I am curious what everyone's opinion is on several ideal protein related questions

1) what got you try it?
2) what may have got you to try it sooner?
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told?
4) what makes your center and coaches great?
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services?
6) what makes a good coach?
7) what keeps you going and motivates you?
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges?
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP?
10) What do you think of the BCA?

1) what got you try it? Saw pics of a friend on FB and she looked fabulous and I called her up and asked her what she was doing.
2) what may have got you to try it sooner? If I would have known about it sooner and were more financially stable, I would have probably gotten on it as soon as I did. I guess knowing that it worked for someone else and actually seeing their results in real time is really what pushed me into it when I did.
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? I can't think of anything. I did a lot of research on it so when things happened it was what I expected. I guess realizing that I should be working out with it due to the low calorie intake has been my biggest kicker that I didn't really expect to be such a big deal
4) what makes your center and coaches great? Let me buy individual products and not by the box. I think their prices are very competitive knowing what my friend spent. They have given great advice and have been supportive.
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? My center charges extra to get a Body Mass Calculation thing with each weigh in. I opted not to do that. I don't see why that should be an extra charge.
6) what makes a good coach? One that is understanding and supportive and genuinely wants to see you succeed. Doesn't look at you like you are just a 'customer' they are collecting a check from.
7) what keeps you going and motivates you? Getting into smaller sizes, getting some confidence back that I haven't had in years.
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? I haven't had any experience with this. I did introduce my sister to the diet and it has been nice going back and forth with her and her accomplishments so far.
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? A trip to a thrift store or just treating myself in general. Although, I still haven't used my massage. I don't want to treat myself with food or anything that will make me stray from being 100%
10) What do you think of the BCA? No idea. I opted out of this as it was an extra fee with my clinic.

1) what got you try it? A woman I work with was on the diet, and at first I thought she was crazy - but then I watched her drop 15 lbs in a matter of weeks. After eating clean, hiring a health coach and working out every day, I hadn't lost a pound - I had nothing to lose and thought I would give it a try.

2) what may have got you to try it sooner? Both my allergist and my dermatologist had wanted me to go on an extreme elimination diet because of my food/product allergies. If either one of them had known about this diet and suggested it, I would've tried it 6 months sooner - but it's geared more toward diabetics. My allergies have been amazing on this diet!

3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? Two things: first, how difficult it would be for me to phase off. I kind of anticipated it - my coach had told me it would be a challenge for me to phase off and slowly reintroduce foods back into my diet because of my allergies, but I've been having a lot of tummy trouble on P2 and I miss P1. Second: that you can do this diet without having to buy the expensive food. I've been on alternatives since week 8 - I wish I had figured that out sooner.

4) what makes your center and coaches great? I don't go to a center or have a coach any longer. He was nice, but useless. I use this support forum as my "center."

5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? I wish my coach had been quicker with some really important information right away - like the fact that it can effect your hormones and birth control, etc. He didn't mention it until I asked about it. That's just one example - there were others. It also seemed like I was just there to buy food, rather than learn anything. Admittedly, I can be a bit of a know-it-all and did so much research that I'm sure my coach thought I was "all set" - but really, there are emotional consequences to dieting as well as hard, factual data.

6) what makes a good coach? Someone who listens and genuinely wants to help you with your health goals and journey.

7) what keeps you going and motivates you? At first it was the amount of money I was spending on food - on alternatives that's not really an issue. Now, it's fitting into my smaller sized clothing. I had to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe and I'm not doing that again. Ever. I've lost 30 lbs before and said I'd keep it off - this time I feel like I have the skills to do that.

8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? I wish. If we had anything like this in my area I'd absolutely participate.

9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? When I hit the 25 lbs lost mark I bought myself a really nice Natori bathrobe. I had the same bathrobe since highschool (20 years old!) so I decided that would be my little splurge for getting almost to goal. Other than that I've bought myself new clothes, etc. - but I try to stay away from food rewards - as kissi mentioned above, I don't want to tempt myself into old habits or use food as positive reinforcement.

10) What do you think of the BCA? I'm sorry, I have no idea what this is.

1) what got you try it?

My sister-in-law is a doctor and runs IP through her practice. Saw that all of her in-laws were losing 70-90lbs so easily. Hubby went on it first and the results were undeniable.

2) what may have got you to try it sooner?

Understanding the principles of muscle retention while on low carb diets.

3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told?

How very important the supplements are, and that it's essential that you eat everything that you're allowed - the free stuff as well as the 4 cups of veg and healthy oils. We suffered through constipation by not taking the enzymes and probiotics at the outset.


4) what makes your center and coaches great?
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services?
6) what makes a good coach?

Hard to answer these as we are doing IP at a distance of 1000 miles. We talk on the phone, email and Skype so we're in constant touch, but being family that's expected.

7) what keeps you going and motivates you?

Feeling great, full of energy, getting into smaller clothes every couple of weeks, seeing the number on the scale drop, getting rid of issues that have plagued me for years (candida, bad skin) and not having any cravings for carbs

8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges?

Don't have group meetings but I love that social aspect here on 3FC. Everyone is awesome, has their own tips and discoveries to share and support here is amazing. Couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to hang out with.

9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP?

New gym gear and clothes, new sneakers, a carefully chosen meal out (if you can't see anything on their menu that is compliant call them up and ask how flexible they are with customising it to low carb, low fat)

10) What do you think of the BCA?

That's Body Composition Analysis, right? The super fancy scale they use in the clinic? We don't have access so we use a scale that shows weight, body fat percentage, hydration level and BMI. It may not be fantastically accurate at this weight, but provided I'm going down on all the elements I'm fine with that.

EDIT: Just pulled out hubby's BCA printout for the day he started IP (while he was staying with his sister). Doesn't show much more than you could calculate for yourself with a $20 one-off purchase of a scale and a little research on how to calculate BMR and Metabolic age. Here's the list in order on the printout:-

Weight
Fat %
Fat Mass
FFM (Fat Free Mass)
Muscle Mass
TBW (Total Body Water)
TBW %
Bone Mass
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Metabolic Age
BMI (Body Mass Index)
Ideal Body WEight
Degree of Obesity

Briael -What are those principles of muscle retention while on a low carb diet?

Hahaha, is that carrot bait or something? OK, I'll bite.

How many people were told the importance of the amount of protein when they first started, rather than checking it out on various websites and asking questions here on 3FC? The emphasis I've seen is on low carb and low healthy fats with "sufficient" protein. Nowhere in the IP paperwork have I seen a blueprint of the actual recommended amount - the assumption is that the veggies and 8 oz lean dinner protein will be "sufficient" rather than not enough or too much. I know the actual number will be different for each individual but the paperwork itself doesn't specify that it is possible to have TOO much or TOO little for optimal fat loss (with a stable muscle mass) versus muscle gain (and perception of lack of weight loss), and neither does it mention that excessive protein CAN be converted into glycogen and potentially push you out of ketosis altogether.

I questioned how much was too much (because we should all know that too much protein can have some nasty side effects) based on the pattern of weight loss I was experiencing. Because I track my carb/fat/protein/fiber intake every day I can see that on days when my protein is higher than 0.5g per 1lb of body weight (thanks to Liana for the research) I lose more slowly in that period. Now, this could be based on other factors (hormones, water retention, sodium intake, minor deviations from plan) but it seems pretty coincidental that it seems to happen the same way every time my protein is over that ratio. Obviously, the longer I am OP the bigger picture will emerge and I will be able to state what worked or did not work for me.

Too much protein may contribute to building muscle if you are physically active as well; which, in the long term, is great - as muscle is what helps increase your metabolic rate, but in a pure fat-burning phase you want to keep the muscle you have and lose the fat.

So, it's like a balancing act.

Part of the issue was that I've done Weight Watchers in the past. We're going back a long time (before the points based system) and I was constantly exhausted and lost muscle while on it. I went from a sturdy and firm large version of an athletic build to a flubby version. The reason I noticed was because I was physically active in competitive sports for around 2 hours a day. It was THE reason I stopped WW and never went back. It never occurred to me that there was an alternative method, and I never sought one out. So, once I knew what IP was actually doing and how ... it made world of difference to my desire to try the plan.

So Amanda. . . . does this mean at my current weight of 169 I should be eating 84.5g of protein a day??!!?? Did I figure that correctly??

Thanks!

1) what got you try it?
I first heard about IP about two years before I started, saw it in a chiropractor's office. Looked it up to see what it was but just wrote it off as another expensive medifast-type program which I had seen several friends try and fail on. Fast forward two years later and a friend at work was starting it. I also had become fed up with my weight and had a weight related medical issue that scared me. Had tried WW, keto diets and other things without much success due to lack of structure and accountability. My friend told me about her clinic and all the details of the program. Did a lot of research on here, weighed the alternative route and the IP route, and reworked my budget to make it so I could do it financially. And I went for it! It was a culmination of things that made me go for it, but for whatever reason my willpower and determination clicked into place at the right time.

2) what may have got you to try it sooner?

Possibly more information, finances, etc. but in a way I'm glad I started when I did because a lot of life events had to happen to make me get into the right "I AM going to do this" brain space, if that makes sense.

3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told?

I think if I had realized how easy it'd be to do it with alternatives I might have gone that route, but I was a bit overwhelmed in the beginning with all of the information about the program itself, that adding the task of ordering my own food and weighing and measuring myself seemed to make it a recipe for failure. Now that I've had coaches to hold my hand as I acclimated to the program and have become more involved on the 3fc boards, I don't think I'd have a problem switching fully to alternatives, but I do like my coach and do like to convenience of being able to get my food in one place so it all worked out in the end. I have started to use alternative supplements and Quest bars to cut costs.

4) what makes your center and coaches great?
Not all of the coaches at my clinic are great, some just weigh, measure and sell food, but I lucked out and got a great one. We've built a relationship and she talks things through with me. I just like that she has gotten to know me, my level of comfort and determination and can make specific recommendations based on that.

5) how could your centers and coaches improve services?
I generally thing they just need to be better about ensuring quality and proper training between coaches. One coach doesn't seem to know much and says whatever. Another is always grumpy and isn't so great at the counseling, conversation aspect (one word answers, etc). Also there have been stretches where I had four different coaches in as many weeks due to scheduling issues. I wish they'd assign each client a specific coach and make sure you get them every week.

6) what makes a good coach?
Really listening to a clients concerns and giving them the proper amount of time. Being consistent and reliable in their availability. Being knowledgeable about the FULL IP protocol, as well as other diet methods, I think gives good context for what client's past experiences may have been. Being knowledgeable about different ways to make IP

7) what keeps you going and motivates you?
In the beginning, as mentioned above, it was my general frustration with my weight and medical issues and just a sense of "I can't be like this anymore" that motivated me. That still motivates me, as does seeing the number on the scale moving down, being able to buy new clothes and the complements from others. As I move into maintenance, I plan to keep a before/after pic somewhere visible, like on my bathroom mirror to remind myself to stay focused, diligent, and healthy.

8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges?
I consider this board my social support/recipe swap place. The ladies on here are great! I have several friends who are doing the program too so we chat about it sometimes but not that often.


9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP?
I've bought myself some new clothes, gone for mani/pedis, bought new furniture as rewards, but really seeing the results has been reward enough.

10) What do you think of the BCA? My clinic does these every 4-6 weeks. I don't put too much stock into it, though it is fun to see the body fat % go down. They seemed concerned that I lost 3 more pounds of muscle than I was supposed to but, from what I've read, they seem to be fairly inaccurate, so I'm not worried.

Amanda can correct me if I'm wrong. But as I understand it, it is 0.5 grams of protein in terms of protein content - NOT the weight of the meat or product.

So for example, let's say a packet contains 15g protein. You eat 3 of those a day = 45g protein
Then you eat 8oz of chicken breast, which contains about 48g protein.

You have eaten 93g protein for your day.

That's a good question. It would depend on whether you are trying to maintain your current muscle mass or increase it to burn more calories/fat. 84.5g of protein FROM your meat and packet sources would appear to be in line with your current weight using the 0.5g to 1lb ratio.

As your body composition changes the protein requirement may differ. This is what I don't yet know and haven't found definitive answers for.

Check with your IP coach, as s/he is the one who should be guiding you through the entire program.

This is how I'm calculating mine. The protein in grams for the food intake. IP lists its protein count on the box (or the individual packet in some cases) and you can easily search for the nutritional values for most meats/fish that you are likely to be eating.

You can find the nutrition facts for almost anything on this site: http://nutritiondata.self.com/ Enter food in search box at top right and you will get a list to find the right description. Lots of great GI info, micronutrient and mineral/vitamin info too.

1) what got you try it? The son of a guy I work with went on the diet and lost over 200lbs in 11 months
2) what may have got you to try it sooner? I started this diet when I was ready, I was in denial with my weight gain for so long.
3) what do wish you had been told before you started that you weren't told? I did a lot of research before I started, so I was ready for a lot of the unanswered questions, and this website helped immensly
4) what makes your center and coaches great? They are sincere
5) how could your centers and coaches improve services? Have more user friendly hours of operation, my center seems to use "bankers hours", and I work out of town, so getting back in town to buy products is very problematic
6) what makes a good coach? Being interested in your client
7) what keeps you going and motivates you? loosing so much weight
8) do you enjoy group meetings for social support, recipe swaps and/or clothing exchanges? Don't have any of these options
9) how do you celebrate and/or reward your accomplishments while OP? Buying new clothes
10) What do you think of the BCA? Don't know what this is, or have this option

From what I understand, it's 0.5-1.5 g per lb of lean body mass. The amount shouldn't change much unless you're losing or gaining a lot of muscle. So if your lean body mass is 100 lbs, you'd eat 50-150 G protein a day. Up to 3 g per lb is still ketogenic and will not cause gluconeogenesis (conversion of protein intake to glucose). Personally I end up around the 1 g/lb mark on a daily basis, or around 120-130 G protein.

Thank you everyone for all the feedback. It was extremely helpful to read it all. As a coach in training i want to provide the best service and experience possible for my people. Ideal protein was life changing for me and i am excited to help others on this journey. Any more feed back would be greatly appreciated .... i am off to read "another bad coach" thread.