Hello,

I just wanted to pop in and introduce myself as well. I started IP (a mix of IP products and alternatives) last Tuesdays and have already lost 10 pounds! I know that is not sustainable but I am glad to see results from my efforts.

I live in a rural area without a clinic near me so I am super grateful for all the information in these threads I have been reading the last week.

Wow... ChickInAHat! Congratulations! I am at week 3 and plugging along....

Why do all social events revolve around food and wine. I have to go to a wine tasting and dinner Wednesday. People do not understand when you say you are on a diet. They try to convince you that one night will not affect your diet. I am going to lie and tell them I am on medication that you can't have wine. Any suggestions.

The meds excuse should shut down the 'come on and drink anyway' comments..... will your friends ask what your medical condition is?

Actually this time of year when everyone is doing new years resolutions, you could say that you have made a resolution to reduce alcohol consumption this year. Everyone has various resolutions underway -- and another idea is to refer to your Ideal Protein program as 'eating management' rather than a diet. And you could cite it as a financial goal for the new year - getting in the habit of drinking of less and therefore buying less alcohol can support financial goals as well as healthy nutrition....

or when asked why you are not drinking, you can always say - "I dunno - I am having some stomach discomfort and I am not in the mood for drinks tonight..."

You don't have to tell people that you are on a diet - you can just become a picky eater or drinker - people cannot really argue with that.... it's a personal choice that has no science and often has very little rationale behind it.

So this is my first time ever on any form of a diet plan. I had twins 2 years ago and I can not shed this 25lbs. I have been on IP for 8days and went for my first weigh in and to my disappointment I only lost 2lbs of FAT!! I followed the diet to a tee and found the first 4days very challenging. I didn't cheat once (even at a 6yr old Bday party). I was expecting a bigger number and got home and was very upset. Everything I read says losses are much greater the first week and I was hoping for that motivation. Any one else in this boat or is it just me?

Thanks!

hey guys! Looking for easy recipes for pancakes or cookies etc using protein powder? have NO IDEA how to make them but hear about them all the time. How do we know how many COOKIES for example we are allowed to eat for 'an OP serving' size? thanks so much

It seems to me that the people who have the most to lose are the ones who lose big the first week - those folks who need to drop 50+ pounds to get to goal.

Two pounds of fat is a good loss, even if it's not what you expected. Did you lose inches? Stay the course. Even if you lose 2 pounds a week, that's 8 pounds in a month, which is better results than what most other diet plans can give you.

ooooh Twinnymama!!

Please do not overreact to what seems like a low first week loss - everyone is different and this program works on the basis of body chemistry -- your current state going into ketosis is what is happening, and fiven your current body state, you may find that it is week 2 or 3 that you have what we like to call a whoosh!

Please hang in there, and give the program time to work for you - you don't have a lot of diet experience to compare with, but there are no guarantees that everyone will get the same results on each step along the weight loss journey, no matter what diet you are following. There is some degree of typical -- but no guarantees for any plan.

First off - what did your coach have to say about your food diary? Did she agree that all your food choices were on program in the most effective manner?
Did you take all the supplements? use all the salt? drink all the water? drink extra water to offset extra coffee you may have had?
Is your TOM (time of month) happening, or about to happen?
All these things can make your weight loss vary from what's 'typical'. We hope your coach is able to walk through this info with you and help you be sure you are doing the most effective things to maximize your loss.

Also, I really recommend that you post your food intake for the day on What are you eating today, IPeeps? thread - invite others to share with you anything they see that was a problem for them -- some coaches are really knowledgeable about how the program works for a variety of folks, but some do not have the range of experience that you will find here on 3FC. You will benefit from the extra exposure to valuable feedback.

Finally, do you have issues with soy? A number of the IP foods are soy based, and there are plenty of IPeeps who have found that soy is not for them - there are alternative choices that will solve that problem, but it is just one more factor that could be playing a role in your IP experience.

Most important - don't give up the IP path -- give it time to deliver results for you - unlike you, I have done all the diets out there - this is the best and most reliable of any I have done before!

First - check out the first posting in this thread - it has links to Fun with IP Packets and you will find lots of recipes including pancakes and cookies.

(There are several links to recipes and other really useful info in that first posting - so newbies and those needing a refresher should be sure to check it out)

And we know that a scoop of Quest protein powder will substitute for an IP packet, so those alternatives work with most of the recipes where a packet of drink or pudding or pancake mix is called for.

When it comes to numbers of cookies for servings - do the arithmetic based on what ingredients you used.

I just used 4 packets/protein scoops to make a dozen muffins -- so 3 muffins makes a single serving -- 12 divided by 4.

Near as I can tell, the recipe for muffins and for cookies is the same... it is how you portion then out and bake them that makes the difference. People who make the cookies often have a whoopee pie baking pan - round, shallow, indents that they can spread the 'batter/dough' into - those promote consistent size, so again you divide the number of protein servings (number or scoops or number of packets) into the total number of cookies you make.

basic recipe for each scoop of protein powder (Quest PB is a fave among many):

• One scoop (one serving) of protein powder
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of cinnamon if sweet item - maybe a mix of onion and garlic if you are doing something savory
• a packet of sweetner (stevia) if you want to be sure it's sweet enough

I put the above in one bowl, then I put one egg white (3 Tblsp if using liquid egg whites) into another bowl and I add any extracts (eg a tsp of vanilla) and I also often add cauliflower rice or shredded zucchini for more staying power and a way to pick up some veggie if I take these with me when I am on the go.

Then add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix up and add water until you get to a reasonable consistency for what you are looking to make - more liquid for pancakes or waffles, more thick (soft wet dough) for muffins or cookies...

Bake at 350 for 15 mins and give the touch test - they will deflate a bit when out of the oven so be sure they cooked through.

I multiply this whole thing by 4 to make a dozen at once, bag them into servings that I can grab and go, and keep them in the fridge. They will last for several days if refrigerated - they will mold if left on the counter more than a couple days.

hope this helps!

Last week at a work dinner I ordered a glass and had one sip. No one said anything at the end of the meal. The rest of the week when others were going out to dinner, I told them I was eating healthy for the new year and went out on my own. I like the medication excuse though!

Coffeebean - you had me laughing hysterically re the new approach! Did it work? Did anyone try to get you to drink or otherwise cheat while "on medication?" Looks like it turned out well, anyhow, with your loss!

Thank your for the encouragement. My coach was happy with my loss and I have lost inches. I just need to get over the number. I have been super militant with this diet, just hope it works as good for me as others. Here's hoping for a better week and next weigh in,trying to stay positive. I also have to try to wrap my head around that my body has changed after having twins!

Hang in! This forum is filled with notable IP success stories - the odds are SO much in your favor to do well if you keep up your careful following of the plan!

Looks like this is the place to introduce myself? I was trying to get through the "tips" post before saying hi, but looks like it's going to take me awhile. what a wealth of information in this group! My initial consultation for the program is this weekend, so I'm really new to all of this.

One question I have for experienced IPers is how your skin has done as you've lost weight. I know it's different for everybody depending on various factors, I'm just hoping someone can convince me I'm not going to have a saggy flap of skin where my big saggy lower belly is. Two babies a year and a half apart, and by c section to boot, really did a number on that part of my body. Obviously a saggy flap is better than what I currently have, I'm just kind of hoping it...vanishes lol.

Anyway, I've got around 100lb total to lose. First major goal is 25lb to get to pre-babies weight.

Hey Newcomers -- I am bumping this thread forward because the first posting here on screen 1 of this thread has so much valuable info including recipes and tips and more.

And you will find many questions and answers that are full of tips and insights if you read through the entire thread.

If you are new to IP - invest a little time in reading through this!!!