Schedule

Reminder: The Stabilization Phase schedule below describes how to start adding in new foods (foods that were not part of the Core Phase diet). You aren't required to keep eating these same new foods everyday. This is just to help you make the transition to a more normal (less restrictive) everyday diet.

Adjustment Day 1: Add Fruit

Add a whole piece of fruit to each meal. Fruit is a great way to start introducing carbohydrates because fruit is coupled with fiber which makes it more filling, it has low impact on blood sugar, and it is packed with nutrients.

Avoid canned fruit, which almost always has added sugar. Also avoid dried fruit, which packs a lot of calories per serving. Instead go for whole pieces of fresh fruit, including the peel when possible -- that's where the vitamins and much of the fiber is, which will help you feel fuller.

Adjustment Day 2: Include Fat

You may now include a small amount of dietary fat to each meal, if desired. Aim for 10 to 14 grams of fat or less per meal -- the lower end for dieting group A, the higher end for dieting group C. You will have to read labels and keep count, or you're bound to get too much fat.

As a general rule, this fat should come from substituted protein sources. This means you are swapping protein sources, not adding more protein. For example, you could start eating salmon instead of white-fleshed fish. Refer to the protein chart earlier in this book and look in the Disallowed column for ideas (but keep it below the 10-14 grams mentioned above).

To be more cautious, you could do something less dramatic and switch from fat-free cheese to low-fat cheese; or add one egg yolk to your egg serving; you could go for lean beef instead of extra lean; and so forth. One of these substitutions should cover your fat requirements for one meal.

Alternatively, instead of substituting protein sources, you could add some fat to your meal in other ways. For example, you could add a tablespoon of oil-based dressing to your salad; you could sprinkle some low-fat cheese on your salad; you could add some nuts to your meal; and so forth.

Remember that sugar is still off limits for a few more days.

Adjustment Day 3: Add Starchy Vegetables and Starchy Proteins

Add one or more servings of starchy vegetables or proteins to each day.

For vegetables, these are items like potatoes, carrots, peas, and so forth. Refer to the Disallowed column of the vegetables chart earlier in this book for ideas.

You can also start adding in starchy protein sources like legumes. So you could swap a serving of your usual protein sources with a serving of beans.

The main thing to be concerned about here are the toppings or extra ingredients added to recipes with starches. For example, most bean and potato dishes are swimming in fat and oil -- mainly from high-fat cheese. You can use low-fat cheese and other fat sources, but remember to deduct them from your fat limit as described in day 2 above.

Adjustment Day 4: Add Whole Grains

You may now add a single serving of a whole, unrefined grain to a single meal today (just one serving for the day). An unrefined whole grain food includes for example whole wheat, brown rice, whole oats, etc. Note that most "wheat" bread often contains processed (white) wheat. Go for 100% whole grain sources.

Limit the serving size to an amount that would fit in your cupped palm. One or two slices of high-fiber bread would work just fine. If you're eating pasta, be careful about the amount of fat in the sauces -- it counts toward your daily fat total.

It's normal for your weight to spike a little when you start eating these types of starches again, thanks to the extra retention of water. But if your weight swings wildly, or if you start getting extreme cravings, you might need to wait a few more days before adding any more.

Adjustment Day 5: Add Refined Starches (OPTIONAL)

Refined starches are the "processed" grains -- like white bread, white rice, regular pasta and breakfast cereal -- and sugar. This program could be a great opportunity to break addictions and cravings for these foods, so you may want to continue to avoid them. However, many people enjoy foods with these items and don't want to feel deprived. And they can often be tough to avoid in everyday situations. If you stay below your maintenance calorie levels and you feel okay energy-wise, you can eat them without weight gain problems.

So if you wish, over the next few days you can start experimenting with refined starches. Today, you can add a single serving for the day. Limit the serving size to an amount that would fit in your cupped palm.

Watch what happens to your weight and your general sense of well-being very carefully on this day and during weigh-in tomorrow. After coming off the strict dieting phase before this, some people find that they are a lot more sensitive to refined starches than they ever knew before. If your weight spikes too much or you get extreme cravings, cut back on the refined starches for a while. You may need to wait another couple days before adding more in, or swap the refined starch for a whole grain carbohydrate instead.

Adjustment Day 7: Add Healthy Between-Meal Snacks

After a week, you can start adding one or two small snacks in between your main meals to further increase your caloric intake.

Snacks must contain some protein and fiber and shouldn't contain too many carbs. Suggestions: a piece of fruit with a glass of milk; half a turkey or chicken sandwich on high-fiber bread with some veggies and mustard; cottage cheese with some celery and carrots; a small serving of mixed nuts; and so forth.

Balance is the key with snacks (protein, fiber, fat, and carbs). Keep the fat content of your snacks between 5 to 7 grams, and make sure it's a snack -- not a full meal.

Adjustment Days 8 - 14: Maintain

After you've spent a week adding in new foods, you'll spend another week simply maintaining this new diet. Essentially, you'll simply eat the same way you did on day 7. Or, if you're taking your time adjusting, you can continue your diet alterations in this second week. However you do it, the idea is to feel your weight and eating are more or less stabilized, under control, and "normal" -- something you can sustain and maintain for a long time.