I found out yesterday that I am seriously allergic to soy, after three Dr visits in the past month, trying to get rid of the unbelievably itchy rash that eventually spread all over my back and up into my scalp.Doc put me on antibiotics, cremes, steriods, anti-viral meds, anti-bacterial meds, medicated shampoo, etc. No impact on the rash, except that it continued to get worse.

Thanks to this website and some online research, it became quite clear that it's soy allergy, so I have a bunch of products I like that I need to stop using and get rid of!

Now I am scrambling to find substitutes for some the packets that I've been using! I am really bummed because there really aren't any sweet treats that are free of soy protein/soy protein isolate. Sigh!! I've been absolutely loving the vanilla crispy bars alternating them with the Apple Cinnamon Soy Puffs. No I can't have any of them. And soup choices are limited as well

Any input y'all care to share would be greatly appreciated.

Llisa has been avoiding soy, so she should be weighing in shortly and, of course, she always has a motherlode of info. Good luck in your battle.

Quest bars do not have soy in them. Eggs can replace the IP omelet- somewhere Lisa posted the exact exchange. Maple Grove Farms sugar free pancake mix with added egg white replaces the IP Pancakes. I believe Muscle Milk light might be soy free and is comparable to IP. I am actually allergic to soy and have done well with limited IP products. I believe the drinks are all ok too. Also consider that this reaction is EXTREMELY common with Splenda or sucralose which is in almost all products.... I have had allergies to it in the past but am managing it. I had exactly what you describe at first. I highly recommend getting allergy tested. I test 3 out of 4 for soy....but I am hanging in there with alternative products. Best to you! Also ask your doc about mometasone cream for the rash and try Benadryl.....

My list is specific to soy PROTEIN and gluten in IP products
There is soy lecithin in some of the products so you would need to read the label of each item to determine which ones would work if you needed to cut ALL soy of any type.

I found cutting soy protein was enough for me.

Good products to find: Syntrax nectar (protein powder), Simply Chips (restricted), Simply Whey (restricted bar), Quest bars

The bottom line is that you CAN continue on the IP protocol remaining soy-free but can't use very many IP products.

Here is the list I compiled (based on what I ate. Some items aren't on here, such as IP bars, because I never ate them, but they have soy)
Keep ordering (parenthesis = soy lecithin only, not soy protein isolate)
Blue/Cran
Rasp jelly
RTD
Omelet
Lemon pudding
Banana pudding
Blueberry pudding
Strawberry pudding
Berry yogurt
Pink lemonade
White Cheddar
Salt/vinegar
Peach & Mango
Pineapple/banana
(orange drink)
(pina colada)
(potato puree)
Cappucino
Chocolate drink
ProtiTHIN oatmeal (restricted)
Syntrax nectar
Quest Bar
Simply Chips
WLS Banana,
WLS Butterscotch Pudding


No (contains soy)
Bars & other restricted snacks
Vanilla pudding
Butterscotch pudding
Crispy Cereal
Dark Chocolate pudding
Dill Zippers
SW cheese curls
Leek soup
Maple oatmeal
Mushroom soup
Chicken soup
Chicken ala king
IP oatmeal
ProtiDiet Oatmeal (unrestricted)
EAS RTD

I too have an intense soy allergy and while sometimes I do have the itchy rash I also suffer from intense gastrointestinal distress - I'll leave it to your imagination what that entails.

What has worked for me is just limiting my IP selection - obviously - to the following product(s).

The orange flavored drink or the vanilla for a shake and the chicken noodle soup. These three things have been my staples for the last 5 months.

I am not disappointed or upset by the lack of variety because my success on the program can't be argued - but I also realize that not everyone can deal with the limited choices. In my case the alternative is/would be to eat other choices and have to run to the bathroom multiple times per day.

So....my contribution will be of limited help/use but I thought I'd share it anyway.

I promise it's not the end of the world (though it may feel it). My first week of IP I could barely breath due to a soy allergy...I had items with soy and the next day went back to the clinic to trade in my foods for soy free ones. They counseled me and said I could stop the program and get a full refund..I say no way I want to continue to learn the ropes. SO, I did my 5 months on the Chocolate Drink and Double Chocolate Bar (which I think may have been removed from their lineup)... And was fine!!! You'll make it through with some tweaks...

If you're seeing a coach make sure they know and direct you to the latest information on the products which you can use...there are still items you can use to succeed!!! You got this..just a little bump in the road...

laugh out loud... LOL!!! Gross..but funny!!!

Yeah it was a real hoot when shortly after starting IP while at work and still figuring out what IP foods bothered me and what didn't I was at work during an exam with my students when an "attack" hit me. Imagine the laxative reaction scene from Dumb and Dumber x100. That would be close to how I reacted. LOL.

Lisa - I read above that you cannot have the EAS shakes. I just "bumped" the alternative thread. It seems that the formulary for the EAS shake has changed and is now "pea" protein. I have no idea what "pea" protein is, but does this mean that those of you with Soy allergies can now have these?

Hi, Pea protein is a non-animal based protein great for vegetarians or for those who have an allergy to soy and other proteins.

But...I would check with a coach to see if pea protein is permitted (because the actual vegetable is not).

Spiritman - I feel for you! I really can imagine that scene.... I'm "thankful" I don't have the lower digestive tract issues.

Lisa - Thanks for the list. I actually spent many hours searching this site and had found your list elsewhere. I'm hoping I can still tolerate the soy lecithin too, so kept the products on your list. I used it to pack up what I had on hand that I can't use to try to bring it back to my coach today. Wish me luck!

Thanks everyone for your replies and encouragement. I was just bummed because I've only recently begun playing with some of the great recipes I've found here and now none of those goodies are possible for me.

I did read about the possible connection to Sucralose but thought I should try eliminating the soy first because it seems like many people are allergic to soy. My reactions to whichever didn't happen immediately, so it seems like I had to accumulate some kind of overload before my system decided to rebel. The odd thing is that I had allergy testing done last year for other reasons and was told they'd tested me "for everything" and I didn't react to any of it.

On the bright side, I've lost almost 30 lbs since May 1st! That's worth it!!

That's a very bright side!!! Great job!

If you felt the January thaw, that was me having a mini meltdown as I "gave up" all my IP favorites. I have since learned giving up soy/gluten was not the end of the world. I had some gluten in July on p3/4 and really bloated up, which confirmed my sensitivity. The soy is due to hypothyroid developed while ON IP. And giving up some favorites has probably helped me learn certain foods need to not be so important if I'm going to maintain this large weight loss. It was a learning opportunity, after all!

Items with Pea protein fit the profile just fine for an alternate product. Your coach will try to sell it as an inferior protein source & IP foods as the best/only source you should use. This is for their own financial security. Those of us who have chosen to go with alternate products know the profile of what we are looking for & the protein source fits if it fits cals/carbs/fat.

I choose to use a variety of non-soy protein sources as I have read that when we stick to single foods, we are more apt to develop sensitivities. I use real eggs instead of omelet packs (1 whole + 3 whites), Syntrax nectar, Quest and Simply brands. I am in the process of using up my IP products. I have about 4+ weeks of exclusively IP products and then I'll be entirely alt, due to the expense and inflexibility of my clinic

My new favorite packet hack:
I LOVED the IP dark chocolate pudding made into frozen a shake/smoothie. It has soy
Now I use Syntrax Nectar Chocolate Truffle, .5 tsp xanthan gum, 2 Tbsp Dark Cocoa powder. Tastes similar, texture similar, cals/carbs/fat similar.

When I'm out of IP potato purée, I'll be looking up the substitution thread for that product. I make zucchini/potato rolls for work lunches and return-to-work is next week, barring a lottery win.

Lisa, you mentioned that the soy was due to hypothyroid that you developed while on IP.

This is a bit concerning to me.

If you don't mind, can you explain why this happened (obvious the soy) but because of duration, etc? What is the treatment? Is hypothriodism permenent?

Check here for a pretty good explanation.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/4802024-post18.html

Soy is notoriously hard on thyroid and low carb can be in some people (read the above post). It remains to be seen whether the hypothyroidism I developed on IP is permanent or not. I'm working with a Naturopathic Physician to reverse it. All my PCP wanted to do was introduce synthetic thyroid replacement. I am about more than just dealing with symptoms. I am about fixing the problem, if at all possible.