I’m amazed by the number of people who have said they’ve been inspired by our weight loss! Whether they’re asking about the specific diet we’re on or let me know they’ve been more conscious about what they’ve been eating. At least 25 people have said this in private messages or in comments. Two co-workers of Cody’s have actually joined the exact diet we’re on.
The last thing Cody and I ever expected in our lives was to be an inspiration for healthy eating. It’s awesome and a bit off-putting. We keep saying to each other that it’s because people are thinking, “Well if THEY can do it, surely we can.” And that’s absolutely true. We were the poster children for fast food restaurants, fatty foods, and lots of booze. If we can muster up this kind of willpower anyone can.
I haven’t really discussed the diet we’re on for various reasons. Firstly, it is a commercial diet and people can be a bit judgey about that. Also, low carb diets can really bring out strong opinions. Yes, they’re notorious for weight gain when people start eating carbs again. That’s generally because people go back to exactly the way they were eating before. Our attitude about this is pretty much the one we have about quitting smoking. Which we did maybe thirteen years ago. We NEVER want to go through this again. Ever. Evereverever. I still have nightmares that I take one puff and I have to start all over again.
Anyway, the diet we’re on is called Ideal Protein. It was developed by a doctor named Chanh Tran Tien. My clinic is inside my endocrinologist’s office but it can be sold in places like chiropractors’ offices. It is not sold online or retail, it’s supposed to be supervised in a medical setting . As usual the quality of coaches and clinics vary. I’m not trying to sell this diet. It’s just we’ve both been asked so many times I thought I’d post about it publicly.
In August my endocrinologist said that I was basically diabetic. She could put me on medicine, I could be referred to a nutritionist, or I could do this diet. It was my choice. Diabetes is all over my family tree. My father has it, cousins have it, grandparents had it. I was already on plenty of medicine so I thought I’d give it a try. I’d tried nutritionists, they didn’t really work out. And I liked the idea of being told exactly what to do. Within a month my A1c numbers were totally normal. Within two months I was off blood pressure medicine. I’m also off of medicine for acid reflux. My sleep apnea seems to be gone. Cody doesn’t snore anymore. The dogs get to take up much more room on the bed.
I won’t lie – it’s expensive. Startup fees go into the hundreds of dollars. For my clinic it included unlimited coaching even in maintenance, a month of food, vitamins and some other stuff. We buy vitamins and food through them. The food isn’t bad. There are puddings and shakes, bars and soup mixes. Even chips. And they’re actually pretty tasty. Or maybe we’ve been at this so long it all tastes delicious, hard to say 😉
A woman who is a complete genius wrote a cookbook where we can use the packets to make other food. I can make a “bread” type thing with the soup and bake muffins with the pudding mixes. There are gluten and soy free options. Vegetarians generally get tofu, limited meat substitute products, and eggs if they eat them. I actually like grilled tofu but Cody doesn’t like it so I don’t make it. You also have the option to have two extra packets for dinner instead of protein.
We’re supposed to eat three of those packets a day, plus four cups of vegetables and eight ounces of protein, which is not cheap. Packets are about four dollars each and usually come in boxes of seven. Some clinics let you buy individual packets. We spend about 100-150 dollars a week each (So about 200-300 dollars) on food and vitamins but we keep a pretty good variety of food at home. However, if you figure in how much less I’m spending on prescriptions and future health expenses it balances out.
It’s very strict. No bread, cheese, milk, yogurt, other dairy products, fruit, diet drinks, potatoes, corn, pastas, sugar, starches of any kind, and no derivatives of any of these as ingredients. Absolutely no alcohol. It’s actually dangerous to drink alcohol on this diet. Like hospital dangerous. Only lean meats and specific vegetables. Some of those vegetables are only allowed twice a week. There are unlimited vegetables but they have to be raw.
It’s basically a ketosis diet with low fat. I won’t delve too deeply into the science behind ketosis. Basically when you eat lower carbs and sugars and higher protein your body goes into a specific process that burns fat instead of muscle and will keep it out of starvation mode even on a low number of calories. It takes about three or four days to get into ketosis and that time is not fun. Carb cravings are real. I ran across a neat infographic that explains it better than I ever could.
I will flat out not debate the merits of this kind of diet. If you want to rail against low carb diets and discuss how all we need is diet and exercise you have your very own special facebook page to do so. This was recommended by my doctor and it’s working for us. Sorry if I sound bitchy but we’re adults and we researched this very carefully before trying it.
The way this diet is designed is that once you reach your goal you slowly phase back into eating “normal” foods again over a period of a few weeks. Normal food but within reason. The idea is that you’ve learned about healthy eating enough to guide you in maintenance. Cody’s plan is to drink bourbon and never eat bread again. My plan is to eat within reason and use my “splurge day” once a month by going back to the wine club. We’ll see how it goes but, believe me, we’ll be vigilant. Again, we don’t ever want to go through this again. Ever. The My Fitness Pal app has already become my best friend.
This diet is not for everyone. If you want to do little cheats it’s flat out not for you. Little cheats add up and will take you out of ketosis. Which is a waste of time and money. You’ll feel really sick to your stomach, gain weight, and have to spend the rest of the week getting back into ketosis. I am not saying it’s the best diet in the world. It’s just been what works for us. There are plenty of other things out there to try that work for other people.
I’ve been asked if I’d be interested in being a coach for this diet. I thought about it and realized I’d be the worst coach in the world. This sounds mean but I have no sympathy for people who choose to do this diet and constantly try to find loopholes or cheat on it. Then get upset that the diet’s not working. Eating a little extra protein is one thing but deciding to have a slice of pizza knowing you’re not supposed to do that is another entirely. Giving it a try and realizing it’s not for you is totally understandable.
It’s particularly hard for people who don’t get the kind of amazing support system I’m lucky enough to have. I really feel for people whose spouses and kids don’t want to change their diets at all and expect the dieter to cook their food too. But cheating over and over makes no sense to me. Food addiction is real and it sucks, bad. But really if Cody and I with the horrible food habits we’ve both practiced our entire lives can stick to this anyone can. Maybe it’s stubbornness. Because we are both incredibly stubborn, if we say we’re going to do something we will damn well do it. Maybe it’s because we saw results very quickly and we don’t want to mess up the momentum. We have not put anything in our mouths that is not protocol in the last seven months. We’ve had an extra protein packet or extra meat from time to time but nothing that is not on the list. And if you stick to it – it will work. It’s really hard to follow and expensive but it will work.
If you want to learn more about Ideal Protein I think the best place to start is this facebook group: It is an online forum so there will be stupid ridiculous posts. But the mods really try to keep it strictly to the protocol. There’s lots of paperwork in their files that gives you a good idea of how it works.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/idealproteinsupportersphase1group
Some people follow the diet’s structure but use alternative products. I haven’t done this so I can’t say if it’s actually any cheaper or as effective. But I support any healthy change in eating habits. I really do think it’s better to do this with a coach so you’ll get medical monitoring the way they intended.
I’ll repeat myself: This diet is not for everyone and it’s not the only way in the world to lose weight. But it’s been what’s working for us. We both strongly believe that if you follow the diet – you will lose weight. Maybe slowly but it will happen.
I want to note we get no paid benefits or discounts from ideal protein at all for posting about it. This website is my opinion entirely and has not been approved or endorsed by Ideal Protein or the cookbook author, Janeva Eickhoff, at all. This has just been our experience and we’re happy to share it.
Please see your doctor before you start any kind of diet.
I’m pretty sure it’s ok to post this so you can see how the diet works. If it’s not on this sheet you’re not allowed to eat it, period.
Noelle's Ideal Protein 