So, here we are at the end of Phase 2 and you’re all eagerly awaiting the results. As you know from my “End of Phase 1” blog, I was down 14 pounds and feeling good. My body had finally adjusted to having carbohydrates every third day, 
and I was a lot less cranky than I thought I would be with the lack of carbs.
Enter Phase 2: 50% protein and 50% carbohydrates every other day, with the alternative day being 60% protein and 40% fat. I truly thought that after being depleted of my carbohydrates in Phase 1 I would be all over the carbs in Phase 2, but that wasn’t the case at all. I think the rationale behind that was part physical, but more mental. As most of us know, usually as you increase your intake of carbohydrates your body weight follows suit. With this in mind, I began to plug away on my diet and continued my measuring every week.
After the first week of Phase 2 I started to notice a slight increase in strength and a decrease in body fat. I thought to myself, “okay this isn't terrible - my weight appears to be starting to plateau, BUT my body fat is going lower and I am able to eat a more ‘normal diet.’”
Moving into week two of Phase 2, I started to notice that my measurements appeared to be going sideways; my weight had actually increased a few pounds which left me slightly frustrated. At this point I was debating tweaking the VIVO diet by decreasing some carbohydrates, however I stayed the course. I must also admit, at this point I had a couple of nights where I was craving more carbohydrates which lead me to some mild cheating , i.e. pretzels, popcorn etc. I know that this was not the best thing for me, however I just could not take having any more protein shakes at 9 or 10 o'clock at night, I needed something different.
By week three I was getting frustrated because I had barely moved the scale, the calipers or the tape measure. I found myself at the crossroads once again; do I continue the course or bail? I decided to focus and push on.
On my final week of Phase 2 I decided to eat immaculately clean and train hard. I am ecstatic to report that the discipline and hard work paid off! All of the sudden, I had dropped three to four pounds in the last few days, leaving me with a grand total of a 3 pound loss for Phase 2. It was like something within my body finally ‘clicked’ after my dedication in the final week!
So, now I have just entered Phase 3 and I am down 17 pounds of my 20 pound goal for the 84 day process. My word of advice to people reading this who entered, or will be entering Phase 2 is to get your head right. This phase requires you to exercise your mental strength, as your weight or measurements may barely move. However, you must realize that you are putting on quality muscle and adapting your body to a more normal eating regiment. It is preparing your body for Phase 3 which now is entailing 50% Protein, 30% carbohydrates, 20% fat. Good Luck!
