You can post pictures in your comments below! Please feel free to share your P3 living stuff you're doing to help other P3toLifers visualize and get ideas for how to do this!
Disclaimer: Intermittent fasting is considered a controversial topic by some AND depending on your health may not be a good idea- so you are responsible for checking with your doctor or medical professional before doing this. I am not a medical professional and the following are just my opinions based on my own experience and the research that I've done. There are quite a few books that expound on both the history and proof of the efficacy of fasting and I firmly believe in it's use, when done the right way, myself.
Main pointers to keep in mind when fasting/doing steak days:
- Drink water (I'm totally guilty of it only not eating but not drinking water- this is an important part of your body breaking down and flushing out the fatty acids - I can't be sure of this but I get the feeling that I don't experience as good of results/fat burning when I don't drink enough liquids on a fast day- I could be wrong, but it's what I feel like I notice after observing my body over the past few years and it's definitely not going to hurt you to drink enough liquids. The point is you want to experience the best benefits for your fast day possible
- Your morning caffeine is okay as long as your cups don't add up to more than 50-75 or so (and no sugar obviously).
- Do not fast back to back. Separate fast days at least 3 days apart as a woman. this is just my personal advice, not based on any scientific fact, just what I've noticed about my body *details on why I feel this way below.
- Your fast will last typically between 18-24hrs. Examples: 9pm-dinner/snack done-following day
In Phase 3: Dr. Simeon's laid out what we all refer to as the "steak" day - where you fast all day and have a steak with Apple or tomato for dinner. So this is essentially an intermittent fast with a specific dinner you eat- steak and tomato or Apple.
Help…. I have done so well…and stayed just right until I quit smoking.
My ending wt on the protocol was 127.7. I stayed at that for 6 months. With stopping smoking…after 9 days, I am up to 130.9. A steak day worked for a day…then back…then a steak day…then back. Back to 129.9…so only losing a pound. Not sure what to do but I feel very uncomfortable and freaked about having to start completely over again…..and hope to turn this around? Thanks….Mari
Hey girl! First of all Mari, Wow that’s so amazing you are quitting smoking – major props to you I know that can’t be easy. Be patient with the steak days- try not to freak over the scale so much as try to plan 1 steak day a week, maybe 2 but spread out, and see how things go. I know it’s common to gain weight after quitting smoking but I’m unfamiliar if it’s some mechanism of the smoking or that a person tends to eat more when they quit- what do you think about that? When I’m struggling to maintain more than usual, I incorporate miracle noodles or skinny pasta in my diet a lot more in my dinners to help me feel full while eating less calories so you could definitely try that on your eating days as well. I’m sorry you’re struggling!
Thanks Rayzel. I am now totally a non-smoker! But…I want to be a skinny non-smoker. LOL Okay…so today I was up 134. Instead of freaking…I determined to do a steak day every 4th day until I am at my correct weight. I also stopped gum….will do more water and tea.
I think it is eating more. However, I was eating more of allowable foods…not sugars or high carbs or anything like that…just more food! I did a steak and apple day today and am doing fine. Tomorrow I will mix my food plans up a bit…between the week plans…and eat normally. No matter what….I realize it will be okay….but I will stay in contact with you the next few weeks if you do not mind…. Makes me feel calmer about working this all out! Thank you!! 🙂
Mari
Hey girl! It sucks that even eating more good food is a problem huh? I suffer from the issue all the time! No matter how healthy it is, if it’s too many calories it just bites us in the butt still. Your plan sounds like a good one. Yes for sure please stay in touch- you can always email us at [email protected] for more private/direct communication okay? Also, you may be able to gradually raise how many calories you can get away with eating over time, but just need to do it gradually- also if you want to know the BEST way to raise metabolism and make your body use those calories up instead of storing is adding a little weight lifting- think about it! Heavy weight lifting can easily be done safely if you go to the right place and have them teach you and just a little each week can do great stuff for you metabolism and muscle- I think it’s why I get away with eating as much as I do. Keep in touch! Rayzel
Hi Rayzel…
Okay…cutting to the chase…I will start using my Bow Flex tomorrow. With my health issues it is the only way I can work with weights…so I will start again. I have to be careful though, because there is not much I can do in the winter where I live, at all. Not even the Bow Flex…so….my thought is…well not sure. I was doing my weight totally by diet! Afraid to lose or balance out with exercise…when come winter it has to stop. Sigh…lot’s to think about here, but will start in the morning for sure. 🙂
I understand the hesitancy and concerns- I have plenty myself when thinking of introducing something new. I think ultimately, whatever you can do during whatever season would really benefit you, even if it has to slow down in winter- the way to handle that is if you listen to your hunger, you will notice you have less calorie needs when you are less active and if you just be sure to listen to that instead of continuing to eat just as much as when you are active, you will not gain weight. It’s more that many of us havn’t realized we should adapt our calorie intake to our activity level (I’ve totally been guilty of this) – once we adapt, we don’t have to be hungry but we can eat less during less active periods and more during more active periods. I hope this helps a little, and yes just do what your health allows. And remember consistency is more important than doing some awesome 1 hour workout 2x a month – sometimes we expect too much and then we don’t do it because it’s overwhelming- give yourself a 10 minute timer to start and just do something with your bow flex for 10 minutes 3x a week to start, then maybe add on a little, but just think to yourself, be consistent. Don’t worry about the rest. Love, Rayzel
What could you sub for steak on a steak day? I don’t eat beef or pork.
Thanks!
Hey there! I think honestly any protein would be fine- so maybe some chicken breast with some bruschetta on top – mmmm!
Apple question do you eat it right after the steak of a few hours later?
Hey there! I don’t think it matters EXCEPT in the case of if you are full after the steak, I would then wait. You want to avoid that overly full feeling- I have just found whenever I get that way that it seems to be that signal that sends to my body to store fat – so as long as you are not overly full, you could probably eat it with your steak, but if feeling pretty full, wait a bit. Those are just suggestions of course, no proven accurate way! Hope that helps.
Hi Rayzel,
I see different information on whether or not you should add butter on steak days. I have a porterhouse steak and wondering if butter dripped on it would be good or bad. Also, what would the approximate oz portion be? I was thinking 8-10 oz. thank you so much. Oh, I’ve also seen Apple or tomato one hour after or 2-3 hours after. Which is best? Thank you!!!!! I refer to your p3 daily!!!!!! Loving it! 🙂 kimberly
Hey there Kimberly!
This is a good question- here are my thoughts and hopefully it will help you decide. First, I don’t think adding butter is BAD per se. However, remember that the poitn of a steak day is to correct by having a greatly reduced overall calorie intake for that day to compensate for weight gain on previous day.
Fat has the highest calories per gram so calories add up very quickly with fat ingredients. A porterhouse steak by itself already has plenty of fat in the marbling. So while I think you could add butter, when you consider the ultimate goal it’s definitely not a should/good in my mind, more of a “you can but may not get quite as good a result from your steak day”- there’s about 120ish calories I think in a tsbp of butter, so if you drip 1 tbsp on which is probably about what a person would do, it’s just that many more calories- at the end of the day, it’s not THAT big a difference right? So not a bad thing to do.
Still in the end, if it were me, in general I would probably forego it since the steak has plenty of fat as it is. I’ve included a screenshot below that shows you the macros/nutrition of a raw 10 oz porterhouse steak with fat and lean together – middle column there- it has 606 calories, 39g fat, 58g protein. Ideally it seems the steak day was meant to have the focus of the final meal being protein, not so much fat. I mean fat can be there but the focus was protein I believe. But as you can see, if you have a 600 calorie steak, and 1 tbsp of butter for another 120 calories, for 720 calories, plus an apple, say 60-80 calories, this is still a great overall correction day right? If you’re maintenance calorie rate is say 1500 calories, that means you’ve cut off about about 700 calories or so that should hopefully go towards fat loss. I hope this helps! It’s all choices but either way is fine, just depends on how quickly you want to reach whatever goal ultimately I think. Sometimes in Phase 4 when I do a fast day I conclude it with a bunless burger, fries and salad, and other days I have a more lean chicken breast type meal if I’m seriously trying to lean out or make a bigger correction.