So many questions and no answers...plz help!
 

So I'm on week 4 and down 15lbs for a total loss of 25lbs :carrot: Yes, very happy but I need some clarification. I recently took a friend to an IP clinic in another city and the coach there completely messed me up! Here goes

-How many packets can I have in a day? MY coach says 5-4 unrestricted 1 restricted AND I HAVE been eating the restricted right from day 1
-NO asparagus? and unlimited greens? I thought ONLY lettuce and cucumber were free for alls?
-NO baking soda so NO pack hacking? MY coach said this but the other coach says they went to a big thing Vegas and all was revealed to them
-Other coach says you HAVE to eat the 2 cups of veggies at lunch, my coach says its ok if I don't and don't feel hungry
-MY coach says I can't just buy a rotisserie chicken and skin it it has to be cooked skinless
-the other coach said IP meals should be spaced 2 hours apart and she said I should start of with 3-4 and wean down?

Sorry to sound like a cry baby but this is becoming confusing.

I'm in Phase 1 and have been consuming 3 packets a day. 1 for breakfast, 1 for lunch (w/ 2 cups veggies), and 1 for snack. Dinner is 6-8 oz meat and 2 cups veggies.

I also started eating a restricted everyday-- the restricteds helped me get through my first week. But when I found myself with minimal losses I tried cutting the restricteds to every other day and that helped with the weight loss.

According to my sheet, you may have unlimited lettuce, cucumber, and celery. Though they may also count towards your 4 daily cups of veggies if you wish. You HAVE to eat all your veggies and meat. If you feel too full at lunch, try having them at different times of the day so you spread it out. People eat differently-- I like to munch throughout the day so I spread my veggies and protein out. Other people do better eating every 3-4 hours (8am breakfast, 12nn lunch, 3pm snack, 7pm dinner). You just have to find what works best for you.

As for the meat, it has to be lean. Buy fresh chicken breast. Even if you remove the skin off the rotisserie chicken, the meat itself has soaked in its juices. Try cooking meat at home so you can control the seasoning you put in it.

Don't worry about the questions, everything you need is on this board. You'll surely get the support and encouragement you need here. Welcome aboard and congratulations on your weight loss. :)

just go by what the sheet says. and you will have no worries.

Coaches seem to vary a great deal in how they present the information but there is a protocol and if you follow it, you'll do great. Eat what's listed on the sheet. Drink all of your water. Eat all of your oil and salt. Do NOT CHEAT. As far as I know pack hacking is fine...I've been doing it almost daily since about the 4th week with the blessing of my coach and I also buy rotisserie chicken and skin it...I think lots of us do. You'll find opinions vary regarding restricteds but just see what works best for you...I eat one each day and have since the 3rd week. And stay connected to this site. You'll find so much information and recipes and encouragement that your journey will be a joy instead of a struggle. :hug:

What is pack hacking?

I think 5 packets a day is way too much. My coach said three per day. The first week you are allowed up to 5 per day if you are hungry, but now you should only be using 3. Aliceinseattle is correct with everything she said. Ultimately use your sheets and you will do well.

Thank you, that was my question.
As far as following the plan. I have found that I lose the most weight on this:

Breakfast: 8am black coffee with IP omelet or crispy cereal or a pudding packet made into a drink

Lunch: 12pm salad (unlimited lettuce and spinach) with 2 cups of veggies, drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt with an IP soup

Snack: 4pm IP pudding or raspberry jelly (my favorite is to mix banana or strawberry with dark chocolate) and green tea

Dinner 8pm: 2 cups veggies and 5 oz chicken or 7oz of fish/seafood

I take omega 3s, calcium, probiotics, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, papaya enzymes, B12 and a multi-vitamin

I walk and take the stairs whenever I can. I drink lots of water. That is it.

I am not sure why each coach varies...maybe it is based on what worked for them. Every body is different.

Just know that avoiding restricted packets for as long as you can will give you bigger losses (puddings, soups, cereal, omelet, jelly are the lowest carb packets). I personally have never tried any of the restricted packets except oatmeal and bars. I can't eat those packets anymore because it has too many carbs and will make me start craving more. I am better off sticking with the above plan.

Good luck!

It is tough because all coaches are not created equal. My coach was working off of old Protocol sheets, though she's pretty good otherwise. Don't hesitate to ask questions, there are so many people here with great information!

This is not entirely true - there are some folks whose bodies NEED that little bit of carbs from the restricted packets otherwise their weight loss stalls. Yes, some folks are very carb sensitive, or they've hit a plateau (weeks of no losses) and cutting out restricteds gets the weight coming off again - but that is NOT true across the board.

Additionally, the plan is written for 1 restricted per day. I use it at varying times/day and have had a weight reduction each week

To piggy-back on scorbett's fact-checking of this statement, from the list my coach gave me, the orange drink is the lowest carb packet. Pink Lemonade is pretty low with 2 carbs. Some of the puddings are higher than others. Same with soups. Here is a nutritional fact sheet (which looks a little more updated than my coach's)
http://idealweightfairbanks.com/nutritional_info.pdf
The raspberry jelly (and blu/cran/pom) are meant as a collagen supplement IN ADDITION to your 3 packets for the day, not as a stand-alone protein packet.

Shobey26, if I were you, I would keep on doing what you are doing, your weight losses are fantastic!

I am one of those people who must have a restricted everyday, when I started I was only eating the non restricted and sometimes mid day I would very tired and that was dangerous when driving. Since then my coach recommend I must have a restricted once a day cause my body was telling me I needed the carbs to function. I have been having good losses each week and feel great once I included the restricted so I think as others have said it depends on the person.

So far the losses keep up but some days it is harder to get in 5 packets so I have been only eating when I feel hungry and not just to get in my packets. I make sure I get breakfast, lunch and after dinner snack so there is always a minimum of 3 in my day, including 1 restricted. I love my bars to much to give up-especially the apple cinnamon. Well as for coaches, you are right-they are different but I am sticking to my sheet like a bible and enjoying the program immensely. I do try to fool my body by switching up the times I eat my restricted as well as variety in packets. Dinner is actually harder because I have to think of what to make and make sure hubby would be able to eat it. The packets take all the guess work out of it but they come with a cost $.