1 Restricted per day= New Protocol????
 

I read somewhere in another thread that we are supposed to eat 1 restricted packet per day. I barely ever eat the restricted packets and I haven't been losing much weight per week (.6 lbs in 2 weeks....). Could that be why? I have been following the diet to the T. No cheating, drinking all my water, etc.....

Is this true? Are we really supposed to have a restricted packet everyday? This is news to me.... What have your coaches said?

Sara,
My coach said I would have better results if I limited the restricted.... so I do a restricted 3 times a week.

My coach and others on the board encouraged me to switch one of my non restricted for a restricted. It seems to have helped get the scale moving a bit, and I do like the bars and snacks!

It is not REQUIRED to have one a day, but some people find that their loss is actually better when they do. I always do, not because of my loss rate but because they just taste so darn good! If I don't have a "treat" once in a while, I get angry and resentful and would be more inclined to cheat, or worse, say the heck with it all together. The bars hit the spot for me and satisfy that desire for dessert.

Thanks everyone. Maybe I will try eating one everyday and see if it helps increase my weight loss.

I am starting to get frustrated that the scale hasn't budged.... I am willing to try anything new that might jump start my results :)

My coach's only requirement is no restrictives before bedtime. I've eaten a bar for breakfast everyday since I started and my weight loss has been good overall. What you might be dealing with now is slow weight loss because you are so close to goal.

Thanks Dana. I don't understand how different coaches tell people different things.... I thought this was a strict protocol.

Maybe I will start having a bar as my breakfast every morning :)

I had a restricted item everyday since day 1 and I never stopped losing. I don't think I would have done so well without having one everyday ... lol

I enjoy my restricted every morning...(Chocolate, chocolate bar)...YUM! I switched coaches at my clinic and one would tell me not to eat one/day and the other says it's fine and she did it on the diet!

Due to their higher carbs etc. I was told not to have them in the evening before bed...give it a try for a couple of weeks. My loss hasn't been stalled by eating one per day and I feel as though I'm not starving myself of much needed carbs etc... :) ENJOY THEM!!!

Originally Posted by SaraBean:
Thanks Dana. I don't understand how different coaches tell people different things.... I thought this was a strict protocol.

Maybe I will start having a bar as my breakfast every morning :)

This is my one complaint with IP, the different information the coaches are giving out. My coach is pretty much by the book, doesn't even allow Splenda, Mio, etc... In the meantime enjoy a bar for breakfast. By the time you count the bar as net carbs they really aren't that high in carbs.

Originally Posted by SaraBean:
I read somewhere in another thread that we are supposed to eat 1 restricted packet per day. I barely ever eat the restricted packets and I haven't been losing much weight per week (.6 lbs in 2 weeks....). Could that be why? I have been following the diet to the T. No cheating, drinking all my water, etc.....

Is this true? Are we really supposed to have a restricted packet everyday? This is news to me.... What have your coaches said?

Hi Sara- I started over three weeks ago and it stated on my protocol sheet to have no more than 1 restricted daily.

The problem is that coaches have their own preconceived ideas about weight loss and nutrition. Most coaches are past "losers". I don't believe many are doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers, etc. not that those people always have the tight answers either!

Read all the information for yourself and make informed decisions. And this forum always has a vast array of information!

I wasn't allowed restricteds until phase 2. No restricted veggies, no restricted packets. However, once I started coaching my son's soccer team, I ate alternative restricteds because I needed more calories and I didn't totally like my coach's version of IP. I didn't really notice any difference in weight loss by adding the restricted, but I never really stalled at all. I think the closer you get to goal, the slower your losses are. You may try adding restricteds to see if it "shocks" your body into letting some weight go. Also, when I was officially allowed to have restricteds in phase 2, I was advised to eat them at night. I don't trust my coach, she has no idea about nutrition, so I did a little research on my own. According to Dr. Tran, you want your carbs in the evening, because it takes your body about 8 hours to process carbs and make them ready for the body to use. That's why in maintenance, you're supposed to eat your carb heavy meal for dinner. By morning, your body is ready to use them up instead of storing them as fat.

Just eat em... They are yummy!!

Originally Posted by Survalia:
It is not REQUIRED to have one a day, but some people find that their loss is actually better when they do. I always do, not because of my loss rate but because they just taste so darn good! If I don't have a "treat" once in a while, I get angry and resentful and would be more inclined to cheat, or worse, say the heck with it all together. The bars hit the spot for me and satisfy that desire for dessert.

I totally agree!