in that arena. Those of us who are unlucky and want to keep the weight off are grateful to understand what has been happening as we devise a unique plan for our lifestyle change.

Have you been successful with any other weightloss plans? Most of us here have not, so once something else "is not an option", it is in your best interest to see what this might do for you. Being "all in" is the only way to also reinvent your maintenance so you have a life long plan you understand and can come to terms with. After nearly a year on IP...going back to those old habits will undo all my work ..and as you hang around and read here you will see maintaining is going to take a willingness to change also. Not? You will be looking to start over, or find "another" diet.

If you can tame your inner beast, you will find you may need to do a reboot once in a while, but going back to your old life will not be part of a long term future success. There is no diet that will allow you to return to old habits and keep your win.

We can help you with some tough love talk here, and many of us need it from time to time, but you need to get your head in the game or it won't work. We all want you to do this. Really!!

Spot on Ruth Ann & 65X65! I am going to read your posts over and over. Greyfaerie, you're on your way-keep it up. When you see other people eating normal food, congratulate yourself for sticking to your goal.

I have been experimenting a lot with cauliflower lately -rice, pizza crust, tortillas- and have posted the pictures of my creations to Facebook. It is amazing how many friends who aren't following any diet protocol are asking me for the recipes because it looks so good. That alone tells me I am not deprived at all if people who are eating whatever they want are envious of my food and wanting to try it.

This is the most unusual diet anecdote I have heard. Imagine a world where eating low carb was mainstream & rich food required special clinics and alternative cookbooks preparation!

Lol wouldn't that be nice?!

Good move, Kimmie! You may discover that this will not be the only moment in the process where you have these sorts of challenges. Having nailed your response this time will help you know that you CAN change your thinking and you CAN find a way to relax and enjoy without going to food or drink that will throw you off.

It is these "internal temper tantrums" that we need to learn to tame. Just like a child learning to deal with his emotions, we need to discover a way to deal with our emotions regarding food. Then repeat and repeat and repeat until our bodies and minds create a new thought pattern.

As a little piece of advice regarding giving in - do not! From my experience on IP, the tiny little action of treating oneself, giving in, just-this-one sort of thinking is the beginning of going down a very fast and slippery slope. It is much easier to NEVER give in that it is to recover and go back. I spent two months fighting and fighting to return to 100%. My mind was like a stubborn bull, refusing the be any part of it. Although I did not gain a whole lot, I lost nearly 2 months that I could have been losing and than saddens me.

So know that you can overcome those moments. Yesterday I was bone tired after working on the house and could not take a bath or shower because we had just recaulked everything. Hum.....what to do. So I bought a People Magazine (my usual bath reading material) and read it with nice hot roasted crunchy cauliflower. Yum.

You choose how to respond and you did well.

Kimmie, good for you for strengthening that resistance muscle! The wine will be there once you get to maintenance.

Ruthann and 65x65, thanks for your wise words as always.

For me, I felt very much stuck and deprived before starting IP, when I was at the highest weight of my life. The stuckness was about other diet plans not working for me, and the deprivation was about things my body couldn't do that I wanted to be able to do, and a healthy type of lifestyle I wanted live that I had gotten off track from. Looking at it from that perspective has reminded me to feel really grateful for this program because it helped me get unstuck and closer to the way I want to feel and live in my body. And I did find that my tastes changed after doing IP for a while - I look forward to many of the packets and veggies and things now.

Best wishes for your journey, Greyfaery, and you are in the right place for support and solidarity!

What great and positive thoughts from everyone! So good to read how everyone else sees their journey and know that the feelings I have are not unique to me - for the longest time I thought i was the only person in the world who felt unhappy, trapped and despairing of ever being able to do anything about it. I know that's not true and the people here have helped me so much to overcome those feelings and support me while I made the changes necessary to make my life so much better.

Big hugs to everyone!