Hi! I am going for my formal orientation tomorrow and the fee is $175 which covers meetings and my first batch of supplements. After that, she said it is about $87/week for food. Is this about right?

I am nervous to start and actually commit to myself, but it seems like there is a great support group here. Any suggestions for a newbie in terms of what to have in the house the first week (besides veggies, of course!) What helped you through at first? Thanks!

You're getting off cheap compared to what I paid!! I wish I'd joined this forum before I paid the $350 to join!! What a jerk I am...... lesson learned. Yes, the food is about $90 a week. Read around the forums for a while. You can get all of the info available from a clinic on this site. You might just feel you're capable to go it on your own.... who knows?

I went to a free consultation, and she said 250 for first week , and 100 every week, but I decide to do alternative instead. So far I lost 7 pound in mi first WI ... and the cost have been that much.

I paid around 350, and that covered the orientation fee, 2 weeks of food, the supplements, and a shaker bottle. Then I averaged about $100/wk for food (I always got the ready to mix drinks which cost a bit more)....more if I needed to restock supplements. Then I switched to alternative products and they only cost about 1/3 of the IP food price.

Mine was $300 fee with 1 week free food, shaker, supply of vitamins/minerals, and salt, food journal, plus the measurements.

For me, a box of food is $30, so 3 boxes per week is $90/week. Then there's the occasional replacement bottle of vitamins, which haven't been too expensive.

ETA: While alternatives are significantly cheaper, and I wish that I was now doing them now, it would have been a definite struggle (for me) to just start without coaching.

The price difference between IP and alternatives is so much, I would recommend at least considering alternatives-- whether you needed the weekly accountability, and if you are comfortable enough/knowledgeable enough about the program that you may not need a coach. But alternatives is definitely not for everybody.

There was no fee. I paid for food and supplements.

$100 (I'm not breaking down the food costs because I know it was $100)

My clinic charges $150 for initial consultation but if you're doing it with a spouse it's $150 for both.

I committed to sticking with my clinic until I get to Maintenance even though it's more expensive than alternatives. The only thing I use off program are Quest Bars and that's mainly because I can't have soy and all the restricteds except 1 or 2 contain soy. If I have to do a reboot in the future it'll be strictly alternatives.

Ishbel... I just read your story and you look incredible! I see you have been in maintenance for a while now. How has that been for you? I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I am worried about being able to keep it off on the other end. I have done Jenny Craig in the past, and it went back on just as quick as it came off.

I paid $100 for the 1st consultation plus the cost of food. I realized, after a couple of weeks of going to a coach to get measured and weighed, that I don't need a coach to weigh me in and give me support. I get my support from this forum. So I ditched the coach and wish I never had to pay that initial $100 consultation fee. Oh well! Live and learn.

$100 for the first meeting and to join. You could split that at my clinic with others so $50 for two or $25 each for four folks. Pretty fair. The first week was over $300 with all the food, joining and the supplements. But it works.

Consultation was $175
First week of food, supplements, shaker, bottle, salt... (care package)
All together with consultation was $396.00
The food is $28/box
except the ready made drinks witch are $30-38

Thanks

You have to really listen to your body when you first enter maintenance. Didn't take me long to know I couldn't have wheat (pain and inflammation actually) and it took me 9 months (9 MONTHS!!) to figure out I was lactose intolerant. Because I would have ice cream only on fun day...now I won't have ice cream because it's too hard on me. Cheese seems to be ok though

...best advice...it's NEVER done...EVER...for anyone. The mental muscles you flex in Phase 1 is the same muscle you'll flex in maintenance. Do I have cookies on my non-fun day (or a little piece of cake)? Yup, but do I have them every day or the candy off of someone's desk? Nope, I still make good choices. I added slowly so I knew what was bothering me...tacos (like nachos) do not do well with me. I had a violent reaction to that (that was a fun day). :/

You'll be great if you listen to your body...I follow the maintenance rules including a fun day. But there are people on the maintainers thread that do not have a fun day and are doing great.

Hiya Ishbel- you really DO look great and are a huge inspiration!

The fun day is what I got my mind stuck on from the beginning. I don't know if I can explain this well enough, but I was a little disappointed in myself because all I could think about was "When can I have pizza, when can I have nachos and beer?!" I am conditioning myself not to ask these questions as I feel that these thoughts are counterproductive for the health I want to have. Does this make sense? If I want to get back to a healthy, functioning body I should be focusing on the every day eating habits that I'm learning right now and not the cheats I will definitely have.

Did you have a hard time tranisitioning to that kind of thinking? (If I've explained myself clearly!) What helped you?

OMG I thought that way too during Phase 1...I wouldn't over analyse it too much You're 'normal'.

I went from wanting pizza one month to wanting a big mac and really at the end I really wanted baked beets...I couldn't WAIT to have a beet!! I had a buddy from on here say "you can do better then that" and I tried, but I really just wanted beets Your tastes buds change and what you found you loved before might not taste the same now...nacho's aren't what they were to me two years ago.

My first fun days (for about the month) would be considered binging I'm sure. I just don't do that anymore. I don't go to sleep early on a Friday thinking "ooo when I wake up I can eat what I want". It's just not like that, you'll feel disgusting bloated and just plain gross. My first fun day I had so much simple sugar that I fell asleep in the middle of a home reno (laid downn on the new carpet and had a snooze while the VIP was putting baseboards on with a air gun - not quiet!)

Just really listen to your body...and try to pay attention. I thought I was paying attention and it took me 9 months to figure out the dairy part.

At the beginning of Ideal Protein in your consultation...they should say "there is a beginning and an end to the diet" - kinda the same way with fun day. There's a beginning and an end...you have your fun and then you balance it out with a Phase 1 day.

Many people can do it without fun day...I've often though "wish I could do that" but I no longer wish I could because this is working so wonderfully for me and how I maintain is "ok" for me...and how you'll maintain is "ok" for you. It's working today because I planned it and it worked yesterday because I planned it and I am planning on it working for me tomorrow. We'll see what tomorrow brings but I'm planning for it.

...not entirely sure I answered your question though