Hi everyone.

I did IP 3 years ago, lost 112 lbs and then went right back to eating horribly. Of course the result was gaining it all back plus some

I went to a new clinic last night (my old one closed) and registered again. I really like the staff there and am hoping they will be a great support system.
Even though I'm motivated to loose the weight, I'm terrified that I am going to fail. This is my first day back on plan and I feel like I just want to crawl in bed and cry. I don't know how I did all this work before and then threw it all away like nothing.

The positive thing is I know I will have success if I stay the course. I just have to make to it my next appointment!!! Small goals is what's on my radar right now.

Anyway, I just needed to vent. Thank you for reading and I look forward to your support and knowledge and hopefully I will be able to return the favor!! Have a successful day!!!

Hi! Welcome back!

There are several people on the boards in re-boot mode. I just had a baby and am a re-booter too.

Hope your new clinic is great!

You need to remember the feeling of being angry with yourself for "throwing it all away". Don't be too hard on yourself, as there are MANY, MANY of us who did the same thing. I had lost 30# back in 2011 and had kept it off for almost 3 years. Then I started getting more into workouts, lifting weights and I got some very terrible nutrition advice. Needless to say, that over about a year and a half, I put on all that weight I lost. In Sept. 2015, I finally had enough, got back on the P1 wagon and lost the weight. I have now been maintaining again for about a year with a couple of short reboots thrown in after vacations, holidays, etc... I remind myself every single day of how hard it was to do IP again and that I do not ever want to be in that situation again (as long as it is within my control).

I am a rebooter who gained back 76 0f the 82 lbs I lost on IP the first time - very depressing when we think about the fact that we let ourselves blow back up, but the fact that you stopped the regain and came back to something that you know will work - pat yourself on the back, smile, and look forward. History is in the rear view mirror.

I hate to ask as I don't believe this sort of way to lose weight is a good plan long term as testimony above shows, but I need to understand. My question is - if you gained it all back - why are you doing it this way again?

Doing this way is fast. The diet works great. I lost about 40 and have kept basically kept it off for several years. The key is not going back to old ways of eating and adding excercise if possible.

You have to make a lifestyle change after the diet.

I get that part. But, if the data from the previous attempt shows failure, why go back to that particular method again?

It's not a scientific test. We can learn from mistakes. The diet is the easiest parts. Harding part is maitanance. Try again try harder.

If people quit when they aren't successful on a first attempt at some anything in life, they won't go far.

I am not trying to be argumentative - although it does seem that way, I understand. I am just trying to understand. If I were a cynical person, I would say that was the company's plan...

I honestly believe it has nothing to do with how you lose the weight, it is what you do after you lose the weight....100%

I stand by that statement...about maintenance is so hard! My weight loss journey has been very long. At age 30 I decided to get a grip on losing weight...I needed to lose about 120 pounds. I did WW and sensible exercise to lose the weight...I took off about 70 pounds and maintained for a few months and then slowly gained back about 50 of those pounds. Then at age 40 I found IP and lost 80 pounds (plus the 20 I had kept off from my loss at age 30...I was down 100 pounds)...I felt awesome and kept it off for 4 years. Then about 18 months ago...I just stopped thinking about me and health and some major life situations (with my adult daughter and also my mother) took priority. Next thing I know I was up 45 pounds! Ugh! What the heck.

Now going on 47...maybe I will realize that even after 4 years I can lose focus. I have dropped 20 pounds and hope to lose the rest. I am doing IP because it works very well for me. I kept it off longer than with WW. But I just think it is me ready for it and not anything to do with the diet.

You know - after looking at your posts on 3FC, you don't seem to be on Ideal Protein. It's great that you have embraced another approach to losing and maintaining. You have plenty of threads with others who are following the same kind of weight loss strategies as you are.

I don't think that those of us on IP really need to justify ourselves or the IP program to you. We have more interest in devoting our time instead to supporting one another on the journey we have chosen.

Thank you, oneuh.

I am sorry. I do not follow any way of eating forums. I do the challenges and post in threads in my most recent 10 pound weight. I encourage people in the introduction area. That's about it. I look at "new posts" and then look at ones that interest me.

I am within eyesight of a healthy weight for me and am now considering how I will change from losing to maintaining if I am able to get that far, so I am looking for help in that area. I didn't intend to be not supportive. Before I decided to try to lose weight, I was considering researching surgical options. For me, if I am not able to keep my weight managed in the future, I will most likely just go that route because being heavy was not good for my health. For me, the heartache of losing it and then gaining it back is something I don't think I can do more than once...hence the questions. As for justifying anything - I am sorry if you got that impression.

TWaff - I am sorry. I will not respond to anything further.

Nightowlrn:
Sorry to appear mean but - really - everyone has to find their own path - and the journey never ends. A common quote on these boards in the IP forum is:

Losing weight is hard. Maintenance is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard. (-Ishbel)

The thing is - especially for those of us who lose large amounts and then regain - we already feel badly about having let ourselves down. We came back to IP because we know it works, and in truth, the Phase 1 protocol is relatively simple. How we lose the weight is not the issue except we know we feel miserable having regained and we want to move decisively forward.

Congratulations on your weight loss success - you now face the new challenges of keeping it off. There is really good info on maintaining, here in the Ideal Protein forum - look up posts by Novak, and check our IP threads called Maintenance or Maintainers - hundreds of posts with lots of good insight into the challenges there. Ishbel is another poster whose story is in these threads, and I think maybe she has a blog too.

I also suggest another terrific reaource - check out Elizabeth Benton's website www.primalpotential.com and her podcasts on Mastering Fat Loss Naturally. She has a daily motivation feed and she has a great approach to winning the mind game - very key to successful maintenance.

You are welcome to post support here anytime.