I must say that as a newb, it has helped me to try a new packet with my breakfast/lunch. There are also a ton of recipes on here to try too. Just make sure you don't cook any onions, weigh your meat when it is raw, eat your salads, and always have one restricted per day. Some people are good with routines, but I like variety. I'm trying everything I know I'll like, and making notes of what is good, okay, and gross. Plus, having something new to look forward to can help with resisting cheating. Which reminds me...whatever you do, do not cheat! It won't be worth it in the end.

At our clinic we are advised not to use the jello as a packet as it does not have absorbable protein in it...it is a "freebie"...what are others told?

Also, I almost never have the restricted items... I did ip last year and lost 25 pounds pretty easily...are others being instructed that they must have restricted items?

This is what I had today:

B: coffee, vanilla pudding (made into shake)
L: salad, dressing (with 1/2 tsp oil), 2 cups veggies, choc pudding (shake)
D: 8oz chicken, roasted zucchini with 1 1/2 tsp oil
S: bar or puffs

Originally Posted by Momto2cs:
At our clinic we are advised not to use the jello as a packet as it does not have absorb able protein in it...it is a "freebie"...what are others told?

Also, I almost never have the restricted items... I did ip last year and lost 25 pounds pretty easily...are others being instructed that they must have restricted items?

Yes the current research is showing that people who have the restricted each day have better results and stick with the program longer. There was a video on line somewhere that I saw several months ago and it was a nutritionist with IP and that's what he said.

Originally Posted by Pamelama:
This is what I had today:

B: coffee, vanilla pudding (made into shake)
L: salad, dressing (with 1/2 tsp oil), 2 cups veggies, choc pudding (shake)
D: 8oz chicken, roasted zucchini with 1 1/2 tsp oil
S: bar or puffs

I would switch my breakfast and snack, so that you have all day to burn your calories and protein from your bar/puffs all day. If you get hungry between B and L this would also help you out.

jello
 

I noticed that some people on this forum eat the jello. I tried to buy it at the clinic this week and was told they are sending it back because it contains aspartame which we are not allowed to have. Has anyone else been told this? Is there an alternative at the store that has Splenda? When I went to Walmart today all of them just had aspartame.

I think the jello would really be a good treat. Let me know if you have any other info on this. Thanks!
Tammy

Originally Posted by MustangMolly:
I believe I have been sabotaging myself with celery! I looked at the nutritional value on my celery today and was shocked to find it has 2 net carbs per every two stalk serving. I eat 3 cups of celery a day and I would guess that it takes 2 - 3 stalks per cup so I have been adding 6 carbs at a minimum but probably closer to 9! I never once thought to check carbs in celery. :dz::shrug:

3 cups, 303 g or a little over 2 large stalks of celery, has 9 carbs, 4.8 g fiber, and 5.5 g sugar. It's the latter that makes me reluctant to eat a lot. It also has 10% of the daily requirement of calcium and Ma, 17% K, and 19% sodium.

Not everyone is inclined to track what they eat (or has to :)) but if you want to check a food here's a really easy tool: Cronometer.com -- use the free version, of course.

Originally Posted by Momto2cs:
At our clinic we are advised not to use the jello as a packet as it does not have absorbable protein in it...it is a "freebie"...what are others told?

Also, I almost never have the restricted items... I did ip last year and lost 25 pounds pretty easily...are others being instructed that they must have restricted items?

I too have never had restricted item (13 weeks on program with 57lbs loss). Works for me and advised by coach that that was way to go with program in order to achieve greater losses.

Never heard jello is "freebie" but if is I would love to know that and treat it so.

Originally Posted by lighthouse41:
I noticed that some people on this forum eat the jello. I tried to buy it at the clinic this week and was told they are sending it back because it contains aspartame which we are not allowed to have. Has anyone else been told this? Is there an alternative at the store that has Splenda? When I went to Walmart today all of them just had aspartame.

I think the jello would really be a good treat. Let me know if you have any other info on this. Thanks!
Tammy

I have a box for the IP Raspberry Jelly Mix and here are the ingredients:
Hydrolyzed collagen, beet powder color, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, sucralose, tricalcium phosphate.

I don't see any aspartame in there at all. What was your clinic using? Some off-brand of jello? I know the jello in the stores has aspartame in it but the IP Jelly does not seem to contain any.

Originally Posted by Endless Dieter:
I too have never had restricted item (13 weeks on program with 57lbs loss). Works for me and advised by coach that that was way to go with program in order to achieve greater losses.

Never heard jello is "freebie" but if is I would love to know that and treat it so.

There is no difference in your losses I can promise you if you eat a restricted or not....I did that experiment for myself, I went 2 weeks without and 2 weeks with and my losses were almost EXACTLY the same. In fact I loss a little more the weeks I had the restricted. The program was designed to HAVE that restricted bar, it gives you the calories and protein you need in your daily intake to make it work properly!

Originally Posted by Endless Dieter:
I too have never had restricted item (13 weeks on program with 57lbs loss). Works for me and advised by coach that that was way to go with program in order to achieve greater losses.

Never heard jello is "freebie" but if is I would love to know that and treat it so.

I wonder if the restrictives are also preventing me from losing. I haven't had a loss in two weeks. If I don't have the restrictives that would mean significantly less carbs a week. But I really like those:(

This is a very helpful thread. I also see a lot of cucumber and puffs. I think I will be adding those to my rotation. Because I am also new, I have enjoyed trying the different products and enjoy most of them. The Cappuccino and Mango are my favorite drinks. Butterscotch is my favorite pudding. I find the chicken soup works better with leftover mashed cauliflower and curry powder (found that suggestion on this site). Yesterday I had cucumber and dill pickle zippers for lunch. So yummy and I was neither too full nor too hungry. This is a process. It's getting better.

Originally Posted by wuv2bloved:
I would switch my breakfast and snack, so that you have all day to burn your calories and protein from your bar/puffs all day. If you get hungry between B and L this would also help you out.

I've tried that and when I have restricteds for breakfast I am out of control hungry all day... My coach wasn't too concerned about it b/c I'm still losing. Will revisit if it slows down... Thanks for the heads up!:)

Four days on diet and feeling good
 

Hi, I was a diet coke drinker, two cans for breakfast every morning. My weight has blossomed out of control. I heard about the Ideal Protein diet and decided to give it a try, all others I tried have failed. Today is my 4th day and I finally feel good. At first I had headaches, felt a little light headed and fatigued. Now I am not missing my diet cokes, have lots of energy and I am not hungry. I am anxious to go back for my one week weigh in and see how much I have loss. I didn't realize I could have a chocolate drink for a meal. I will try one tomorrow for lunch with a cucumber, thanks for the tip. I do not like the broccoli and cheese soup.

Originally Posted by Michsunshine:
Hi, I was a diet coke drinker, two cans for breakfast every morning. My weight has blossomed out of control. I heard about the Ideal Protein diet and decided to give it a try, all others I tried have failed. Today is my 4th day and I finally feel good. At first I had headaches, felt a little light headed and fatigued. Now I am not missing my diet cokes, have lots of energy and I am not hungry. I am anxious to go back for my one week weigh in and see how much I have loss. I didn't realize I could have a chocolate drink for a meal. I will try one tomorrow for lunch with a cucumber, thanks for the tip. I do not like the broccoli and cheese soup.

Hi Michsunshine! Welcome to IP and to this forum! I, too, drank at least one diet coke every day. My last diet coke was 2 days before I began IP over 3 years ago and I do not miss it one bit!

I drink the ready-to Drink chocolate drinks for breakfast now, when I'm on phase one and I'm happy with that.

For the broc-soup: I sautee chopped mushrooms and red peppers with salt, pepper, and garlic. Then I pour in the soup that's mixed with the cold water and heat it all together, adding a little more pepper and salt. Don't let it boil but remove it when it starts to simmer. I love it that way. It's a treat lunch for me. But understand and that there are enough IP products that you'll find what you like.

Best of luck. If you stick to it, you'll be happy with the results and they way that you feel.