[Rocky Monarch]

Originally Posted by nursemel

I was wondering, what do IP protein do people have for breakfast?
Melanie

hey Nursemel, WELCOME! (and if you are/were a nurse, thanks so much for the work you do!)
My fave breakfast is a vanilla ready-to-drink shake with a couple shots of espresso (or instant coffee) over ice. Feels like a HUGE treat every day!

Sadly, IP is not currently making the ready-to-drinks but you can buy the exact same product online from new lifestyle diet. And I think the ones from Lindora (also online) are identical or similar. Or you can make it with the vanilla pudding mix and add extra water to make it shake consistency. Once in awhile I'll throw in a splash of Torani sugar free syrup of different flavors (almond, chocolate, etc.) Or some cinnamon. NUMMY

[JessicaCourez]

Lookee, its me, Linden and Rocky rockin' it from the West coast.

I'm drinking my chocolate drink wishing it was a chocolate pudding. Who'd have thought? When I first started the diet, I hated the pudding and loved the drink...my tastebuds really have changed on this diet...wondering, ladies who have transitioned off, do you still like the same things you did before the diet? Notice any big changes? If you don't see it, I'll ask in the life after thread.

Night, all.

JC

[makeitmatter]

Originally Posted by Kelsey

Yes, I'm glad to be feeling better, and I'm glad that thyroid is good. I hated the idea of taking pills for the rest of my life! However, I am still unhappy that I'm feeling so tired, cold and losing so much hair without explanation. I guess it could like you said, and just be the diet.

I agree with the others who've posted about Using the more current TSH Diagnostic levels and the importance of also looking at the individual's physical symptoms instead of only solely using a # to make a diagnosis. You've got a couple choices: wait things out or get a second opinion. If everything you're feeling can be attributed to IP/low caloric intake/change in weight/hormones... Then everything should resolve itself in maybe 6 - 12 months. If you're not willing to wait that long, then making an appt to see an endocrinologist for a second opinion would be a good next step. I'm sure you'd be bound to get your questions answered once and for all.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Originally Posted by amylew

Jessica, Makeitmatter and others,
Those of us posting/reading in the Our Daily Food Journal thread would be





ecstatic if you could start posting what you're consuming.

Hi Amylew! When I first started following the IP protocol, I kept a daily food journal, but after a few weeks it became repetitive and boring so I stopped. I will admit, I'm horrible at following directions 100%. I've had plenty of days where I've had too much protein, or not enough. The same goes for the veggies, oil, supplements, and water consumption. I eat almonds or soy nuts usually 2 - 3 times a week. And yes, I had a few cheats ( but now that I think about it, I haven't had one in a very, very long time. Yes, I know almonds are no- no's, but I prefer to think of them as a good oil.).

I strongly believe exercising right from the beginning has played a huge role in helping me get the weight off. When I was running I discovered eating the nuts the night before helped in my endurance and overall energy and recovery (good carbs IMO).

I wish I had something useful/insightful to tell you, but honestly, aside from exercising, I'm just doing what everyone else is doing.

[Linden]

Originally Posted by JessicaCourez

Lookee, its me, Linden and Rocky rockin' it from the West coast.

West coasts?

'Night. As I said, it gets really lonely about 8 o'clock. But when you all go off daylight savings time, there'll only be 5 hours difference from the east coast. Why? No need for daylight savings when you're fairly close to the equator.

[Linden]

Originally Posted by nursemel

I was wondering, what do IP protein do people have for breakfast?
Melanie

Hi and WELCOME. I always have two glasses of water before, then pudding, made as a shake: 16 oz water, 1 packet, maybe 1/2 teaspoon of coffee or another flavoring, depending on the packet, and a shake of stevia. Hot tea. (I have to wait 45 minutes after taking medicine before I can eat. The water helps.)

[Linden]

Originally Posted by Traveling Stitcher

Journeysend and Pinky--thanks for your kind words. I am very interested in other diabetic's experiences. I am VERY insulin-resistant--even though I take lots of insulin, I have been told I make plenty of my own--I just don't utilize it! So when I read about these low-carb, moderate protein diets I thought it makes sense for me. I will keep reading....

Sorry it took me so long to find this. IP has an alternative diet for people who are diabetic. Here it is: Well, sugar, I've tried to upload it twice and I get an "Invalid File" code. Can someone else help Traveling Stitcher out?

[showgirlaz]

Originally Posted by HopefulTricia

BIG SV for me today. 65 lbs lost -- and only 12.9 lbs to go to a healthy BMI. (5 lbs lower than my wedding day 26 years ago)
Woo hooo--65 lbs!! Can't quite believe it! :tra mpo:

Congratulations!! That is really something to be proud about!

Originally Posted by paygirl

Good Morning Everyone!

I fit into my size 12 jeans today AND can actually sit down with comfort.

I will be weighing in tonight so wish me luck....

WOO HOO!! I hope your weigh in went GREAT! I always loved the clothing results more than my scale changing. Go figure!

Originally Posted by skinnytobe

Oh My!!! I Am Soo Worried. I Am On My 4th Week And Woke Up This Morning And Thought I Was Passing Out!! I Was So Weak. I Am Doing Everything Right. I Don't Understand. I Was Shaking From Head To Toe And Had To Get A Little Orange Juice (first Time I Have Ate Something Different Off The Plan) Even Got 1 Slice Of Wheat Toast Bread Drank A Little 1% Milk And Ate One Of The Ip's Protein Bar. It Took Me About 2 Hours To Even Feel A Little Better. This Is Scaring Me. I Have Lost 12 Pounds And I Am So Excited But I Thought I Was A Deaths Door. It Was Scary.

It could be blood pressure dropping too low or it could be hypoglycemia. Try to work it out with your coach or doctor. BOTH are very fixable with just a few changes to your plan. How late are you eating your last protein snack? I mean how close to when you fall asleep? Part of the reason for that late night packet, near bedtime and not more than an hour before bed for some people, is to prevent the overnight drop in blood sugar.

If it is blood pressure simply increasing your sea salt intake a bit will make a difference.

Originally Posted by iowahawkeyemom

Good morning to all! This is my second week on ip. Went out of town yesterday and was not tempted, for the first time, to pull into a fast food drive thru. Started thinking about that. I had always gotten a quick lunch when out of town before I started this diet at a fast food joint. Some how that quick lunch turned into a 1000 calorie meal in the past. Patted myself on the back for staying true to myself and this diet. Everyone have a great labor day weekend and be true to IP!

That is such a great moment when you realize you are changing your habits! Congratulations!

Originally Posted by Journeysend

Good Morning Chicks!!!

Well I had my 1st "cheating" dream last night and it was so real when I woke up this morning I checked the kitchen to see if chips and dip containers were on the counter!!! Oh Boy...scared me for awhile there..

YOU JUST had your FIRST cheat dream! Wow! I thought they came on earlier than that, they did for me! That panic feeling is so weird, isn't it!

Originally Posted by Traveling Stitcher

Good morning! I am a newbie here. I am Type II diabetic, on insulin (!) and am seriously considering IP or Medifast. I have read lots of posts, but I am wondering if anyone can tell me about the differences between these two diets. I know my metabolism is really messed up, so IP makes so much sense to me. Any thoughts about the differences between the two? Thanks so much!

My understanding is Medifast allows higher carbs, lower proteins, includes fructose and sugar alcohols as primary ingredients, it doesn't work to rest and reset the pancreas and is dominantly a calorie controlled diet with LOWER carb intake. The protein levels are not of the same grade or completeness as Ideal Protein. This increased level of quality is something that can be seen through chemical indexes which, Ideal Protein is working on utilizing in the future.

You do pay less for medifast but, in my limited opinion it is not as complete, thorough or beneficial too your health as Ideal Protein.

Originally Posted by Aunt Sheshie

~~~~~~~~~

Thanks, everybody, for the compliments on my photo!.. I was really reluctant to put it up, over the past 20 years or so, I've taken "camera-shy" to extremes!.. but I decided it'd be part of that whole "baring it all" thing I've got going these days, opening myself up in ways I'd always been afraid to in the past... having a SUPER support group here makes it easy!.. you folks are the GREATEST!.. thank you, thank you, thank you!..

hugs

I am so glad you decided to "put it out there"! You really look beautiful!

Originally Posted by mepeterson

Welcome back Carla, you have been missed. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

...

My doc has said that he wants me to wait 5-6 week after surgery to begin phase1 again. He has said that since the surgery was so invasive I need that time to get my body strong again and fight infection etc. I guess he is right. I am sort of doing a modified phase 3 right now. I am really watching my carb intake and making sure I do not mix fat w/carbs and always eat carb/protein.
I did gain about 8lbs after surgery but I think lots of it was IV fluid, I swear they injected me with gallons of that stuff. I have lost some of it but am still up 4lbs from my 168. Not bad given the circumstance.

Thanks Melissa! I am sure you will do just fine with the program. The fluids will definitely be off following a surgery. It could be IV or it could be increased fluids from your body to support healing.

Originally Posted by jlewis88

Well hello everyone! I haven't been around for a couple weeks but I'm still working at it. Have been away from home alot lately for work but after three weeks I was able to actually make it to an appointment with my coach. I hit a plateau about week 11 and was there for 12....and now on week 13 I've lost another 3 pounds and am down 55 lbs in 13 weeks. I am 3 lbs from my half way point. Hopefully the numbers pick up again and I can knock the other half off before the end of the year.

Hope everyone is doing well and losing continually!

Hey J! Nice to see you back. So happy to hear you broke the plateau. You really are doing well with your progress!

Originally Posted by Sweetstina

Carla - Sorry to hear about your grandmother's ill health and the other stressors in your life. Hopefully things will improve for you soon. Glad to see you checking in...you were missed!

Thanks for the good wishes.

Originally Posted by wyoangel

OMG!!!!! HELP! One of my students brought cupcakes for her birthday....and mine (5th/6th)........when I was heating up my soup for lunch it was all I could do to NOT stick my finger in the frosting!

ADVICE on getting through your birthday and NOT cheating????!!!! I'm only 3 days in and can't get sidetracked!!!!!

Use the chocolate crepe/muffin mix by IP to make a muffin. Plan a dinner, no sweets or carbs, that you LOVE. I went out to dinner for my birthday to a restaurant I love which, has an IP workable menu. It was about my Bday and not about the desserts.

Originally Posted by KDWS

She is a good friend and I am happy for her especially since she obviously struggled more then I did but still!!

It is hard to understand when others do the same thing as we are but, they get different results. Just remember this, you were comparing weight lost on the scales and NOT BF percentage lost. This is a low calorie diet and IF YOU DO NOT stay in a ketogenic process YOU CAN lose muscle instead of fat and it will drop the scale fairly quickly too. Just because your friend lost does not mean her cheat didn't effect her and that she got away with something you didn't. It also doesn't mean she had a healthy weight loss.

It is a HUGE reason why we need to stay on the protocol. When you use this program, you are on a low calorie diet and ONLY that if you do not stay in a ketogenic phase. Using a low calorie diet is NOT the point of Ideal Protein.

Originally Posted by JessicaCourez

I'll write more when I have time, but holy cow, down to 137.8 from 145.8...exactly 8 pounds in 2 weeks.

Way to go, Jessica! Congratulations! I would love to be able to do that!

Originally Posted by BevS

Ha! I know what you mean. I once accidentally poured what I thought was Walden Farms barbecue sauce on my chicken. It was chocolate syrup. Yuck!

HMMM!! That has me thinking! I wonder if you could create a plan appropriate mole sauce for chicken using walden farms chocolate sauce????

Originally Posted by Kelsey

OKAY, so nurse called today. TSH level is 3.7, and all other results are in normal range. However, my bad cholesterol is up, and good cholesterol is down, so the dr would like for me to start taking 1000 mg of fish oil 2 times a day, and start exercising. I TAKE 4000 mg - you nincompoop. Oh so much for them. sigh...

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone. I hope you do something fun.

Hey Kelsey! I am glad you are feeling better. Please consider getting a referral to an endocrinologist if you are concerned about thyroid. As Mary and Tricia point out, and I can concur, a TSH of 3.7 is definitely outside the new guidelines and can be a subclinical hypothyroidism. It can also indicate an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Some Endocrinologist might even consider testing TPO antibody to see if something like hashimoto's is active. Every person is unique in how they respond to Thryoid hormones and some people will only be symptom free if their TSH is between 1 and 2. Others need a little below 1 while still others function well into the 2.XX range before symptoms begin. An Endocrinologist is really the best person to explore and identify your range with you.


Just a side note, my doctor found my high TSH was actually accompanied by an iodine and selenium deficiency. That is now being treated as a means of improving my thryoid chemistry overall.

Originally Posted by marypeter

My GYN treats hypothyroid by symptoms because she believes that the TSH test doesn't adequately reveal thyroid gland function (think Type II diabetics who produce enough insulin but their bodies can't utilize it). Here is her checklist:

Low Thyroid Symptom Check Off List
...
In 2003 the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) called for doctors to "consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0," rather than 0.5 to 5.5. The statement also said: "AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now." Most labs and docs still use the wider range, though, and it remains controversial.

Something to think about...

Mary

Mary, My doctor goes off symptoms too. She finds some people begin to have symptoms as soon as tsh goes outside the 1.0 to 2.0 range.

Originally Posted by HopefulTricia

Melissa -- As I said before the range of what is an acceptable TSH is really controversial. Too many docs aren't recognizing that the number should be lower than the traditional wisdom has thought. ... My primary care physician insisted I didn't have thyroid disease- I think my test was around 4. I finally found a great endocrinologist and just went on my own. Thank goodness he thought the range was wrong and did confirm I was hypothyroid! Just want you to know that you might need to find an endocrinologist who's very current. The symptoms you are describing are very typical hypothyroid symptoms. And remember I said my doc likes me to be at 1 or even a little below.
Sorry --didn't realize there had already been a post giving you this same info! So I second what Mary Peter said!!

My initial doctor didn't want to treat me for hypothyroid and I was at 3.84 for tsh levels with t4 and t3 in normal zones. Once I showed her the current position of the board of endocrinologist, she made a referral to another doctor. My doctor is currently trying to keep me between 1 and 2 on tsh and is monitoring my iodine and selenium levels.

Originally Posted by nursemel

I was wondering, what do IP protein do people have for breakfast?
Melanie

I use the fine herb and cheese eggs with extra veggies, the wildberry yogurt as a drink, orange drink, crispy cereal, and sometimes the vanilla drink, vanilla pudding or, cappucino mixed in my coffee for a nice "starbucks" like coffee treat.

[Novak]

Originally Posted by Midlife Meggie

I do have one NSV: the capris that I have been wearing since I started IP and that have very slowly gotten not so bulgingly uncomfortably tight but basically fit pretty normally up till last week are suddenly so baggy they're in danger of falling off me. Very sudden. I guess I'm in the Novak Home Stretch.

Originally Posted by HopefulTricia

skinnytobe- that's not normal. Novak and I both felt that way after exercise but we didn't wake up in the morning like that.

Yes, although for me it was a couple of hours after the exercise, and was triggered by rising to a standing position, which can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. If it happened when skinnytobe stood up from lying down in bed, that may also have caused a drop in blood pressure.

[I'm svelting!]

It's the weekend. New Saturday thread coming up!