I started week 2 of Ideal Protein this past Thursday. In week one I lost 10 pounds. Honestly I think MOST of that was due to the decrease in soda intake. When I say I was ADDICTED to Dr. Pepper, it was a REAL addiction. I was having between 6 & 8 a day. My dietitian told me to switch to Diet Dr. Pepper & to have 1 with Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner but not to exceed 3 a day. (This is so that I get my caffeine intake & not suffer from headaches) So far, I'm doing GREAT on that. But since week 2 has started, (4 days ago) I have gotten nowhere. Seems I've gained a pound, but I've been following the protocol (aside from the unlimited lettuce part) Is there such thing as eating meals too close together?? How do I hold on to hope that I can do this?? There's so many times when I just want to give up, I feel like I was happier eating whatever I please 😞

(P.s) A thank you to COLORODOGIRL for telling me about the Ideal Protein thread!! Hoping to get a lot more feedback here!!! Thanks guys!

Don't weigh yourself every day if you don't want to see the scale go up or stop moving. During the week your weight will fluctuate, but if you wait until that once weekly WI it will help to see the trend.

The scale shouldn't determine how happy or motivated you are for the day. Your doing really good and should give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to this as long as you have. The first week is so hard and each week after it keeps getting a little easier.

So glad you came! Are you planning on weening of the Diet Dr. Peppers? The thing is that diet sodas contain aspartame, which is not allowed on Ideal Protein. I think it keeps you from entering ketosis but I might not be correct on that!

It is SO easy to lose motivation, especially at first when you don't really SEE the change in your weight. BUT STICK WITH IT!! When I am really tempted to cheat, I step on the scale and I see that the number is so much smaller than it once was. 10lbs in your first week is great, don't give up!

Are you making sure to eat only one restricted packet per day? And are you drinking all of your water?

I would definitely consider continuing to ween yourself off of the diet soda. I have tried low carb before and I have never had success when I have continued with diet soda. I used to have 1 20 ounce diet dr pepper per day and chew gum on previous diets, but I have found I can not be successful that way. I have a cup of coffee in the morning with sugar free creamer, which isnt 100% OP, but works for me for now, tons of water throughout the day and then a cup of hot tea with one packet of stevia at night. I don't have diet soda, crystal light, mio or even chew sugar free gum because for whatever reason, my body doesn't lose with those additives.

@coloradogirl , I would like to ween off the diet dr. peppers but I think I was more or less waiting for the "go ahead" from the coach. I hated the taste of them at first but after about day 3, i started looking forward to them! =\ I've been drinking a lot more water than usual but can't help but feel like I'm not doing my very best at that. And for the 2 cups of veggies, that's a LOT more veggies than it sounds like and it's so hard for me to finish them all sometimes! Does anyone know what difference it makes if you finish all the food or not anyway?? =\

Thank you @Ragdoll74, I truly needed to hear that & I think I've decided I will just weigh once a week. Maybe I will be happier at my results that way. I'm so glad to hear the encouragement that it gets a little easier!! That makes it worth keeping up!

@shayb, I want so bad to not have to depend on these diet dr.peppers anymore but I'm so scared of not being able to handle that!!! Right now it seems impossible to me for a person to go an entire day or week for that matter with no soda!! ��

I'm scared to fail at this. My husband is damned determined I'm going to stick to this diet & I don't want to let him (or myself) down. But sometimes it feels impossible to go SO long without a soda or some sort of fulfilling meal. Tell me I'm not alone here!

I'm not sure I'm replying to you guys right?? I'm new at this :/

I had a really hard time getting my water and veggies in at first. I still have some days that are really a chore to drink the water. On those days I make herbal tea and drink that without sweetener. I use Lemon Zinger and it is so good without sweetener, but I am sure it is good with some splenda or stevia as well. I never drank a lot of Diet soda, but I had the occasional Diet Coke and it was hard to not have that at first. I know you can do it, and maybe coming of the Diet Dr. Pepper will help you to get the water you need.

As to veggies, many people will put spinach in their morning drink blended with some ice, cinnamon, espresso, etc....I have not tried that, but it is an easy way to get the veggies in and I hear you can't even taste it. I will saute spinach and mushrooms with a little chopped turkey and then add some eggs for a nice omelet. The spinach cooks down to almost nothing, and mushrooms shrink up a lot as well.

There are a lot of recipe threads to go through. Just take some time, as you can find it, and peruse those for recipe ideas. There are veggie purees that can be added to soups or used as sauces. Another easy way to get your veggie quota for the day.

Good luck to you! This site has been invaluable to me and I really don't know if I'd be able to do this without the support and info from everyone.

ReginaLynn,

2 cups of veggies can be really hard to get down in one sitting. Have you tried blending baby spinach with a drink mix? I do that every morning and sometimes in the evening as well. Try different recipes too, like cauliflower mashed "potatoes" or zucchini "spaghetti". It sort of helps you feel like you are eating "normally".

Where in Louisiana are you? I am just starting my third week at a clinic in Metairie.

THANK YOU @dak1lls for wishing me good luck. This is the first time I've joined a forum/support group and I think it will help me a lot! I know just what you mean when you say you felt like drinking water was more of a chore! Herbal tea sounds like a great idea. Sounds like I'm going to Wal*Mart tonight! Haha
That omelet recipe sounds absolutely delicious but..I had no idea there were recipes you could follow in phase 1?? I thought you had to eat everything as is - and from the pack. Am I just completely clueless?!

That sounds great but I had no idea I could do that. And spinach in a drink?! Sounds yuck but your the second one to suggest it so I'm gonna have to give it a shot. And I'm googling recipes for the cauliflower mashed "potatoes" and zucchini "spaghetti" now! Both sound like something I would love!
Congrats on starting your 3rd week. I'm in my 2nd week @ the wellness center in Baton Rouge.

On my first day on IP I had a chicken breast and broccoli. The old "standby" diet meal. I realized immediately that I could not do this if I wasn't creative with my cooking. To me, the journey of P1 is to learn new ways to cook and live healthier, so when I reach goal I will be able to maintain.

I make a lot of delicious meals that my family loves and with minor changes they are P1 IP compatible. You just need to make sure you measure your veggies and protein. Sometimes that means making a separate pot for my own meal.

Amberjules has a wonderful Shepherd's Pie recipe. Rainbow has some recipe threads called Mix n in the Kitchen (not sure of the exact title). You can modify existing recipes as well. I have made stuffed peppers with cauliflower instead of rice, Chinese Stir Fried Rice (again with cauliflower) and chicken, soy sauce, and ginger (my 20 yr old thought it was rice!). I could go on and on. Try a couple of recipes here and there and they will become staples you will probably keep to even after you phase off.

You're on your way to a healthier you, and will develop a completely new attitude towards food.

Maybe its the "guy" in me... about 6ft and 230+ but I never have a problem eating my veggies- roasted broccoli/cauliflower doesn't stand a chance in my house.. I wonder if drinking the soda, which would require you to increase your water to accomodate is part of the issue. My clinic just started selling the mangosteen water enhancer.. which is a nice change of pace from just straight water... I would still try to minimize even those... trying to keep all things in moderation... don't give up... you can do it..