Hi, I'm starting day 6 and while I can say it's been going well I am an avid vegetable hater! Well at least the vegetables we are allowed to eat. I have been doing everything I can to purée them or doctor them up but that's definitely my biggest challenge. I also had the LapBand procedure about 8 years ago and while I have lost over 50 lbs with that I have been at a stand still for a couple years even with eating well and exercising. The LapBand restricts my portions so a lot of the time I can't eat more than a cup of food at a time. Seems like I'm eating 12 hours a day to get all this food in!!! But positive results already...looser clothes at least!!

Spinach works well in shakes and some people like kale (I haven't tried that). My favorite is rhubarb - I cook it down and then add it to vanilla pudding or raspberry jelly. Or you can cook it with oatmeal to make a crisp.

I saute mushrooms and celery and puree them to add to soups or take roasted peppers or broccoli or cauliflower (any veggie would work) and puree them. Another good one is to cook cauliflower (or use leftover roasted) and mash it up some and add the potato puree - yummy.

Tons of good ideas in the stickies for pureeing veggies.

Mandy - some veggies cook down to almost nothing. 2 cups of cooked spinach is about 6 bites. If you roast kale or zucchini it shrinks down too.

Just some ideas, I'm sure you'll come up with plenty of your own!

Mandy - I feel the same way about vegetabes - I've been blending them in my shakes in a Nutribullet - I'm thinking of making a quiche type of meal with spinach with my 4 eggs!!

I really like rhubarb but I can't find any - I used to buy the frozen

I can usually find rhubarb frozen at Whole Foods or PCC Markets.

Hi All!
I have been on the Ideal Protein diet for three weeks and so far I've lost
13 lbs. (I have a weigh-in tomorrow.) I am an older gal, and lost my husband a few months ago. I have a lot of weight to lose. I love all the tips I get from this site. Thanks all!

Hi everybody, I'm in my fourth week on IP. Still figuring stuff out but definitely getting there. I've been going through some light headed moments but my coach and I are working on that. I didn't lose anything last WI but I had lost inches so I'm not too concerned. There's always going to plateaus and we just need to accept those and move on. Still, slightly frustrating when I've been 100% OP.

Good luck to everyone. This site has definitely helped me understand the plan so much better.

I'm on day #6 Week #1 - did have 2 days where I ate oatmeal & a bar but I'm hoping that won't be too bad. Weigh in tomorrow at 6 PM
I'm feeling great

Hi K9gal - congrats on the -13 lbs! That is outstanding!

Rosie - I'm sure it's been mentioned, but are you getting all your salt in? I end up licking it off my hand followed by a large glass of water if I get lightheaded.

Quick question.....my coach suggested that I have 4 IP packets daily due to my weight, and up to 5 during the first week. I have had 3 today and no cheats, and don't feel like having the 4th, as it is already bedtime and I am not hungry. Should I have one anyway?

Here's what I know:
Others have done this plan starting at very high weights and started on 3 pks from the start.

And what I think: Your coach suggested that b/c the thought is you might need more at first. With the excitement of day 1, personally, I think you're fine.

But know up to 5 will be allowed this week if you need them (only 1 restricted, tho)

I have heard that that is an option above 200. I started at 265 and I never used it but I never dealt with horrible bouts of hunger. I'd ask if they think it is a need due to the possibility of going into famine mode and storing everything or if they are worried you might be hungry. You might call tomorrow and ask

Thank you! I think I will pass on number 4 for tonight. I have not felt the need to use 5 at all.

I've been on ideal protein on and off for 6 months. The first 3.5 months I lost 80 lbs. I'll be honest I was excited. However I had a health scare and since then I've had a hard time getting in the diet and staying in it to finish my goal. Having such a hard time with this and it's costly

Nay39......wishing you the best with respect to the health scare. Are you saying the health scare was related to the diet, or just that it has been hard to get back into IP since the scare? Hopefully the fact this is a monitored diet can be of consolation....