Hi Jordanna:

I just joined the IP Program on August 26th and am in my fourth day. It has been pure **** without the carbs, but I am dedicated to stick through this program to lose my goal of 80 pounds.

I need some help on where I can find some good recipes for vegetables. I find that I am eating the same vegetables each day and preparing them the same and it's getting boring.

A friend of mine who is also on the IP Program strongly recommended you.

Have an open ear for any suggestions.

Thanks!

The best quoting tip - EVA!! Thanks Rosie, aka 6710.

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this question, but I am new so please forgive me. I'm 5"8 and to my dismay I just got on the sale to see I weigh 195 pounds. My family can't believe I weight that much b/c I guess I "carry it well" but I am miserable. I am in the National Guard and work out quite a bit, but since my return from 2 combat tours I have been so stressed out that I have gained almost 20 pounds. I've heard about the IP diet and I am interested in trying it I"m just concerned about two things.
1- My husband and I are trying to have a baby, will this mess with my hormones/body?
2- I work out 4-5 times a week (running, weights, etc) I"m afraid with such low carbs will I still have the energy to maintain my workouts.

My biggest problem with my lifestyle is my eating habits- I'm a stress eater and I crave pizza and sweets all the time. I"m just looking for something to shed this weight b/c it has really taken a toll on my self esteem lately.

Any advice would really be appreciated

Sarah, I answered your question in today's chat thread, right here.

This is an important concern -- IP is probably not a good choice for a woman who is trying to conceive or is pregnant. We're nice people but we're not medical professionals.

Talk to your doctor. Listen to his/her advice, not the advice of anonymous people on the internet.

Alternative Phase 1 is for people who have diabetes. Coaches may suggest it for other reasons, as well.

Alternative Plan - Phase 1 - To Be Followed Until 90% Of Your Weight Goal Is Achieved

Breakfast

1 IP packet
plus one group choice (groups listed below)
plus coffee/tea with 1 oz skim milk
sweetener allowed

Lunch

1 IP packet
plus 1 group choice
plus 2 cups select veggies and unlimited lettuce

Dinner

7 oz fish or 5 oz meat from select choice
plus 1 group choice
plus 2 cups select veggies

Snack

1 IP packet

Compulsory

64 oz water

1-2 teaspoon olive or grape seed oil

Regular IP supplements

IMPORTANT: only one choice from each GROUP is permitted per day. ALL THREE GROUPS MUST be consumed per day.

GROUP 1

2 slices toast ( whole grain, pumpernickel, rye, multi-grain, sourdough, stone ground whole wheat, oat bran, sprouted grain)
150 grams whole wheat pasta
150 grams brown rice (not instant)
1 sweet potato, or small boiled potato
60 grams oatmeal ( non instant)
150 - 200 grams couscous
50 grams unsweetened cereal (bran, oat, whole grain or barley)
150 grams cooked legumes (chick peas, lentils, green peas, kidney beans)
150 grams corn


GROUP 2

Fresh fruit ( example: 1 grapefruit, 1 apple, 2 kiwis, 150 g pineapple, 1 banana,200 g strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.)
Fruit is allowed, but optional, and must not be replaced with another food group.

GROUP 3

1 sugar free yogurt
1 - 6 oz glass milk (2% B.F. or less)
30 grams hard cheese (about 20% B.F.)
120 grams cottage cheese
60 grams feta cheese


Meat, veggie, seasoning choices are the same as regular phase 1.

Here's a screen shot:

Linden's preferred site: USDA Nutrition Database

showgirlaz uses nutritiondata dot com

Hey Sarah!

Not sure if you are still around and will see this but, here goes.

You would need to work with a doctor to make sure you have the right levels of Calories and nutrition, while on this and trying to concieve. Although this program can be modified for your circumstance, to ensure a healthy pregnancy you would be best working with a doctor who can help you determine what the right calorie intake and levels of essential fatty acids with EPA and DHA, Folic Acid, Zinc, Selenium, B vitamins, Vitamins E, C and A will be best for you.

This program can be modified to work if you are thinking about getting pregnant. It actually helps to correct some issues that can be preventing women from easily getting pregnant. IT IS NOT OK to continue the program when you are pregnant and you must have written doctor approval to stay on it while breast feeding.
I can assure you, it has been done. There are at least 5 cases in the past year of women on this board who have become pregnant while in various stages of the program. Most were in Phase1 or just transitioning from it.

As was pointed out to me, most doctors encourage patients to either "lose weight" or "try to become pregnant" rarely, both. If your doctor is supportive of your doing both. Then, for the safety of the child, it would be best to review this program with that doctor and confirm his/her support of this approach and discover what modifications would be required to make it the best possible fit for you.

Regarding the work out. You would be fine but your coach should put you on the athletic protocol. It adds a bit more protein. If you do a modified work out the first week or so while you adjust, you should be ok from there on out.

Good Luck with your decision!

Hey! So i just started the ideal protein diet last week. The first week I lost 6lbs!!! 2nd week has been harder with labor day weekend. I did pretty well except eysterday i snuck in a little soda and a few pita chips... today i had some pretzels and a few chips n guacamole.... do you think this will severly affect my weight loss for week 2??

It probably won't affect your weight loss this week, but I'm more concerned that it sets a pattern, so early in the program for you, of bending the rules. It's a slippery slope. I'd suggest you try to stick to protocol exactly; it's the only sure way of having the program work for you.

I joined the Ideal Protein Program today. WOO HOO! I am so excited after seeing the success that so many have had. I've got about 44 lbs to lose and I can't wait.
I start on Monday (I'm going out of town this weekend and have 2 parties) and I have all my protein packs.

Hello to everyone. Today is Day-2 for me. Yesterday was a bit rough, but today was much better. I KNOW not every day will be like today. I know I've got to be prepared, prepared, prepared! I've tried several different diets (Weight Watchers, Prism, Diet Center, blah, blah, blah...).

Thi time is different, I think. I have the huge support of my best friend/boyfriend. He is wonderful! I can hardly beleive how he is supporting me. When I tried all those other diets, I was married to a very awful person who was very... uhhh... how shall I say... controling/selfish/mean.

I'm bound & determined to make this the last diet!

Soooo... anyhow, the reason for THIS post is I have a couple of questions. There is so much information out there it is really hard to weed thru it all.
1. Is there a certian kind of sweetner I can/cannot have? And why?
2. I found a water additive at Albertson with no sugar, no carbs, no protien. I add one packet (usually used for 8-12 oz of water) to my 32 oz water container. I usually go thru 2-3 containers a day. How much is too much?

I'm sure there will be MORE questions... but for now this is it.

Thanks for helping!!
Ramona

I, too, get tired of the same veggies and recipes. But I developed a new one that you might want to try. This feeds 2 people. Boil cabbage leaves until they are limp. Drain and set aside. Brown 10 oz. ground turkey in 2 TB EVOO, add chopped mushrooms and green onions. Season meat with your favorite Mrs. Dash, sea salt and pepper. Put one large spoonful in the middle of cabbage leaf and roll it like a burrito. Place your cabbage rolls in a baking dish. Pour one small package of fat-free chicken broth over the rolls, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 min. at 350 degrees. It's delicious and different!
I've also added leftover steamed veggies to the meat mix (cauliflower, radishes, broccoli) just to get a different flavor and texture.

A lot of my friends on IP use Splenda, but I prefer the taste of Stevia. You can find it in most health food stores. It just tastes a little more natural to me. Good luck on your journey!

I have a few vegetable suggestions. First of all, we invested in a steamer ($20 at Walmart) and use it almost every day. Here are a couple of suggestions:
1. You can steam cauliflower and radishes until mushy, then mash them to make a dish that tastes a lot like new mashed potatoes. When I mash them, I add sea salt, pepper and table blend Mrs. Dash.
2. I love the steamed broccoli at Applebee's, so on a whim I called our local restaurant and asked how they got that incredible flavor and the kitchen manager actually shared their method with me!!
Clean and cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. Place in a baggie or bowl of water to which you have added sea salt and your favorite spices (they have a prepackaged spice. I added cumin, garlic powder and Mrs. Dash) Let veggies soak from 30 minutes up to overnight. Loosely drain, leaving some water on veggies, then place in steamer. If you can't use all the veggies in one sitting, after you drain, place them back into the bag and put in fridge for up to 3 days.
3. Mrs. Dash comes in a variety of flavors and adds extra zing to any dish.
4. Cut turnips and radishes into thin slices (1/4 inch). Brown in a skillet with 2-4 tbl of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Toss with sea salt and spices. I usually quarter the turnips before I slice them for quicker cooking time.

Good luck!