New recipe

Hey, I just added another great salad dressing recipe from one of our dieters! Check it out! Also, just a reminder that we now carry Walden Farms dressings and other condiments at the office. Now you can get BBQ sauce, peanut butter, ketchup and 9 different variety of dressings all approved to be used on the Ideal Protein diet plan!

Progress, Progress

It has been awhile since I have actually posted an update on our personal progress on Ideal Protein. We are doing very well. Sam is down 27 pounds and on Phase 4 (maintenance) of Ideal Protein. I am keeping myself on Phase 2 simply because I keep thinking that I want to lose just a few more pounds. I am officially down 17 pounds from when I started - which I am thrilled with since we have had a couple of vacations that included tremendous amounts of eating. I do have to admit, that it was easier for me to stay motivated when I didn't cheat at all. When I got back from vacation and lost the weight from vacation so easily, I then would give myself permission to cheat more frequently thinking that it wouldn't affect me much. It didn't - and then I would cheat again. Of course, I was only cheating myself because eventually it does catch up with you. Now I am committed to doing it the right way and continuing on through all phases, so that when I do "cheat", it won't really be cheating at all - it will be just part of the plan. The biggest thing that I notice when I am staying true to the protocol is how I feel. I am not bloated, tired, or over-full. I feel healthier, stronger and better about the choices that I am making.

Check out some new recipes

I have added another main dish recipe and one for a yummy cucumber salad. Check it out! The key to keeping any diet is to not get bored with our food. Don't be afraid to try new things! Also, if you have found some great recipe that you would like to share, please let me know so that we can post it! Thanks!

Ideal Protein - after a cruise!

Well, it has been far too long since I have written. This has been because first of all, my husband and I were on maintenance, and nothing too exciting was going on. Then we were gone for a week on a cruise. Well, that was very exciting and a lot of fun. You are probably wondering how we did with our weight while on a cruise - so let me tell you. First of all, I am one who believes that vacation is truly a time to relax and enjoy. Well, we sure did. We enjoyed the sun, the water and the food. We ate until we actually got sick of eating. We knew that this would happen, and the week before our cruise we put ourselves on Phase 1 of Ideal Protein. We each gained about 10 pounds on the cruise, (most of which was just waste sitting in our intestines - lovely thought!) and when we came home we were back on another week of Phase 1. Well, in about 4 days we had already lost almost all of the "cruise weight" that we had gained. I love this plan! I love that we lose fat, but also that we are re-setting our pancreas! Ideal Protein is such a great plan with great results! We are having a special open house/meeting at Highland Chiropractic Clinic on June 15 at 6:30 pm for anyone who is interested in learning about Ideal Protein, what it does and how to do the protocol. The meeting is absolutely free and everyone is welcome! Come and join us!

Week 6

This was another week of success for me. I have consistently been losing inches, but it doesn't always show up on the scale for me. This week it finally did show on the scale and I have now lost a total of 16 pounds. Sam lost again and is at a total loss of 20 pounds. We had some slip ups over Easter, but were able to get back on track on Monday. We have also attended an Ideal Protein training and know a lot more about what we are doing and why. This is truly a great program.
Good idea: Trying not to have your nightly snack later than 8pm.
Bad idea: Eating breakfast too late in the morning. Ideally you should eat within an hour of getting up.

Week 5

Another great week - but not much change for me. Sam lost a few more pounds, and I maintained, which is great. I keep plugging away and am getting ready for the next phase of the program.
Good idea: Adding bean sprouts to sautee'd veggies. They add a crunch and yummy flavor.
Bad idea: Not paying attention to ingredients listed on spices. Some of the McCormick spices have sugar added to them, and you should not use them. This includes my favorite - Mesquite. Bummer...

Week 4 - or Weak 4...:)

Ok, this was a tough week for me, but great for Sam. I totally cheated and had a Diet Coke. Bad I know, but haven't had one for 6 days again. At the end of the week, I am still at the same weight which totally bums me out, but I have lost inches, especially around my waist and bum. Sam has lost 3 more pounds which puts him down to 19 pounds lost. We have started working out a lot more this past week, which may be my problem because I have done a lot of weight lifting, but still - don't you think that I would at least lose a little? This could just be my body, or it could be that I totally cheated last Saturday, not only with Diet Coke but some other bad food as well. Oh well, this week is another week. I am really happy because on April 6th, a representative from Ideal Protein is coming to my husband's office to train us on Ideal Protein. We are going to be carrying it in the office and so we need to learn all about it. We have the experience with it now, but we also need a lot more knowledge and understanding. If any of you are interested in attending the training, just let me know! Now, I thought that I would add a new piece to this blog called: Good idea - Bad idea. These are things that I have tried that worked out great, and others...not so much. So here goes:
GOOD IDEA: Crystal Light drink mix. It is 0 calorie, 0 fat, 0 sugar and 0 carbs so we can drink it and it is a really nice change from water and gives you a little different flavor throughout the day.
BAD IDEA: Well, I tried to take turnips, boil them and them mash them like potatoes. I added spices and stuff and thought that they would be a nice change. Yeah, don't do this. They are gross! I put them on my kids plate and acted like they were mashed potatoes. After one bite, and several gags later, we told them that they didn't need to eat the rest. I couldn't choke mine down either.

Week 3

Ok, well this week has been much better on the scales. I have learned that many things can come into play that affect weight loss - hormones, stress, exercise and being a woman at a certain time of the month. Men are so lucky sometimes. Also, I do take into consideration that I only wanted to lose 10-15 pounds and Sam only wanted to lose 15-20. So, basically, we shouldn't be so greedy and expect a 9 or 11 pound weight loss each week. So, at the end of week 3 here are our totals: Sam has lost 16 pounds and I have lost 12! Yee haw!!!

Week 2

This week seemed to go fairly well. The food was good, we tried some new recipes, and began exercising. We felt really good about our progress, but it didn't really show up on the scale at the end of the week. I have to admit I felt so depressed because I hadn't changed at all, and Sam had only lost 2 more pounds. Overall, I realized that our weight loss the week before had been incredible, and that every week could not be like that - so we should just hang in there. No matter what the scale says I can't deny that my clothes fit better, I feel healthier and I haven't had a Diet Coke since my 2nd day on the plan. Miracles can happen!!!

Week 1

I was very nervous to start this program because I love Diet Coke, chewy sweet tarts and all things chocolate. I was worried about being able to do this, but Sam had no fears. We were told that during the first couple of days we may experience some fatigue, headaches and even a little nausea. Sam had absolutely no problems at all. I of course, did not get off that easy. I did feel a little sick to my stomach for the first couple of days. I had been exposed to the flu, so I honestly didn't know if it was the flu, or my response to a diet free from sugar, fat and my beloved Diet Coke. So, I have to admit, I did cheat a little and had some Diet Coke and pretzels to try and settle my stomach. Basically, by the end of the 2nd day, I was feeling better and committed to stay on the program. For the rest of the week I was good, and was not hungry at all. I was amazed at how easy it was, and even more impressed at the results. On the average, women are supposed to lose 3-4 pounds a week, and men are supposed to lose 5-7 pounds. So, at the end of week 1, Sam was down 11 pounds and I had lost 9! Incredible! It was at this point that we decided that we were going to keep going - not only because of the results, but because we felt better, had more energy and it was not nearly as hard as we thought it would be...

Our journey so far...

Sam (Dr. Adams) and I (Juli) have been on the "Ideal Protein" program for three weeks now. Initially we heard about the program from our friends the Skaggs. Scott Skaggs is a chiropractor in Pleasant View and we have been friends with Scott and his wife Kadee ever since 1994 where we met in Iowa attending Palmer College of Chiropractic. They were the first to share with us the great results they were having with "Ideal Protein", so we thought that we would give it a try. In the beginning, we thought that we would just try the program for 1 week, but our results were so amazing and we felt so great, that we are still going strong. We wanted to share our experience with you - but don't expect any "before" pictures. We aren't quite that brave!