I'm scared of phase 3 - help!
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I'm scared of phase 3 - help!
| Sun, 06-22-2008 - 7:00pm |
After 5 months and 45lbs lost, I finally reached my goal weight. I went through and re-read my SBD books about phase three and I felt that all it told me was "you know what to do." In some ways I do know what to do - I totally changed my way of eating and outlook on food during the past 5 months, but in some ways I'm not exactly sure. I'd love some advice from you who've been on phase three for a while about what you do. Do you still have 4.5 cups of veggies? Do you limit your sweet treats to 100 calories? Do you still only have three grains and three fruit? In some ways I liked the fences that phase one and two had - I knew I'd be safe if I followed the rules. Can anyone give me "rules" for phase 3? I don't want to undo all my hard work. Thanks!





Hi there!
I've been on phase 3 for 2.5 years now. Its nothing to be afraid of. I have never gained back even a pound (in fact, I actually lost a couple more at the beginning of this year), I have never fallen off, and maintaining has been relatively easy for me.
The reason there aren't any clear "rules" is that everyone is different. Different ages, different metabolism, different level of exercise, etc. will mean that I may eat differently to maintain than someone else.
I am 31, lost 70lbs in 11 months. I'm currently 5'3" and 113-115 pounds and a size 2. I exercise 5 days a week. I can tell you what phase 3 is FOR ME, but I can guarantee other's have different experiences.
For me, phase 3 means no counting. I don't limit myself to 3 fruits or 3 grains necessarily. Most days I still have about 3, but if I have 4 or even 5 - I don't freak. I don't count or limit things like fats or nuts, I don't measure my salad dressing or peanut butter anymore. Now its not like I go overboard on them, I probably still use about the recommended amount, but I am so "used" to it, I just don't need to measure. I treat a tad more, I had a treat meal about every 3 weeks during phase 2, now its about 1x per week, but never more. I don't count my sweet treat calories, but again, its not like I am having 300 or 400 or something. Maybe I will have 150 instead of 100.
I also don't stress as much about rules like the 3g fiber rule. If I find a bread I like with 2g fiber and all good ingredients, then I am fine with that. Another area I have relaxed in a bit is with things like having an occasional turkey sandwich while out that is not on perfectly SBD legal bread. I may have one piece of french bread a restaurant with my meal. But just one piece. I also give myself a little more leeway with things like using fruit juice in a recipe, again not a TON, but I will put 1/2 cup juice in my muffin recipe or something and not stress. I also don't stress about things like corn anymore. Corn is really a relatively healthy food - I will occasionally make corn bread or polenta with a very coarse ground corn meal that has 6g fiber per ounce. That is WAY more than ww flour has, so I am okay with it.
I still exercise just as much, if not more. I still don't EVER eat things like chips, donuts, candy bars, regular soda, sugary deserts, cookies, cake, etc. Never, ever. Having that stuff, even occasionally, is not my definition of phase 3. I still want to keep my body healthy, clean, etc.
So for me, phase 3 is about generally sticking to the SAME foods, just not being as picky about quantities as when I was losing. Now some of our members with health issues (PCOS, thyroid, etc.) or who are older and dealing with menopause find that they still have to count and be diligent about every serving/calorie, even to just maintain. So you will have to "play" around and see what works for you personally. Phase 3 is really about trial and error and coming up with your OWN unique plan.
belizesig1
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I don't count anything either.
I use regular butter, organic cane sugar, organic honey (in limited quantities). Like MichaelAnn, I don't stress too much about the fibre content in bread but I better be able to identify all the ingredients. I eat corn and potatoes regularly and white stuff maybe once or twice a week. Saturday night DH and I eat whatever, which is usually fried (but still I have veggies on the side or a salad to start).
I regained about 10 pounds in 2006 because I slacked off on exercise, but have lost it and 5 more since then and dropped 5% body fat to boot.
Basically just keep doing what you are doing. Set a weight range and if you get near the top of it, evaluate what you are doing and adjust. Always, ALWAYS keep pushing the bar with your workouts.
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I agree that making the scale a daily habit is in your best interest right now.
Well - you don't ever "get off it". I still consider myself on South Beach, I will be for the rest of my life. A weight loss plan is not something you "stop" otherwise you will gain the weight back. So don't feel like you have to get off South Beach or abandon it all together. I didn't - and I don't recommend it. Again, its just about eating the SAME foods, the SAME philosophy, but with a little less strict "rules".
Its also not an overnight process. I didn't immediately reach a magic number on the scale and wake up and say "I'm in phase 3, now I can treat more or stop counting" I got to my initial goal weight in 8/05. I was perfectly happy just doing what I was doing and didn't make a lot of changes at first. I did stop counting grains, did start treating 1x a week instead. But even with doing that I still ended up losing another 20lbs BEYOND my goal weight while technically in phase 3. So as that happened, I started to feel more confident experimenting.
With some things, it just came naturally to stop measuring. One day I just poured my cereal w/o measuring. I realized it, got out the cup and remeasured it. It was dead on the right amount. I'd gotten so used to the portion sizes that I just "knew", so I never pulled out the measuring cup again. Same with veggies, after measuring for a year I can now easily eyeball what a cup is. So it was just a matter of "practice".
You will figure it all out, it a gradual process. Just keep doing what you are doing, and you will ease yourself into it.
belizesig1
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