Hello Everyone. I hope you are all having a terriffic Saturday. I've been on IP for 12 days now and have been doing great! I lost 8 pounds at my first weigh in and am looking forward to my next one on Monday. I've been trying so hard to do everything right. I have a question...my coach said no sodas and no aspartame. I'm a big water drinker so it hasn't been to hard but I decided to look for some flavored water with splenda. I know that Fruit 2O is okay but today at Kroger I found some Crystal Clear Sparkling Water sweetened with Splenda. I bought some..got home and opened it and it wasn't what I expected...It is fizzy. The first ingredient is carbonated water...I missed that at the store! Is it okay to drink this? Since I'm not supposed to drink soda I'm guessing this might not be okay!

I bought 2 twelve packs..but my 11 year old son loved it so it shouldn't be problem getting rid of it if I can't drink it. I guess I need to go to Sams and get some Fruit 2O.

Let me know your opinions...to drink or not to drink?

Thanks,
Debora

I started Ideal Protein on Mon afternoon...I really don't "feel" like I have lost...I talked to my coach yesterday and she said not to weigh myself(which I haven't bc the battery on my scale needs to be replaced) and she said I probably have..a lot more that what I think I have..Did anyone have the same feeling the first week?? How long does it take for ketosis to kick in for most people?? Is there any way to turn some of the cold drinks into a smoothie type drink?? Thanks for any info!

HA HA! Made my day!

Kelley

I am having trouble eating I am not hungry right now(the last day or 2) All I want is for someone to say suck it up and eat what you are supposed to. LOL
I would imagine eating to little is as bad or worse than eating to much! Am I right?

I AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY

Yes, I feel the same way. I don't dare cheat because the week is costing me $81! And I'm not using any restricted IP items yet (I've been on for almost 7 weeks), because I'm saving those for when I absolutely feel like I need to cheat and need SOMETHING different.

I did not feel I had lost much and was stunned at my first weigh in. If you are not feeling hungry (and not cheating) you are in ketosis, so don't worry--you WILL lose weight. Feel free to add ice to any of the drinks and toss them in the blender--and most of them taste better with more water too. (no milk or yogurt though)

you are correct, you want to be sure to eat all the requireds: you need the protein to keep your body eating fat (and not your muscles) and you need the veggies and lettuce to remain "regular" and to get enough vitamins, etc. (even with the supplements). Since you asked, here it is for you: "suck it up and eat!"

[QUOTE=jenmlp;3456987]I started Ideal Protein on Mon afternoon...I really don't "feel" like I have lost...I talked to my coach yesterday and she said not to weigh myself(which I haven't bc the battery on my scale needs to be replaced) and she said I probably have..a lot more that what I think I have..Did anyone have the same feeling the first week?? How long does it take for ketosis to kick in for most people?? Is there any way to turn some of the cold drinks into a smoothie type drink?? Thanks for any info![/QUOT

Weighing Oneself- If you need/want to weigh yourself make sure your scale and your clinic scale are reading the same and weigh yourself at the same time or times(if your crazy enough to weigh yourself multiple times a day(ME LOL)) or you may have a mini breakdown when the scale says you have gained weight (me again) When in fact you have actually lost.

Ketosis- If you follow protocal to a T you should be in ketosis in the first week or so I guess (someone smarter than me can give you the exact time frame) I have just started week 5 and am finally in hardcore full blown ketosis
I use the (ketostix)

Drinks/Shakes- this is the best I love to experiment with food IP and 'regular' Freeze ice cube trays of coffee(cappuccino frosters) tea, water, or splenda sweetened juices. Smash cubes of your choice and mix with a little water and your fav IP drink mix or pudding. Go crazy and add a little WF carmel syrup and WF marshmellow in your frosty cap. How about the chocolate syrup or one of the fruit spreads with the vanilla pudding! You can also buy those little bottles of flavour extracts for baking and throw a few drops in the mix. Make a chocolate pudding shake and add a couple drops of mint for a Mint chocolate chip shake YUM YUM! Go crazy have fun and if you mess up and it tastes like *** drink it fast! Then at least you can say you got an icecream headache lol!

P.S. Welcome to the wonderful world of Ideal Protien!

I AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY

Hello all i'm the BC chick who posted about the IP product called Collagene, lol. Yes it is made by the same supplier as the IP vitamins Natura. It comes in a 500ml bottle and tastes like raspberry syrup, 1 tbsp daily is all you need. Directions on the bottle say 4 TBSP to replace one portion of protein (18g). My coach doesnt roll that way, wants ppl to use the packets to feel full. Weird it didnt start out east, the west is the last to receive anything, lol. Have a good day

Hi All,

I went to the Low Carb Grocery today, to good effect. Tried Miracle Noodles for the first time at lunch, and really enjoyed them in my soup. Highly recommended!

Kelsey, I'm sorry your week was so tough. I've been thinking about what you and others have said about hair loss:
I have two ideas--one is about B vitamins. I know we take special supplements, but when she reviewed my supplements and saw I was already taking a B complex formula, my coach did not suggest I stop it, so I am continuing it in addition to the other stuff. I think this may be significant as B vitamin shots are one of the staples of the Bernstein diet which is very similar nutritionally to IP.

My other thought was about low thyroid, which I have been thinking about a lot lately, especially since the posting on Tuesday, Aug 24 by Siouxzy7,
Hair loss is one of the symptoms of a slow thyroid, as is being cold all the time, thinning of the eyebrows, weight gain, tiredness, depression, and a lot of other things. Sometimes it doesn't show up on blood test results until it's really serious, so slow thyroid can go unnoticed by doctors--this happened to my mom and a work colleague.

Also, in addition to the soy issue, it should be noted that our thyroid glands are dependent on iodine and the Great Lakes Basin has NO natural iodine in the soil. So for those living in this area, both in the US and Canada, since we've stopped using table salt, which has iodine added to it for this reason, we may be iodine deficient because there is no iodine in sea salt.

I was concerned about this before IP, because I have been using sea salt for years and noticed my eyebrows sort of disappearing. I have been supplementing with ground kelp (seaweed) for the iodine for several months and my eyebrows have filled in nicely!

Just a thought.

Jackie

okay...thanks for the info..I have not cheated at all....I guess I don't feel like i have lost because ..When I usually lose weight I start from the upper body..I can usually feel my stomach getting smaller...it doesn't really feel much smaller right now?? My hunger has definitely decreased since the beginning of the week...so maybe that is a good sign..I am also really thirsty! Not sure if that means anything..So I am drinking a lot of water!

Thanks for replying!! I am writing all the info down to take on Mon to WI.....Yes it is funny the west should get something before the east

You do help us succeed, Novak. And we thank you for it.

Kelley

Jen, you haven't been on the program for a full week yet. You sound a little anxious about whether IP is working for you. Most of us feel that way in the first few days or weeks. We think, "Yikes, I spent xxx dollars. Is this going to work for me? When will it work for me? How long will it take?"

You're right that diminished hunger is a good sign. I too find that I get thirsty more often than I used to before starting IP.

Ideal Protein is different from most other diet programs. Give yourself a break and don't try to compare it to what you've done previously. After all, how well did they work for you, in the end? In the last week it seems as if my body burned fat mostly from my upper rib cage, collarbone, neck and face. Pants I bought 2 weeks ago that were snug are now loose. And yet, my weight didn't drop -- not even 0.1 lb -- in the last 7 days. I have never lost inches and not pounds in my previous weight loss attempts.

Take a deep breath, exhale, now again. Just continue to follow the program. It's going to be ok. REALLY!

I second that motion....Novak you help me so many times, I am very grateful you are here for support, info and inspiration!! THANK YOU!!

You won't regret choosing IP if you stay true to the protocol, I promise.
Not everyone is exactly the same. I weighed everyday my first week, which could have been bad, I don't really recommend it. I didn't lose an ounce for the first 4 days, but by day 7 I had lost 5.5 pounds. Ketosis started for me on day 2, as far as bad breath etc., but I was still pretty hungry for the first 2 weeks. Some people feel less hungry much sooner than I did. But I still lost 9 pounds my first 2 weeks, 8 pounds of fat!!

Kelley