I would love to have this board's opinions on if you think I'm ready to phase off... because I think I'm having a number on the scale blind me to it.

I started out weighing about 245, and I'm expecting to weigh in at my weigh in on Wednesday around 172. I fit comfortably in a size 10, and some 8s. My original goal weight was 157, but the last few weeks my weight loss has slowed considerably. I'd love to see 157 on the scale, but since I've been hovering around mid 170, I was thinking it might just be time to phase off, since I can maintain it without issue. I feel like getting to 157 will take several more weeks, and I'm scared I'm going to get to 157, and it'll be difficult to maintain, and it will be a constant battle.

For those of you who phased off- did you hold yourself to your scale number goal?

Thanks for everyone advice and input! Its really much appreciated.

Breezie - no one can tell you if/when you should phase off, except maybe your doctor. My own personal experience, I too slowed way down as I got close to goal - this is normal. My goal was 135-140. Was 140 when I phased off in December. Maintenance, for me, has been really difficult. I don't think it will make a difference when you phase off...maintaining requires nearly constant vigilance! And there is a bit of a learning curve. For me it has been a real struggle trying to get back to P1 to lose the weight I have gained back - I was not vigilant, nor self-disciplined enough.

To answer your question though...most of the maintainers do try to stay within a 3 lb range of their goal weight. You are more than welcome to check out the Maintainers thread. They are a great bunch of people and always willing to share what they've learned. Best of luck to you!

Can I ask why you believe that you can maintain a weight of 172 "without issue"?

The hardest part of any weight loss is maintaining it. IP phase 1 is easy! We are told what we can eat, when, and how much....and we know exactly what we cannot eat. Our choices are so limited, it's really easy to not cheat. In maintenance, we have to make all the choices on our own and then hold ourselves accountable.

Like greeniris, I too slowed down the closer I got to goal, but I kept carrying on with P1 because I knew I would get there. And I did!

Are you at a weight where you are physically comfortable with yourself--how you look, how you feel, your energy level? Do you think you are at a healthy weight for your age, height, activity level, health issues? How's your BMI?

Don't be deterred by a couple weeks of lower losses and don't let that dictate when you are done with P1. When you are at a weight where you are comfortable with yourself you'll know it, and you'll be ready to phase off...and you won't need to ask anyone else's opinion.

Over the next few weeks start to think about how you are going to manage in maintenance, i.e., what types of food are you going to eat, in what combinations, and when; how are you going to control portion sizes; what's your exercise plan; should you maintain a food diary (e.g., my fitness pal) to track your food and stay accountable; etc.

Only you know what you feel comfortable with! I am not dropping down like the office I go to wants me to, I am going to get down to 170 and decide how I feel at that point.

Don't stop just because the weight loss has stopped or slowed.

Some people do lose a little more on Phase 2 & 3.... do what you want to do.

Don't forget that if you phase out soon, but decide later on that you'd prefer to return to P1 to lose more weight, it's always an option. I originally phased out just prior to Christmas when I'd reached the weight that my Dr. recommended. However, that weight still left me with more tummy than I liked, and I was inbetween sizes for slacks/jeans, etc. I also had about 3 lbs of glycogen regain and it all seemed to settle right in my stomach area (I'm 62). It didn't take me long to decide that I wasn't 100% happy at that weight. So I decided early in January to return to P1 and stuck with it until I'd lost another 10 lbs. I'm much happier with that extra 10 lbs being off me. But somehow, I had to phase off, in order to live with myself at that weight for a while and realize that I wasn't 'quite' happy with myself yet. Your goal is not set in stone... even if you phase off. Don't stress over it. Just do what feels right to you - knowing you can change your mind, if you wish.

I also wanted to mention that my weight loss stalled for a few weeks back last October or so. (A true *stall* is no weight loss for at least a month). I ended up switching up to P3 for 1 week, then returning to P1. I've done most of my dieting here without a coach, but knew that some coaches had recommended this to others here. That change seemed to shock my system enough to get my weight loss going again and by Christmas I'd reached my Dr.'s goal (as I described above). If you completely stall for a few weeks you might want to consider this.

What, if any, exercise do you do now? What do you plan to do?

Weight aside - exercise is crucial to your health. It doesn't have to be a huge amount of exercise but if exercise was an informercial for your health it would be hard to believe. That's how remarkable the benefits of exercise are for your health.

My point is - I understand why people worry about their weight but the number on the scale by itself is fairly meaningless. So the answer to your question really is only relevant given a larger context of your overall health.

As to your question - it's not a yes or no question. You may phase off for a while and then decide to lose more weight in the future.

Maintinence, like fat loss or gain, is always an equation of energy. Energy is measured in calories.