Hey Guys! So I am midway through week 2 of ideal protein. The first week I lost 7 pounds. This week I have been struggling more and am half way through and only have lost 1 pound. I am wondering if it is because I can never finish all of my vegetables. For example I am eating my lunch now and I had the pink lemonade drink and am eating celery and green peppers. I feel sick to my stomach after awhile of trying to eat them and I have barely eaten half. I am worried I am not eating enough vegetables and that is what is causing my weight loss to slow down. For dinner I usually have cooked veggies and have the same problem. Any thoughts or suggestions of what I should do? I try to incorporate them into stuff to help but I just get so full!

Have you tried putting them in a shake? Some people were adding spinach to IP choc drink. Raw veggies can be hard to digest sometimes. I often steamed or sauted them for lunch with approved seasoning and that helped. Maybe break them into smaller portions throughout the day. 8lbs in 10 days is great. The second week's lose is never as big the body needs to regroup....or something��

Green peppers can be hard on your system (they are unripe fruits) - you might want to try the milder yellow, orange, or red peppers. All protocol. Also I couldn't eat celery until I bought organic. The pesticides residues may be upsetting your system too, like they did mine.

Cook up spinach and fresh mushrooms - they go really well in an omelette (either IP packet omelette with herbs, or real eggs & whites for dinner). You might enjoy veggies roasted in the oven with garlic and olive oil. That tends to take away any bitterness some people taste with fresh raw veggies. Zucchini can be sliced and lightly baked with cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg for an 'apple pie' sort of dessert, also don't forget rhubarb (especially good stewed with Strawberry Mio as your sweetener). Those two are veggies as dessert, yum.

Also eat half your veggies, then whatever you have made for a packet can go with the last half of the veg. That way it doesn't feel like you get to eat good stuff first, then are 'punished' with stuff you don't like for the last half of your meal. That was always my trick as a kid. Eat stuff you don't like first, then save your favorite flavours for the remaining part of the meal and end on a good note.
You can always chop and blend into the soups (I know, summer and soup ??!!)

Jenny38 said it - 1st week losses are not typical, and our body needs to catch up and start losing fat not water weight in the next few weeks. Don't forget to measure even on weeks when you don't lose, you may be shrinking, lol.

Liana

I just made a batch of the rhubarb compote and used Splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg and a splash of blackberry lemonade mio -- delicious and used 2 cups of rhubarb, I am going to have it with some of the IP jello as a sweet treat.
Also, it might be easier to eat the veggies as a chopped salad, when you really dice them so they are small and crunchy, then use a Walden farms or IP dressing (try adding a couple of teaspoons of good Dijon mustard to the IP balsamic, delicious and not too sweet) it becomes much more palatable because there is more surface area for the dressing (I learned this from my brother-in-law who is a chef, and an Italian who knows his food!)
Good luck and keep on going!

I find raw veggies pretty hard to get down too...have been using a lot in soups, esp cauliflower purée which helps thicken...I put spinach into smoothies too

I use different spices and herbs. It helps me. :-)