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Old 09-27-2015, 01:45 AM   #1  
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Default On IP Since Jan. 10, Great Results But I'm Tired

Hi, I have been a long time lurker of 3FC and have tried many different methods to lose weight. I believe this is my first post. The majority of my life I was not overweight, but starting in 2009 I started gaining 20 lbs a year until I was 285 lbs. I gained due to stress, depression and life changes. I discovered Ideal Protein after moving to Washington last Oct 2014 and desperately searching for a way to get my weight under control when I could barely fit in the bus seats. I came across a YouTube video by EnlightenWithZara and was blown away by her results on IP. After doing more research I finally went to a few clinics in Bothell and Issaquah and settled on one with a nutritionist on staff.

The results have been amazing, I have not been below 220 in almost 5 years and hit that mini goal a few months ago. I am now stuck at 212 and had my first 5+ gain on the program. I started eating outside the plan a few weeks ago, but I'm getting back on track after a tough WI this morning. My goal is to be back in the 150s but I have several mini goals in mind.

Aside from my off plan eating setback, I have concerns as follows:

- My energy level has struggled the entire program. I have seen my regular doctor, gotten blood work done and everything is "normal" except my B12 is elevated. My coach was unable to tell me what might cause high B12 levels and I have not figured it out either. My doctor wants me to do a sleep study to see if that is causing me to feel so darn tired.
- I get easily winded moderately walking and forget taking the stairs! I used to enjoy working out before gaining all the weight and wonder how I will be able to do that with basically no energy. I feel borderline weak.
- The constipation is hard to deal with. I am anemic so I have to supplement Iron, that on top of the constipation from IP is too much! My coach advised Magnesium Citrate to move things along, it works but I dislike the effect.
- This is a cosmetic concern, my butt is looking crazy. I've always been curvy and my backside looks flat and strange. The shape is very odd and I'm wondering if I need to be doing squats but again my energy levels are suffering.
- Lastly, the cost is starting to get to me. I've spent about $3,700 on the plan, I have rationalized this with the idea I used to eat massive amounts of junk food, take out, etc. I pay $90-100 weekly. My HSA account pays for supplements so that helps. I've reviewed alternatives but I'm not confident in that route yet.

My staples are Vanilla Ready Made Drink, Brocolli & Cheese Soup, Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate (Cocoa) Drink. I eat pretty much the same thing daily. I tried vanilla pudding ready made and it was so nasty, I paid $33 for the box so I don't experiment with new foods I can't buy as a individual packet. I have tried other packets but those listed never fail me.

I'm looking for some support, encouragement and thoughts on my concerns if anyone gets a chance to comment. Have a good evening and hope to hear from you all soon.

Nicole

Last edited by nicolenh; 09-29-2015 at 06:00 PM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 05:14 AM   #2  
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I think you are doing great so keep it up!

A few thoughts

1. on the constipation issue ... have you tried increasing your water? Most people don't drink enough water. You should be drinking half your body weight in fluid ounces -- for you that would be 106 fluid ounces of water a day. I know for me that when I get my water up, any issues with constipation goes away entirely. Lots of water REALLY HELPS with weight loss and fat loss.

2. on being tired. Try increasing your protein by eating an extra chicken breast or something similar. My gut feeling is that you might be burning off too much muscle mass? And by increasing your protein intake, you will nip that in the bud and switch back to fat loss. Plus that will help to kill cravings and keep you from cheating on worse things (like carbs and sugar).

3. One last thought on being tired. A lot of IP foods contain soy -- and I know for me I have a soy allergy where eating soy makes me feel awful. There are at least 2 IP Foods that contain no soy -- The IP Chocolate Drink Mix and the IP White Cheddar Ridges -- you can check various websites to see which other IP products contain no soy. For example:
http://althealthassociates.com/services/weight-loss/

4. Make sure you get your Oil in (find a good fresh pressed Olive Oil) ... Like this one ...
http://www.julietmae.com/olive-oil/e...gin-olive-oil/

also take a good Omega 3 oil capsule (such as MegaRed Krill Oil) --
http://www.amazon.com/MegaRed-Ultra-...dp/B00C1C22QU/

and be sure to get your vitamins in (not necessarily the IP vitamins, but a good alternate brand (like Nutrition 950) is also good.
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsula...dp/B000VYVUF4/

Try avoiding all soy products for a week or two as an experiment and see if you feel any better.

Just a few ideas! Sometimes you have to tweak things a bit to find a combination that works for you and your body. We are not all cookie cutter (that is, we are not all the same).

Good Luck!

Last edited by Avalon1957; 09-27-2015 at 06:32 AM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 09:04 AM   #3  
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For the constipation, I took Miralax every day in my morning coffee. But it can be mixed with just about anything.

I didn't have a problem with constipation until I had to have a colon resection due to diverticuli attaching to my bladder & allowing waste to enter my bladder...yuck. But once I had the operation, I had major constipation problems, no matter how much water I drank. Miralax solved that for me (it can be bought at Walmart or just about anywhere).

It is a stool softener that draws moisture into the colon and is much more gentle than a lot of other laxatives that cause the colon to spasm to move the waste along.

My primary care physician told me to use it every day. I used it every day for about 6 months, then I was able to cut it down to every other day for about another 6 months. Now I only need to take it very rarely since everything is working better now.

Best of luck in getting this issue resolved because you will feel so much better when you do.
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:25 PM   #4  
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Avalon, thanks for the reply. I found your results on the web too when I was first researching IP last year. You look amazing!

I currently get in 80 ounces of water daily, I can "fight" to get in that additional 26. My muscle has gone up weekly as expected and fat % down. I do eat extra protein (egg) in the morning to try and combat the energy issue. It appears my two staples Brocolli & Cheddar Soup and Chocolate Brownie have Soy, I'll start looking for alternatives. I do take breaks from the soup on the weekends but will see if I can change it up for a few weeks.

I know depression is partially the cause of my energy being low, which I work with my primary doctor on to manage without medication. I've been directed to supplement Vitamin D, which I do when I remember. But overall I am SO TIRED .

Currently my food intake is as follows:

B- Vanilla Ready Made + Grande Blonde Roast and 2 or 3 boiled eggs based on how I feel in AM
L - Brocolli Soup + Salad, Peppers, Onion, Tomato + WF Thousand
D - Sautéed Shrimp, Spinach, Garlic, Salad and 1 tbsp Olive Oil (or Chicken, Asparagus, Brocolli, Cauliflower, Beef for Big Mac Salad with 1 tsp Olive Oil and Salad)
S - Hot Cocoa (sometimes WF Carmel & Sea Salt added)
P - IP Multi, IP Potassium, Iron 65mg - 3, Vitamin C to absorb Iron, IP Cal Mag - 2 ( coach reduced because of constipation), IP Omega 3

Thanks!
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:38 PM   #5  
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For the constipation, I took Miralax every day in my morning coffee. But it can be mixed with just about anything.
Hi Galpal, I was also instructed to take Miralax. I've tried it in my coffee and didn't like, so I add to water with a little water flavor. For me it slightly changes the taste of what I add it to even though I stir completely until it evaporates. The instructions on the bottle say only use for 7 days so I take breaks and go back to the Mag Citrate as needed, which has a harsher effect to me. Miralax takes a few days to work on me so I dont go for almost 3 days using Miralax. Mag Citrate is predictable, overnight, but pretty harsh in my opinion.

Thanks and best wishes with your health as well.

Last edited by nicolenh; 09-27-2015 at 02:28 PM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:13 PM   #6  
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I questioned my medical doctor about that and she said the warning is there for folks who don't know why they are having constipation problems. This way they will hopefully seek medical advice before using it longer than the 7 days.

Since you know what your issues are (iron usage is a huge catalyst for constipation), use it every day and it will help keep you regular. Or not. Totally up to you.

As far as the taste. I guess I put enough stuff in my coffee that I never taste the Miralax.

Last edited by galpal445; 09-27-2015 at 01:18 PM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:48 PM   #7  
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When your doctor ran labs did he run a full thyroid panel? TSH, FT3, FT4. Extreme tiredness can be a sign of hypothyroidism. Ketogenic diets can affect thyroid function.

Ideal protein is a great diet. It really does work. Weight loss does slow down after a while though.
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Old 09-27-2015, 02:21 PM   #8  
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When your doctor ran labs did he run a full thyroid panel? TSH, FT3, FT4. Extreme tiredness can be a sign of hypothyroidism. Ketogenic diets can affect thyroid function.

Ideal protein is a great diet. It really does work. Weight loss does slow down after a while though.
Hi Kristin, yes she ran TSH reflex FT4 which result was 1.69 and a series of other labs (CBC, Iron, B12, Lipid, Metabolic) everything was normal except B12 was elevated. These tests were run in August 2015 after 7 months on the plan.

I agree IP is great, nothing has worked for me the past several years, this works but the concerns I listed do bother me regularly.

Nicole
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Old 09-27-2015, 06:17 PM   #9  
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Since you know what your issues are (iron usage is a huge catalyst for constipation), use it every day and it will help keep you regular. Or not. Totally up to you.
That makes complete sense, thanks Galpal!

Nicole
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Old 09-27-2015, 11:29 PM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nicolenh View Post
Hi, I have been a long time lurker of 3FC and have tried many different methods to lose weight. I believe this is my first post. The majority of my life I was not overweight, but starting in 2009 I started gaining 20 lbs a year until I was 285 lbs. I gained due to stress, depression and life changes. I discovered Ideal Protein after moving to Washington last Oct 2014 and desperately searching for a way to get my weight under control when I could barely fit in the bus seats. I came across a YouTube video by EnlightenbyZara and was blown away by her results on IP. After doing more research I finally went to a few clinics in Bothell and Issaquah and settled on one with a nutritionist on staff.

The results have been amazing, I have not been below 220 in almost 5 years and hit that mini goal a few months ago. I am now stuck at 212 and had my first 5+ gain on the program. I started eating outside the plan a few weeks ago, but I'm getting back on track after a tough WI this morning. My goal is to be back in the 150s but I have several mini goals in mind.

Aside from my off plan eating setback, I have concerns as follows:

- My energy level has struggled the entire program. I have seen my regular doctor, gotten blood work done and everything is "normal" except my B12 is elevated. My coach was unable to tell me what might cause high B12 levels and I have not figured it out either. My doctor wants me to do a sleep study to see if that is causing me to feel so darn tired.
- I get easily winded moderately walking and forget taking the stairs! I used to enjoy working out before gaining all the weight and wonder how I will be able to do that with basically no energy. I feel borderline weak.
- The constipation is hard to deal with. I am anemic so I have to supplement Iron, that on top of the constipation from IP is too much! My coach advised Magnesium Citrate to move things along, it works but I dislike the effect.
- This is a cosmetic concern, my butt is looking crazy. I've always been curvy and my backside looks flat and strange. The shape is very odd and I'm wondering if I need to be doing squats but again my energy levels are suffering.
- Lastly, the cost is starting to get to me. I've spent about $3,700 on the plan, I have rationalized this with the idea I used to eat massive amounts of junk food, take out, etc. I pay $90-100 weekly. My HSA account pays for supplements so that helps. I've reviewed alternatives but I'm not confident in that route yet.

My staples are Vanilla Ready Made, Brocolli & Cheese Soup, Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate (Cocoa) Drink. I eat pretty much the same thing daily. I tried vanilla pudding ready made and it was so nasty, I paid $33 for the box so I don't experiment with new foods I can't buy as a individual packet. I have tried other packets but those listed never fail me.

I'm looking for some support, encouragement and thoughts on my concerns if anyone gets a chance to comment. Have a good evening and hope to hear from you all soon.

Nicole
Hi Nicole!
Interesting about the high B12 - excess vitamins are processed through the liver - did they test liver function?

I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2008 and feel best when my TSH is less than 1.00. 1.50+ and my symptoms start returning

I've always had a slow bowel and use Natural Calm magnesium supplement (but still only go every 2 or 3 days). Smooth Move, on occasion, is ok.

Also, are you getting enough salt? Even if you are doing the 1/4t of IP salt, are you also salting your foods enough? When you are feeling tired / weak, try a 1/4t of salt in your palm, lick and chug water...or mix into a small amount of hot water to dilute.
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Old 09-28-2015, 12:48 AM   #11  
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nicolenh, I had elevated B12 7 my doctor told methe only way that is known to happen is from supplements.

Is it possible you are tired because you aren't meeting your energy needs on the protocol? Someone else suggested eating an extra packet or extra protein and fat. Sometimes this solves the fatigue and also can speed up weight loss a little because your metabolism is stoked with the extra food.

Re cost, yes, ouch! A lot of people do great using alternatives that are half the price. Maybe your coach will be ok with you buying half your food from IP & half alts? Or use the IP forum here for support, and do all alternatives?

Wishing you the best! You look fantastic!

Last edited by mars735; 09-28-2015 at 12:51 AM.
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Old 09-28-2015, 10:32 AM   #12  
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You've gotten some really good advice already. A few more things to consider:

If Vitamin D is an issue, you should really up your fat a bit. Even if you are taking supplements, the body needs fat to adsorb Vitamin D. I know you don't want to add calories, but long term health is the most important thing here. No point getting to 150 if you cause chronic health issues doing so. That extra fat may give you added energy too. IP is very low fat and some people's bodies can't tolerate that low level of fat for an extended period of time. Since you already add some extra protein, I'd try upping fat to 2 tablespoons per day for at least 2 weeks and see what happens. The added fat should help with your constipation too.

As for cost - I find this vanilla RTD to be identical to IP's and costs half as much when using the occasional sales Nashua has (10% this week on ProtiThin products with the code PT10, 10% with a lifetime membership, $5 with the code FALL, free shipping on orders over $100 before discounts are applied). Yes, there are less expensive alternative vanilla drinks, but this one is the closest I have found to IP and it might be a good way to ease yourself into alternatives.

http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store...lla-6-box.html

As for the vanilla pudding you hated, if you still have it, try making a waffle with it. Add an egg or two whites, 1/4 tsp salt, and 3/8 tsp baking powder to it and cook in a waffle iron until the steaming stops. It may not become your favorite food (like mine did with the cheesecake pudding I detested as pudding but now continue to purchase to eat as a waffle when I need a special treat in the evening), but it would use up something you wish you hadn't purchased.
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Old 09-28-2015, 08:44 PM   #13  
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Hi Nicole!
Interesting about the high B12 - excess vitamins are processed through the liver - did they test liver function?

I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2008 and feel best when my TSH is less than 1.00. 1.50+ and my symptoms start returning

I've always had a slow bowel and use Natural Calm magnesium supplement (but still only go every 2 or 3 days). Smooth Move, on occasion, is ok.

Also, are you getting enough salt? Even if you are doing the 1/4t of IP salt, are you also salting your foods enough? When you are feeling tired / weak, try a 1/4t of salt in your palm, lick and chug water...or mix into a small amount of hot water to dilute.
Yes, they tested my liver as well it was "normal". She tested pretty much everything this past August because of my big concern about low energy and everything was "normal", except the B12.

What do you do to keep your TSH level below 1.50? Mine is a 1.69 but according to the test standard range is 0.450-5.100 uIU/mL.

I think I am getting enough salt, I do put it in my soup at lunch and also sprinkle sea salt (not IP salt) on my dinner salad, veggies and meat. I will try the 1/4t of salt in my palm though to see if that helps. Thanks!
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Old 09-28-2015, 08:50 PM   #14  
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Originally Posted by mars735 View Post
nicolenh, I had elevated B12 7 my doctor told methe only way that is known to happen is from supplements.

Is it possible you are tired because you aren't meeting your energy needs on the protocol? Someone else suggested eating an extra packet or extra protein and fat. Sometimes this solves the fatigue and also can speed up weight loss a little because your metabolism is stoked with the extra food.

Re cost, yes, ouch! A lot of people do great using alternatives that are half the price. Maybe your coach will be ok with you buying half your food from IP & half alts? Or use the IP forum here for support, and do all alternatives?

Wishing you the best! You look fantastic!
Thanks for the compliment! I'll take another look at the supplements again, this is the first time I've ever been told my B12 was elevated.

I do add extra protein, since I was struggling early on I add up to 2 boiled eggs daily. But my energy is still a struggle.

I think I am going to discuss the Alt with my coach, I just need to do a little more research on Alts and find out if they are viable replacements. Thanks!
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Old 09-28-2015, 09:02 PM   #15  
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Wahoofan, I agree about the no point in getting back to 150 and having chronic health issues. I really wish I could figure this out. Thank you for the suggestion on the Vitamin D, I can up my Olive Oil to add a little more healthy fat.

Thanks for the Vanilla RMD alt, that is truly a staple for me and I plan to continue enjoying it even after I'm done with the weight loss phase. I love it with my coffee. I will place an order soon, it is half the cost of IP Vanilla RMD.

I got rid of the pudding, it borderline tasted like house cleaner and I wondered if I got a bad batch or if that was really the taste. I tried it again and just couldn't take it, yuck! It did hurt to thrown that $ away though.

Nicole
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