I have now reached the end of the 34 day, 2 Phase cycle of the 17 day diet. This leads me into unfamiliar territory because last time I lost 13 lbs. by this date and felt I was perfect and finished dieting! This time, I still have 7 lbs. to lose and will have to keep going until it comes off! I know that when I reach Phase 4, I have to go back to Phase 1 if I haven’t lost all the weight I want to lose. That makes me more motivated to hunker down and follow the rules so that the next 17 days will be enough to let me continue to Phase 4 and not have to start over with Phase 1, which would be tough!

Phase 3 is focused on increasing your exercise time to balance the addition of more foods into your diet. The focus is on continued good eating habits, portion control, regular mealtimes and inclusion of more foods. With the addition of other foods, weight loss slows down in this Phase, that is why if you don’t lose all the weight you need to you have to start over with Phase 1.

There are three ways to negate the addition of more flexible food groups and keep the weight loss going at a faster pace. I will see what I can do about adding some of these strategies:

1 – cardio exercise almost every day for 45- 60 min.

2 – avoid carbs after 2pm., meaning stick to eating them at breakfast and lunch so that you can work them off before bed.

3 – pass on alcohol. This one has been tough as I have been having so much company and eating out that it is fun to have one glass of wine or beer. This is probably why I haven’t lost weight as quickly as I could have. I will have to consider it as a good way to reduce calories at the end of the night!

The best thing is that bread is allowed in this Phase. I know I have had a few bread items – like the muffins I made and two slices of wheat bread but now I am allowed one piece a day! BUT only if I fit in my workouts! Make yourself work for the higher carb foods and you will start to see how balancing a moderate amount of exercise with a moderate amount of food can actually work to keep you thin. Wish me luck as I work to find that balance in my everyday life!