Beth_M

Seems like there are lots of newbies who have just entered p3 or are going to soon. Here is a re-post of some guidelines that I found very helpful with my firstr p3:

P3 Basics and when to add foods:

Here's Some Basics for P3 posted a while back on the boards... I figured they might help you all as much as they're going to help me.

First, find out your calorie limit: Women that means 11 times your current weight, Men 12 times your current weight.
Example: For a woman whose current weight is 150 lbs, multiplied times 11 is 1650 calories a day.
Example; for a man whose current weight is 200, multiplied times 12 is 2400 calories a day.

Week 1 OK, so for week 1 after your VLCD, work your way up to about 800-1000 calories a day. Remember no sugar, starches and low carbohydrates. Yes, you can eat fats during this time, but don't overdo it.
I like to stop my fruits and bread sticks for the first week.
Have cream in your coffee or tea if you like. Continue to drink lots of water.
I add Salmon, Trout, Shrimp scampi. Use butter, oil or cooking spray in your frying pan.
I like to add a small breakfast like an egg or 2. Make a 2 egg omelet and load it up!
Change the Protein to about 6-8 oz per meal. So for Lunch have some protein and a small salad with real dressing (sugar free) and some veggies of your choice. And get this; your salad can be a mixture of all your favorite things that you want in the salad, just no sugars, starches.
Dinner is about the same as Lunch. Protein, salad and veggies.
Try to eat a little at each meal and try to get in a mid morning and mid afternoon snack.
Add only 1 new thing every other day so you can tell what is causing the sensitivity if you gain.

Week 2 Then for week 2, increase your daily calorie count to about 1200-1500 calories per day. Do this by adding in more veggies. Maybe some soups, cheese, peanut butter, nuts and other low carbohydrate type foods.

Week 3 Then by week 3 work your way up to your total calorie limit. You should be eating 5 or 6 little meals a day; Breakfast, mid morning snack, Lunch, Mid-afternoon snack and Dinner. You might get away with a light dinner snack.

Weight yourself every day and do not allow for more than a 2 pound gain. If there is, do a Steak day!

P4
Week 4 Now, to add in the starches and sugars, the dreaded carbohydrates.
Sugars and Starches (the carbohydrates) are the danger zone! Reintroduce these too fast, and you may have a weight gain.

So to avoid that, this is what we have learned. ADD them SLOWLY!

So, for week 4 after your LVCD, add in the one carbohydrate food that you missed the most. Eat bread, pasta, potato or whatever, but just one. Then, the next day, stop that one and add another one. Do not eat two carb foods in the same day during week 4. Only eat one carb food per meal. Just change your carbohydrate from day to day.

Week 5 For week 5, combine 2 carb foods in the same day, but not at the same meal. Bread for a sandwich for lunch and a potato for dinner or whatever.

Week 6 For week 6, start combing the carbs during the same meal, but do this 1 day at a time.
By the end of week 6, you should be eating a good, healthy, well rounded, high fiber, lower fat, diet within your calorie limit without worrying about gaining weight any longer!

One last thought:
Avoid over-eating; (stay within your calorie limit) avoid eating both a high fat and high carb meal. You may get away with a high fat meal or a high carb meal, but high fat and high carb together are a bad combination.