Turnip is on my list of OK veggies for phase 1. but I also have another sheet the coach gave me that says "no root vegetables of any kind" for phase 1 and 2. I never did try to figure out how to do the turnip fries anyway. lots of people say they are terrific, and also lots say they turned out terrible. So not sure how it is best to cook them.

Also did I read that they are now saying to stay on phase1 until you reach you goal or did I dream that.


pat

Can you have an IP Packet and regular Protein in the same meal? For some reason, I thought it was either/or.

Just tried the strawberry pudding and I'm not a fan - anyone use them for a recipe they could point me to? ~Tammy

Interesting question. I too had wondered this. Today I purchased from my coach the cookbook "My Ideal Recipes" 250 Scrumptious Ways To Enjoy Your Meals. The author, Chef Verati at the beginning of each section has a list of "Tips and tricks" and on page 66 (Poultry) he states the following. "When using Ideal Protein foods in any recipe, it is important to understand that they do not count towards your total mandatory envelopes per day."

It is my understanding that the recipes in this cookbook are written for Phase 1 and 2. In reading the Author's Preface he states that he spent 18 years being overweight and decided to follow the Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method in hopes that he would see his children grow up. (I'm paraphrasing here... not exact quote.) Five months later he had lost 100 pounds , let his job at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa and went to work for Ideal Protein. The book has a publication date of 2011, so I would believe that this is current information. I do intend to get my coach's blessing before I try this. Hope this helps.

Yes, that does make sense since some of the recipes call for more than 1 pkg of IP foods. It certainly is a gorgeous cookbook! I'm picking up lots of ideas from it. Chef Verati uses Walden Farms products in most all of the recipes. I hope to get lots of inspiration from it to use in cooking for my husband who is diabetic.

Heat some olive oil in a large non-stick pan, then chop the bottoms off the baby bok choy (so the leaves separate- there will still be small "bulbs", those will cook quickly) and add the b b c to the pan. Then turn down the heat to medium low, stir and put a lid on the pan. After a few minutes, I add a little garlic and salt and pepper, stir again and then turn the heat off and put the lid back on. A few minutes later, I put them on my plate :)

Sorry if I'm too detailed, or not enough. That's just how I do it, I like to cook, but I'm not that knowledgeable. :frypan:

Would you mind an observation? Well, 2 really. The Jelly doesn't have all the essential amino acids. I think it's recommended for the 4th packet or for occasionally. And 8 oz of tilapia (225 grams) has 45.2 grams of protein; 2 eggs have 12.6.

I can't wait to try the chicken bread, myself! I think they might be good as muffins/biscuits to have with a salad.

Make them into waffles! FinnSteve's thread has a great recipe for them, I believe it is a pinch of baking powder (1/4-1/2 tsp), 2 beaten egg whites (I only use 1) and strictly 2 oz water. Spray your waffle iron well with oil and cook for about 4 minutes.

Or, you can use that recipe to make them into little drop cookies--use parchment paper and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Thanks, I am going to try it this weekend.

Gini, I think this is very well said, and I hope you don't remain in the shadows, and Wyo1963, I think you said it well also. I think it's really important to admit publicly what mistakes we make so that we can take responsibility for them--but to do that, we have to be ready to accept the consequences (i.e. what feedback we get in return). Also, it can serve as a lesson to others who might be teetering on the edge, so that they can see how much it might cost them to make a conscious choice in the wrong direction.
I can also see that talking about it might be demotivational to others who are offering support from the heart and feeling that their words are falling on deaf ears. My opinion on that front is to not take it personally, as we are only responsible for ourselves, but to expend your wonderfully positive energy on those who are most responsive to it. If that means 2 threads, I guess that is one solution, although I think the way they are named is a bit black and white.
I thank all of you for your support and encouragement and love reading about your victories, struggles, weather reports, chores, work, families, lives...this is truly a little community and like all communities, sometimes we have a hiccup or two. So, hopefully we can all remember why we came here in the first place and continue on in the spirit of goodwill and friendship. :hug:

I could have written both of these post, maybe not so eloquently, but my thoughts mirror yours exactly. I thank you so much for having the courage to address the issue as it has bothered me since I started reading this site a couple months ago. I understand "tough love", and I hope that is what some of this is (at least that is what I keep telling myself), but even though I have been "lucky" enough to have had a very easy transition into this diet/life change, I for the most part fear posting because of saying/doing something wrong or having my posts misunderstood. That happened with my very first post, and I found it extremely upsetting, almost to the point of thinking that maybe this wasn't the right message board for me. In the past something even as simple as a misunderstood post would have sent me to the kitchen in search for anything and everything I could find to eat.

I'm sure there will be a day that for some reason I will deviate from this plan's protocol. Will I share it here? Probably not. I just don't think I would feel comfortable with the "tough love" approach that if I deviate even a little (or a lot) that maybe this life change is not for me. Will I share that with my coach? You betcha! I have come to appreciate her so much and I know that she could work me through it. That's what makes a good coach! Having heard how she handles the clients ahead of me each week I know she would be fair with me. We are all different, what works for some certainly may not work for others.

You know in the last couple of days there has been discussion on "turnips", how to cook them, how not to, and if baking them until crispy brings out the sugar in them. I had never thought about that before and that was the way I'm cooking mine... crispy. I was sharing that with someone this morning and they asked me if I was satisfied with the amount of weight I had lost in my first 3 weigh-ins? Absolutely I am! And their answer was that even if my losses have not been as great as maybe some others on this plan, isn't that all that matters. I had to think about that a little and decided I will continue to make my turnip fries crispy, even if it slows things down a little. Do I appreciate the information and the person who posted it? Yes. But I'm totally happy with the rate that the weight is coming off even if it might be slowed down slightly by crispy turnips so I'm not going to change a thing. I really should I be comparing what I'm doing to what someone who has much more, or less than I have to lose. Each and every one of us is so unique.

So with this post, I too will probably go back into "lurk" mode. Am I sad about that? Yes. I would have liked to have thought I might have been able to help or encourage someone else in some small way. I will continue to listen to "my" coach, and even if the information she gives me is not 100% consistent with what others might say here, how do I know that you or your coach has correct or better information.

I wish all of you great success on your individual journeys with this life change. I know for me it has been nothing short of miraculous in how I feel. My knees, my hips and most importantly my mind have not felt this good in decades. But I refuse to allow negative or tough love postings to bring me down.

Again Giniwarrior, thank you for posting your thoughts. Both have really helped me to work through mine. :hug:

Hi PeggyG. Just curious, where in IL are you from? I'm in the NW suburbs of Chicago.

Great post PeggyG,

Please don't stop sharing with us!!!! You are doing a great job, and hooray for you for deciding to do what is best for yourself. That's one of the lessons we are all trying to learn here. I hope that you continue to come here for support and feel free to PM me for any reason. I am happy to listen and encourage you--I'm not perfect either. Even though I am pretty new to this plan, it has changed my life in many ways and the support I've gotten here has helped so much. Stay positive and keep up the good work!

Wuv hasn't been around to close this one, but here's the link for today's thread. :)