Well I officially passed my goal as of my WI today ( yea!!!!) I am still on phse 1 for at least 1 more week. I have 2 questions:
1 Do most people continue to lose on phases 2 and 3?
2 Anyone else feel the same anxiety about leaving phase 1? It has been such a long 10 months and I stayed 100% OP the whole time. Now I am nervous about change. Although I passed my goal weight I would really like to lose at least another 5 lbs.

Phase 2 is great. It actually is the way I eat most days of the week in maintaince.
I think many people do continue to lose in phase 2. Phase 3 is trickier in that you are adding back things you didn't have in phase 1 so you have to watch very carefully how your body reacts to the new additions.

Pat

Thank you! I am so nervous to change.. I don't want to gain

I'm starting my second week of phase 2 and have lost 3 pounds so far. I really like phase 2. Congrats on making goal!

Thanks! Congrats to u 2!

I don't see the big change in phase 2- a little protein instead of a protein package.... i'm worrying about 3 and 4

I was anxious about phase 2 as well but it went fine. Nothing really changed and yes, you can still lose on it. I am on my 2nd week of phase 3 and that is awesome. I love breakfast. You will be amazed how good it tastes and how filling it is. The first 3 days on phase 3, my weight went up 4 pounds, but by my weigh in it had gone back to what it was the week before so it was temporary.
I am heading to phase 4 next week. I,am anxious about that's!!!
P.s. I lost 94 pounds on IP. It took me a full year.

Phase 2 is easy, Phase 3 is trickier - I am finding Phase 4 to be an ugly beast! I am a little lost - I need to put more thought and planning - there is just too much 'freedom' after sticking to the sheets...

But to answer your question - I think most folks continue to lose on Phase 2, and then gain slightly on Phase 3 - which is why they now say to get to 100% goal by Phase 1, so your Phase 2 loss and Phase 3 gain balance out. I thought about lowering my goal also, but decided to phase out since I am on a baby-making timetable.

You can see from my ticker I didn't actually lose in Phase 2, and I had a weird gain/loss that balanced out in my 2 weeks of Phase 3. Those were crazy weeks though - my 2nd week of P2 I was on travel and I actually had a body fat whoosh in there that had me dropping another size - but the scale was the same. My last Phase 3 WI showed a gain - but I switched WI times for late in the day and think that messed with the numbers a little - as my home WI has stayed the same.

I missed my first official P4 WI last Friday, as we were on travel, but I have had to actively manage my home WI to stay steady. My first week of Phase 4 I gained and lost 7lb in just a few days! 138 -> 142 -> 145 -> 142 -> 138...those were daily fluctuations - they encourage you to weigh frequently in Phase 4 and nip gains in the bud. I started increasing my exercise intensity also in each Phase - so that may have played a hand in it too. I am full-on, high-intensity, sweaty, huffing-puffing working out now.

I see what u mean. P2 should be fine but p3 and 4 are not to far after ...a lot of change in a short time... I need to start planning

Good luck to you!!! At least I now to see that I shouldn't freak out if I see a gain in p3 or 4, thanks!

I found the key was to really watch phase 3 carefully.


But phase 2 or phase 3 becomes a comfortable way of life for most people. For me phase 4 is phase 2 for weekdays plus a few much more relaxed meals on the weekend. The morning spinach shake and late afternoon resricteds with a coffee are so easy on my long commute.
Also a huge salad with lean protein has become a habit on weekdays because it fits easier on my busy workdays.
Then the regular evening meal. I will add a bit of fruit but has to really watch I don't go off the deep end with that as I ate a tremendous amount of fruit before IP.
Phase 3 was trickier for me because I leave for work very early and do not have time for the big breakfast. Also I am grain and dairy intolerant so I moved out of phase 3 after a few days while phasing out as I was gaining weight rapidly. But for many people phase 3 is the usual way of eating on normal days in maintenance.

The difference with phase 4 is that I have more leaway on the weekends and on special occasions. I usually have a meal or two on the weekends where I eat whatever I want and can have wine.BUT after these meals I need to really get back to phase 2 eating (my choice, most people like phase 3) because a pound or two or more will surely come back after a meal or two of eating what I want. If I don't follow that up with more structured days they don't go away and join the next few the next weekend.

If you watch carefully what you eat your body's reactions in phase 2 and 3; phase 4 can be the best of two worlds, the structure and convenience of what worked for you in phase 1 plus the option to eat what you like in social and special occasions. But the trick is to make sure to monitor what is a "special'' occasion carefully.
On habit I picked up in phase 1 was whatever food was offered at work had nothing to do with me, I only eat what I bring in myself. This alone has eliminated most mindless eating of unhealthy foods.

Pat

Today is my last day of phase 2, and I start 3 in the morning.
I lost 5 lbs during the 2 weeks I was on P2. I was nervous about it, but I actually had greater losses than in phase 1 (on average). I just decided to not be to nervous, but to take an active role. I plan to use myfatsecret.com to keep careful track of what I eat during phase 3 and then into phase 4.

You are still in ketosis during phase 2, so you will NOT gain, and will probably lose some.

Pat, thank you! This is excellent advice.

A new find for me. We have traveled a number of times in France. We always came back weighing less than when we left! While there we would eat much smaller portions than here. They have a different attitude about food. We would eat good bread-unlike the stuff here that passes for bread. We would eat real butter in moderation, fruit occassionally, small portions of protein, good yogurt (not the sugary goop that passes for yogurt here) and lots of veggies both raw and cooked. Good cheese. If we did have dessert, it was something special and we would share. We would have 1glass of red wine with every meal. Sound familiar? It's what our phase 4 should be!
But, back to the find.........a great book......French Women Don't Get Fat. The IP diet was developed first in France by a French doctor. The French know their food and for them it's an art! It's going to be my bible when I finally get to goal. Check it out!

Thank you all! Such great advice ! It is so good to see that there is always great advice on this forum. Phase two here I come