If you check back on previous posts, I think there has been a lot of discussion regarding exercise. Reader's Digest version -if you worked out before, keep doing it. if you want to start working out - wait for a bit and then start out easy. You want only to burn fat when you work out - not muscle. If you are working out hard (think aerobics), take an extra protein pack to ensure you don't burn through fat and start burning muscle. also, if you work out early on, you'll be really hungry.

Originally Posted by committed1 View Post
Several questions....day 2.

Is there something amazing supposed to happen on day 4? Cause I started to panic a little today when I was starving and had to get into my 4th packet to get through the day. Could I GAIN weight on this?

Don't panic about the 4 packs - think of it as a 100 calorie snack - low fat, low carb, etc., etc. you won't gain weight.

Thanks for the reply.

Green Cabbage is not on the restricted listed I have. And if you look at the link that was posted earlier it would make no sense that Green Cabbage is not allowed and yet Red is allowed...they are exactly the same. And the Chinese Cabbage actually has a touch more carbs.

I enjoy reading about what others are doing, but I cannot get that distracted with the carb count of vegetables. I will stick to the list and I started measuring the actual amount today (should be eating MORE).

The point of this protocol...or treatment plan...or diet....is to retrain the body to process foods correctly. That is my focus. I don't want to be carb free for the rest of my life...I want to understand my body, get it healthier and the way it was supposed to function. Without all the fat.

Day 3 and starving. I have had to incorporate a 4th packet the past two days because I just couldn't do it...over 100ounces of water and hot tea and measuring everything today to ensure exact measurements. I feel very confident about how I am working the plan....just not sure I feel anything in the clothes yet.

Do you all feel that this is just a diet to get the fat off, or a way to retrain the body? Just curious.

Hello everyone, I just found this thread and really want to start this. I just went on the Ideal protein website and e-mailed them to point me to where to start. I do have a question though, Is there anyone on this diet 50 years of age? I am having the hardest time losing weight and am hoping this will help.

Hey everyone, just a quick question-
Tomorrow will be my first day on IP, and when I was prepping my lunch earlier and measuring out my veggies, I realized that 2 cups is A LOT. Do you have to eat them all at the same time you eat the ideal protein measure, or can I eat them over a period of a few hours? Also, can I do 1 cup of one veggie and 1 cup of another for the same meal? This feels like a ridiculous question, but I want to make sure that I do things right from the start (and I can't get ahold of my consultant until tomorrow afternoon). Thanks!

The important thing is to get in 4 cups of veggies daily, and this is generally easier if you split it up some, which is why most people do half with lunch and half with dinner. I don't see why spreading it out throughout the day would be a problem, but if you have a coach you might want to talk to him. And no, they don't all have to be the same veggie, you can mix as many as you like. :-)

Hello Everyone! This is such a great forum and I thank you all for being here!

I went out of town for a couple of days (road trip) to visit my boyfriend's family and it was very hard to stay on IP!

Now I am worried about my upcoming 2 week vacation to visit my family that is out-of-state. I will have to really think and plan for it. (Torchlaker, any tips would be appreciated. I know you said you gained 5 pounds while visiting family these past few weeks. What would you have done differently to avoid that? Help!)

To all you newbies: hang in there! You will be simple amazed at the way your body changes as you lose wt. on this program. When I was at this weight before (about 20 years ago) I still looked "matronly" and now I am wearing clothes I would never have fit into before at the same weight.

BTW, Torchlaker, regarding jeans: I would recommend going into Gap and having them help you find just the right style. Another option is Old Navy. They both have lots of different style of jeans.

Also try the "junior" department in a big department store. Those jeans are for smaller butts. Good luck and report back!

I am doing this diet to "retrain" my body. I want it to metabolize carbs the "normal" way and not use the insulin surge to create more fat. So in a round about way I am trying to lose the fat.

Meghan: you have inspired me to start counting carbs. It will be good practice for when I get to maintenance and also I want to KICK IT UP and get to my goal sooner rather than later.

Lets do it!

Hi everyone:
Welcome to all the newbies........what a forum we have going on here, huh?

Janis427 - I will be 63 in February. So the diet does work for those of us getting all that AARP stuff in the mail. My weight loss would have been faster, but i do eat a retricted every day...sometimes twice. It is just what I learned to live with. When I can start back on IP....I think I will pay more attention to the 4 c. of veggies. I rarely eat lunch....and would snack on a bar or something around 3pm.

Lilita....I am SO ready to come home. My car is still being fixed...and today we are getting hit with a major snowstorm...THEN they are expecting lake effect snow....and Michigan is getting it too. I NEED to get back on IP and finish what I started. Boy, I WISH I had good advice for your trip. Since I don't shop for food here, it is pretty much out of my control. My nurse had said to start the day with a protein and end with a protein.....and that is what I try to do. I have been here 3 weeks today....and not making great choices when I go out to restaurants. I need to get home to my routine. Once I get home, and have access to my own computer, I need you to tell me where you wrote those exercises for flabby skin. That was you, right? Or was it Echobaby?? I am not sure what I would do differently the next time.....I get back here and want to visit all my favorite restaurants from years gone by....(ya know...Cheesecake Factory...Sumo Boy....Bakers Square....things I don't have in the wilds of Michigan).

So right now, I NEED my car back so I can go home....and I NEED to get back on IP and start exercising. It is only about 9 weeks before I go to St.John USVI.

Cole75 - Elisha is right. Look at your body. I am about 157 right now...and yet I fit into size 10 jeans. I couldn't wear size 10 jeans before after I reached 140. I will l be changing my goal weight when I get back....At the way my flabby skin looks now....I am thinking that 140 is just too low. At my AGE....skin just does not have the same elasticity it did when I was younger.

Well, I am done with shopping. It was fun the first day, cuz it was the first day in 19 years that I didn't shop in the PLUS department. I did find a jeans brand at Burlingtons....It is called Angels. They are truly SKINNY jeans, so I feel a bit uncomfortable in them (body image and age). At least they fit me around the butt. I totally forgot about the Gap.

I am just starting the Ideal Protein Diet today. I was mortified when I weighed in on my first appt so I am really looking forward to a great first week. So far day one was pretty easy....a little bit of headache. It is great to see all the tips so far

What size clothes are you in? I am asking because I am 5'3"-5'4" and my goal is 120. Right now, at 134, I am a size 6. You are considerably taller than I, which means you probably don't realize how thin you really are at 128. It stands to reason that if this program is designed to help us lose fat and your body fat percentage is so low, you would stop losing. I'd be concerned about the low estrogen because it could lead to some undesireable side effects--infertility, unwanted body hair, etc. Just my two cents...

I was searchin the net for some additional info on the Ideal protien diet when iI came across this message board. I started the Ideal protien diet on august 15 and have lost 83 pounds so far. I should be down over 100 by now but with Christmas and Thanksgiving it was hard to stick to the program. I am trying to get going back on the diet fully and it is harder after induldging through the holidays. I have a kinda of high goal but I feel I can acheive it if i can just stick to it. I have been overweight my whole life and with this diet i am currently smaller now than when i was in high school 15 years ago.

HI Elishatamar adn Echobaby - Thanks for your responses, Dont worry about sounding strange, I welcome all comments, advice,etc., believe me!! No its not that I dont like the way I look at this weight, but as you said, I guess I just wanted to get to 125 atleast so I had a little leeway for when I got to the next phases because I know I am going to gain a bit. Although that weight may seem really low, (and this could absolutely be part of the dysmorphia you guys are talking about and I just didnt realize I had it until now), I still have a gut!! I dont know if its due to the gassy vegetables or what but my stomach is always extended and that was the one major place I always collect all my fat!! I do work out every night for an hour, nothing crazy just 1/2 hour of cardio and 1/2 hour of strength training but nothing too intense. I did get my blood work back from the doc and she did say that my bodyfat was 13% (is that real low?), she said it was athlete level and that is why I dont get my period and that I needed to go on the pill to get estrogen back in my body to prevent bone loss and premenapause (she knows I would still like to have one more child soon), and that I either do that or start eating carbs to get my period back and she realized I wasnt in any hurry to eat the carbs so she said go on the pill immediately , she said her main concern was just getting my period back. I explained all this to my dietician who I see for IP, (she also felt I still had 5-10 pounds to go before going to the next phase so I was just following her advice), and she wrote directly to the IP doctor to get his advice.I got his response this morning and he said the same thing to get back on the pill and get my period and then maybe the scale will budge again but that due to the leack of estrogen, my body was going to hold onto everything it could no matter how many carbs I restrict, it wasnt going to go any further. That was a relief to me because I thought the plateau was something I was doing wrong and they reassured me today it wasnt and that after I get my period again (the scale will be up and down for a few weeks until I am back to normal), the program should start working again for me as far as losing the last 5 lbs. I appreciate all your support and advice, it to help me realize that I should stop fretting and that I probably do have a huge case of the body dysmorphia because I get compliments all the time but I just dont see the thinness in the mirror, I still see chunky!! Thanks again guys!

Welcome everyone who is new to this site. It is so cool to hear everyone's excitement.
I am finding that I am struggling a lot this week. I have been making some poor food choices and I know it is due to my cycle and my anxiety about leaving for Mexico next week. I have made a plan to hit it really hard when I get home. I don't want to be on this diet forever. I am going to try to make good food choices in Mexico (might be hard since I don't have control of the menu) and when I get home I am really going to watch my carbs and get back on track.

That very likely will help.

One other thing to consider, that I forgot about... according to Dr. Tran, people tend to put on about 4 lbs for the winter months, not because we're eating more, but just as a biological response to the cold and potential food shortage we've been hardwired to expect. So who knows, maybe when the days start getting longer and warm up a bit, we'll all wake up 4 lbs lighter. I can hope. :-)

Melissa, you may have more control than you think. First, watch the margarita (sp) and mimosa consumbion...LOL. Second, try following the alternative phase or the 3 phase of the diet. Just keep an eye on the sugar/carbs and you'll be okay! I'm sure you will look killer in that little black dress you just bought. Anyway, resorts ususally have a lot to chose from.