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Phase II, 3 weeks -
Stabilizing your new body weight
The stabilization phase is the 3 week period after you finish the diet phase. There are a few simple rules you must follow: you must weigh yourself every day, you must remain within 2 pounds of your last injection weight (either above or below), and you cannot eat sugars and starches. If you go over the 2 pounds, you must do a steak day as is explained in the protocol. We want to be clear that this 3 week period is crucial to the success of the diet. The entire phase is explained in Dr. Simeons Pounds & Inches, yet we compiled a list to help you out. Before we get to the list, read an excerpt from Pounds & Inches: When the three days of dieting after the last injection are over, the patients are told that they may now eat anything they please, except sugar and starch, provided they faithfully observe one simple rule. This rule is that they must have their own portable bathroom-scale always at hand, particularly while traveling. They must without fail weigh themselves every morning as they get out of bed, having first emptied their bladder. If they are in the habit of having breakfast in bed, they must weigh before breakfast. It takes about 3 weeks before the weight reached at the end of the treatment becomes stable, i.e. does not show violent fluctuations after an occasional excess. During this period patients must realize that the so-called carbohydrates, that is sugar, rice, bread, potatoes, pastries etc, are by far the most dangerous. If no carbohydrates whatsoever are eaten, fats can be indulged in somewhat more liberally and even small quantities of alcohol, such as a glass of wine with meals, does no harm, but as soon as fats and starch are combined things are very liable to get out of hand. This has to be observed very carefully during the first 3 weeks after the treatment is ended otherwise disappointments are almost sure to occur. Please note: The day that you take your last dose of HCG, count 72 hours (continuing on the 500 calorie diet for those 72 hours) from that moment and then you start the stabilization phase. The weight that you were the morning of your last HCG is the weight that you use as a basis for your stabilization phase. Anything OVER two pounds from that weight calls for a steak day. NOTE: The time period to begin this phase is not 3 days after your last HCG dose, it is 72 hours! (For example, if you administer your last dosage on Monday at 8 am, you will begin the maintenance phase on Thursday at 8 am.) When beginning the 3 week stabilization phase, make sure to increase your calories to at least 1500. Don't try to continue the diet after the HCG is out of your system. Your weight will fluctuate the first week or two; this is normal. Do a steak day if you need to. The weight will eventually stabilize. Watch the starch and sugar religiously during the 3 weeks. Read labels. Continue eating organic foods if possible. Eat whatever you want, without starch or sugar, during the stabilization phase. Make sure you are eating enough. Use healthy fats and dairy products to up your calorie intake if necessary. Drink plenty of water. Low Carb Vegetables, freely eat from the list: * Sprouts (bean, alfalfa, etc.) * Greens – lettuces, spinach, chard, etc. * Hearty Greens - collards, mustard greens, kale, etc. * Radicchio and endive count as greens * Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc. * Bok Choy * Celery * Radishes * Sea Vegetables (Nori, etc) * Broccoli * Cauliflower * Cabbage (or sauerkraut) * Mushrooms * Jicama * Avocado * Cucumber (or pickles without added sugars) * Peppers (all kinds) * Summer Squash (including zucchini) * Scallions or green onions * Asparagus * Bamboo Shoots * Leeks * Brussels Sprouts * Snow Peas (pods) * Green Beans and Wax Beans * Tomatoes * Eggplant * Artichoke Hearts * Fennel * Onions * Okra * Spaghetti Squash * Celery Root (Celeriac) * Carrots * Turnip (see Carb Counts of Root Vegetables) * Water Chestnuts * Pumpkin Starchy (High Carb) Vegetables, avoid these for three weeks: * Beets * Carrots (depends on diet) * Corn * Parsnips * Peas * Plantains * Potatoes in all forms * Winter Squashes (particularly acorn and butternut) Low Sugar Fruit, eat freely from these: * Rhubarb * Strawberries * Cranberries * Raspberries * Blackberries * Blueberries * Grapefruit * Melons * Apricots * Plums * Peaches * Pears * Guava * Cherries * Apples * Papaya Fruits fairly high in sugar, ok to eat, but keep it on the lower side: * Grapes * Tangerine * Oranges * Pineapple * Kiwi Fruits to be avoided in the stabilization phase: * Bananas * Dried Fruit * Mango Foods to Avoid: Avoiding sugar simply means avoid cookies, cake, pie, candy, cupcakes, frosting, soft drinks, corn syrup, kool-aid, processed food, energy drinks, fruit juice, honey, yogurt, donuts, cookies, pudding, maple syrup, brownies, canned fruit in heavy syrup, ice cream, cool whip, boxed breakfast cereals, breakfast bars, granola - nothing with sugar. Be sure to read food labels, check to see if sugar is added into a product before you buy it. Nearly every product in a can or box contains sugar in one of its many names. The first five ingredients listed on an item is the majority of the product, so be sure that sugar is not in the top five. Avoiding starch means avoid cornstarch, white flour, wheat flour, any flour, pasta, any bread or bread product, breadsticks, bagels, hamburger and hotdog buns, crackers, tortillas, oatmeal, rice, polenta, peas, corn, lentils, pita bread, pretzels, corn chips, potato chips, yams, potatoes, pancakes, muffins, nearly all root vegetables, any breading on fish, chicken, or other protein., beans, grains, acorn squash, butternut squash, cereals, granola, cereal bars, popcorn, biscuits, corn bread, taco shells, croutons, rice cakes, Cream of Wheat, corn meal, etc. Most restaurants and fast food places add sugar to nearly every product, so be wary of eating out all the time. Other meats to watch out include deli meats, bacon, ham, prosciutto, sausage, and hotdogs. Do not eat processed cheese (i.e. Velveeta), it contains unnecessary sugars and starches. Notes and Tips: You can find out the minimum calories you should be consuming here. It is your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), or the calories burned if you did absolutely nothing all day given your particular height, weight, and age. You can use your BMR for your lower range boundary, figuring that anything less than that creates a deficit in calories, which you don't want. Then, add another 300-400 calories to that figure. Write down what you are eating as you need to know where your set point is and identify "problem" foods. In addition, insufficient calories can also produce problems. Listen to your body and watch its signs. Many have found that the stabilization phase demonstrates a change in attitude toward food. For example, not getting a second helping of food, but just eating what is on your plate. People are not as hungry as they remember being pre-diet. Instead people eat because they need to eat, not because they have this overwhelming desire to stuff their mouths. People also find that they have ridden themselves of the emotional attachment to food. Be careful of introducing too many new foods at once. Try to introduce foods one at a time, so you can determine if a certain food causes a gain or loss. Some people have trouble with dairy or nuts. Eat lean protein, fruit and vegetables during the first few days to balance out. Then, GRADUALLY introduce foods such as nuts and dairy one at a time, so that if you react negatively it is easily identified. Read the label on everything you introduce during this maintenance phase. Be sure there is no form of sugar in it or other additives, look for any -ose, corn syrup, MSG, etc. Be careful of yogurts which contain sugar regardless of soy or milk based. You can use organic PLAIN yogurt and then sweeten it with Stevia and add fruit to it such asraspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or whatever else you are craving. Use common sense when selecting your food for the maintenance phase. Dr. Simeons really meant to avoid the obvious starches such as corn, potatoes, cereal, white flour, beans, pasta, bread, etc., and not starches in fruits/nuts. Don't worry about weight fluctuations within the 2 pounds. Many people, have somewhat unstable weight for the first week to 10 days after transitioning from the HCG to stabilization. It is likely to stabilize in less than a week, don't get upset by the minor swings. There are also a multitude of recipe websites online for low carb recipes. If you want more than the link to the left gives you, then do a web search for low carb recipes. After 3 weeks stabilization, go on to maintenance After you finish the 3 week stabilization phase add your carbs back in slowly. Take note of what makes you gain weight. Start with healthy low glycemic carbs like oatmeal and Ezekiel bread or sweet potatoes or brown rice. Keep drinking your water and teas. Refrain from diet soft drinks and processed foods. This will contribute to successful maintenance. Continue to watch the scale and remain within 2 pounds. If at ANY point you are above 2 pounds, immediately do a steak day. You can now eat or drink any foods you wish. Continue to weigh daily and see how the various foods you introduce effect your weight. Adjust your intake in accordance with what you discover about your own unique response to foods. Back to main page |