Hi everyone,

I'm new here, but I've been reading the boards for a while now. Hope I'm doing this right.

I've been on the Ideal Protein plan for 2.5 weeks now. Wednesdays are my weigh in days. The first week I lost 9.5 lbs and a total of 6 inches. I also had strep throat that week and for 3 days didn't eat anywhere near what we are supposed to, meals or drinks, because I could hardly even swallow water. Week 2: no cheating, but I didn't eat the lettuce really because I was to full after drinks and veggies. My coach, hasn't allowed any restricted items yet either. I only lost 1 lb and 3 inches total, and actually gained an inch back in my waist. Now I am halfway through my 3rd week and haven't lost at all yet this week either (i know I shouln't be checking the scale). I cheated Wed. night because I had an event with tons of desserts and sweets are my weekness. Had a piece of german choc. cake. I also bought a food scale yesterday ( I had been estimating) and learned that I was actually eating less then the 5 ozs of meat.

Ok, so I am not eating more then I should be, but I have been eating a little less. But I don't see how eating less could cause me NOT to lose. I'm feeling very discouraged now because 1) this diet is expensive 2) it seems inpossible for me to lose. I have tried eating healthy and excercising in the past and never lost a pound. I thought this method would give me results and keep me motivated, but I didn't see any and now I'm dying to just go back to bread and pasta and sweets!! HELP PLEASE!!

Back in the day when I followed the WW diet, the weeks I ate the least I had the least amount of loss. Your body goes into self preservation mode if you aren't taking in enough calories. I would recommend you eat the lettuce (it helps with digestion), and really if you've been on this for two weeks and you've lost 10.5 pounds, I'm not sure how you think this isn't working. And....if you weigh in on Wednesdays, this is only Friday! My thoughts are that you need to follow the program and give it a chance to work...you still have 5 more days until you weigh in! Are you drinking plenty of water? By plenty I mean more than the recommended amount. Don't throw in the towel just yet -- I think IP will work for you if you follow it and give it a little more time!

It's only been 2.5 weeks , give it more time.

I know I should be excited about losing 10.5 lbs, and I am. I'm just freaking out because I don't want to waste a bunch of time and money just to learn it isn't working! I've done that before and gone 6 months just to weigh the same as I did when I've started something. So I was hoping maybe some of you have had similar outcomes with not losing much one week or another?? Even the nurses at the Dr's office where I go to do my weigh-ins seemed shocked that I had only lost 1 lb. Thanks for the encouragement.

I find that the more water I drink the more lbs I lose. Make sure you get your supplements in and also the 1oz of milk you are to have a day. I have learned that all of these items help me to continue to burn calories. The lbs I have to loose came from years of incorrect eating so I figure this is a lifestyle change and its not easy to follow at all, as long as I'm losing I'm happy plus on an average I'm losing more per week on this diet than I have on any other diet program (total loss 14lbs in 3 weeks) and i have lost cravings plus I feel full. Give the diet some time it really is a good diet.

Hi Jenn1125,

I think you're FINE! I lost 8lbs the first week and opnly 1/2 lb the second, I was really bummed out and I would guess that it is because you didn't eat enough which was my mistake. But, the next week i was down another 5 so I'm back on track. It's totally normal even if you follow the diet closely that you won't have a significant loss every week. Don't stress and please just give it until the next weigh in, I'm really glad that I did. A lot of people here have had disappointing second weeks and the truth is you lost 10 lbs in TWO weeks, that is crazy and you should be really happy about that!

Jen, I agree with everyone else here. You are getting good advice from people with experience.

Okay, well, you can't do that. This diet is based on chemistry -- metabolic processes. Eating cake will totally screw it up. If you absolutely have to cheat, have extra protein. Or a tiny piece of cheese. Or a couple of nuts. If you crave chocolate, have a diet shake or pudding, or put Walden Farms carb free fat free chocolate syrup on something. But no cake -- unless you want to really slow down your process.

There is no reason to eat less on this diet. And it isn't good for you to eat less. You will metabolize muscle off your body instead of fat. That wouldn't be good!

If you haven't read Dr. Tran's book, I would highly recommend it. It will help you understand what you are doing, and why.

Some people find that the expense is a great motivation to stick exactly to the diet, and not cheat. Cause, every high carb cheat will set you back a few days. If you are paying $7 per packet, having 3 packets per day, and a piece of chocolate cake sets you back 3 days, that piece of cake cost you $63. Was it really worth $63?

If you do this diet well, you WILL lose weight. Stick with it. Also join in regularly in our regular IP threads. It will answer your questions, and help keep you motivated.

Good luck!

Thanks for all of your input. I know the cheating will set me back for this week. I did ask my coach before I had it though and she said as long as I stick exactly to it the rest of the week it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Thanks to for the link to the book, I will read it. I didn't know there was a book.

I have a good friend that lost a lot on this diet. She told me about it back in Dec. I have been reading the message boards here since then trying to decide if it would really work and the results people have. All of you and your success is really what convinced me to try IP. The support here is amazing.

QUOTE=jen1125;3186987Thanks for all of your input. I know the cheating will set me back for this week. I did ask my coach before I had it though and she said as long as I stick exactly to it the rest of the week it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Thanks to for the link to the book, I will read it. I didn't know there was a book.

Hang in there - I agree on you reading the book...the plan does work...just leave those sweets alone...it really does knock you out of ketosis for 3 days ... another bugger for me is when I hit TOM...it really slows down a week prior and the week of. If you need something more, make your IP into a shake with ice, or add a little extra protien.

Perfect response, Birman! Couldn't have said it better myself!

I'm at 12 in 5 weeks (and everyone keeps saying guys lose faster?). I'd be happy with 10.5 in 2 weeks and just stick with it.

I do think eating less can easily = losing less....that survial mode is tricky.

I also like the ketosis sticks to track my levels. I found after even a small cheat I can be knocked out of ketosis for a couple days (if I don't workout to burn through those carbs).


Anyways keep at it and I'm sure you'll lose!!!!


*I do find it cool that it seems like everyone loses on this diet.....even to the point that a 10.5 loss in 2 weeks creates a "HELP on IP and not LOSING thread!!!

Hi everyone, Sorry I haven't been able to get on here for a little while. I was only down 2 lbs at my weigh in Wed. but like I said before I had that german choc. cake so I was expecting that I think. After reading the responses since las time I was on here I have a couple of questions

1. What does TOM stand for?
2. What are ketosis sticks?

i just started 5 weeks ago and have been doing great lost 18 in 5 weeks i have been reading somw of the post and you sound like you are doing great on the program have you ever ate anything else with carbs in it besides the packages that we are allowed i have been watching everything i eat and just wondering what else we can eat at times we need to thanks

1 - Time of the Month. I think most women around here say they retain a little water
2 - little sticks that you pee on to see if there are ketones in your system (ketones in your pee is basically you getting rid of excess fat that was converted to energy but not needed). You can get 50 of them for like $10 at your drugstore