You have already gotten a lot of great advice here. All I can do is echo what was already said:

- you have lost 3.25 lbs per week average right now. The average weight loss on IP is between 2-4lbs per week, so you are right on track. You will have big loss weeks and small loss weeks. Are you also being measured? Sometimes losses happen on your body but not on the scale - inches lost still count!

- The Protocol sheets are the company policy on food - everything is very clearly laid out for you in terms of WHAT you need to eat every day in order for the program to work. Do coaches sometimes put their own spin on it? Yes - mostly because they don't fully understand how the chemistry of the diet works (a ketogenic diet is different from a weight watchers style diet in how your body deals with and eliminates the fat. IP is also meant to be anti-inflammatory so how a food affects the pH balance in your digestive tract is also a factor). But some also make small adjustments to what is and is not allowed because they understand that at the end, we have to live with the diet until the weight is gone. Making small allowances that help someone stick to the diet 100% otherwise is sometimes better than being militaristic about small things and risking have someone go off the deep end with cheats. If your coach is loose on some of the rules it would benefit you to ask for their reasoning. If they are making exceptions to the plan but also understand that it's a deviation and are monitoring you to make sure it doesn't slow you down, you've got a good, involved coach.

RE: sugar alcohols - there are a few reasons why you should avoid if you can. Many sugar alcohols still generate a glycemic response in the body, and some can cause carb cravings. There are many people here who have chewed gum in moderation without negative effects, but for others the sweeteners cause more problems than they solve. Some coaches say no just to avoid the possibility of problems.

This diet works differently than weight watchers - I lost 70lbs in 7 months, but I am also TWO full sizes smaller than I was the last time I was close to this weight. Because of the ketogenic nature of the diet, I didn't experience hunger in the same ways. And because everything was laid out for me, I didn't have to stress about planning all my meals and snacks in the same way as WW (counting points) - so I could focus on figuring out WHY my weight got out of hand, and making a solid plan for maintenance that I could stick to. You need to figure out what plan will work best for you - whether it's WW, NutriSystem or IP - no one diet is right for every person but if you find one that fits your style, you can't lose anything but the weight! Good luck in whatever you decide!

Thank you all for all your comments. Thanks for kicking my butt! I didn't really think I was showing a poor attitude... I guess I was.

The weight came on last year after I quit smoking after 40 years. YES... I SMOKED a pack of cigarettes for FORTY YEARS! I have one maybe two pieces of sugarless gum a day. Will that slow my results?

I do want the wt off as fast as possible and that is why I started IP. Yes I am disappointed on the wt loss but I am old and will have to work for this wt loss. I can do that! I just want know the do's and don'ts of the plan so that I can follow it 100% It will be so hard to stop the gum but I will if it is stopping my results.


I read only one comment about the sugarless gum. So it will not effect my wt loss or slow me down? My coach says no gum but other coaches here say it is ok.

Is there somewhere where I can get a official answer from IP on this?

Thanks again for all the feedback

According to the protocol sheet, anything that is 0 carbs, 0 sugar and 0 carbs is ok to use in moderation (when something says 0 carbs, it actually likely contains trace carbs - less than 1g per serving - and those trace carbs can add up fast).

But as I said, it's not necessarily as simple as what the nutrition label says. Sugar alcohols have effects on the body that have nothing to do with the nutrition label, some coaches are OK with that and others are not. If you are sensitive to those effects then yes chewing sugar free gum may slow you down. If you're not, it won't. Unfortunately it's a gray area that you just have to decide if you want to venture into.

Also just so there's no confusion, very few of the folks here are actually coaches - most of us are just consumers like you who have been following the diet and sharing our experiences here.

The latest IP P1 Sheet says that "if it's not on the sheet it's not allowed." While that's a bit extreme that is the "official" opinion. The prior sheet stated that as long as it was 0/0/0 it was allowed in moderation. In the end you are the one that will really need to decide how to proceed.

One of the things I discovered along the way is that I have a sensitivity to soy and as such had to give up all but 1 of the Restricteds available through IP. I could have kept taking them (I really loved the Vanilla Crispy Square) but it would have affected my losses. I willingly gave them up in order to meet my goals. I don't plan on being in P1 for more than 5 months total so am willing avoid things that will slow my losses down for that short period of time.

The official answer will be no gum.
However some folks find they can use it, others find it slows losses (artificial sweeteners have been found to induce insulin reactions - see? it REALLY is more than calories in/calories out)

Many many congrats on quitting smoking. You don't need anyone to tell you what a huge thing you did health-wise for yourself. If it takes you a bit to get the weight off, be patient. This is the fastest program I've ever used. WW didn't help me much at all (except to help me obsess about food!)

Great.... thanks everyone. I understand now about the gum. Had a good chat with my coach and I am staying with the diet. I am looking forward to this. I am excited again.

Glad to here it !

Looking forward to following your weight loss

Good Luck, Roo2

Welcome to IP & 3FC, & do come hang out with us at the Fab 50's thread (for those of us 50 yrs and older). Most there are on P1 though a few of us are in maintenance and sharing our experiences with the others. Of course, all the threads are full of great people and support, so find where you're most comfortable. Looking forward to watching your progress!

For what it's worth, my clinic says Spry gum is okay in moderation (2 pieces per day). I believe it is sweetened with xylitol. It's available through my clinic (surprise!), but also other places.

With respect, this is rediculous.

Even if this were true that sugar free gum induced an insulin response (how the heck would someone know this) in the actual research the small number of people that did have insulin levels raised by artificial sweetners was such as amount as to be inconsequencial. We are not rats.

As for slowing losses - also completely rediculous. The number of variables that affect weight loss (not to be confused with fat loss) are numerous and people make terrible conclusions based on their own observations. Isolating individual factors that affect weight loss is literally impossible unless you were able to find a way to easily measure cortisol levels and had 100% control over all other aspects of daily living.