What constitutes a "cheat"?
 

I read the important threads for newbies and came across "The Real Cost of Cheating." Great information, and it got me thinking.

I'm a rule-follower by nature, so IP appeals to me. I am struggling with what constitutes a cheat?

I mean, I know cheesecake and pizza are cheats. But what about 1 Tbsp. of fat free mayonnaise that has 30 cal., 0 fat, and 2 carbs. Is that a cheat or is that working the program?

Just looking for a little perspective, I guess...

I say not on sheet or 0/0/0 it's a cheat to me!

You have to know your body and how it reacts -- and it may take being on the program to tell. "Sugar free gum" has 1 g carb. Some people can chew gum with no impact. Others will find that the sugar alcohol in gum reacts the same as sugar and it will affect them. Two gum at a time, a few times a day would be a restricted if you didn't pay attention.
Even if something says 0/0/0 you can only have the prescribed amount because it might "round down" to 0, but if you double the amount, it would end up having carbs etc.

The best is to try to stick to the plan, as written, because you may not understand the "science" of the diet. I drank diet pop last summer (o/o/o) and then found out that this is a "alkaline" diet, and brown pop is very acidic -even if caffeine free-- (so is balsalmic vinegar) and so the acid throws things off. Wish I'd known LOL

So this is only my opinion, but I think anything that is not on IP protocol is considered a "cheat", that's why it says that if people are not losing not following protocol may be one of the reasons. Even if it's a small cheat it's still a cheat and not OP. obviously having that mayo doesn't compare to a slice of cheesecake, but eventually maybe having that little bit of mayo frequently could slow things down. Maybe others see it differently but that's how I interpret it :-)

Walden farms has a few mayos that are OP!

Have you tried Olive Oil miracle whip?? My coach said I can allow myself about 1 tbsp a day of that. I use it on my salads with olive oil and spices, SO good!

You can make your own mayo with IP approved ingredients (see Rainbow's recipes). She says it's delicious and very easy. I think this will be my weekend project.

I agree with Katkat.

I'll just echo what was said - if it's not on the sheet or meets the 0/0/0 rule it is not on plan.

MANY coaches have "tweaked" the program - and some have done so without fully understanding that there is science behind the structure and nutritional makeup of Phase 1.

Ideal Protein is designed to be an alkali diet, which is why it reduces inflammation in the digestive system. Some veggies that "appear" to be ok as unlimited or selected if you only look at the calorie counts will actually throw that balance off in too large quantities because they are acid producing.

IP also attempts to cut down on our intake of additives that make us fat or are just plain bad for our bodies. Kraft Fat free mayo contains Modified Food Starch (basically, empty calories) as one of the first five ingredients, which means there's a lot of it. Many "fat free" products contain hidden starches. Many products also contain aspartame, which is also just plain bad for you. By sticking to the sheet you are eating packaged foods that are designed to control/limit the amounts of sugars and starches we are taking in, and getting away from those empty fillers and such.

At the end of the day, yes we have to make this diet work for us. Some folks are more sensitive to higher carbs than others. Some can handle extras better than others. The best thing you can do is listen to your body if you DO choose to try something out of the box - but also be VERY aware that the diet is about a lot more than just the calories, carbs and fat on the nutrition label and take that into consideration too.

This diet reduces inflammation in the digestive system? This is very interesting to me..... Do you happen to know if this det is recommended for people with Chron's?

It does! The alkali balance plus the reduction of foods that are common culprits in digestive inflammation are great for IBS and Crohn's. It won't cure the conditions, but it helps!

Wow that's great. My sister has Chron's and is a big believer in a balanced diet to help with her condition. I think she believe's IP would be sooo bad for her. All the "fake" food does not appeal as well as not having dairy and whole grains. I would love to look up information supporting what you say. My dad did IP too and has diverticulitus, he did very well on it.

The whole grains may be aggravating her condition, I know a few people with Crohn's that have experienced a bit of a reduction in flare ups after switching to gluten free. The thing about IP is that it's NOT long term - but it does give your body a bit of a break. Sometimes inflammation is a vicious cycle and breaking that cycle actually gives the body a chance to rest and repair.

Thanks guys! I knew that things like tomatoes were inflammatory, but I didn't realize how it affected the digestive system.

My "coach" didn't really understand all the science that I am learning here from you guys, and it made it hard for me on the weeks that I'd loose no weight. She just kind of guessed, but really didn't know.

Thanks you all again. It was the small amount of perspective I needed to understand the bigger impact.

:yes: