Hello,

Last week, I cheated on my diet, then felt so bad and came back to follow the protocol to a T, doing bootcamp which means no restricted food at all, and this week I am surprised by the amount of weight I already lost and the week is not even over yet (it would be by Thursday, since I started on a Thursday) !

Is that normal? And if yes, I am thinking that it would not be a bad idea maybe taking a break for one day on a special occasion to go back to the protocol.

What are your thoughts?

I've heard that it helps some people but I'm too afraid to try. My luck, I'd gain.

Me too! I have thought about doing it though, just to get somethin' goin' on!

Ive cheated twice since i started and yes it did help to lose for the following week. Now that being said this is suppose to be a NON CHEAT DIET. Why they say ketosis and bla bla bla ( maybe true but i dont buy it ) The main reason i dont do it too often is that, this diet is very restrictive and its very hard to get back on the wagon once youve tasted food you really enjoy and been restrained for a while.

The fact that you have to get back in ketosis to lose again is hard for me to beleive. We all know the way you lose weight is the caloric calculator. When you burn more then you consume and thats the only way. Ketosis make you burn it faster YES but you will still lose if you eat less and spend more. ITS A FACT.

I think cheating on this diet is not good cuz its really hard to get back on track, being out of ketosis brings you back to the first week feeling with the hunger pain ( for me at least ) But besides that, i think that the stalling and ketosis will have to take a whole week to start loosing again is bull and a sell pitch from IP. They know if you cheat you will probably not continue the diet and therfore not buy any product. I beileve in this diet, this diet works, but one thing we all have to remember is this is a business and they must sell to survive. So advertising and selling stragegies is a big part of it too, and its totally normal. Now i know im going to get flame for my opinions but i stand by them.


Finally i just want to end on this note. I do not encourage cheating, but i dont agree with the scaring technics from IP. And secondly, i do love this diet cuz IT WORKS.

Thanks for reading and having an open mind about my opinion.

The cheat is a slippery slope, and am living proof of what Rooster says. I just cannot get back on track and, no, it didn't help me lose any weight.

Oh, and Rooster I totally agree.

It is totally individual. Some people benefit each time, some people have a rare improvement the week after, many people get totally off track for a period of time afterward.

I don't recommend it unless you have totally stopped losing.

Personally, I think the reason this is a no cheat diet is because of self-control, or lack thereof. I know that the problem for me is if I have one bite of something, then I'll have one more bite, then just one more, and before I know it, I've eaten the whole cake! It starts out as once a week, then every other day, then pretty soon I'm eating sweets every day.

Also, of course this is a business and they want to maximize profits, but that also means maximizing results. They need great results from all of their participants in order to sell the program to new customers. In the end, it's a win-win for everyone because they get more business, and we get skinnier and healthier!

You know what's funny..is I really don't buy the calorie in and calorie out theory any more. I've known too many ppl who have busted their butts to make this true, and do NOT lose weight, or change sizes so I don't buy the whole but they've gained muscle..as eventually they'd have to lose something, or at least change size!

So even though we all "Know" that...I don't buy it anymore!

It might be true that some people get a jump start on their losses after a cheat, I've never tried it. But one of the main reasons that this is a no-cheat diet is because this is a very low-calorie diet. If you are consuming less calories that are required to sustain your body your body will break down your muscle for fuel. If you are in ketosis, however, you will be using ketones as fuel instead of your muscles.
Every time you cheat and have to get back into ketosis you are sacrificing some muscle mass.
To have the amount of calories that we have in IP without being in ketosis would mean to be in a STARVATION diet.

I agree with this also. I also stand by the fact that I think that the "no exercise" rule is a selling tactic as well, but that is another discussion for another thread.

I also feel like cheating would be a slippery slope for me as well, which is why I haven't done it yet. I feel like a little bit here would add up to a little bit there and before you know it, it is a bite every day, etc... Bringing me right back to my old habits.

I also can't speak from the stand point of being at a stall. If I was not losing for a couple of weeks, I probably would give in to temptation just to try something different and shake things up. And out of sheer frustration.

i myself have cheated many times..and each time i have cheated along this journey.. i have picked myself back up and hopped back on board..i suppose my losses have been slower then others..but im averaging 3 pounds per week..and yes i agree..being in ketosis..definitly helps you deal with hunger issues better..cause your not hungry and dont crave..On the other hand..sometimes i find cheating for one day helps me to feel human and helps me to keep on going instead of dying for a taste of something and having it drive me crazy..That being said..if you arent strong enough to get back on the wagon after a cheat day..dont get off..cause it will be the end of you..and yes.. i find that it jumpstarts more weight loss..but how many pounds will you gain before you jumpstart it and have to lose all that hard work?

I agree with the cheating making it hard to get back on board. However, for me I also know that I can't get too low carb or I won't lose. As long as I stay 100 I can still lose a pound. My problem is staying on track. Like you I have cheated and lost but then I couldn't stop.

As far as exercise. I found I can not go hardcore. It stalls my weight. I can't do my full run, Zumba, etc but I can do Callanetics and light walking.

I have had occasional cheats (like every few weeks) and they have not affected me. I will say, it does bring on cravings and my cheats were very small. But if you do cheat, just remember not to give it all up but start over OP and not beat yourself up over it.

Just my 2 cents... the way I see it, IP is a no-cheat diet so that I can retrain my mind as well as my pancreas... over-indulgence is what got me into the shape I was in before IP, & over-indulgence anywhere along the journey could only get me back to that same shameful shape... at the very least, I'll slow my progress in the long run... I speak completely out of my own experience, I admit to way too many cheats in the past few months... the first 6 months, I didn't cheat at all & the weight just fell off... when I got lax & started thinking, maybe just a little (fill in the blank) won't hurt, the weight loss has slowed to a crawl... a cheat now & then MIGHT appear to speed up weight loss, & if it works for you without a problem, go for it... just be careful, it could backfire on you, in a sneaky way you aren't expecting...

hugs