You might be losing at a slower pace, but is the diet more sustainable this way?. A diet needs to be sustainable for the long haul because whatever you do to lose it, you need to keep doing (but with more food) to maintain it. Low calorie is good for the short term, but eventually we all start craving stuff and then it gets hard. Any way you can rotate phases? That way you keep your metabolism burning well. Your loss and chart look amazing no matter what. Your doing great!