How many of you who are in phase 2 or past phase 2 lost weight in that phase? I'm trying to decide if I need to lose 100% rather than 90% before moving on. Thanks!

I (read was told ???) that you might want to consider losing 3-5 under your goal to compensate for that slight gain when your body regulates. So for me, 146 is a goal weight but I'm going to 141 just because of that. So I can flux 141-145. FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. said with exuberance. Totally unqualified to answer you though....nowhere near Phase 2

My coach told me to reach goal first on Phase 1 -- you keep losing weight on Phase 2, but gain 3-5 pounds on Phase 3. I'm within 90% of goal, but I am trying to wait -- but, it is very tempting to start Phase 2.

My husband still lost weight on Phase 2 and has lost weight on Phase 3 but nearing Phase 4 has gained 1 pound. Men, for whatever reason, lose weight easier than women -- not fair.

I'm interested to see how other people respond to this thread.

Oh I know what you mean about men! My friend who is doing the program is a week ahead of me and has lost 29.4 pounds. Her hubby who doesn't do the program at all but eats what she eats at night and quit drinking pop when she did, has lost 23 pounds! How is that fair?

Also, I've heard the 3-5 pounds under goal but I wasn't sure if that was phase 1 or 2.

I was thinking about going under goal before phase 2. I really need to look at what the difference between 1 and 2 are first though lol. When I get closer to where I want to be I'll prob decide then.

You DEFINITELY lose weight on Phase 2. You're barely changing anything. You're just replacing a protein packet with a lean meat at lunch, so the only difference is maybe a couple grams of fat and some calories. Most coaches push you on to Phase 2 once you've lost 80 to 90% of your goal weight loss. You definitely don't want to go under your goal weight on Phase 1, because on Phase 2, you're just going to keep losing more. Your weightloss will be a little slower on 2 than on 1, but it will continue to go down.

The recommendation to go 3 to 5 pounds under goal is when you're on phase 2. This way, when you restore your glycogen levels on Phase 3 and your weight goes up a bit, you'll still be where you want to be, weightwise.

Good luck!

Please stick around (for a long time, the rate I lose), you are so "up" on all the phases and have great input!

Awww that was so sweet! I plan on sticking around, I think it's just as important for maintanence as it is for people just starting. Thanks! And keep up the good work!

i lost ZERO weight on phase 2, so not everyone loses on phase 2. i was one pound above my goal when i switched to phase 2. i am in phase 3 now and i am one pound below goal. we will see how long it takes me to put on the expected 2-5 lbs. my coach says that some people won't put that on until phase 4... if even at all.

I just started phase 3 today. I was on phase 2 for just one week and lost 2lbs. I'm happy with where i am at and fully understand the reasoning behind gaining up to 5lbs possibly as I phase out into maintenance. For me, it was an issue of how I feel rather then what the scale reads. Treena is right, you do keep losing in phase 2, so it isn't necessary to stay on phase 1 until you reach 100% of your goal - if you want to do phase 1 until 90%, then phase 2 until you reach 100% (or even more) that's OK...it's phase 3 that has to be done for a maximum of 2 weeks, I've read posts from people who have been on phase 2 for over a month and are still losing. Considering that it isn't THAT much different from phase 1, phase 2 is worth it for the $$ savings alone (that's one less IP meal to purchase every week and you're still in ketosis).
Hope this info helps!

The $ is exactly the reason why I started P2 a little early. My girlfriend still lost weight on phases 2 AND 3. So I guess adding to what Longdivision said, everyone's bodies are different. As of this past Saturday, I still have 12lbs left! I'm crossing my fingers that I will lose more than the typical 1lb/week I've been losing for the past 4 weeks.

yeah, i just wanted to let them know that is is possible to not lose any weight in phase 2. i was very disappointed with my results. everyone said i would lose in phase 2, so i was expecting to get under my goal weight there. to be fair though, i have been on IP for over 7 months, and my losses were really really slow for the last 2 months anyhow. i think your body just gets to a point after a certain amount of time where it just says "i'm done with this!" and completely adjusts and stops responding to the diet. i have seen this A LOT with ladies who have been on the plan for 6-12 months. my body has been telling me that it needs a break for the past 2 months, so even though i would love to lose another 10 lbs, my body just can't do it through IP. once i phase off completely, i'm going to see what exercise can do for me. if i still think i need to lose more weight, i will revisit IP after i have been off plan for at least 3 months. besides, if i stay on this diet any longer i will be bald!!! (yes ladies, your hair will fall out by the handful if you stay on this diet too long )

I've been losing handfuls of hair, too!! I'm sorry to hear that you didn't lose anything on P2. But like you said, it was probably your body just telling you it's done. My weightloss has been SO slow. I've gone from losing about 3lbs a week to 1 (except last week I lost 1.8, I was so excited!!!). I guess when your body doesn't have as many fat reserves to use up, it has to work harder to find what you have left, and so it starts to lose slower. That's my hypothesis anyway!

Good luck with the exercising, I'm sure that will help! also, my girlfriend lost another pound or 2 on phase 4.