[lentilbean]

I would like to do phase 1 for the first 2 weeks of every month and then back to phase 2 for the last two weeks - maybe just for a few months. My logic in that is that I would hope to see the kind of weight loss in each phase 1 that I did the very first time. I do not know if that is realistic or not.

Does this seem reasonable or ridiculous?

[merryalta]

That would be unhealthy for a couple of reasons. First, you don't get all the nutrients you really need in P1 and two weeks is a long time to keep repeating that to your body. Second, you don't really want to lose weight that fast. I know it is tempting but it is much healthier on your body (& mind) to loose the weight slowly. You are more likely to keep it off the slower you go too.

Maybe a better alternative is to alternate P1 days. Like every Tues & Fri are your P1 days and other days you do P2?

[Jennifer 3FC]

Hi Lentilbean, you won't see that drop again from P1 like you do the first time you go on the diet. When you go from a 'regular' diet to a carb restricted one, you're losing a lot of water that is storing the glycogen that those excess carbs produced. Those are mostly stored in the belly area. When you first restrict the carbs, your body burns that spare glycogen as fuel, and whoosh go the carbs. That's the same reason people gain a few unjust pounds if they go back to a high carb diet. It's not carbs turning to fat, it's carbs gathering water, so to speak.

[judyo]

I second merryalta's idea of alternating if you feel the need to keep some Phase I eating in your life. Kind of like the "up/down" way of eating I did (based solely on calories) prior to SB.

I have been taking my weight loss very slowly and I've noticed that by doing this, if I do fall off the wagon I don't seem to gain as quickly. Or even if the scale says I gained, my pants still fit fine (I'm pear shaped so it's all about the pants). So it seems the slower I take it off, the better the loss lasts.

[lentilbean]

Your comments make sense - maybe I will just stick to phase 2.

[baristamon]

I agree with mixing P1 days in with your strict P2 diet. I have lots of days where i just didn't want the starch or the fruit, so i technically eat P1 for a day or so. I think as long as you make an effort to include at least one p2 serving of starch or fruit each day (or every other day), you'll continue to lose at a nice rate. staying in a p1/restricted p2 plan seems to work the best for me, and i continue to lose a pound a week without much effort.