Originally Posted by AmyonIP (Post 3637706)

Hi all, this is a flyer that was givin to me in my start up packet. It has really helped me, and I hope it will help one of you reading it that didn't get it when they started. Amy
The Real Costs of Cheating on the Idea Protein Program By Tom Ferguson

I was on the Ideal Program about a year ago. From December 1, 2006 to March 1, 2007 I lost 50+ Lbs. That was pretty amazing, but I could have done better.

How could I have done better? By not cheating, that's how. Oh, I didn't cheat big, but I still cheated. I didn't think it was a big deal, because I was still eating so much better than I did in the past. But I wasn't 100% compliant with the diet, so I was cheating. The thing is, I was only cheating myself.

So, is it ok to cheat? That depends. You have to answer that question for yourself. Before you can answer that question, you have to understand the real costs of cheating.

If you cheat one day on the diet, you might think to yourself, 'I've lost a day on the diet, but that isn't so bad.” Not true. First of all, you lost that day, but you also lost the “momentum” of the progress you made up to that point. If you get back on track immediately, then you will take at least one more day of compliance to get back to where you were before you cheated. It's like climbing a hill on a bicycle. If you stop pedaling for a period of time, you're going to roll backward. You will have lost ground, and it will take an equal period of time, or more, to gain back the ground you lost. So, one day of cheating, will cost you at least two days. In that week, instead of 7 days of progress, you will have only 5. Think about it.

Next, if you cheat a little on the Ideal Program you will still lose weight. That's a good thing, right? Well, yes and no. Yes because your objective is to lose weight, and that's good. But when you cheat, your pancreas has to work overtime again. Remember, weight loss is one of our goals, but equally important is to get our bodies functioning in a healthy state, and a healthy pancreas is essential to that.

From a psychological viewpoint, if you cheat and still make progress, you may think it is ok to cheat since there were no consequences. Next time it will be easier to cheat again, and perhaps you will cheat for two days instead of one. But there are consequences. You didn't make as much progress as you could have.

On the other side of the argument, if you absolutely have to have that one day of cheating as a “reward” or you can't stay on the Ideal Program, well the obvious choice is to cheat.

So, is it ok to cheat? You'll have to make the decision for yourself. Think about it and weigh the consequences. Just remember: when you cheat, you're not cheating anyone but yourself.

Originally Posted by Aksarben (Post 4818383)

I cheated HUGE yesterday at work sponsored trip and felt physically sick all night. Cheating is to me really sabotaging. Why do we do this to ourselves? I just read through all the replies on this thread...people faced challenging situations with great success but then the next day when one thinks crisis done they slip. I think the why is at the heart. Have we been so conditioned that food is our reward that even after months of progress we congratulate ourselves with ( insert your thing)?

The stories on this website are inspiring and I look forward to continuing to try to learn to use it better.

Originally Posted by ecdcslim (Post 4841511)

WOW, I'm seeing things here that I've notices and struggled with my whole life around food and dieting. I choose IP because I KNOW I need a disciplined approach. I know I'll get tired of being on a 'regime' but I also know I need to turn my head around. This is a LIFESTYLE change, not something I'm going to suffer through for X weeks until I reach my goal. I will always need to be diligent, until the day I die, and I need to decide if it's more important to have the momentary pleasure of a 'cheat' than to stay on track. I started on Sunday, and I tried to eat a lot of brie, chocolate, potato chips, and drink really good wine and champagne since I was starting IP the next day. And I felt like c&*p! Just reading these comments gives me hope that this truly will be the last diet I've ever been on. Thanks for your generous sharing.

Originally Posted by lisa32989 (Post 4841643)

Here's the deal. If you enter into it with the attitude ,"I know I'll get tired of being on a 'regime,', then I guarantee you will! But 42 lbs can be gone by Christmas if you stick with the 100% on-plan folks
I was so unsure if this plan would work for me. But the rules are really cut & dried. You're either ON the plan or you're NOT.

So you decide what is most important. If it is the food, go eat it and come back to IP when you are miserable enough to stick to plan. (This is a general comment, not just directed at one persin). If loosing the weight is more important than just about anything else, you'll find a way to make it work, NO MATTER WHAT.

We have bunches of people who are cheating. And they complain about the speed of their losses. Imagine that. We really cannot have it all.

I suggest jumping in with both feet. Embrace the plan. Make peace with it and stay on it through EVERYTHING life throws at you. There isn't any excuse to cheat, other than you care about the food more than you care about yourself. I loved something Scorbett used to say: who is in charge? You or the food? IP puts us back in charge. If you shortchange the program, the only person you're short changing is yourself.

Work on an attitude of what you are GAINING, rather than what you are giving up. You'll be at goal in no time!

Originally Posted by Jenny38 (Post 4844282)

Thanks for posting and starting a great chat. The day I stared IP, 11 days ago, I was surprised at how strict. I thought a lot about the no cheating rule and realized I've cheated on not only every diet I've been on but in many aspects of life ( excluding my marriage).
Everyday I focus and look toward the next meal and not too much beyond and that helps me be successful. I also do a lot of self talk about not being a cheater. I haven't been perfect but the slips have been small and I am feeling good about becoming more mindful.

Originally Posted by lisa32989 (Post 4841643)

Here's the deal. If you enter into it with the attitude ,"I know I'll get tired of being on a 'regime,', then I guarantee you will! But 42 lbs can be gone by Christmas if you stick with the 100% on-plan folks
I was so unsure if this plan would work for me. But the rules are really cut & dried. You're either ON the plan or you're NOT.

So you decide what is most important. If it is the food, go eat it and come back to IP when you are miserable enough to stick to plan. (This is a general comment, not just directed at one persin). If loosing the weight is more important than just about anything else, you'll find a way to make it work, NO MATTER WHAT.

We have bunches of people who are cheating. And they complain about the speed of their losses. Imagine that. We really cannot have it all.

I suggest jumping in with both feet. Embrace the plan. Make peace with it and stay on it through EVERYTHING life throws at you. There isn't any excuse to cheat, other than you care about the food more than you care about yourself. I loved something Scorbett used to say: who is in charge? You or the food? IP puts us back in charge. If you shortchange the program, the only person you're short changing is yourself.

Work on an attitude of what you are GAINING, rather than what you are giving up. You'll be at goal in no time!