[usmcvet]

I was ready for gastric by pass surgery. I'd done all of the prerequisites. I went to training and saw a buddy who'd lost fifty pounds. I asked him how and he told me IP. I went to a meeting that night and joined the next day!

[Snozzeberries]

1) what got you try it?

Last spring, I saw an acquaintance on fb who has always been heavy go to skinny in the matter of months. Someone asked her how she did it and she said Ideal Protein. I called IP and it took 2 months for them to finally get me started.

Ironically my doctor had recommended it last fall, and I called, but no one ever called me back (i think its because they were so overwhelmed from the sudden influx of people entering the program) and I got busy with school and work (and children) and never called again. That was last christmas. I sure do wish I had been persistent bc I would probably be phasing off right now.

2) what may have got you to try it sooner? If I had known about it sooner? Or seen pictures of someone who had success on it earlier? Honestly last christmas when i called and found out that it would cost money to buy their food, I must admit i was a bit turned off by that. If I would have known back then that it would be worth every penny, i certainly would have been more persistent and not let another 8 months go by being fat and unhappy.

3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? Alternative food options, or this website. I have learned more from people on here than my coach. Also, i wish that my coach would have told me what vitimans to take to avoid hair loss (i have had none and dont want to). I learned that from here as well.

4) what makes your center and coaches great? My coach is ok. She's very nice. I cant complain, I just feel like I am learning along with her.

5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? There seems to be different information depending on which coach you have. Also, i wish weigh ins could be every other week, as it gets really hard for someone who is already busy to fit yet another thing in every week. I also wish you could order food online. For instance my coach was sick today for my WI and there is NO ONE else at the clinic that I can apparently order food from. Glad i have a surplus. It will mean a little more planning on my part since none of what I have is grab and go, (and not exactly easy to make stuff at school). But I will get thru.

6) what makes a good coach? A coach that knows what will happen with any changes to IP. A coach that is up on the latest recipes. A coach that realizes immediately when someone isnt feeling right and suggests a blood test.

7) what keeps you going and motivates you? The weight loss motivates me. I am excited to wake up and weigh myself every morning bc most of the time the scale is down. I am fitting back into my skinny jeans and am moving faster and spriter. Lol.

8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? I have not done any of these. I would, if it wasn't a 40 min drive to get to one.

9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? I set goals for myself. For instance when I hit onederland i intend to go buy myself some new clothes. Otherwise, the reward for me literally is the weight loss.

10) What do you think of the BCA? I havent had this.

[Snozzeberries]

Originally Posted by usmcvet

I was ready for gastric by pass surgery. I'd done all of the prerequisites. I went to training and saw a buddy who'd lost fifty pounds. I asked him how and he told me IP. I went to a meeting that night and joined the next day!

Me too! I had even called pie insurance company to make sure they would pay for it! So so so glad that I found this program before doing something so drastic and irreversible!

[Kellyc14]

1) what got you try it? I went to a seminar with a friend in Nov of 2013 and was interested but really didn't have the money at the time. After that I forgot about it until I went to the Dr in May of this year and found out that I had high blood pressure, the next day I went to my female dr and a nurse there was talking about how she lost 55lbs in 2 months on IP. I signed up the next day!

2) what may have got you to try it sooner? If I knew about the alternatives I would have started in November.

3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told?
Can't really think of anything..

4) what makes your center and coaches great? If I ask my coach a question and she doesn't have an answer she will research and find out for me. She makes herself available 24/7 to me also.

5) how could your centers and coaches improve services?I think they are doing a great job.

6) what makes a good coach?Caring, compassionate, understanding, flexible.

7) what keeps you going and motivates you?Seeing the weight come off! Receiving compliments, fitting into smaller clothes! My health improving.

8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges?We don't have anything like that where I live. This forum is it for me.

9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? Honestly, fitting in smaller size clothes is reward enough! But I did get my nails done for the first time in a year yesterday as a treat to myself.

10) What do you think of the BCA?Not impressed.

[DeterminedDieter]

1) what got you try it? I'd never heard of it before, my husband's boss decided to open a clinic and wanted some test subjects, to be better informed before presenting it to the public.
2) what may have got you to try it sooner?I suppose I may have started earlier if the opportunity was presented to me sooner, but I hadn't been planning on trying a "Diet"
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? I wasn't really told much, as DH boss is learning as we go along, most of the information I've found has been through this site. Maybe the hair loss possibility, but really it's probably better I wasn't told, otherwise I probably would have not thought it worth the risk (not that I've experienced any...yet...???).
4) what makes your center and coaches great? Again, as I am doing this on my own I can't say. But I know the coach that will be working at the clinic is trying it out so she will be better informed for the clients
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? N/A at this point. I just get the food from DH's boss and keep track of everything at home.
6) what makes a good coach? I would guess knowledge and first hand experience with the program
7) what keeps you going and motivates you? Part of the reason I said yes to being a tester was because I figured I would feel more motivated to stick to it when I knew someone was relying on my results and experience. And of course seeing the pounds comes off is a BIG motivator
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? N/A at this time
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? I planned on getting my hair cut and styled, which may not seem like a big deal, but it's been probably over 4 years since someone besides myself cut my hair, so I was looking forward to it as a reward for staying 100% OP for the first month. Of course my appointment was for the first of November and my stylist called in "sick" the day after Halloween! So now I have to wait another 2 weeks before I can get it cut (small town, two weeks is actually good as I had to make the appointment 3 weeks in advance!) But mostly the reward is the loss.
10) What do you think of the BCA? I don't have any experience with this.

[BStr13]

Originally Posted by canadiancandy

I am curious what everyone's opinion is on several ideal protein related questions

1) what got you try it?
My friend was having wild success and I was spinning my wheels doing what I was doing on my own. He convinced me it was amazing and doable so I went in for a consult and started that day.
2) what may have got you to try it sooner?
Knowing it even existed...I had never heard of it until I asked my friend what he was doing.
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told?
Nothing really, between my coach, this forum, my friend and lots of googling I felt like I was pretty knowledgeable going into the initial consultation.
4) what makes your center and coaches great? Personality of the coach and genuine excitement she shares/knowledge of the program.
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? I think it would be great if the center provided packet swaps or something along those lines to help avoid burnout and things of that nature.
6) what makes a good coach?
7) what keeps you going and motivates you? losing each week, already dropping a size after 3.5 wks OP
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? I haven't been to any but I would like packet swaps, like I mentioned before, my center provides lots of recipes already. I don't think I'd like a clothing swap.
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? I haven't yet, smaller clothes will be the reward, fortunately I have LOTS of sizes in my closet so I won't have to continually buy new.
10) What do you think of the BCA?

I'm not sure what BCA is....

[urbannie]

Originally Posted by canadiancandy

I am curious what everyone's opinion is on several ideal protein related questions

1) what got you try it? A coupon offered by my chiro that presented itself at just the right time.
2) what may have got you to try it sooner? If I'd known how well low-carb (the IP way) would work for me (insulin-resistant, treated for Hashimoto's). Holy poo on toast, your body shrinks fast on this program!
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? Nothing, really; I read up on it a bit before I started and my coach has always been really forthcoming. That being said, I wish I'd known how cold-natured I'd get!
4) what makes your center and coaches great? Very motivating and gracious, but with just enough no-nonsense-ness; they expect results, but patiently work with participants to get through those maddening "stalls".
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? Allow earlier (pre-8AM) appts.
6) what makes a good coach? Someone who has worked through and continues to monitor their own personal weight issues. The right balance of warm and fuzzy cheerleader and pragmatic drill sergeant
7) what keeps you going and motivates you? Knowing that if I follow the program, it will work (stalls and all). Remembering/experiencing firsthand that if I don't exercise the same vigilance in maintenance that I did in all the prior phases, I'll go right back to where I was before...and fast. (Exhibit A: my restart a couple of weeks ago)
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? I love coming to 3FC to read others' posts (aka: lurk) and get motivation, also to score some recipes ideas, alternative product ideas and product feedback.
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? New clothing if "absolutely" necessary (in which absolutely is a very relative term) mani-pedi, facial, massage, happy dances.
10) What do you think of the BCA? My coach figures fat %age and BMI at each weigh in, which when it improves is extremely motivating. Is that what you mean?