My aunt did a diet last year that is similar to IP. She sent me a link to where she bought her food b/c she saw my IP food and said it was exactly the same. After a little research some of the food is exactly the same as IP, others are more like Lindora's food.

The site is Nashuanutrition.com. Check the food under the Proti-Thin and ProtiDiet sections. They even have chocolate covered soy puffs.

Also, for those who love the RTD shakes, newlifestylediet.com has both the vanilla and chocolate in stock and they are almost exactly the same as IPs, I think there were only 2 ingredients in a different order meaning slightly different amounts of those ingredients.

WOW! Thank you so much for the tip!! The nutrition information for the Chocolate Covered Soy puffs are EXACTLY the same as IP, down to the ingredients and the order of the ingredients. I just ordered 3 boxes of 7 packs, with shipping it came to $43. One box of IP costs me $30 .... and they are my favorite treat! Thank you!!

JC

Absolutely agree with Linden here -- if you are doing the Alternative IP plan or using Alternative products mixed with IP, you have to read the labels carefully and compare them to your IP packets. Since I'm not an expert on ingredients, I just make sure that many of the ingredients are similar, and the order is similar.

These packets I referenced and apparently the Carmel Nut Bars from IP are exactly the same, others are similar, but many packets from other companies have things in them we shouldn't have to be true to this diet. I've found corn sugars in the Lindora pakcets, too. I don't ever think I'll find a replacement for my two favorites, chocolate raspberry bars and the chocolate pudding, so I pay through the nose for those if I want them.

Good call & reminder, Linden.

I think I've read somewhere on here about vitamin substitutes others use that cost less. I've used the search tool and not found it - so I pose the question: What vitamin alternatives are folks using and where do you buy them?
Thanks
Jean

oops misread a message - no reply really!
Judy

My gelatin snacks arrived and I tried one last night. They are a little sweet--probably because I don't eat much sweet anymore, but still have a good flavor. I think they will be great for the time I'll be spending with my dad at the hospital because I can throw them in my little cooler and they won't be totally liquid. I ordered them from GNC.com but I have heard that they will have them in some of the stores. Here are the details from the package:

Pure Protein Protein Snacks 100 calorie cups. Cherry Punch Cups. "Gelatin for the Active Lifestyle"

Calories: 100
Fat:0
Sodium: 75mg
Potassium: 1560mg
Total Carbohydrate: 2g
Sugars; 0g
Protein: 23g

Ingredients: Purified Water, proprietary protein blend (hydrolyzed collagenic, protein isolate, whey protein isolate, casein protein isolate), Gelatin, Potassium Citrate, Carrageenean, Malic Acid, Natural flavors, branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine), sucralose, acesulfame potassium, FD&C Red 40.

Thanks for the idea, I am doing IP on my own due to cost restraints and I bought the vanilla and chocolate AdvantEDGE Carb and I love it. I tried drinking my coffee with skim milk or plain and I couldn't so now I can enjoy my coffee every day!!!

Lorrie -- on losing 25 lbs! Here's a thread with discussion about alternative products available in Canada.

Lindora does not ship outside the U.S. I think New Lifestyles does ship to Canada. I'm sure you're aware that you really need to plan ahead on these purchases. You never know how long something will be held up at Customs. It's crazy -- you could order something that's from 100 km away but there's an international border so it takes 3 weeks. but shipments from the same spot to southern California arrive in 2 days, and sometimes overnight!

The simplest (more time consuming, but possibly more fun) way is to check in regularly.

The slick technology way is to use a function in the "advanced" reply called "trackbacks" that you could use to have links to quotes show up in a blog. I haven't spent any time to figure it out yet. If you know how, great! And, share with us.

Jordanna, I need some help as I am not sure how to navigage around this web-site. I am posting threads and replies to threads, but I am not sure how to manage them and see who is replying. Can you help me out? Lorrie

Hi Lorrie,

Jordanna is no longer using the board. She is pregnant and has had to postpone the IP diet for awhile.

The person currently on the board who has shared the greatest amount of advice on trackbacks of conversations is I'm Svelting. Hopefully she can tell you what to do.

My suggestion is to bookmark the link below. It is for the main index/content page for this forum. It will keep the most active and current conversation threads on the first page and all other conversations for the past year can be found on subsequent pages.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet-236/

That's what I did, I went through every thread and read them and learned more from this bb than I ever could on my own

I just wanted to personally thank you for all of the information you have posted here. You are an inspiration.

So I just checked out some of the alternative ordering sites that have been mentioned here and I'm really considering phasing away from IP and ordering on my own. Looks like quite a cost savings. I love the results of IP but I moved myself to Phase 2 after one month because Phase 1 (w/3 pkts/day) did not make me feel good. I probably could have had 4 pkts/day but I don't think I could have afforded that for too long!! Thanks for all the great info on here!!

I've been doing IP with alternative products for a week now and I lost 5 pounds.

We dont have these where i live so I did some research and the atkins shakes are very very close to the IP RTD shakes, per ml they are so close it is scary. I use the vanilla with some of the davinci SF chai concentrate and put it in my chai tea for an IP freindly chai latte!