I ordered the plan on a whim before I completely understood what it really was. I am truthfully not a big fan of diets that put me into "kitosis" which this one will. But I do want to lose as much weight in the next 6 weeks as I can (getting married in the middle of February.) And I do like that the plan requires you to eat a lot of vegetables (albeit low carb veggies only.) So I think I will give it a try.

But here are a few concerns:

1) My fiance makes his famous steak and potatoes every Sunday for dinner. Am I not allowed to eat potatoes at all? Lately he has been putting bacon and mushrooms in them and he steams them and adds seasoning salt to them. They are AMAZING and actually low in fat (when he doesn't add bacon.) Will it hurt my progress if I eat just a small portion of potatoes once a week? He will feel bad if I can't eat them, especially since I rave about them and he is proud to contribute to the cooking each week.

2) Do you measure the ounces of meat before cooking or after? I am assuming after, but I am not accustomed to measuring and weighing food, so I want to double check.

3) No dairy at all on phase 1, right? I typically eat 3 meals a day and have a couple of snacks (nuts or string cheese or something else protein based and easy...) I will miss my string cheese soooo much.

4) I try to avoid eating after 7 at night. Is it okay NOT to eat the last snack before bed? I have seen many references to eating a snack at 8 p.m. or so. Can I continue to eat my 3 meals and 2 snack regime?

I am looking to lose about 25-30 pounds and once it is off, I will probably go back to my typical eating plan with a few modifications based on IP that I think I am going to like...

I will eat protein for all snacks and meals with unlimited veggies (including starchy veggies) and no added sugar (naturally occurring sugar is fine, but no processed sugar) and no white flour (whole grain flour is okay, ground corn, ground oats, whole wheat, rice flour, etc.) but always eat it with protein (meat, beans, cheese, peas, eggs, etc.) And I can eat small amounts of artificial sweeteners and stuff flavored with honey or agave syrup are ok. If I follow this plan I can maintain my weight. It has just been the last couple of months of STRESS that got me off my normal eating regime (I have been binging on all the no-nos) and I have stopped running due to time constraints till after the wedding. Bleh!

I love the advice you guys are giving. I am hoping this will be a good plan, although it may not be a permanent change for me.

1) No potatoes at all. Why would your fiance feel bad about you not eating his potatoes? He would know your on IP, and should support you in your weight loss.

2) Weigh your meat before cooking.

3) No dairy at all.

4) I eat my snack mid-afternoon. I was not told by my coach that I had to eat my snack before bed.

3 meals and 2 snacks? The IP protocol is 3 meal replacements and 5 oz of lean meat or 7 oz of seafood per day. With your lunch and dinner, you eat unlimited lettuce and 2 cups of approved veggies. I sometimes eat my meat for lunch instead of dinner. Plus supplements.

Do you have a coach who you are doing this program through? They should be able to provide you with your answers to these questions...

1.) No potatoes at all - yes, a small serving once a week is a big deal as potatoes are pure starch and starch is sugar. It will kick you out of ketosis and hinder your weight loss. It's only 6 weeks - you can do it!

2.) Some coaches say measuring the meat before you cook it, some say measure after. Check with your coach to see what they say.

3.) No dairy, no nuts. Both are high in fat and will also hinder your weight loss.

4.) You can eat your snack in the afternoon if you want, or anytime really. You don't HAVE to eat it at night. If you are used to having 3 meals and 2 snacks though, I would plan on having some of your 4 cups of veggies as one of your snacks or splitting your snack packet between the two, rather than having 4 packets. At the weight you have in your profile, I suspect that you probably don't need 4 packets, or at least you won't after the first week (if you use 4 the first week - some coaches advise this).

Hi Bethilda 1,
I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses. My two cents:
*If you want to get optimal results, you can't cheat - stick exactly to protocol, which means no potatoes, cheese, etc. It's not forever, your fiance should understand if you have to forgo the potatoes for a few weeks.
*The IP diet itself is not a permanent change, it's a series of controlled steps that help us relearn healthy eating habits. It looks like you have pretty good habits already, aside from the binging of the no-no's - so it may not be as much of a struggle as you think. Once we get into Phase 4 we're entirely on our own for food choices.
*Good luck to you and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

A lot of us are making mashed potatoes with cauliflower, celiac root, or turnips. I'm not sure what your fiance is putting into the potatoes.. but see if he is willing to make them with one of the approved vegetables... you might even like it better then potatoes!

You will find that everyone on this site is very supportive and often times there is appropriate "tough love " too...so here goes........
It definately seems that you are on the fence about IP. I myself had my own issues with what I called "pre-packaged diets". IP WORKS!! BUT only if you commit to the plan. It seems like you are not ready to commit 100%. I read several......."I want to lose the weight.......but.........." For IP to work you need to remove "but" from the vocab. I understand not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings.........I would hope that the important people in your life would not get their feelings hurt over not wanting to eat a potato. As mentioned there are great alternatives to potatoes that those on IP eat. My suggestion is ........... to commit to the plan before you fork out the money it is not inexpensive.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I agree with the advice you have already been given. If you want to lose the weight in the time you have allotted, then this is definitely the plan to do it. However, you can't cheat! You have to fully commit to the program. Potatoes are a definite no and cheese is hard to give up (I'm a cheesestring addict myself) but so worth it! You don't have to have your snack before bed but a lot of people find that they get hungry in the evening or feel "starved" in the morning if they go more than 10hrs without eating.

Congratulations on the pending wedding and best of luck in whatever you decide about IP.

ladyvrod said it well - IP works great - if you commit to it! Part of the program (I think the best part) is how it can help you relearn how we should be eating to stay healthy and at a good weight for ourselves. Best results come from NO cheating - trying some new veggies in creative ways and having strong support people around you. My family was the best - they have even learned how to eat healthier!