Dr has recommended the Ideal Protein diet...

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shellypaints
shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
And I'm not liking what I'm seeing about it. The Dr has also prescribed a drug for me to take for glucose intolerance. I just restarted here after having surgery to repair my nose so I can breathe. And I'm not sure I need to be on such a restrictive and potentially dangerous diet. I really don't believe losing weight at a rate of 60 lbs in 6 months is healthy long term. I was expecting that I would be exercising, eating higher protein and fewer carbs to lose to the goal I set here with a goal weight of 130lbs and that it would take about 2 years to get there. I'm 48 yo, 5'2" and weigh 223, Dr says I should weigh 150, but I think that is too heavy I weighed 120 when I was 20 so 130-135 should be reasonable if what I've read is correct.

I'm not sure what to think or what plan I should be following.
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Replies

  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    What's the plan? It's hard to comment without knowing the details.
  • shellypaints
    shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
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    That's part of the problem I don't have but the barest framework of a plan. I don't want to do shakes and pouch food, which is what Ideal Protein is. While I would lose weight on it I don't think it would address bad food choices and the idea of no exercise just isn't logical when I am perfectly able to exercise now.

    I think I need to focus on a whole food type of eating plan that's not a fad that demonizes some foods. I don't know if I need to hire a trainer, or join a gym, or go it alone.

    My original plan was to do a plan that was along the lines of SouthBeach phase 2. But I'm not sure that's going to get the results that I need to start with. WW is also an option, but I really don't want to pay nor can I pay a whole lot extra to do this - it's just not in the budget right now.
  • Birder155
    Birder155 Posts: 223 Member
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    Why are you complicating things?

    Just eat the foods you like to eat within a calorie deficit.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    Four people I've known have done that diet, it sounds so extreme to me. One of them, their hair thinned and started to fall out. Two of them were told not to exercise. 800 cals a day is so low.
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
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    Have you read the ingredients in the Ideal Protein products?? Gross stuff!!!! Just eat real food, following mfp or TDEE guidelines and you will lose weight.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
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    Eat real food - everyone i know who has done IP has gained it back quickly after they go off it. Plus, the IP stuff is pricer than just eating real foods. Is there any reason for your Dr. to want you to drop the weight quickly?
  • stuart160
    stuart160 Posts: 1,628 Member
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    I haven't heard any Doctors recommend the Pure Protein Diet but I know many that swear by the Dukan Diet variation. Maybe take a look at that. It's tough because it has you giving up a lot of your foods for a long time but the reviews that I have read by the ADA say that it's only drawback is how disciplined you have to be but that it will work. Weight loss should be 1-2 lbs a week..,
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    My mother did it, and had a doctor monitor her very closely. She seems to be successful. I can't afford it so I won't be trying it, and I can't eat dairy so I wouldn't be able to have most of the food.
  • shellypaints
    shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
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    Eat real food - everyone i know who has done IP has gained it back quickly after they go off it. Plus, the IP stuff is pricer than just eating real foods. Is there any reason for your Dr. to want you to drop the weight quickly?

    I am officially pre-diabetic with possible glucose or is it insulin intolerance; I need to have some more testing done. So I know I need to reduce my carbs and increase proteins but I'm not sure what the guidelines for that is.

    I prefer real food. :bigsmile:
  • stevesample76
    stevesample76 Posts: 248 Member
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    Don't be scared by the 60lbs in 6 months. I was able to lose 80 in 6 months and have kept it off. That being said I cant stand ideal protein. I believe in eating high protein low carb and fat, 50,30,20 or 40,40,20 as you are closer to your goal and exercising 5-6 times a week.
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    I just Googled the plan - it appears to me to be very much like Medifast (I know they have just gone to an MLM - this might be it). As this plan is not sustainable for life (IMO - plus my friends who have done Medifast say it doesn't taste good at all), I agree with a couple of other posters - why complicate life? Eat healthy, exercise, make sure you are at a calorie deficit and you'll lose weight - and enjoy life!

    As far as your goal - get to 150 and then decide if you want to drop more. At 5'2" 150 seems a bit high..

    Good luck.
  • shellypaints
    shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
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    Why are you complicating things?

    Just eat the foods you like to eat within a calorie deficit.

    What? I'm sure it's just that simple for you. :huh:

    But you aren't me and I am trying to follow my Dr's guidelines here if not the recommended diet.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    This sounds like a diet that you pay your dr to be on?

    If so, you are advised not to exercise so that you lose muscle weight as well as fat - so as long as you're seeing the scale moving downwards you'll keep paying the money. They usually sell vitamins/supplements (that you can get cheaper elsewhere) to prevent hair loss etc.

    I know from experience :/ this diet will work to help you lose weight. You might not keep it off long term and you could probably get better results (body composition wise) using this site with a lower deficit adding strength training to maintain LM and cardio for heart health and more food :)

    You can set this up to whatever macro balance suits you, so you can do high protein if you want. Good luck whatever you decide. Don't want to scare mongrel too much - a low cal diet like this shouldn't do you any harm, health wise, if you have a lot to lose and the doctor is monitoring everything properly.
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
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    Why are you complicating things?

    Just eat the foods you like to eat within a calorie deficit.

    What? I'm sure it's just that simple for you. :huh:

    But you aren't me and I am trying to follow my Dr's guidelines here if not the recommended diet.
    Why are you getting so defensive?? You came to a public forum to ask our opinion, and you don't like it? What she is saying makes sense and is the way to go : eat food, less of it. She is not insulting you or implying that is is '''that easy''''. Eat real food or eat the crappy Protein Ideal ''' food '', your choice, but dont attack those who take time to answer your question, geez!
  • shellypaints
    shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
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    Why are you complicating things?

    Just eat the foods you like to eat within a calorie deficit.

    What? I'm sure it's just that simple for you. :huh:

    But you aren't me and I am trying to follow my Dr's guidelines here if not the recommended diet.
    Why are you getting so defensive?? You came to a public forum to ask our opinion, and you don't like it? What she is saying makes sense and is the way to go : eat food, less of it. She is not insulting you or implying that is is '''that easy''''. Eat real food or eat the crappy Protein Ideal ''' food '', your choice, but dont attack those who take time to answer your question, geez!

    I'm sorry but neither of what you said or what they said was all that helpful. I'm not trying to complicate anything, I'm trying to understand how to assess what my nutritional needs are based upon the Dr's recommendation without doing an expensive junk food diet. I was hoping that I could find that type of knowledge without the judgey pants answer of eat less fatty.

    That is not the type of support anyone needs.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Then maybe tell your doctor you aren't interested in Ideal Protein. Ask him how many calories and what macronutrients he recommends instead.
  • Birder155
    Birder155 Posts: 223 Member
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    Why are you complicating things?

    Just eat the foods you like to eat within a calorie deficit.

    What? I'm sure it's just that simple for you. :huh:

    But you aren't me and I am trying to follow my Dr's guidelines here if not the recommended diet.
    Why are you getting so defensive?? You came to a public forum to ask our opinion, and you don't like it? What she is saying makes sense and is the way to go : eat food, less of it. She is not insulting you or implying that is is '''that easy''''. Eat real food or eat the crappy Protein Ideal ''' food '', your choice, but dont attack those who take time to answer your question, geez!

    I'm sorry but neither of what you said or what they said was all that helpful. I'm not trying to complicate anything, I'm trying to understand how to assess what my nutritional needs are based upon the Dr's recommendation without doing an expensive junk food diet. I was hoping that I could find that type of knowledge without the judgey pants answer of eat less fatty.

    That is not the type of support anyone needs.

    Good grief.

    Eating at a calorie deficit, preferably with foods you like to eat so that you'll stick with it is no where near being 'judgeypants'.

    Your OP didn't sound like you were at all thrilled with the plan your doctor laid out for you or the weight he/she wanted you to shoot for.
    So, I wanted to stress that you didn't have to complicate things by trying to follow a 'diet' laid out by anyone.

    I won't waste any more of my time and best wishes to you.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
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    Eat real food - everyone i know who has done IP has gained it back quickly after they go off it. Plus, the IP stuff is pricer than just eating real foods. Is there any reason for your Dr. to want you to drop the weight quickly?

    I am officially pre-diabetic with possible glucose or is it insulin intolerance; I need to have some more testing done. So I know I need to reduce my carbs and increase proteins but I'm not sure what the guidelines for that is.

    I prefer real food. :bigsmile:

    My boss also did IP because she was pre-diabetic and concerned about insulin intolerance. Like I said before, she has gained a bit of it back since going off IP (and I don't think it is a sustainable diet for life).

    I think the key is dropping the weight and keeping it off - in which method do you think you will be most successful?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Does your Doctor expect you to buy the products from them?
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I certainly can't speak for your doctor, but I suspect she's recommending ideal protein because it's a structured, aggressive low carb diet. It's pretty common (although arguably short-sighted) for doctors to recommend very aggressive diets because they understand the health consequences of obesity, and generally speaking the sooner you drop the weight and move away from obesity, the better in terms of health. That said, you can set fairly aggressive goals without having to follow an 800 calorie a day pre-packaged meal plan like IP.

    As for going low carb, that makes a lot of sense if they're telling you you're insulin resistant. You might want to look into forms of low carb diets - potentially a ketogenic diet, if you think you can stick with it knowing that it's more restrictive. Even 1200 calories on a ketogenic diet would be more than IP gives you and would allow you to eat real foods (albeit with some restrictions). I would not listen to the general "eat what you like, IIFYM!" advice given that your doctor is telling you your body struggles with a high carb intake, and that's likely to just lead you down a road to frustration.

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