[ChubbyCherub]

My coach (es) say you have to weigh it raw. According to them it's an IP rule. I would love to hear from some of the coaches on here!

[Teden]

My coach told me to weigh everything the way it is eaten, so cooked I guess- but it is more convenient to measure it raw, so I usually do that...

[New Englander]

I was told to measure raw. Personally I prefer it that way because it comes out less when fully cooked! I'm at the end of my journey and I'm still alive so...

[Jelbeangrl]

Originally Posted by Andie0606

My coach specifically said to weigh meat cooked but to measure veggies raw. Weight Watchers says to weigh meat cooked as well. If you weigh it raw, then you really can't be sure how much you are getting because of shrinkage.

I have to agree. My coach actually told me to order a 10oz steak so it'd be cooked down to 8oz (if I was dining out)

[Sewmam]

I sure wish IP would get their act together and have consistent messages that every coach uses. There is quite a difference in raw vs cooked weight, and I would hate for an individual method to hinder somebody's progress, or even cause them to worry about whether they are doing it 'right.' It amazes me how many different instructions we get from the various clinics.

Just sayin'....

[IPdivajen]

I was very emphatically told by my coach that everything (meat and veggies) was to be weighed raw.

[ProteinGal]

How do you weigh shrimp with shells still on? do you weigh at 9 oz (an extra ounce for the shells)?

[ChubbyCherub]

But one of the coaches in my group specifically tells people they can only have 5 oz of meat (weighed raw). So how much meat are we actually getting? Steaks usually come out around 3.5 oz cooked, and burgers (if you get the extra lean without the pink slime) usually come out around 3 oz cooked. But I still have to journal that I ate 5 oz of meat... I don't know..

[Andie0606]

Originally Posted by ProteinGal

How do you weigh shrimp with shells still on? do you weigh at 9 oz (an extra ounce for the shells)?

I weighed out 10 oz. of frozen shrimp, shells on but no heads. After I cooked them (saute'd in a little coconut oil with fresh ginger), they weighed 8 oz. without the shells.

[ProteinGal]

Originally Posted by Andie0606

I weighed out 10 oz. of frozen shrimp, shells on but no heads. After I cooked them (saute'd in a little coconut oil with fresh ginger), they weighed 8 oz. without the shells.

Thanks Andie, thats what I will do then

[JoesHotWife]

Since this question comes up a lot, I decided to research it…Yes, I am a diet GEEK and have all those counts books. The Food & Nutritional industry standard is to weigh meat raw. If you look on raw meat packages, the portion size is measured "raw" and is usually 4oz. If you look on a canned/packaged product it is almost always under 4 oz. since it is cooked. That being said, there is quite a bit of difference in the fat & calorie counts of 8 oz of raw chicken breast vs. 8 oz. cooked.

The phase 1 protocol sheet says 5-8 oz of lean protein

I looked the counts up in my food counts book. For chicken breast - 8 oz raw: 248 cal, 52 pro, 3.2 fat. 8oz cooked: 374 cal, 70.4 pro, 8 fat. That is a difference of 126 calories, 18.4 grams of protein and 4.8grams of fat. That being said, how you measure your whole protein could mean the difference of 1 lb of weight loss per month. If you are on IP for 3 months, that is one extra week or $81.

In the end it is up to each person to make an informed decision. The IP protocol information is presented the same to each clinic and IP provides a manual and access to the IP doctors to troubleshoot problems a dieter may have. Adjustments may be made for individual needs. However, people are people and some replace the protocol with opinion and present it as fact.

IMHO - If you want to have the greatest success on this diet now and the best chance to maintain it once you are at goal, you need to follow the protocol 100%. Everything adds up, good or bad, and what it equals is your degree of success.