Sometime during the night we hit a new record low or close to it, according to our local weatherman! It sounds as though we are all sick of winter. However, tomorrow is forecast to be 40 above! Hallelujah!
It sounds as though there have been some thought provoking posts lately. To be sure weight loss and weight gain issues are a sensitive topic. We all approach this journey from our own perspectives and life experiences. This is quite individual and we all face different challenges along the way.
On the topic of cheating: I think I have been quite fortunate to have been able to make it to my goal without cheating. I'm not sure why that is. It certainly isn't always easy. Quite the contrary. I do think part of it is the point I was at when I started. I was just so "done" with being overweight and sick and unhappy. I set a goal and determined I just could not deviate at all, or it would be a big time slide down that slippery slope to failing yet again. I simply had determined I had no choice but 100% compliance.
Recently my sister asked for help in starting IP and I promised her I would help in any way I could. I provided her with the phase sheets, recipe tips, alternative product info, etc. I explained that she would need to be 100% compliant. My DH told me she would never stick to it and I was wasting my time. She rarely asked questions and continually did not follow the guidelines for alts or eat all her protein. She still worked out aggressively and did not adjust with more protein. Well, sure enough, she did not stick with it for more than 1 week. She had many excuses, but ultimately, as I told her from the beginning...if you can't be 100% it is not the diet for you. Know that...right up front...before you start. I learned that I could not do it for her and she must be the one holding herself accountable. I would not be deterred from helping her again if she asked. I just think she has the type of personality that IP is not the diet for her, sadly.
I am not judging anyone who is less than 100% at following the IP P1 protocol. And with any diet, by reducing calories, you can lose weight. It just seems to me that IP is so different from other diets I have been on. A big part of it is learning to "change" how I look at food. If I allowed myself little cheats along the way I really don't think I would have analyzed my relationship with food and I would be doomed to repeat my past failures. I started IP to lose weight, but ended up learning a lot. Go figure!