#ip pals

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

“Grow through what you go through.” -Unknown

“The surest way to lose your self-worth is by trying to find it through the eyes of others.” -Becca Lee

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” -J.K. Rowling

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel.” -Steve Furtick

“I am imperfect and yet my imperfections, like any great work of art, are what make me a masterpiece.” -Kelsey Silver

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” -Brene Brown

“The first step in crafting a life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” -Joshua Becker

Drinking the required 2+ liters of water can be a bit difficult for some of our dieters on Phase 1 of the Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method. With these hot, summer temps here in Connecticut, it is crucial that you stay hydrated... Plus, you need to drink all of that water on the program anyway to promote weight loss success.

So how do you do it? 

Infuse your water for a refreshing, new taste! Use lemons, limes, cucumbers, and fresh garden-picked mint leaves to change the flavor of your water.

Purchase the Nathan SuperShot 1.5 liter water bottle from Amazon. It’s reusable, of course, and comes with a side scale up to 50 oz to show how much you’ve had to drink. Top off the additional half liter afterwards.

Set your phone alarm on the hour every hour from the moment you wake up. Drink a glass (or more) when your alarm goes off to stay consistently hydrated throughout the day.

*Article first appeared in the April ed. of Ideal Connection by Ideal Protein.

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” -Teddy Roosevelt

“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” -Mandy Hale

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” -Margaret Drabble

“You must tell yourself, ‘no matter how hard it is ,or how hard it gets, I’m going to make it.’“ -Les Brown

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” -Thomas Carlyle

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. -Babe Ruth

“Being positive won’t guarantee you’ll succeed. But being negative will guarantee you won’t.” -Jon Gordon

“The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” -Vince Lombardi

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” -Les Brown

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” -Napolean Hill

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” -Amelia Eahart

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anythnig new.” -Albert Einstein

Ingredients:

1 maple or apple oatmeal mix (dry) 

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. Splenda (or stevia)

1/8 tsp. cinnamon 

3 T. liquid egg whites 

2 tsp. grapeseed or olive oil

¼ tsp. vanilla extract 

1 T. water 

Cooking spray 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Add the liquid ingredients; mix well with a spatula making sure to incorporate the olive or grape seed oil.

Drop 6 spoonfuls far apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Spray the back of the spoon with cooking spray and spread each cookie to the thickness of a thin mint.

Bake 12 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

Servings – 6 cookies = 1 unrestricted

TIP: When spreading the cookies with the back of the spoon, wipe clean from any batter and spray again for each cookie. This will make them much easier to spread.