I am very close to phase 3 and have heard that when you start phase 3 people tend to gain 3-5 pounds back. I just wanted to get an idea of the average gained back and if its true. I also wanted to find out if you went below the weight you wanted to maintain before starting phase 3 to compensate for that weight gain. I would like to maintain 125 and am currently 124 and was thinking I needed to go to 120 to compensate for the possible gain in phase 3.

The closer I get to my goal the more I feel like I want to continue to lose. I started thinking maybe I should get down to the teens. Not sure that it's a maintainable weight for me. Did anyone else have this issue when you reached your initial goal weight?

I am not at goal yet, but went to phase 3 for an upcoming vacation. I gained only about 2 lbs, my husband hasn't gained any (it has been 1.5 wks). But I really think everyone is different. My coach did tell me that instead of a "goal weight" she recommends a 5 point range. So maybe decide if you want your wiggle space to be 120-125 or 125-130. Congrats on your wt loss!

During phase 3 I fluctuated from 128-130. now in phase 4 I'm doing the same. I did not lose the additional 5lbs as I have 2 weddings in 2 weeks and a cruise, so I did phase 3 for 2 weeks, then went to phase 4. I try to follow the rules as best as I can with travel, wedding rehearsal, then 1st wedding. Came home, did phase 1 for 2 days, dropped the 2 lbs I gained during the weekend and I will probably follow phase 2 for the next 10 days - I leave then to go to 2nd wedding, then a cruise for 1 week. Just use the tools you were taught during phase 1. Giving myself 5lb leeway would be an invitation to just eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed in the 5lb range. I worry that if I let it go to that point, that it will be hard to get back! Just me.

I was just saying on another thread that not only did I not experience the 3-5 lb weight gain after ph. 3 and 4 but that I actually lost another 6 lbs and have been maintaining that weight loss. I'm still on vacation in Israel and have been eating a ton of bread, hummus and middle eastern food and will probably have gained a few pounds, but only because of constant free days, which is not my normal behavior on maintenance.
So...this is a long winded way of saying you might keep losing as you head toward maintenance. If you find that you don't, you can always do a few low carb ph. 1 type days and lose a few more pounds. You really won't know until you get there and I favor moving forward on IP and get a feel for real life in the food world. Its a more realistic way of finding out what your bodies really up to after all this time. Best of luck and congrats on your weight loss.
Sunny

Alaska,

I left you a short note on the "Life After" thread this AM.

Lynn