Restricted foods?? Help please!
 

I'm starting IP tomorrow but I'm a bit confused about the restricted foods.
According to the pdf, this includes "All Bars, All Soy Puffs, Chili,
Oatmeal, Pancakes, All Soy Nuts, Muffins, Salt and Vinegar Ridges, (Hearty Beef Stew & Spaghetti are permitted a maximum
of 2 times per week).".

But then it says:
Please note: it is strongly recommended that no restricted foods are consumed during a dieter’s first
2-3 weeks for maximum results.

I thought that I would eat one of the bars as an afternoon snack, but apparently it's better not to at first?

So, until week 3/4, I won't touch the bars or the chili, (I didn't buy any of the other restricted foods). Will it affect my weight loss if I start eating them on week 4, though? Will I lose less?


So, just to see if I got it right. An example of my day would be okay if it consisted of:

Breakfast: Crispy cereal envelope (this is not restricted food, is it?)

Lunch: mushroom soup envelope, 2 cups of veggies

Snack: chocolate shake

Dinner: 7 oz fish, 2 cups of veggies

Should I just keep taking the shakes as my afternoon snack for the first 2/3 weeks then? And after that, is it okay to start eating one bar as a snack?

Sorry if this is annoying, I'm just really confused and I'm scared of messing it up!

My coach allowed me restricteds from day 1 but each situation is different so if your coach says hold off until week 3 that do that. Once you start eating them, you may not notice any change in weight loss, again it depends on your body. Many people including myself do 1 restricted per day, others keep them down to 2-3 times per week. Read the daily chats as that's where you'll get the most info and post again there as you start the restricteds if you have any questions about how it has affected others.

Okay, I will check that thread out :) Thank you!

I was always confused about the restricted thing. If I eat a restricted item (bar) I won't eat my 3rd protein pack for the day, to try and stave off the additional carbs, but I don't know if I'm actually allowed to do BOTH (so some days = 3 protein packs + 1 restricted)...so for now I am trying to just play it safe...week 2 so far and week 3 weigh in is tomorrow, hoping to have lost 10 lbs total in two weeks, hope...

Welcome! The crispy cereal is NOT restricted.
Good Luck.

Kay. Your bar replaces one of the packets... My clinic did not allow them the first 2 weeks as well... I was ok with that... Then they slowly introduced them to me. Like 3 a week. Etc.

My clinic allowed a restricted from day 1. so everyday I was allowed 2 unrestricteds & 1 restricted. Only 3 packets total a day. (during the first couple weeks I was allowed an extra unrestricted only if i needed it). I have consistently lost every week using 1 restrricted a day. I have no idea if I could have lost more if I hadnt had them, but they kept me going most of the time. and I am averaging over 3 pounds loss per week.

Think of the bars as a protein pack (which they are). So, if you have a bar, it is considered as 1 of the 3 packets you are allowed each day.

The best thing to do is listen to your coach. My coach allowed me to have the restricted foods from the beginning and I have had no trouble losing weight. So relax and just follow your coach's instructions and I think you will be very happy with your losses.

If your coach sold you the restricteds I would assume they don't have any problem with you eating them now. It sounds like the sheet you have may not be the most recent (May 2011) because I just looked at mine and it doesn't say that. If you're more comfortable waiting the two weeks then by all means do so but I (along with many other of the great losers on this forum) have had restricteds from day 1 and posted fabulous weight loss numbers.

There was even a survey / study done by IP that was posted a long time ago saying that people who had a restricted every day were more successful, and stuck with it better in the long run. This program is very carefully balanced and when they're creating these foods they incorporate the extra carbs in the restricted because people need them.

So yes, your meal plan looks fine, but if your coach didn't say anything about the restricteds and it's just what you're reading on the sheet I say go ahead and enjoy the bars, they're really delicious!

My clinic has allowed 1 restricted and 2 non restricted since day 1 as well. I have a challenge though in that I can't have gluten and there are not many choices in the restricted that are gluten free. As a result i am doing 3 non restricted regularly. I don't think it speeds up the weight loss...the important thing is that you not have more than 1 restricted in a day and that you do get all 3 ideal proteins in. I guess that is why they stress following the sheet exactly.

FWIW I think the chocolate shake is more filling than the bars. The bars are tiny but taste great. They are a nice treat and most don't taste like "diet food" to me.

The bars are easy because they require no work or preperation you just open them up and eat 'em up. THey work well for me in my desk at work as a back up.

Restricteds were allowed for me at one a day from day one. They were included in my starter food. I did not order food I was just handed a bag full of goodies, with 11 extra packets. I still have some of them. I never tore into the two soy patties.

Good luck with your IP journey and welcome.

Check thismug cake thread out:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...do-i-make.html

My coach allowed restricted stuff from day 1. Unfortunately, my body is sooo sensitive to carbs that i cannot have any or my weight loss goes to almost nothing. And I love the caramel peanut bars. WAAAAH!

My coach/clinic allowed 1 restricted/day from day one (they were included in my starter goodie pack) but I choose not to have them since I have to actively struggle not to eat a box of chocolate soy puffs in one sitting!

To tell you the truth, I don't think I could do this plan if it wasn't for the restricted foods, I truly enjoy all of them. I look forward having my treat at the end of the day.

My clinic has allowed one restricted per day since day 1.

I purposely stayed away from the restricteds for the first 2 weeks. But it was my personal decision - I could have had them if I'd wished. The option was mine.

I wanted to maximize the impact of the program by staying with unrestricted for those two weeks, then when I knew I was in ketosis I allowed myself 1/day.

I was especially nervous about including the restricted bars during week 1, as I feared eating one would just make me want more... so I decided to avoid the temptation and stay away from them. I didn't buy them so they weren't around tempting me. Now that I'm in ketosis, I can handle having just one bar/day and not feel tempted to want another ... although when I first bought the Pure Protein bars (I use alternatives) it tasted so much like a candy bar that the 'I want another..' thought crossed my mind. I've managed to fight that thought successfully though, and it's gotten easier since I've gotten used to them.

My weight loss has been slow from Wks 2-5 (I'm in week 6 now) and I might do better in that respect without my daily bar. But when I don't have one I feel unsatisfied and sort of deprived - I look forward to it. It curbs any desire I have for a sweet. I guess I have to decide whether it's important enough to me to lose more quickly by cutting it out and concentrating more again on just unrestricteds... or continue as is with a daily food intake that makes me comfortable, satied, and satisfied. (Just thinking out loud here... LOL)