Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnP
In my opinion this is not the ideal diet for a number of reasons. None of these reasons mean the IP diet doesn't work. It works. The IP diet is a PSMF and if you follow it you lose weight and you lose it fast, just like any other PSMF. While some people on this forum thik PSMFs are a bad idea I think they can be extremely useful in particular for people who have 100 lbs of fat or more to lose.
Here are the reasons I don't think the IP diet is ideal list most important to least important.
Again - this is my opinion but it is based on having spent literally over a thousand hours reading about human physiology and psychology in the specific context of losing fat and keeping it off.
1) It doesn't educate you on how fat loss works (caloric deficit) but instead explains it is a matter of insulin and ketosis. This long term is extremely detrimental in my opinion to long term maintience. The result is reliance on the IP diet. In my opinion this is by design. If you don't teach people to fish ... you can keep selling them fish.
2) It is too reliant on protein shakes instead of whole foods. Long term weight loss is acheived by permanent alteration of ones habits. Drinking calories gives you very bad bang for the buck.
3) IP coaches are a mixed bag. You might get a great one but you might get a really poor one. From what I have read there is also a wide varience on what coaches say you can and can't do. (See reason 1)
4) IP diet is expensive to be on and the supplements are expensive.
All of these are fairly easily fixed except #4 but in my opinion if the first three were fixed #4 wouldn't be an issue because there would be much greater value. There are many other reasons I don't feel it is ideal but they're all related to the top 4.
When I reccomend a PSMF I suggest people follow Lyle Mcdonald's Rapid Fat Loss. None of my top four reasons apply to it although you don't have any in person accountability, only online support via his forum.
I have to disagree on some of your points. I'm not sure if I understand what you are saying in regards to #1. Are you stating that you believe that remaining in ketosis is dangerous long term? If so I would argue that point strongly, but I will not take that on at this point as I'm not sure exactly what you mean by your statement.
Point#2. Each phase introduces another whole food meal that the dieter must make for themselves, so this is not just drink a shake for breakfast, lunch and dinner type of diet, and you're done. Through the phases, as one drops the IP food step by step they learn to add another healthy whole meals till all of the meals are made by the dieter. In this case I don't think your fish tale holds up because the dieter is taught to fish, just step by step.
Point #3: I do agree that I think the way some coaches are trained is very sloppy between their lack of knowledge and training. However even among the experts there are varying opinions on the proper way to lose weight, maintain and foods to choose from for proper weight loss. No perfect solution with so many opinions out there.
Point #4: Yes the prices are very expensive, however if one chooses to buy the food and spend the money, then who is to judge if they have spent too much money if the they are losing body fat and improving their health in the process.
I have one question for you... are you really 6'9? You are one tall guy.