Hi everyone,
I happened upon the 2009 thread, read everything and am glad to see that there is still a chat going on!
I just started IP last Tuesday and have followed it to the letter...except that I just realized that I misread my chart and was using 2 Tablespoons of olive oil a day instead of 2 Teaspoons. Now, I feel horrible about it and I hope that I have at least lost something this week. Honestly, I won't have any problem with less olive oil!!
So far, the diet has had no adverse effects, other than a 15-30 min bout of dizziness on day 3. I LOVE the omelettes and the leek soup, the vanilla peanut bar and lemon bar, cappucino drink, and I like the blueberry drink as well. I hated the chocolate pudding, wildberry yogurt drink and pink lemonade. Of course, all of our tastes are different.
Veggies are not a problem for me, I don't mind having the same ones over and over if I love them anyway. I have been having 5oz ground bison with 1C green peppers, 1C mushrooms and chopped garlic for my dinner, which we lovingly refer to as "gruel." I am eating salads, however, I know I won't want to look at one for awhile when this is over. I bought a selection of WF dressings--the caesar and honey dijon are OK for what they are, the creamy bacon is OK too, but I am hoping to experiment with some doctoring up.
My progress is going to be measured a bit differently, as I have had intense treatment for a long-time problem with bulemia. My Dr. was reluctant to allow me to go on this diet, but I told her that I haven't purged in 11 years and my blood tests proved that I was very healthy (and not lying about purging). So, we agreed that I would not know my starting weight (a fatal trigger for me) and I could know how many pounds I lost each week. The same for measurements. I don't know the beginning numbers, but I will find out the inches lost each week. I think this is a great compromise, as it will motivate me and teach me what 5 pounds lost feels like, instead of me relying on how my jeans fit.
I'm 37, recently engaged and hoping to try on "the dress" in the spring. I can carry a lot of weight without looking obese, but I hate how I feel and shopping for clothes makes me feel terrible about myself. My weight issues have definitely caused me to be depressed and to miss out on things that I want to enjoy with other people. It's a complex problem, of course, but I am hoping that this diet will be a new beginning. My regular eating habits are pretty healthy, but I've screwed up my metabolism, overindulged on things through the years, and the weight has just crept up. My regular diet was just not going to help me lose anything, and I tend to go to starvation when I diet on my own. So, being heavily monitored and accountable for my actions is really great for me.
Christmas shopping was hard, as I was surrounded by food and everything smelled so good. I just wanted to grab something, but I didn't. I went home, made my meal and marked myself as a 10 for the day Yesterday was a turkey dinner at my future in-laws, and I brought my own "gruel" and salad and plenty of water. My 3 year old nephew was sitting next to me and cried because he couldn't have what I was eating, so I had 2 choices--eat really fast or give him a little bit on his plate. I chose to give him some, and that diffused the situation! If he only knew how much I wanted to eat what he had on his plate! And of course, there was wine everywhere, which I love, but I didn't cheat one bit. It's crazy to do this during the holidays, but I think that it will boost my self esteem even more to know that I can be tempted and persevere. I was planning to cheat on Christmas, but I think I will be able to get through it just fine and be proud of my iron will.
I look forward to chatting with you all, and wish everyone the best of success on this journey!