Here's my dilemma. My husband is graduating with his masters degree on may 11th. My mother is taking the kids for the night since the ceremony is about two hours away from where we live, and are two kiddos are under age 3. Anyway, the ceremony is followed by a dinner, then we were going to spend the night. This will be our first night to ourselves in FOUR years!!!! We booked a nice hotel room off the river and I am soooooo looking forward to it.
So, here's my problem. I have no idea what the dinner is, I'm assuming some kind of meat with sides, but no idea of how it will be cooked. Plus, I would really love to have some wine and enjoy a romantic evening with my husband. How would I do this?
Is it possible to stick to program as much as possible for dinner, enjoy a couple glasses of wine, and then get back on track the next day? I'm sure it would affect my weight loss for week, but what would be my best approach? Any suggestions?

There will be a lot of arguements about how you should "just stick to the plan." Personally I'd go your route and stay as close to plan as possible in regards to the meal (you could always call ahead and tell them you have dietary issures and see if they can accomodate them) but enjoy the evening and have a glass of wine.

I am new to this IP diet (only started on Monday) but my coach told me absolutely no alcohol at all while on the diet and eating anything not approved will throw you off and it can take 3-4 days before your body is back on track again.

Not much help but just passing on what I was told. If it was me, I would do it lol Its a once in a long time opportunity and if you are determined to loose the weight you really are only setting yourself back 1 week. Just think of it as a write off and start again when you get back. But that's just my opinion.

I'm not one to talk as I don't have a lot of experience, but some may tell you to phase off for your planned night and return to P1 afterwards. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Phase 1 so I'm doing my best not to have any planned cheats until I've reached my goal. Hopefully, those with experience in phasing off for these planned cheats will chime in.

(I take that back. I do like P1. At times though, I really look forward to more flexibility in my food choices.)

At the end of the day, you are the only one who can weigh the pros and cons and decide what you are going to do.

I can tell you that you CAN have a wonderful dinner and stay on plan. Think of being on IP the same way you would if you had a medical dietary restriction (and in a way, it IS a medical restriction - when you consider the health benefits of weight loss!). There's no reason you couldn't call the caterer/organizer, explain that you have dietary restrictions (usually telling them gluten free and dairy free makes it simpler) and asking if they can accommodate you. There's really no reason they couldn't. The wine and desserts will all be there for you to enjoy in maintenance, and the event isn't REALLY about the food, is it? It's about celebrating an acheivement and socializing. You can bring a bar to dinner for your own dessert, and some Mio to flavor your water for something special. Nobody is going to be worried about what you are (or aren't) eating but you.

IP is a no-cheat diet. If you decide to go off plan, there are consequences. Your stomach may not handle a rich meal well after being on Phase 1 for a while. It may shock your system and end up not as enjoyable as you were hoping it would be. Anytime you drink alcohol, your body metabolizes it first no matter what else is going on - so even if you ate a 100% on plan meal and had a glass of wine, every minute that wine is in your system is time that your body is NOT burning fat. Depending on the meal you eat, you may end up having to go through the process of getting back into ketosis - and we all remember how awesome those first three days were

It's up to you whether the consequences are worth the cheat. For me, NO cheat was worth spending one extra minute on phase 1 than I absolutely had to. Social events weren't about what I was eating, they were about the people I was with - focusing on that made the food so much less important. I went through summer BBQs, family parties, my 20th high school reunion, Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday without EVER cheating, and I got to maintenance that much faster for it. You decide what's best for you and know what you are up against - all I'm saying is that you CAN do it without going off plan.

I just want to share what I have observed from the 42 weeks I've been on IP and on this site.

Some people can take a "break" from IP for a day or a week and come right back on with no problems. There are many others who can never really get back on plan and end up wasting time and money with constantly trying to start back up and then breaking down and eating off plan. Some people just never get to goal after a cheat.

You might want to spend some time reading this thread to see all the issues that could come up.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...l-protein.html


This thread is about why drinking is not a good idea on IP.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...ted-posts.html

If it were me, I'd probably eat something before hand and then just pick at the allowed foods that were served. I also save my restricted to eat for events like that.

Best wishes with whatever you decide.

You decide. I'm with Scorbett & Ragdoll.

I've been through many special occasions OP, including my 50th birthday (we only get one of those!), special trips with my DH, and all the late-summer/Fall BBQs, tailgates, parties, holidays, holiday parties, vacations, etc. There is an upcoming wedding for a special niece & her groom is a chef. I know they have planned an outstanding menu. I'll stick to my plan and plan ahead (I've already inquired about the menu so I can know how to adequately prepare).

Is the event about the food and the wine or about the special time? Can a special time be had without wine? I've learned it certainly can in my life.

My weight loss has been life-changing. To me, nothing is worth risking that. Every cheat can lead to another. There are enough people here struggling after one cheat for me to see it happen over and over again (whether the cheat was planned with good intentions or on a whim).

We can plan to stay OP or we can plan how to not. We can look at it as what we are missing or what we are gaining. My life, my ability to move, my pain levels are all improving. None of it is worth trading for a glass of wine or two and staying on P1 longer or risking losing it all & regaining. I've seen it happen too many times. Those who don't succeed either slip away silently or are still here struggling.

Most of the people I see get to goal stick to the plan like glue. No matter what.

Each person needs to make their own decision. We all chose IP for a reason & knew approximately how long the weight loss would take. We knew there would be special events in the meantime (is there EVER a good time to go on a diet?). We all have to decide just how important it is to us.

Lots of good replys to your question. Only you can decide what you want to do. I have gone off of plan two days within the last 7 weeks or so. Know that it could cost me a lose but for me it was the right decision.

The only week I have not lost was when I did not follow the plan. If you go off the plan, hop right back on the following day.

While not on IP, I am on a strict plan very similar to it. I have scheduled "cheat" days once a week due to time constraints with work plus my daughter's ballet. That being said, the cheat for me isn't in the food but in the fact I don't have to cook it. I still order completely on plan, asking for things plain, bringing my own salad dressings, asking for alternatives, and always asking for a box prior to my meal arriving so I can divide it up prior to eating so I don't over eat. It was cumbersome at first, and I felt like I was missing out on SO much. But now, here I am, closing in on my 50 pounds lost marker and I wouldn't change it. I goofed up a lot in the beginning. And the scale and my body made me well aware of the problems. It was hard to get back on track, even if it was for just one cracker. Now, I simply don't risk it. My "cheat" days are still 100% OP, they are just not in MY kitchen and that's all I need. I used to think the reason for going out was food. Now I realize it is just for socialization. I realize now that my past mindset was the mindset of a person addicted to food (speaking of me personally, not you, only you know your situation.) I've kicked that addiction. I am not going back.

I am with many of the others here...it simply isn't worth it. Having cheated myself, it really just isn't worth it. Just too freaking hard to get back on track, despite best of intentions. Call ahead and see what the menu is. See if you can get dietry restrictions. Plan your meals around that. Skip the wine. That's what I would do. But only you can make that call.

I spent over a year on P1 (full disclosure - i did 2 weeks of P3 and was not OP for a cruise, but didn't go hog-wild).

for me - I think that going off program is a slippery slope - I do it for one occassion and that will make it ok for other ocassions - i started right before Easter 2012, I brought my own meat while everyone else had lamb (dont like it anyway). I went thru an entire year, including my 50th birthday.

I looked at the plan that this would not last forever - the first time I ate out it was a little scary, it got easier as the time went on. I've been to business dinners - buffet - where I've asked for just plain grilled chicken.

For me, it wasnt worth cheating.

I did 'splurge' a couple of times while I was on Vacay. Did have a couple of glasses of wine, which only gave me a headache, truth be told. I knew exactly what I was doing and 95% of the time I was OP. (Made my own meals, brought packets, etc...) I was away for 3wks total splurges, 4 and that included just some extra protein. I did exercise a lot and I KNEW it might effect my losses. I came home 8lbs lighter. Could I have lost more if I didn't have the wine?? Who knows?? I average about 2-3lbs a week.

Everyone is different. Some people can have rutabaga 4x a week, others can not......

I will tell you when I came back it took about 2wks to get in to my routine again.

Everyone here can tell you a different story on what worked and didn't work for them. I am ok with what I did. I knew what I was getting in to and truth be told, was pleased with the loss, was expecting less.

Only you know what you can handle and only you know if you will be able to handle the consequences. GL.

I was 100% until this week. I am in the process of moving my apartment and doing some cleaning at the old place after work. I felt super dizzy and weak and awful and went to grab a shake from my car...alas! No shake! Only Southwest Cheese Curls. I had already had a restricted that day, but it was that or nothing, so I had them. And ya know what? I'm fine (aside from not being able to post in the 100% thread anymore, lol). So I guess it would depend how crazy you got with your evening. I totally agree with people who say to call the venue and find out the menu. Then you'll be able to make better decisions. I'd say as long as you don't go on a crazy carb fest (i.e. 2 dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, cake, wine, coffee with sugar, etc)...You should be fine. It will probably set you back a few days to a week, but if you're okay with that, and feel you can get back on the horse, try it. If you think it will be too difficult to go back to P1 eating...don't do it. Only you can know what you are capable of.

The only thing I'll add is that only you know how important this night/weekend is to you. There are many people who will say they did X, Y, Z events and didn't go off-plan. I think that's great. But no one here knows the context of your life and what is going on in it. Make an honest assessment on how important it is to go off-plan and if it's worth some/all of the consequences.

I agree that an extra packet, even an extra restricted, when you are doing physical work, is fine.

And I totally agree here: only you can make that decision.

For my part, I was on P1 for 9 months, lost 85 pounds, and did not cheat or go off once. Did I have an extra packet once or twice? I did, but probably only 2 or 3 times in 9 months when I felt I needed it physically because of some extra exertion that day.

I, too, stayed on plan during birthdays, vacations, holidays, special occasions, etc. because I wanted to get it done and not waste time and money. But you are the only person who can make the decision about what is right for your life and lifestyle.

I found that I had just as much fun at all of the events. I was really able to treasure the people and the experiences when I was not focused on eating as much as I could. But that was just me....

Have wonderful time at your husband's graduation! What a great accomplishment! You have cause to celebrate! Think of a non-food celebration. ---Oops I'll stop here.

Okay, here's my two cents worth: When I was at about the point you are right now, New Year's Eve was approaching. There was a special menu at the restaurant we were going to so I called the chef beforehand and talked to him about the kind of restrictions I had on my diet. We decided that a grilled kabob entree (everything from lobster chunks to chicken, beef, shrimp and pork) could be modified to suit my needs. It was served with sauteed spinach and a salad. It was not strictly OP since I didn't measure quantities (but know I was over on protein) and although I asked for it to be light on the oil I know it was more than a teaspoon or two. I also had pre-planned to have a glass of champagne at midnight for a toast. When it came time to toast, I actually decided to stick with my sparkling water, and was proud that I was able to do that. I also was content sitting there sipping coffee while my DH ate dessert.

There is a lot more to this whole diet than solely what you put in your mouth. A lot has to do with ego and self esteem, and getting control over food gives you a sense of power and control. Well, at least with me it did. I ended up feeling much better about myself after seeing how I handled the NYE dinner. It would have been very easy to use the night (and the day after, oh, and the whole holiday season! etc.) as an excuse for why I couldn't stay OP. But day by day and little by little I learned that I could do this. I really think that sticking so closely to plan for all of P1 put me in a better position to handle P2, P3 and P4. Even now in maintenance, I don't stray too far, and I really don't use situations and occasions as excuses to make poor food choices.

As others have said, only you can make the choice about what is right for you, but planning to fail can be the start of a slippery slope. In hindsight I'm glad I didn't risk it.