Switched and happier
 

I switched out a few weeks ago to more of an Atkins protocol and am doing GREAT! The weight is still coming off around 2 LBS a week, and am much happier in both attitude and pocketbook. I was just SO tired of eating out of a packet, and the mundaneness of the genre! Now, I eat more real food. Such as my morning coffee, maybe 2 eggs and some ham, a snack bar at mid morning, lunch usually still consists of those two cups of veggies (I have gotten used to them and am always on the run) A small salad with olive oil, hard boiled egg and a meal bar. Afternoon snack, and a real dinner. Had pizza (real pizza, thin crust, made at home) last week, some pasta and sauce another week. Usually I will only do these "treats" once a week. Dinner is mostly what we want, but just watch portions. NO more 2LB steaks, but 1LB is still do able. We watch out net carb intake and keep it around 30 grams or less while we are slimming down. My wife is also doing well, in both attitude and progress. We each do 20 minutes of mild cardio 4 to 5 times a week.

IP taught me a lot of diet principles, however, the costs of their food was so expensive, well, it seemed to me they can help you lose weigh quickly, but also are going to get rich while doing it. Atkins is more of a real food diet, and I use the word "diet" while Atkins is a lifestyle change. I could continue the Atkins way for life, IP, never could follow it for longer than the 8 weeks I did, and could not continue to support the cost.

My coach was a bit "offended" that we swapped, and also that we made future appointments for the old weigh in and measurement, but when we paid our fee, she made it clear that we had "lifetime support" even after the IP diet was done, to keep us motivated to stay healthy and slim.

Happy to have found this thread! I'm thinking of making the switch from IP alternatives to Atkins. I'm trying to conceive, but not ovulating on IP. My OB thinks I need to incorporate more fat (not allowed on IP) and I want to stay low carb....I think Atkins would be perfect. My question is...should I jump to phase 2, since phase 1 is similar to IP? Also, I feel a little lost. The IP protocol is very rigid and it helps me to have those guidelines. Where can I find examples of what people are eating during the day or other guides for getting started?

I also switched from Ideal Protein. It's SO expensive and I feel like Atkins is so much healthier and I'm never hungry. On ideal protein I was starving all the time. Also, I feel like there is a lot more flexibility with what you can eat. I'm much happier now!

I am thinking of switching too. I've been on IP for almost two months but the food gets so mundane and it is EXPENSIVE! Any tips or tricks would be helpful. Do most people start out buying that big kit from Walmart or do you just read the book and take off from there?

What we did
 

The food for IP is both mundane and expensive. I did buy the book, and am now under 200 LBS. I have been losing 2 or so pounds a week while enjoying eating again. When you look at the price of Atkins bars/shakes, you get four or five for the price of ONE IP packet! What I do is still follow the IP protocol. This being still no sugar. I have a shake or bar for my breakfast, 2 cups of veggies and a bar or shake WITH 2 hard boiled eggs or a salad, and a NORMAL dinner. I just do not include white potatoes (red or sweets are fine) and a protein snack at night. There is very little that I do NOT eat. I am fine with a martini or two, light bear also a couple of times a week. Ham and eggs on a Sunday or regular pancakes. I do count carbs and limit myself to 75 NET carbs. To get to net carbs, take the total carbs, subtract the fiber and sugar alcohols.

This is a system I can do the rest of my life. pasta? YEP! I use Dreamfields. Pizza? YEP! This crust and I do not eat the end crusts.

It works for me and the wife because we do it all in moderation.

Hey ladies :) Switch if you want to switch! Just take that leap of faith in yourself that you can do it no matter what plan you choose...change your mind - change your body. I started out with an obnoxious IP coach that had every hair combed into place. He'd never been fat in his life. This guy couldn't cared less about my questions. HE was also late for MY weigh ins!! I said enough and found 3 fat chicks and switched to IP alternatives. The prepackaged foods are easier for me because I really don't like to cook. I have been consistently losing. I even use organic half & half in my coffee and I have been using more oil along with fish oil capsules and I am still losing :) What ever you switch to stay positive, motivated and active. Come to this website and read, read, read! Also don't listen to the haters who tell you that you don't need to lose anymore weight! Do this for you :)

Another switching from IP back to Atkins. Actually, I was never "purely" on IP, basically I read Dr Tran's ebook, found lists of carb/protein/fat counts for the different levels, and just went from there. And it went pretty well, I'm just sick and tired of being that restrictive.

I did learn a few things along the way, though, that I think will help in the long run.

1. I can't have SF chocolate. That was the thing that plagued me when I would try to get back into Atkins before discovering IP, I'd be doing (I thought) great in terms of keeping with carb counts, but I'd always have a supply of Russell Stover SF chocolates on hand for what I thought could be guilt free munching. WRONG! It wasn't until I'd been doing IP alternative for over a year that I came across discussion of sugar alcohols and a link to this Diet Doctor site run by a guy who promotes high fat/low carb (basically Atkins). I'm sure most of you know about that, sounds like you do.

2. I have to track my intake and I have to be honest with myself while doing so. Boy that's hard. I don't like seeing that huge list of food I've eaten on the Daily Plate tracker site, but it's too easy to not think about having another cheese stick, more jerky, whatever. Those 1-2g carb hits add up fast.

3. Fat is not bad. (Just like Dr Atkins always said.) In fact, having more fat at least initially makes it easier to get through the day.

I lost 45 lbs on Atkins back in my 20s. Tried several times during my 30s. Would lose 10 lbs and stall. And now I have another 55 to go after starting and stopping and starting and stopping etc the alternative IP dieting. I made it down to 173 lbs by June last year and then across June and July gained 20 back! It's just been a struggle and I'm hoping Atkins WOE will enable me to stay on track and finally achieve my goals. I'm not prepared to accept being obese for the rest of my life.