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Old 01-07-2014, 11:44 AM   #1  
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Default Carbs in Chocolate Drink??? Also Metformin/Glucophage safe during IP??? PCOS newbie

Hello Everyone,

I'd like to begin by saying that this is my first time posting in a forum, on any website, ever- but since beginning Ideal Protein on December 13th, (and finding this website 4 days later), I have spent countless hours here reading your posts and learning from your experiences. The support and understanding I have received simply by lurking through old posts has been invaluable.

I am not sure how much weight I really want to lose on this diet, probably since I have left strict instructions with the coaches not to tell me my starting weight (I feel like the number would distract/depress me). I can estimate that 25 pounds would be perfect, and I know that might seem like a small goal, but I am only 5' 2.5" and with a 15 year history of PCOS those are extremely stubborn pounds. I love the program thus far- I have experienced success at my first three WI- but more importantly- it has stopped the extreme mood/energy/fatigue swings that used to plague me.

One of the my daily routines, and the one that starts me off on the right foot daily- has been that (after I wake up and drink a pint of water with 1/2 shot of apple cider vinegar- a holdover from before IP- and maybe an old wives tale- but I still believe the benefits) I start my IP by making a drink and splitting it between 1 1/2 cups of decaf coffee. I enjoy the comfort of the ritual, and since my taste preferences run towards salty/savory and never sweet- it helps temper the sweetness of the drinks. I prefer the vanilla drink since chocolate was never my demon ( fresh bread and butter/cheese should have slept with one eye open)- but I was afraid of getting into a rut and getting bored with my diet. I was also concerned about the carb counts in the chocolate drink. I asked my coach during my first WI if there was a discernable difference between the drinks and pudding (I don't care for pudding but thought I could just substitute it in my coffee) and she went and looked at the boxes and said they had 4 carbs. So, on my second WI I purchased a box each of chocolate and vanilla and have been alternating.

At this point- 25 days in- I had already decided I was going straight vanilla on my next order (it reminds me of beloved 1/2 1/2, which I don't miss when I use it) but for whatever reason I started looking up nutrition online and saw the chocolate drink had 9 carbs! (7 net carbs?).

Can anybody verify this? And also- I would love some advice/insight as to whether or not switching entire to vanilla would have a positive effect on my inches/pounds lost. And I want to stress- I am NOT complaining- I have been very happy with my losses, and I also find our coaches extremely helpful and supportive so am not trying to throw them under the bus.

Background- 31 year old female. Active/athletic but have felt limited in recent years due to back pain from lugging around upper body. PCOS since highschool with irregular menstrual cycles still- have been prescribed metformin, but haven't been able to get an answer as to whether it is safe on the protocol. Ideally- the program would help get my weight down to where I wouldn't have to start using it. Estimating starting weight between 148 and 160... but that may be dysmorphic since I step on scales backwards. Just know that even my large pants are tighter than normal. I knew I probably wasn't going to experience a huge 7-10 pound loss due to my height, but have been VERY happy with 3.6, 4.2, and 3.2 losses in 20 days and 16+ inches.

My question is whether those 4 extra carbs every other day had an effect on my loss, and whether you think cutting them will be beneficial, especially as I know things slow down after the first few weeks. I have followed the protocol excactly- save for missing one snack and having a couple of slices of bacon over XMAS-New Years week- simply because at night I bartend in a ski resort town and was working super long shifts and needed energy. I told my coach about the bacon and she said it was better than a cracker- since I lost that week it didn't appear to stall me. I only eat restricted food twice a week- kind of thought I would save the extra carbs for when I start lightly exercising again because I know I will be hungrier/burning more energy. I know KetoStix aren't alway accurate, but since I got into ketosis, I have checked daily with them first thing in the morning and have always been in the deeper spectrums.

I know there are people here with boatloads of experience, whether it be personal- or helping/mentoring others. I do apologize for such a longwinded post. I guess I just wanted to put my background out there to help get the most informed advice, and probably I also am a little nervous, and tend to ramble when I feel exposed.
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Old 01-07-2014, 11:55 AM   #2  
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I don't think the 4 extra carbs is going to effect you but only you can determine that. You need to do a comparison. Do one week with out them see how much you lose, then the next use the drink and see what happens. Is the lose significantly smaller? I doubt it. Only your doctor can tell you if the metformin is safe.
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Old 01-07-2014, 12:02 PM   #3  
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GreenMtn: Your coach should be able to verify carb counts for you and should have supplied you with a spread sheet of nutritional info for all of the IP products. If not, ask for it! This is an expensive program and you should be able to get everything you need from them.

If no spreadsheet, then copies of box labels for each product you are purchasing or contemplating.

I chose to use the chocolate & vanilla pudding/shake mixes instead of the drink mixes because they had fewer carbs and because I found them to be creamier.

Look at net carbs, rather than total, and quite honestly, your first 4-6 weeks, you'll be fine if you just follow the rule of 2 unrestricted and 1 restricted/day plus your veggies, meat, salt, oil, and water. The nice thing about IP is you don't have to count. Have as much lettuce as you please. Lemon juice or ACV mixed with some of your oil and some herbs makes a nice dressing

Last edited by lisa32989; 01-07-2014 at 12:30 PM.
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Old 01-07-2014, 12:27 PM   #4  
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Are you referencing the ready to drink chocolate drink or the chocolate drink mix?

The chocolate drink mix is very high in carbs. But the ready to drink is not.

Hope this helps.
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Old 01-07-2014, 01:22 PM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenMtn View Post
Metformin on P1 ?
I am not sure if you type 1 or type 2. But watch your blood sugar with your meter once you start P1. If you do strict P1 with no cheats, you will likely see your blood sugar drop significantly in about 14 to 21 days. Medication that further lowers your blood sugar might drop you too low.

My fasting blood sugar dropped from 160 to 105 after about 17 days on P1 (with NO MEDICATION)
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Old 01-07-2014, 02:41 PM   #6  
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im also concerned about the carbs in the snacks and the ready to drink ones. all the snacks (bars mainly) that i enjoyed had at least 20g of carbs which was a concern and the ready to drink bottles seemed to be all at least 10g.

not sure how many the chocolate drink has but id hope to get well under 20g from my 3 IP packets, is this feasible?
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Old 01-07-2014, 02:44 PM   #7  
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Originally Posted by thethinwhiteduke View Post
im also concerned about the carbs in the snacks and the ready to drink ones. all the snacks (bars mainly) that i enjoyed had at least 20g of carbs which was a concern and the ready to drink bottles seemed to be all at least 10g.

not sure how many the chocolate drink has but id hope to get well under 20g from my 3 IP packets, is this feasible?
Again, look at NET carbs, not total carbs.
Additionally, the bars/snacks are restricted. You have only one per day. This is part of the plan.

Why did you think you'd be eating under 20 g carbs? That is not the IP plan. I did Atkins previously and that is what Atkins induction requires.
You'll definitely be under 40 for the day.

Last edited by lisa32989; 01-07-2014 at 02:49 PM.
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Old 01-09-2014, 01:49 PM   #8  
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Again, look at NET carbs, not total carbs.
Additionally, the bars/snacks are restricted. You have only one per day. This is part of the plan.

Why did you think you'd be eating under 20 g carbs? That is not the IP plan. I did Atkins previously and that is what Atkins induction requires.
You'll definitely be under 40 for the day.
maybe this isnt the best place to ask for clarity, but fundamentally what is the difference between IP and an atkins type diet? other than the shakes and products, obviously.

they both rely on ketosis and limiting carbs?

when im stuck and cant think of what to eat i often think of what i would have had on an atkins type diet, am i doing myself a disservice there?
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Old 01-09-2014, 02:20 PM   #9  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thethinwhiteduke View Post
maybe this isnt the best place to ask for clarity, but fundamentally what is the difference between IP and an atkins type diet? other than the shakes and products, obviously.

they both rely on ketosis and limiting carbs?

when im stuck and cant think of what to eat i often think of what i would have had on an atkins type diet, am i doing myself a disservice there?
Both use ketosis to burn fat. How you get there, stay there and add food like fruits and carbs and more fat differs in a few details. It's been a while since I was on Atkins but back in the day..there is info on the Atkins site about this now and I think more veggies are allowed now


This is a pretty simple comparison ...

Atkins-

No portion size restrictions

No portion requirements for veggies early on, so initially carbs (fiber)from veggies are almost non existent

Atkins allows more fats like cheese and cream and fattier meats like bacon



IP
Packet and animal protein are restricted

4 Protein "Meals" are part of the structure, including 1 snack and 1 lean approx 8 oz serving of animal protein at dinner

MUST
eat 4 C of the lowest glycemic veggies every day. This gives you enough carbs to do what I call "run your machine"...but should not provide anything left over to convert to fat! It also gives you fiber which is crucial if you need to do this long term.

No dairy other than a very small amount of skim milk allotted/day for coffee

Last edited by 65X65; 01-09-2014 at 02:22 PM.
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Old 01-09-2014, 03:40 PM   #10  
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I take Metformin on Phase 1 but I also test 7-10 times a day to make sure my blood sugar doesn't get too low. Of course I take it for type 2 diabetes not PCOS but the effect on blood sugar should be the same.
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