The ideal protein diet is almost 25 years old and was created by Dr. Tran Tien Chanh, MD PhD, in France. While it was initially developed only for athletes to regulate their protein levels and accelerate the process of muscle building, soon it was transformed into one that could be followed by anyone. It has been medically devised, and is known to help lose fat from the body without the loss of muscle. More often than not, when following a diet, the opposite is the case. The body experiences muscle loss while the fat remains glued to the body. This is why this specific diet was designed, in order to ensure that you retain muscle for your body strength (by introducing proteins to the body), and lose fat (by eliminating fats and carbohydrates from the diet) that is the source of a lot of health problems. The ideal protein diet plan is available only through certified health care professionals at a particular cost. Here, we talk about the intricacies of this diet and the costs associated with it. A 4 Phase Process The ideal protein diet is carried out in four phases, while consuming foods specifically designed for this diet. Only under the care of a certified health care professional can you purchase these foods and follow this diet. These professionals also ensure that you do not face any health problems while on this diet (though it is not guaranteed), and will take into consideration any health problems you are already suffering from. Following are the four phases that are involved in this diet, along with the cost per phase. *Note that the costs mentioned here are solely per phase, and do not include registration fees or the costs incurred upon purchasing the necessary food (fruits, vegetables, etc.) suggested for the diet. The first phase of the ideal protein diet is meant to be followed until you lose about 70% - 90% of your weight, or achieve your weight loss goal up to this point. You are given a packet of ideal foods that is to form 3 of your meals every day. Your fourth meal will be a regular dinner, that follows the principles of a low-carb high-protein diet. Average Cost: US $85 per week The second phase of this diet is meant to be followed till you lose the remaining weight, or completely achieve your weight loss goal. In this phase you will have only 2 meals consisting of ideal foods, while the remainder of your 2 meals will be regular, based on a high protein low carb diet. Average Cost: US $60 per week This phase focuses on stabilizing your ideal weight. It revolves around slowly reintroducing carbohydrates and fats to your body. However, these nutrients may be consumed only in the morning, for a period of 14 days. You will consume 3 meals a day, where one will consist of ideal foods, while the remaining two will consist of fats and carbohydrates. Average Cost: US $30 per week The fourth phase focuses on maintaining your ideal weight. By the time you reach this phase, you will have learned how to choose the right kind of food for your meals, how to eat healthy, and avoid unnecessary fattening foods. This will help you maintain your weight. You will be required to communicate with your health care professional through all these phases, including the last phase, to ensure that you are following the right path to maintain your weight. The basic principle behind this diet is to eliminate simple and complex carbohydrates from your diet, that are believed to hinder healthy weight loss. As such, this high protein diet enables healthy weight loss that targets fat and not muscle in the body. Reviews Most reviews of the ideal protein diet have been positive. Though at the start of the diet people have experienced some symptoms of sugar withdrawal, it is only from the fourth day onwards that they start experiencing the benefits of this diet plan, such as increased energy. The good thing about the diet plan is that its instant meal packets eliminate the need to make complicated recipes with ingredients that are not so easily available. Further, under the guidance of a health care professional, who also provides numerous recipes for your regular meals, it is difficult to go wrong. On the negative side, nutritionists believe that this diet may be anything but 'ideal'. This is because the lack of carbohydrates in the body upon following this diet results in the depletion of glycogen reserves, which in turn results in fatigue and an imbalance in insulin production. Following phase 1 of this diet, the duration of which may be extremely long for people who are severely obese may result in long-term nutritional deficiencies. It may induce ketosis where excess nitrogen is released in the body, forcing the kidneys to work harder in order to prevent dehydration. This means you may well put off the pounds, but you may also be at the risk of inheriting other health problems. If and when you decide to follow the ideal protein diet, the certified health care professional you consult will explain to you whether or not this weight loss diet will be beneficial for you. This will be done after taking into account your weight, the amount of weight you need to lose, and your overall health. Once the suitability of this diet is determined for you, you can then start off on the path to healthy weight loss, and then maintain your ideal weight. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, intend to replace the advice of an expert.