Hi everyone, I am new to the board but have been reading all these posts for a few days. I haven't really seen the answers to these two questions so thought I would post them here. Are there any store bought ( besides the WF) dressings allows? I love ken's light Italian, so a good recipe or good store bought would be great. I can't imagine eating plain lettuce! On a side note, I am not a big veggie eater so that is making me nervous. Any suggestions? Also, is Agave sweetener allowed? Thanks in advance, starting next week. Picking out foods Monday so if anyone has a " must have" suggestion, that would be awesome! Thanks team!!!

No, Agave is not allowed! Only Splenda and possibly stevia or truvia I haven't looked at their lablels, I use Splenda.

The only dressing I have used for the past 14 weeks is EVOO, and vinegar. Sometimes I add a little dijon mustard and lemon juice.. I also chop up some fresh ginger root and lemon slices (including the peel) to add to the salad for extra flavor. Use your herbs, there are many out there fresh this time of year that add flavor to your salads and don't add any fat, calories, or carbs. Just remember if it isn't 0/0/0 you cannot have it. As to the veggies, I grill mine. I mince garlic and cook it in olive oil until it's crispy, then I use that oil over my veggies on the grill. (lightly) but a lot of flavor. The longer you're on this diet and the more creative you can be with spices and anything else that is allowed, the better off you'll be in the long run. and your cooking will improve.

I do use the Ken's Light Italian. I know that it is not 0/0/0, however, I could not handle the WF dressings or just plain EVOO and vinegar. I have been on IP for three weeks and have lost 15lbs!! Therefore, I'm sticking with the Ken's. I will add that I can eat a huge salad and only use about 1 Tbsp of dressing. I just dip the corner of the lettuce in the dressing. The Ken's has so much flavor that it works. Also, when I eat out.....which I do about twice a week, I use Ranch dressing. Again, I know this is not "allowed" however, it is very low in carbs so it's what I choose to do in order to stay on plan as much as possible. Like the Ken's I only use about 1 Tbsp for an entire large salad.

I eat lots of different dressings that are 1 gram of carb per TBSP and am losing at, what I consider, a great rate. I don't want to steer anyone away from the IP dogma, but I figure 1 or 2 carbs isn't going to make a difference, and it hasn't for me, it may for some, I don't know.

I keep seeing use "EVOO", but if you look at the nutritional facts it has like 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. I thought fat was bad for IP Diet?

On the sweetener, my IP coach said use "Stevia", however, I like "Splenda" much better!!

You need to have 2 tsp of EVOO every day. I use it as a dressing as well.

I don't like stevia either. The taste makes me sick. I have been sticking with Splenda.

The thing about regular dressings is usually not the carbs, but the fat. IP is designed to burn fat. If you eat higher fat food items, your body will turn to those first because they are easier to use. If you don't, and stick with the protocol, you should lose fat faster. It may make a difference to some and not to others, of course.

Yes, it definitely has fat, just as all the IP products have a small amount of carbs in them even though we're not supposed to get too many carbs on this diet. For the day, 14g of fat is very low, and none of those grams are Saturated Fats. Basically, you NEED fat, just as you NEED carbs, which is why you need to have 1 to 2 tsp/day of EVOO. Both the amount of necessary carbs and necessary fats are taken into account in the equations behind IP, so taking 1 to 2 tsp of EVOO per day not only won't slow your weightloss, but is extremely important for your body.

EVOO is a neccessity as we have cut out all other fats. You need it for your
heart as well as Omegas.

Sweetners- You need to read your sweetners. NOT ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL! In the US there are 6 approved sweetners: stevia, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin

Sorbitol**
Stevia**
Xylitol**

** Naturally occuring, not manufactured
Splenda (sucralose), Equal (aspartame), Sweet'n Low (saccharin)
Splenda is sucralose mixed with maltodextrin or dextrose.

"Though sucralose itself contains no calories, products that contain fillers such as maltodextrin and/or dextrose add approximately 2-4 calories per teaspoon or individual packet depending on the product, the fillers used, brand, and the intended use of the product. The FDA allows for any product containing less than 5 calories to be labeled as "zero-calorie"." Wikipedia

Read up, know what you should avoid!

Ahh haa! Thanks Treena!! Makes sense now!!

Thanks everyone! Picked up all my packets today, starting on Wednesday! I need to stock up my kitchen with veggies! Wish me luck! Thanks for all the tips! I'll keep you posted!

Agave has been compared to HFCS in some recent articles, which puts a different spin on it given it's place in the "healthy" section of most stores.