Has anyone had any issues with 'naysayers' about being on IP? My mother-in-law is having a family dinner this weekend with foods not allowed on IP. I am determined not to cheat (especially since this is my first week), so I told her about the program and asked her if I could bring lettuce salad to share. She went into a big lecture on how diets don't work, how she doesn't think I'll be able to do it, blah, blah, blah. I wasn't planning on telling people for this reason, and her response sort of bummed me out for a bit.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

Oh yeah. I have a co worker who continues to tell me I'm wasting my time and I'll gain it all back. She is always offering me junk food and when I tell her no, she says, "are you too good for...". I just keep thinking how nice it'll be to have a year go by and her see I'm not like her, I have changed my life, not simply started and failed at a diet.

Stay strong at that dinner and if for no other reason, to show her you are strong and you CAN do it. It'll be so worth it.

Yes you are going to come into contact with such people within your weight loss journey. My mother has lost about 40 pounds through healthy eating and walking. She was proud of her weight loss. Last week she had an appointment with her doctor. Her doctor told her that most likely she will gain that weight back and then ask if she will like a referral for gastric bypass. She said it was like a slap in the face. All I can say to you is to prove the naysayers wrong.

The truth is that a very large percentage of "diets" fail. Looking at statistics, one can understand her point of view. However, this is about changing the way we eat permanently. It is a lifestyle change we are making to become healthier and happier people. If that explanation doesn't satisfy her, then too bad.

Here are a couple of tips while you're there:
1. Eat your daily "real" meal before you go, the food there will look less appealing if you've already eaten.
2. Take your salad to eat while everyone else is eating
3. Take an extra shake, or a bar with you in case of emergency. If you are really thinking of caving in and cheating because the temptation is there, an extra shake/bar is much better and won't throw you out of ketosis.
4. Smile so everyone can see how great you feel

Good luck!!

Normally I ignore people like that. I am fortunate to have a very supportive group of family and friends. But I have ran into alot of negative people in my life when I was trying to be a more positive person and make a better me.

What I've learned from all of this is that those people are negative and unhappy with something in their life and take it out on other people trying to make positive changes. My personal opinion is that is something they need to work on and I just ignore them while doing my own thing. Its worked out in other aspects of life so I figure if I run into people like that while I'm on IP changing my lifestyle the same theory applies.

So basically take your salad and stick with it. Nothing more satisfying than proving people wrong.

I have had a lot of people criticize me for being on Ideal Protein. "It's so expensive! You can lose weight other ways! You looked great before!" You're going to gain the weight back as soon as you're off the diet!" And so on and so forth. Well, 25lbs later, a lot of the comments have stopped. At this point i view the cost of Ideal Protein as an investment in my future. The diet teaches you how to eat correctly. Yes, of course you will gain the weight back if you do not adhere to the guidelines. But i'm investing a great deal of time, effort and money into this and do not plan on gaining this weight back. I started Ideal Protein knowing that this would be a life-long lifestyle change. I'm sick and tired of being heavy and i want to be healthy.

So keep doing what you're doing! I've survived cook outs, parties, going out and girls nights out and remained on plan. It's going to be difficult at times, but you'll make it through. It will all be worth it in the end!

When I first told my parents I was going on the diet, my mother spent nearly an hour explaining how I was going to do permanent damage to my body by following this diet (heh, as opposed to the permanent damage I've been doing to it for years with my old eating habits). She told me it wouldn't work, that I was wasting a lot of money and would only end up following cravings and adding more weight.

I've been on IP since April. I go to family functions with a romaine salad and my own vegetables. I'll admit I envy watching the others eat foods I choose not to, but I've found I don't want the junk that's typically on the table and that I'm tempted by things like watermelon and grapes instead of a handful of Doritos. That's progress.

IP works, period. I feel better than I've felt in years. And I'm down nearly 70 lbs. since I started in April. There will always been the naysayers, but the proof is in the results. And with tangible results you've earned the right to tell the naysayers to kiss your steadily shrinking backside!

AMEN! on that one salesgod.

Some really GREAT posts on this thread! You guys are awesome... and dead on. When you get to the end, there will be no denying that you were right all along, and you won't even have to open your mouth. Just smile (okay, and maybe gloat a little) when people's jaws drop at the sight of the new, improved you. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is the best feeling in the world.

I love the standard.... lose it fast gain it back fast.... please tell me where that is proven.... or even... if you lose it slowly it wont come back as fast???. I love some of things people will say.... I have those that wont even comment on how I look.. I am sure as soon as I walk away swinging my little butt they are probably saying about how skinny I am, that I look sick or it is unhealthy. Yet I have never felt better!!!
BrittStar027- totally agree this is a small price to pay for health, I probably have spent more on junk food in my life than IP will ever cost me, actually I can guarantee that I have.
I have alot of negative nellys around me so I just keep smiling, I dont pass judgements on what they do nor do I try to explain it to them I just remember this is for me... this is for my future and my family and really thats what keeps me smiling.

I heard all these same things from some skinny family members over fathers day....it annoying...especially when they say things like you should just control your portions....it's annoying they make me feel like all I have been doing over the years is raiding the kitchen and stuffing anything I can find into my mouth....

It isn't easy losing weight and if it was then why isn't one of the richest ladies in the world thin!!!

I get that there is alot more to losing weight than just the diet...so yes this diet works and if we stay committed we will lose weight....like we have seen so many here do.

My tips on maintenance:

1. Deal with why you are over eating: boredom, depression, lonliness, family pressures. Try to over come this eating.

2. I read somewhere that once you are overweight you get extra fat cells. So when you lose weight, you will still have the extra fat cells but now they have shrunk...it is much easier for someone that was overweight to gain weight than someone that has not been. So exercise is the key. All of us that have been overweight if we really don't want to grow those fat cells again we need to watch our calories and exercise....I read that for people that were once overweight they should exercise 5 days/week for atleast 60 or90 minutes (can't recall)..

So all I can say is if you committ to losing, you can committ to keeping it off especially if you manage it.

We can do it!!!!

Congrats Wannabe IP on being within striking distance of your goal weight! What an accomplishment! I agree with you and BrittStar027 about IP being a small price to pay. When I started, I could literally only fit in two pairs of pants...everything else was too tight. I actually split a pair of pants trying to squeeze into them one morning - what a horrible, demoralizing experience! It would have cost me alot (financially and mentally/emotionally) to go out and buy a whole new "bigger" wardrobe. I think the choice to do IP has not only allowed me to lose weight, but it has made me more self confident (getting dressed in the morning and looking at myself in the mirror is something to look forward to now rather than to dread) and healthy (not only have I not had any migraines, but I'm eating more veggies than I ever have in my life). In addition, it has allowed me to find this forum and all you wonderful people here. To all the naysayers I have two clichés for you: Don't judge until you've walked a mile in my shoes AND If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Just tell them, you realize this diet might not be for everyone, but its something you are trying right now, and you would appreciate it if they respected that its something that is important to you. Make sure you give them a BIG SMILE when you say this, otherwise it might seem tooo *****y.

I agree with all the posts here. The one line I do use for people wondering what the heck I am doing when out in public, or for casual acquaintences, is that I tell them I am doing a cleanse. Since everyone out there seems to be doing one these days, it allows the subject to drop, and I don't have to explain myself to those who are not a regular part of my life.

As for close friends and family....IP is a quick way to find out who really supports you in your life. I have been really lucky to have a lot of support. There are a few out there though, who are not as pleasant. I just tell myself, that success is the only way to make my point...as let's get real, most of them are really listening to us anyway. You would be amazed what a smile and total silence can do in response to negativity

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. I'm glad I found this place!

It's frustrating to me because I don't know where it comes from.. if it's jealousy, or a lack of self-esteem on their part, or something else entirely. It doesn't matter I suppose, but I'm not the type to bring others down so it bothers me when other people do it. But I agree with all of you that the best way to deal with it is to stay strong, prove them wrong, and ignore the negativity.. but I do like the idea of telling them to kiss my steadily shrinking backside!

And congrats to all of you who have come so far!! It's great inspiration for a newbie like me.