I hate for this to be my first thread, but how are you guys doing this? I really really want and need to loose weight, and haven't cheated. I'm not even hungry. But seriously - whatever is in these food packets for the majority are disgusting so far. I had the chicken noodle soup today - I almost barfed getting that down. Yesterday I made the rotini w/steamed broccoli and whatever that rotini is made with I could not eat - and this was with oil, salt, pepper etc.

The drink/snack packets are completely artificial tasting to me which I find gross.

The omelet was ok, the bars are ok. I haven't been through everything yet. I'm hoping I can find something in the variety that I can eat and stick with.

Kimmie - try looking at the recipe threads and the fun with packets thread up in the stickies. There are some great ideas for playing around with the packets.

And, honestly, your tastes will change. Most people are so used to their food being full of fat, salt, etc. that it can be a hard adjustment while your body adjusts. But it will adjust.

You aren't going to love all the food, but you'll find your favorites and some of the things you hate in the beginning you'll like later. The only one I found I just cannot like is the omelets. Everything else I can doctor up - I add pureed veggies and spices to the soups, make the puddings into drinks, all kinds of ways to make them work for you.

I can't do most of the soups and can't stand the Rotini but I HAVE found my favorites (premade chocolate drinks in coffee) keep trying... you'll find what works for you.

I knew I wouldn't like the soups by themselves but adding cooked/puréed veggies makes them taste totally different.

I also really like mashed cauliflower with a potato purée packet added.

I make a LOT of zucchini/packet muffins, too

I add veggies to the omelet mix, as well.

I wanted to cry on my first day after eating the herb and cheese omelette for breakfast and chicken a la king for lunch. I didn't know how I was going to eat such disgusting food. The next day I think I had a drink and a bar which was much better. Hopefully your coach gave you a large variety of packets to try for your first week and you find some things you like. I still try new things and find I don't really like some of them. I bought some ready to drink chocolate drinks for a short trip I'm going on this week. Most people on this forum say they are better than the packets - which I like. Tried one tonight and I think it tastes like soap! But now I'm stuck with them.

Everything tasted better after the first weigh-in.

ha! good point!

I have been doing mostly alternatives because I can't seem to find any packets that I like. Personally I have been enjoying my protein powder shakes during the day and various stir frys for lunch/dinner. I'm sure I will experiment after awhile but it feels good to be eating new and fresh ingredients!

I lost 76 pounds by drinking just the IP Chocolate Drink 3 times a day

All you need to find is one IP food that you love.

Then you can really savor your regular meat and vegetable meals.

This was my Daily plan from late July through Christmas:

6am: Large Mug Decaf Coffee + Stevia + heaping tsp of IP Choc Drink + Fat Free Milk + Cayenne Pepper + Saigon Cinnomon
9am: IP Chocolate Drink
noon: 4 oz turkey patty + 2 cups of select vegetables + 1 tsp olive oil
3pm: IP Chocolate Drink
6pm: 4 oz turkey patty + 2 cups of select vegetables + 1 tsp olive oil
9pm: IP Chocolate Drink

Honestly, it was pretty damn easy ... I NEVER felt deprived.

Plus I was eating lots of chocolate (3 times a day OMG, heaven) ...
and eating every 3 hours, so I rarely felt hungry.

Right now I am on Phase 2/3, giving my body a break from the severe Phase 1 calorie restriction I was on for 5 months. So far it's working great as I have been able to maintain my losses and keep my weight steady. This is giving me a lot of confidence that I will be able to maintain my losses down the line, which is a great feeling. At some point in the next month, I will dive back into Phase 1 -- and make another drive downward. But I could feel that my body wanted a break from P1 after 5 no cheat months and 76 pounds of fat melted.

I can guarantee, that most of the IP foods you wont like. You have to just pick and choose a few. Fine tune this to fit your taste buds. I think that IP should sell a "variety pack" so people can try just 1 packet of a bunch of different things before buying a whole box.

The other issue for me is I have a Soy Allergy and few IP Foods are soy free. So my choices were more limited.

By the way "Awful" is spelled Awful and not Aweful. Though that might have been a "Freudian slip"! As IP is Awe-some. So maybe your AWEFUL spelling in your thread title was telling everyone how AWE-SOME the IP diet is !!!! ; )

I got used to them and I love, love,love my veggies and regular proteins.

Keeptrying! Use the recipes and changes people list here. I am about to finish my first week only but I am surprised how much to you can change these things to taste good! I love the soups with my 2 cups of seasoned cooked veggies put right in! Going to be my lunch for a long time and it actually makes me smile : )

Hi Avolon- First I want to congratulate on your 76 pd. weight loss! I've been on since Sept. 2013 and have lost 55 lbs. I have been sticking to choc. drinks mostly, and trying many different recipes with choc. in them. I am a chocoholi. I didn't know we could go to phase 2, if we haven't got to our goal yet. I see you are giving your body a break after 5 months. My be I need to check with my coach and see if I should do this. I'd love to keep up with you as you lose each pound!
Carrol

I agree with the rest of the posters. I only eat three packets. the RTD choc drink mix, the peanut butter bars, and the occasional crispy cereal pancake. That is it. I have lost 39 lbs since sept like that. No biggy.

I remember the first time I tried IP I wondered the same thing (although I used alternatives). I had the omelette (bleh) some weird mocha drink (double bleh) and I wanted to scale the walls! Luckily, like most, I found the 5-6 that I actually like and stuck with them. If you're open to alternatives there are even more options.

To me, anything that was supposed to resemble a substitute to a 'meal' (the omelette, etc) was a huge bomb. Just stick with it.

There have been times in the past that I tried a diet and convinced myself that the food was disgusting, inedible, and nasty simply because I really wasn't ready to diet. When I found IP I believe I was ready, I've eaten WAY more than my fair share of delicious food and the taste wasn't really that important to me if I was getting the results that I wanted.

There are products I didn't like, sure but I don't think I've gagged on any yet. If your palate is that sensitive I would also suggest that you try a variety of different packets until you find something that you do like or maybe even alternative products.
Good Luck!