I have been on IP for 10 months and lost over 70 lbs, i found myself in a stump. I originally wanted to get to 150, then i changed that to 140 .. presently im at 160. I have tried for the past month to stay on program and havent been able to keep the will power. The foods I cheat with are not bad foods, mostly fruit, and diary.. i missed yogurt sooo much. So a few days ago a friend convinced me to try calorie counting whihc she has been doing and been successful. SO the way i see it I try this awhile.. im looking at around 1400 calories a day.. and I ahve been below there most days, if i begin to gain weight.. (besides maybe the initial 5 lbs that might come from switching) I will imediatly go back to IP and i guess if something like that happens i did get the break that i needed to get me back on track. Lately I have been getting depressed about food.. i get sad or soemthing when im hungry, then I eat and it isnt IP protocol and I get even more upset.. my mindset is all messed up, if i dont eat IP foods, i feel im going to gain a bunch of weight.. im crossing my fingers i dont gain just calorie counting and working out. Again.. i do eat healthy, but my diet now contains more than just protien and veggies.. i am sticking to little carbs and adding fruit and diary back.. hope I dont mess up my progress

If you start to gain you should really look at the fruit. It is really just sugar in a different form...

I would like to try this because I am in a terrible stall. I have the Phase 3 sheet but I don't know what the appropriate breakfast proteins are. Are they the same protein list as the lunch and dinner proteins? Also, the serving size is confusing. The chart says 1 egg is 1 protein.. but the suggested menu says 2 eggs and 3 pieces of bacon and elsewhere on the guidelines it says to "aim for at least 25 grams of protein" What the heck does that mean? Totally confusing to me I would appreciate any clarification on this. Thanks

Carrielee, I've reached a plateau and started searching 3FC for ideas. I noticed you've written about difficulties for awhile now. It seems like you have switched to Phase 3 on your own. Might be good to follow Luv's path of going to phase 3 and back to phase 1 as a reboot. I'm considering doing it at my next weigh in. My concern for myself about stopping the diet is that if I'm not losing while I'm on it, no telling how bad it will be if I quit or phase off. I want to get my determination back. Today I'm going to skip WF syrups and products. Trying to drink all of my water today without adding flavors. I'm also going to switch from coffee to tea. Just for today. I hope you will keep us informed of what you do so that we can learn from you. Thanks!

This program is ultimately about giving your pancreas a rest and reawakening it again so that it doesn't turn into the over heated engine that it was. Having it over heated means you're getting insulin when you don't need it, extra insulin results in fat stores...:/

You definately sound like you need a break and there isn't anything wrong with that...however I'm concerned that you haven't re-awakened your pancreas properly...is there anyway you could give yourself ONE week of Phase 1 (just one week), and phase off properly? You would only have to do one week of phase 2 and then two weeks of phase 3 (phase 3 is the important one).

This way you can monitor your calorie counting and see if it truely does work for you.

Your pancreas can be re-set from it's overheated engine days...but it has to be re-awakened properly.

I'd just hate to see you not giving your calorie counting try the best try you can...

Just my opinion though, hope I haven't offended!

Wuv, did you just jump from P1 to P3 and then back to P1? It seems to have worked for you. As well I noticed that some do better after they return from a vacation, even without phasing off. It seems like the body is saying something when it stalls and we need to listen to it. Like, 'I don't wanna budge until you give me what I want.' You give it what it wants and then it is like okay, I can release now.

Thanks! You are so helpful!

That's so awesome, Wuv. So awesome.

Hi - there is at least one thread on Phase 3, one of which I started when I was totally stressed and confused on what was allowed. The give you a little worksheet when you start it, so you can track the carbs/fat/protein/calories in each section. People posted sample breakfasts there, so you can find some ideas.

I really like the phasing off idea though, giving yourself the time on Phase 2, then Phase 3. If you start to feel more in control in 2, you can always go back to Phase 1.

Good luck in whatever you decide! I found myself stalling around the 11th month too. I hung in there a couple more months, but at some point, I decided my body was sending a message that it was time to stop and finish the rest with exercise. You'll do what feels right for you. It's all okay.

later....One more thing.... even if you go off IP, don't be afraid that you can never get back on it or you can never loose those last pounds. Everyone is different and you can't assume that because someone else couldn't do it, you can't. Know yourself and believe in what you want to accomplish, down to the very fiber of your being, and you can do it.