I'm halfway through my third week. So far excellent. This week though, not losing much at all so far. I'm thinking about eating the chili or spaghetti pack for breakfast to maybe give me more energy during the day. I've been just drinking shakes ( puddings with extra water ), three times a day. No packets except those. Not much energy before I eat veggies and shake at noon. Wondering if anyone else eats restricted pack for breakfast and packs that you drink the rest of time, and if so , has it made any difference for you?

I've had restricteds at breakfast or lunch, my results have not really changed. Sometimes it's just easier for me to have a bar for breakfast and then something unrestricted for lunch.

thanks much. I'm going for it. and YOU have ONE more pound to go to hit your goal weight! HIGH FIVE!!!!!

Why don't you try an omelette for breakfast? I wouldn't waste my precious restricted on a chili LOL! The new rotini might be more filling for you, and you could 'spice' it up to taste like chili.

I think if all I drank was 3 shakes a day, that would make me feel hungry too, as well as a bit bored. Good luck tho' -- let us know how it works for you to switch things up.

ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER Week 3 and onward will NOT be as big as week 1 and 2 on average so don't get stressed. Your best losses are probably the first 2 weeks and then things level out a bit as your body adjusts. You are not doing anything wrong. Just be patient with your results

I've done a restricted for breakfast almost daily for the past 3 weeks or so. I find it works better for me energywise, and my loss picked up a tiny bit over the prior 3 weeks, so I don't think it is hurting me. I have done weeks both without restricteds and with restricteds. For me personally, I find having restricteds on a regular basis doesn't hamper my losses, rather it helps them.

I did nothing but puddings and drinks for 3 months the first time I was on IP and it was miserable. I added restricted and realized that (as other posters stated) it did not affect my weight loss. Please enjoy a variety of foods and you will feel better and continue to lose weight.

I use the pancake packet to make pizza it is fantastic. I use the crispy cereal to make non-restricted pancakes. I now also use the oatmeal packet to make breakfast muffins. Buy some different boxes and comb the recipe threads for some great ideas.

I have eaten my restricted as a dessert after my evening meal since day 1 of the IP Diet. I very rarely use the drinks or puddings unless I am making something else out of them...like pancakes or muffins. I can't imagine how unsatisfying it would be to only be drinking my meals. Ick!

Scorbett- I keep forgetting to ask you... About the veggie shreds? Can I use them on phase 1? I really want to buy the tomato soup today and make that flatbread. I have had the veggie shreds before ever being on IP. I don't remember but don't they contain fat and carbs? Or do you count them as your protein?

You can't use them in a full serving size, but if you use just a tablespoon they roughly fall in the 0/0/0 category. There's not enough to them nutritionally for them to count toward your protein. I use them VERY sparingly and count them as an "extra" for the day.

Thank you! Looking forward to making this!

I almost always eat my restricted for breakfast and this is the way I like it, I have some unrestricted packets for lunch such as the protidiet sloppy joe and pizza and this is when I don't have my restricted for breakfast but I really did not like that! This is why from now on I am only buying bars, cereals and things for breakfast and never buying any pizza or something else cause I do not like it when I start my day with a non restricted, the days seems so never ending and I get so hungry.

Thanks so much for all your input. I did try a restricted this morning and it did seem to make so much difference for me. Was so good to hear from so many of you that the restricteds , once a day, didn't seem to hamper your weight losses at all. Nicely surprised about that. And thanks for the comment that I'm not doing something wrong in that the weight isn't coming off this week. I'm really trying to do everything to the letter, so that the program works long term for me. Very encouraging!