Welcome to all you newbies! I am so excited for you as I know that you are going to love the results you're about to experience! Nothing has ever worked for me before and I am 60 this year... began dieting when I was 15 just to stay in shape.

My husband says I learned to cook when I began IP... I got brave and daring with more creative toppings on our meats... a favorite example being www.Saveur.com and the recipe for Lamb Chops with Mint Salsa Verde except that instead of using the massive quantities of olive oil called for, I used 1 1/2 TBS only in the Mint Salsa. OH MY! SO GOOD! We never enjoyed lamb before but decided to add it to our menu... it is not listed on IP for meats and please use the leaner cuts.

Steak and Lobster? OH YEAH! www.sparkpeople.com has some wonderful recipes that can be made IP appropriate. Baked Chicken Salsa and Tomato Basil Tilapia. ...a little piece of heaven...

Veggie creativity is pretty fun too. When you fix potatoes for yourself, fix a microwaved baked turnip for yourself (prepare the same as an Idaho but cook about 6-7 mins instead). My husband has decided that he likes these as much if not better than baked. Mashed potatoes? No problem... Steam cauliflower with a head of garlic cloves then blend with horseradish or spray butter... VOILA! There are even recipes here for rice made from cauliflower. When we have Spaghetti and Meatballs, I make my spaghetti by putting zucchini through my Spiraler (about $20 on Amazon or at most kitchen shops) found at:

http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-51-...1552776&sr=8-2

Try veggies you've never tried before. Have fun. ENJOY! Smile.

Lindsay, I am sooooo excited for you! You are gonna love seeing your pre-50+ body return and it will happen soooo fast! Smile. Enjoy.

ok! I signed up... I had to wait out a week.. due to my paycheck situation! but I took the first step!!

Yay! I started Day 1 today. Not easy but not as hard as I'd imagined either. More than anything I just had to stop the mindless snacking and reaching for carb-y stuff. Good luck to you!

...and I began Phase 3 today. Sooooo scared! I'm thinking I'll probably have to return to Phase 1 by next week. I am so hoping this will really really work. The easy part (I think) was losing the 50. Now the part that is waaaaay over my head, eating more and maintaining? We'll see. ...and then, I have rotator cuff surgery next week Thursday. I may just return to Phase 1 for a couple of weeks because it will be easier to prepare meals.

I'm so excited for you and feel like I'm very much with you on the new beginnings. Smile. Good Luck!

This note includes JellyMae87 (did I spell that right?) Smile. YAY!

I'm restarting Ideal Protein today!! I have had some surgery in the last year that didn't go so well & a few other problems that have totally made me stray off the plan. But I signed back up last night! Keep me motivated friends! :carrot:

Good luck to you! :)

wonderful ideas and thank you for sharing the recipes. I am on day 6 of IP and my first weigh in is this Friday, I'm excited. I've been doing my best to stay OP and day 3 and 4 were a bit rough. Feeling better today.

Hi! I'm Nell and I just started IP today. I'm excited to finally shed some pounds!

I first heard about IP a few weeks ago when I was shopping. The girl in front of me at the counter was talking to the clerk (they knew eachother from before) and the clerk kept syaing how good she looked. The girl said she started IP and had lost 50lbs. Right away I knew I had to look into it, nothing else has ever worked.

After meeting with my coach, I knew it was something I could easily commit to and wouldn't interfere too much with everyday life. My coach has been super helpful and I'm just too excited! :)

Ideally I have to loose about 100lbs, but we've set my goal for 50lbs right now. ****, if I can get under 200lbs I'll be stoked! I've been over 180 since highschool, 250lbs now, and I have a reunion coming up next year, and I'd LOVE to just blow em all away. lol

So glad I found this forum, seems like a great place to get started!

2 weeks into IP
 

Hello all!

I just had my 2nd weigh in on the IP Diet and I am so happy with this plan already. A little about me and how I became familiar with Ideal Protein...

I'm a 25 year old single gal living in Minnesota. Dieting and exercise have never been a great big part of my life, and even when I'd feel bad about myself and watch the scale numbers climb I couldn't stand to do anything about it for more than a few days or weeks. Since middle school I've been constantly gaining weight. Ironically, for some reason I carry the weight "well" so I weigh more than I actually look like I do, but when I'd go out with friends or see cute dresses that I knew I couldn't wear, it was finally enough for me to do something about it.

My mom introduced me to IP, and a friend of hers introduced it to her. Now, this particular friend has diabetes, but her doctor approved it and she was eventually able to go off her insulin. After learning about it with my mom, I decided that it was structured enough that I knew exactly what to do, but wasn't quite to restrictive that you had no options in eating. I tried the foods with my mom who started about 2 weeks before I did and discovered that I liked almost all of them well enough to be able to fully commit. 2 weeks later, and I'm feeling better than I ever have before!

I'm so excited for this journey and I'm so glad I found this support forum!!!

TG

I have rotator cuff surgery this next Thursday and though I've just started Phase 3 I will probably end up converting back to Phase 1 for the 4 week recovery - till I'm allowed to drive again, just because it is so easy to follow. I will be rooting for you and you can commiserate with me recovering from and having surgery yet staying IP ... I'm praying. Smile. Good luck! :hug:

I'm SO EXCITED for you Nell! Your story is not a lot different than mine except that I lost the first 25 about 5 years ago (beginning at 250) and then gained 10 of it back over the last couple of years.

I try to talk about IP to anyone who says I look good or even that my hair looks nice. I want everyone to have the same amazing opportunity I did to hear about IP and look it up. It is great to know that you were paying attention to what was being said around you. I'm counting on that! Please hear me! Please hear me! Smile.

The next couple of days may be a little tougher than yesterday for you.
Please check out the Newbie threads and know that any discomfort you have should pass in just a very short time... hunger will disappear! WOW! The biggest on going thing to watch out for is dizziness and that can often be alleviated by drinking more water and eating a dill pickle. It can have a lot to do with lowered potassium level and the pickle will help up that. Make sure you are taking your Potassium/Calcium pill in the morning. Don't skip meals or veggies or lettuce. I read recently that the protein packets in this diet are like the logs or fuel for a fire while the veggies are the oxygen for the fire. Have you ever had a candle that comes with a lid (Yankee Candle for instance)? When the candle is lit and the lid it put on the candle goes out within about one second... That is why the veggies are so important. We want that oxygen (veggies) working with the fuel (protein) so that we obtain the maximum burn!

Here's hoping that you've found your very last diet ever and those at your reunion next year will be future IP believers and victors too! Smile. Kathy:)

Are you having Open Rotator Cuff or orthroscopic? I am just asking because Open was way longer recovery for me, so your activity will be much less.
I wish you a speedy recovery :)

:welcome:
Everyone on this forum loves to help. You have come to the right spot!:D