The year is more than half over and I’m guessing that if you have managed to follow along with me on the Metabolism Miracle Diet until this point, then you have turned your new year’s resolution into a way of life. So, it is time for phase 3 of the Metabolism Miracle Diet, which is a lifetime phase. At this point I have reached my healthy weight goal and it is time to get into maintenance mode.
In this phase we can expand the types of carbohydrates we eat, as well as the amount. The aim is to help prevent the weight from returning by promoting a balanced diet through healthier food choices. We will need to determine the number of carbs that work best for us, and we can finally have a generous allotment of carbohydrates! That means the occasional brownie or other treat won’t send all the pounds rushing back.
HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR PERSONAL CARB RANGE
The first thing to do in this step is identify how many carbohydrates we need to eat to maintain your physique and keep your blood sugar levels steady. To do this, we need to find the ideal carb allowances for our height.
Ideal Carb Allowances by Height
WOMEN: DAILY CARB SERVINGS
5ft 3in and under: 7-10
5ft 4in to 5ft 7in: 8-11
5ft 8in to 5ft 11in: 8-12
6ft and over: 9-13
MEN: DAILY CARB SERVINGS
5ft 3in and under: 7-11
5ft 4in to 5ft 7in: 8-12
5ft 8in to 5ft 11in: 9-13
6ft and over: 10-14
Note: People who are more active (i.e. do more than one hour of strenuous physical activity 4-5 times a week) should go for the higher number of servings recommended for their height.
Now that you know the maximum number of carb servings that you need to eat every day in order maintain your ideal weight, continue to eat at least one serving of carbs every five hours. Don’t skip meals and always have a small carb snack before you go to bed. You need to eat a minimum of one carb serving of your choice at every meal or snack you eat during the day, and can have up to a maximum of four carb servings at any one sitting.
So it’s fine now to have a double or even triple portion of pasta for lunch (2-3 carb servings), as long as you don’t have more than your daily carb portion allowance in total each day. And you should balance everything out so you are eating at least one carb portion at every other meal. According to Kress, if you follow these simple steps you’ll keep that weight off forever!
Again, metabolism B’s crave sweets and in this lifetime phase you’ll certainly be doing that basically for the rest of your life. It is definitely ok to treat yourself occasionally. Just make sure you count the extra carb in your treats into your daily allotment. For example, one brownie is 2 carb servings.
Here is a little tip chart for when it comes to indulging:
Occasional Treats
These high-impact carbs are loaded with fat and have little nutritional benefit. Still, they can be a tasty treat. They are shown in a typical serving size with its carb servings listed beside them.
1 chocolate brownie: 2 carb servings
Slice of Madeira cake: 2 carb servings
2 Bourbon or custard cream biscuits: 1 carb serving
2 chocolate chip cookies: 1 carb serving
1 small cupcake: 2 carb servings
1 doughnut: 2 carb servings
1/8 large pizza: 3 carb servings
1 bagel: 4 carb servings