Ideal Protein Diet?
 

Has anyone tried this diet? My mother is on it and has lost about 45 lbs in about 6 months. She wants me to try it, but she says she often has little energy and is hungry a lot on it. Her doctor is on the same diet and recommended it to her, but the I'm still a little worried about her!!

Athletes use protein rich diets for energy and to help maintain lean muscle mass. A lack of protein in the diet would make a person feel hungry/lethargic.

Anytime you change your diet, it's normal to have an adjustment period where you feel hungry or lethargic, but it will pass. If your mom is still feeling lethargic after 6 months (after 1 month), then she should talk to her doctor. A protein rich plan will support energy levels, not deplete them. Her success is totally healthy, she's doing great!

Often times, too, when people embark on a life-style change with their diet, the obstacles they face are emotional or "all in the head". It could be that she feels deprived, and the psychosomatic response to this is believing she should be tired, or hungry, she then, therefore, is tired and hungry. (If you believe it, it's true.)

Emotional obstacles are difficult to remove, even after losing so much weight, the ideas we have in our head can remain, unless we make an effort to recognize them as false ideas, and replace them with the truth. It's a process, and not everyone gets to their truth at the same time.

I would suggest she is either thinking that she's tired and hungry, or she's not getting enough protein.

Last year, I also started a protein rich, doctor supervised, diet plan, and lost about 45 lbs in 6 months. And although I felt like I should be eating more food, I never felt physically hungry, and my energy levels increased, not decreased. From what I've learned from my nutrition courses, this is normal, what you report your mom is feeling, is not normal.

It might not be the right plan for you, but you'll never know unless you try.

Good luck!

If you search Ideal Protein on these boards, you'll see many, many success stories, as well as stories of frustration and various issues. I lost 30 pounds in 4 months on it, my husband lost 40 pounds - we're currently maintaining. Check out Ideal Protein on this site for lots of infomation and insights.

I just started IP on March 1 and the adjustment has been a challenge but it is working. PPs are right - if she's still feeling hungry she should be talking to her coach and seeing what tweaks can be made so that the system best meets her needs.

It's funny, while I'm new to this and still adjusting (and therefore still dealing with some hunger pangs) I can say that my energy has actually increased which is a huge deal for me so no issues there.

I started IP in late July of last year and lost almost 30 lbs by the beginning of Nov. I've been maintaining since then. If you follow the plan, it does work. There is an entire IP forum which will answer any question you can think of.

My husband and I started the ideal protein diet this week and so far we are doing great! I have lost seven pounds this week so far and as a few days ago my husband as lost 5( I don't know his current weight loss). I know for me personally that I totally have a lack of energy right now. I don't seem to have the hunger problems but my husband said that he does. One thing I have noticed with the lack of energy is that if I get up and go that I actually have alot of energy but if I just sit around at home I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't know if that helps or not but so far that has been my experience, granted I have only been doing it for four days!

I've been on the IP diet for 8 months and have lost over 40lbs and at my goal. The 1st week was a challenge but I made it through. I have not been sick and have plenty of energy. Since the weather is getting nicer, I've been walking to work on tightening up the loose skin!

Today is exactly 2 months on IP and I've lost exactly 20 pounds. Love round numbers. I'm not saying it's an easy diet, but it's definitely working. The energy level is higher, so I've added gym classes (yoga, strength training), go on a gym bike a few times a week. I'm tired a lot, but because of the extra activities. There's a challenge of being hungry, mostly between lunch and dinner, but when you step on the scale in the morning, it's worth it. Good luck to everyone!

i have been on ideal protein for a year.
I have lost 50# I am currently doing
phase 2. I will be giving myself a break
for a while I will be following the Atkins
diet. Probably about 6 weeks. Yes, I have
found IP to be sucessful!

The advantage of a diet like IP is that it is a muscle sparing diet. So while you lose weight quickly (bonus!) because it highly restrictive in cals....you spare muscle loss because it gives you enough protein. Too often when we diet, we don't get in enough protein and we lose a lot of our muscle with the fat. On IP, you will see inches come off like crazy because of it being mostly fat you lose each week. It is highly motivating and a great diet plan!

This diet is saving my life! Like other diets there are days I'm hungry and have no energy, but other days are great. The first few days are the hardest. This is the only diet that has ever worked for me.

Lost 40 pounds in a little less than 3 months on IP
 

Have tried a million other plans, and none worked like this. Once you get started it is so easy to follow. I am never hungry, and in fact I often have to force myself to eat the final snack of the day because I'm full! I have ten pounds left to lose, and on this plan I know that it will happen!

:broc:

New to IP
 

Hi All,

I'm new to IP just started on April 4, 2012. I'm down 5.5 pounds and excited. I've been doing the alternative program for 2 weeks. I'll have my second weigh in today. Wish everyone Peace and Blessings. Let's get healthy!!!

It's a great diet! Actually, it's more of a lifestyle change that comes in phases that help you to change your eating habits. I am 17, and I am healthy.

Hungry
 

Does anyone eat anything between lunch and dinner? Today is my 5th day and I think I get more hungry each day. I thought you were never suppose to be hungry on this diet!

The thing that consistently turns me off Ideal Protein (aside from being a vegetarian) is the number of zealous followers. I'm always suspicious when I see posts on here raving about how good IP is from users with exactly 1 post count. Or "success stories" posted in the goal threads with uniform pictures from people who don't post on the other boards.
That's not to say the plan doesn't work, I'm sure it has successfully helped many people lose weight. But when IP is being marketed to me using fairly honest forums with user-generated content like 3FC I am completely turned off. It just seems so sneaky to do it that way. Maybe some of these posters are genuine, but I suspect its more likely someone at IP headquarters sitting behind a computer desk creating fake profiles. Unfortunately after working in online marketing for several years, its gets easy to spot the signs.

I started IP march 20. I'm down more than 20 lbs. averaging 2 to 3 lbs a week. Had trouble at about 4 weeks with diarrhea but working with diet coach we traced it to magnesium overload and have made subtle adjustments that have mitigated the problem. It's expensive, and I have been glad to discover more inexpensive alternatives for about a quarter of my program. But I have to say it has been an effective approach. Sure it takes discipline, it's not very forgiving of cheats, and results are not instantaneous, but I am also learning good habits in portion control and healthy choices. So on balance I have to say thumbs up on IP.

I often save 1 cup of lunch veggies for snacking. Or I have my snack packet then -- a pudding or a drink. Or those dill zipper things which I love. Or dill pickle slices which are "free" -- sometimes too a big belt of pure water is incredibly satisfying.

The first few weeks I was ravenous, and I purchased fat free chicken stock and would chop up some chives and yummmmy! I'm not hungry any more now - like someone else said, I have to force the last snack. My coach got on me about not getting the snack in.

To the original question - yes, I love it. I watched a few acquaintances go through the program and I knew as soon as I could afford it - I would do it. Now that I've come to grips with how much I was spending to stay fat, it doesn't seem as expensive -- I'm spending the same and losing weight - yippee!

new here
 

Hi I'm Jane , it is Day 6 for me and I feel great... I haven't stepped on the scale yet... that will come Monday morning. I have found a new love of mushrooms, I never ate them before at all, also cucumbers... This is definitely a beautiful lifestyle change :):D...Supper tonight Pulled Pork/ mustard/ mushrooms ( sauteed) brocolli and cauliflower ... beautiful.. Only thing is I don't have a weight scale for food... so I am guessing my supper meat portion... I figure if I am off a tad it isn't going to hurt much... :) Have a great day

I noticed something..I have my protein drink..which is 0 sugar 0 fat... and I lose my ketones... I never get further than small ketones before I have a shake in the morning, I check after I have my shake and I am negative for ketones. Confusing since I take in NO sugars all...

I have been IP for 8 weeks now, and lost 35 lbs. Several people I work with have had excellent results too. Watching people you know loose week by week and be happy about a diet was a good recommendation to give it a try. I know I will sound like one of those snake-oil salesmen, but I really beleive this diet is changing my life...went from 249 to 215, knees don't hurt, can walk more without being short of breath, can do up/down stairs easier, have more energy, sleep better, my heart arrythmia seems gone, so am on less meds....its all good! The first 3-5 days were the worst...and the best motivator to stay on the program is the losses each week. Go read the posts under IP...that many people from that many places can't be wrong....look at it on you tube. I highly recommend this diet.:broc:

Because this is such a low calorie intake diet with the normal protiens for sparing lean body mass, you should not see anything other than a trace amount of ketones spilling into the urine after the first 3-5 days. Once you are in ketosis, you are using the ketone bodies from the breakdown of fats as energy for your body. If you follow the program trace is all you should see, any more is a problem

Anybody know where I can get the Ideal Protein food and just buy it a box at a time? I used to do this diet and I miss those Cookies-N-Cream bars like crazy! I don't want to do a whole "plan" or commitment, but I can't find anywhere to just buy a box of those bars!

I decided I needed to do something 'structured' about losing weight at the end of March, and started researching - stumbled across the local clinic for Ideal Protein in my city, and the Ideal Protein website. After some serious reflection I joined up. I almost immediately found the 3fatchicks IP forum here, and the thread about being able to do IP using a variety of alternative products. Since IP is expensive for my budget, I decided to do that. The first week on 'IP Proper' products got me into ketosis, and I proceeded from there on alternatives. So far I've lost 18 lbs. I'm in my 9th week. I'm 61 and menopausal, and seem to be losing more slowly than many of the others - but I am losing. My energy has been good, and by and large I feel good. The first week was definitely the hardest, and then of course I had to develop the 'routine' of eating this way. Eventually it becomes habit.

I never visit or post in the other sections of this forum because I only come here to get 'reinforced' about my IP diet... why read and post elsewhere when I'm an IPer? I never visited 3fatchicks before I found IP, so have no past knowledge of it.

I'd love to be losing faster... but I'm a lot lighter than when I started at the end of March - and without IP I probably wouldn't have stayed the course this long.

Visit http://buyproteinfood.com/index.php?

I've been on IP for just over a week now and have already lost 10 lbs. I have to admit the first 4 days of the diet were MISERABLE... I really craved those carbs! My doc told me the withdrawal symptoms (headaches, cravings, etc.) were perfectly normal and part of the re-set phase of this diet. Now I can look at a whole plate of pasta and not care! My sister lost over 60 lbs. and she was my motivation for doing this. I love the diet -- HATE the hype -- and it's a bit expensive, but have found some alternative products thru this message board. My only fallback is I am highly allergic to sucralose, so had to give up all the sweet stuff on the diet. Oh well! I heard that IP products sold in Europe and Canada use Stevia instead of sucralose, but you can't buy the products overseas from a distributor, only from private parties. Anyone who knows an IP user overseas, can you let me know? I would be happy to exchange products, buy from them and pay extra for their time, or whatever. Thx!

Woo-hoo! :dancer: Week 3 weigh-in and I've lost 15 lbs total so far! Funny thing is I'm actually getting used to the food on this diet. Found quite a few IP bars that don't have the sucralose so I can indulge in sweets (Double Chocolate Bars...heaven!) I also went to lunch with my sister, she had a full plate of pasta and I had salad, and I wasn't jealous of her at all. This is the first diet that's actually worked for me. My advice to anyone reading this and thinking of doing IP is: get over the cost (yes, it's expensive, but so is a triple bypass operation later in life), get over the hype (yes, there are zealots out there, just throw some veggies at them and they'll go away - haha), and STICK TO IT, no matter what. Also thx to all the supporters out there on this message board who have helped me through those first tough weeks. :)

Well, it is good to be cautious - but I rarely go outside the IP forum here on 3fc, since it's such a great resource for making IP sustainable 'long haul'. I have lost 53lb in 15 weeks (slow week lately). It is HARD the first 3-4 days, but gets easier as soon as you get over that hump!

Well, I must say that I am a real life person :dizzy:. I have been on IP since Feb. 22 and as of last weeks weigh in, I have lost 57.2 pounds and almost as many inches. I don't post everyday but I am here everyday for support. This is the only weight loss program that I have actually been able to follow, and with consistent weight loss. It is not always easy, I'm hungry right now and it would be easy enough to fall off the IP wagon, but I am doing this for me and my health and it's really not worth it to sabotage myself. Good luck to you in what you feel is the right lifestyle change for yourself :)

Sometimes I have a cucumber when I feel like I really need something.. 2 small baby cukes = 1 cup..it helps.. put a little sea salt on them if you want :)

Going into Week 4 of IP and about 18 lbs. lost! The one thing I really like about this diet (other than those double chocolate bars...hehe), is that I am totally losing my cravings. Went out to dinner with the girls and they all ordered burgers, fries, desserts, etc. and kept egging me on to cheat. I just ordered my usual salad with veggies (no dressing) and was completely full after the meal. Didn't crave those other meals at all! When I was on Atkins I lost a ton of weight, but went and binged like crazy on carbs and gained it all back again. Say what you want about this diet, but ladies so far it's really working and I feel like I'm 17 again! Whoo-hoo!

I started Ideal Protein on March 8, 2012. as of today June 18th I have lost 40 pounds and 20 inches. I do not starve, I really don't have cravings.
My cardiologist recommended it to me, his father did it.
I have 40 more pounds to go, hopefully by September. I never had results like this on any of the other diets I have been on.

I have been on IP 3 weeks and have lost 17 lbs

Like I said, I'm sure it works for a lot of people and by your testimonials - its clearly working for you right now. What I dislike about the diet is how I suspect it is marketing using sneaky methods. If you look at the goal boards there are threads where the OP is raving about their success on Ideal Protein and has no other posts on this board. And by that I mean nowhere else on 3FC. Just seems suss to me. I personally will not try Ideal Protein because there is no viable option for vegetarians.

I do agree with LaurenBelle -- the IP diet really doesn't work for vegetarians. I must admit even tho I'm not a vegetarian I am sick, sick, SICK of eating meat! I know the foods are made with soy and you can have lots of tofu, etc. but... yuck! Soy can be suspect too in so many diets. Yes, I do eat lots of fish -- good thing I like it. My husband hates fish so he eats a steak or chicken every day. I miss beans (like chickpeas) and wonder why these are not on the diet. Oh well, every diet has its ups and downs, goods and bads, I guess! I've lost 26 lbs. so far and only have about 15 more to go, so will stick with it until I get to my ideal weight. I am looking forward to Phase 3 of this darned diet, tho!

Closing this.
 

The OP has not been back here since May 24 and has lots of answers to her original question.