Welcome back to the Daily Chat thread - post your plans for today, share what's been happening, ask questions!

Some forum lingo:
NSV = Non-scale victory
TOM = time of the month
WI = Weigh-in
WF = Walden Farms
OP = on plan

Bookmarking:
Ideal Protein Sub-forum Home page
Consider making it a bookmark or a favorite in your browser so you can come back easily to get your RDA of Ideal Protein information.

Information for newbies:
Check the sticky page (top of forum, above all the topics) for lots of good information and please read here before asking what might be a frequently asked question: Information on Ideal Protein phases (1-4), IP Ultimate List Recipes, FAQ, Newbie Guide, Exercise, and other Important Threads,
and here are the most recent Ideal Protein Protocol sheets

And before you cheat, read this thread:
The Real Cost of Cheating on Ideal Protein

Before starting new threads: spend some time reading the forum. Most new threads are duplicates, triplicates, quadruplicates. Folks who are the most successful, make time for research/reading.

More Recipes Here Mix'n in the kitchen...Recipes from the Rainbow
MiX'N' iN THE KiTCH'N.... Recipes from the Rainbow Volume 2
Fun with Ideal Protein Packets
Fun with Veggie Purees!
Ideal Protein Diet Recipes #4
Tips and Recipes from the Incredible Weight Loss Center

For those looking for alternative products
Here is a thread with tons of info. Spend some time in it. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-1-a.html
And here is a link to a chart to help you choose appropriate products

Tickers and Signatures:
There are 2 requirements to have access to signatures and tickers. You must have been a member of 3fatchicks for 20 days AND posted at least 20 messages anywhere on the 3fatchicks forum. When you've met those requirements check The Ultimate Signature and Ticker Thread for more information and instructions.

Quoting:
The best quoting tip - EVER!! Thanks Rosie, aka 6710.

Searching:
If you can't find what you're looking for in this forum using the website search function, try using the "double search" using Google.

1) Go to Google.com. Search 3fatchicks by using the term site:3fatchicks.com at the end of your Google search.

For example, if you want to look for "big mac in a bowl", type "big mac in a bowl site:3fatchicks.com" in Google search. No need to include the quotation marks when you type.

2) This will bring up the page that you are looking for, now hit Ctrl+F to search on that page. Type "big mac in a bowl" and all instances of that search term will be highlighted.

Progress photos
Mini-Goal Photo Album.

Other helpful links related to the Ideal Protein Dr. Chanh Tran Tien's website

Hi Everyone,
I have been avoiding this site.. because I have fallen off the wagon and have gained back almost 10 lbs.. I have found that if i check into the site everyday.. I am more motivated to stay on track.. so.. with that being said.. and my head hung low.. I plan on biting the bullet tomorrow and staring phase 1 (alternative) again...none of my new clothes fit me.. I need some good support and motivation to get thru the next week..

Memorial Day weekend was a killer to my plan :-( Back on the wagon again starting this morning. I have gained 6 pounds over the last several days because I didn't stay on track. I know much of it is fluid because I did not drink water like I was supposed to BUT I am restarting from ground zero TODAY!!!

No need to hang your head low -- hold it proudly that you made the choice to come back. It is "only" 10 pounds (hee hee -- we've had an "only" discussion lately...couldn't resist) Good for you for coming back and being accountable. I'm here for same reason but I'm a slower learner -- took me 40 pounds to come back!! Yikes!!

Trying my chocolate shake with frozen kale in it - it definitely did ground up finer than spinach = much nicer to me than raw spinach. CHEERS!

Congrats to all of you for getting back on plan! A wise person once said something to the effect (I never get quotes exactly right) - "It's not how many times you fall down that counts, it's how many times you get back up."

This board is so motivating for staying on track - posting in the What Are You Eating Thread always helped me because, hey, I just told everyone what I was eating so I got to stick to it. Right?

Re-starting is hard work but we're all cheering for you!

Sounds like its been a difficult time for some of us. Y'all hang in there! You've come to the right place for support and accountability.
I accomplished all of my "mother is coming" cleaning yesterday! Phew. Wish I could have slept as well as I wanted to but that seems to be troublesome lately. Oh well.
I'm a little bit nervous because I'm making "poor man's prime rib" for my mom for dinner tonight. I've made it for myself recently and like it but I hope she will too. I'm not much of a cook. I figured I could have leftovers for dinner tomorrow night and she can have it sliced thin and make her favorite roast beef sandwich. I am so used to being on my own that I am having to really think about what to get to have for her to eat since my stuff is already planned. It will all turn out, I know. Just a little keyed up, I guess.

Company is leaving today, back to work and now I have to do, "after the parents leave" cleaning! Lol I have four grown children and two grandchildren, so for the past 4 days we've had 12+ people in our (small) condo. It was wild, fun, and crazy! I'm ready to be back to normal! Lol

I'm so excited though I stayed 100% OP through it all!!

I love my family and totally enjoyed our time together, but I'm exhausted!!! Lol

Ok I am doing a small cautious celebration dance this AM.

Friday when I stepped on the scale it was 199 I abt cried. I was at 191 in april, but stress, anxiety (over moving) and not taking time to plan out meals and snacks plus not enough water did me in.

I stepped on the scale this am after all my bathroom stuff was done (sans the pjs) and 194.4 I have been doing better, my head is not so jumbled with stuff, I have been drinking abt 150 oz of water everyday since Friday. I ordered from Nashua and am fully stocked for a while, I am getting some more café caramel EAS shakes today

There is hope for me yet!@

Way to go sarahBell!

snickers70 - setbacks are not unknown on this site! I have had two major ones in the course of my journey and from that I have learned that it can be very hard to get back on. But I did, one tiny little step, one meal, one day at a time. I write religiously in my food journal for some accountability.

Most importantly for me, I DO NOT allow my fingers to stray towards even the tiniest little bit of a meal off plan - for me, that swings into a binge or days of going off and it is very hard for me to get back.

I know that I have miles to go on learning to deal with my emotions and handling food in a responsible way. I do a lot of reading in books about weight maintenance and hope some day to make strides in that area, but for now, the biggest key is being on this site every day.

It does keep me going and give me inspiration and support. Reading on here several times a day keeps me grounded.

sarahbell - congratulations for staying in the fight! Stress is an issue many of us deal with and if we had it all figured out, we would not be here. When my teenage son heard I was starting "another diet", he chewed at me and said "You never have successfully lost weight, why are you bothering with this again?", I replied to him that I would never give up the fight. It is one battle at a time to win the war.

You can do this, sarahbell. Just dig deep and hang in there.

I have had a few set backs as well... never really gained weight but couldn't get focused to get losing... I found if I just kept trying and not give up my brain/body would finally submit and then I was able to stay 100% again... Maile had posted someone's blog post awhile back and it was so encouraging showing how (as Ruth said) you just have to keep getting back up and trying.. we fall but we have to make the choice to get up and continue the fight!!

WI this morning...down 3.4 pounds. I'm at 200.4. SO CLOSE!

Good Morning All
Hope everyone had a great weekend and Memorial Day. I was able to stay 100% all weekend!! I had turkey burger and lettuce leaves at my BBQ, it was delish. I need some help, I cooked a head of cabbage yesterday for my lunches this week, but now I am not sure how to measure 2 cups. I know it cooks down quite a bit so I shouldn't be measuring 2 cups after it is steamed correct?? I really have trouble knowing how to measure cooked veggies when I cook them in bulk. Have a great OP week!!

WOWOWOW! Congrats!!

I usually measure prior to cooking and again after cooking so I can see how much they cooked down (I have a couple of big pyrex mixing/measuring cups)

Anyway, at this point, you'll have to guesstimate, but you're right, it won't be 2 cups.

And...many congrats for staying OP thru a holiday weekend. Once you do one, it only gets easier!