Last week I told my doctor that I was doing this program and she is familiar with it. She told me to start (or keep up) the exercise. She said she has talked to a few people who have done the diet and who have lost lots of weight but they also lost mostly lean muscle mass. I know that the packets are designed to keep that from happening, but on one hand it makes sense. Maybe the girls didn't follow the program to a "T" - who knows. But it makes sense to me that working out and building up existing lean muscle mass is a good thing - especially since muscle can burn more calories than fat. Plus, exercise in general is just good for us. Why then, would some people be told not to exercise? Is it because this program is so low cal?
Also (and maybe this only applies to me), my rep gave me a "letter" that a client of hers typed out. She had copies printed out and is handing them out to her other clients so I hope it's okay to re-type it here for the rest of you....
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The Real Costs of Cheating on the Idal Protein Program
I was on the IP program about a year ago. From 12/1/06 to 3/01/07 I lost 50+ lbs. That was pretty amazing, but I could have done better.
How could I have done better? By not cheating, that's how. Oh, I didn't cheat big, but I still cheated. I didn't think it was a big deal, because I was still eating so much better than I did in the past. But I wasn't 100% compliant with the diet, so I was cheating. The thing is, I was only cheating myself.
So, is it ok to cheat? That depends. You have to answer that question for yourself. Before you can answer that question, you have to understand the real costs of cheating.
If you cheat one day on the diet, you might think to yourself, "I've lost a day on the diet, but that isn't so bad." Not true. First of all, you lost that day, but you also lost the momentum of the progress you made up to that point. If you get back on track immediately, then you will take at least one more day of compliance to get back where you were before you cheated. It's like climbing a hill on a bicycle. If you stop pedaling for a period of time, you're going to roll backward. You will have lost ground and it will take an equal period of time, or more, to gain back the ground you lost. So, one day of cheating will cost you at least two days. In that week, instead of 7 days of progress you have only 5. Think about it.
Next, if you cheat a little on the IP program you will still lose weight. That's a good thing, right? Well, yes and no. Yes because your objective is to lose weight, and that's good. But when you cheat, your pancreas has to work overtime again. Remember, weight loss is one of our goals, but equally important is to get our bodies functioning in a healthy state, and a healthy pancreas is essential to that.
From a psychological viewpoint, if you cheat and still make progress, you may think it is ok to cheat since there were no consequences. Next time it will be easier to cheat again, and perhaps you will cheat for two days instead of one. But there are consequences. You didn't make as much progress as you could have.
On the other side of the argument, if you absolutely have to have that one day of cheating as a "reward" or you can't stay on the IP program, well the obvious choice is to cheat.
So is it ok to cheat? You'll have to make the decision for youself. Think about it and weigh the consequences. Just remember: when you cheat, you're not cheating anyone but yourself."
Just jumped on for the first time...after 40 days on HCG with a loss of 34 lbs, my doctor is switching me over to Ideal Protein for the next slog towards my goal...so far so good on Day 2 but it is great to see all of this feedback since I can tell I will get pretty bored with the current food choices. So far I like the mushroom soup and the mango drink is good but a strange aftertaste. For those in Jackson, I am getting a big batch of different packets so I will let you know if I have any to let go. (I think we are going to the same practice). For salads I am using a tsp of olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, sea salt, and spicy mustard....not sure if that is all okay but it works pretty well. Any other salad dressing suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks!
Alwe74...I remember reading your posts when I first started researching IP, and you were one of the reasons I chose IP. I am guessing we have at least 25 women on this forum now. This forum is like your "baby". Thanks.
Hi Everyone. I would have to agree that this diet is expensive. It's also not for wimps since it is very strict. However, if you follow it you are guaranteed to lose weight. I have been on MANY diets and this one has worked the best by far.
Goofy Girl-Good Luck!!!
Thanks MJV- I know what you mean about what we will do for our kids. I decided to do this so that I could keep up with my 2 yr old son. I'm hoping that he will never remember a mommy that was too tired to play with him.
Good job Gink! You're doing great! Glad you posted all of the info. I didn't know we could have the salad spritzers. I really like those.
Welcome Gros Ventre! There are a bunch of us here that are from Wyo.
SandraB: My nurse called me today (to see if I was drinking my water!! lol - I thought it was really sweet!!). Anyways, she said we are allowed broth..so there ya' go. I use splenda....was just told not to use aspartane!
I have been able to exchange my mango drink/soy chips for puddings at the doc's office. I do realize not everyone can do this, tho. (I have a really cool doctor!! She rocks!).
I have been adding a bit of Torani sugar-free syrups to my vanilla puddings (almond, coconut,etc). I believe my nurse is doing it also. Don't know if it is legal or not.
How cool. We have a doctor and a coach on here! Let's tap into their knowledge!!
Gink: What a great letter! I, too, think I will post it on the frig.
I have only told a few people about the diet (meal plan, treatment plan??)...and of course, have negative feedback from everyone. My neighbor showed the literature to her doctor, and her doc said "Absolutely not." They all say I will gain the weight back....I want to prove them wrong! I am averaging about 3.2# per week, which I guess is average. Hey, 11.5# can't ALL be water, can it?
Welcome to all the new gals.
Gink: I never heard that you shouldn't exercise....does it say that in the literature? I agree with you....isn't exercise supposed to be good for you? Anyways, doc wants me to walk a mile every day (ok...I try!!), along with the exercise I am already doing. Maybe they discourage exercising because the diet is so strict? I dunno. Any ideas out there?
Hey, how come my ticker doesn't come up and how the heck do I change it anyhow?? (see, I am anticipating a weight loss already and I don't weigh in until Tuesday!!)
Hi Everyone. I would have to agree that this diet is expensive. It's also not for wimps since it is very strict. However, if you follow it you are guaranteed to lose weight. I have been on MANY diets and this one has worked the best by far.
Goofy Girl-Good Luck!!!
Thanks MJV- I know what you mean about what we will do for our kids. I decided to do this so that I could keep up with my 2 yr old son. I'm hoping that he will never remember a mommy that was too tired to play with him.
Good job Gink! You're doing great! Glad you posted all of the info. I didn't know we could have the salad spritzers. I really like those.
Welcome Gros Ventre! There are a bunch of us here that are from Wyo.
Thanks Alwe, hats off to all of the IP pioneers like yourself that got this site going. The advice and inspiration from everyone is amazing, I didn't even know this program existed until six weeks ago so it was interesting reading the posts going back to the beginning.
Just a note, Stevia is the only sweetener my doc allows and she stresses exercise is very important, none of the great benefits of exercise have changed. If nothing else it is a great distraction from going to the fridge and wondering what you are doing there!
Glad you all liked the letter I posted. Wish I could take the credit for it but all I did was re-type it for all my IP friends here
My coach told me we're not supposed to exercise on phase I but she said if you're going to do it then "go lightly." Also, if you go to idealprotein.com there is a link to a video from ABC Action News, take a look. If you pay attention you'll notice that the nutritionist they interview about the IP program says she "disagrees with the plan's notion that you should cut down on the exercise," so, there must be something to that as far as the IP program is concerned.
I guess as with a lot of other things mentioned here, each region may have heard something different with regards to exercise. In my mind it's a good thing no matter what.....now if I could only get motivated to do it....
I know that I haven't been told not to exercise. I haven't gone overboard but as I have lost weight I have been able to do more and more. Right now I'm doing week 4 of the couch to 5 K program. I don't ever feel tired or that I can't finish the workout so I guess as long as I feel good I will keep doing it.
I thought of an idea that might help the newbies (and those of us that are not so creative...me!). Why doesn't everyone post a way they make their veggies and/or salad (or even something cool that you do with your protein packs...like freezing the vanilla premix...). It might help those of us that need some variety.
I have posted my salad dressing recipe - and steak sauce recipe....let's see... Oatmeal:
I water mine down more...put it in microwave for 20 seconds--stir...another 20 seconds...good hot oatmeal.....I add less than a Tablespoon of WF maple syrup on top of my oatmeal...really drizzle it lightly. It just looks prettier..... Asparagus
I grill it on my contact grill....and add some lemon juice and olive oil.
OK -- I'm out.....lol.
Okay. 1) Exercise: My consultant said I should exercise when I feel ready. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you might want to wait until you've lost a little to feel more able to.
2) Most of the packets that are sweetened, are sweetened with Splenda. If you go to the Ideal Protein site, you can look up the nutritional information. It's also a good idea to understand why some of them are restricted — # of carbs per packet. I for one, HATE Splenda. I think it leaves the nastiest aftertaste of any artificial sweetener I've ever tasted. That being said, I know that others feel differently. I don't see how Aspartame can limit your weight loss. You're getting approx. 850 calories on phase 1. Seriously. Some people have sensitivity to phenylalanine, and just like everything else out there, too much of it probably causes cancer. I say make your own choices. As for weight loss. It's going to go in spurts. That's the nature of it.
3) I believe, and I'll probably get in trouble for this but it's extremely logical, if you're going to cheat, just don't cheat with carbs. Eat more non-carb protein. Have a little cheese. Not a lot. 1 carb per oz is no big deal, but eating 3-4 or more will screw up your momentum.
4) My consultant said it is perfectly OK to eat your meat at lunch, and do the packet at dinner. As long as you're only doing the meat at one meal, it doesn't matter. This makes it much easier to get through the day, and makes dinner feel more like snacking, which works for me.
I don't want to be the voice of rebellion here. I just think people should make sure they are educated on the whole concept, and make educated choices for themselves. I can eat vegetables twice a day, but have a hard time choking down another salad at dinner.
I have spent much time over the past 10 years learning about diets and nutrition. This diet works on much the same concept of Atkins & South Beach. It simply extends phase 1 much longer. It gives you great protein supplements that are more assimilable than just about anything else available, which makes it easier to stick to. Basic concept: eat sufficient protein to keep you from getting hungry, and provide basic fuel; eat minimal carbs so your body will burn fat; eat just enough fat to lubricate your body, but not contribute to fat stores. You consume fewer calories, you lose weight. The difference is that by having the protein and minimal carbs, you get less hungry, enabling you to stick to it. That's how it works. All the rest is window dressing.
I'm not giving advice here. Just telling you what I think. I only like rules that make sense.
P.S. am I the only person who thinks that salad dressing should NOT be sweet?
Last edited by Harmonymom2; 10-02-2009 at 09:16 AM.
Has anyone ever come up with, or heard of, a way to make vegetable bars? I mean, mixing them up, baking them till crisp, then cutting them into bars. I'm going to try experimenting with this, as it would make them more portable, and perhaps help me eat veggies I normally despise because of texture. Slimy, limp veggies are gross.
Vegetable bars would be interesting...Not sure how you could keep them together? eggs maybe?
I am nearing the end of my second week and am not struggling with the hunger nearly as much. Workdays seem a little easier than weekends though, but only because i am preoccupied more and not as focused on mealplanning. i try on the weekends to be a little more experimentive because i am so limited at work. today i am going to try sauteeing chicken breast with broccoli and cauliflower and pouring some of the chicken (IP) soup leftover from my lunch on top.
I was told to use coconut oil for sauteeing? are other people using this?
as for the salad dressings, i mentioned before i despise the WF dressings that i have tried. in fact i thru them away because they bothered me even sitting in my fridge. i don't know that i have to have my dressings sweetened, but i do think oil and vinegar mix tastes better with just a "tad" of splenda. i am using it so seldom in such small amounts that i am sure i could live without it.
what i am really missing on this diet is tomatoes!!! that is my favorite thing in salads, and for the second week in a row i am using my restricted veggie choices as tomatoes. i find a lettuce salad so bland without them. but that is just me.
In Canada, (am i the only canadian on this site) it is our Thanksgiving next weekend. This will be a trial! but right now i am feeling committed to my plans! both kids will be home from university and of course expecting the traditional homecooked TG dinner. and they will get it! i know turkey is on the plan, and i can look forward to that. i have never cared about desserts so no concerns there. and some of the veggies on this diet i have always liked, but now that they are the only thing i can eat, they do not seem as appealing. i think i will save my tomato for that day, i believe we can have turnip - it should be good mashed with a bit of broth, seasalt, and maybe that will seem like a nice supper to have with the family. my children feel bad for me if they feel they are enjoying a traditional meal without mom, and i dont want them to feel that way. OH YEAH, the biggest kicker i will miss out on is the wine we always have for these family occasions!! i cannot this early in the diet choose to set my whole week back over a glass of wine....
anyways, have a great weekend everyone and good luck with your plans... i know you all get to go through your thanksgiving next month....
Hi Harmonymom! I agree with you about the sweet dressing. I hate it!!! Vinegar and oil seem to be my best option. Let us know how the veggie bars go.
A couple of the ways I do veggies that are really good. I love garlic roasted asparagus. In a sheet pan I lay the asparagus spears, drizzle with a little olive oil and toss with 2-3 cloves of minced fresh garlic, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Bake at 400 for 10 min., toss and bake for 10 more min. Drizzle with lemon juice before eating.
Another veggie recipe is sauteed zucchini. I spray a non-stick pan with a little olive oil spray then just sautee zucchini slices with a little garlic herb mrs. dash, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. These are good by themselves or mixed in with the soups.
