Ideal Protein???

Julieash

Hi everyone... I'm starting to think about trying Ideal Protein.. I've heard a couple of success stories but I'd like more information on it.

I've seen that some people here have done it and wanted to know about your thoughts on it, how much did you lose and in how much time

I have about 30-40lbs to lose, I'm not in a hurry but we're almost in May now so bikini season is near LOL

Meemilla

I am in week 12 and have lost 47 pounds. I love the program! You do have to be very dedicated so if you easily cheat it's not for you.

I love the fact that they tell you exactly what you can have and not have, they have packets and bars that are delicious (I prefer the bars but you can only have 1 a day but I love the dark chocolate pudding, chocolate or vanilla drink mix, the blueberry pom cran drink, the crispy squares and a few others. I do not prefer the more traditional meal packets.

I love that I am held accountable with weekly weigh ins, coaching and every other week measurements. I love my coach and she has loads of great tips. They use a taranti (? I think) scale which measures your weight, fat mass, fat %, muscle mass, muscle %, bmi, bmr, visceral fat, water %, water mass and more. It will also tell your goal weight but you can set your own goal (which I did as I will never be 132 lbs - I start looking bobble head like at 140). You know tiny body and big head.

Until you reach your goal weight you are in Phase 1 then you go to Phase 2 for 2 weeks and then Phase 3 for 2 weeks then on to Phase 4 which is maintenance. 2 and 3 re-introduce carbs and other foods into your diet.

I have friends who completed the diet years ago and have not gained the weight back. I don't know why it took me so long to try it. They do not really want you to workout the first few weeks or at all during the program. But you can as they have an athlete program as well but you can't go crazy with your workouts. I started doing A LOT of workouts a day and have been told to slow it down as you don't want your body to eat muscle - only fat.

I won't lie and say the first week or two was a breeze - far from it. I wanted to chew my arm off! lol But I drank tea and lots of water to help satiate my hunger.

Basically you eat like this: 1 protein pack in the morning, 1 protein bar at lunch plus 2 cups of certain veggies, 4-6 ozs of lean meat, chicken, fish plus 2 cups of certain veggies, and then 1 protein pack before 8pm or between your meals. You can have unlimited lettuce. Seasonings, vinegars, olive oil, 1 cup of coffee per day, 2 pieces of Orbit gum if needed (i love sweet mint), and if you are dying of hunger you can have a hardboiled egg.

All of this is so worth it! Add me as a friend and you can see my athlete food diary on days when I do A LOT of workouts. Today was a normal day. Cindy

Diamond05

I did it about 4 years ago and i lost 42 pounds in about 3 months and was going to the Curves gym doiing the 30 minutes circuit workout. I maintained my weight after BECAUSE i did not go back to the way I was eating before, wich you will have to do with any diet.

You eat 3 packets a day, you are not allowed any fruits. No carrots, no corn, no potatoes, no dairy product, humm what else are you not allowed.... No salmon,no bread, no pasta, no rice, limit tomatoes ... You have to eat 150g of lean meat on diner or 200g of fish with your 2 cups of vegetables. Each pouch has about 160 calories with 15-20 grams of proteins, wich makes you T eat not even 1000 calories a day.

I have nothing against it but i don`t think this is how you will eat all your life.... It is expensive, about 100$ a week, in my opinion, if you really want to give it a try, go to the pharmacy or wal-mart, in the weight loss section you will find Protilife products that are pretty much the same thing at the third of the price.... Oh with a bit less options.... So I don`t see why pay big bucks for it when you can have the same thing for far less expensive, it is just like Visalus, buy Slim Fast instead .... They know there`s money to be made with us.....

Hope this helps you.

ged630

I am in my first week. It is hard but today is day 4 and I am feeling good. I turned to this because I have PCOS and have tried just counting calories with not results. The only time I have dropped a good amount of weigh was when I did low carb but then started having side effects that I didn't know how to deal with.

I like the idea of being accountable to someone and having someone medically trained available to assist when I hit a wall. Add me if you would like. I don't have results to share just yet but hope to in the near future.

julies90

My mom did it after years of trying to lose 60 pounds. She reached her goal and has not gained any weight back. She looks so amazing.

tross0924

IMO - It's a starvation diet. You eat 900 calories a day and lose weight. It might be slightly better than a typical starvation diet because (I'm assuming here) since it's all prepackaged they add in enough vitamins and minerals for the day, but that still doesn't change the fact that it's a starvation diet.

julies90

IMO - It's a starvation diet. You eat 900 calories a day and lose weight. It might be slightly better than a typical starvation diet because (I'm assuming here) since it's all prepackaged they add in enough vitamins and minerals for the day, but that still doesn't change the fact that it's a starvation diet.

. Yes, it is a low calorie diet but itis medically supervised and really only meant for people who have a hard time getting the weight off. Some things work better for other people.

ShannonMpls

They do not really want you to workout the first few weeks or at all during the program.

It is expensive, about 100$ a week

You eat 3 packets a day, you are not allowed any fruits.

if you are dying of hunger you can have a hardboiled egg.

You eat 900 calories a day and lose weight.

Where do I sign up?

Diamond05

[quote

I like the idea of being accountable to someone and having someone medically trained available to assist when I hit a wall. Add me if you would like. I don't have results to share just yet but hope to in the near future.
[/quote]

I am sorry but these persons don`t get much if any medical training, they get sales trainning, yeah! Anybody can start selling it! So with the medical stuff...sorry can`t sell me that

vtcowgirl

You are correct, the coaches do not necessarily have medical training; however, in order to open a clinic you have to - our clinic is run by a physician. They in turn educate the coaches. It definitely makes me feel better knowing that if I get 'stuck' or have a question there is somebody to call and ask without having to wait, and knowing that they aren't just making stuff up - they really know what they are talking about. I have been on the program for one month, lost almost 20 lbs and the same in inches. Very exciting.

Julieash

Thanks everyone for all the good information.. I'm really excited about this right now and I think I'll call the girl tonight to ask for all the information I'd just looove to lose 20lbs in one month like others

The only problem I can see with this is that I still have to cook for my husband and kids lol.. I can't be tempted to eat what they are eating lol

kelsykel

Thanks everyone for all the good information.. I'm really excited about this right now and I think I'll call the girl tonight to ask for all the information I'd just looove to lose 20lbs in one month like others

The only problem I can see with this is that I still have to cook for my husband and kids lol.. I can't be tempted to eat what they are eating lol

I started today and did very well. I too need to cook for my family but I did well with sticking to my plan. There are a lot of good recipes on pintrest. I too am hoping that I can stick this out. Counting calories and eating healthy have not been successful for me in the past. I know what "healthy" eating is but I really think for me cutting out the carbs and sugars completely is going to be the kick start I need. I plan to follow the paleo diet/lifestyle afterwards.

Good luck! I joined this forum today so feel free to add me as a friend and if you sign up for IP we can support each other!

happyweight33

Ideal protein is great if you're serious about losing weight.
It's just like Jenny Craig. They give you all your meals and snacks, which is very convenient, then you make your own dinner.
Other diets make you lose your muscle before your fat, so as soon as you're done and start to get your muscle back, all the weight comes back. This diet is high protein so you keep your muscle and only lose the fat... And with all the extra protein you will see your muscles grow.
It's a strict diet, no carbs, dairy, fruit/sugars, but it's far from a starvation diet.
Chocolate pancakes for breakfast, chicken Patti with a big bowl of salad for lunch, celery mid day snack, big chicken or fish dinner with lots of zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Then pudding before bed.
I lost 100lbs in 5.5 months. I would walk, swim, and occasional light weights.
I'm forever grateful for ideal protein.

hourrecord2020

OMG HI!!! 1g per kg of body mass or up to 1g per lb. so 120lb 120g.



Sources: Training for 10+ years

RoxieB72

I am on IP for the second time now. The first time I lost 20 pounds and gained back 25. Now after 3 months I have lost 10 pounds and I don't know how many $$$$. I know many people who have successfully lost a great deal of weight and are pretty well keeping it off. The diet works just like Atkins, protein and low carb vegetables. Your body goes into ketosis and uses it's own stored fat for energy. I think the majority of the foods IP sells taste good and I have learned to doctor them up with spices. The more you have to lose the faster this plan works. I need to lose 30 pounds and mine is painfully slow. 1-2 pounds per week. IP meals are about $4.00 each and you use 3 per day. $12.00 per day x 7 days per week=$84.00 per week. You stay on Phase 1 until you reach your goal weight so obviously the faster you reach your goal, the faster you stop spending the money. Phase 2 is different, less packets and is cheaper. You learn how to eat again. I'm frustrated and wish my weight loss would go faster but I can't exercise due to health problems so I think I reach my BMR and my body just gets used to the number of calories I am taking in and I don't lose any more weight. I think it is a good plan and is nutritionally sound. I like that I don't have to do too much thinking. Taking in a lot of protein keeps appetite under control so I am not hungry. Just wish my weight loss would be faster.

Cese27

Why not get educated in nutrition then you can lose weight forever and not have to pay anyone anything or does that sound difficult

craziecritter

Why not get educated in nutrition then you can lose weight forever and not have to pay anyone anything or does that sound difficult

I agree, there is no quick fix. You have to learn how to eat responsibly.

RoxieB72

I completely understand what you were trying to say, craziecritter, however, I do believe you could have phrased it in a nicer way. I am extremely well educated in nutrition and other topics and not necessarily looking for a quick fix, simply trying to lose some weight, I posted in what I thought would be a forum that would be supportive of a fellow person attempting to lose weight. Obviously, I was incorrect. I will not be posting on this forum again.

mamaof2u2

IP is not a starvation diet. It's a low carb, high protein diet. You get a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. You get 4 cups of veggies a day and unlimited lettuce. It's a diet that puts you into ketosis so you are burning fat instead of carbs and sugar. Yes it's strict but it's not a forever diet. Sometimes I even go off of it for special occasions and get right back on it the next day. My coach is someone who did IP himself and knows how the plan works. Most coaches have to read over the information about the plan.

Even if you choose to not do IP, you can do the plan yourself with alternative products and spend way less than if you were to go to a clinic. I personally like being accountable for my weight loss.

This is the only diet that has worked for me and a lot of other people. I am healthier, my BP is down, I am no longer out of breath and I can run around and play outside with my girls. I have over 100 pounds to lose and I am down 38 pounds in 10 weeks. Please do not down a program you don't know anything about unless you have been on it.

Escape_Artist

These threads are growing faster than those darn dandelions in my backyard.

/facepalm

mncountrygirl79

Anybody have headaches in week 1? Any advice?

cindirookbanman

Anybody have headaches in week 1? Any advice?

Lots of people do actually - make sure you are getting some salt in your diet and lots of water.

I have lost 8-10lbs/month on this diet. I like that unlike some other programs I will one day be able to eat "normal" food again and find that the process of weight loss really encourages me to develop great habits of eating LOTS of fresh vegetables.

This is my 2nd time around, and my office is much more involved in the maintenance portion of the program than they were 3 years ago. I will always have to be cautious of how many carbs I eat, especially sugar. But heck, doesn't everybody really?

PS - there are a number of Low-carb and/or Ideal Protein Groups on MFP that are more supportive than the general forums...

davefairleigh

I lost 28 lbs in 6 weeks, even though I was monitored and followed the program exactly outlined I lost way too much muscle and felt extremely weak during this diet, I even took more protein that recommended and that did not help, I quit today and decided to just go to the gym and lose the last 10lbs

mycontentheart

I am not sure about all of the sites where IP diets are being provided however, i am on the the program and am seen by my doctor and/or his nurse assistant every week. Interestingly enough my girlfriends general practician sees the same folks as me for the IP diet as well. I figure any sort of plan that is overseen by a Doctor and USED by another Doctor cannot be too awfully bad.

10 days on plan.....down 9 pounds.