IP Program - How many keep the weight off for good?
 

I've been catching up on old IP threads & it gives me the impression that many people have a difficult time sustaining their goal weight upon completing the IP program, gain some (if not all) of the weight back, and eventually come back to IP and back to Phase 1 to lose the weight again.

So how is IP any different from WW or any other diet if former clients come back again due to gaining weight back?

Not judging...just curious!

I have no idea about the answer to this question as it pertains to a broad spectrum of IP dieters over the long term; but I think everyone struggles with weight gain after dieting, no matter what diet you use to lose.

One thing that I have noticed in the short amount of time that I have been on IP, is I have developed a LOVE/INTEREST in frozen, organic broccoli and rainbow peppers. OMG, they are so good mixed together! And I have hated vegetables my whole life. I think that this one change alone to my day to day diet might help me keep weight off (or at least my weight down) moving ahead.

Also I think that the IP diet has altered my "relationship" with sugar and carbs -- however I have no idea if this latter change will stick long term. I think that deep down I am a "carb addict", so I am guessing my efforts to keep my weight down will be a life long struggle -- and something I will have to expend time and energy focusing on for the rest of my life.

I know for me that I can't think of dieting as just a short term thing I do to reach a goal ... and then go back to my "normal" way of eating. That sort of short-term mindset just doesn't work for me.

Wow - look at you go Avalon! Outstanding progress!

I know for me, IP is changing my way of thinking about food. While losing weight and having these very clear guidelines on what I can and can't eat, it's given me time to learn more about my relationship with food, what my triggers are and how I want to eat for the rest of my life to stay healthy and at a good weight.

I notice many people who come back to reboot went back to old eating habits which got them overweight in the first place. I admire those coming back because they recognized what they were doing to themselves and are determined to get back on track.

As with any program, if you don't take the time to learn healthy eating habits and nurture them before phasing off you'll end up back where you started.

It's amazing to me that I have learned I can live without a lot of foods and be perfectly happy and satisfied doing so. Will I never eat them again? Probably not, but certainly not as a staple.

My boss lost 120 pounds last year and has maintained with a few ups and downs. But he recognizes when he starts going up and jumps right back to P1 before it gets out of control. He really tries to stick to the maintenance plan but has identified foods which cause him to eat a lot more than he should. It's a balancing act and always will be.

And I'm with Avalon - thinking of IP as a short term process doesn't work for me. This is a lifestyle change to keep myself healthier and slimmer forever.

The people who keep weight off long-term are folks who made huge lifestyle changes. This is why I committed to no-cheat IP P1 from the beginning. I knew I needed a break from a very bad relationship with food.

I have no illusions that I'm cured from certain eating behaviors for the long term ( even people who have WL surgery struggle).

If you read the statistics for permanent weight loss, they are dismal, no matter what the plan. One of our maintainers shares books she reads and the National weight loss registry reports the small fraction of folks who keep it off have made permanent changes.

So, does IP work to get the weight off? Yes! And very quickly. But it the fault of NO diet if the person reducing weight gains it back. It is the behavior of the person causing the regain. I chose IP because of the ongoing maintenance support. I knew it would be essential to have accountability in maintenance.

I see many people come and go (and return) from these boards but the folks who stick with the maintainer thread seems to be doing very well. A small percentage stay after getting to goal. Maintenance is HARDER than weight loss. Most people don't want to hear that but old patterns die hard. To maintain will require constant vigilance

I see people say they're taking a break from IP because they're tired of the restrictive plan. I figure maintenance is restrictive too (compared to what I did before) so I might as well get used to it!

Good answer.
Good guidance for all of us.

I lost a bit over 100 pounds a year ago on IP and have kept most of it off. I go up and down from gaining 5 to 15 pounds from my goal weight. I have gone back to Phase 1 a couple times over the year and am just having a difficult time balancing my eating. I stay active, but just feel lost when it comes to a balanced diet. I have found that I am an all or nothing kind of person. I am either 100% strict or just totally go off! I am trying to moderate, but sometimes I think it's better for me to not even have carbs otherwise I will have way too much!
Being overweight most of my life, I know it will be a constant struggle and/or conscious effort for the rest of my life. I am happy to have the safety net of IP to fall back on, but know I need more information on what type and how many carbs I should have to maintain. I am good and gaining and losing weight, but am still learning how to maintain.
I have been THINKING about calling a nutritionist/dietician for the last 3 months, and know that I just need to DO IT!!

This is the sentiment that I expressed once moving to P3 & P4...now for the hard part - Maintaining. It can be done & I'm up for the challenge of working toward the goal of maintaining this new weight. Will I have slip-ups? Probably, but I am better prepared to tackle those times when I see a slight increase. IP, like any other program, will only do so much...the rest is up to me. I can't blame the program if I gain it all back.

I LOVE IP!! I gained an increased amount of knowledge that I can use to continue to empower me as I begin the "forever" phase of IP.

I'm one of the many that are coming back for a restart. It's definitely not IP's fault that I gained some of my weight back. When I started maintenance, I increased my exercise routine significantly. I tracked my meals and exercise through an app, and I had a great handle on my choices. I toned up and was looking and feeling great. Then, I got lax. It was too easy to stop and get breakfast on the way to work. It was easier to pick up an unhealthy lunch rather than using the tools that I learned while on IP to plan for my day. I indulged in more ways than I can list, and instead of following the Maintenance plan, I let things go. While on plan, I even developed skills for fast food and restaurants that worked really well, but then I completely ignored all of those skills. Maintenance requires mindfulness. Without a consistent focus, it's easy to fall back into old habits. Coming to this site is one of the many reasons why people become and remain successful. When I'm here, I'm with other people who can relate to this process, whatever phase we are working. In my day-to-day life, the perspective is so different. Eating well and living a healthy lifestyle isn't necessarily a priority for many of the people in my life, so it's really important that I find a way to make health and wellness a priority in my daily life.
If you're researching weight loss plans, you will see the statistics others have shown. These are important to some degree, but what really matters is you and your commitment. There are people on here that have worked so hard and are so dedicated to making themselves healthier, and they share their knowledge and experience with others. My personal success or drawbacks depend on my own level of dedication. I suspect that's true for most people.
Good luck with your search. I have tried pretty much everything, but nothing makes me feel better than when I'm actually working my program on IP. I just needed a little reminder. I hope you find what works for you on your journey to wellness.

agree with everyone's points. I did IP with no cheats in 2011, lost the weight & did the maintenance, but then I let "stuff" get in the way. I was in a boot for a torn ligament in my ankle, on and off for 10 months, gained a few pounds, then had shoulder surgery (long recovery), gained some more and most recently knee surgery. I gained for "emotional" eating, discouraged because I was a really active person. I always have trouble maintaining no matter "what" diet I use. IP worked as I did WW religiously for 3 months and only lost 3 lbs., but was also trying to get thyroid numbers in line. I also do better if I check in here. So, alot for thought on this page!

Let's see, I have done WW, Ediets, Nutrisystem, Diet to Go and TOPS. All of them worked. For me, IP is the first time that I have been able to stick 100% to the program for three straight months. The rate and consistency of loss has been very reinforcing of my efforts. I feel physically much better. I believe programs work -if you work the program.

Maintenance is HARD. I lost 40 lbs over a year ago and have managed to keep 30 lbs off. Most of the 10 lbs that I gained have been in the last couple of months. Why? I allowed myself to eat everything. My "cheat days" turned into "cheat weekends" and then "cheat weeks". I know this eating pattern will not maintain my losses. So I'm back on Phase 1 until I lose these extra lbs.

When I was maintaining my weight loss, my days were basically Phase 3 with an occasional (once or twice per week) cheat meal. I know I need to return to that pattern once I lose the weight.

I am currently in my 34th month of maintenance. I am very faithful to reboots, but terrible in between. I lost 75 pounds and I am currently down 60. I hope to have those 15 off in the next 6 weeks. Here is what a typical year of maintenance looks like for me:

1. Jan1- mid-Febuary…100% reboot, no cheats

2. 3rd week of February-cruise 100% off

3. follow cruise with 10 days of reboot at 100%

4. six weeks of phase four type eating with cheat days

5. April break (I am a teacher), mostly cheat days.

6. one month 100% phase 1 until mid-May

7. Mid-May to end of June, phase 4 with cheat days

8. Summer…can be rough…put on about 10 first summer, 15 second summer, and 32 this past summer…crap (took off17 quickly and have kept it off).

9. Sept-thanksgiving, rebooting phase 1 with minor Atkins (low carb) cheats.

10. Thanksgiving to New Year phase four, weekends off

This summer was a wake up call. Day 2 of perfect today.

Before getting pregnant the longest I ever did Phase 1 after my first round was 3 days (I was offically in maintenance for 1 year and four months, HOWEVER I hadn't moved outside of 10 lbs for more than that). The 3 days was was after a trip to Scotland (started when the wheels hit the ground). The only reason I went 3 is because I expected to do a week and didn't have the right food in my house to go back to a balanced diet.

You are never done EVER. You will forever gain and loose 5-7-10 lbs. When I hit maintenance I did a lot of research on maintaining. I will forever need to eat 20% less and workout 20% more then someone my exact same size who has never been overweight. The quicker I accepted that I couldn't change that reality the easier my life became.

Being over weight is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Maintenance is hard.

Choose your hard.

I don't know if there's any magic bullet in terms of keeping the weight off, but what I like the most about IP is that there's a plan (phase) for each stage and you can move through them as needed. No other diet that I've been on has that. So basically, while I was in maintenance, if I noticed my weight trending up or if my pants didn't fit as they should, I knew exactly what to do to correct that, and I could correct it immediately (assuming I had packets on hand, which I always did).
I think all that any diet can do is give you the tools -- you have to make the hard choices, you have to skip the "bad food", you have to give yourself only one "free day" per week, not 7 :)

What I do like about IP vs. other plans though is that IP is so easy once you get the hang of it (in terms of the rules, not necessarily the behaviors), so that even if you have a lot going on, at least you're not having to add counting calories or adding up points to your daily chores.

Thanks for your realistic perspectives. Limiting fun days (meals) to the suggested one/week seems to be the key to get off the diet roller coaster.

Isabel, I really appreciate your perspective. I have been coming to the same conclusion about this journey. I am going to copy your comment onto the Oct. Newbie thread, in case they miss this thread. Thank you!

LOVE this! Words to live by :D

I really like this. This was something that I didn't keep in the front of my mind after finishing my first round of IP. If I would have more in tune with where my bad habits were taking me, I could have stopped it sooner and had less weight to lose this time around. Again, I LOVE that with IP, you know what to do if the weight starts creeping back up. I knew, but didn't acknowledge or do anything about it until I found myself back to an uncomfortable weight.

This time I will.

Even being pregnant I kept my weight off. I only gained 3 lbs total in my pregnancy. It was after that I swelled up like a toad and have held onto that water for 5 months now. This life change will make you look at food as fuel not comfort and that's a big difference to other "diets"

Hi-

I'm like many of the others. I have to reboot. I think because I'm a carb "addict." In school I took a required course on addiction. And very few alcoholics can go back to just having a drink or two. A very few can without back sliding. That's how I am about carbs, especially sweets. The most I regained was 17 lbs. I am down to my original goal (the minus 37) but I hate the jiggle on the front of my thighs so I am always trying to get down to the - 50. Especially cuz I'm leaving for Mexico on Saturday and those jiggly thighs don't look good in a bathing suit. :(

Thanks everyone for all your posts, they have all been the same thoughts I have had and yes I am on reboot as well. I think it is a lifelong process and I am so glad that IP is working as well. I have been on every diet! In life we have been given certain tools and I am glad this one is available to me

Congrats, your baby is beautiful!!!

Wow…I am not the only one still kicking around! Good to see you!


My first year in maintenance was great stayed within 7-10 pounds, second year stayed within 7 pounds most the year, then after a 3 week vacation was 15 up for a day or two and then quickly back to goal. Third year of maintenance much rougher….I got more and more relaxed! My goal as I start to enter my fourth year of maintenance is to weigh in once a week NO MATTER WHAT! No hiding or running.

Like others here, I've tried many other diets. I get their programs, why they work (point systems, limited carbs, etc) but never understood how it benefited me and my body. Ideal Protein shows me on a daily basis how easily my body is affected by what I put in it. Weight loss is not a light switch you can turn on and off. Knowing how easily your body can be affected is so beneficial. Like others have said, you just have to find one that works for you. I think everyone on this site has found success with IP and that's why they come back, even if they cheat or struggle in maintence...because they know they can get back to where they want to be.

This is a great discussion.

I maintained my 83 pound loss for 7 months. After Christmas I realized the scale was up 5 pounds from my preferred goal. That sounds like a small gain, and it is. But I'm terrified of regaining. I see how easy it is to fall back into bad eating patterns. The winter seems harder for me. I loved swimming in the summer, but the gym is a struggle to go to, for me.

Anyway, I understand how you feel, roo. Thanks for sharing that. I know that people are watching me to see if I regain. I, too, want them to let me be! But I guess we took the initial step and made a drastic change, so it's noticeable.

Ishbel, you are always an inspiration to me!

I know that we're all in this together.

I'm doing a reboot to get those 5-6 pounds off now. I'll stay on till the pounds are off. There, I said it. I had said previously that I'd stay on p1 for 2 weeks, but I really want those pounds away so I can wear the skinny jeans I bought - this winter.

Courage and determination for us all!

Have a great day!

Not my words, I don't know where I saw them but I'm 90% sure someone put them on here. BUT, when I saw them in my original Phase 1, they struck a cord in me and I've never forgot them!

I also love "you don't have to love it, you just have to do it". Which as blunt is that is, made me LAUGH the first time I heard it. A lady who had lost 250 lbs by watching her calories and walking (she was over 500 lbs when she started) did a speech at my TOPS provincial rally. AMAZING lady. Had it on my fridge for MONTHS afterwards.

This is so, so true. My mom has lost almost 70 lbs on IP and she is about 35-40 lbs from her goal and she is so, so worried about what she's going to do when she goes off phase 1. I told her the plan has worked thus far so just do the phases and trust the plan. I'm going to share this quote with her.

I wholeheartedly agree! I keep thinking that once I lose the weight, I can't go back to my old way of eating whatever I feel like. It will be a struggle at times but being healthy is worth it. And as 65 said, I will need to be a 'picky eater'. It'll be up to me! I try not to stress about it but its hard sometimes!

So true! Thanks everyone for the wonderful posts on this thread. I gained 12 lbs between Thanksgiving & NYs, mostly in the last 2 weeks of the season. When I first began maintenance, I had zero interest in sweets and junk food so it required very little effort to maintain. Then I met the holiday season with too little daylight and too much to do (and enjoy). What a relief to get back on track (P1 for 2-3 weeks), but that 3 day transition into ketosis isn't something I want to have to repeat too often! Good luck everyone.
PS Hope you are enjoying yourself Ishbel

Phase 4 questions
 

I have questions about the info I received on phase 4. I am currently transitioning to phase 2.

1. Eat ½ your weight in grams/protein/day. Ex 140 lbs person eats 70 gms/day. A quick google search says that 1 oz protein = approx 6-8 gms/protein. So on phase 3, eat 8 oz of protein for lunch & dinner. That would be approx 112gm/protein/day. So this is over the 70gm/day in phase 4. (I'm just using this as an example.) Do I then decrease the amt of protein in phase 4?

2. I didn't see any mention of beans, legumes. I have been craving lentils, red kidney beans. I'm assuming that is allowed in phase 4, but why not in phase 1?

3. Fun Day? It says that it is mandatory. "The dieter goes all out and eats whatever they feel like eating" It even mentioned that you may gain up to 7lbs/year. I like the idea of having a family dinner once a week that is really nice w/dessert, but I am befuddled by this.

4. It says that you should have 3 meals and 3 snacks throughout the day Is this correct?

Thanks for the input. I will ask my coach but just wanted some input.

JennRN
Try asking in the maintainers thread. They're the ones with the experience

Morning everyone
Lisa you are So Right Old Habits Die Hard!!!

I was a Rock Star getting the weight off !
Maintance is a whole other story!!! I was like a recovering addict that was clean for a long period of time and started using again, with short periods of being clean and then free falling back into the old lifestyle

It is easy for people to say oh she did not know or put the work being able to maintein the weight. Well here is what I think the honest truth is The Drink calls you ...and I swear for that brief moment in time I feel like I have been given the Christmas gift as a child that I longed for Santa to put under the Christmas tree.

The Drnk for me is food! So many of my happy memories are attached to certain foods ,when eating them I am transported back to that special feeling.
I think that is why someone you can know may rave about this special food....you taste it and think what's so special or good about that but your brain and memory has not stored a pleasurable memory connection to it IMO!
IP is doing what it is designed to do it can not clear the memory of your hard drive to see certain foods as verboten !
I may know speeding is not a good or safe thing to do ....but I drive 45 miles 1 way to work ....so given the opportunity I do feel the need for speed,
I know people who give themselves cheat days and are able to stay at their goal weight .
I have to learn to take a cheat day and not turn it into a cheat month.
I know I will reintroduce a cheat day back into my life, I will have to gain more control before I give myself the next step.
I have not earned the right to have a cheat day, I will need to prove myself worthy and capable of handling the experience.
I will not give the keys to the Candy Store to my inner child, she will scarf them down have a raging tummy ache!
Roo2

Roo2, so true. I feel maintenance is hard. I have actually had some years of success at maintenance, and then some meds worked against me and I think I got this mental thing that said, well I cannot help it because I eat healthy I gain, so why not eat badly. And that is what got me back to 190 when I had stayed in the 140's for years. So this this time if I have to deal with it, which is a possibility, I will stay the low-carb way because that seems the best process for me.

I know for me, I have begun to clean out my closet, and things I kept for "just in case I gain weight", I am actually donating. Part of my weight issue comes from giving myself permission to gain weight simply by the act of keeping "fat clothes". I'm done with that.

I've also really appreciated my new body - it's the one I had when I married my husband 8.5 years ago. I can get into the "skinny clothes" I had stored in a box. I feel better - I have more energy. I can get into my custom tall boots again! I can take up offers to cap with local hunts in MD and VA! I no longer dread people judging what my weight is doing to a horse's back!

I have gained too much to allow myself to return to the way I allowed myself to become. Some things are just worth fighting for - weight loss is a lifetime goal - it never ends. Some days/weeks/years will be better than others. I accept that I will "fail" from time to time, but I have set a 5 lb weight gain limit. If I gain five pounds, I will do a re-start. I have to do this, or I will not have any clothing to wear - and its illegal to be naked in public, and I have a deep aversion to jail!

zephyr1973 I too am guilty of keeping clothes. I have started a bag in the corner of my room. If I try something on and it is no longer wearable, in to the bag it goes! When the bag is full, I bring it to a consignment store or goodwill.

Our bookkeeper comes in once a week to work and she said something that really hit home "you aren't wearing your big people clothes anymore, your shirts *fit* your body and it's great to see!" I used to wear clothes that draped my body rather than fit, and I want all my clothes to fit! It'll help keep you conscious of your weight!

I agree! I like your comment! As individuals we all have to make choices for ourselves and no one is perfect but we can certainly keep trying and not feel like we are failing if we put on a couple lbs. In one of IPs information sheets it did say that gaining 7lbs in a year is normal. But, you need to stay on it to make sure it doesn't get out of control again. I think 5lbs is a great amount to realize that a person has to get back on track and not let yourself go to where you were. This plan has made me realize how much better feeling great is than feeling tired, and uncomfortable in my own skin. Health is my priority now, not food!

If you look at the protocol, it actually says that you should reboot once a year.

What a great thing this was to read because it resonated so much with me. I know that maintenance, when I get there, will be ever so much more challenging that losing. For people like me, who thrive on control, being given freedom of choice beyond what I am used to on Phase 1 will scare me to death.

Thank you for sharing this so honestly. It makes me feel good to know when I get there, I am not going into uncharted territory.

Inspiring conversions and I agree with all how HARD to maintain and for me it is and will be a forever issue and journey. And, it is very frustrating when other people don't gain like me when I go off the plan. My husband has weighed the same for 21 years. I have friends who also have never had a weight problem. I get it. It just is for them and I think their bodies don't have the tendencies like mine to gain weight. I kinda hate them :-) and understand we all have struggles in life. That is not theirs.

I am rebooting right now, I should hit my goal weight after three weeks. Should I do a full 2 weeks on P2 & p3? I was thinking a week on each would be enough. What have you guys done in the past?