I have been 100% since starting this diet on the 19th of April. On Monday I ate some pretzels(maybe 10 small) and a very small piece of my daughters birthday cake. I felt instant guilt the minute I did it. I am wondering how much damage I have done. I peed on a ketosis strip and it says trace amount. I have been 100% on plan since then.

Dispite what the IP diet book tells you fat loss is solely based on a caloric deficit. Not insulin, not ketosis, and not magic fairy dust.

So to determine how much damage you did take the number of calories ingested (sounds like about 150-200) and calculate how much longer you will have to get to your goal weight.

The answer is you did no damage, at all. Congrats on being so compliant.

Ketosis does not accelerate fat loss. See the laws of thermodynamics for a more detailed explaination.

Any diet that provides adequate protein intake protects LBM but even with adequate protein intake LBM loss is going to happen if calories are massively restricted long enough. "Long enough" depends on a variety of factors.

Oh JohnP, always stirring things up.

Who is this guy lol always lurking and always going against IPs baseline knowledge? Me think Johnnys in the wrong forum lol

I have to agree with JohnP to some extent. At 600-700 calories a day (typical IP range) you're going to lose weight. I think there is some validity to the so-called metabolic advantage of low-carb eating, but I'm no biology guru, so I'll leave the technical arguments to the experts.

Everyone here who has swallowed the IP Kool-Aid really should read more on the subject. Dr Tran presents only his narrow view, and some of his ideas are just a little odd. Expand your mind and check out Mike Eades, Mark Sisson, Lyle McDonald and Tom Venuto... just to name a few. Even ultra mainstream Dr Oz is starting to see the value of decreasing carbs. ;-)

Now, I don't deny that the protocol works... I lost 10 lbs over 2 weeks. HOWEVER, it was 2 of the worst weeks of my life.

I am going to answer based on personal experience rather than based on scientific data (although I am ususally a big fan of science in general).

For me, I have gone against protocol twice: once when my Father-in-law passed away and the other time on Mother's Day (I was not psychologically prepared due to my daughter getting ill and being very busy at work just prior and the holiday just sort of pounced on me without warning!).

Each of these instances represented a one-week stall (or delay if you will) in my weight loss. I did not really gain during that time but I did not lose as much as usual either (see weeks 4 and 7-8 in my signature). My "cheats" were small and never made me feel ill. However, I have heard of people (on this board) feeling quite ill (stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting) after consuming foods containing complex carbs and sugar suddenly without the gradual reintroduction of these foods in phases III and IV.

For me, by Mother's Day, I was quite fed-up with having to be on a diet at all and starting to obsess over what I was missing out on rather than on the positives that I was achieving through IP (weight loss, reduction in anxiety, no more insomnia, better complexion, better reaction to stress, no depression). Although I became more irritable when I went off protocol, the break actually did me good by making me focus on what I am doing, why I am doing it and what I really want to achieve and it remotivated me to "start over" and keep on going until I cross that finish line. I think I just had to get it out of my system, for better or for worse.

That said, I do not recommend cheating and I am trying my best not to!

It is my opinion that everybody is different and that each person will have to see for themselves, IF they fall off protocol, how their own body will react to going off plan and getting back on again. It may cause delays for some and it may not for others.

Good luck getting back on! I am sure it will all work out in the end! If you haven't already, I do recommend reading the IP diet book (you can find a link to an electronic version in the introductory post to each of the daily IP Chat threads).

Don't focus on "feeling guilty" as that will not get your anywhere. Just put it behind you and focus on doing better. Consider it as part of the learning process along this journey! Onwards and forward! ...and hopefully downwards with the pounds!!!

Ha! My "issue" is that the first two months I read a whole bunch of things about diet and exercise. Turns out that most of those things were wrong. Since then, I've been on a mission to educate people. Unfortunately this means I must often step on people's toes.

There may be a small metabolic advantage to low carb eating and there may not. If one does exist it is minor. However, this has nothing to do with why I posted on this thread. I posted here because the OP was concerned she had caused herself some harm due to Dr Tran and his failure to understand that ketosis does not matter.

I'm not sure where this is coming from. If I have caused offense than I apologize. Your thoughts on my motivation are entirely misguided.

I am the first to admit I am not an expert on this topic. To take it a step further I am delighted when I learn something new. On this site I have learned a lot one thing in particular from the poster known as Kaplods which really connected some puzzle peices in my head on a couple issues.

Having said that - what statements have I made that you feel I need to provide evidence or "proof" for?

I think some people need to go back and read this thread through. I would say JohnP was only trying to be helpful and encouraging to the originator of this thread, not to provoke people into hostility.

His ideas may not be what some people want to hear especially after spending so much money and time on the IP protocol.

Most people are lumped into 2 distinctive categories; the leaders and the led. This isn't just something I made up, you can look it up for yourselves. Those who lead tend to question the norm and need more evidence than just what 1 person says to make life altering changes. Those who are led are usually much happier following the 1 person who seems to make the most sense to them. Neither is better than the other, neither is "right". It's life, it's how we survive and get along (or not) and it can't be changed.

I welcome any and everyone's opinions. They are valid whether I agree with them or not.

Can't we all just try to get along?

Really - I've been doing this for 3 mts and I count calories too. I avg 1200-1300 a day and I'm losing. If you only ate 600-700 calories a day no wonder you were miserable.

How many of the people who responded to this post are actually familiar with or even using Ideal Protein??

Why would you try to comment on a diet you don't understand the dynamics of?

Anyone can have an issue with any type of diet. That happens frequently but, that doesn't mean it doesn't work. There are 27 yrs of history to this program. It does more than just cause people to lose weight. It is designed to correct several health issues that are connected with excess weight gain/obesity.

As for statements that ketosis doesn't accelerate fat loss, really? YOU should provide that proof. It would be interesting to know your supporting information. If valid, it might be useful to reeducate Harvard Medical School, Harvard school of Public Health, Bassett Research Institute, many other institutes of academia and research, and many misinformed physicians, nurses, and scientist.

You can dispute the efficacy of a diet but, some principles that have true biological basis can't be changed. Whether or not ketosis is healthy you may question rather easily. Whether or not it exists and impacts metabolic processes would be much more difficult to question, IMHO.

I've already pointed to the proof that ketosis does not accellerate fat loss. (Laws of thermodynamics) If you want to tell me that ketosis causes the body to bend the laws of physics than I would argue the burden of proof is on you, not me.

Understand, I'm not stating that ketosis offers no benefit. For many it enhances mood and energy levels. I did a short stint with a PSMF and when I went into ketosis for the first time it was like someone flipped the on switch. I felt much better and my hunger diminished. The only problem was my breath. Oh my ...

Since you asked I'll tell you. I'm not shy. I'm am somewhat familiar with the IP diet. It is a PSMF with phases to bring you eventually into maintinence. If one wants to lose weight fast I would personally suggest a different PSMF but one could do a lot worse than the IP diet. There are plenty of PSMF diets that are all liquid based or all supplement based and are far worse.

My personal OPINION on the IP diet is that
A) Dr Tran has faulty science in his book
B) It doesn't do a great job of educating dieters because of this faulty science (for example he dramatically overstates the importantance of ketosis)
C) Too many overpriced supplements

I don't know who these mysterious Harvard people are but I'm certain they are not arguing what you are suggesting they are. Give me a name or a link. I tried to google up what you're talking about but came up empty.

The fourth law, no doubt.

JohnP - I'm curious to know a few things.

1 - What other PSMF diets would you recommend.
2 - In a nutshell - what is the problem with IP in your mind?

thanks!