It is getting dangerous at GI Associates with all of the pounds dropping off our beta group on our new weight loss program – Ideal Protein! So far our eight beta group members have lost close to 125 pounds in the last 3-4 weeks since starting the program. One of our nurses on the program has been taken off her blood pressure medicine. You can well imagine how thrilled she is!

We started with a small group of selected staff prior to rolling it out to the rest of our staff and patients. This enabled us to “test drive” the program. The beta group is thrilled with the program and their shrinking waist lines – even during the challenging holiday season.

The Ideal Protein has been around for about twenty-five years in France. It recently migrated to the United States a few years ago and is offered in select medical clinic settings. It was created by a medical doctor, Dr. Tran Tien Chanh, who studied under the renowned Dr. George Blackburn at Harvard. The deceased Dr. Atkins also studied under Dr. Blackburn who is the creator of the first wave of low carb diets.

The Ideal Protein program is initially a low carbohydrate diet but is much different from the Dr. Atkins diet. It is not an “all you can eat protein and fat” type diet. You will not find anyone on the Ideal Protein diet munching on pork rinds! It is a right amount and type of protein and fat-type diet.
The weight loss program consists of a four phase protocol. Weight loss is during the first two phases and maintenance during the last two phases. The diet has a beginning and an end. This is an important point as most weight loss programs leaves you “hanging” after you lose your weight. The last two phases of the diet gives you the knowledge and skills to keep the weight from returning.

During the program, specialty blended high-biological protein products which are low in fat are the cornerstone of the program. Ideal Protein’s line of superior quality products are manufactured in a special certified laboratory in accordance with Health Canada’s pharmaceutical and food standards. Strict controls to monitor the manufacturing process are in place and also follow the United States FDA regulations.

The program offers one-on-one meetings with specialty trained GIA staff. The medical director is Dr. Cindy Haden-Wright and has a dietitian overseeing the program àme! Leslie Overby is our Ideal Protein Coordinator and Coach à everyone will love here dynamic personality! We are offering two open houses a month for the public to find out about the program. The open houses are on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 3 PM in our 4th floor conference center in the same building as the Endoscopy Center. The first open house is planned for Tuesday, January 3rd so mark your calendar. Please check our GIA Website for upcoming information about this new great program and meeting times. In the meantime, wear your hard hat to protect yourself from all the falling pounds!