2014 is the year! Ideal Protein ideas and support?

IslandPilot65

After living the good life for the last umpteen years and picking up a few pounds each year I have finally hit the limit. My blood pressure, liver enzymes, and my weight are all in the red zone. This year I've quit drinking and smoking cigars and now comes the diet. I hope my stubborn streak will help get me through stage one but could certainly use all the help and ideas that come from experience.

I picked the Ideal Protein diet after a month of research and asking around so I'm not looking for advice or reasons to doubt my decision. I'd love to hear how it's working for others and recipes or exchanges that have made stage one less difficult. If 2014 is going to be your year too, let there be power in numbers!

33runnergirl

I am considering Ideal Protein as well and would love to hear what people have to say.

Button400

Hi,

I just joined this Board and am a huge fan of Ideal Protein. Would love to get a thread going. this is my first time posting on anything like this, so will probably need some technical advice!

IP is amazing, but you have to really committ and NOT CHEAT. It's not for everyone, because it is tough, but it changes your metabolism and your thinking about food. Your counselor is also key. I did it several years ago, and lost almost 20 lbs. Have fluctuated about 7-8 lbs since then, but just get back on track when needed. It works fast and the rules are so stringent, that it takes a lot of the decision making out of the process, which I like. If you do it and do it right, you will be successful. Only other caveat, is that it is expensive. I have some ideas on that for folks as they go thru the process..

Hope anyone who is interested will join this group and we can help each other.

cardwellrm

I started IP two weeks ago today. I've lost 11 lbs so far, which is kind of amazing. Though you figure the first few weeks will be big numbers, I suppose. The first 4-5 days were harsh. truly. I felt achy and frantic all day long. But then it was like my body got over it and I feel pretty normal as long as I stick to the plan and eat at the right intervals. I've got another 32 lbs to go and hoping to be there by June.

I'd love ideas for recipes and mixing things up. I'm going to get really tired of chewing lettuce all the time. I've already started blending it up in the soup mixes or steaming it with a stir fry.

I'm also curious what your average daily intakes are for fat, carbs, and protein. I average around 900 calories a day, but the others kind of fluctuate a bit. I don't know what the goal should be in each category, or what the absolute limit is before kicking me out of ketosis. I haven't cheated and am sticking to the plan religiously, which I suppose is enough. I'm just a numbers person so would like to know the math. I've read things about total carbs vs net carbs; how is that figured and what's the real number we should shoot for? And protein should be at least .5 g per lb of body weight, but what about fat?

I'm pleased witht he success so far and am ready for the progress to slow, so I want to be sure I'm doing everything right!

Button400

Good for you on 11 lbs! I have gobs of recipes and ideas that I will post for you later. Do not worry about calories and carbs etc. If you are following exactly, you will keep dropping. I know the plan is a little funky with the myfitnessap, but i have made it work. and LOTS of IP foods are in the database. Just key in IP under search and foods will come up. 2 quick ideas. Cut up bars and divide into snack bags and put in freezer. then you can grab one as a "treat" but spread it out throughout the day. Also try 1/2 IP powder chocolate drink mix, with 1 packet splenda, 1/8 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I count as my AM milk for coffee allowance) and lots of ice in blender. Sometimes i throw some brewed coffee in this too. Counts as 1/2 IP and is almost like a milk shake. More to come. Stay inspired!

mellz58

Good luck to you!. I feel your enthusiasm! I've been doing IP since 11/1 and lost 26 lbs/19 in. I feel fantastic and look pretty darn good having gone from a 12 to an 8. Yahoo!. I can give you a couple of pointers that were good for me. Especially in the first week or two, if you are starving, have a IP drink to get you past it. I really takes the edge off. My coach told me I could have 2 extra IP meals a day if needed (non restricted). I also would guzzle that water down to shake it off and it works. I got very sick of salad and started bringing chopped veggies to work (ie> broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini), zapping them and adding them to my soup or chicken ala king to give it more substance. I'm not a big salad girl but I do like cooked veggies. My favorite soups are the chicken and mushroom. Broccoli & Cheese isn't too bad either. Potato Pure e and Chicken Ala King are edible especially if you add veggies. Rotini is not so good but if you really cook it and then add it to sautéed veggies you can get it down. : ) Breakfast was pretty easy. If time allows the omelets are very good with sautéed veggies. Crispy cereal is good but a very small portion and I usually need a IP drink within an hour or two to get me to lunch. I loved the Maple Oatmeal but avoided it because it is restricted and I prefer my restricted snack after dinner (especially the Lemon Wafer bar). I didn't realize that at first and made the mistake of having it for breakfast 3 days one week with another restricted snack later. I only lost .2 that week and couldn't understand why until we reviewed my journal. Dummy - I didn't notice that some of the breakfasts are restricted too so blew the week. Was so mad at myself. Regarding the restricted snacks.... yes they are excellent -- probably why they are restricted. I found that when I had the Double Chocolate Brownie-- it sometimes pushed me out of ketosis. I would test my urine every morning to make sure I was in ketois and it seemed that whenever I had the brownie I was barely in it. (buy them at the drug store in the diabetes section - Keto sticks) So I stopped eating them. There are lower carb choices that are just as good (did I mention the Wafer bars!! : ) I weigh myself every morning which helps me keep an eye on myself. My IP weigh in was on Monday evenings so I knew that I was always going to be about 3 lbs heavier than my home scale but as long as you know that it's not too disappointing. Plus the inches don't lie. I lost inches every single week, including the week I only lost .2. I killed it with the inches. I felt like I was disappearing. I really didn't cheat either. I had my first alcohol in January visiting my brother in Florida we went to a bar and I had two Vodka/Soda/lime drinks. Wasn't really worth it. But I did it. Also had a sugar free mousse dessert on Dec 30th (hubby's b'day) and within a half hour was ready to explode. Didn't think I'd make it to a bathroom. Same thing happened a week later when I tried a sugar free ice cream. Our body can't handle the fat I suspect. No more experimenting with that type of dessert. I went to a wedding this past weekend and had 2 drinks and a very small biscotti. Baby shower on Sunday had a couple of bites of pumpkin cake. Lost weight in all of these weeks including this week. Keep the cheats small and you should be okay. Drink a ton of water and eat your veggies. You will find the weight will melt off. Good luck! I started Phase 3 yesterday and screwed it up by not reading the instructions correctly. Hope I'm back on track and didn't hurt myself. I want hit my goal of 30lbs by 2/14.

ChampagneHrglss

I've been on the Ideal Protein Diet for 4 months, and I've lost 50 lbs and I've been using it to retrain my relationship with food and work through an eating disorder (I'm an overweight anorexic). It's only as hard as you make it, to be honest, and there's a ton of ways to add variety to it. I love the program.

Add me as a friend if you want. I also have a blog on Tumblr where I've been talking about my experience and progress.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes in the IP foods - I saw someone say that the rotini isn't good but the maple oatmeal and lemon wafer bars are, and I'm the exact opposite. I hated ALL the bars except for the caramel nut, I LOVE the rotini, and yes, the mushroom soup is fantastic.

I'm still in phase one for another 25-30 pounds and then I'll start easing into Phase 2.

JulieSue

I am soooooooooo excited to find these threads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been on IP since September but I kinda took the Christmas holiday off and now I am kicking myself in the *kitten* for doing that!!! but I am now back to where I was before Thanksgiving/Christmas BUT being in a school I am having a very hard time not eating the Valentine Candy and the scale is showing it soooooooooooooo this may be just what I need!!! I am soooooooo excited!!! OH and my husband lost 100lbs on IP whcih is why I decided to get on...I didnt want him smaller than me BAHAH

Yoga_Lady

Thank you for starting this thread.

I am on week 4 of phase 1 and I'm starting to despair. I find most of the IP foods to be pretty gross, but I switched to the readymade smoothies and they're really good. I'm not really "cheating" per se - but I am eating foods that aren't allowed on the protocol - mainly small amounts of cheese and almond milk - that are very low-carb. I'm not sure why they're not allowed and so have gone ahead and done this as it's made my morning coffee ritual doable (i use almond milk and coffee instead of a latte or misto). which is huge to me. However, last week I lost no weight and this week I've lost none, too. The idea of giving up my tiny allowance of cheese and/or my unsweetened vanilla almond milk makes me want to cry. Both have zero carbs, but I can't think what else is stalling my weight loss. I'm noticing that I'm hungry all the time, even if I double the amount of veggies. I'm pretty miserable actually, haha. Though I had great success my first two weeks - lost 10lbs in 2 weeks, now I feel I am plateauing and I don't know what to do. Some help please??

JulieSue

Girl I am right there with you!!!! I cannot wait until you get some answers!!!

MntRose

I have to say Yoga Lady that week four is usually a very low weight loss week for lots of us doing this, and if your allowing in the almond milk and cheese that could be the reason for no loss at all. I did IP for 30 weeks last year and lost 80 pounds, just getting back to it to lose the last bit my doctor insists that I lose.
Have you tried using a ready to drink vanilla shake in your morning coffee? And I honestly feel you about the cheese, I love mine but I follow the program as it is written, because I know it works and have faith this is not forever. Cheese may not have carbs but it does have fat and calories which is part of what the program is trying to limit. Also I don't know how much you weigh or more precise how close you might be to your ideal weight, so if your fairly close to goal already it will be slower for you as well. If I can help at all, just ask!

donyellemoniquex3

BrainyBurro

After living the good life for the last umpteen years and picking up a few pounds each year I have finally hit the limit. My blood pressure, liver enzymes, and my weight are all in the red zone. This year I've quit drinking and smoking cigars and now comes the diet. I hope my stubborn streak will help get me through stage one but could certainly use all the help and ideas that come from experience.

I picked the Ideal Protein diet after a month of research and asking around so I'm not looking for advice or reasons to doubt my decision. I'd love to hear how it's working for others and recipes or exchanges that have made stage one less difficult. If 2014 is going to be your year too, let there be power in numbers!

some advice... keep an open mind. some of the things you think you know might actually be wrong and/or counter-productive. look for the sensible people on this site who take the time to post on threads like these with sensible advice. many of them have tickers showing losses of 100lbs or more. those are the people whose advice you should consider listening to. most of them will be happy to explain anything you are curious to know more about.

a wise person listens, investigates, and then decides.

MamaGraff

I started IP on Feb 9th and have lost 12 pounds to date. The first week was the toughest for sure however I lost 5 and half pounds the first week so it kept my incentive up. There are days that I only eat two of my protein packs now simply because I am not hungry. I have been exericising on the program but at keeping it a light workout. I love to bike so I spoke to my coach about it and she agreed I could continue as long as it didnt affect my progress. I do put cream in my coffee most days now as I can't seem to go without it. My coach knows all my cheats and yes I have them. I have two: cream in my coffee and the odd time I use Paul Newmans Oil and Viniger dressing on my salad. This program has been the best thing for me. It feels like a lifestyle change that I can adapt to. If you follow the protocol and don't give up, it works! I don't remember when I felt so good!

rtargett13

I started IP on February 24th and have lost 14 pounds so far. I was fortunate enough to not experience a lot of the expected reactions to the diet in week 1, other than ravenous hunger :sad: . My coach suggested that I break up my vegetable portions, some with my omelet for breakfast, some as a snack between meals. It helps me get those 4 daily cups in and has made a big difference in the overwhelming urge to eat my own fingers. The Walden Farms dressings and condiments have been my lifesaver. I found a bacon dip that is absolutely yummy with veggies. Also, if you're as tired of drinking plain water as I am (and still have problems hitting your hydration percentage), I found a Stevia based water enhancer called Stur that isn't bad. I threw an extra packet of Truvia in a 20 oz bottle to make it a little sweeter (this was the cucumber mint version). Congratulations to all for your past, current and future losses. I was very pleased to find such a large following of the IP diet - it definitely works!

QueenOSpades

Hi There!

I'm a 26 year old, very sedentary person and I start Ideal Protein on the second week of January. So far I've lost 20lbs and I have 15-18lbs to go.

I agree with all the previous posts that it is hard and on some days you'll be wanting to quit but don't. You're investing time, money and determination and it will pay off,. You just have to stick to it. Also, don't cheat. I allowed myself a cheat weekend and honestly felt horrible. Simply horrible and i plateaued for a couple of weeks after.

From what I hear of people that have followed IP through till Phase 4, it is very much worth it and it does change your perspective on food once you are done with IP. Which really is a good thing in the long run, because you don't want to fall back to your old eating habbits.

If anyone is following IP and needs another FitnessPal buddy, feal free to add me

Acracks1108

I started IP on Jan 21. I have lost 28 lbs with IP and a total of 19 inches. I have lost a total of 38 lbs. I actually really enjoy IP. Don't tell my coach, but I have some pizza every sunday after weigh in.

SouthernGarnet

Hi there! I have been on the Ideal Protein protocol for 16 weeks and I've lost about 50 pounds and nearly thirty inches. I am halfway to my weight loss goal. The fairly rapid weight loss is enough to keep me motivated for the most part. I do struggle with social engagements from time-to-time but it isn't something I can't overcome. I usually just have to have a chat with myself and reset my priorities. This is only temporary but at the same time I am learning a new way to look at food and my relationship with it. All of the benefits I am experiencing far out weigh the sacrifices. Good luck!

lknorthstar

I just started today and guess what, one of our customer brought it lunch for all of us. Now that was very sad having to smell all of that wonderful food while I nibbled on a bar and ate my veggies! Next week I have my bowling banquet also, that will stink big time but I will maybe DD for the neighbors! That will at least not being able to drink okay!

lknorthstar

I started IP on Jan 21. I have lost 28 lbs with IP and a total of 19 inches. I have lost a total of 38 lbs. I actually really enjoy IP. Don't tell my coach, but I have some pizza every sunday after weigh in.

Love it! I wont tell!! :laugh:

nanafitz2

Hi!
66 year old grandmother here with two very active grandsons (2 and 3) and need to lose about 100 lbs. I had been on IP about a year ago and did fairly well but after 5 months, I thought I could do it alone. No, No, NO. Gained everything back. Started back on 4/4/14 and had lost 12 lbs as of this morning. 1/2 inch in chest and 2 in thigh so far but I know it will start happening. I look forward to sharing with all.:bigsmile: