Staying on Phase 1 for more than 2 weeks.

[brownie05]

Does anyone know if it is super bad to stay on Phase 1 for more than 2 weeks? I didn't do Phase 1 perfectly for 2 weeks but I did loose 3lbs in two weeks. However, I want to stay on Phase 1 longer and see if I can loose 6lbs in two weeks, does anyone know if that is ok?

I don't want my weight loss to slow down at all, and that's why im scared to move onto Phase II.

Thanks for any info.

Have a great day!!

[luv2bike]

I don't know if it's super bad, but it's not suggested unless you've got a significant amount of weight to lose.

Don't be afraid of phase two. Start out slowly and just add a small bowl of cereal at breakfast and some fruit in the afternoon. Strawberries or blueberries would be good.

Phase one is mostly for getting rid of cravings and getting your blood sugar evened out. Phase two is where you'll lose the remainder of your weight. Research has found that the slower you lose that the more likely you are of keeping the weight off. During that period, it's suggested to shoot for losing at 1-2 pounds a week.

What you eventually choose to do is up to you. I don't believe that vitamins are a substitute for real food but if you decide to stay on phase one longer, please remember to take a good multi-vitamin daily and supplements.

Here's what is suggested.

A daily multivitamin. Women may require a multivitamin with extra iron to fulfill their increased iron needs.
Iron. Women over 50 and men of all ages require 8 mg/day, while women younger than 50 require 18 mg/day.
Omega-3 fatty acids. Try to get 3 to 4 grams of omega-3s each day. Fresh fish is the best source, but you can also get your recommended daily allowance from canola oil, from omega-3 egg substitutes, or by taking a daily fish oil supplement.
B vitamins (folate, B-6, and B-12). These are usually contained in your multivitamin. B vitamins may help protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Calcium. Especially important for women, calcium promotes healthy bones. Adults should aim to get about 1,000 mg of calcium daily. You can choose to get this from dairy products, leafy greens, oysters, fortified soy products, or a daily supplement.
Fiber. It's especially important to have fiber supplements during Phase 1 when you are limiting fresh fruits and whole grains. Supplement with a teaspoon of sugar-free Metamucil or Benefiber (or a similar product) before one or more of your daily meals. After Phase 1, ease up on the Metamucil and try to add fiber from natural sources. The FDA recommends 25 grams of fiber each day.

[brownie05]

ok thanks for the info. I read in the south beach diet book, that a lady did phase one for 2.5 months and lost 20lbs.

I think i'll just listen to my body and go from what it tells me and right now Phase 1 is a piece of cake so no reason to get off it now. Plus I want to loose 10lbs as fast as possible and right now on Phase 1 I have only lost 3lbs in two weeks so I think that is a healthy rate to be loosing it im not loosing to fast or anything.

Maybe after two weeks of doing it perfectly i'll add in some oatmeal in the morning and a fruit for my morning snack!!

I'll let you know how it goes.

[nancy]

In my understanding, it's only OK'd to stay on Phase 1 for an additional 2 weeks IF someone has at least 100 pounds to lose.

Otherwise, you lose too much lean muscle mass instead of fat, so your metabolism slows down, and then you're more likely to stop losing weight. The experts say it's much better to go to Phase 2 and keep your metabolism up by exercising, and to lose fat. (And you have so little to lose, too)

Also, you're more likely to not stick with the diet & to gain the weight back if you stay in Phase 1 longer. Then it'll be harder to lose when you start again.

I didn't know, & stayed on Phase 1 for alot of same reasons you're thinking of doing that, and I gained weight back before I finally got back on track.

[luv2bike]

Nancy's right. You can stay on phase one longer if you have a large amount of weight to lose OR if you have really tough cravings. And for no longer than 4 weeks total or you start losing lean muscle mass which lowers your metabolism. Boredom also becomes a problem when staying on phase one longer than recommended and then people start getting creative in the wrong ways. And they start messing up.

According to the web site, staying in Phase 1 for a longer period of time will not result in faster weight loss. Just letting you know what they say at the official SBD site.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/south-beach-diet-forums-phase-1/870-staying-phase-1-more-than-2-weeks.html

Brownie, you exercise quite a lot and so I don't see you being in danger of losing muscle mass if you stay on phase one longer. I'm just letting you know the info I have so that you can make your own decsion based on it. Just please don't stay on phase one longer than 4 weeks. Eventually you're going to have to move on and eat more like a normal healthy person which means incorporating all food groups into your diet.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[brownie05]

How do you loose muscle if you are eating the right amount of calories for your body?

I just don't see how staying on Phase 1 can hurt you. I mean im getting all my veges in my meat and my dairy and I take a multivitamin, the only thing i don't eat is fruit and grains which im sure my multi makes up for. There are tons of people that never eat grains or fruit.

I think maybe if I were only eating less than 1200 calories then my metabolism would slow, but considering im still lifting weights and doing cardio and I get around 1290-1350 calories a day, I don't see why my metabolism would slow down.

I'm going to stick to Phase 1 for two more weeks and then add in oatmeal at breakfast and a fruit for a snack.

I'll let you know about my progress.

[luv2bike]

Okay, Brownie. Good luck!

[brownie05]

Thanks luv2bike!!

I have been feeling pretty good the last couple days. I think when I started Phase 1 two weeks ago my body was detoxing and that's why I was sick, I was getting rid of tons of mucus and I had a soar throat (probably from drainage) Well after two weeks of following Phase 1 it's gone and my energy is coming back.

The only way your metabolism will slow is if you loose more than 2lbs a week. I have not even beel loosing 2lbs I have only lost about 1 pound a week.

I think for someone who does not have much weight to loose they won't loose tons of weight in the strict part of the diet. However, im staying on Phase 1 longer because I don't crave sweets at all eating this way.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/showthread.php?t=870

If for some reason I started to loose like more than 2lbs a week then I would know that I was harming my body and I would have to add in more calories.