Anyone else disappointed?
 

Has anyone else been disappointed with their clinic? IP is VERY new to my area, I was only the third person to join. And while my coach is a very sweet girl she isn't a medical professional and the clinic is through a chiropractor's office. So as you can imagine I don't have any blood work done, I've never been measured, and worst of all when I went to get food yesterday (my coach is out of town so no check in) there were no chocolate drink mixes or vanilla peanut crunch bars which are the staple of my diet!!! I thought about doing Idealtogo.com but they won't let me because I've already visited a clinic and it's against their rules. I personally think it would benefit IP as a company to let people do it online as opposed to quitting all together. I have been very happy with my results but I feel like for the money I'm paying to be on this program the service should be the same for everyone! I'm thinking about switching to alternative products at this point.

Hi - I'm sorry to hear about your experience with your clinic. My clinic is also not with a doctor's office so I haven't had any bloodwork.

I guess the difference with my clinic is that the owner and all the coaches I've seen there have all done IP and been successful.

This is a very expensive diet, however, don't let the lack of customer service/knowledge deter your weight loss. This forum has so much information and experienced people that can hopefuly supplement your coach (or lack thereof!).

As for alternatives, I kind of mix some alternatives with the IP food and still have good losses.

My coach has been on the diet 3 weeks longer than me so I feel like we're both learning together. The official Ideal Protein facebook page basically told me not to use this forum! They said a lot of information on here is wrong, but if I don't get answers from here I probably won't get them at all.

There are 2 coaches in my office. I see one of the coaches, my husband and sister see the other coach. You would be amazed at how different these two coaches are. One of these coaches said that we couldn't eat any frozen vegetables because they had carbs in them. She stressed that anything that came with a label had to be 0/0/0. I think IP coaches should have some basic understanding of nutrition, or at least be aware that vegetables naturally have carbs. I do like this diet, but I don't think I particularly care for the business aspect of it. It seems like any old "joe" can be a coach as long as they're selling the product and making money. It's amazing to me how different the coaches are. It seems there is no standard.

There doesn't seem to be a real standard for what is required of the coaches which is disappointing. When I started researching alternative products I couldn't believe the price difference. I'm paying $27 a box for food and I can find almost exactly the same stuff online for $12.50 a box. I understand it is a business and especially since they have to run through a clinic that all costs money. I was especially put off that whoever admins their facebook page discouraged the use of this forum.

Where can you find $12.50 per box? I also pay $27/box which I didn't mind too much. It's the supplements that I think are through the roof! I'm not sure what's so special about, for example, the omega 3 from IP when sometimes my local pharmacy has 2 for 1 offers for the same product. I still buy the IP product but always wonder.

My coach went through the entire program and he is a Chiropractor also! The only thing I have ever really questioned from him is why he didn't want me working out until I was ready to move to phase 2 (which is about 5 pounds away for me) but I went against his wishes and workout anyways :devil: But I too have chosen alternative products because this was definitely draining my bank account faster than I could EVER imagine and I also bought my own Tanita scale. So, basically I go to him now every week to do my measurements (I tried this on myself and decided I suck at it LOL) because I won't need to buy anymore products from him thanks to all of the support of this forum and the wonderful people here :hug:

~Michelle

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar-bl...7/117/126/.png

Hey there, I'm pretty sure the reason they don't want us to exercise on Phase 1 is because our calorie count is so low - 600-900 a day - that it's pretty easy to make yourself sick exercising if you aren't careful. Just think that a 20 minute run could negate over a 3rd of your daily intake... and your body still does have to survive... ;)

My coach is sweet and supportive but I have a really hard time knowing that she gained all of her weight back. She says things like "I am so embarrassed" and "I really need to start". And I think yes you should! You are scaring the crap out of me that I might not be able to keep the weight off either. Ig it weren't for this forum and all of the successes I see here I aj sure I wouldn't have started ideal protein. I am so grateful!

I didn't get blood work done either. That is fine with me.

Wow! See my coach is the total opposite!! He shows me all of his pictures of progression and even his chart now...he is very proud of his accomplishments and we talk about what meals he felt worked best for him and all...the only "qualm" I have is about working out but he knows there is no stopping me ;)

I have worked out while on ip and have had no problems. If you were doing it before then you should continue. If not, eventually you will probably need to consider starting...

Hey Team Belder! That sucks they were out of your faves :( it would be a lot easier if you could order online I agree with that! Whenever I'm stuck with a food I don't really like (i tried the strawberry pudding.....gross) I try and tell myself "ok this is just for the nourishment of my body", and try to quit thinking I only eat food bc it tastes good. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it helps me sometimes-hopefully it will for you too! I hate you aren't getting much support from your clinic, but if you need a diet buddy I'm here for you! I noticed we are around the same start weight/now weight/goal weight, so good luck!! I finally figured out how to post, had to confirm through my email *duh*, lol!

That's not cool- my coach is awesome! there is a chiropracter in town that does IP, but I go to a clinic with a single coach. She's done the program and is on maintenance now. She's so supportive- she actually sends text messages every few days to encourage her clients! I can text questions if needed also.

I've been walking and feel fine. I've tried to run, but don't have the energy for it. I do short drills after walking and squats, stuff like that. I'm just careful not to do too much.

Try checking the alternative thread and seeing what products people are using on their own. The support here is tremendous (whether you're on pure IP or alternatives) and to be honest, with my new job I haven't seen my coach in almost two months. Hubby is on the diet with me, and he just picks up my food when he goes. My clinic doesn't do blood work, but does measure every week. My coach is a sweetie-pie, but her knowledge is very limited. I get all the info, support and motivation I need here.

I know its tuff if you don't get the support and help you need...when I was losing weight I came to this blog and it really help me...please stay focused..and tell the doctor you have concerns...and voice them..it will help the clinic get better and it will help you stay on program..plus they need to take your pictures and measure you...ask them to..
please speak up this is your journey ..I now run a clinic in San Antonio after losing 70 lbs..I want to be the best I can be for my clients..and I really hope I make a difference for them...:hug:

We actually do have a standard and a training that we are to do...plus monthly meetings and seminars...I'm sorry the info your getting is wrong...yes you can have frozen veggies..I lived on them while I lost my weight..the steamables were my best friend..throw them in the microwave and easy...:hug:

Do you have a link to the "offical" ideal protein page? There are a lot of different ones. Although I understand that they may discourage going to unofficial forums as the main source of information, I would argue that people SHOULD go to the forum, but just check in with the coaches if there are questions.

Sad to hear about unprofessional coaches. Reading some of these threads, I am surprized about some clinics forbidding restricted IP foods/ vegetables. At least for me, I wouldnt have been able to stay on the diet at the beginning if i didnt have something like a bar to look forward to as a "treat" or to feel spoiled for getting some tomatoes in my salad or to get grilled eggplant for a change up.

I am happy my coaches seem to use their heads and tailor their feedback to the needs of the different people on the diet. I started with 5 packages a day (because of my weight and to overcome my perceived mental barrier of dieting=suffering) and I still lost fast and started building good habits.

Whereas other people I know have started with 3 packets and had no problems.

I would love to write in Finnish somewhere because my English is not so good...is there any forum yet in Finnish ?

I doubt there will be a forum in finnish any time soon, but most likely I will work withe the coaches to start translating my FB page once the clinics are officially set up (http://www.facebook.com/idealproteinlohja) and have a Finnish FB page where users can comment/ discuss in Finnish.

I'll let you know.

I am one of the ones who is not allowed any restricteds. I am in my 6th week and haven't had a restricted vegetable or a restricted packet. The first week I was told I could have up to 4 packets, but she said, "I know you won't need it, you should be able to do fine without it." So, I didn't.

You should be able to have your restricted by now, have you asked about it again? you should also be able to eat your occasional veggie also. Maybe they just forgot about it, ask next time you go in.

I am really "into" this program and my clinic is good. I told my coach that they needed to start a progress board or do some type of motivating thing, like we do with the spread sheets and do it for a month and the one with the largest weigh loss for the month say get a free box of food or something like that. She said most of the clients don't want it to be known that they are "dieting" so I said take pics but cut of the heads....lol...I just want people to see the progress because sometimes we don't see it in ourselves but can see it through others.

I would really want to work at my clinic and would like to see the program more advertised. If it was more advertised we could be a much healthier state!

WOW! Your new photo is stunning! Love love love your photos of progress. Absolutely inspiring.

Thank you, I post a new picture every month so people can see that this program DOES work and you can see the differences that a month makes. I see more difference in my face pictures than my body pictures, that is why I post the face pictures. Sometimes I look at my pics and thing wow I never saw myself that way, so I know I will NOT let myself go back to that again.

Wuv, I asked last week when would I be able to eat a tomato. She frowned and said she didn't know. I said, well in a couple of weeks, longer? She just said, I don't think so. I don't want to mess up your weight loss.

WOW, you can have a tomato but only like once or twice a week. I have noticed if I eat tomatoes it slows me down. If it is on your sheet there is no reason why you can't eat it. You have been on it long enough to be able to eat the occasional veggies or restricted one. Now remember this is only my opinion and I am not a coach. You can see my results and I have had restricted since day one. In fact, my coach didn't even realize i was eating 2 restricted a day for the first month. I was eating 2 bars a day and still lost. It was my brother who started the program after me that told me I was not eating correctly because we were comparing what we bought for the week. I do not find having a restricted has slowed me down at all. This week I am doing no restricted to see if there will be a difference. So I will see.

I'm also really motivated and dedicated to do this diet. I just wish my coach was more knowldegeable. I have a couple of friends that go to a clinic that is run by nutritionists and I get a lot of info from them and from this site. I bring that info back to my coach and she seems surprised to hear what I'm saying, and a bit put out over it. She is really sweet and I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I don't think she is very smart. I don't confront her on a lot of things, such as vegetables naturally containing carbs. I just smile and say "ok" when she tells me things that I know aren't right. I'm just worried I'm not getting the full benefit of what this diet can do. Will not eating restricteds hinder me in the long run?

I wouldn't overeat the restricteds, but a bowl of oatmeal every once in a while sounds heavenly and filling.

I have to buy my packets by the box so I have 7 days of restricted. I would go by what your friends are telling you. My coach does the same things when I bring information to her that I have found on here or researched myself. I understand they can't know it all but they should have some type of general information. Not having restricted will not hinder you at all. Restricted just gives you more carbs.