After the birth of our youngest daughter, not only could I not seem to lose the baby weight, I even gained more.
We moved, I launched a new business and was so stressed that I wasn’t eating as well or carefully as I should and to make matters worse, my hormones were all over the map. No matter how much I exercised, nothing changed.
I tried counting calories, cutting portion sizes, watching carbs and more and zip!
That’s when I saw a flyer for the Ideal Protein diet in my doctor’s office.
It said all the right things…
It worked for people who just couldn’t lose weight any other way. It worked for people whose metabolism was wonky thanks to their hormones, etc, etc.
And, I wanted to do it.
But it costs a fortune!
Not only do you have to pay for doctor’s visits and go in for regular weigh-ins (who has the time) but each meal packet costs $4 – $5 and at three packets a day, it adds up fast.
So, I researched and researched and I came up with an Ideal Protein Diet hack that not only let me drop 30 pounds but also save well over $1,000.
But first, let’s take a look at why the Ideal Protein Diet works in the first place.
How the Ideal Protein Diet Works
You see, it works because on the Ideal Protein Diet, the number of net carbs (carbohydrate grams minus fiber grams) you eat each day is extremely restricted. This puts your body into a super fat burning mode so that you can drop the weight even when nothing else has worked.
Although you could feel tired and have a headache the first week (I know I did) your body adapts and while I was on the diet, I felt better than ever – my joints stopped aching and I even slept better.
Here’s what the Ideal Protein Diet Plan says about it:
The body gets its fuel or energy from the three macronutrient sources: 1) carbohydrates, 2) protein, and 3) fat. The carbohydrate or glycogen energy reserves are used up first, followed by our protein and fat reserves. (Glycogen is the form in which glucose is stored in the muscles and the liver.)
After approximately 3 days on the Ideal Protein Program, your glycogen reserves are depleted and your body begins to burn your stored fat cells for energy naturally. This results in your body producing ketonic bodies (ketones) that are a natural appetite suppressant thus preventing cravings after the first few days and providing you with energy. You will start losing weight—or fat—as soon as fat becomes your first source of energy.
What You Eat
When you’re doing the Ideal Protein Diet, there are four phases.
In the first phase, you eat three diet packs per day plus one meal (usually your dinner). So, you eat a pack for breakfast, lunch and snack (you can have two cups of vegetables and unlimited lettuce with your lunch) and for dinner you eat 7 oz. of protein with two cups of vegetables and unlimited lettuce. You do this until you’ve lost 70-80% of the weight you want to lose.
Your dinner protein can include:
- Fish: Anchovy, Bass, Catfish, Cod, Grouper, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, Mahi-Mahi, Monk Fish, Pike, Perch, Red Snapper, Redfish, Sea Bass, Shark, Smelt, Sole, Sword Fish, Tilapia, Tuna (Red Tuna-1 x per week) Trout, Turbot, Whiting, Walleye, Wild Salmon (1 x per week) Seafood: Crab, Crawfish, Clams, Lobster, Mussels, Oysters, Shrimp, Scampi, Scallops (4 large),Squid
- Beef: Flank Steak, (extra-lean) Ground Beef, Rump Steak, Roast, Sirloin, Round, Tournedos, Tenderloin
- Veal: Breast, Cutlet, Inside Round Steak, Rib, Shank, Shoulder, Tenderloin
- Poultry: (skinless) Chicken, Fowl, Quails, Turkey, (2) Whole Eggs, Wild Birds,
- Pork: Fat-Free Cooked Ham, Pork Tenderloin,
- Other: Bison, Deer, Elk, Frog’s Legs, Kidney, Liver, Ostrich, Rabbit
Vegetables you can eat are:
Alfalfa, Asparagus, Arugula, Broccoli, Bean Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage (red, pak choi, bok choy), Celery, Celeriac, Chicory, Collards, Cress, Cucumbers, Dill Pickles, Endive, Fennel, Field Salad, Green Onions, Green Bell Peppers (cooked) , Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions (raw only), Hot Peppers, Radicchio, Radish, Rhubarb, Sauerkraut, Soya, Sorrel, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Turnip, Watercress, Zucchini
Occasional (You may choose two items only per week from this list): Brussels Sprouts, Beans (Green & Wax), Eggplant, Palm Hearts, Peppers (all colors other than green – cooked) Rutabaga, Snow Peas, Swede, Tomato
Not permitted: Artichoke, Avocado, Beets, Carrots, Chick Peas, Corn, Parsnips, Peas, (all) Potatoes, Pumpkin, Sweet Corn, Squash, Yams
Seasonings to use are:
Apple Cider Vinegar, Fine Herbs, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon, Lemon Grass, Hot Mustard, Hot Sauce, Soya Sauce, Spices (MSG Free/No Carbs), Tamari Sauce, White Vinegar- NO BALSAMIC or REDWINE VINEGAR!!
You also want to be sure to take a multivitamin, calcium and magnesium supplement, fish oil and use plenty of sea salt to keep your electrolytes in balance.
In Stage 2: You reduce the Ideal foods to 2 per day and continue the Ideal plan until you’ve reached 100% of your goal.
In Stage 3: For weight loss stabilization, you will re-introduce moderate amounts of fats and carbohydrates to your diet for 14 days. You only have 1 Ideal packet per day with 2 other regular meals.
In Stage 4: You continue to eat the way you have by this time learned to eat by choosing healthy foods and the right combinations of foods.
Here’s the Hack!
OK, now that you know what you can and can’t eat on the diet and how to do it at home, here’s the Ideal Protein Diet hack that let me lose 30 pounds and save over $1,000…
I didn’t buy my diet packs from the doctor and in fact, I didn’t buy Ideal Protein Diet packs at all.
Instead, I found a website, https://theproteinstore.com/collections/all, that sells the same type of diet packs but at a fraction of the cost. In fact, some of their packs cost as little as $1.14 per pack compared to $4 to $5 per pack for the Ideal Protein brand.
Amazing right! Same stuff, way, way lower price!
So, I followed the Ideal Protein Diet to the T but didn’t go in for weigh-ins or pay for doctor’s visits or spend four times as much for my food and I still lost 30 pounds.
In fact, so did my dad who went on the diet with me! And, he has not only never felt better but his doctor says that he has the best bloodwork he has ever seen for a man of his age. His diabetes and cholesterol are now under control and he is happy!
And, a little tip… To keep off the weight, I’ve found one saying that helps me more than anything else ever has:
“Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels.”
And, it’s so true.
If you’re having trouble losing weight post-baby or if you’ve just tried everything else and nothing works, try this Ideal Protein Diet hack to drop the pounds and save money too! I know you can do it.
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments below. I’m happy to help.
And as always, I wish you a strong family, optimal health and smart incomes.
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