Aha! Light bulb moment! That ratio is making sense now. I'm moving to P4 tomorrow and I clearly need to re-read the information provided by my coach. On the way home tonight, I purchased an avocado and some blue cheese which I am aiming to add to some arugula and chicken tomorrow for a 'fat meal salad'. Looking at probably a protein and vegies dish for dinner as I want to start this whole maintenance thing slowly.

I am following this thread like a hawk. Hope to be able to post my meals as well so I can get some feedback. I really appreciate the information you put up on this site. It's so helpful. So big thanks from me!!

RosiePosie: I love blue cheese dressing and avocado and I'm sure your salad will taste like heaven for your first P4 fat-meal. Welcome to the wonderful world of maintenance

Liana

Thanks Liana. I'm pretty excited!!

I have another question for you. Sorry! Now that P3 is over, do I need to eat those size breakfasts still or can I split them up? I'm thinking of doing 4 oz Greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup blueberries and granola for breakfast and then having another 4oz of yoghurt with 1/2 cup blueberries for a mid-morning snack.

Ruth Ann is probably the best person to question on that, her breakfasts are well planned out and along those lines (I eat weird for breakfast and on nights I work I don't have breakfast because I wake at 11:30 or noon). Here's an example of her breakfasts:

Breakfast (calories/carbs/fat/protein/fiber/sodium)
Quaker Oats - Raw Correct Info, 0.5 cup Raw 180 30 3 6 5 0
Milk - Whole, 3.25% milkfat, 0.5 cup 73 6 4 4 0 49
Zoi - Greek Yogurt, Plain, 0.16 Cup 37 2 3 2 0 16
Blueberries - Raw, 0.5 cup 41 11 0 1 2 1
Egg Large - Whole Egg, 1 piece (large - 50g) 71 0 5 6 0 70
402 49 15 19 7 136

Breakfast: (calories/carb/fat/protein/fiber/sodium)
Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 2 cup (8 fl oz) 5 0 0 1 0 9
Kirkland - Greek Yogurt - Plain Nonfat, 0.5 cup 70 5 0 12 0 48
Peaches - Raw (Usda), 1 medium (2.67 diameter) 59 14 0 1 2 0
Kashi - Cereal - Go Lean Crunch, 0.5 Cup (53 g) 100 19 2 5 4 50
234 38 2 19 6 107

Breakfast (calories/carbs/fat/protein/fiber/sodium)
Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 2 cup (8 fl oz) 5 0 0 1 0 9
Dave's Killer Bread - 21 Whole Grains, 1 slice (45g) 110 22 2 6 5 170
Egg Large - Whole Egg, 1 piece (large - 50g) 71 0 5 6 0 70
Kirkland Signature - Organic Natural Peanut Butter - Creamy, 1 tbsp 100 4 8 4 2 20
Strawberries Fresh Sliced - Driscoll's, 1 Cup, Sliced 50 11 0 1 2 0
Zoi - Greek Yogurt, Plain, 0.5 Cup 115 6 9 5 0 50
451 43 24 23 9 319

You probably could split your breakfast especially if you are up early or have a morning workout... Anyone else wanna weigh in on this one?

I have heard different answers on this question. My coach said not to split breakfast, that your insulin levels should only spike once. So, that is what I have been following.

No, Maile. My coach has never been really clear about the calorie level I should aim for. I am right now going by MFP, which I may need to update, having decided to switch my goal weight up by 5 lbs.

I do notice, with the P3 breakfast, that I am consistently over the 1000 cal mark on MFP now. I'm not worried, because I seem not to be adding weight.

I like your description that P4 is just P3 with some added foods - much simpler than I've been seeing it! So basically, we are adding some fat at lunch & some carbs at dinner & getting used to what a ratio of 3:1 looks like on a plate. Yes?

Way to go, RosiePosie

I am right behind you, by a week!

Watching you move forward ahead of me is a bit like approaching a cliff & seeing you leap over first, saying: 'I can Fly!!'

And lots of other Maintainers hovering, saying: 'You can do it! Just flap your wings!'

Thanks Slipfree. So, based on eating a normal P3 breakfast, do you eat anything between breakfast and lunch for a snack? And if so, what are your choices?

This is exactly how it feels! Everyone is so supportive, I know that we can do this.

My clinic has a body analysis that is part of the buy-in price. It is done in maintenance and one of the numbers it spits out is the BMR which is the calories the body needs to just exist.

Good morning! I think I'm back in the land of the living - yucky stuff!

Rosie - I often have my hardboiled egg between breakfast and lunch instead of actually at breakfast, I figure it is close enough to count. I'm not sure splitting up the yogurt and berries would work the same way because of the sugars - my coach also told me that the idea is to only spike your insulin once in the morning.

I would go with something protein based for your mid-morning snack - hard boiled egg, cheese, like that. Or, it could not be a problem for you - maintenance takes a bit of tinkering. Try it with the yogurt and berries for a few days and see how you feel - if you're super hungry before lunch or it just doesn't feel right you can always switch it around.

And congrats on reaching maintenance - that is so awesome!

Oops . . . This thread has exceeded the magic limit of 500 posts. Would some kind soul start the new thread?




ETA: The thread continues as Maintainers Volume 15