HCG Phase 3 Tips — Successful Stabilization and Maintenance on the HCG Drops Diet

After you're done with the core phase (phase 2) of the HCG diet, you stop taking HCG diet drops—but what's next? Some people get tripped up at this stage, because Dr. Simeons didn't give very many guidelines for this part of the HCG diet. However, HCG phase 3 and HCG phase 4 are critical parts of the diet. Your diet is not over, but your focus has changed. Here's what to do to succeed during stabilization and maintenance.

HCG Phase 3 Tips (Stabilization)

1. Remember not to consume any sugar or starch. This is the most important part of the stabilization phase.
2. Continue tracking your food intake and portion sizes. Use a food journal to help you out. If you start gaining weight, consider eliminating any new foods you ate just before the gain.
3. When adding new foods, do it carefully. Try new foods one at a time. Try adding one new food each day for the first week, then two a day for the second week, and finally three a day for the third week.
4. Focus on high-fiber vegetables and lean meats.
5. Try to eat natural, organic foods and avoid processed foods.
6. Don't lower the amount of water you drink. Eight to ten glasses a day will work fine, but a better method is to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces per day.
7. Remember the 2-Pound Rule: anytime your weight increases by more than two pounds, skip breakfast and lunch that day and eat a large steak or chicken breast with an apple or tomato.

HCG Phase 4 Tips (Maintenance)

1. When you start adding sugars and starches, consume only small amounts and increase your intake slowly.
2. Continue tracking your food intake and portion sizes for a few weeks. This will help you identify problem foods and give you a good idea of how much you can eat without gaining weight.
3. Don't even think about adding soda to your diet. There is research indicating that diet sodas may be even worse for your health than regular soda. Stick to your water, tea and coffee sweetened with stevia if necessary. Juices with no added sugar are OK to drink.
4. If you start getting cravings again, pay careful attention to your emotions and your stress level. Identifying your food triggers is an important part of keeping your weight stable.
5. Continue focusing on natural, organic foods, including high-fiber veggies and fruits and lean meats.
6. Avoid processed foods and fast food.
7. You may want to continue using the 2-Pound Rule to keep your weight in check forever.

Now that you're no longer taking HCG diet drops and following the 500-calorie diet, you have more freedom—but you have more responsibility as well! Having lost weight with the HCG diet, why would you want to go back to your old habits and gain all that weight back? Following these HCG phase 3 and 4 tips and using your common sense, you can keep the weight off long term!