What is it?
Ideal Protein is brand for weight loss food products that includes a meal replacement, snacks, meals, drinks, puddings, and much more. All are made to be used alongside a comprehensive diet and lifestyle change.
When the entire lineup of products is used, the company says one can experience optimal weight loss results. This is because there is an emphasis on low calorie, high protein, and fulfilling meals which can help suppress appetite while providing nutrients. The intended effect is to teach people lasting strategies for weight loss once one stops using Ideal Protein products. Our review experts have examined many diets and they found that the best overall is the 18Shake Diet. It combines a potent appetite suppressing meal replacement shake and a metabolism booster which users say is beneficial for lasting weight loss results. Discover more information about the 18Shake Diet by visiting the link provided here.
Do You Know the Best Diet Shakes of 2024?
Ideal Protein Ingredients and Side Effects
The company has failed to list a supplements facts or ingredients listing to any of their foods on their own website. Instead one has to rely on customer posted images of the foods provided. With this lack of information it’s unclear if the posted images from users are up to date. There’s also no way to verify if what one will be buying into is wholesome and suited for their individual needs.
Here are the ingredients to one of the few found images found online of their chocolate flavored shake:
Milk Protein Concentrate
|
Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali
|
Skim Milk
|
Whey Protein Isolate
|
Natural and Artificial Flavor
|
Sugar
|
Salt
|
Carrageenan
|
Sodium Caseinate
|
Sea Salt
|
Xanthan Gum
|
Sucralose
|
Acesulfame Potassium
|
Silicon Dioxide
|
|
Milk Protein Concentrate: Typically made from skim milk, this processed form of milk protein is spray dried and added as a cheaper alternative to other protein sources.
This ingredient is now largely imported from different countries. According to the Food and Water Watch organization, there’s a lack of safety from imported milk protein concentrate:
“hard to imagine how regulatory agencies manage to keep track”
“MPC’S are largely unregulated”
They also mention that similar kinds of protein were imported from China, and that they contained contaminated dairy which was added to baby formula. It contained high levels of melamine, which is known to cause liver damage and other side effects. This potentially harmful additive is said to be nonexistent according to some US groups, however, it did remain in some past shipments of Milk Protein Concentrate.
It is a cheap additive which will often be added to processed foods as a cost effective protein source. This is because it is preserved and imported from places where it’s cheaper to hire people to produce it.
Provided here is a list showcasing the top ranked most effective diets for weight loss.
In it is often a minimum of 40% protein to 90% protein by weight. 1 tablespoon of pure Milk Protein Concentrate typically has around 5 grams of protein per serving. It is a complete source of amino acids, and with increased amounts of this protein it has less lactose. A study by the Dairy Management, Inc. in Illinois found:
“provide benefits, such as water binding, gelling, foaming, emulsification, development, functional benefits...”
Therefore it also has use as an additive for boosting the overall consistency of surrounding ingredients. This can double up as a substitute for gelling and emulsifying agents. Though Ideal Protein still has these kinds of additives in their foods.
Whey Protein Isolate: A byproduct of the cheese making process which contains a full range of amino acids. This ingredient has been shown to support lean muscle growth, and it is known to be easy to digest. In its isolated version it contains a minimum of 90% protein by weight, making it a protein rich source which is low in lactose and fat.
It also has the benefit of containing few calories per serving.
Skim Milk: Milk which has removed the cream to make a less fattening protein source. This typically has around 0.1% total fat. This will result in more watered down milk, which is often described as being less appetizing.
While this is often taken as a way to reduce total calorie intake, studies have shown that it’s not truly helpful for weight loss. This is for two reasons. Fat is actually satiating and there is no evidence that a diet with moderate fats will increase body weight, and it’s flawed because it contains fewer nutrients. The Real Food Guide.com has noted:
“won’t find any vitamin K in fat-free milk… the vitamins it retains are all fat-soluble”
This means that in order to get the benefits of the added vitamins, one would have to add fat alongside their skim milk. This defeats the purpose of drinking a reduced fat beverage like skim. There’s no need to get rid of it as it causes more problems to get slightly more caloric rich milk.
The potential loss of nutrients also means one might have to supplement with additional vitamins and minerals to make up for the lacking nutrition gained from this milk source.
Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali: A treated form of crushed cocoa bean which when alkalized reduces much of the antioxidants.
Due to the natural stimulants found within, it may produce unwanted side effects that include:
- Rapid heart rate.
- Insomnia.
- Restlessness.
This ingredient can contain levels of caffeine, and due to the way it’s processed; it’s not as nutrient rich as pure cocoa powder. This reduces trace minerals and vitamins, in order for it to be better preserved in the formula.
The added caffeine is unlikely to be major, but for those sensitive it may cause unwanted issues. No mention of the total caffeine content is provided by the makers of Ideal Protein from the foods which have included this ingredient.
Click this link to view our expert crafted list showcasing the most effective diets for weight loss.
Sugar: Simple carbohydrate with no nutritional value, it’s only added to provide a pleasant taste to foods, and it’s cheap to add and easy to produce.
It can be extracted from many different foods such as sugar beet and sugar cane. It is often highly processed and added to substitute more wholesome sweeteners which have a lower rating on the glycemic index. When insulin rises it can lead to a gain of body weight, and sugar is known to have this kind of effect on the body, particularly when it is included to a diet on a daily basis as many of these foods would require.
In its unrefined form it may produce several unwanted side effects that may include:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Increased risk for obesity via metabolism disorders.
- Addiction that can lead to mood swings and flu like symptoms.
- Tooth decay.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine adds:
“sugar is associated with (being) overweight, possibly because liquid sugars do not lead to a sense of satiety”
So it’s possible to eat lots of sugar and still not be satisfied, as the body is not satiated even with increased amounts of sugar.
This should be limited as much as possible when one is trying to achieve weight loss, as it can cause a major increase in body weight. If one were to follow an Ideal Protein Diet there would be intake of sugar as high as 4 grams of sugar per serving, according to one nutrition facts label found online for their shakes.
Sugar does provide a pleasant taste to foods, but it also has the possibility to cause metabolic diseases such as fatty liver disease and diabetes. This is a key ingredient which is best limited in order to prevent the possibility for many issues. Learn about which top 10 diets were featured in our expert reviewed list of the best overall.
Sugar is not needed in food as there are other known substitutes which can provide the same kind of flavor, without all the potential issues related to overall health and weight,
Carrageenan: A thickener and stabilizer found in many processed foods. This is made from edible seaweed and is often highly processed to be made usable.
Juntendo University performed a study by giving this ingredient to mice. The findings revealed toxic effects:
“carrageenan is carcinogenic to the colorectum of the rat”
This study showed an increase in tumors in once health rats. Another study was also performed on rats, this time by the Laboratoire de Securite des Aliments:
“promotes the growth of aberrant crypt foci in the rat colon”
This means it created abnormalities in the colon and rectum. This can potentially lead to cancer. Therefore, both studies confirmed cancerous side effects, even though they were not affiliated with another.
Carrageenan is not a necessary additive and it does not provide fiber or any nutritional value. It is only added as a cost effective thickener. The only reason this additive is found in the formula is because it’s meant to be a cheap way to help promote a better balance of ingredients.
There are major issues seen in this additive and some consumer watchdog groups have advised to get rid of this ingredient from one’s diet. There are multiple studies which revealed the potential for dangerous effects in animals.
Xanthan Gum: Thickener made from a mixture of a sugar and bacteria. It can be extracted from different ingredients like wheat, corn, and soy. This is cheap to produce and is often found in many kinds of foods.
Considered likely safe in the amounts typically found in food. It has an unmatched ability to help create viscosity with just a small amount of liquid added. This is often added at a concentration of just 0.5% or less.
It can help prevent the oil separation that occurs when dry and wet ingredients are added. Also used as an alternative to gluten. In this link is our expert reviewed list showcasing the most effective diets for weight loss.
Sucralose: Artificial sweetener that’s commonly sold as its brand name Splenda. It’s up to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose.
Studies have shown it can lead to potential side effects. One study by the Hachinohe National College of Technology showed that sucralose:
“induced DNA damage in gastrointestinal organs”
Another study by the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health adds how it:
“exerted numerous adverse effects”
“Alters Gut Microflora and Increases Intestinal P-Glycoprotein and Cytochrome P-450”
The effect on reducing gut bacteria may cause damage to the immune system. Also, P-Glycoprotein is only released by the body when a potential toxin might cause damage. So according to this study, the body treats sucralose as a toxic ingredient.
Sucralose is added as an alternative to sugar which is supposed to be a much healthier alternative. The issue with this additive is that due to its processed nature, it can potentially lead to unwanted side effects. This can also have similar effects to standard table sugar, such as an effect on increasing insulin levels. Therefore, even though it’s added as a substitute for harmful sweeteners, it may have the same effect as well as additional unwanted side effects in the amounts added to food.
You can discover the best diets for weight loss by clicking the link found here.
Acesulfame Potassium: Artificial sweetener that is calorie-free and around 200 times sweeter than sucrose.
Studies have shown it to potentially cause side effects.
One such study was added to a journal in the Hormone and Metabolic Research Journal:
“can also induce insulin secretion”
So though it’s intended to not have an effect on blood sugar, it still causes an increase which can make hunger reduction harder.
Another study by PLOS One found:
“could affect cognitive functions, potentially via altering neuro-metabolic functions”
So it can be eaten in large amounts and not effect hunger levels, this can potentially increase the risk for obesity. This artificial sweetener has been used controversially, as many studies have shown it has the potential to cause side effects.
There are many ingredients in these foods which are cheap and often added to very generic types of prepackaged foods. Better options are available which do not use processed, artificial, and cheap additives. It’s best to avoid eating repeat heavy amounts of sugar, artificial additive and cheap thickeners and binders.
The top 10 list of the best shakes features much better quality options. Learn about the top ranked diets including the number diet, which has all natural ingredients and just 1 gram of natural sugar.
Silicon Dioxide: Mineral that shares similarities to plastic. This is added to help treat weak bones, stroke, and often as an inactive ingredient to prevent caking.
Higher amounts of this ingredient can potentially lead to it passing the blood brain barrier, which may be unhealthy. Web MD has also added:
“LIKELY SAFE in food amounts. Its safety as a medicine is unknown”
So without being able to read about the total amount added, it’s not possible to determine what one might experience with this. Though it’s most likely that this is added more as filler instead of an actual nutritional additive.
Ideal Protein Quality Of Ingredients
Finding the ingredients to their foods was difficult, and after discovering what was added it became clear why.
There are artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, potentially damaging thickeners, and many cheap forms of protein. The company has failed to add their own ingredients label online, and instead they ask those interested to visit one of their centers. Fortunately, there were some users who posted the supplements facts label to the shakes online, though labels for the foods are lacking.
Though there’s a lot of protein provided with the chocolate having 18 grams, it’s made up of milk protein concentrate and sodium caseinate. Both of these are poor in comparison to the unknown quantities of whey protein, which is also added to this shake. It would have been much better quality if they avoided these other 2 forms of cheap protein.
Learn about the most effective diets by visiting the top 10 list featured here.
They also fail to mention what the amino acid content is. When choosing a protein rich shake it’s important to know if there’s a well-balanced amount of amino acids, since it’s what gives the body nourishment to function properly. Amino acids help determine:
• Whether or not these shakes are rich in wholesome protein.
• How effective it is as a meal replacement: Amino acids are needed when replacing meals as they are essential to regulate many important body processes.
• Seeing if one would have to supplement with additional protein sources to make up for the lacking amino acids.
The overall quality of ingredients is very poor for the price paid.
They also fail to properly describe what makes their meal replacements stand out. Many of the ingredients are common to other standard shakes. There’s nothing unique in this shake that would make it stand out from the competition. After reading the nutrition facts label and looking at the overall vitamins and minerals, it appears to be a very standard meal replacement with nothing unique about it other than the heavy use of processed and artificial additives.
Other concerns exist from the kinds of foods provided in this plan. While they do offer many kinds of options to suit one’s needs, they are very limited in the amount of full meals. Mostly snack and bite size foods are offered instead of any real substance. They also fail to list any of the nutrition facts label. This makes it impossible to do a proper review on what one can expect from these foods.
Recipes are offered for one to create one’s own dishes from scratch, including around 250 recipes for Phase 1 and 2, and 250 recipes for general weight management. They describe it as being:
“From low fat to low carbohydrate meal ideas… emphasize natural flavors and textures”
The recipes come from a 5 star chef, but it’s unknown if the recipes are easy, cost effective, or whether or not they are suitable for all palates. Without being able to see any kinds of recipes it’s impossible to tell if one would have to spend a lot of time and effort to make these meals. For a comprehensive review of the top 10 ranked diets for weight loss, click this link.
These kinds of meals are needed as one transitions away from the foods offered by Ideal Protein. This is meant more as an easy to follow stepping stone so one can get used to eating reduced calories foods, which are already prepped and easy to go. The benefit of using already made foods is that it can take away from the temptation of eating rich foods.
This is why the company has decided to offer non-traditional diet foods such as bars, wafers, desserts, fruit drinks, and much more.
EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven meal replacement such as 18Shake for better results.
The Price and Quality of Ideal Protein
You’re not allowed the opportunity to buy the prepackaged foods on their own, so you have to pay for overall weight loss support from one of their diet centers. This includes paying for pre-packaged meals which is of unknown price. The total Ideal Protein cost can be extremely costly according to some users, but it’s difficult to confirm the exact pricing.
There are also different diet phases which range in cost. Here’s what some customers have experienced in terms of price:
“$85.00 per week; or $500 for Phase 1”
“$60.00 per week; or $120 for Phase 2”
“$30.00 per week; or $60 for Phase 3”
“Around $700 for 10 weeks; or average $70 per week”
So the price for this can vary depending on what one’s individual demands are. It’s fairly expensive for what you’re getting. It’s also unknown whether or not you have to buy into the whole diet plan, of if you can simply purchase the meal replacement shakes and other foods separately.
It’s incredibly difficult to review these foods for many key reasons:
• No nutrition facts list is provided by the makers: There are only user posted images of what’s added, but it’s unknown if this is up to date and reflective of what one can expect. It’s not known why the company has decided to not give insights into their formula.
Not all foods have images to showcase what’s added, in fact the majority is completely missing. You’re unable to verify beforehand if what the company is offering would be suitable for your needs. They do offer gluten-free foods, but it’s unclear if they also provide other allergy free options.
They also fail to list any relevant information about the use of processed ingredients which are found in some foods like the shakes.
• There is a lack of real claims about their foods: Instead of giving insights into the nutritional value, weight loss effects, or what one can expect in terms of nutrition, the company has decided to instead only talk about the foods consistency and taste.
• Getting a face to face interaction with the company centers is required: Because they are selling a comprehensive weight loss plan, these foods are a small apart of a greater solution for weight loss. The company places little emphasis on this due to the fact they are asking potential customers to actually talk to a representative in person.
These kinds of tactics can make it harder for one to learn from the comfort of one’s home. It’s also unknown what kind of technique is used, but it can be potentially difficult to escape from.
From looking at the images it’s clear that the meal replacements offered are not very good quality since they’re full of artificial ingredients and cheap protein. There’s not enough here to satisfy as a proper meal replacement. Many of the ingredients have been shown in clinical studies to lead to metabolism disorders and weight gain.
The company also asks users to use Ideal Protein in 4 different phases. Ideal Protein phase 1 is to determine what practical weight loss goals are. While this is more comprehensive, this also raises the price. Ideal Protein phase 2 is similar to phase 1, but provides more in depth coaching and counseling. This can be helpful to those who need a more hands on approach, but it’s unknown if the people offering advice are qualified to give out nutritional support.
There are cheap processed ingredients that make up the bulk of these foods. This raises the Ideal Protein cost unnecessarily, as these additives can be bought cheaper elsewhere. There is no need to have to purchase this since the same basic formula is featured in many other shakes and foods.
As far as other Ideal Protein Products go, the overall price can be high to receive the entire system as a whole. The main issue with the price is that there’s no clear outline of what one can expect. You’re meant to visit a center to learn more which can be a waste of time if you were to find it far too much to pay. Companies that fail to list how much they charge are questionable as one is not able to determine beforehand if what they’re getting will be suitable for their needs.
The majority of those who invested in Ideal Protein products added how it was far too pricy for what is being offered. Judging from the few ingredients labels, it’s clear that they have focused on adding a heavy amount of cheap ingredients which are often found in processed foods.
For a list of diets that made the top 10, click here.
Business of Ideal Protein
The Ideal Protein brand is owned by Laboratoires C.O.P. Inc. They can be reached through the following contact detail.
Phone Number: (819) 772-4447
Address: 60 Jean-Proulx
Gatineau Qc J8Z 1W1
Email: [email protected]
There’s no outstanding complaints filed against the company, though information about their customer service support is nonexistent. This is often because groups in Canada go through a different quality assurance system. They are not bound by any entity like the FDA.
No information is available about whether or not they offer a money back return policy.
Bloomberg.com did mention a few details about the company by stating:
“company offers education, development workshops, and private and public lectures on weight loss and nutrition”
There is no information on whether they operate these kinds of services outside of Canada. The only available information listed is about their CEO changes, though they do offer contact details.
My Ideal Protein is also offered which helps connect users with more information on the overall diet plan offered. Though to access this part of the website one first has to be a member. It’s not exactly clear how detailed the information is, and whether or not it’s advised for users to follow potentially difficult advice. My Ideal Protein is more of a supplemental part of the overall diet which can be done online whether on a computer or mobile device.
Very little information is provided by the official website and it’s unknown if the advice given is supported by scientific fact, or if it’s general advice for weight loss.
The company website does give insights into their process about weight loss by stating:
“Maintaining a stable weight after dieting requires changes to your lifestyle habits”
The company assists those who implement the plan with insights into how to properly manage weight after one has cut calories drastically. The idea is to make smarter dietary decisions and getting rid of unhealthy foods. They also add they can teach:
• What foods are best for maintaining weight.
• How insulin affects body weight.
• How body fat can be burned.
• What the proper combination is of macronutrient s such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrate.
While this is all helpful advice, it’s noteworthy to consider what the total overall price is if one decides to keep getting support from the business. This can amount to a lot of money, and if one were to gain weight again it could mean long-term payment plans which can be costly.
There is also no assurance that all the information you’re getting will be provided by some sort of professional. Typically nutritionists can be pricy, and it’s unknown if the information provided will be mostly support and general advice for weight loss. This needs to be addressed so one knows whether or not they are receiving scientifically backed advice, or if it’s only basic support anyone can give.
Follow the link to see a list featuring the top ranked diets for weight loss as seen by our review experts.
EDITOR’S TIP: For the best results with meal replacement shakes diet our experts recommend to use it at least 5 months. Save your money buying a few bags of meal replacement product.
Customer Opinions of Ideal Protein
Ideal Protein reviews are scattered online from many different sources. Here’s what a few customers have experienced:
“it’s not real food”
“They all lost weight and then they gained it back, plus more”
“way too hard for me”
“I had very little energy”
People who tried the meal replacement often complained that it left them without energy, and that they couldn’t think straight due to the low carbohydrate and lack of appetite suppression.
There were also negative reviews from those who tried Ideal Protein recipes. Some added how they tried to mix this shake with fruits and vegetables, but that the consistency was not pleasant.
Overall, it seems from user reviews that by trying to make this shake work as a full meal plan that it was not satisfying and that it did not help support their weight loss goals. This makes it seem unlikely to work as a functional weight loss shake.
It’s difficult to find many reviews of just the shakes themselves however, as most of the listed online opinions have to do with the entire system. It’s unknown if this is because the shakes are not advised to be taken individually, or if it’s because of another reason. See which weight loss diet plans were rated as the most effective by visiting our expert crafted list of the top 10 most wholesome.
Very rarely is it a good sign when a company has such a limited amount of reviews available.
Ideal Protein does have other products in their lineup as well such as:
• Breakfast foods, puddings, fruity flavored beverages, dressings, bars, ready to drink shakes, snacks, and specialty meals.
When using the entire program people had the following to say:
“first 3 days were very tough”
“on the program and my hair is unhealthy and thin. Makes me feel drained”
“started a fourth week and paid $630… only lost a single pound… didn’t lose any inches off my waist”
“Can’t get off of this diet because I just regain all the weight. Very disappointing as it’s costing a lot of money”
There have been serious issues from users who added how they didn’t feel like the entire system was effective, and many added it was a waste of money. One common complaint was that it did not lead to sustained weight loss results. So anyone who managed to lose weight added how they didn’t experience any long lasting benefits. Any benefits that people noticed were lost as soon as normal eating began.
The issue with this is that it’s possible one is only losing weight because of a serious caloric deprivation. This means it’s not truly a metabolism boosting or fat burning way to lose weight. Also, there are some who only lost a few pounds yet they made sure to stay disciplined. This can lead to a waste of time and money. If one has to dedicate themselves to a diet which is not delivering on its results in a grand way, they it’s likely one will continue to experience the same results.
Some users ended giving up after a few short weeks of noticing little to no changes. Discover which diets were rated as being the most effective for delivering weight loss benefits by clicking this link.
Conclusion - Does Ideal Protein Work?
Ideal Protein has an interesting website that claims to offer the ideal weight loss solution. Though before you decide on whether or not this is right for you, it’s important to look at the quality of their meal replacements, bars, snacks, and the overall foods offered. Their shakes are loaded with artificial sugars, mostly cheap protein sources, and they make it hard to know anything about what these shakes have to offer. The same goes for the foods which only have descriptions as to their taste instead of their nutritional content.
Ideal Protein food is often described as being unfulfilling, chalky, and not easy to mix by users. Many also added how they didn’t find the advice supportive, and that it was all general weight loss tips. This was far too general and not specific enough to promote long lasting weight loss results. Some added how it did not actually promote significant weight loss, and that it takes a lot of sacrifice for such little reward.
The better solution would be an all-natural, filler free, and nutritionally well-rounded diet. The 2024 best diet is out in the form of the18Shake Diet.
Customers have left testimonials showing how effective their weight loss effects were. Best of all, it combines a potent metabolism booster and a wholesome meal replacement shake. This shake has high quality whey protein, good fiber for appetite suppression, and you can read the full amino acid profile, of which there’s a lot of.
The metabolism booster Vitakor contains a blend of potent extracts such as fennel seed, flax seed oil, cape aloe, and other potent compounds. Before and after photos are also provided by users who used Vitakor individually, when combined with 18Shake it can boost overall weight loss results.
18Shake Diet also contains a full range of amino acids and just 1 gram of sugar from the shake. Vitakor is free of any artificial additives or stimulants. Unlike Ideal Protein it contains unprocessed ingredients and a blend of proven ingredients. 18Shake Diet offers a comprehensive meal replacement shake that provides healthy ingredients, a customer approved taste, and no cheap additives alongside a potent metabolism booster which can help burn calories. To learn more about the 18Shake Diet click here.
User Feedback
(Page 8 of 13, 241 total comments)Char
+I've been on the IP diet for a month and already lost 10 pounds. I have Type 2 Diabetes and my glucose was always very high. After 1 week of detox my glucose levels had significantly dropped to normal for the first time in many years. I am highly motivated when I see ounces leaving my scale everyday and staying off. The IP shakes and other products keep me on track when I want something sweet. I'm learning new delicious recipes such as Jicama Fries and Cauliflower Pizza Crust to help with things I sort of miss from time to time.
posted Oct 16th, 2015 2:04 amcaroline
-The foods themselves are not bad. The problem is the extremely high sodium content that exceeds AMA guidelines. One packet of soup has 995 mg of sodium. One bag of chedder ridges has 795 mg of sodium, almost the total daily allocation. This is not healthy. I started retaining a ton of water and when I looked at the boxes I found out why.
posted Oct 11th, 2015 5:26 amKathy
+This is a HIGHLY effective diet. The first 3-4 days are rough because you are essentially detoxing, but afterr that it is smooth sailing. I was on it for several months and travel extensively for work - but I was abe to stick to it and lost all my weight.
posted Sep 30th, 2015 9:43 pmTJBinIowa
If you have the willpower to get through the first week, this is an amazing diet. You MUST commit 100 percent with NO CHEATING to get results, though. The good news is, after a few days, you aren't hungry at all. The hardest part is the social aspect (no booze, no dairy, no fruit, etc.). You will fit better in your clothes in two weeks if you follow it religiously though.
posted Sep 29th, 2015 6:10 pmBill
I started IP back in June of 2014. I'm a 56 year old male and I did this with my wife and daughter. I was skeptical at first but in the first 10 days I lost 8 lbs. By Thanksgiving of 2014 I went from 211 lbs to 156 lbs! I live in Alaska so I used a lot of fish (not salmon) for dinner protein and ate a lot of veggies. By April of 2015 I was back up to 185 due to life stresses and a new heavy labor job. Yeah, I gained lots of muscle but I saw the fat return.
posted Sep 26th, 2015 5:18 amI've since gone back to IP on 9/1/15 and have dropped 14 lbs to date. IF I could offer one bit of advice: when one hits their weight goal, make the transition into Phase 2 and Phase 3 with the IP coach. I did not do that and went from a healthy weight loss diet to eating junk/carbs again.
Contrary to what many hear, being on IP has cleared my head/cognition and I love having sugars and carbs out of my diet. I have more energy now and feel great.
As an added bonus, doing this with your partner definitely improves intimacy. I have found that our ability to enjoy intimacy has increased greatly as a result of the IP weight loss.
I was overweight all of my life and this was the only program that was so rigid and coached that my success was almost assured. It does take discipline but doing this with a partner makes it a bit easier and more fun.
Best of luck to all of you working to achieve your goals.
Bill
I started IP back in June of 2014. I'm a 56 year old male and I did this with my wife and daughter. I was skeptical at first but in the first 10 days I lost 8 lbs. By Thanksgiving of 2014 I went from 211 lbs to 156 lbs! I live in Alaska so I used a lot of fish (not salmon) for dinner protein and ate a lot of veggies. By April of 2015 I was back up to 185 due to life stresses and a new heavy labor job. Yeah, I gained lots of muscle but I saw the fat return.
posted Sep 26th, 2015 5:17 amI've since gone back to IP on 9/1/15 and have dropped 14 lbs to date. IF I could offer one bit of advice: when one hits their weight goal, make the transition into Phase 2 and Phase 3 with the IP coach. I did not do that and went from a healthy weight loss diet to eating junk/carbs again.
Contrary to what many hear, being on IP has cleared my head/cognition and I love having sugars and carbs out of my diet. I have more energy now and feel great.
As an added bonus, doing this with your partner definitely improves intimacy. I have found that our ability to enjoy intimacy has increased greatly as a result of the IP weight loss.
I was overweight all of my life and this was the only program that was so rigid and coached that my success was almost assured. It does take discipline but doing this with a partner makes it a bit easier and more fun.
Best of luck to all of you working to achieve your goals.
Laura
+I'm about to start Ip against, it has been five years since I last did the program. I lost 35 lbs five years ago, looked and felt amazing. I gained all the weight back plus 25 lbs since 2010 when I was on the program. I'm nervous about starting again because I know it is tough to do something like IP more than one time. I plan to start this Wednesday and am mentally preparing !
posted Sep 12th, 2015 8:28 pmMonica
If you lose 3 to 7 lbs in the first week you are mobilizing your glycogen stores from your liver and not fat.
posted Aug 27th, 2015 1:50 amElyse
As others have said - this diet requires dedication. I have always been hooked on sugars and carbs, my mother as well. I could happily eat just fresh bread, twizzlers, sorbet, and a croissant for dinner. I'm in my mid-30s now and losing weight just isn't easy, even though I'm active. It's been creeping up and up, and even though I don't look it, I'm over my healthy weight zone. For someone who works out 3 hours a week, that's unacceptable! But nothing was working. I gave IP a shot. It was TOUGH for the first three days. I had to talk myself through every minute that I wanted to eat junk. But, amazingly, after three days, I wasn't hungry anymore! I couldn't believe it! I always feel hungry, could always munch on something. Suddenly, I didn't need to. It was unreal.
posted Jul 21st, 2015 8:58 amI continued working out, and my coach advised that I increase my proteins and veggies to accommodate it. That worked. I cheated and had some wine, and that knocked me out of ketosis. I could tell because I was hungry again. So then I would have half a glass socially, and that seemed to be sufficient.
I then went off IP for a year. The weight came back, even though I felt like I was keeping a not-terrible lifestyle. I went back to my IP coach to discover that yes, I had put the weight back on (I was the exact same weight as I was the first time I went) BUT I had 7 pounds more muscle! That was very encouraging. I'm back on IP again, and will try to sustain the lifestyle better (I did have the occasional binge on a WHOLE BAG of marshmallows from time to time) because even with the weight it's clear my body is doing better.
No, it's not easy at first. Yes, it costs up front but I'm saving money on eating out and junk food. But I feel so much better, not hungry, and my body responds well.
TerrI
-Have been on the diet 24 weeks; lost 35 lbs. The program DOES work but only if you are extremely dedicated to follow the plan exactly. You can travel while on this plan. You can not eat out. Since I have not lost the mandatory average of 2 lbs per week, my "weight loss coach" advised me that I would need to re-evaluate my goal weight, be ok with the lbs lost, and phase out of the program because I was obviously not invested, was obviously cheating, and IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO NOT LOOSE WEIGHT ON THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THEIR BUSINESS OR IMAGE! Oh yes, don't forget, this IS A BUSINESS as a previous writer mentioned. The "coaches" are not weight loss specialists or medical professionals. It is all about money! I wanted to like this program, I really did! I saw my coworkers melt away. But after weigh in last night....DONE! She actually told me "this is not WW". NO, it's not, WW has very caring, empathetic coaches! My coworker inquired of her clinic if I could possibly switch over without a fee and that clinic agreed so I may consider that option. OH, and, when I was invited to a weight loss clinic during my 3rd week to talk about being on Phase 1, I met an ANOREXIC individual. Of course I asked lots of questions about her weight loss and which Phase she was in. She was somewhat avoidant but finally disclosed she was an anorexic and was on the program to eat to maintain her weight. WTF? That was my first red flag I chose to ignore. An anorexic person has absolutely no business speaking at a weight loss clinic. The coach totally misrepresented her, making us think this person had lost a ton of weight on Ideal Protein. Go for it but remember this is a business to make money!
posted Jul 18th, 2015 12:03 amSheryl
+I started in Feb weighing in at 255lbs. As of today I'm down to 188lbs! I look and most importantly, feel amazing. Some of the food is gross but you stick to with what you like and it works like a charm. I did have and continue to have issues with constipation but IP couch was able to help me with that.
posted Jul 14th, 2015 2:43 pmCindy Sabine
+Follow the diet for over a month very slow lost my center was not very helpful but I have friends with great results too costly to continue
posted Jun 28th, 2015 9:21 pmEirodann
?So what's the bottom line cost? Everyone talks about everything except the cost. How much does this program cost? I assume you have to buy their food, is there also an enrollment fee?
ZLGVS
+I've been in the diet for 3 weeks now and have lost 22 lbs..that's 1 lb a day...but actually I didn't lose a lb in the last week, So I lost 8 lbs the first week, 10 the second week, nothing the third week and 3 lbs yesterday. Zero during my third week, I was so frustrated, but I was having my period too, completely out of it last Friday but was still not losing weight, I saw the daily video we receive and they were talking about what to do during a plateau, so I skipped the restricted food yesterday and today I was down 3 lbs! yayyy finally. If you are going to do it, don't give up, I emailed my doctor today asking him for how long I should skip the restricted food.
posted Jun 23rd, 2015 7:19 pmMary
-Rude representatives and customer service. Please don't waste your time. Not working also. I'm not even that obese.
posted Jun 19th, 2015 3:44 pmBruce Suskie
+I just completed my 5th week. I was skeptical at first, but at today's weigh in I just hit 30lbs lost. That is 6 lbs per week, and I am getting to eat real food. There are times where I have felt week or lightheaded, but I've learned to put a little salt in my water to,over come it. It's not that hard, and definitely worth it. I hope to hit my goal of 45 lbs within the next 3 weeks or so.
posted Jun 18th, 2015 3:18 amRay
+The plan works. But like any other challenge in life, The main component is YOUR DETERMINATION. If you do the work the plan will work for you. I'm 6 weeks in and lost 21 lbs. It has not been perfect but I haven't given up and it's good to be on a plan that helps you to live a healthier lifestyle and not just to lose weight temporarily. My coaches have been very supportive and were my saving grace and have helped me not to give up. I've tried other methods of losing weight but I love Ideal Protein! I'm more disciplined and I'm back in the kitchen cooking and I feel healthier and the reward is shredding unwanted pounds.
posted Jun 7th, 2015 3:38 pmCarl
+I've lost 40 lbs from 4/13/15 to 6/5/15, about 5 1/2 lbs a week. Ideal Protein diet works for me.
posted Jun 6th, 2015 1:53 amLynette
+It is a bit expensive and hard to find competent coaches that really are there to help.
posted Jun 3rd, 2015 11:01 pmAdrianna
+I have been on the ideal protein diet for one week. I lost 7 pounds so far. I followed it perfectly.
posted Jun 1st, 2015 11:04 pm1- You have weekly follow ups with your coach; you know how much fat you've lost, your body composition, the inches you lost also.
2- Chocolate Wafers, all soy puffs and chocolate chip pancakes are really good, also the bbq chips.
3- You will feel tired, that's inevitable but it's nothing you can't handle.