The old Oops thread was closed because it was over 500 posts. Here is the new one!

Hopefully this is a place where we can share any food slips we have had and gain the support we need to focus on following a protocol to better health and weight loss.

Be warned, if you read any farther, you will be seeing discussions including foods and products that, although some may not take you out of ketosis, are NOT Ideal Protein compliant and may even include foods considered to be completely off plan.

For those of you that were following my weekend off in the old Oops thread, I promised a picture of all the snow we got the day I was out running around. I think we got 2 feet in 8 hours! Crazy!

So, as a followup thought for this crazy weekend - I realized today as we were driving home that everything I ate didn't live up to the hype in my head (except for the chocolate cake). I mean, it was okay, but I realized when I was eating it that I've found a way to make something similar to things that I've been missing and I'm liking my food more than the stuff that I "can't" have any more. But that eggnog latte was excellent... I'm glad to be home and back on program.

That is some serious snow! Glad you made it home safe and sound.

Arrrrrrg! Bad snow; great NSV. If it's any consolation, it's rainy and cold here. Well, tough, you say. You're right, of course. But at least you guys have furnaces.

Good morning everyone. I am having a really hard time staying on protocol. I had a gain last week after a weekend trip. I had planned to go off for the weekend. Just not as bad as I did. I keep telling myself that I want to stop IP until the first of the year and start a new. The other side tells me to stick with it through the holidays. I don't think I can stay on plan during the holidays. I am so close to goal. What do you think? If I could just stay at the same weight and not gain and hit it hard the first of the year, I would be very pleased. Am I nuts for doing so?

I think that you know yourself better than anyone. It seems to me that if you stayed on program and didn't deviate, you'd be AT goal by the first of the year. But if you know that you aren't going to be able to stick to it this close to the end, then it seems pointless to waste the money (and continually beat yourself up) to try to stay on program when you won't. This close to the end, you KNOW how you should be eating as you move towards maintenance - if you can discipline yourself to not go nuts and accept that there might be some gain (liver building up glycogen stores again, water weight, etc), then go for it. Just don't undo everything you've just worked for 3.5 months on!

You are only accountable to yourself - don't worry about what everyone else thinks. The other thing to remember is what Carla has mentioned before about sometimes there just being one golden chance to kick your body into ketosis and that for some people, it may be very difficult to achieve that again. It might be harder for you when you go back in January - are you okay with that?

If you read the last two pages of the last Oops thread, you'll see that I just took this last weekend off. I enjoyed it, but realized that I didn't miss the "no-no foods" as much as I thought that I did. Knowing that keeps me commited through this last holiday push.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck! See you back in January. Drink your water!

I too have been doing IP since Aug. I have chosen (in full agreement with my coach) to phase off IP for the holidays. I am currently in PIII and will go to PIV on Dec. 22. I chose this because 1. I wanted to enjoy the holidays and all the food that comes with it without having any "cheating" guilt and 2. because I found myself getting bored with IP. I was slowing down in weight loss and getting tired of the same food all the time. I found myself fantasizing about eating 'real' food and wanting to share in what my family was eating for meals. For me, that was a set-up for failure. If I started to cheat here and there then I would be able to rationalize any cheat. I need a break.

I plan to re-start IP in Jan. (exact date undecided) and I hope to have re-energized my desire to be at my goal weight. I gotta admit I'm also hoping to get that 'jump-start' I had on my first week of IP.

If you do decide to take a break, be sure to phase off. Don't just jump off because the shock to your pancreas will guarantee a weight gain. If you decide to push through this tough time, then I wish you the best of luck. You will be finished before me.

So, is it bad if I don't feel like **** yet? :-)

I never did.

I lost it last night. Had my first "munch" attack.
My bf and I went to a spahgetti dinner at friend's last night. I took grated cauliflower and brocoli for the sauce instead of eating pasta. I had a salad before we went so I would not walk in hungry and eat all the cheese and crackers etc. I was pleasantly surprised to find homemade pickled aspargus that I had 2 spears of. There were only 6 of us for dinner and between 4 people, bf does not drink wine, they went through 6 bottles of wonderful wines I did not have a drop and my friends are all very supportive and didn't even try to talk me into it. The hostess even took my salad portion out before she put white basalmic dressing on it. I felt great and did well.
Thennnnnnnnnnnnnnn I came home...........I had my caramel nut bar for my night time protein, I had hot yoga this am so I have a restricted the night before to have the carb boost for 6 am hot yoga. Bar was a good treat to have after watching everyone eat chocolate lava cake. thennnnnnnnnn i had pork rinds! 1 serving. 1.5 gr of fat, some sodium (which does not seem to much effect on me fortunately) 0 carbs. 0 sugar. So it could have been far worse but still! I wasn't HUNGRY! ggrrr. well I have been a good girl today and I figure I burned off the fat in sweat at hot yoga. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it) haha

I spent most of the day yesterday thinking about going off plan for awhile. So much to think over. Well, this morning I have come to the decision to stay on protocol during the holidays. I have come this far and need to finish. I'm afraid that if I go off, I will never get back on it. Pretty sure I would gain if I went off and once I started gaining, who knows where it would end. I'm sure I would find some excuse to have just that extra cookie, that extra glass of wine and before I knew it, I would be right back where I started in August.

I know this is going to be hard, but with everyone's support that I have on this forum, I can do it. Thanks for listening! Oh, and by the way, weighed in yesterday and am back to where I was before my St. Louis trip that started me thinking of going off protocol.

Good for you! I'm glad you have made a decision you feel good about. Your right, the support here will help you get through.

Great advice! Thank you say restating what I said so well.

With that "golden shot" concept, it isn't that you can't ever get into ketosis again, it is that some people adapt so well when they cheat and then try to come back, their body is ready for the shift, less shocked and doesn't go through the same initial phase of loss, it immediately operates as it did by supplying some its own sugars from protein so, it takes a bit longer and a bit more effort for those people to go the next round. Again, you can do it, it just is a bit more challenging.

WHAT? Why would you want to or even think you should feel like ****? Is this because of a cheat or just the diet in general?

Good CHOICE! That is exactly what it is AND, what you are going through is part of the commitment process.

Making these choices is a way of affirming our commitment. It is called "IMPROVING". Commitment is a multistage thing. We always have to decide and then act to keep our commitment.

You just proved you are still committed and able to meet your original goals without change or modification. THAT is truly an excellent NSV!

Had my first break, I have been in thrawled in finals at school. I went to get an IP pack but instead grabbed the Peanut butter, one of my most favorit foods, Had about two tbls spoons and then felt quilty. I can't wait afor this week to be over. In the past I would be snacking while I studied for finals and other test, this time I was doing pretty good. I have decided that for the holidays I am not going to cheat, I will consider this my Holiday cheat. Whis me strenght to over come stress eating during finals. :-)

I just thought that after my weekend off, I would go through the same feelings I did when I first started the program i.e. ****. :-) I was expecting to feel the way I did on days 1 & 2 where I was climbing the wall and hungry and irritable. I haven't felt that at all since getting back on on Sunday afternoon. I don't want to feel like ****, I was just expecting to!