I responded with the best answer I could.
Time & Bellamack- I have been exercising since day 1 and I really feel like it has helped me. Sometimes when we exercise our muscles will retain water which is why you might show a gain on the scale the next day. This is especially true if you are sore after your workout. However, in the end, it should all equal out and you should show losses at the end of your week. I feel like exercise has enhanced my losses and has most certainly accelerated my inches lost. If you look at my lowest week of weight loss in my signature, it was the only week that I did not workout. Also, I am thinner now than I was the last time I was at this weight, which I feel is due to exercise.
If you enjoy exercising, you should do it. In the end, it is so healthy for you and you feel amazing when it is over!
And I might get blasted for saying this, but I truly believe IP saying not to exercise is a marketing ploy. If you have read Dr. Tran's book, you will know that he developed this program for ATHLETES. Do you really think he said to these athletes to stop working out??? I most certainly do not. For this level of athletes, it is their life. This is what they do, it is their job. They do this all day, every day. Do you really think they took 6 weeks off to do the Ideal Protein diet? Not me.
That being said, you really DO NOT need to exercise to lose weight on this diet. And I think that appeals to the masses. One step at a time. For most people needing this diet, it is more than enough work to follow the protocol without having to worry about getting in 30 minutes of daily exercise. So they maximize that. "Don't exercise, you will lose weight! In fact, we RECOMMEND that you DO NOT exercise!" Do you see how appealing that could sound to someone who has never exercised a day in their life? It is a great selling point.
Ok, I think it is time to step down from my soap box