Did I just cheat?
 

I just had butterball turkey breast savory herb flavored for dinner. It has 3 carbs, 3 grams of fat and 1 gram of sugar.

I didn't even think to check the label until I realized that this tasted so good.....

Kim

It happened, and now you know to ALWAYS check labels :) Don't beat yourself up about it, but use it as a learning experience.

I actually looked it up -the nutritional info is for a 4 oz portion. So double everything if you had 8oz for your dinner protein. Still not going to totally kill you, but it's another thing to be aware of when you are reading labels and deciding what you are going to do.

Mistakes happen, but the best thing you can do is just start fresh and keep moving forward :)

I'm sorry to say that was a no-no. Protein should not contain sugar or carbs. You'll be fine, just continue on (maybe up your exercise) and it probably won't be noticeable at your weigh-in. I too learned the hard way the first time I was on IP. I am now an avid ingredient reader, looking for hidden carbs, sugars and fats in addition to the obvious ones. :)

I actually only ate 6 ounces when I realized my mistake. I knew it tasted way to good.

Kim

I ate a bag of beef jerky I picked up on my 5 hour road trip home on Sunday....15g of carbs, all from sugar! I was ill prepared and did not read the label until afterwards - I am in Phase 4 now, but I still have the occasional Phase 1 day to 'detox' if I have a cheat day. That jerky was a BIG no-no. I was always so prepared during strict Phase 1 - gotta read those labels...these folks hide sugar everywhere it's amazing now that I am 'paying attention'...

My coach today told me to look for any ingredients that end in -ose. And to stay away from labels that say spices as an ingredient because mystery spices a lot of times contain sugar.

Wow, LizRR, you look amazing and it didn't take you very long!! Do you have any words of advice or tips for me? The first time I did IP, I averaged 12 pounds off/month, but I was in school and working and not sleeping...this time around, I am only working, so I'm sleeping and getting to be active. Thank you for your help! How is phase 4? How often do you allow cheat days?

Of course in the future don't eat it, but our carbs stay low to keep us in ketosis. I have been following IP for over 2 years (8 months to lose weight) and 16 months in maintenance (with several reboots). I have found during my reboots it takes me over 100 net carbs to get out of ketosis (sometimes 2 days).

Forgive and move on, it should not affect your progress at all. This is coming from a person who did not leave the house (except for work) the first 5 months on IP. I turned down every single invitation to everything. I did not taste, lick, or bite a thing off plan. I have learned a ton more about the process during my 16 months in maintenance.

So the question is:
Why is that butterball turkey mentioned in the OP so bad? Because it has 1g sugar carb per 4oz? I am not so sure it is a mistake or a cheat when we have plenty of people here on these forums who use protein bars that contain much much worse then that (more sugar) and they eat them and justify it as being their "restricted" item for that day. I would think the turkey is much better for you then the bar. And YES our meats should be 0 carb, but just saying.

So I would say to the OP: If you consume a restricted item each day, then when you have that turkey do not have the restricted item in the same day. But obviously a few grams sugar carbs will not knock you out of ketosis in and by themselves.

Also; look at Rutabaga: 1 cup raw: 11 carbs, 4 fiber, 8 sugar...

MANY of you eat that! 8 Sugar carbs in one single cup! And 50 calories to boot! Haha/....no idea why that is even on the daily accepted foods list. And please...don't tell me its a different sugar, because it isn't. Unless you are eating only spinach, collard greens etc you get plenty of sugars in your veggies already...
Just saying!
Jake

It took me 6 months (5 months of Phase 1, plus the month of P2&P3) - and they flew by! In Phase 4 you have a mandatory 'Cheat Day', once a week, that MUST be followed by a strict Phase 1 day - which is why I am so p*ssed at myself over not noticing the jerky, although I tried to make up for it by running 5 miles when I got home. So it's always good to keep in mind that Phase 1 is truly 'just for now' - you can have the old favorites you think you miss - because I'll be honest - my cheat day last week was sooooooo disappointing and I felt miserable, physically through the ringer - I couldn't even order the drinks that I had saved up for that day. You know it's bad when you can't even have a drink for fear of passing out from lethargy...and I was "allowed"!!!

As far as 'tips' - I will just tell you what worked for me:
1) NO Cheating. I did not have anything off the sheet - there were times where I probably had more meat & veggies due to 'loose measurements', but I stuck to, and continue to, stick to the 3 meal + snack schedule (bfast@8am, lunch@12pm, snack@4pm, dinner@8pm), which consist of lean meats and Select Veggies. I tend to shy away from the Restricted Veggies.
2) I eat every 4 hours, and I don't eat after 8pm, I do have bedtime ~10:30pm though - so keep my schedule in mind when I say that. Everyone has different schedules, bedtimes, and activity levels. Also - I am a recovering late night snacker - so I REALLY don't want to get back into that habit - and I really do need that snack at 4pm to get me through the afternoon, because we do eat a late dinner as a family at 8pm.
3) In Phase 1, I kept my exercise to LOW INTENSITY and I added in an extra unrestricted IP + 2 egg whites/day on those days when I did workout. My first 8 weeks it was a very slow 2-2.5 mile walk, week 8 and beyond it was weightlifting (at 1/3-1/2 of what I was lifting previously). In Phase 3 I upped the intensity and am now in 'full blown' workout mode in Phase 4 - seriously, I was very slow, low intensity in Phase 1 - it is not designed to handle working out if your focus is seeing losses - however if you are determined to workout at a higher intensity - be prepared for scale stalls.
4) No Cheating. I restress this because getting through Phase 1 quickly was a top priority for me - you can always jump back on the horse - but I was 100% committed to this, and going back to old habits is not an option for me.
5) I drink a ton of water, plain water, and a lot of it. I would guesstimate ~12-16 8-oz glasses/day.
6) I kept my 'extras' to 6 servings or less a day, per my coaches advice - this includes Splenda, Stevia, Walden Farms, Miracle Noodles, etc. Everything has 'negligible' carbs & calories that can add up if not taken in moderation (example: 1 splenda packet = ~4 calories, ~0.9g carbs).
7) I planned my day - I visit the 'What Are You Eating Today' thread every day and list out my meal & activity. And I also check out others plans for ideas and inspiration.
8) I eat ALL my food - and I am 100% completely open to trying new vegetables & recipes. I am NOT a salad or 'raw veggie' person, so these recipes and ideas were an eye opener for me. I make Cucumber-Lemon Ice Cream - my husband demands it...and Cauliflower Pizza....all of it was 100% OP for Phase 1, and I continue to carry on the eating habits in my daily Phase 4 menu.

I will say that I think my Phase 4 is turning more into Phase 3-ish menu (but I am keeping the unlimited Select Veggies!). I truly don't miss the carbs and I proved my body just really doesn't appreciate being subjected to crap.