I have someone who can't afford to do Ideal Protein. She wants to try to do something like those who have used alternative products.
IF YOU HAVE TRIED and know it works, please respond with the product and your results.
I am hoping this thread won't get too buried in chat. I have tried to read the old alternative thread posts, and even as an experienced forum user, it is a bit overwhelming to read everything trying to pull out the essentials.!
Maybe we can get this to be something a little more reference and user friendly???
I have been trying a few new products and am very excited about them.
New hope mills has a blueberry muffin & bread mix. I used half to make 6 muffins and I will have 2 / day as a restricted.
I calculated the difference between this and the Chocolate pancakes/muffins from Ip and boy was there ever a difference.
I did tweak the recipe for the 6 muffins a bit tho and used just 2 egg whites.
Ip choco muffins (2 muffins) : Calories 177 Carbs 15 less 2 fiber=13 Protein 20
Blueberry Muffins (2 muffins) : Calories 158 Carbs 14 less 4 fiber=8 Protein 26
Pretty awesome!
I saved 5 carbs and got an extra 6g protein!
I paid 7.95 for the whole box incl shipping (makes 12) and all I have to add is egg whites and oil (I used sesame oil same nutritional value as olive oil) so thats like just over $1/meal!
I also tried out new hope mills pancakes/waffles and cut down the portion size to 1/4 cup mix and 1 egg with 1/2 tbs sesame oil and they tasted great with only 154 calories 6 carbs less fiber 3g total 3g, and had 21 g of protein.
With shipping it only cost me 7.45 for 4 servings for just under $2/meal.
I would highly recommend these as a restricted and they taste great. I am sooo planning on using these after the Ip program.
EAS AdvantEDGE ready to drink "shakes" in vanilla, chocolate fudge, double chocolate, strawberry, and mocha caramel cost about $5 for a 4-pack of tetra-paks. Available at WalMart and almost every grocery store. I'd give the flavor 3 stars although I really do not like the mocha caramel at all.
Premier Nutrition ready to drink "shakes" in chocolate only cost about $24 for an 18-pack of tetra-paks. There is a coupon valid through June 5th or 6th in the Costco Coupon Book. Crazy, but my husband and I bought 20 of the 18-packs b/c at about $1 a "shake," this was an incredible deal. 180 calories and 30 grams of protein so no more than 1 per day. 4 stars for flavor.
Cytosport's Muscle Milk Protein + in vanilla or chocolate powder. Do not confuse this with regular or lite Muscle Milk. This is Protein +, available at Costco for about $28 / 40 servings. About 130 calories, 3 carbs, and some sodium and potassium. 4 stars for flavor.
Pure Protein Tri-Phase Infusion I drink this before bed b/c of its sustained release of protein lasting up to 7 hours.
I drink a drink for breakfast as soon as I wake up and while I'm having my coffee b/c I'm hungry and so I can keep the ketosis going.
4 egg whites and 1 egg yolk in lieu of the IP omelet pack
3 oz tuna or salmon in lieu of any IP pack; doesn't seem like much b/c it's not so I usually allow myself 4 oz.
Believe it or not, I may allow myself 15-20 almonds per day or about 5 kalamata olives just to keep myself on track. I'd rather have these "real food" sources than a protein bar that has lots of sugar alcohols, etc.
Last edited by chimpchamp; 06-01-2010 at 07:28 PM.
I started buying from Lindora pretty early on in the diet. Their products start out at half the price of Ideal Protein, and they have 30% and 40% off sales all the time as well as sometimes free shipping on orders over $100. I count packets with 8 net carbs and under as non-restricted and anything over as restricted (no more than one restricted item per day). I checked ingredients before buying anything and never purchased any item containing aspartame because it gives me migraines.
Sometimes I used a protein shake made from NOW whey protein isolate, natural flavor, and mixed it with a little stevia and Walden Farms chocolate syrup. This was in place of an IP protein packet.
I made my own pancakes using the following recipe along with Walden Farms pancake syrup for under 5 net carbs for 4 medium pancakes. I used this in place of a protein packet. IP crepes are restricted, but these are not.
1/6 cup Maple Groves sugar-free pancake mix or Carbquik
1/6 cup NOW whey protein isolate, natural flavor
sprinkle of stevia or splenda to taste
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 egg white, whipped with fork until frothy
Combine dry ingredients. Add vanilla, water, and oil and mix. Stir in egg white. Cook in preheated pan sprayed with PAM. If I use coconut oil, I melt it in the pan after spraying it with PAM. I use a 6-inch iron skillet. I don't have to spray the pan with PAM after the initial spray.
For alternative supplements, try ourhealthcoop.com. Buy their fish oil 1000 mg, their no-iron multi-vites, and their liquid calcium and magnesium capsules. I can't find anything comparable to IP's potassium calcium pills, but you can buy them from OurHealthCoop as well.
I reached goal (49 pounds lost) after 19 weeks so I consider my alternative plan a success.
\I use the ready to drink EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes in Chocolate Fudge and that is all I have ever used. I don't know if something else is better so to me they taste great! I did run out and the last two days have sampled with FiberSmart and it was DISGUSTING...I will never, ever, ever have it again! Oh, and if you go to Sam's Club, you can get 24 ready to drink tetra packs for $27.
Karleem...where do you get those muffins mixes? I would sooo enjoy that! Thanks!!
Sam's sells the EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes. I am thinking they only come in the chocolate fudge flavor, that may be becuase IMHO the vanilla is so gross I try to erase it from my memory..hehe. They also sell it in the powder form, 70 servings for $27, same price as the RTD at 24 packs. I get the RTD as I am a sleepy head who has to hit the ground running.
I bought the Lindora strawberry shake/pudding, sour cream soy puffs, and the cheesecake. They all have 8 carbs and only 12-15 protein. If I'm not mistaken, it is higher in carbs than a lot of the IP products and less protein.
Ok ladies so Im gonna do IP on my OWN starting on Saturday. I also am not gonna use their supplements, Im gonna go to Sams and buy the EAS drinks. If I do need some variety Ill go on Diet Direct for the carmeal nut bars.
So my question would be does that sound like what some of you have done or am I missing anything else?
B- shake and water
L- 2 cups veggies(salad) and shake
S- shake
D- lean protein and 2 cups veggies
Is this pretty much how the plan goes? Im also gonna start on a multi- vitiam and some omega 3s as well.
My question about breakfast would be is it okay to use regular eggs instead of a shake?
I want to be sure you get that last shake that you have listed as a snack 1 hour to 30 minutes before you go to bed. If you are hungry throughout the day, try drinking more water or spreading your veggies out a little more. Also, you can graze on lettuce and some suggest if you are hungry adding more oil. Good luck to you!
Consumer reports has an article 7/2010 on protein supps, AdvanEdge dark choc
tested high for heavy metals, interesting. Whole foods may be a better source of protein, egg whites, fish, tuna, salmon, chicken.
On day 26 of IP Alternative program, Ive lost approx 10 lbs, it was a great kick start for weight loss. I really learned that I was eating way to many carbs and not nearly enough protein. I plan to give it a try on my own, with following the plan but supplementing whole foods for the protein pac portion of it with approx equal amounts of protein, fat , and carbs. Any ideas out there?
On day 26 of IP Alternative program, Ive lost approx 10 lbs, it was a great kick start for weight loss. I really learned that I was eating way to many carbs and not nearly enough protein. I plan to give it a try on my own, with following the plan but supplementing whole foods for the protein pac portion of it with approx equal amounts of protein, fat , and carbs. Any ideas out there?
I'm not sure equal amounts of protein, fat and carbs are what I'd be looking for. What about magnesium and potassium and, most important, the 8 essential amino acids?
Lord knows I'm as subversive as anyone, maybe more so because I actively work at it. But something I learned early on is that you simply cannot succeed at breaking the rules unless you understand them. That way you can use the reasoning behind the rule to your own benefit.
Ok, so maybe most of the time what I was really after was to make the rules better. But I don't know how to make the IP rules let alone make them better. All I really know is that I'm losing weight, gaining lean body mass, appreciably reducing body fat, and haven't had a cluster headache since I started the program.
I followed the advice of a Kaiser nutritionist for almost 2 years, gained weight, and became progressively weaker and foggier. All that is reversing. Maybe these results are age-specific, but I'd hate to see you silently starving yourself even if you're getting enough basic nutrients. Scares the **** out of me.
Isn't subversive a great word? Of all the words Shakespeare invented, I think it's my favorite.