I think I am about as happy as the Dancing Cat in this video. Give me an 8 out of 10 on the happiness scale.

Post any other improvements you've seen in either your mood or health !!

completely! I stress so much about clothes not fitting me properly, feeling crappy... always wanting to lose weight (and to keep failing )

I'm on day 4 of losing weight again and I am feeling great. My several week long binge left me feeling like I had a hangover most days, really poor health and no energy.

Having delt with food poisoning on Tuesday from MORE takeout (subway) It left me with a sensitive stomach and only wanting healthy nutritious food. So no chocolate, chips, crisps for me the last four days. Simply fruit, nuts, homemade vege soups and tofu stirfry's and exercise.

I feel fantastic and I know soon I will start the transformation into looking fantastic. I just hope I can keep the momentum.

Either way I can't go back to feeling as rubbish as I have been feeling the last month from eating rubbish!

I think my mood greatly improves when I think about my weight loss though in everyday situations not that much. Probably because I can't yet see any physical changes so all I have is an obsession over the numbers on a scale, however i'm very hopeful for the future and am more motivated.

Combination of endorphins from the exercise (which is much easier at lighter weights!), the lack of digestive problems and discomfort, and the euphoria of actually losing the weight without feeling like I'm starving or being (too) deprived.

I'd vote a 9/10 on the happiness scale. Of course, on WI days without loss I'd also vote a 9/10 on the frustration scale, but that's just me (or is it?).

Good posts! Yes, I agree that sometimes it's easy to have "scale frustration" especially during a stall (plateau) -- but gosh the benefits you can get if you just stick with it through all the stalls.

I feel so much better than I did 90 pounds heavier.

Let me list the specific improvements:

1. back no longer hurts
2. knees no longer hurt
3. no abdominal pain (I used to get dull aches in my upper ab area)
4. fasting/morning blood sugar has dropped from 160 (diabetic) to 100 (normal)
5. A1C (3 month average blood sugar) has dropped from 6.5 (diabetic) to 5.5 (normal)
6. Total cholesterol has dropped from 240 to 160 (with no medication or statins)
7. no foot or ankle swelling. my shoe size has dropped by 1 whole measure.
8. no body swelling. my ring size has dropped 2 sizes.
9. my waistline has dropped 13 inches ... from 53" to 40".
10. slight occasional heart flutter/palpitations have stopped. i dont even feel my heart beating anymore (tho I know it's working!)
11. blood pressure has dropped from 130/90 to 110/65
12. no acid reflux
13. no lung congestion after I eat (I used to get a bit of water fluid in my lungs after eating)
14. my heels no longer hurt and my heel calluses are 10x better
15. my face is thinner and I can see my cheekbones again
16. I can cross my legs again
17. I feel healthy again, like I did when I was 35!
18. I look healthy again, my clothes fit better, and I can wear regular sizes (no more PLUS sizes!)
19. I only take 1 prescription medication by the way ... thyroxin because I am hypo (low) thyroid ... but I am curious if i might need less now that I am down nearly 100 lbs -- I will find out soon.
20. infinitely more energy (I am no longer carrying around my "90 pound backpack" everywhere I go!)

Avalon,Your post is such an inspiration. I am only three weeks into IP and have only lost six pounds thusfar. I am a Type 2 Diabetic so I had to go on the Alternative Protocol for the first two weeks. I am into my first week of ketosis (I think!) and am hoping my weight loss will pick up. However I, too, have already had similar NSV:

1) I had undiagnosed chronic pain throughout my body which has completely disappeared. I don't know why it went away but I am thrilled! For the first time in years I feel like a human being again!
2) A1C has dropped from 8.3 (January '15) to 6.6 (April '15). I started following a diebetic diet in mid-January then as noted, I started IP at the end of March. Of course, the A1C drop is also due to the diet change I made prior to IP.
3) My right knee was constantly swollen due to, I presume, my salt intake even though I don't add salt to any thing, always bought low salt products, avoided salty items, etc. Since IP, my knee is 'normal'. I can kneel! I can walk up stairs!
4) Foot pain has decreased but is still present. Doctors couldn't fully diagnose the reason, but I do have osteo arthritis in my feet possibly causing some/all the pain.
5) Prior to IP, I always felt tired and unrefreshed upon waking up in the morning. Now I feel mentally alert when I wake up and it continues throughout the day. No more grogginess!

I don't know why or how IP could have made such a difference in three weeks but the positive effects have been life changing for me. I still have a lot of weight to lose and I need to increase my stamina (no exercise to this point on IP) but I am thrilled with my improvements thusfar. I wonder what i'll feel like when I lose more weight?! I am hoping I will be able to get off of some of my meds--high bp, slightly elevated choletsterol, diabetes, aleve, etc. I will meet with my internist and have further blood tests in May but I 'm sure she'll want to make sure I'm further along in the weight loss progress before dropping any rxs. Fingers crossed for a brighter future!

This sounds like an infomercial, doesn't it?

P.S. I have not told anyone about any of this as I am afraid I will jinx my well-being!

Way to go Susie!!! Wow, you have seen some fantastic changes in just a few months. Keep it up. I am rooting for you.

Avalon, thank you very much for posting this. I read it Saturday early morning before I was going off to a meditation retreat, and it really helped me to focus my intention for the day and really see even more clearly where I have come to in this last year, and where I want to head next.

I thought I would just repost some of what you wrote and echo my experience, so people that may read this that are just starting off will see that we are all having similar successes and results...

1. back no longer hurts - same for me - my chiropractor is ecstatic. I also have a lot less overall inflammation
2. knees no longer hurt - I didn't have a knee problem, but overall my body pains have really changed, and my workouts and yoga poses are DRASTICALLY better
3. no abdominal pain (I used to get dull aches in my upper ab area) - again, not so much for me, but the extra weight I was carrying in my abdominal area was just really hard to navigate through life - sitting, getting up and down, etc. - even though I was strong physically, this extra weight was literally burdening me and my life
4. fasting/morning blood sugar has dropped from 160 (diabetic) to 100 (normal) my overall blood sugar swings have pretty much gone away - I only notice it if for some reason I eat too little or go too long (6 hours) without eating
7. no foot or ankle swelling. my shoe size has dropped by 1 whole measure. mine also
8. no body swelling. my ring size has dropped 2 sizes. mine too
9. my waistline has dropped 13 inches ... from 53" to 40". - I'm at maintenance now so overall inches everywhere were just a lot One nice thing also is just the lack of self judgment (mostly and overall physical ease and comfort level with how I move through the world
16. I can cross my legs again this is especially nice
17. I feel healthy again, like I did when I was 35! yes
18. I look healthy again, my clothes fit better, and I can wear regular sizes (no more PLUS sizes!) yes
20. infinitely more energy (I am no longer carrying around my "90 pound backpack" everywhere I go!) yes

My mood has been improved 10-fold at least. I don't wake up tired unless I'm sick, my feet don't hurt, I have more energy to do just about everything and don't even get me started on the mental clarity I haven't had in years.

I will say my fingers are thinner but my finger joints not so much. I haven't worn my wedding rings for 10 years waiting to lose weight but I think I will have to get them resized since I'm pretty thin and they still won't make it over that knuckle easily.

Shopping for clothes is FUN and people seem nicer to me. I like to think I exude a more positive energy since I don't like to think I live in a fat-biased world even if I do.

I've lost 80 pounds since late September and am feeling like my old self in so many ways. More capable, healthier and not worried about weight causing the inevitable health issues.

Enjoyed your posts Gateful4Health and andreabmva -- we really do share a lot of similarities. It's really amazing seeing ones body transform in a positive way.

I agree with everything here and add one more - I have not been sick from a bacteria or virus infection since I started even when those around me were experiencing terrible colds. That is unusual as I am susceptible to colds and strep throat.

That's a great one Ro22. I seem to have a better immune system also. No colds, no flu.

I agree that I seem to have a healthier immune system but I wonder if it's the diet or the weight loss?

I think maybe a combination?