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Old 12-29-2013, 05:38 AM   #1  
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Default 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!
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Old 12-29-2013, 07:10 AM   #2  
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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.

Last edited by Avalon1957; 12-29-2013 at 07:37 AM.
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Old 12-29-2013, 07:36 AM   #3  
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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.
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Old 12-29-2013, 07:55 AM   #4  
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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!

Last edited by lisa32989; 12-29-2013 at 08:24 AM.
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Old 12-29-2013, 08:20 AM   #5  
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Good answer.
Good guidance for all of us.
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Old 12-29-2013, 11:28 PM   #6  
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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!!
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Old 12-30-2013, 04:27 PM   #7  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa32989 View Post
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
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.
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Old 01-01-2014, 12:48 PM   #8  
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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.

Last edited by Sansfilter; 01-01-2014 at 12:50 PM.
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Old 01-01-2014, 01:15 PM   #9  
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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!

Last edited by Bellamack; 01-01-2014 at 01:17 PM. Reason: add
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Old 01-01-2014, 01:26 PM   #10  
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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.
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Old 01-02-2014, 10:01 AM   #11  
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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.
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Old 01-06-2014, 09:15 AM   #12  
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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.
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Old 01-06-2014, 09:29 AM   #13  
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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.

Last edited by Ishbel; 01-06-2014 at 10:25 AM.
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Old 01-06-2014, 10:22 AM   #14  
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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.
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Old 01-06-2014, 11:06 AM   #15  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ishbel View Post
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jules26965 View Post
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
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.

Last edited by lisa32989; 01-06-2014 at 11:10 AM.
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