Most people say you are supposed to eat between 700-900 calories per day, are you all counting the calories in your veggies? For example; for lunch today I had 2 cups of lettuce, 1 cup cucumbers, 1 cup radieshes and 1.5 oz chicken = 155 calories?? Doesn't feel like I'm eating that many... Thanks!

IP calories?

Listen to wuv. If you follow the program you will be fine.
If you do count you will end up around 800-900 most days.

Thanks everyone! Ok OK no more counting

I have a question about that too--what are all your thoughts on that being too low? At my weight, conventional wisdom is that I should have far more calories than that per day, even to lose--and that less is not healthy. I am committed to the plan--just want some justification in my head. Wuv, clearly, you look the picture of health and you had the same amount to lose as I.

"DO NO COUNT anything, just eat what is allowed on the sheet and you will be fine. Don't stress about COUNTING calories, its figured out for you on the sheet, its all figured out to a science."

http://www.youtube.com/user/wuv2bloved?feature=guide

Wuv, the 3 packets is one restricted or do you have one restricted and 3 packets? My person said btwn 2-3 packets a day so I have been trying hard to stick with 2

You should not have less than 3 packets a day - unless you are having more than one meal per day with 8oz of meat and your veggies, you will not get enough protein and calories on only 2 packets per day.

Wuv says it, I repeat it: Follow your sheets!!! If you need it, the most recent sheet is posted in the Newbie sticky thread:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/4448522-post13.html

I only know my calories because I log everything into MFP on my phone. I average between 750-950 calories (depending on meat and vegetable choices).

This is following the IP sheet exactly. I don't calorie count, I just like to keep a record of what I am eating.

The 3 packets includes 1 restricted. You should not have less than 3 in phase 1

Short answer to your question is no - you don't need more calories. Most of the bodies energy needs can be met by the fat you're carrying around so while you're burning more calories today than you will after you've droped 100 lbs you have more energy stored to tap into.

The IP diet is a PSMF (google it) and is based around the idea that you need a certain amount of protein to retain muscle.

You mentioned "healthy". There is a reason you take supplements on the IP diet or any PSMF and that is because certain nutrients are essential. Essential means that your body cannot make them and you need to ingest them. Salt, for example, is an essential nutrient.

Hope this helps.

I do the same thing - I use MFP to get in the habit of logging/tracking for later phases but I just follow the sheet. My calories are usually in the 650-850 range.

From what I've read I'm in the minority, but I'm almost never under 900.