Here is to getting back the Desi way on IP

@ user hope2781


So..
some intros in order so that we can assess the circumstances / situations...
cause one man's pudding is another man's poison.. ( applies to a woman as well )
Who am I ? - Chennai based guy here in NJ, 38, Christian (so meat eater and almost anything that moves), love spicy stuff...to start...
What is my driver? Long term driver : 2 daughters aged 7 & 3 ! Short term driver : surprising my parents who have been on my case to lose weight for the last 10 years ( going to India in Jun for a month... have always been on the heavier side.. my entire life)..
Other motivations that help sustain after the initial hurdles : Shopping for clothes is fun again , going to the park for the kids and playing with them, not being wary of being photographed...
this is just to start about who/why I am doing what I am doing.

On to you now..and my responses in red below.


"I am on Phase 1, started on Apr 02. Week 1 = lost 7 lbs , week 2 = no weight loss :-( : Are you drinking enough & more water? Are you cheating at all? Are you having sugar / fruits? .. need more details on your situation...

I have a weigh in this Thursday and hoping for the scale to go down. Do you have your own scale that you check ?
How are you controlling not to eat rice or roti? I am soooo tempted to eat the food but trying to stay strong. form your motivation factors on why you wanna stay the course... Of course, I gave in a bit around the time it plateaued for me.. Spicy indian snacks from Subzi mandi - murukku / thata / south indian stuff, but then recalled my motivation factors....also keep in mind, each person's body ( each of us are like a snow flake ) reacts a bit differently to this regimen.. but it will work... a bit delayed for some...
I wonder why moong dal sprouts can't be taken? they are protein rich but my coach said stick with the plan and so I am not trying it but I do take few spoons of tomato rasam once in a while." Try bean sprouts.... they are good to.. and u mean spoons of tomato rasam? what kind of diet plan did your coach give you/ I have meat every night... and I still lost weight...more details will help..

Hi Desi Guy: We have crossed paths before on this forum... re: travel and IP - how did your trip to India go or have you been yet?

Just want to add that cooking Indian, Asian, and Mexican seem to be the easiest to stay on Maintenance plan after IP. (That's where I am right now - and last night we had buffalo burger patties with fresh cilantro and garum masala in along with stirfried veggies (cauliflower and zucchini and green onion) topped with a few spoons of Bombay potato and a side of cucumber and mint raita made with 0% Greek Yogourt - very thick and rich. I have a huge spice box and cook Indian food a lot but stay away from anything deepfried just because I don't want all the extra fats from that- bad combo with the carbs lol.

Liana

Could you perhaps post some of your recipe ideas for a little variety?
I don't know much about South Indian cooking... most of my friends here are from the North - mainly Punjab region.
Thanks in advance!

Hey Liana gal,
Great to run into you again... and you are right... I think Indian & chinese recipes are pretty well suited for IP. Stir fried Baby bokchoy Indian style, Sauteed Oyster or Shitake mushrooms with garam masala & shredded ginger... and here are my faves.. I hit the Indian grocer stores.. and they sell a zillion $1 or $1.99 masala packs ( likerubs or marinades) that you can season your proteins with.. Eg ( Lahorgi charga-fish or chicken| Tandoori | Tikka Masala | Chicken 65 | Chilli Chicken | to name a few.. I use this for even eggplant rounds..and its awesome..i marinate it.. for a couple of hours and then grill it on the stove....in fact.. dinner is the fave meal of my whole day....

Those spice mixes all sound wonderful, I will have to do some googling to find more info. I live in a small town and don't have an Indian grocery store, I'd have to drive about 50 miles away to get to one, but may make it a day trip along with other errands in the bigger centre. I just have to be careful that they are strictly spices as I must be gluten free - no wheat, barley, rye, or any derivatives of such or I will be VERY ILL for a few weeks.
Bok choy is in my veggie drawer right now - perhaps part of tomorrow's dinner - I'll check out your ideas. I can get some spice pastes at my local grocery like tikka masala, and tandoori (although I can't quit cook it in a proper tandoori oven, lol)

I'll keep track of this thread as long as I can and hope we get more people talking on it...
Thanks,
Liana

Hello. now my introduction follows:
I am from Hyderabad and 32 yrs old and now based in chicago. I have a 3 yr old girl and I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy. Lost 20 with workouts but the next 20 is where I have been struggling for many yrs and thought I will start this diet.

I haven't cheated at all meaning no fruits no sugars no carbs. Although I did increase salt intake than what is recommended. 1/4th tablespoon is just not enough for me so I increased it a little bit more and I discussed with my coach too and she told salt increase doesn't impact the diet.

The plan says to drink 64 oz meaning 2 litres of water and I usually drink 3 to 4 litres of water on an average.

I am not much of a meat eater but I do take chicken eventually. I grill marinated chicken wings and chicken breast and had them for dinner on this diet. But I mostly take eggs as dinner at night. I find eggs too bland so add few spoons of rasam soup to it.

I don't see a reason why rasam should not be consumed on this diet.
Recipe In case anyone is interested:
Boil 1 or 2 tomatoes in a dish with some water until you can mash them up. Add salt, pepper, cumin powder and coriander powder. Let it boil and add more water to give it soup consistency. In a seperate dish add 1 tbsp olive oil and cumin seeds and garlic , fry it up a little and add it to the soup.
But I take only 2 or 3 spoons with my eggs probably twice a week and not more than that.

BTW, marinating eggplant in masalas is a good diea. I didn't think about that at all.

I'm headed to India on May 3rd for a 9 business trip (with a bit of sight seeing built in). I plan on staying on plan during my trip. Any suggestions on safe IP foods while in India would be great! I'm slightly concerned that veggies & protein will be covered in delicious sauces, that's how I order from my favorite US based Indian restaurants.

I'll be packing premade drinks and IP snacks for my IP meals.

Some comments, based on your note....

IP recomments using Sea Salt as the Sodium levels are different in that. Not sure if you use Sea salt vs Common Salt.
My coach indicated that tomato is restricted ( dont ask me why) like it is to be used only once or twice a week.Not staple. if you need Rasam, try this recipe... its spicy and awesome..
http://solaiachiskitchen.blogspot.co...d-chicken.html
for your bland eggs, can you get Egg masala from your local indian store? they have a blend of Chaat masala/black salt and pepper which is a bit zesty.
you mentioned chicken wings... that has chicken skin right?...
what about dairy? have you cut all milk or do u use fat free...

Christina,
Depending on which part of India you are planning to visit, your options vary. But if you are staying in a swanky hotel, then their menu should have a lot of options... My advice is to try Indo-chinese cuisine there, which is a bit different than the buttery /spicy sauces that are traditionally Indian. But your hotel will have a salad bars...Your best bet is to go for the tandoori Veggie platter or Tandoori Chicken/Shrimp which cuts down on any oils or sauces.. these are dry dishes....will check for some more dishes and let you know.. enjoy your trip..
( too bad that you are not gonna try the roadside eateries... which are the best...but if you are not "indianized" dont risk it)...

the recipe in that link really looks yummy. I am so going to try it.
I use sea salt only but more than they recommend. 1/4th tbsp is not enough for me. I take milk once in a while but when I do it's skim milk and only 1oz.
I take skin out for chicken wings.. I know it's a little work but it's worth it.
I didn't know abt the egg masala I have to try it. I know tomato is restricted and I take the rasam only twice a week that too few spoons only but the egg masala idea sounds good.

Christina, I agree with desi guy that Indo-chinese has better options and also Tandoori chicken is always the safest item. Make sure this is grilled chicken and not a curry. I am sure the waiters will accomodate your request if you needed a salad or eggs made IP way.

here are some other recipes that I saw.. havent tried these yet...though.. you can let me know if this is good..

http://kountrywheyidealprotein.com/g...soy-patty.html

http://nutritionw.com/ideal-protein-recipes/

On another note, home made kimchi ( some wont like it because it is pungent), Shredded chicken on lettuce leaf, shredded veggies in hot oil are good options to try......For Indians, it gives the spiciness they crave, but also is filling..

Not sure if you get these spices there.. but I like these brands.. and you have to select the ones that are dry(not gravy).. Indian stores are dime a dozen here
http://www.shanfoods.com/
http://www.lazizafoods.com/products.html#

Hi all: Tomatoes are an occasional veggie, but you can choose two items per week - from what I understand 2 cups is a veggie serving. I used a bit of tomato every other day and didn't have a problem. I never ate two cups at a time, but would cut up 1/2 a small tomato for my salad, or use some as a salsa. I can't see how 2 or 3 spoons of rasam would cause a problem.

But, your choice. Whatever works to fit with lifestyle & tastes.
Hope your trip goes well Chrztina. I used the Phase 1 IP Alternate program when travelling (it adds 1 fruit, 1 lo-fat dairy, and 1 starch to your meal plan each day), it is mainly for people with diabetes but still works well and is much easier to stay on plan with. You can google or ask your coach for more info. You still lose weight, just a tiny bit slower than regular plan.

Liana

Bump (for another member looking for Indian food and IP)

Glad I bumped into this thread! I am on IP from end of March and am a vegetarian Indian from chennai. It has been tough finding vegetarian protein especially when eating out (other than chinese..). It would be great to hear some ideas.