Newbie here - considering IP
 

Hi everyone - there are sooo many threads here, I have been browsing through them, but am hoping someone can help give me a "summary" of things. I am going to an IP informational seminar next week to learn more. I've read about it and understand the basics. But I'm very nervous about whether or not I could do this diet. I love my carbs and sugars - but even watching my calories doesn't seem to help anymore. I have PCOS and hypothroidism and know that losing weight is my best chance at becoming pregnant. (And if I still can't get pregnant, I at least want to be skinny!!)

Some of my biggest questions/thoughts are:

Is this hard to do with a husband who will absolutely eat terribly in front of me?

If I start with IP and get used to it, would it be good to then switch to the alternative methods to save money but still lose weight?

Are any types of alcohol or caffeine okay to have? (Not that I can't live without either, but I want to start preparing myself).

What's a "typical" food day like in your first few weeks?

What's a "typical" weight loss like? I know the plan says 3-7 pounds - but what are your experiences?

What happens when you "cheat"? (Not that I plan to, but if it happens, I want to be prepared).

Is it hard for someone who eat a pretty good portion of sugars & carbs?

I have so many more questions, but I'm hoping this will at least help me to either get started or scare me away! :)

Thanks everyone!

I am fairly new to IP, but will try to tackle a few of these for you.

Yes, it will be hard with your husband eating crap in front of you - at least for the first week or so. Then, that food will look less and less appealing to you and it will get much easier. My solution was to go in another room or outside when certain things were being cooked/eaten, and it worked well. Also, my family is supportive and they try not to eat things in front of me if they know it will bother me.

I'm not sure if you mean alternate plans, or alternate products. I used alternate products, mostly EAS Advantedge shakes and bars, I don't by anything IP. The advantage to using IP products is variety.

No to alcohol, yes to caffeine. If you drink more that a cup of coffee a day, you need to up you water intake accordingly to compensate for the diuretic effect of the caffeine. One oz skim milk is acceptable for creamer and Splenda is used instead of sugar. Or, you can use the vanilla shake for a creamer replacement. It's yummy that way.

When you cheat your body is thrown out of ketosis and you need to go thru the process of going back in, I have heard it's not worth it.

I didn't eat a ton of sugar before IP, but loved my bread. It is a pretty good shock to your system no matter what your pre IP diet was. You can do it! :carrot:

Good luck! You will learn a lot at the meeting, and if you have more questions, you've come to the right place.

Stacey :yoga:

Thank you! One more question--I was wondering about exercise. I do 2-4 hours of cardio a week & 1-2 hours of strength training--is that enough?

My coach told me not to exercise at all during the first 3 weeks of the program so you're body doesn't accidentally burn your muscles. This was tough for me because before this program I was running 6 days a week. But if not running for a few weeks will help me lose weight I'm all about it.