Looking for Friends on Ideal Protein diet

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this diet. That said, it sounds like another low carb-ish high protein diet. Regardless, losing five pounds in day or two, is mostly water, and it will come back after your next day or two of normal carbohydrate consumption.

This sounds like a waste of money to me. Protein is great, and I recommend a high protein diet, but i don't recommend spending lots of money on "protein packets." Other than that...eat your carbs, eat your fats, and eat your protein....watch your calories, and exercise. Dropping 4 pounds of water isn't a long term solution to weight loss!

Best of luck to everyone! ! !

This a thousand times over. I know I've repeated myself in this conversation, but eat in moderation, in balance, and with a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight slowly and healthily.

I don't believe that anyone asked for your opinion. And it is very closed minded to assume what works for you works for everyone.

This diet works really well for many people who have built up insulin resistance by years of overdosing on carbs and sugar.

Phase 1 is complete elimination of carbs which are gradually added back in after you reach your goal weight. The point is to retrain your pancreas to release appropriate amounts of insulin when carbs are consumed because excess insulin = weight gain.

So please, unless the topic is "What are your opinions on this diet?" Perhaps keep them to yourself and let others achieve their goals the way they see fit, free from unasked for negativity.

I was on this diet from June 2012 till Oct 2012. In that time I lost 33 lbs and felt amazing. Within the last year, 20 of those pounds have crept back on and it is time to get it back together. I've called, made an appt Thursday to get my weigh in and measurements. I was just going to start then, but then I woke up this morning feeling like there is no time like the present!!! So here I go - goal is 20 lbs by the time I go to Mexico in February.

I started the program the Wednesday after Labor Day I ended Phase I just before Christmas, I had lost 37.8 pounds and over 44 inches. I've lost fat in places that I've never I could lose!! I did indulge over the holiday and gained 0.2 pounds but I'm back in Phase I for one more week, to cleanse and then I'll phase through properly this time.
I can't lie the first week was miserable, I had headaches and went to be hungry but once I started drinking the Ideal salt in water first thing in the morning the headaches went away and the fat started melting away!

Good luck!!

Sounds like a way to not be on a sustainable diet.

People that do these diets fail in the long run because they do not know how to function off of normal food

I'm seeing that based on looking at several profiles and seeing no progress, no more comments, or weight ticker still the same. lol

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this diet. That said, it sounds like another low carb-ish high protein diet. Regardless, losing five pounds in day or two, is mostly water, and it will come back after your next day or two of normal carbohydrate consumption.

This sounds like a waste of money to me. Protein is great, and I recommend a high protein diet, but i don't recommend spending lots of money on "protein packets." Other than that...eat your carbs, eat your fats, and eat your protein....watch your calories, and exercise. Dropping 4 pounds of water isn't a long term solution to weight loss!

Best of luck to everyone! ! !

This a thousand times over. I know I've repeated myself in this conversation, but eat in moderation, in balance, and with a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight slowly and healthily.

I don't believe that anyone asked for your opinion. And it is very closed minded to assume what works for you works for everyone.

This diet works really well for many people who have built up insulin resistance by years of overdosing on carbs and sugar.

Phase 1 is complete elimination of carbs which are gradually added back in after you reach your goal weight. The point is to retrain your pancreas to release appropriate amounts of insulin when carbs are consumed because excess insulin = weight gain.

So please, unless the topic is "What are your opinions on this diet?" Perhaps keep them to yourself and let others achieve their goals the way they see fit, free from unasked for negativity.

Public forums allow people post opinions regardless if the question is directly asked. I cant tell you how many people I have put on a good and healthy plan by intervening in a thread. A lot of the time, the OP doesn't always know the right question to ask. So by others asking other question or providing recommendations/experience, it provides much greater value than just agreeing with the post, especially when 98% of the post for their first post.

The fact is, the original statement wasn't condoning the style of diet but specifically the products. You can the EAS program, which is the same thing, for probably 1/3 the cost. There isn't anything special about ideal protein. And while no one likes to believe that what they are doing is not necessary, you can achieve the same results with a basic low carb diet. Many of our forum PCOS women maintain carbs between 50-100g and eat foods high in fats and protein. Some find keto diets to be very beneficial. If you want to continue the ideal protein diet, great, but there are alternatives that are much cheaper.

I'm not on the Ideal Protein diet but I am following a similar plan using alternative products and real foods. I do keep up with the IP message board on 3FC which is a very active community. There are many people in maintenance that have lost tens to hundreds of pounds in a very short amount of time and kept it off for years.

It bothers me when people dismiss a diet plan without having any working knowledge of the particulars of said plan. There is a lot of mindless negativity going on in this thread.

Yes, it is ridiculously expensive to follow the plan but some people need the intense structure it gives to break deeply ingrained patterns of destructive eating.

This diet works for people and I wish people would research before being so dismissive.

Let me start by saying I know nothing about this diet. That said, it sounds like another low carb-ish high protein diet. Regardless, losing five pounds in day or two, is mostly water, and it will come back after your next day or two of normal carbohydrate consumption.

This sounds like a waste of money to me. Protein is great, and I recommend a high protein diet, but i don't recommend spending lots of money on "protein packets." Other than that...eat your carbs, eat your fats, and eat your protein....watch your calories, and exercise. Dropping 4 pounds of water isn't a long term solution to weight loss!

Best of luck to everyone! ! !

This a thousand times over. I know I've repeated myself in this conversation, but eat in moderation, in balance, and with a calorie deficit, and you will lose weight slowly and healthily.

I don't believe that anyone asked for your opinion. And it is very closed minded to assume what works for you works for everyone.

This diet works really well for many people who have built up insulin resistance by years of overdosing on carbs and sugar.

Phase 1 is complete elimination of carbs which are gradually added back in after you reach your goal weight. The point is to retrain your pancreas to release appropriate amounts of insulin when carbs are consumed because excess insulin = weight gain.

So please, unless the topic is "What are your opinions on this diet?" Perhaps keep them to yourself and let others achieve their goals the way they see fit, free from unasked for negativity.

Public forums allow people post opinions regardless if the question is directly asked. I cant tell you how many people I have put on a good and healthy plan by intervening in a thread. A lot of the time, the OP doesn't always know the right question to ask. So by others asking other question or providing recommendations/experience, it provides much greater value than just agreeing with the post, especially when 98% of the post for their first post.

The fact is, the original statement wasn't condoning the style of diet but specifically the products. You can the EAS program, which is the same thing, for probably 1/3 the cost. There isn't anything special about ideal protein. And while no one likes to believe that what they are doing is not necessary, you can achieve the same results with a basic low carb diet. Many of our forum PCOS women maintain carbs between 50-100g and eat foods high in fats and protein. Some find keto diets to be very beneficial. If you want to continue the ideal protein diet, great, but there are alternatives that are much cheaper.

I'm not on the Ideal Protein diet but I am following a similar plan using alternative products and real foods. I do keep up with the IP message board on 3FC which is a very active community. There are many people in maintenance that have lost tens to hundreds of pounds in a very short amount of time and kept it off for years.

It bothers me when people dismiss a diet plan without having any working knowledge of the particulars of said plan. There is a lot of mindless negativity going on in this thread.

Yes, it is ridiculously expensive to follow the plan but some people need the intense structure it gives to break deeply ingrained patterns of destructive eating.

This diet works for people and I wish people would research before being so dismissive.

No one is dismissing the diet.. we know it works. All diet plans work because it works on a calorie deficit. We are saying it's unnecessary as you can get the same results from just counting calories and educating yourself on the macronutrients. In the end, if you do not educate yourself, you won't have long term success. Besides, this is pretty much the same program as the EAS body for life program that has been around for years and I can bet EAS is a lot cheaper.

In the end, people can pay for whatever they want but if they want a free education and want to learn how to make proper food choices based on their workout needs, then they can spend some time on MFP. Essentially, the keys to success is all diet adherence.

If you cut out your sugar, you will loose. I did IP for 4 months and loved it! I was very successful

If you cut out your sugar, you will loose. I did IP for 4 months and loved it! I was very successful

Cutting sugar by itself doesn't cause weight loss. Also, sugar isn't bad for you. The only thing that causes fat loss is a calorie deficit. If you lower sugar, which in turn cuts calories, leads to weight loss.

It actually is not that simple for some people. Years of high sugar and carb diet leads to insulin resistance. This makes your body move fatty acids into your fat cells for storage. Key for theses people is to avoid all sugars, including complex carbs, as that spikes insulin release. That's why ideal protein works so well. Exercise not key in this process.

Sugar in itself doens't lead to insulin resistance but if you have some research on it, I would love to see it. It's probably a better correlation that obesity and poor body composition that has lead to insulin resistance. Also, it's impossible to avoid sugar. It's a carb and in tons of foods.. especially fruit.

I started IP on 11/1/13. I've lost 26bs/19 in. My goal is to lose 30 by 2/14 as I am having knee replacement surgery that day. I'm almost there. I've gone from a size 12 to an 8. I look and feel so good. I wish it hadn't take so long for me to get my head around doing this. I watched my sister lose 35 lbs doing IP and several of my friends 20 or more. I didn't think I could do it because I couldn't see myself eating 4 cups of veggies a day. Also I didn't want to spend this kind of money. I finally couldn't stand myself anymore. I'm a lifetime Weight Watchers member several times over and just didn't want to deal with the counting of points and all that planning of meals everyday. This really is a rather thoughtless plan. I grabbed my 2 or 3 envelopes in the morning with my 2 cups of veggies - either a salad or cut up fresh veggies to add to my IP Soup (my usual choice) or I'd even bring a bag of frozen veggies and leave it in the freezer at work to zap and add to my soup or Chicken Ala King. I used my IP drinks to get me through a hungry period in the afternoon or late morning. Dinner was a breeze. 8z of protein and lots of roasted or sautéed veggies (in EVOO, garlic, S & P and sometimes lemon juice). I've learned to love cauliflower in all its wonderful forms (grated, chopped, mashed and steamed). I really like many of their foods very much. I started Phase 3 this week (on Day 2). I am phasing out so that I can eat normally after surgery. I'd rather have hit my goal first but really need to be eating a full balanced diet while in recovery and on pain narcotics. Phase 3 is only for 2 weeks and then I'm on maintenance. I feel that I will be able to successfully keep the weight off now that I have lost the weight, reduced my sugar and carb intake and portion size. I'm going to continue to limit my carbs to the morning meal for the most part. Lunch and dinner will continue to be veggie and protein based for the most part with occasionally a sweet potato, whole grain pasta and rice for variety. Dessert (my biggest weakness) will be within reason. I love the IP Lemon Wafer bars as well as other snack bars. I'll keep these on hand for my treats and find other similar products. This is how I'm going to keep it off. I do not want to go back to where I came from. It was too hard and too expensive to blow it now. Yes it was very expensive. I haven't added it up but I averaged $90/wk in IP products and then had to buy lots of veggies and meat, fish every week. Plus a few occasional extra's like the Walden Farms dressing and maple syrup (yum). It was worth it. I am worth it. My cholesterol has gone from 269 to 155. All my numbers are perfect which have been bad for the last several years. Yes there are many ways to lose the weight and yes slow and easy usually wins the race BUT it is hard no matter what plan we choose to do. I've done WW many times successfully but even then I eventually go back to mindless eating. There is no guarantee I won't do it again. I can only take what I've learned and try very hard to make better choices at every meal. If I do have a bad day (cheat or fun day as many call it) I will follow the advice of my coach and stay away from the carbs for the two days following to keep my body from turning it into fat. (If I understood her correctly). Those of us who have gained and lost a few times know what we're suppose to do -- it's just maintaining the willpower to stick to it that we seem to lose along the way. Hoping this will not be the case for me this time. Summer's coming and I want to be feeling good in that tankini!! For those negative IP commenters -- don't knock it till you try it!

I have been on IP now for 6 weeks. My cousin got me into it after she lost 36lbs.

I hated dieting, never done it. I was so against high protein diet (I thought it is so unhealthy).
I researched it and researched it. I noticed a lot of folks actually fixed a lot of their health issues.
I had Gallbladder issues, high cholesterol.
I always worked out. In fact I lost 20 lbs with workout ONLY until I stop loosing. I would have to workout 3 weeks before I can see my weight drop 1 lb.

I am really SURPRISED how much I love this diet. WHY?
1. lost 17 lbs already!
2. It stopped my crazy carb craving. It is so surprising, that even if someone eat a TIRAMISU next to me(which I normally die for), I could care less. I am not sure if my craving will go back when I start eating normal again.
3. My Gallbladder issues, GONE.
4. My labs are all amazing.

This is worth every penny! I am worth more than that.
One thing I would say, don't look at your weight too much, some weeks I loose 5, some none and some 1lb. Don't be discouraged, especially for women it is hard to track our weight, overall you will be winning.

I started IP on February 3rd, I am down 19 lbs in 21 days! That is about a pound a day. I am so excited, I can literally see the pounds and inches falling off my body. I tried this diet over four years ago and only stuck with it for one week and lost 5 lbs in one week. I can seriously kick myself for not sticking with it. I have completely followed it this time, I have never cheated at all and it certainly shows. Water I believe is key, I practically have to swim to bed at night. I do not have any cravings except on weekends when I may be sitting around. That's when I have a half a bag of restricted snacks or a pickle from my fridge. My goal weight is 132 lbs. I started at 212, that's 80 lbs. If I would known sooner that I have to loose a "small child" literally, I would of stuck with it before when I only weighed 189. All I can say is it definitely works so stick with it, eat those veggies and add lots of spices.I use garlic on everything, and I love all kinds of veggies which helps 100%. If it keeps going as well as this I will be at my goal weight by summer. Bring on the bikini's!

I started IP on February 3rd, I am down 19 lbs in 21 days! That is about a pound a day. I am so excited, I can literally see the pounds and inches falling off my body. I tried this diet over four years ago and only stuck with it for one week and lost 5 lbs in one week. I can seriously kick myself for not sticking with it. I have completely followed it this time, I have never cheated at all and it certainly shows. Water I believe is key, I practically have to swim to bed at night. I do not have any cravings except on weekends when I may be sitting around. That's when I have a half a bag of restricted snacks or a pickle from my fridge. My goal weight is 132 lbs. I started at 212, that's 80 lbs. If I would known sooner that I have to loose a "small child" literally, I would of stuck with it before when I only weighed 189. All I can say is it definitely works so stick with it, eat those veggies and add lots of spices.I use garlic on everything, and I love all kinds of veggies which helps 100%. If it keeps going as well as this I will be at my goal weight by summer. Bring on the bikini's!

That's great that you are finding success, but understand the first several weeks generally have very large losses. This success will not continue at the current rate. At best you can hope that 6 of those lbs were fat but we would have to understand total caloric intake and associate macornutrient levels, as well as exercise routine.


The fact is, regardless of diet, it takes 3500 calories less in than out to lose a lb of fat. If we took a greater look at your situation, we can prove/disprove your weight loss and what its attributed to:

Based on you starting weight, your age (profile) and I assume 64", your estimate basal metabolic rate (or BMR) would be 1662. If you have a sedentary job, your TDEE (pre workout, etc..) would be 1994 (maintenance calories prior to exercise).


We know that 19 lbs of fat would = a deficit of 66,500 calories. Over 21 days, that means a daily deficit of 3167.


Assuming you ate 1200 calories, that means you would have to burn a total of 4367 calories (3167 + 1200). This means you would have to burn on average 2373 a day in exercise.


Now, i understand its very easy to get excited when you have initial weight loss. And I hope your weight loss continues and you continue to succeed. Realistically, if this diet helps you sustain a healthy lifestyle, then great because diet adherence is the key to success. The issue that many of us have is we have yet to see a person with long term success on these boards. It's not to say they don't have any, but if so, it's rare.

I started Ideal Protein last year, on Halloween night (kind of stupid). I made it through the holidays and into April. When I started on IP, I was 330 pounds and by the end of April I had dropped to 210 pounds. That was 120 pounds lost. So I know Ideal Protein works, if you can stick to your guns and stay motivated you can do it. There would be weeks were I only lost one pound and would be devastating, but I hung in there. As a fat kid at heart and food addict, I gained almost all of my weight back in 9 months. I really don't know what I was thinking. Ideal isn’t cheap and I just wasted all that time, money, and confidence in it. Well I guess I got back on my horse and as of today I am back on the IP program and will go through the process again. I will keep you posted on my progress and how I’m doing. I weighed in last week and I was 325 pounds. After a week of Ideal, I’m down to 315. IF I CAN DO IT, WE ALL CAN DO IT! FIND THAT PLACE IN YOUR HEART AND DIG DEEP< CAUSE IT WILL PAY OFF

If the program is expensive, why not consider an alternate approach. Obviously the program failed because it never taught you how to sustain post leaving the program. Instead of following a diet, learn about portion control and making smarter food choices. That is what calorie counting is about. Yes you can still have protein shakes or bars, but those are for quick snacks or supplements, not as a meal. While it takes more work up front, educating yourself how to be successful as opposed to a diet will pay off dividends in the long run.

Its approx. $30/box. Each box contains 7 packets. 6 if you chose already prepared. You'll need 21 packets or 3 boxes/wk.
You'll also need to take a multi-vitamin, potassium calcium & cal-mag. Some people take omegas as well. Olive oil & coconut oil are recommended to help with hunger.