So I've been on IP for a while, and I have to admit I'm getting bored. My boss brought in donuts this morning, and I was actually tempted to have one. Mind you, I've vowed never to eat another donut, even as a cheat, just because they're so worthless. I didn't really want one. My only reason for being tempted was because I'm bored.

I've tried almost all of the phase I foods, and I tend to gravitate to my favorites. So I guess some of the boredom comes from the repetitiveness of the meals, but that's only part of it. It's not just about the lack of variety. I think it's generally just the routine nature of things. Eat breakfast, take my vitamins. Eat my salad and veggies for lunch. I get creative at dinner (last night was halibut, and it was fantastic). I pop my vitamins and have my snack. Everything's going fine. I'm still losing. I'm just bored.

Part of me wants to cheat just because having to get back into ketosis would be a change from the routine. I have a WI tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to it. In fact, I'm not sure what to think.

Advice?

What if you had your protein for lunch instead of dinner? could that change it up a little for you?

You've done an amazing job, you've lost over 90 pounds! I understand the boredom - I got that way with IP too. Are you mixing up your salad dressings and veggies? Try mixing up your IP foods, too - stray away from your favorites. You may discover something that you didn't like earlier may taste good now (happened to me).

As for cheating....I did it. (went on vacation). It was hard as heck to get back in the game afterwards. It's a slippery slope. Maybe you have more willpower than I do, though!

Talk to your IP counselor when you weigh in, maybe they will have better advice for you.

I think this is understandable. You have come a long way. I have been feeling that way lately too. Been dreaming about cheating...but have not yet slipped... I am afraid if I slip I will go into a carb coma.... Think about what you have accomplished so far and get away from what is tempting you. I made some of the soup from the recipe section and it helped me with being bored with my veggie selection....hang in there.... you have already shown that you can do this!!!!

Have you considered following JoshB's lead and taking a break from IP? As in, phase out in an orderly fashion, maintain for a time, then come back when your head is in the game? Could give you the kick start you need.

Just putting it out there...

cheating for the challenge of getting back into ketosis or to change up your routine is a dangerous path to be considering. Yep, the plan gets boring. No doubt about it, but what are you going to do if you get bored on the the next phase? Take time to look at what's going on in your life. You've lost a ton of weight - how has this carried over to your job/personal life. Maybe instead of cheating to shake things up, what about changing your exercise routine (or adding one if you don't already). Or try a new hobby. Or volunteer somewhere. I know, none of these suggestions have anything to do with the boring food issue, but it's worth thinking about. Just don't cheat - you've come ssssssssssooooooooooooo far! Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yeah, I've given that some thought and was actually going to discuss it with my coach tomorrow, as I have some things coming up in September that will make it really difficult to stay on protocol. The dilemma is whether it's worth phasing off for a while or hanging in and reaching my goal sooner.


I've had a couple of cheat meals since I started. I took my wife to a fantastic dinner for our anniversary, and I celebrated Swedish midsummer in June. Both times, I jumped right back into Phase I and got right back into ketosis.

But I want to stress this: This isn't about a desire to cheat. This isn't about carb cravings. This isn't about that I can't stand IP food anymore.

I consider myself an experimental chef. I take a fair amount of culinary risks in the hopes that what I come up with will be great. For example, I made a fantastic meal this past week with, of all things, ground shrimp. My coach is always curious about what I've come up with from week to week. I've been very creative with the program.

So it's not that I feel something's missing or that I don't have enough variety. And it's not that other areas of my life are overly routine. I'm just in some sort of boredom rut.

This is why I think a break could do you a world of good...

I agree with Novak. A break might do you good.

It is nice that you can cheat and so easily drop back into ketosis. MANY people can't. In fact, for many people, once they have that first cheat they can never get back on program the same way.

You wouldn't want to making cheating a habit, at least, not until phase 4!

You could just phase out for some variation, stay on phase 4 for a short while (a few weeks or a month) and then back to phase 1. If you do it the right way, you get a strategic break for about 6 weeks. I bet you would still be losing through out and enjoying the changes a bit more.

There is NO WAY around it. Phase 1 for months on end becomes boring. You can get as creative as possible with meals but, the truth is, it is the same foods in different presentation. NOW, if you had said, I am not a good cook, I have been doing the same thing/meal/method of prep over and over again, we could have explored ways to make the food more fun. You are a good experimenter and I doubt you have been forced to have the same meal many times in a row.

I LOVE to cook. I am not having issue with the IP foods. They are quite good. I love the healthy foods too. I MISS cooking. I miss cooking with the carefreeness I used to have. Trying to modify every recipe is sometimes too challenging.

Maybe switching phases will get your creative juices going as you learn how to cook and manipulate the food elements for each phase.

In the 4 months I've been on IP, I've cheated twice. Both were planned in advance and my coach was aware that it was going to happen. Let's face it. There are some situations where you just can't follow the protocol to the letter. And there are some situations where you can modify your intake (meat/fish for lunch instead of dinner, for example). And, while I didn't have a problem getting back into ketosis, it takes time to get back into ketosis and it's not a particularly enjoyable process. This is one of the main reasons I've avoided the cheats. At the same time, the cheats I have had have been very rewarding psychologically. It's nice to feel "normal" from time to time. And it's nice to enjoy foods that have been forbidden as a way of recognizing one's progress. All of that said, I'm not an advocate of cheating -- it should be avoided at all costs.

I'm starting to wonder if one of the causes of my boredom is that my initial weight loss was very rapid, and after 4 weeks it's become relatively steady. I fully expect to go to WI tomorrow and to be down another 5-6 lbs., as I have been for weeks now. By those calculations, I'm about 10 weeks from Phase 2 (assuming no change). To phase out now, when I'm so close, seems silly. But to not have a planned cheat between now and then, especially since I'm responsible for the organizing some social functions in September in which I'll be taking part, but will have no control over the menu, is going to be difficult.

I will, of course, be discussing it with my coach tomorrow. I expect she'll be supportive of whatever I choose to do. If you have any other thoughts let me know. I'll be sure to bump this thread tomorrow after my WI.

It's tough for me to say what I'd do. I just put my head down and burned through as fast as I could. It took me under 4 months to reach goal, but since I'm a woman, that was only 50+ pounds. So if you say you only need ten more weeks, I understand wanting to just get it done. But you've also got a lot more time to spend on IP than I did, so Carla is probably a better analog for your situation than I am.

Still, if your head isn't in the game, a break could help you get that back. And with the time you've given your body to adapt, I suspect you would drop the remaining weight pretty quickly...

It's a personal call... not sure you can go wrong either way. Good luck.

I've got a "gray market" idea. You'll probably continue to lose on Phase 2. So many of the people posting here have. Why not do a couple weeks of IP Phase 2 by the book and then continue with a sufficient protein, low carb, and sufficient fat program for a few weeks. That way you'll have some variety but stay in ketosis. There are a couple of other forums on 3FC that might be helpful (Primal, Atkins particularly the Ongoing Weight Loss phase)

Then, when after you've had the variety and are ready to recommit to the short-term boredom, go back to Phase 1, lose the last pounds and phase out as intended.

When I've cheated -- granted I've been on IP for only 4 weeks -- I've cheated with fats by adding an egg to the omelet, using butter to sauté mushrooms, or an extra teaspoon of olive oil. In terms of brain chemistry, you get the same beta-endorphin hit from fats as you do from refined carbs, though it is a little slower.

See what arrangements you can make in advance for the special events. If the events are in a restaurant or commercial food service provider and you're willing to go out on a limb a bit, saying you need food suitable for someone with "Gluten sensitivities" and "Celiac disease" will get you food you can eat.

Good luck! I'm curious about how you'll play this.

There are worse things than being bored.

I would say you've got the seven-year-itch in diet form. I'm very glad to hear you talking about being bored and wanting to cheat in terms of FOOD, and still enjoying taking your wife out to eat.

I think a break might not be such a bad idea. You're not breaking any vows, for one thing. Better to stray in a relatively harmless area of your life.

I think you've done an amazing job. I was very happy to find you here, as I'm putting my husband on the diet tomorrow, and you've given me an idea of what it's like for a man to be on it.

Best of luck, and stick around, whether you're technically still on IP or not. You're good company.

I didn't get on the boards yesterday so was catching up this morning. The first thing that caught my eye was your weight loss ticker Dave. I thought "Holy Poop" look at him go!! Fanatastic job. It is no wonder you feel bored though. It gets extremely monotonous. Prior to IP my hobby was preparing gourment meals for my extended family. I must say I was pretty good and had a real flair for flavour fusion. IP products are okay but certainly don't compare to real food!

I think you have to weigh out your choices. If your head is in it and you are still losing weight, bear down and stick it out. But, if you really had enough then think about moving into phase 2 for a while and see if that satisfies your need for a bit of variety. If phase 2 doesn't help I would consider phasing off (following protocol) and staying in phase 4 for a while. There is nothing wrong with taking a break!

Good luck to you.

It seems like your dilemma is really about speeding to your "goal" as opposed to enjoying the journey. Consider if altering your diet some and extending the time to goal will make the trip more exciting and fun. Possibly your rapid weight loss is coming on a bit too fast and you are not yet caught up mentally with what is happening physically. Maybe examine what about your current trek is making it boring.????