Can I have coffee on the Ideal Protein diet? And I am not sure of what kind of sweetner. I usually have a cup of coffee ,dash of milk and sweet and low in the mornng--I can't find anything about coffee,sweetener in my paperwork.

It does say in the plan that you can have coffee in the morning. At our info session they said you can use 1 oz of skim milk per day - for purpose of coffee. I have been told we can sweeten with splenda. I am uncertain, if drank black, if coffee is limited, so have been trying to have one per day in the mornings, with the occasional cup in the evening if i am visiting. I would think this is ok! I am learning that this meal program is really touchy, with various info bits around, so i tend to ask as well, if i am unsure about something. That idea of something tiny setting me back a few days, does not appeal to me one bit!! good luck!

I was told coffee was ok (in moderation, of course) as long as you drink one extra glass of water per cup of coffee.

I'm on day 3 of IP. Feeling a little slow and crummy today, but nothing too bad. Weigh in is Friday. So far this hasn't been too bad. I need to get more creative with the veggies or I'll be really sick of them.

Does anyone know if you can have veggies for Breakfast? I was wondering if you could saute some in a pan and then add the omlette.

Several times i have added green onion and mushrooms to the omelette. It is good. I only have the omelet on weekends and just cut back a few veggies in my salad at lunch. I think that should be ok... I know of other people who do the same. I am not able to make the omelet at work, ( don't see it as a microwavable item!) so prefer to change it up on the weekends. Good Luck in your first week. I am only mid way thru week 3 myself.

Hello everyone, I started the IP plan 7 days ago and so far I am doing well. My first weigh in is Friday also. I was losing a pound a day until two days ago, I havent gained but I havent lost either, is that normal for everyone? I have been reading everyones posts since my first day but finally registered this morning so that I could join in on all the support and ideas.

I also have the omelettes on weekends and I too add spinach and mushrooms to it, my nurtitionist told me too so it must be okay. I thank everyone for all of thier good ideas, recipes and all the input, I have taken a lot from this thread alrady. Good luck to everyone!

SandraB...I, too, am only averaging 3.2-3.5# a week. At first, I was very disappointed too. So - my month weighin was 15#. I had to really think about it...15#??? Had I ever lost 15# in a month...not that I remember. I talked to some friends and relatives last night, and their reaction was much different than mine. They thought 15# was awesome! On an average diet, one usually only loses 1-2# a week..so we are way better than that.

I was also cutting out different foods before I went on IP..trying to prepare myself for no grains or fruits...and lost 5# the month of August while I researched IP...so maybe my weight loss is lower because I was already dieting. BUT...a big difference between 5# monthly loss and a 15# monthly loss. So don't get discouraged. This is a whole new way of eating so I am sure our bodies are adjusting....

This forum keeps me going...everyone is positive. I read it first thing in the a.m., and before I go to bed to keep my head on straight. Welcome to all the newbies....sounds like Friday will be a big day here!

Day 3 for me-feel pretty good and did have a protein drink for my night snack. I really appreciate all of your input-it seems like some of you have gotten REALLY good info for this diet wherever you are going. I am getting more help form this forum then from the place where I went on Monday!!!
I am curious to see what I weigh on Monday.

I have been reading your posts and wondered if anyone can tell me if they have been off ideal protein plan for a while and kept the weight off. I am thinking about joining on Sat. but that is the one worry that i have is that I will put the weight back on.

Hi there Maggie. Sorry to hear that your husband is ill. The veggies were a little overwhelming for me at first as well. Now I just head to the produce aisle whenever I am at the grocery store to stay stocked up. You can have as much lettuce as you want but it doesn't count toward your veggies. I usually keep cucumbers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and cabbage on hand at all times. Frozen veggies work great with the soups. It's really easy to chop up some cucumber in a salad or grab a few stalks of celery with a meal. You can switch your lunch and your dinner as long as one of the meals has a packet with the veggies.

Good luck on the diet!

WooHoo a chef!!! Please post recipes... I would love something new to cook!

Well I had my weigh in this morning. 2 lbs. again. I know that seems kind of low but I do have a restricted every day. I guess I could cut out the restricted and lose faster but I really LOVE the sea salt/vinegar ridges!!! Plus, I think that I would burn out quick.

Yay...a chef!! I really need to beef up my veggies or meat, or something. I don't even look forward to dinner anymore (mostly cuz I have to cook it!!).

I have been eating babyspinach instead of lettuce...wonder if that is okay? The last lettuces I bought tasted nasty. I thought of sauteeing the spinach,too....in broth or something.

Anyone ever eat the mashed cauliflower that we used on Atkins? Of course, it tasted wonderful because of the butter and half and half....what could we put in mashed cauliflower now? (I was thinking of the 1oz of milk that I don't use in my coffee -- but I don't think that would help much).

Kinda brain dead with any recipes. It is midnight....maybe that is why.

hi all,
So I have actually lost inches after all. I do need to work out though or i'm afraid the weight loss will slow way down since the calories are so low. To Torchlaker: I see no problem with the spinach for lettuce. My first couple weeks were more spinach, maybe half n half sometimes and I still lost 10 lbs. Way more fiber that way too. Good luck all. Can't wait for some recipes from the chef! I'm kinda bored and find myself cheating. Though to date I am still in ketosis according to my sticks!:

Hi there,

Thanksgiving this weekend! I have been trying to think of a dinner i can look forward to - seeing as how i will be avoiding the perogies, cabbage rolls, potatoes, meatballs...! oh my, the list is endless! LOL

So i think i am going to try a recipe with turnip and cauliflour. Actually not a recipe, but something i imagine will work. We grew up with turnip as a staple for any occasions that involved turkey. I grew to love it over the years but of course it was mashed with brown sugar, milk and butter. So i am going to mash some cauliflower and turnip with a little chicken broth, splenda, seasalt and pepper and see how this goes. I cannot see a problem with ingredients...am i wrong? and then of course i am going to have turkey...and use a bit of the WF jelly in lieu of cranberry sauce. For that day i am going to eat all my veggies at that meal - i think that would be ok for one day as long as i keep my protien normal. I will be feeding 4 - 20 year old hockey players, along with my own family so I will be cooking up a storm but this time round on the IP program, i have not found it hard to cook for others when i am not eating...The strict regimen, and likely the cost is keeping me in line! Have a great week and good luck to all the friday weigh ins!

HI! I am soo excited! I swore I would not weigh until my visit on Monday. But, I couldn't wait and weighed this morning!! I am down from 154 to 150!!! When Frank's cancer journey started two years ago, I weighed 127-130--but between trying to cook him all sorts of good things in the hope that he would eat them--and stress--I was the one cleaning up all the leftovers!! Thanks to this forum, I am so inspired by everyone. When I went to WW, I weighed in at 143 and it seemed to me that a lot of people there wondered WHY I needed to lose weight. I just never felt support adn I only lost 1 1/2 lbs in 7 weeks--discouraing. They did not realize that on a very small frame and 5'3"", my "good" weight should be 115-120-so, over that, I am "FLUFFY"!!! But, the people on THIS forum encourage each other--I feel like I am surrounded by friends who are on the same journey as I am. I know that at 71, I am never going to be the 107-110 lbs. SO, 127-130 is good for me. I was pretty thin until my 60's, but the sands shifted a little, to say the least!! Anyhow, thanks for all the people who take the time to encourage one another and also post great food hints and how to use the packets. I think that sometimes we don't take the time to tell each other how truly kind they are.