Hi! My husband and I are going to start the IP diet (well, we're actually going "rogue" and going to use alternatives rather than IP). I'm nervous about it as I have a huge addiction to chocolate and sweets, but that is one reason I'm doing it. I'd really like to kill the cravings. I'm afraid if I keep gaining weight and eating the junk I've been eating I may even become diabetic.

I've been lurking on the forums for the past couple days, and have started a menu and grocery list. I have a few questions for those of you who are experienced with this diet.

1. My husband is doing this to kick the sugar habit as well, but he doesn't really need to lose weight (he's about 6'2" and maybe 185 lbs?). Does he need to do phase 1? Should he move right into the maintenance phase? I'm assuming he should go through all the phases so his body goes into ketosis.

2. I've seen some people who go through all four phases, then start back on phase 1 to lose more weight. I'm trying to lose about 40 - 45 pounds (I'm 5'5" and about 190 lbs). Should I try to do that all at once?

3. Are we fools for trying to do this without a coach? We are on a very tight budget, so we can't afford the IP products. The closest coaches are about an hour away, and it seems they're really just product salespeople. Is this forum a good place for us to get advice? (By the way, I am planning on making an appointment with my doctor and bring all the info about the diet so she can see what I'm doing and give me her opinion).

4. For those of you with kids, do they eat what you eat? Our kids have always eaten the same as us, so I'm wondering how to work around this diet. I'm thinking for breakfast they'll have to do their own thing, but lunch and dinner they can eat the veggies/meat with us and maybe we can add fruit/grain/dairy. Any recipe ideas would be very helpful.

Hmmm...that's all I can think of for now. Thanks in advance for any advice!

There is enough support here where you can get all the support you need. You don't need a coach but you have to be strict with yourself and keep control. Alternative are very affordable with a variety of selections.

1. I would suggest he do the Maintanence part since he really doesn't need to lose any weight. Once you start introducing "food" back into your system you are knocked out of ketosis anyways.

2. Do it all at once, if you have been reading the threads there is a thread called "hardtime restarting". Once you get off its hard to get back on. I have been on the program now for 34 weeks and have loss 115lbs, I still have a ways to go and plan on going until the end. No cheating has happened so far.

3. On this site you have a variety of people on IP and that are doing Alternatives. There is a thread for IP alternatives, and I believe there are recipes there just not 100% sure.

4. Cut the carbs out for the kids, have them eat the veggies just like you and your hubby will do. If you cut the carbs and sugars out of your diet you will see a difference. We are allowed some carbs and some sugars just not a lot of them.

Best advice is if you have any snacks or munchies in the house get rid of them as best you can. Stick to the program 100% and you will see results. If there is anything I can help you with just let me know...Lisa

Lisa gave you some great advice. Like she said, don't stop till you are all done loosing weight. It's just very hard to pick up again from where you left off. I hope your doctor agrees with this diet. I know for me, my oncologist was the one who told me about this plan. She lost about 60 pounds on it and now recommends it to all of her patients who need to loose. She loves the science behind the diet.

I have a wonderful coach who is very knowledgeable about IP. However if I couldn't afford the plan I would then do it on my own like you plan to. There is enough support on this board and enough information here to make this doable with the alternatives.

My husband (who doesn't need to lose weight) and my youngest child (13yrs) eat what my daughter (she is also on the plan) and I both eat for dinner. I will give my son a glass of milk with his dinner as he is a growing teenager of course. I don't have junk food in the house and I generally keep healthy non processed foods in the house whenever possible.

Good luck to both you and your husband and stop here often for support and advice.

Hello everyone! Looking forward to joining this group. I started on my own and lost 5 1bs since Monday. The sugar cravings are starting to finally go away.

My question is are you supposed to do any kind of exercise on this diet?

Thanks for the advice. I probably should have mentioned - my kids are toddlers, 21 months and 4 years. I'll definitely cut back on sugar and refined/processed foods, but I think they should be fine doing the "maintenance" phase with my husband, just with a bit more dairy. Just trying to figure it out for all of us without having to prepare a lot of different meals for everyone.

I've printed off the four phases, and have printed further info for phases 3 and 4, but I have a few more questions.

1) How much protein (in grams) are we required to have each day? And what is the max for carbs (per serving or per day)? I've seen on these forums where people will say "that's too many carbs for IP," but I'm not sure where the cutoff is - for unrestricted, restricted, and not allowed. Same with fat. I know we're to have 1-2 tsp of olive oil, but what about percentage of fat in the meat we are eating?

2) Are most of the alternative foods found online? I have seen info for Lindora and Nashua and some others, but I'm trying to figure out if there are some things I can purchase at our grocery store or GNC.

I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future, but thank you all for making me feel welcome!

I have attached 2 PDF files of nutritional values of IP packets so that you can see how many carbs are in each packet and go from there. I really don't know how many carbs we are suppose to have. I believe its around 30-40grams per day. I just eat my packets and don't worry about it because its all figured out for me already. I eat 2 non restricted and one restricted a day. As far as the oil goes, its 2tsp it doesn't matter how much oil is in the meat or other things you eat that have oil. Sometimes I have more than the 2tsp sometimes I don't have all of it, just depends what I am cooking at the moment.

If you want a lot of variety like IP has you will find most of them online but you can find like the EAS carb control shakes, Pure protein bars at walmart or Sam's or Costco. We have also had some use the Atkin's products in the place of IP packets. Have you looked at the Alternative thread, lots of information and comparative items there.

Send me a private message and I will send you a comparative spreadsheet of items. It won't let me post it here

Wuv, you said, do it all at once because it's hard to start up again. I was thinking about staying on IP until April and then transitioning off in May so that I can have the summer off. Then planning to use alternatives beginning in the fall and doing it on my own to lose whatever amount of weight I still need to lose. My coach said it's not hard to get re-started. Do most people find it difficult to do it again?

From what I have read people find it difficult, read some of the thread hardtime restarting....they would have more insight to this than I would. I am not stopping until I am done!

As one of those that lost a lot and then restarted... do it all at once. I was completely dedicated the first time around and it's just much harder to start over.45-50 pounds is easily losable by summer. I had a lot more to lose and lost that much in the first couple of months. Dedication is the key and since you are already budget conscious, remember that a single cheat costs you money when it throws you out of ketosis.

Totally have to agree about staying on till you are finished. Sadly I speak from experience in regards to other diets I have been on. It's just never the same the second time around. It's for this very reason I am staying OP when I go on a cruise in late February. I will still have a ways to go at that point and there is no way I will risk my success till I'm done and ready for maintenance. And to be honest, I think your coach was wrong to give you that bit of information. Some will have no problems getting right back OP, but I'm betting they are the exception rather than the rule. Besides, with what you have to loose, it will be gone before summer as long as you stay OP.

Well, we bought a new scale tonight, and it turns out my husband weighs a bit more than he thought! So, he is going to try Phase 1 with me, he wants to lose about 15 pounds.

I think this will be great for my whole family. I'm thinking my daughter will benefit - she actually needs to gain some weight (she's 4 years and 37 pounds). I think the added protein will help with that. I read through the list of veggies I could have, and she was glad to see that there was asparagus on there. I haven't told her I'm trying to lose weight, but I have said that our whole family is going to start eating healthier. We each have our own goals, but we're doing it all together. I'm kind of excited to start. Is that weird?

Could you send it to me too!! I tried to PM you but I haven't made enough posts. Congrats on you weight loss, you are a true inspiration.

Thank-you
Hugs Cindy xxoo


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It's not weird, it's good. It's great that you want help your daughter eat healthier. I would watch that she doesn't have problems from constipation from the extra protein and make sure she's also getting some fruits and nuts in there. Fruits are a great source of fiber and the nuts provide healthy fat. Avocado would also be good for her. There are some great recipe books called Make it Paleo and Everyday Paleo that have recipes for the whole family that are close to IP so that you and your husband can do it, but would give your daughter what she needs as well.

Not weird at all. This was the first diet (and there have been a ton of them) that I was really excited to start. I think it must be a good sign. LOL.