Pamela78 - I have found that we (my husband eats what I cook) alot of the meals with cabbage in them (crackslaw is great - my husband asks for it at least weakly). A quick and easy way to get 2 cups of veggies is add spinach to a shake. I blend a pound of spinach in my ninga blender with water then make 7 - 8 containers of spinach and freeze them). I add to my morning drink usually a wildberry yogurt or mango, blend with ice and additional water. Since the spinach is raw and a flex veggie (free and select) I sometime count it but usually do not. I also like a cauliflower rice stir fry -- ummm. I tried the crispy rice for my first meal - yuk -- but I have bought a box because it is great for baking (you crush it and usually mix with another packet). Get Janevas cook book if you have not.

Kayweight - Sounds like you are doing well and have a great coach. There is an IP video that covers restricted items and you are intended to have one per day. I love my restricted items, they add so much variety to the plan. Regarding being "regular", I thought that I was "regular" when I started the program - small BM each morning, but after 3 weeks and staying OP over Thanksgiving I realized that I was bloated. You got this - if the cost becomes a major issue there are people that do this with alternative products, IMHO I believe your coaches assistance helping you navigate the program is worth it.

Greyfaery Protein should be weighed, I would recommend a food scale, many under $20 on amazon.

I lost 1.4# last week and am very close to losing 35#. The weather has been very cold and icy here so I have been having a hard time getting my walking in. I went on a long walk with the dog yesterday and hit my step goal, but today it is back to dangerously cold. I am starting to get a lot more comments on how "skinny" I look.

I do have a scale and weigh my food before I cook it, however it's not always possible to start off with raw meat (like when dining out). That's why I was wondering how other people do it.

Greyfaery - One thing that you can do is ask what the serving size is if it is not listed on the menu. The deck of cards or the fist also works as an estimate. Last night I ordered what was suppose to be a 6oz cut of steak, when I got it - it looked closer to 8 oz.

So I had my first meeting with my coach yesterday and am ready to go. We decided for me not to start until Thursday though, based on some stuff I have going on this week (in case I'm feeling unwell from starting). Gives me more time for some meal planning and grocery shopping at least so I can get off to a really good start.

I've been going through recipes and tips in the sticky posts and was figuring out how to keep everything straight and be able to find the stuff I like again. Obviously you can copy and paste stuff into a document, but in case you guys don't know, you can also screenshot images and pin them on Pinterest. At least on mobile, not sure about on a computer. Seems like a good way to keep it all handy (IMO).

Greyfaery, if you eat out infrequently, maybe you could just pay closer attention at home to what the sizes look like and get yourself more comfortable eyeballing it when you're out? My understanding is that the really important thing here is to avoid starches and sugars to remain in ketosis and continue to burn fat, so an incorrectly estimated portion of lean protein here and there shouldn't have too much impact overall (if it's infrequent). Some of you may have a different opinion on that, considering I haven't even begun yet, but just a thought.

Hanging On in Week 1
 

Hello All,
I started the program on 1/14 and am feeling pretty good. I actually ventured to the movies last night and didn't have any snacks.! I thought I would really have a mental battle on my hands when I smelled the popcorn, but it wasn't a problem at all. I think it helped that I knew we were going to the movies and all day long told myself I would not cheat.

I've used the program in the past and did lose about 35 pounds over a four month period but I didn't transition off the plan and gained most of the weight back. The clinic I originally used closed down but I was able to transfer my membership over to another clinic. My coach seems genuinely concerned for my progress and has called me a couple of times to check in. The last clinic I used seemed like they just wanted to sell the food and move onto the next client, so I am happy with the new place!

Hope everyone is having a nice Sunday afternoon!
Mary

Eating zoodles mixed with Proti-Thin cream of chicken soup with less water to make it more creamy. Oh my goodness tastes like creamy chicken ramen it is soooo good!

Made gummy candies and they were great!

1 pk of IP gelatin
3 packs plain gelatin (I used Knox and may try 2 next time to see if gummy consistency remains)
2/3 cup cold water

Mix gelatin (Knox) in cold water, add IP gelatin and mix well. Microwave for a minute, stopping after 30 seconds and stirring. You want it to be a liquid. Pour into silicone molds (or I used tiny square ice tray that forms cones - sprayed it before hand so they wouldn't stick). Place in freezer for 5-8 minutes or leave on counter top for 15 minutes.

And you have lots of candy. At least that's a lot to me. It's like gummy bears - and you can get citric acid (just a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon) and add it to the mixture OR mix with Splenda in a bowl and roll candies in it for sour gummies! :D

Enjoy!

Glad you came back Bellamack! Great on the success in 2011, in coming back, and for reaching goal again in 2016 :) I'm trying to make peace that if my average does end up being 2 pounds a week, then it's still better than attempts in the past decade - .5 to 1 pound/week average until I gave up as I got stock at 180-170 for several months. I'm sure you agree it would be nice to be the ones averaging 3-4 pounds a week, but hey, we have to take who we are and love our bodies for what they can do. Best wishes on your journey! See you around!

SMDAWHEEL: Thanks! Yeah, I realized what I thought was regular for the program was not lol. 1.4# Woohoo!!!!!!! Great job - so close to the 35, it'll be next visit for sure! Those comments are going to keep rolling on yas! Fantastic :)

Hi everyone! My Week 1 weigh in went well. I lost 8.4 lbs by my own records. The clinic has my weight from before the holidays when I picked everything up, so my coach has 5.2 lbs lost.

I bought a LOT of stuff to have variety this week- omelette mix, pancake mix, chili, garlic herb crisps, the tangerine water enhancer, and vanilla crispy squares.

Congrats beaka!!:carrot::carrot:

!
 

Zucchini is a wonder veggie -- you can grate it and add to pancakes, or use it with egg whites to make legal pancakes that only count against your veggies.

I also add grated zuke or cauli rice to muffins - gives some added bulk with no change in flavor, and I think the added veggies make the muffins more filling.

For those who like turnips and like crockpot/slowcooker -- check out this thread and look for the Pork Roast over turnips that is done in the crockpot with WF pancake syrup..... I am making this today with a pork tenderloin. This dish is a family favorite!

New to Ideal Protein Day 6
 

Hi there,

I am a newbie to the program but so far I am loving it except for a wee issue I had last night. I made myself a burger with lean ground beef (8 oz after cooked) and a little soya sauce with Ideal Salt and Garlic Powder. I also made turnip fries that I coated in 1 tsp olive oil and low sodium taco seasoning... By the time I finished my dinner I felt so bloated and sick to my stomach I was wondering if anyone else had ever had that problem? Should I have weighed the meat before cooking? It was such a horrible feeling and I couldn't even eat my evening snack due to it. Any advice to avoid this from happening again would be wonderful :-)

Thank you,

Su

Hello and welcome! Meat should be 8oz weighed before cooking. Also, in the beginning it is a lot of food to get used to all at once, but you need it to last through the night. You eventually get used to it. Maybe eat your snack in the afternoon until you do? That's what I usually do.

Bloat always makes me think of sodium, and perhaps the combination of the soy sauce (very high in sodium, even the reduced sodium version) together with the Ideal Salt, may be more than your body can tolerate. And then I bet there was more sodium in the taco seasoning...

Greyfaery is right about the measuring before cooking, too -- the quantity if meat should be more like 6oz after cooking.

I am starting again. Today is my first day back on program. I feel like a newbie because I haven't been faithful for over a year, and am now committed. I look forward to checking in and seeing the progress everyone makes.