Looking for Advice- short term IP??
 

I'm reposting my question/comments to Novak here because it's from a daily thread from yesterday, I'm really curious to see what you guys think:

I started IP with only a 9 lb weight loss goal. My "coach" told me to give him 3 weeks. I'm sure what he's doing with me isn't typical or approved. I was down 7 lbs as of this morning after 7 full days on the program.
For my first week, this was what he had me follow:
Breakfast: packet
Lunch: packet + vegetables
Snack: packet
Dinner: lean protein + vegetables
+vitamins, oil, salt
*one restricted packet per day

For my second week I am doing this:
Breakfast: Packet
Lunch: lean protein + vegetables
Snack: Packet
Dinner: lean protein + vegetables
PM Snack: packet.
vitamins, oil, salt
*one restricted packet per day

I can't imagine I won't continue to lose weight if I am following the same protocol as Phase 1 but eating one additional serving of animal protein rather than a packet for lunch.

What's stressing me out is that I'm getting married in a little more than 3 weeks. Even if my weight loss plateaus right where I am, I am OK with that. I'm only 133 lbs. I guess I'd prefer to stop losing to trying to stay in ketosis before the wedding and on our honeymoon. I don't want to eat something the day of the wedding and get sick. I'm very much open to changing my eating habits to mimic a lot of what the program has taught me, but I will not be eating a packet for breakfast on my wedding day, or on my honeymoon. I'm also not saying I want to go crazy for the wedding or the honeymoon, but I'd like to have a few drinks.

I know that using this program as a "quick fix" is not really what the plan is designed for, but I didn't do enough research prior to starting and I didn't know it would take weeks and weeks to do it right. I trusted my coach and I guess I can still trust him, I just want to be clued in to the plan. I don't even want carbs, but I wish I felt better. I like to exercise pretty regularly (running & weights) and I feel like I can't since I'm only a day out of week one. I've done two weight training sessions and felt pretty miserable through both.

I'm sorry this is turning into a vent, but I'm feeling frustrated not knowing what his plan is. And since my "coach" seems to know what he wants to do, but I don't know when I can have a piece of toast is making me a little crazy. Add that I'm 3 weeks away from a huge wedding and I hope I'll be forgiven...

I'm puzzled that a coach would put you on IP for 3 weeks, I've never heard of someone being on the program for less than several months. Protocol is phase I until you lose 90%, phase II for 2 weeks, phase III for 2 weeks, then maintenance. The whole point of IP is to reset your pancreas so you can process foods correctly and don't have insulin resistance issues. I believe it takes 6 weeks for that process to be complete. Phase II can be shortened, but phase III cannot, because it is the phase where you retrain your pancreas. I'm afraid by doing this for such a short period of time, you are only depleting your glycogen store, which is gained back when real foods are reintroduced.