Any thoughts on buying a couple extra packs for a family member to try for a couple days to see if they like the food? I was thinking at least 3-4 days worth.

I think unless a person is committed to the plan I would say no way.
You are starting the program and if the other family member said Yuck I'm not doing this ...It could Undermine your Progress and you will be in a fragile state and may sway your resolve! So unless both are committed to the program I say No!
Let the family member seeing you being successful and then if they want to start then they can.
My concern is this is not a program you dabble in...It's Full Speed Ahead or don't bother ..if the head 's not in it ...the chances of you getting the Awesome results that are achievable will never be fully realized!
My Hubby started 1st cuz My head was not in yet ..and I started 2 weeks later and I have been able to sustain a positive driven attitude.
So either all in no dabbling is my opinion.
Oh and being on it your taste changes ...so If I Just Tried It ... I WOULD HAVE SAID YUCK ! And been let off the hook!!
Good Luck,Roo2

I would second what Roo said about tastes changing. There were MANY things I didn't like (or "tolerated" but didn't love) in the beginning. It took a few weeks of eating IP foods every day to "break" my taste buds of the strong flavors they were used to. But after a bit things I didn't like before tasted good! So having a packet here or there while still eating regular food won't really be an accurate assessment.

PLUS - you can't just do IP for a few days. The first week is the hardest! If my only opinion of the program was based on the first 3 days, I would have never continued on.

I don't know about centers around you but at our Open Houses they have a bunch of different foods to try, which was nice!

I would say it would be up to the family member. It would be a hard choice since it is the first few days that one is in carb withdrawals and adjusting and finding the food they like. I personally would give it more time like a month. My BIL is the one that told me about the program and his favs will never touch my lips again! My sister hates his favs too. My favs have changed overtime also.

Also after a length of time the results are blow you away excellent! I never would have believed that I could survive without carbs in a few days but that is me personally.

When I went back to work after the summer, everyone wanted to know what I was doing that was working so well so I generously shared my information etc. One lady was totally gung ho and I was sooo happy, BUT she was just watching what I was eating, and not really understanding the program. She soon stopped and said "I can't eat what you're eating. I miss my meat too much" (What??) but she'd only seen me eating salad at lunch and didn't "get" the shake was my protein at lunch. Because I assumed she'd be reading, I thought she "got it" but meanwhile she was totally feeling sick from not eating properly. Oh well -- live and learn.

However, I did give my mom some packs to try before she commited her $$ to the program, and she found the packets really upset her stomach. She's doing Atkins instead with real food as she can't handle many preservatives etc. So for her, I was glad she tried a few to see if it would work for her.

I don't see any harm in letting someone "try" the food to see if they like the food/flavors, which sounds more similar to what Calisto said her clinic does. That said, I don't think you need to give someone 3-4 days worth of food so they can see if they like the food. It sounds more like they want to "try" the program, not the food. The first several days can be very hard, as others have already said, so it would not be representative of what being on the program long term would be like. I think in order to "try the program" (versus "try the food"), they should really research, have an idea of what they are getting in to, and be committed to go at it for more than 3 or 4 days. If you go to a clinic, you might ask your coach about this. I'm under the impression that some clinics really don't like clients to buy food for others, but they might have some way the person could sample the foods. IP foods are also available on the internet. I'd also be concerned that if someone tried the program for 3-4 days, although they might lose weight during those days, it would come right back on after they stopped, leading them to think the program doesn't work.

My hubby tastes just about everything I eat...just one taste to see what it's like. That's all it takes to see if they like it. He's sooo not going to go on the diet though, he's just nosy about what I'm eating.

I carry a few bars in my purse for emergencies, and I've given one here and there to my teenage daughter when she's "starving to death" and I refuse to go through a drive-thru as we used to. She loves them, but she's not overweight so doesn't need the diet.

If someone truly things they want to DO the diet, then they need to commit. As everyone else says, the first 3-4 days are the WORST so if they're not committed to the diet, they will quit, no matter how well they like the foods.

My boys like to "nibble" a bit too ( but sharing nibbles with 3 people gets pretty old quick!) When my hubby ate some of my stack of pancakes, I "lovingly" reminded him,() not only had he eaten 2 days of my food for the week, but he also just eaten $8 worth of pancakes in one snack -- that would buy 3 of the Aunt Jemima BOXES in the cupboard. He got the message pretty quick and has been better about asking if something is my space food or not

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am going to suggest attending the seminar first and we go from there.