Just an update. I am on my 40th day of IP and have lost 24 lb's and over 16 inches. I have spent the day altering my slacks so I have something to wear to work. This is absolutely amazing to me because normally I just don't lose weight. I haven't exercised for even one minute yet, in fact I was told not to for the first while, but now that I have taken off so much pressure on my knees I actually feel like I can exercise and I have the energy to do it. I find that I can't have my snack any time after about 7:00 pm or I have trouble sleeping so I usually split it up between morning and afternoon. I am really excited for everyone's successes. Great work! I hate veggies too but I am learning to enjoy things a little more as time goes on. I'm really sick of green food though. Any words of advice?

Valkyrie, congratulations. That is truly AMAZING. What an inspiration you are.

To you who have gone so far and are at, or very close to your goal weights: do you think that the collagen in the jello and some other product I don't have access to(what is it, a drink?) has helped with you skin shrinking back? Next week I'm ordering for another month of food, and I was thinking of doubling up, or maybe tripling, my jello order. Oh, and thank you whoever wrote about dissolving the packet in boiling water instead of going by the directions. I could never get it to gel until I followed your advice.

Hi everyone! I tried posting the other day, but since the site was being buggy I don't think it got through...

I'm a 25 year old, first-year pharmacy student. I weighed 135 lbs. (loose size 8) when I graduated from GA Tech in '06 and was walking everywhere because I didn't have a car... then I got a car and job at a desk and gained some weight... then I started dating a guy who got me turned onto beer and gained some more weight... then I broke my foot two years ago and now have arthritis in it, barring me from exercising and making me gain even more weight... and am up to a tight size 14 and 180 lbs (maybe more, I don't have a scale). It's really only been the last 15-20 lbs that have been bugging me, since everything before then just went to my lower half, but seeing my belly expand and my face puff up has been very sobering. Frankly, I don't know how anyone can take a fat pharmacist seriously, if I can't show that I care about my own health, how can I tell people to take care of themselves? The extra weight has also put an additional strain on my foot, and the only medicine I'll take for it to feel better has the potential to rip up my stomach, so I'd love to get that dosage down.

So my mom and I are planning on starting IP after we see each other for Thanksgiving (I live in Atlanta and she lives in El Paso). I've done a lot of research on the diet and spoke to some of my professors, and it seems pretty solid. One of my biggest motivators right now is the idea that I'm this size near the end of the semester, and have the opportunity to be a few sizes down by the time Spring term starts. So I'm very excited!

However, I am still a starving college student, and will be for the next 3.5 years, so if anyone feels like donating the food packages that you tried and don't like, I'll be happy to pay shipping!

Oh, and regarding sugar alcohols... sorbitol and especially xylitol are notorious laxatives. I remember two of the pharmacists I used to work with found out the hard way when the realized they only got bad gas when they had the sugar-free Jolly Ranchers...

As for those of you who have trouble getting things to move, if you don't feel like taking Miralax, docusate sodium (Colace) is a good (inexpensive) stool softener, it works pretty gently and you should notice results in about 12-24 hours if you take it twice a day. It's actually added to a lot of prenatal vitamins, since pregnant women can have issues with that.

So if anyone has questions about things from the biological/biochemical perspective, feel free to ask! I might not know, but I know who to ask!

- Tam

Hey ladies - I had some awesome food today and want to pass along the ideas - they're not really recipes.

For breakfast I cooked a crepe and spread some of the WF raspberry jam (quite thick cause I like it), rolled it up - it was to die for.

Lunch - cooked up celery, mushrooms and green pepper - added in the omelet. Nice hot lunch. I was getting tired of soup (and lettuce). I also made myself some dessert.
1 cup of frozen unsweetened rhubarb, add a little water in the bottom of a small pot, heat until all the frozen rhubarb is hot. remove from heat and add 4 packets of Splenda. Yummy hot or cool. I just made another batch and added some unflavoured Knox gelatin - which has no sugars, no carbs - I'm thinking it will be like jam. I had forgotten we could have rhubarb.

I'm also wondering about using the "milk" in the cereal packets for other foods. Eat the cereal and use some of the milk for mashed cauliflower, cream for the rhubarb dessert - I don't have any right now so i can't try it out.

Valkryie - so glad you're back - you're the reason i joined the site - I read all the previous posts and had to join just so i could see your picture. I can't believe you are less than 10 lbs from your goal weight!! You're an inspiration!

Maybe instead of ordering the jello powder we could use the unflavoured Knox gelatin which is really inexpensive - it also has no sugars or carbs so should be allowed. I just made up a batch with rhubarb. Someone previously mentioned you can buy lime and lemon flavouring - might be some other flavours out there too. Then the jello isn't a protein snack - it's almost a freebie!

The rhubarb jello sounds good. I'll have to get fresh because I have never seen a package of frozen rhubarb. Cook it the same way? Do you have to peel it?(I've never made a rhubarb pie, can you tell?).

Anyway, my info says that the IP Jello has some kind of "available" collagen. I guess meaning your body will also use it as collagen. Hmmmm. This may be not true. But I'm choosing to believe them, for now. Anyone ever heard of any other product...maybe supplements, that make this claim? It would be awesome not to have saggy skin when this is over. I'm not as young as I was the last time I lost a lot of weight. Well, rather be thin, not even a close call.

Torchlaker, I found out that I know someone who also lives on Torch Lake. I've heard it is one of the most beautiful places in North America.

LOL...like not being able to get ahold of you best friend, wasn't it! Says alot for group support, I guess. Good luck this week, everyone. Be strong!

Hey everyone! Still reading every day and love hearing all the success stories According to my home scale I am down 20lbs in 2 months!!!! I feel REALLY good about that considering I fell off the wagon (sortof) for about 3 of those weeks. If I had followed the plan a little more closely I know could have lost more but now I have the confidence that when I reach my goal I will be able to stay there That's HUGE in my opinion.

I can agree that it has been a frustrating week trying to get on this forum!! what was up with that??

I recently heard that our outlet is getting in more WF products, so am happy about that. I don't think i am getting overly tired of the veggie choices, but am definitely finding it harder, harder to "dress" them up. I only use homemade salad dressings, putting ideas together from recipes i have learned on this site...for stirfrys i rely on soya sauce, garlic, and IP maple syrup, but will tire of that soon.

Does anyone know if we can use salsa? i know that tomatoes are a restricted item, but should be able to sub salsa for that right? i read the nutritional info and it said 0 fat, sugars, and carbs, and only 10 cals for 2 tbsp. that would open a few more possibilites for dishes...

Weigh in Tuesday. feel as though i have had a pretty good week. heres hoping i am right!!

enjoy whats left of the weekend!!

So, the other night I was at a friend's house and she offered me a glass of wine. Somehow, the fact that I'm on IP completely left my brain and I took the glass. I drank maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the glass of white wine before I remembered I'm not supposed to be having alcohol. I'm a little worried that I've curbed my loss for this week. Does anyone know how much of an affect white wine has? I didn't have very much, but I'm still a little nervous. Other than that, I've been completely on track this week. If anyone has had any experience with this, I would appreciate it! Thanks

Here's a suggestion from our coach: Pan sear chicken then add two tablespoons uncooked salsa to the top of each piece of chicken and finish it under the broiler for a few minutes till the salsa is warm and yummy. The salsa just needs to count as part of your servings of "occassional" veggies.

I have lost 19 pounds in 4 weeks. People have started to notice.

I have not told them about IP because I don't want the role of recruiter/explainer/diet guide. I like to keep life simple.

I do tell them that I stopped eating starchy carbs and stopped drinking alcohol.

When they press for more I tell them I eat only lean proteins and non-starchy vegetables.

One person is sure that I must be exercising more (not.)

Ladies, be sure to measure your neck! I have lost an inch around my neck.

Have a great week everyone!

Im in the middle of week two and still loving it. I had the mushroom soup for the first time today - its pretty awesome but the omelette and pre-made chocolate uht drinks are my fave by far.

For those having problems with Crystal Light - Try 4C Totally Lightly drink mix packets. They are made w. splenda (no carbs, cals or sugar!) and they come in some really good flavors - usually 20 packets in the box compared to Crystal lights 8-10 packets. The Crystal Light has the aspertame in it.

Hello every one, it is nice to meet such a positive careing group of people. I am new to the site and reading the posts on here about IP is what convinced me to sign up. You are each others positive support group, I love it! Im surrounded by a bunch of negative nellies who dont understand the struggle I have been through over the last 9 years with my size. Before I became pregnant I was 135 pounds while pregnant I went to 152 and despite my efforts to plump up for my daughter I couldnt (lots of complications/no more kids for me, lol) within two months after her birth I flew up to 175 despite eating well balanced meals, I have slowly gained from there and as of the 5th of November when I started the IP way of life I was 199lbs, this is the largest I have ever been and I need and want to change for the better. It doesnt seem to matter what I eat I gain, but on Thursday I went in for my first weigh in and found that I have lost 2 pounds and 5 inches! woo hoo this is more then I ever accomplished going to the gym and eating as healthy as I could (in that case I went for a year and gained weight and inches! doctor has checked for thyriod issues several times and they are a ok. I have found that I have already started to look at the food lables for information on carbs and protien instead of calories as cutting calories never worked, Im learning that alot of the food I thought to be relatively healthy for me calorie wise was not as it was high in carbs, Im finding it easier to make the change to the IP way of life then I thought it was going to be, although I am dreading the holidays. I have found that I seem to be really sick to my stomache after eating some of the foods, has anyone else found this and any suggestions on alternatives/remidies? We thought it was a stomach flu so I stopped doing it for 3-4 days and as soon as I started again I got neasea again, I react this same way when I have anything with asprateme (lol cant even spell it correctly lol how can you tell i avoid it like the plague!) If I have a drink of Diet pepsi ect I am almost instantly getting sick to my stomach. I know IP doesnt have it in it so Im hoping someone may have a suggestion or two on what might be going on.

Hi everyone! I am a pear-shaped mom of 2 w/ a desk job. (aka mostly sedentary, and not a lot of time to exercise after work). I was athletic through college, have always felt big for my age, but now I am just big period. I lost 5 lbs on 1 week of Atkins induction, then a nutritionist in the same office complex I work told me about Ideal Protein. I am on day 2 and so far so good! It is so motivating to have a group to share this experience with. You all are so incredible. I am going to make Sandrab's stir-fry tonight!