[TheFerg]

I wish there were another clinic in my area because I am not at all happy with my coach. I have definitely found more information through reading the literature and online forums than I ever get from her or asking her questions.

One question I have that I can't seem to find answered and when I ask she just shrugs....the snack is listed after dinner on the Phase 1 sheet. But we were told not to eat after 8pm. So if I eat dinner at 6:30/7 pm I don't want a snack at 7:50. Instead, my husband and I eat our snack around 3pm at work. She shrugged and said it was "probably OK" when we started but my weight loss hasn't been that great (4.5 lbs the first week, 1.5 the next few weeks with 0 cheats and no more than 1 restricted food per week). Some Ideal Protein documents I've seen online that appear to be issued by the actual company call it a "late evening snack" but don't say that it MUST be late evening.

So to get to the point of it - does it matter when I eat my snack? If I have breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch @ 11:30 am, snack at 3 pm and dinner at 6:30/7 pm is that fine? Is there a reason behind eating a snack late at night, like to maybe keep your stomach/digestive system working while you sleep?

[Breakofday71]

I have my snack at 2:30 or 3 pm, because I need to eat every 3 or so hours. It has not affected my weight loss and my coach said that having the snack before dinner was fine.

[lauran]

I just started yesterday, so my knowledge is obviously limited, but my coach encouraged me to eat my snack at 3 PMish since I don't have dinner until late. Like Breakofday71 said, she told me not to go more than 3-4 hours without eating.

Good luck!

[lisa32989]

Originally Posted by TheFerg

I wish there were another clinic in my area because I am not at all happy with my coach. I have definitely found more information through reading the literature and online forums than I ever get from her or asking her questions.

One question I have that I can't seem to find answered and when I ask she just shrugs....the snack is listed after dinner on the Phase 1 sheet. But we were told not to eat after 8pm. So if I eat dinner at 6:30/7 pm I don't want a snack at 7:50. Instead, my husband and I eat our snack around 3pm at work. She shrugged and said it was "probably OK" when we started but my weight loss hasn't been that great (4.5 lbs the first week, 1.5 the next few weeks with 0 cheats and no more than 1 restricted food per week). Some Ideal Protein documents I've seen online that appear to be issued by the actual company call it a "late evening snack" but don't say that it MUST be late evening.

So to get to the point of it - does it matter when I eat my snack? If I have breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch @ 11:30 am, snack at 3 pm and dinner at 6:30/7 pm is that fine? Is there a reason behind eating a snack late at night, like to maybe keep your stomach/digestive system working while you sleep?

Let's get to the bottom of "weight loss 'not that great"
How long have you been on IP?
How much have you lost?
How much do you have to lose?

People with large amts of weight to lose will lose more at first than people with smaller amts.

Your coach shrugs b/c training in IP is sporadic. We have learned from each other here. If your last meal is late, it makes NO SENSE to have a snack after (common sense prevails)

Some folks have even moved their meat meal to lunch and then have the packet for dinner & see a bit bigger losses.

Some people have found that if they limit restricteds, they actually lose LESS than if they have one/day, while others lose better if they have fewer.

Once you are in ketosis, you are in fat burning mode and there is no reason for the spacing of the food, other than spacing out carb consumption so you don't have an insulin surge.

When I'm working, I have an afternoon snack to "tide me over" and then a later dinner. I haven't noticed a difference in losses between that and having an early dinner and my snack around 7.
What I DO notice is more loss if I carefully drink LOTS Of water and make sure I eat salads.

[usmcvet]

Originally Posted by Breakofday71

I have my snack at 2:30 or 3 pm, because I need to eat every 3 or so hours. It has not affected my weight loss and my coach said that having the snack before dinner was fine.

Same here. I need it around three. No problems.

[SeattleNP]

i have dinner around 6-7 and have my snack around 9 pm. that works fr me because i have it with my bedtime tea then go to sleep at 11. I am up at 6 start work at 6:30. we are all on different schedules so you have to experiment to find what works for you. I have a restricted every day. It keeps me from feeling deprived

[Cynaria]

I agree that saving the snack for after dinner can be a challenge when told not to eat right before bed.

I eat a restricted everyday and the fat keeps melting off each week. This is what makes me not feel deprived. I usually have my snack before dinner (around 2/3 ish) unless it is a special occasion when I save it for when other people are having desert.
It's important to eat every 3-4 hours (five hours max) to stoke the fire and keep the metabolism from slowing down.
To be honest, I also listen to what my body is asking for. Thanks to ketosis and protocol I do not feel hungry all day. If I do feel hungry it usually coincides with the time I normally eat something.

[animallover]

I work some long shifts and have found that I need to really split up my meals and snacks so I can eat every few hours. I usually have breakfast (crispy cereal pancake or a shake) around 6:30am. I have half of my restricted snack mid morning and the other half mid afternoon. I eat half of my protein and 2 cups of veggies for lunch and the same for dinner. That allows me to have my last packet in the evening. This has been working very well for me.

[joysh]

Originally Posted by TheFerg

I wish there were another clinic in my area because I am not at all happy with my coach. I have definitely found more information through reading the literature and online forums than I ever get from her or asking her questions.

One question I have that I can't seem to find answered and when I ask she just shrugs....the snack is listed after dinner on the Phase 1 sheet. But we were told not to eat after 8pm. So if I eat dinner at 6:30/7 pm I don't want a snack at 7:50. Instead, my husband and I eat our snack around 3pm at work. She shrugged and said it was "probably OK" when we started but my weight loss hasn't been that great (4.5 lbs the first week, 1.5 the next few weeks with 0 cheats and no more than 1 restricted food per week). Some Ideal Protein documents I've seen online that appear to be issued by the actual company call it a "late evening snack" but don't say that it MUST be late evening.

So to get to the point of it - does it matter when I eat my snack? If I have breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch @ 11:30 am, snack at 3 pm and dinner at 6:30/7 pm is that fine? Is there a reason behind eating a snack late at night, like to maybe keep your stomach/digestive system working while you sleep?

Hi TheFerg! I agree with Lisa here. I'm on maintenance now, but all through P1 and the other phases I had a snack (usually a restricted) every day at about 4 pm. I continue to do that. It tides me over until dinner and gives me a shot of energy in the afternoon. I usually don't have an evening snack, especially when I eat a later dinner. If I was hungry at night in P1, I ate half of a pickle and was happy.

[65X65]

Originally Posted by SeattleNP

i have dinner around 6-7 and have my snack around 9 pm. that works fr me because i have it with my bedtime tea then go to sleep at 11. I am up at 6 start work at 6:30. we are all on different schedules so you have to experiment to find what works for you. I have a restricted every day. It keeps me from feeling deprived

Agree about the experimenting. My coach/chiro said the idea behind the later snack is to last thing feed the body protein then sleep so there is muscle replacement or maintenance going on. I was not happy with that...but have tried to make it work for me. I do similar as Seattle...we eat late and are finishing dinner as late as 7:30-8 sometimes. Knowing I am going to have to do the "snack" at 9:30-ish keeps me not eating as much at dinner. (I'm usually FAMISHED then) ...so I've re-allocated some of my lunch and dinner raw veggies (about 1 cup...) and indulge in those between 4:30 and 5 with a squirt of mustard dressing that I make and a glass of iced tea or soda water with lemon or lime ... and that holds me until hubby gets home and we can start dinner. Hope this helps someone who is experimenting. Whoever said we are all on different schedules really is right, and it would be nice to get a sheet in P1 that addresses this and gives a few ideas on how to manipulate things.

[dedicatedt]

If I'm hungry in the afternoon I have my snack then. If I'm hungry after dinner that's when I'll have my snack. Weight loss is going great - 1 to 3 lbs a week - it all adds up if you stick with it (and inches that are lost too)! There was a week I wasn't eating my snacks and I only lost 1 lb. Now I am sure to have the snack every day and my weekly loss has improved. Stick with it for the long term and you will be happy you did!

[Ruth Ann]

I usually have breakfast around 6 a.m. and by 10 I'm hungry and will usually have my IP lunch then. Between 1 and 3 I nibble on about 2 oz of protein (usually left over meat from last night's dinner or a hard boiled egg) and my 2 cups of veggies and lettuce. We don't eat dinner usually until around 7 and then I have my snack around 8:30. I find spacing it out that way keeps me full and I am a notorious afternoon snacker so having the veggies and lettuce in a big bowl on my desk really helps.

[TheFerg]

Thank you all for our input and advice! I figured timing wasn't super critical but it is expensive so I didn't want to do anything to cause me to have to be on it longer. I've also been investigating the IP Alternatives threads and I think I will try to buy some alternative products after I get a handle on it all, especially for the maintenance phase.

I also appreciate the feedback about splitting the "real food" protein up - I also asked about this but the coach was cautious. I, personally, have a difficult time eating that much solid protein at once. I would much prefer to have 1-2 thin strips of baked chicken breast on my salad at lunch and then the remaining chicken or protein for dinner to break up the texture and the impact on my tummy/digestive system.

Thanks again!

[KryssyBee]

I'm a grazer... my coach encouraged me to get things like the zippers, ridges, chocolate balls and southwest chips. I usually open a pack and eat a little before lunch and then some in the afternoon to carry me over to supper time. I'm only on Day 8 so this is helping a lot, maybe later I'll only need to eat the snack in one sitting

My coach also said that it didn't matter where I had my snack, as long as it was before 8pm. People have different points in the day where they are more hungry than other points.