Thanks for the encouragement IP support friends! I really appreciate all of you and LOVE this website. I think it has seriously helped me stay OP so far. Thanks everyone for all your advice, success stories and support. I feel like I have an IP family.

Made such a delicious dinner tonight! Took the skin off 4 chicken leg quarters and covered them in oregano, marjoram, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Threw in mushrooms, asparagus, red onion, scallions, fresh garlic, and grape tomatoes. Little more of the spices, juice of a lemon,a little white cooking wine, and some chicken broth. Omg so good!!

I think pretty much everyone gains during tom. We all dread around weigh in day. If you have been following plan then you really have not gained fat right? How could you. It's just water don't even worry. I have started daily weighing recently and you have to have no stress approach. One day I varied five pounds from two weighs at different times. It never stays the same throughout the day. So make sureyou can handle seeing that. Don't get fruustrated.

This may be another one of my silly questions.... but is there a full key somewhere of all the abbreviations? I love the one that is at the beginning of this thread; I just see many more and guess what they mean. I suppose I could "google" it, but I figured there was probably something already on here that I haven't been able to find yet. Thanks, Sam

I made it through the fourth day, albeit with a splitting headache this evening. Laundry--uck! finally done... I feel like I can claim a NSV for the first time though and thought I would share. I cooked a rather large meal for the arrival of my in-laws, creamy chicken enchiladas, that were definitely an IP no-no. I managed without feeling deprived at all. I ate the chicken filling that I separated prior to adding cream and a cauliflower-celery puree that I hopped up to the Mexican flair with jalapenos. So congrats to me...And thank you everyone for your continued support, ideas, and comfort..

Yes, TOM has a tendency to do whatever the heck it wants to!
A very important point to remember......... if you are eating OP, then any increase on the scale is just water weight. In order to increase 1 lb of fat, we have to consume 3,500 calories. There is now way you consumed an extra 2,100 calories (0.6 lb weight gain) if you've been 100% OP. So, the 0.6 increase in the scale can't be fat - therefore, it's only water. Our bodies can hold onto water during TOM and also our muscles will if we just did hard chores like shoveling snow (anything strenuous and out of the ordinary for us). If you are a daily weigher, take the scale in stride. It is normal to have small increases and then sometimes a swoosh (larger loss) down the road. For some people daily weighing becomes too emotional and they will choose to not weigh daily, but only weigh once a week at their official WI's. Hope this helps and makes sense. Jen

I love to knit, and I teach classes at our local yarn store- the knitting community is usually very fun!