Just completed my first full week on alternatives. lost 3 lbs saved $50

Breakfast - Either an EAS or Atkins shake
Snack - Atkins or Pure Protein Bar (an occasional additional shake after dinner)
Lunch - EAS or Atkins Shake and 2 cups veggies (sometimes additional lean meat).
Dinner 2 cups veggies and 8oz meat (beef, lamb or chicken)

On Saturday I went to the movies and had an additional item - IP chocolate soy puffs.

Nice! The only thing I would caution you about is using Atkins products - they tend to be too high in fat to compare with IP products. Atkins doesn't restrict fat, while IP does. Make sure you are using products with less than 30% total calories from fat.

Good for you! I'm in the process of switching over to alternatives and am pretty scarred but this made me feel so much better about my choice to save some $$$ . I have heard not to use the Atkins produces due to high fat count. Stick to ESA shakes or Pure Protein shakes (found at walmart).

Im switching over this week and next or as soon as my products get here!!!! Ive been using pure protein bars this week and the scale is going up. I know it cant be the bars huh? they are only 20 - 40 calories above the IP that i was eating and I've used a lower cal soup to make up for this. Do the pure proteins work for others?

My question would be around the soup! IP as far as I can tell IP is very low cal, HOWEVER the main focus is fat/ carbs/ sugars. So my question would be what does the soup have in it? Also if you are cutting too may cal's out your body could be in starvation which would also cause the scale to go up. From what I can tell pure protein bars and shakes have worked wonders for people who want the IP diet but don't want to spend the $$. Also ESA Shakes are good too. How many bars are you eating?

Don't worry too much about daily weight fluctuations. I can fluctuate 3-4 lbs a day, usually at my lowest in the mornings.

Billster - Im only eating one bar a day. Treating it like a restricted food.
This scale fluctuation is very unusual for me but Im taking it in stride, or trying to. Im getting ready for major surgery next week so maybe the anxiety is getting to me

I am on alternatives and I've found that it works best for me to stay under 30 grams net carbs and under 40 grams fat every day. I use MyFitnessPal.com to make sure I don't bust the limits.

Edited to clarify that I subtract total fiber grams from total carb grams to get total net carbs. That is the value I try to keep under 30.

thx Fishette! and that is one cute baby in your picture!

I just restarted IP with alternatives (ordered some proti diet foods that seem to be very similar to IP). I also use the MyFitnessPal to track carbs and calories. I aim for about 50 or less net carbs and between 800 and 1000 cal. I tracked a bunch of "real" IP days, and that seems to work out about right. Protein is about 100-130g.

There is a bunch of us from this forum on MFP. Friend me - my name there is 3fcFishette

Oh, don't get me started on that baby pic! That is Lily, my premie grand daughter, right after her heart repair surgery. She is doing fantastic and seems to be doing quite well catching up with her birth age. She was 9 weeks early but she has caught up about half of that so far, so today she acts like a 9 month old although she is 10. At this pic she wasn't even on the growth charts, or maybe at like 3% mark. Today she is at the 40% mark right in the middle of the chart. I'm so happy for her!

This might be a dumb question, but.. if you are using alternatives, you are doing it on your own, right? You don't use the IP coach?
I've only been on it for a month, so I'm too chicken to do it without the help! But, does anyone feel that being coach-less makes it harder?

... also, do you just tell your soon-to-be ex-coach, Sayonara, I'm going on my own! ? lol

I know, these are lame questions! But I'm curious!

These questions are asked all the time. Yes if you are not using IP products most people don't go to the coach.

When I left the clinic I just told the coach I just didn't have time to drive the distance there when my work schedule changed which was true.

Many people just also say the truth that they can't afford it.

Others just cancel the appointment.

Not a dumb question at all. Yes, doing on my own. It is harder, but if you use this site, MyFitnessPal it helps to keep you accountable. I have the extra benefit of being on the diet with my wife..so we started doing our own weigh-is, each week (same date/time). MyFitnessPal is like an online ( or mobile app) version of the food journal. If you are honest and see what you are eating, you're less likely to cheat.