My husband says they are an acquired taste and that they are earthy..(he doesn't like them, but he can also eat real potato chips, which they taste nothing like...) If you season them with salt and make them crispy they are just fine and when you're on the IP diet they are a real treat! You can put any seasonings on them that you'd like. I tried malted vinegar (protocol approved 0/0/0/) and couldn't taste it at all.

They are not like salt and vinegar...it's what ever you put on them... I use a little EVOO and salt...well, maybe a lot of salt and I salt them b/f I bake them...I like the idea of hot sauce! & two cups is nothing!!!

They are not like salt and vinegar...it's what ever you put on them... I use a little EVOO and salt...well, maybe a lot of salt and I salt them b/f I bake them...I like the idea of hot sauce! & two cups is nothing!!!

Hi everyone,
I've also been lurking around for a few weeks reading and staying encouraged by all of your successes, but quite frustrated with mine. I've had 3 weigh-ins and lost a whopping total of 6.4 pounds. As I continue to read what everyone's coaches say and all the conflicting info, I do wonder if my coaches really don't have a clue since I'm losing sooo slow. Here are the biggest things that are starting to make me think I need to make some adjustments because I have been 100% on plan from day one. For this kind of money (and our costs are substantially higher than everyone else's) I expect knowledgeable people paying attention to what's going on with me.

According to my coaches, tea is tea and water is water. Lettuce, other than iceberg is a vegetable. Always. No breaking up meals, the whole thing must be shifted. So if you want to have dinner for lunch it's fine, but no breaking up the proteins or vegetables. I finally caved today and ate 2 or so cups of green leaf lettuce with lemon mixed with less than a tsp of Olive oil because I love, love, love vegetables (I know I'm a freak) and I looked up the carb count for greenleaf and it's negligible and I needed a snack and didn't want to eat a 4th packet (as that is also discouraged). I also asked about eating 3 egg whites plus one yolk instead of a 4th packet because the cost is so high, which I was actually thinking of subbing for my 3rd packet and was told it's not as absorbable as the packets so no, I shouldn't do it.

Clearly the protocol they've prescribed for me isn't doing the job. Not that I'm not thrilled to be losing at all, but for $105 a week for food and my weigh-in, my results are no better than WW, but I'm watching everyone write about how they've been shrinking and I sort of want to cry. I am down a decent amount in inches, but not a huge amount and interestingly they keep saying how many inches I've lost, but I noticed last week they measure me in centimeters. And I've lost a little lean muscle mass each week.

I also cut out all processed carbs, sugars, alcohol and caffeine on 12/26, a week before I started IP and lost 5 lbs on my own. So since I started, I'm down 11.4 total.

Any suggestions are so appreciated.

Lilmink

So, for alternatives, what is the restricted cut off for carbs? I found some Proti-thin pasta that has only 7g of carbs, so I'm wondering what the 411 is.

Any quick answer would be much appreciated. I'm thinking that this Wednesday will be the last day of me doing official IP. I want to start doing alternatives to save my parents money. Especially since the difference will be $60!

Ok, let me address some of your concerns. Please understand that these are my experiences, everyone will have a different story.
Lettuce for me included romaine and iceberg. That's just my preference, my sheet just says lettuce, with no specific type. I ate as much as I wanted, but only at meal time. I also wasn't allowed to switch things up. I could switch lunch and dinner, but it was stressed to me that you needed to eat your protein with your veggies. It was the combination that was key. My IP sheet says that you are allowed tea, but if you drink more than your one allowed cup at breakfast, you must drink double the amt in water to make up for the caffeine. It says you are allowed decaf tea or coffee, but it doesn't state that it can be counted for water. I always ate at least 8 oz of meat for dinner. I never had egg whites as a snack, I never ate the muffins or the pancakes. My coach said they weren't allowed (extra egg whites, that is). I never ate a dill pickle just because I was hungry. I just drank coffee and 2 cups of water to make up for the caffeine. I didn't like the Walden Farms products and I didn't like Mio. Crystal Light has aspertame, so I didn't have that either. I never had more than 4 splendas in one day.

My coach had some strange rules. She scratched all over my protocol sheets, saying I couldn't do most anything. For the most part, I went by the protocol and didn't tell her what I was doing. She would have kicked me off of the diet. Towards the end of my diet, she told me that I lost better than most of her clients and wanted to know my secret. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders and said I didn't know.

What all of my rambling boils down to is this: Coaches are all different. Mine was goofy and ignorant and had no knowledge of basic nutrition. I went by what the sheet said. Will you still lose by changing it up? Probably so. But if you start to stall, you better get back to the protocol. Read Dr. Tran's book and visit his website. The most important thing I can tell you is to do your own research. Don't just go with what your coach or another dieter tells you. There really is no consistency with IP coaches, unfortunately. I'm glad I had a coach to be accountable to and she was a great cheerleader. I still consider it money well spent.

To clarify, the only tea I drink is herbal caffeine free.

I wonder if it is helpful to look at overall weight loss. Maybe think about where you were a month ago and where you will be a month from now.

Re your original question, it doesn't sound like your coach knows waht she is doing. I would totally follow the proticol sheet. Also read Dr Tran's book which you can download from the stickies on the first post of the daily thread.
However, if you lost 5 pounds the week before you started you wouldn't get the big loss many people get the first week.

If you really find you don't want to spend that much money every week for questionable advice you can check the nutritional info on the alternative products which again is under the info on the first post of the daily thread. Many people are doing very well going that route.

They only taste like salt and vinegar because I put Malt Salt on them, normally I just use olive oil and sea salt and they don't taste like vinegar at all, just salty goodness. =)

I think it is 10 carbs. For instance the IP oatmeal is a resticted but most of the alternative oatmeals are not.

Had Big Mac in a bowl for the first time today. Even broke down and got the WF thousand island, even though I'm not a WF fan at all. It was actually really tasty! A bit heavier than what I'd normally eat, so probably won't be making it a lot. Great dish for when you are REALLY hungry!

Today was a really nice day in PA, sunny and 50. Went for a nice leisurely walk with stroller and my 2 yo DD. Excellent playground session as well

Good day altogether. Hope you all have a great Sunday! Stay strong and OP!

I would ask for the area director's name and number or email/call Ideal Protien. I have only been on 3 weeks and consider myself a slow loser and have lost 9.25 lbs. Lettuce is free and eat romaine which has the most nutritional benefit. You should not eat iceburg at all as it has NO nutritional benefit at all. Tea is allowed however if it is not herbal tea you are supposed to drink an extra 8oz of water for each cafinated tea/coffee you drink. Decaf tea can be counted towards your water. Protien is 8 oz RAW and veggies are to be weighed raw. I will tell you there seems to be differing opinions on whether you can split up your daily protein. I do on days I need to. Some days I have 2oz of chicken in a salad at lunch and then the rest of the protein at dinner. Some people have egg whites as a "free" item. I was told not to do that but sometimes do. Many of the sites do not have coaches that have been to the most recent training. If you do not like your site or coaches try the ideal protein website for another site near you. Let them know what is going on as I understand they are trying to "coach" those sites with poor coaches and or shut those down that are not following proper protocol.

Good luck and hang in there.

Like patns said if you did lose weight right before you went on protocol you won't have the larger 1st week numbers that some people have. Honestly, the only things that sound a little off from your coach are not allowing romaine as a lettuce (for that matter a spring mix should be alright too, but spinach is a vegetable), and the tea v. water argument. As long as it's herbal tea I can't see why it wouldn't count as water but IMO the 64oz is very minimal so you can probably make that up easy with just water.

RE the egg v packet question. I can see where it would be tempting to substitute but honestly if I were going to go that route I would look at some other alternatives. I have been using only alternatives since my restart 1/2/12 and have lost nearly 20lbs (I started at 196). If you look up the thread on alternatives there is a ton of helpful information there.

Also, are you making sure to get in ALL your food? You need 8oz meat (measured raw) plus 4c veggies, 3 packets, and the oil. You might also want to think about adding a restricted in. I have found I lose better when I have a restricted everyday then when I don't. I hope this helps and maybe if you can give us an exact idea of what you're eating we can give you more information.

The cut off is 8g. I attached the nutritional sheet to this post. And check out the alternative thread, there's lots of great info there!