New Announcment
 

Anyone have any idea what the new announcement by IP is going to be and when it will finally be revealed?

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My coach told me it was a new maintenance program. My understanding was that it was going to be rolled out early April.

Oooh, exciting! Even though I'm only in week 2, haha.

Well I certainly won't have to worry about it until around the 4th of July!!

Hopefully it isn't a meal replacement for maintenance to make sure they keep earning money from you. :p

Just went to see my old clinic... the head honcho for the district is coming tomorrow with all kinds of stuff to talk about apparently, although the owner wasn't sure what it was about yet. They have my # and will call if it's anything 'maintenance.' Kinda wondering... :dizzy:

Liana

Amanda, you may have been joking above, but I bet it does have something to do with this new alleged requirement that a couple of us heard about to have IP Meal Replacement shakes at least once a day in P3! Sure hope this requirement doesn't carry into maintenance!

I just finished P3 last month, and they (IP central) are suggesting the meal replacement for breakfast and giving less information about the "whole food" breakfasts. My particular clinic does not offer the Meal Replacement unless you really want to special order it, because they feel strongly it is best to use whole foods during P3, and they said they felt it was too expensive just for a two week program, but if that is what is easiest for someone, like a grab and go situation, they are willing to order.

Don't know what the announcement is though.

My Clinic doesn't do the P3 Meal Replacement either, but they do have some on hand for travelling or special circumstances. Then again, they were doing the more detailed P4 maintenance plan since they opened in Jan 2012, before a lot of other clinics were on the bandwagon.

Liana

I sincerely hope it's just a better approach to maintenance that educates people who are phasing off a little better, and has nothing to do with the meal replacements. I don't believe that the meal replacements are great for educating people on how they need to eat in order to maintain their weight as it's unreasonable to think people will buy IP meal replacements for the rest of their life.

Guess we'll all soon see what the announcement is!

I agree Kira. It was a little challenging to figure out the macros etc., but "challenging" was like a hour of sitting and looking at it and then going shopping, I figured out 3 breakfasts and was good to go. What I liked about it now that I am in P4 is that I continue with those breakfasts, and also it helped me self-educate about macros in general, so I can watch them for all meals and for my overall day, and start to learn if I gain a little weight what the cause might be.
I also agree that I think whole foods are a healthier, less expensive, and better option ongoingly, at least for me that is true. I still eat a bar or a drink there and there when I'm on the go, but try to only do it once a day or less.
I was glad that P2 and P3 eased me into "normal" eating routines, and I think it was good for my body also, to get used to new things step by step.

I agree with you Amber & Kira - I think the P3 big breakfasts were important to teach people they don't need to starve themselves to maintain (some even continue to lose in P3), but rather you can actually eat a LOT of food, you just need to be eating the right things.

If this is a new P3 based on use of meal replacements, I hope we will keep the links here on 3FC for the existing protocol sheets for P3 that give real food guidelines. I have saved them to my home computer for future reference in case they are overtaken by IP updates...

Good idea oneuh2 - I don't know what will happen in April, but what my clinic said is that they are no longer providing the "examples" of P3 breakfasts, they are just giving the general breakdown of what to include that is usually on page 1 of the .pdf, so it is making it harder for their patients/clients to figure out what to eat. I found an old .pdf on here and actually sent it to my clinic:) and also sent them an excel sheet of my breakfasts so they had some examples to give people.

It's tricky because I actually considered using the Meal Replacement since it just sounded easier and I was so used to the easy "grab a packet and go" drinks in the morning, but I'm happy that I decided to do the food, as I wrote above.

Just in case the sheets get updated when the protocol gets updated, I went ahead and downloaded all four of them to my computer, so I'll have them. Here they are: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/5040423-post79.html

I do know IP is now putting out a maintenance phase "program" where ypu do weekly weigh ins for a certain number of weeks, then every other week and then monthly. It is going to be the "official" way to do maintenance through the clinic. I can't recall if it was to last for a year or just a soecific number of months. And of course there is a charge per visit. I thought it had already started but may just be in certain markets to get it going.

Thanks for the quick link Magpie! I saved them too!

Thanks you for posting the sheets. The ones I are old and I am glad to have these in case they change again.

My clinic was doing this 1.5 years ago while I was still in P1. They still do it, but no extra charge and although I have been in Maintenance for 13 months now, I can go back anytime for free for a weigh & measure & check in to see if I need any help.

Liana

Have you all seen the photo of the new materials? In blue and called "My Ideal Lifestyle." (See My Ideal Protein site or fb page.) Has anyone been in a clinic today and received this? There sure better not be a separate charge for it!

I have a follow up maintenance meeting with my doctor/clinic on Wednesday, I will ask them and let you know what they tell me.

Like Liana, my location allows me to come, text, email or call anytime for free, it was part of the overall product package.

Thanks, Amber! I don't go in again until late next week. Very curious as I could use some more guidance re maintenance!

I talked to my coach about this this morning. She said the clinic hasn't been able to buy the new materials yet, but from what she understands the actual maintenance plan isn't changing, but they're creating a formal structure for maintainers to continue to come into the clinic for a certain amount of time after phasing off, and providing more resources (like a booklet of recipes) and other guidance to support maintenance. I mentioned how when I went into maintenence that I had a lot of trouble with the fun day and it just became a binge day," I have to eat everything because it's the only day I can" frame of mind. Not sure if it's part of the new release, but she said they are backing off of the "mandatory" fun day, and instead changing the language to make it optional or something you phase in eventually once you learn regular healthy eating habits to avoid that binge/restrict habit.

As for an additional charge, she didn't indicate anything about that, but I think it will be something each clinic handles individually...some clinics charge per WI, which is not something my clinic does, so who knows.

Mimi, My clinic also doesn’t have the updated information yet, they plan to get it soon and will email it to me when they have it. I’ll post whatever they send me here. As PishPosh said above, does have to do with maintenance, that is mostly what they know right now.

Thanks, Amber!

Yeah, I'm waiting on my clinic too, as they said they would phone if it has anything to do with maintenance. I think they will probably link sites with http://lowfatlowcarb.ca/lowfatlowcarb.php Chef Verati's new site for recipes. I can't see what else they might add except suggestions for serious exercisers/athletes on low carb maintenance.

Liana

Hi Everyone.
I had a monthly maintenance meeting with my clinic yesterday, and they have the manual (it is about maintenance) but haven't had time to go through it yet, I guess it's lengthy. She will let me know within the next few weeks whatever might pertain to me. She said one thing she knows is that they ask people still to come in weekly for some period of time, which I think is advisable for P4.

In the course of the discussion, we started talking more about the challenges of maintenance and P4. I mentioned to her that I am finding myself need more social support and information than I needed on P1, and that I found this thread and am learning for others. I also mentioned that it seemed at times I see on these threads that there are other clinics that possibly seemed uninformed or perhaps more financially motivated, and it seemed that people weren't getting the same level of support as I have been given, esp. medically or after P3 is over.

She said that Ideal Protein really does not want clinics to be financially motivated or lack support or knowledge. She encouraged people here to report their clinics to Ideal Protein headquarters if those things are happening. She also said if someone doesn't feel comfortable doing it themselves, to let her know and she will do it for you. You can private message me and I will send you her information.

I am going to post this on the daily chat and Maintenance threads also in case anyone would like to see it there.

Grateful4Health: You are very lucky to have a good, supportive, informed clinic! As you see, many do not..

Unfortunately, the folks who don't find this forum don't even know what they're getting or not getting.

Yes, Lisa it's true.
It's disappointing how much bad information is out there, not just in our IP circles but in the media in general. So many people trying so hard and not being given good information based in science, often because of other people wanting financial gain.

Thank you by the way Lisa for all the work you do to keep these threads alive. It is appreciated.

Medical Supervision
 

Amber,
Would you be willing to inquire about the medical supervision aspect of this? Specifically, what does HQ expect of the clinics? Obviously, this is top of mind for me given what happened. I reported these problems to my clinic and was told to keep taking supplements, drinking water, etc. My concerns were not taken seriously even though prior to that they had viewed me as a star pupil, if you will.

This has kept me away from the clinic as I view them as uninformed and dangerous - they put the thought into my head that I was doing something wrong, lacking commitment or willpower, etc further perpetuating the problem when at a minimum, they should have advised me to follow up with my doctor if they didn't have the means for the medical supervision they preach.

Also, they wouldn't work with me on an exercise program.

If any of this is counter to what HQ expects, I would be happy to use my story to report to HQ. I would be thrilled to hear this is in opposition to HQ - it would restore my faith in numerous aspects of this.

Ro:

I've had some similar medical issues.

I have to believe that some of it is due to the length of time I spent on P1. When I read Dr Tran Tein's book, I see he apparently designed it for a quick weight loss of a shorter duration.

I'm still working on getting my thyroid and adrenals back in good order. This takes time!

The weight gain is frustrating but the majority of it is still off and for that I'm very thankful.

I just completed a bunch of testing and am awaiting results.

Thanks for sharing, Lisa.

Let us know how the tests come out. Hopefully, you got all the tests needed at one time to see the whole picture unlike in my situation. Waiting for the results is a killer especially because I instinctively knew there were going to be abnormal results. I think you are expecting that too, right?

In reading his book, it was clear he had a close relationship with his patients and an empathetic approach at that. That is not translating in the mass execution of this.

Lisa and Ro22, thank you for continuing to share. I had my own version of things. It’s like a matrix to sort out.

I am not sure how someone that needed to go through the weight loss that I went through could do it without medical oversight. It is just a lot of change for the body to go through and do it successfully without depletion on many levels. I know my circumstances were more complicated, but there is also a reason when someone is holding weight many times besides calories in calories out, and someone without medical training wouldn’t even know what to watch for. I think the clinics should at minimum be supportive of the clients having medical oversight and encouraging them to do so. I’m sure there are legalities involved though that I’m not aware of.

Ro22, I will check with my clinic about your prior question to me about your clinic, and let you know what they say. Give me a day or two, sometimes they are busy and need time before I hear back.

I would LOVE to find a local clinic with medical oversight.

Just because a clinic is located in a medical practice, doesn't mean there is any interaction w/the doc. This is the case in the clinics I've talked to in my area. My clinic was affiliated with a chiro. When I developed thyroid issues, I started looking for other clinics. There is one in an MD's office but they don't medically monitor :(

So, instead, I have to get my own medical monitoring done. My internist did some basic blood work. Now I'm reaching out to more functional medicine doctors for more in-depth support. I couldn't get into one of them until AUGUST (made the appt in January!). I guess there is a demand for docs who treat the whole person, looking for causes & ways to correct, rather than just treating symptoms with pharmaceuticals. Most of the docs that I've found who practice in this manner are private-paid, rather than insurance paid because they go outside the establishment.

Yes, it seems the trend.
My current doctor and my last doctor both did not take any insurance - they would file for you if you wanted, but you paid up front, and anything I got back from the insurance I considered "lucky". Both of them are very good, and did not want to be dictated to by all the insurance requirements. I changed my health insurance to a very basic HSA with a low premium, as I really don't get much benefit from my insurance, and I put money into the HSA to cover the medical bills.

I do have an "in network" doctor that is through the insurance that is willing to work with my primary doctor, so when I need blood tests I ask the "in network" doctor to order them so they are cheaper and my main doctor tells me what to ask for. It's all a silly dance I have to say, but what to do.

Ro22, I asked my clinic/coach and told her about your situation, and this is what she responded:

"It is definitely not what HQ would expect of their clinics. I need to know which clinic it is and who the coach is to tell you which number to have her call."
If you want to PM that to me or however you want to share it, I will give it to her and let you know what phone number to call.

p.s. This thread has gone severely off topic :) my apologies to people following it about the announcement re: Maintenance - I will let you know whenever I hear more.

Lisa - The 2nd doc I sought out does take insurance. From our PMs, I think he very much fits what you are seeking. He is in similar location as the other. PM me if you are interested.

Amber - I will PM you. This is important because this coach travels across from clinic to clinic here in the Chicagoland area so he has a sweeping impact. I am absolutely surprised there are no negative reviews on the Internet on how this protocol is administered because my experience is certainly not isolated as Lisa and many others have highlighted. It would be awesome if we could affect change in their business model.

Good morning all,

Had a WI yesterday (am on maintenance now and go in about every 2 weeks) and went through the new blue Ideal Lifestyle manual with my coach. As far I can tell, there's not necessarily a lot of "new" information, just a bunch of pages with glossy illustrations of all the things covered in Dr. Wilkinson's IP videos (which I love): the need to separate fats from carbs, the need to have a P1 or P2 day after a "Fun Day," how to calculate net carbs, how to read nutrition labels, etc. In other words, I didn't find it all that eye-opening. As someone who has been using MFP and trying to figure out what exact macros to aim for each day and how many calories to aim for, etc., I was really hoping to see some numbers or percentages or more useful guidelines. I know each body's different, but I guess I thought there may be more precise info for people in various weight ranges or heights or PBF zones. Nothing like that though. They still could not give me a Protein/Carb/Fat % breakdown for me or even Max Calories, Fats or Carbs per day. I will just keep calculating those based on what I experience and also learn from others here.

Sounds like they want maintainers to keep up weekly appointments for up to a year after they move into that phase, and they recommend using those IP Complete Meal Replacement drinks every so often during maintenance (which I actually have been doing about once or maybe twice a week when in a rush and on the go and unable to get my 2 cups of veggies plus protein in). They also have a new little daily journal that spells out a bit more info than the P1 journal and has things like sample menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but, as far as I could tell, it was really just the same info and menus that we've seen on the Protocol sheets for the various phases.

I can see how all this would be helpful for some folks, but it was not as new and improved and informative as I was hoping for. I guess I will be sticking with this board and the Maintainers' threads in particular for the bulk of my knowledge!

Perhaps others will have a different assessment once they meet with their coaches. I'd be happy to hear about that in case I was just kinda rushing through it all with my coach.

My clinic did weekly meetings even in Maintenance for a couple of months, until I felt comfortable with the scenario, and then we moved to twice monthly, then a couple once a month, then I am welcome to come back if I need a tune-up. All included in the original price. Perhaps they are a :sssh: secret trial clinic, to see what things work before total rollout to all franchises, lol. :rofl:

They really can't give us exact calories or even percentages because some need very low carbs still to maintain, while others can eat 100-150 net a day and still maintain. Some, due to exercise and very active lifestyles, can get away with a lot more calories than others who work a desk job and like to read & knit in their off-time. Our bodies are all so very different.

Liana