Dilly Dip--This Won't Sabotage Your Diet

This dip is great with veggies. It's also great with ridge potato chips. My husband likes it better than the dill dip in the store. I love it because it is not as heavy as other dips and I don't feel guilty.2 cups fat free sour cream

1 T. dried dill weed

1/2-1 teaspoon salt (Redmonds Real Salt is best)

1/4-1/2 teas. black pepper

1/4 c. dehydrated onions

1/2-1 T. onion powder



Mix and let sit an hour to mix flavors.

Veggie Salad--My Secret Party Weapon

Veggie Salad--My Secret Party Weapon

I take this salad to almost every party I go to whether I am on Phase 1 of the diet or not. It's colorful, filling, and tastes great. I fill up on it and then I don't overeat more fattening foods. My extended family requests is at all our family parties. The cilantro, lime and garlic dressing give it a great zip. When you are off Phase 1or 2 of the diet add a can of black beans and a cob of corn.
1-2 green pepper (julliened)

1-2 cucumber (sliced in circles)

1-2 zuchinni (matchstick)

2-3 tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 red onion

1/4 c. cilantro

2-3 limes

2-3 T olive oil

1 t. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2-3 garlic cloves.

Mix lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour on veggies.

Mashed "Potatoes" that Won't Raise Your Blood Sugar

Many people don't realize that potatoes have a high glycemic level. The glycemic index, glycaemic index, or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the blood stream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. Potatoes have as high of GI as white sugar and white bread. This recipe is good for Phase One dieters as well as anyone with blood sugar issues.


1 head of fresh cauliflower
Onion powder
Garlic powder
REALSALT (Sea salt), to taste
1 packet of Ideal Protein Leek soup or Ideal Protein Chicken soup
Optional: Wasabi Powder (to taste – gives it a zing!)
Optional: 1-2 tsp. or Olive Oil
Steam (preferred) or boil the cauliflower until it is very, very soft. Drain the water (if boiled). Add the seasonings (be creative) and add ••• -1 packet of any of the soup mixes (to taste). Add olive oil and mash well - serve steaming hot

My favorites are Kit Kats and Snickers. Six Easy ways to Enjoy the Holidays w/o gaining weight.

The holidays are upon us. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas can be a challenge. I can eat a lot of those little mini candy bars 2 weeks before and after Halloween. Then I can move on to treating myself to parties. If I’m not careful the “holidays” can end up being three months rather than 3 days.
How do you enjoy the holidays without gaining ten lbs? Here are some tips that help me.
Enjoy your favorite candy bars—then give them away. Sometimes the big packages of candy or snacks aren’t the best deal if you eat them. Get a small bag and enjoy it.
Eat before you go to a party. I keep around a batch of soup that I snack on. If you drink a hot soup before you go somewhere it keeps you from overeating. Albertson’s has those canned boullions on for .39 cents a can until Tuesday. I bought a case and is makes really easy soups.
Bring a healthy salad to the party and load up on that before you eat other things. I bring a vegetable salad that people love. My salad is usually the first dish to go. I have posted it on my blog at losingweightwithidealprotein.blogspot.com.
Chew gum while you are preparing food. I taste while I’m preparing foods. If I chew gum I am less likely to eat while I am in the kitchen.
Keep good snacks around. I make sure we have raw almonds and cranberries, string cheese, jerky, plain nonfat yogurt and berries, cottage cheese with fruit or tomatoes, coleslaw or brocolli slaw with nuts and meat, or apples. If you have good snacks it helps you from being hungry. These are all good snacks, but the Ideal Protein bars, pudding, or drinks really satisfy you and can act as a meal replacement. You can have them in your car for those hectic days that you can get really stupid.
Enjoy your cheat day. Just go on Phase One for one day after a cheat day. This is the key principle of the maintenance afterwards. If you don’t have insulin in your system the next day the body doesn’t store all those carbs into fat. You can go on Phase One with or without the product. However, it’s a lot easier to go on Phase One if you have product around. I think part of it is the mental factor. I think the other part is having absorbable protein and so few carbs just cuts your appetite.

Veggie Salad--Take This to Your Next Party

Veggie Salad

Great for picnics, potlucks, and reunions. Everybody wants what you are eating.It's colorful, filling and tastes great. The cilantro, lime and garlic dressing give it a great zip. When you are off the diet add a can of black beans and a cob of corn.

1-2 green pepper (julliened)

1-2 cucumber (sliced in circles)

1-2 zuchinni (matchstick)

2-3 tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 red onion

1/4 c. cilantro

2-3 limes

2-3 Tolive oil

1 t. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2-3 garlic cloves.

Mix lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour on veggies.

Fajita's--Phase 1

This meat is incredibly tasty. I like to marinade it all day but you can do it right before. If you are on Phase 1 or 2 just skip the bean and tortillas and have the meat on lettuce with pico de gallo.

Marinade

2-3 T of prepared garlic

1/2+ c. lime juice

1/4-1/2 c. cilantro

dash of liquid smoke.

1/4 c. olive oil

1 t. kosher salt or Redmond Real Salt

Put in a gallon zip lock bag and add

Carne Asada (I get it precut at Winco)


Cook on hot pan on stove. Spread liberally with kosher salt. Cut meat crosswise on grain.

Kevin's Big Catch 40 lbs in 60 days

I was scared to death when I found out my cholesterol was 400 and triglycerides were 900. I was only in my 40’s. “I want to live,” I thought. I knew I had to take control of my health myself.

I couldn’t sleep that night because I knew what the tests meant. I went on a low fat diet ten years ago and my cholesterol dropped to 215 and triglycerides to 150 with medication. However, I still couldn’t lose the weight. I knew I was a candidate for diabetes because both of my grandparents got it in their 50’s. I also wanted to get off my medication. (My calf muscles separated twice because of my statin drugs.)

I felt like a slug on the couch and I wanted my energy back. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but had to do something. I visited some old friends and was shocked with all the weight they lost. They told me about this program and I knew they had the tools that would work for me. They referred my to Dr. Gray. I lost 40 lbs in 60 days.

The diet is so doable. I feel anyone can do it if they want to. The coaching was critical because I had questions throughout the program. I was able to get off my statins and cholesterol drugs. My cholesterol is now 140 and triglycerides are 48 without meds.

I have saved so much money. I no longer spend $300 a quarter for the rest of my life for my cholesterol meds.

Dr. Gray also helped me with my knee pain and neck pain. I can sleep at night without medication. I was skeptical at first going to him for my knee because I thought he just did backs. I’m glad I found out.

The best part of the program is how I feel. I’m joining a gym and I like exercising now. It’s so much more enjoyable without the extra weight. I feel great and I know I have taken control of my health. I know I have the tools to keep it off the rest of my life.

Kevin, 53, Boise

Husband, father, young grandfather, IBM Service Engineer.

I Rolled My Eyes When They Said I Could Lose 3 lbs a Week. I Cried When I Lost 19 Lbs in a Month

My name is Heather Gray. I’m 42 years old. I’ve have struggled with my weight after having my five children. Each time I had another child I’d add 7-8 lbs more. I tried everything to get the weight off. “Eating right”, buying all sorts of cookbooks, ordering exercise tapes, going to the gym, Weight Watchers, Isagenix, Medifast, and starving myself. If worked really hard, I might get 1/2 to 1lb a week. I lost 20 lbs in 6 months on one program. I diligently counted points and attended weekly meetings. I was so proud of myself--but I seemed to plateau and I got discouraged.

I thought, “I guess this is how I’m going to be.” I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror and I wasn’t happy. I asked, “Why can some people lose weight and I can’t.” Defeated, I gave away some of my skinny clothes thinking I was beyond hope of getting back to where I was. I came up with a lot of excuses for my weight. “I’ve had 5 kids. I’m 42. You just can’t lose it after a certain point. I have thyroid problems. I’m at risk for diabetes--that makes it tougher. My busy schedule. I’m tired. It’s hard to fit everything in. People will have to accept me for who I am. I have to accept myself.” All of those excuses were true, but it didn’t change the fact that I needed to lose weight.

My husband, Dr. Jon Gray, ordered some blood work on me and found out that my triglycerides were 300 (very bad--high risk for stroke and heart disease). I was also insulin resistant and headed for diabetes. That’s not good. I was going to be like a lot of Americans--on a lot of drugs and still have the same problems.

Someone approached my husband about introducing another medical diet into our office. We had been through that before and had gotten mediocre results. We only introduce programs and products into our office if we try them ourselves first. He said, “Heather, this makes sense. I think this is going to work.”

I rolled my eyes and made fun of the model on the front cover, but I said I would try it. I lost 6 lbs my first week and 19 lbs my first month. Not only that, it came off in the right places. After the first week I had increased energy and didn’t have the exhaustion late in the afternoon. I didn’t have the cravings for sweets and breads like I used to. I was finally getting off the blood sugar roller coaster. My triglycerides dropped to 167. I started feeling more control of my life. I lost 40 lbs in 3 months and 31 inches. I went from a size 16 to a size 10. (I even had to give away some of my “thin” clothes because they were too big.) I got back to the weight I was in college. I felt so empowered. I was finally the person in the mirror I remembered.

The best part is I am helping other people get similar results as myself.

How Does Ideal Protein Program Work?

The body has three sources of energy--carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. It burns carbohydrates first for energy. Once the body has depleted its carbohydrate reserves, it will simultaneously draw on its protein and fat reserves for energy. Ideal Protein gives your body the protein it needs so your muscles are protected. (Many other diets do not have adequate protein so you lose your muscle which decreases your metabolism. This is a primary reason for the "yo-yo" dieting effect.) Your body is able to draw on your fat reserves through a natural body process called ketosis. Since your body is not producing a lot of insulin, your pancreas has a chance to heal and become less insulin resistant. (This is much like turning your overheated car off and letting it cool down.) When you reach your goal we instruct you how to reintroduce more calories and carbs so your weight stabilizes. You are able to lose 3-7 lbs a week without the side effects of drugs, hormones, or surgery.

96% of Pre-Diabetics Don't Know They Have It. Do you?

The Two-Minute Diabetes Q&A
Uncontrolled diabetes doubles your risk of heat disease and shortens life by 10-15 years. Here’s how to know if you're headed for trouble.

Shockingly often, doctors miss opportunities to test people at high risk for diabetes. The result: according to a Centers for Disease Control survey, just 4 percent of people with pre-diabetes have been told by their doctors that they have the condition. And another 5.7 million are living with undiagnosed diabetes.

So grab a pencil--this self-check is easy,but it can find nine out of ten people at risk for dangerous blood sugar problems.

HOME CHECK Circle your answers, then add up the points.

1.How old are you? (Under 40: 0 points; 40-49 1; 50-59: 2; 60 or older: 3)
2.Are you a woman (0) or man (1)?
3.Does a family member (parent, brother, or sister) have diabetes? (No: 0; yes: 1)
4.Do you have high blood pressure or are you on medication for high blood pressure? (No: 0; yes: 1)
5.Are you overweight or obese? (Normal weight: 0; overweight: 1; obese: 2; extremely obese: 3)
6.Are you physically active? (No: 0; yes -1)

YOUR NEXT STEP If your total score is 4 or higher, there’s a good chance you have prediabetes. If it’s 5 or higher, you’re at high risk for diabetes. Weight loss is the most effective preventative treatment. Many of our patients have great success controlling their blood sugars.

This One Minute Test Could Save Your Life

Measure your Middle
With an oversize waist, your risk of an early death shoots up--even if you aren’t overweight.
A bulging middle is a signal that you have lots of visceral fat, the thick, yellow fat deep in the abdomen that pumps fatty acids, appetite-stimulating hormones, and inflammation-fueling chemicals into the blood stream.
In a recent study of 360,000 people from nine European countries, big waistlines predicted disaster even for people who weren’t overweight--increasing the risk of premature death 79 percent for women and doubling it for men. A big middle is particularly hard on the heart, tripling the risk for fatal heart disease in a Harvard School of Public Health study of 44,636 women.

Even so, experts say doctors frequently fail to measure the waists of normal-weight patients--which means they’re likely to be missing “ab fat” in these otherwise slender patients.

HOME CHECK Bare your torso and stand in front of the mirror. Circle your waist with a tape measure, then move it down until the bottom of the table rests at the top of your hip bones. This is the position recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Don’t hold your breath or cinch the tape too tight. Write down the number.
YOUR NEXT STEP For men, risk for diabetes and heart disease begins to rise with a reading of 37 inches; a measurement of 40 inches and up is considered high risk. For women, 32 inches is the danger threshold, and 35 inches is high-risk terrain. Best ways to shrink visceral fat? Exercise and a Mediterranean-style diet (plenty of produce, grains, fish, and monounsaturated fat from olive oil and nuts). Because visceral fat is more metabolically active than fat on your hips or elsewhere, its actually apt to come off relatively fast as you start to lose weight.
Reader’s Digest, July 2010, 136

I Lost the Weight. Now What? 7 Easy Snacks

When our patients go on the Maintenance Phase(Phase 4), they often ask "Now what?" When they are on Phase 1 of the diet they realize the importance of eating regularly and balancing their protein and carbs. Food choices are outlined specifically. Once they are in Phase 4 the diet isn't as specific and there is more leeway. Sometimes "snacks" can turn into mini-meals of 400-500 calories with lots of fats and carbs.

Here are a few quick snacks that you can have around all the time and help balance your blood sugar and help you stay satisfied. They are between 100-150 calories.
1.carrots and hummus
2.cottage cheese and fruit
3.apples and peanut butter
4.non fat Greek yogurt with berries (Winco started carrying a great Greek yogurt)
5.Turkey or ham with mustard
6.string cheese
7.small bowl of whole grain cereal
8. Ideal Protein bar, drink, pudding, or soup

My Weight Loss Stalled. What could be causing it?

Sometimes your weight loss might stall on the program. Be sure to write down what you eat on your weekly summary sheet so we can track down the problem. This diet is based on natural laws. When your body goes into ketosis it naturally turns your fat into energy. If you go above 25 carbs a day it could throw you out of ketosis which will slow your progress. It takes 3-4 days to get back into it. Here is a checklist to identify any problems.
Intentional or Unintentional Deviations from the Program (Cheats)
• Consuming more than one restricted food per day.
• Skipping a meal. (Probably one of the most common reasons I see in my patients. I know--weird. But if you don't eat enough your body won't let you use weight.)
• Not consuming required amount of vegetables.
• Consuming too many vegetables that are high on the glycemic index.
• Salad dressing with hidden sugars.
• Hidden carbs--breath mints, cough drops, sugarless gum, flavored waters.
• Consuming food that are not allowed during the protocol (Non Phase 1 or 2 foods.)
• Weighing the same time and day of week

Pre or Peri-Menopausal Women
You will retain water during menstruation. Your weight loss will show up the next week.

Constipation
If you don't have a bowel movement every day your weigh-in might not be accurate. Be sure to eat your vegetables and take your supplements.

Muscle Gain Vs. Fat Loss
Your body is reshaping, the scale may not identify this but your measurements and clothes will! I lost 19 lbs my first month but didn't lose much for 2-3 weeks after. However I doubled my inches lost.

25 Things our Patients Love About Losing Weight

25 Things Our Patients Love About Losing Weight
We asked our patients what they like most about losing weight. Here are some of their answers. Please add more comments.
•I have had diabetes for 28 years. I used to spike up to 190 and drop as low as 48. After being on Ideal Protein I got off my diabetic medication and I have stayed below 120. I haven’t had any lows. My sugar is stable.
•I decided as long as I was losing weight I would take control of my life and quit smoking. I haven’t had any cravings for cigarettes.
•I don’t have to keep rearranging my clothes.
•I can cross my legs.
•I am diabetic. My husband died of diabetes at age 61. I’m very careful because I don’t want the side effects my husband had. (He was on dialysis.) Before this diet I would wake up and my sugar would be between 110-163. After a week on Ideal Protein my sugar has been between 83 and 96. I haven’t gotten above 100 the whole week I have been on Ideal Protein.
•I plan to get off most of my eight medications by dropping this weight.
•I can measure my waist without guessing where it is.
•I have a waist.
•I looked at a recent picture of me and I didn’t see a double chin.
•I can wear a skirt and not feel embarrassed because my knees aren’t fat anymore.
•I can tuck in my shirt.
•I have a whole “new” wardrobe because I can now wear the clothes I had grown out of before.
•I can wear jeans. I can zip them up without my belly getting caught in the zipper.
•I was running through the store to get an item before the cashier checked my groceries. I didn’t feel that “Ka-chugga, Ka-chugga” feeling from my fat bouncing up and down.
•I have been taking Zantex for acid reflux morning and night for three years. After one week on Ideal Protein I quit taking it. The acid reflux is gone.
•I don’t feel like a sausage in my pants.
•I like the compliments my family gives me. They are really concerned about my health and they can see the positive changes.
•I love the feeling. I have more energy.
•I have more clothes that I can fit into.
•I feel like I can do other hard things in my life that I didn’t think were possible.
•My hose don’t slide down my belly and cut off circulation.
•I want to eat healthier because I feel so much better.
•My pants don’t give me wedgies anymore because they are too tight.
•My kids don’t come up and tell me, “Mommy, why is your bum on your front?”
•People don’t wonder if I’m pregnant again.
•I wear other colors besides black now.

Nose Bleed while on Ideal Protein

A man in his 50's came into today. He has been on the program 2 weeks and has lost 13 lbs. He asked about getting nose bleeds. It turns out he has cholesterol problems has been on medication and supplements to lower his levels. By being on Ideal Protein he has reduced the fat and cholesterol thinning his . He had to recommend reducing the supplement he has been taking. When he came in the next week he didn't have any more problems with nose bleeds.

One of the great "side effects" of being on Ideal Protein is our patients lower their tryglycerides and cholesterol. They have to reduce their medication. Many of our patients get off statins, tryglyceride medication, and diabetic meds. Patients need to consult their doctor after losing 15-20 lbs to reevaluate their test to reduce medication.

Nina, here you go. My first blog for Ideal Protein Dieters.

I have been coaching Ideal Protein dieters since August 2009 in our chiropractic practice. One of the challenges I have is seeing so much success and being able to share with others so they can succeed also. Newsletters take time to write and also have a lot of cost. Dieters want help and support. I don't have a lot of time between five kids, helping my husband with his chiropractic business, volunteering at school, and coaching dieters.

This will be a great way to share with you things that I have found that work and shares dieters' successes, setbacks, and how they overcame their problems.

My friend Nina wanted me to do a blog. I had to blush because even though I am a writer, I have not spent anytime with this medium. I've gotten behind on my technology. I finally did it this morning because I woke up early and figured out how to do it.

I'm excited because now I can share what we are doing in our office. I am so proud of how far my patients have come.