[summersbluepits]

I am doing great on this diet, haven't checked in very much! I'm down 17 pounds since August 26th. I know that sounds great but I'd like to lose a little faster. I'm thinking of doing Phase 1 again, since I have so much weight to lose. I need another 20 gone by Christmas. Would it be okay to do that? Thanks for the help! I am working out an hour a day, and feeling better than I have in years.

[SusanMay]

The purpose of Phase 1 is to eliminate your carb cravings. If that is taken care of, there really isn't a need to go back. A good amount of the weight you lost in P1 was water weight. If you've been following P2 since then, there is a good chance that you won't lose any more weight by going back to P1 than you would by staying in P2.

For heathy weight loss, you shouldn't be losing more than 1-2 lb. a week. 17 lb. is an amazing weight loss, and you should be proud of yourself for that. I think that if there was some magic way to lose more weight faster, we all would be doing it!

Also, keep in mind, with working out for an hour a day, you are building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. It will come off, just give it time.

If you are seeing stalls, check your portions. It is recommended that you limit your cheese to 2 oz. per day now. I know that nuts are something that I can easily overeat on, and they are very calorie dense, so make sure you are staying in your nut allowance. Also, check your protein amounts. 3-4 oz. of protein at lunch and dinner is a serving, and though it is technically unlimited, it is something that I try to keep to a serving.

Be prepared for ups and downs. This summer I went almost 5 weeks without seeing the scale move. Plateaus are normal, and sometimes your body needs to adjust. Hope this helps!!

[murphmitch]

For most of us, repeating Phase II does not result in the same weight loss as when we initially did it, so you may be disappointed if you try this. I only go back on Phase I if having cravings or I have overindulged on bad carbs.

[zeffryn]

Before going back on Phase 1, I would change up your cardio and make sure that you are incorporating strength training 2-3x per week. If you were walking, try upping the pace and the incline, running? try some sprints. Your body gets used to the exercise you do and eventually will burn fewer calories doing that exercise.

[summersbluepits]

Thanx guys. I will give it a couple more weeks. I am not doing any strength training maybe I will try that. I don't think I lost water weight because I had been on Zone for a few weeks prior, so I was already eating healthy. But it's possible I guess. I am swimming several days a week (which is DESTROYING my hair), treadmill a couple days a week, and one step class, which I can't quite finish yet LOL. But I feel great! I am having a horrible time sleeping though thanks to hormones which I hear hinders weight loss. I'm getting about 4 hours a night. It toally freakin' sucks.

[summersbluepits]

I think I am over eating the nuts BTW. I eat a ton of pistachio's. Maybe I should watch that better. I over do the cheese too I'm sure.

[zeffryn]

Have you looked into seeing a doctor about that imbalance? 4 hours a night is going to be detrimental to a lot of your body systems, not just weight loss.

You may want to start measuring and weighing your portions until you get an idea of what exactly a portion of something is. nuts and cheese are healthy, but are very high in fat and calories and can impede weight loss more than, say, an overdose of broccoli. i was really surprised just how much more i put on my plate when I eyeball it opposed to when i weigh/measure.

[summersbluepits]

I actually have an appointment with a Naturopath when I get back from vacation.