Are you on your Phase 3 aka stabilization stage or almost getting there?
The one thing you NEED to do in P3?
NO STARCH, NO SUGAR, NO CHEATING.
4 BASIC RULES FOR PHASE 3
- For 3 weeks following Phase 2, do not eat sugars or starches
- Keep your weight within 2 lbs* of your LDW
- If your weight goes above this, do a Steak Day
- If your weight goes above the 2lb window, start the three week P3 period over again.
For a more guided P3, here's a FREE P3 Foods List for ya! Know what's SAFE, 'MAYBE' and NON-P3 Foods in this quick guide...
SAFE PHASE 3 FOODS
ALTERNATIVE BAKING INGREDIENTS
- Baking Soda
- Cacao Nibs
- Cocoa Powder
- Chia Seeds
- Coconut Flour
- Flaxseed Meal
- Gelatin
- Hemp seeds/hearts
- Pumpkin Seeds (grind for flour)
- Sunflower seeds (same)
- Unsweetened Dark Chocolate
- Stevia
FATS
- Avocado
- Butter
- Coconut oil
- Coconut milk
- Olive oil
- Olives
- Sunflower oil
- Pretty much any healthy oil or fat.
FRUITS
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Limes
- Lemons
MEAT
Be more careful of pre-made/ processed meats - check labels for starch/sugar content.
- Bacon
- Beef
- Chicken
- Duck
- Lamb
- Pork
- Turkey
- Shellfish:
- Crab
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Fish, ie:
- Salmon
- Cod
- Trout
- Tuna
OTHER PROTEINS
- Eggs
- Protein Powders low in carbs
Brand Suggestions:
My suggestion? Go on Amazon.com and look up the reviews for these various brands and then try one out.
WHEY/EGG/BEEF PROTEINS
- Julian Bakery (Rayzel’s fav)
- Organic Whey
- Primal Fuel
- Raw Organic Whey
- Reserveage Organics - Grassfed
- Tera’s Whey Grass Fed Organic
VEGAN PROTEINS
To search for another brand look for sprouted/fermented rice or pea protein bases.
“MILKS”
- Coconut Milk, unsweetened, flavored
- Hemp Milk, unsweetened, flavored
SEEDS
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Sunflower seeds
VEGETABLES
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Basil
- Bean Sprouts
- Bell pepper
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cilantro
- Cabbage
- Carrots, raw
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Celery Root (Celeriac)
- Chard
- Collard Greens
- Crooked Neck Squash
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Green Beans
- Green onions
- Hot peppers
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lemongrass
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Mustard Greens
- Okra
- Onion
- Parsley
- Peppers
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Sauerkraut
- Scallions
- Snap Peas
- Snow Peas
- Spaghetti squash
- Spinach
- Summer Squash
- Tomatillos
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
MAYBE PHASE 3 FOODS
MAIN FOOD “GROUPS” ON THE MAYBE LIST:
- Dairy
- Nuts
- Higher sugar fruits
- Complex carb level vegetables
WHAT “MAYBE” MEANS is that some find they can eat these foods during Phase 3 & have no issues. Others find that some of the foods on this list are “problem” foods during Phase 3, causing them gains- usually do either to the starch/sugar content being a little too high, an undiscovered sensitivity to that food, or probably most frequently, overconsumption- things like dairy & nuts are very calorie dense & quite frankly, are just so easy to overeat, myself included!
Keep in mind it’s often the AMOUNT of these foods you eat that actually make the difference between not tolerating it and tolerating it as well when it comes to weight gain.
Please note too however that those who find they need to avoid these foods in P3, often find they can gradually incorporate them in P4 once their body is stabilized.
ALCOHOL
- Red wine*
*Dr. Simeons said that if one was SUPER strict about no starches or sugars that a person could have an occasional glass of wine.
BAKING INGREDIENTS
- Almond Butter
- Almond flour
- Other nut flours
DAIRY
- Cheese*
- *Hard cheeses are often better tolerated than soft cheeses.
- Milk products
- Sour Cream
- Whipped Cream(sugar-free)
- Yogurt
FRUITS
In small amounts, these fruits are typically fine for most people.
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
“MILKS”
Milk- like, the real kind. 😉
- Almond milk - unsweetened/flavored
- Cashew Milk
NUTS
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Macadamia
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
VEGETABLES
- Acorn squash
- Butternut squash
- Pumpkin
- Winter squash
OTHER
- Sugar-free sodas w/stevia and erythritol
- Sugar-free chocolate w/sugar alcohols
NOPE: NON-P3 FOODS
These are foods that the majority find it best to avoid in Phase 3. The starch/sugar content is too high or the carb count is metabolized too quickly, and makes stabilizing your new weight difficult and can cause inordinate gains on the scale during P3.
You WILL notice that my P3 meal plan on P3tolife.com DOES use some of these higher sugar fruits and veggies and the reason it works is because the amounts used are VERY small, just to add flavor or texture to a meal or dessert.
ALL ALCOHOL
*Besides red wine
ALL BEANS
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Garbanzo beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Refried beans
- Whipped Cream(sugar-free)
- Yogurt
ALL GRAINS
TIP: IF IT’S WHITE OR LIGHT BROWN & ISN’T CAULIFLOWER, DON’T EAT IT IN P3. 🙂
- Barley
- Corn products
- Couscous
- Millet
- Oats
- Oatmeal
- Pasta of any sort
- Popcorn
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sprouted wheat products
- Tortillas - wheat or corn
- Wheat/flour
ALL SUGAR FORMS
- Agave nectar
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Molasses
- Sucanat
- Sugar
BAKING INGREDIENTS
- Arrowroot Powder
- Baking Powder
- Cornstarch
- Dates
- Potato starch
- Tapioca starch
FRUITS
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Dried Fruit - all
- Grapes
- Honeydew Melon
- Figs
- Mango
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pinneaple
- Plums
- Pomegranates
- Raisins
- Watermelon
“MILKS”
- Sweetened milk - whether it’s almond milk, coconut, cashew, or hemp
STARCHY VEGETABLES
- Beets
- Cooked Carrots
- Corn
- Parsnip
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Rutabaga
- Sweet Potatoes
- Yams
If you end up wanting something more structured and specific, there's a full fledged Phase 3 program people are stabilizing excellently on - you can check into that here: p3tolife.com.