*Interview with Lisa Shaker- 1st U.S. Ideal Protein user and clinic owner
What are some of the biggest challenges people face on Ideal Protein? What are issues that come up for people? Why is it so important that people have to stay on protocol no matter what?
- Issue #1: Not having a plan
- Have a plan because life happens
- Travel with Ideal Protein; always have food, salad dressing, etc.
- You are on a mission, stay focused
- Stay on mission in social settings
- Set the tone for the event/weekend by choosing protocol drinks vs. alcohol
- Think of the long term and don’t make excuses
- Issue #2: Not thinking of the larger, long term picture
- Stay on protocol, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN
- Don’t think of it as a diet, but a method, your lifestyle
- Don’t be a scalewatcher, it will vary so much in one week
- Women will be down 7-9 lbs a month, every pound you lose is 4000 cal
- Men are down 12-20 lbs a month, don’t compare yourself to men
- It’s good every time you lose a pound- if you can do better, do better
- Drink more water
- Watch how much you eat out
- Issue #3: Being too busy
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- Plan ahead
- Use the crock pot, instant pot or air fryer
- Food prep- prep veggies and hard boiled eggs
Regarding Phase 1 protocol, what are things that get in the way of weight loss?
- Sometimes it’s not what you ARE doing, it may be what you ARE NOT doing
- Getting sloppy in your measurements
- If you are insulin resistant, the little things can get you
- Consuming little extras or cheats
- No to BLT’s (Bite of this, Lick of this, Taste of that)- You can gain an extra 30-50 carbs a week causing you to not lose much or to lose nothing
- Watch for hidden sugars in things
- Be careful at fast food restaurants- meats are often marinated in sugar
- Limit yourself to 3-5 extras a day
How do you handle sickness on protocol?
- Don’t get cough syrups or cough drops since they have added sugar in them
- Have protein, soup, bone broth, and veggies. Do your best to stay on protocol.
- If you want to, you can- no excuses
What do you do when people just want to exercise?
- Yes we need to move, yes our muscles need to be oxygenated, but we need to restrict our exercise while in Phase 1
- 1st 3 weeks there should be very little to no exercise
- After the 1st 3 weeks, you can do some, but not major workouts.
- If you are consuming less than 50 carbs a day (which you are in Phase 1), you will not have enough “juice in your tank” to run that “half marathon,” your body will steal your muscle, called gluconeogenesis.
- You are encouraged to do yoga, walk, take a leisurely bike ride, even low impact zumba is ok
- If you aren’t losing weight it might be the extra exercise holding you back
- If you want to exercise at a higher level, you need to ask your coach about the alternative protocol. The alternative protocol is overall slower in weight loss, but will allow you to exercise
Inches vs. numbers: what is important?
- Ask your coach to measure you weekly
- Inches lost are very important and does not always show up on the scale
- Your body holding on to muscles and losing fat is the key
How important is accountability and having a relationship with your coach?
- Establishing a good relationship with your coach is very important
- If you gain weight your coach is there to help you. Know that shame leads to self-loathing and self-loathing leads to binging.
- Keep contact with your coach once maintenance starts
- Keep weighing every week for first month
- Next three months, weigh in every other week
- Meet with your coach once a month for 9 more months to finish the year
What is the key to getting a solid support system with friends and family?
- Write your “why” statement down, put it in your face in visible places
- Your definition of “why” needs to be very strong
Why do we have to do protocol 100%, why can’t we do it 90%?
- Protocol is protocol for a reason
- Make sure your “reward” isn’t actually a punishment (binging, etc.)
- Being on a diet is hard, but being fat, unhealthy, unhappy, that’s hard too. Which hard are you willing to do?
What are some final key takeaways?
- If you want to, you can
- Be connected to your coach
- Don’t let the naysayers bring you down
- Stay true to yourself, you will be rewarded with better