There’s probably nothing more rewarding than seeing your transformed self, staring back at you in the mirror. You’ve worked hard over the last several weeks and you’ve definitely earned the healthy body you’ve achieved.
But now that you’re on the tail end of the HCG diet, where can you expect to go from here?
Welcome to the last part of the HCG diet program, Phase 4: Maintenance. There could be a lot of mixed emotions you’re probably feeling at this point: apprehension, anxiety, excitement, and eagerness to continue your new-found, healthy eating habits to keep this new body you have.
But there is a process in making sure you do it right to prevent reversing all the progress you’ve made so far. Over the next few to six weeks you’re going to cement in all the positive changes your body has been working on.
You’re going to start re-introducing carbohydrates and additional foods back into your diet to be able to acclimate to a normal and healthy lifestyle. To do this you’re going to institute a controlled caloric increase of 500 each week until you find the right amount your body needs to be able to function at its best while still being able to keep the weight off.
How will you know what this amount will be?
Refer to the Q&A section below to use the BMR calculator as a guide to discover what calorie intake is right for you.
Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you’re now free to eat whatever you want. You should avoid sugars, processed foods, and limit the amount of starches and dairy you consume.
Not that you can’t eat those foods ever again, just be aware of how much you consume so as not to compromise your weight loss you’ve worked so hard for. You can’t go wrong with raw and whole foods when you’re trying to maintain weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
Top 13 Questions About Phase 4 That You May Have
1. How do I calculate what my ideal calorie intake will be?
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator is just a guide to be able to give you an idea of where your daily calorie intake will range from. The formula for the calculator is to take your new weight, multiply it by 10.
Take this value and multiply it by the value of your activity level to get the target range your daily calorie intake will be.
Activity Level:
- Sedentary: 1.2
- Lightly Active: 1.3
- Moderately Active: 1.4
- Very Active: 1.5
- Athlete: 1.6
For example: If you now weigh 130 pounds, multiply by 10 to get 1300. Take 1300 and multiply it by 1.4 if you’re moderately active throughout the week to get your daily calorie intake of 1820.
2. If I’ve calculated my daily calorie intake, how should I go about increasing my calories after the Diet Break to achieve my target?
Increase your calories by 500 a week until you’ve reached your target. The higher your target, the longer it will take you to control your increase in calories.
For example, if you ended the diet break at 1500 calories and your target daily calories is 1900, use the first week to increase your calories by 400.
If you ended the break at 2000 calories and your target is 3200, increase your calories by 500 for two weeks and then on the third week only increase by 200.
3. I gained two pounds before I reached my target calorie intake, what should I do?
The calculator is just a guideline to give you an idea of where your daily calorie intake should land.
If you find that you’re gaining weight before reaching your target, your Doctor or support staff may recommend an Apple or Steak Day or reduce your calories by 500, and keep a strict eye on what foods you’re consuming that is causing the weight gain.
4. What is the Apple or Steak Day?
The Apple and Steak Day are remedies that are HCG approved to get rid of about two pounds that is gained throughout the HCG Injections diet program.
- Apple Day: consume 6 apples in one day in addition to your HCG meals
- Steak Day: only eat your vegetable portions throughout the day and consume a large steak at your dinner meal
5. I still have more weight to lose, when can I start the HCG diet again?
You do have the option after Phase 3: The Diet Break to either start Phase 4: Maintenance or to repeat Phase 2: The Low Calorie Diet.
If you’ve accidentally started and completed Phase 4, don’t be disheartened. Advise your Doctor and they may recommend you do another round of the HCG diet program again in three weeks.
6. Who should I talk to about finding the right daily calories and foods to eat during Phase 4 and after I’ve completed the HCG diet?
It’s very strongly recommended that you seek the counseling and advice of a nutritionist or HCG food coach to be able to come up with a custom diet that will work best for you.
7. I want to stay slim and keep up my good eating habits. How can I do this?
Although it sounds simple it works: search online and reach out to others who have completed the HCG diet program successfully and share recipes and foods that help you to maintain this healthy lifestyle.
Exercise is also a prescription for helping to maintain weight loss. Avoid keeping foods that you shouldn’t eat in your pantry and learn to love your own cooking. Instead opt for including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unprocessed/hormone-free proteins into your new diet.
8. Can I exercise during Phase 4?
You should check with your Doctor or support team first, but it is generally encouraged to start an exercise routine if you haven’t already. Moderate exercise can consist of a deliberate 30 minutes three to four times a week.
9. Do I continue taking HCG?
No. You may stop taking your HCG injections during Phase 4.
HCG needs a few days to completely leave your system, and the controlled calorie intake of the Maintenance phase helps your body wean off the HCG to be able to adjust to a normal, functioning lifestyle that can properly manage lipid metabolism and fat burning by itself.
10. Can I reward myself by eating what I want?
There’s nothing wrong with allowing yourself a few indulgences every once in a while. But those few times can easily become the norm again. Instead of focusing on food to celebrate achievements, look to creating experiences and memories to reward yourself.
A day at the salon, a mini vacation, that motorcycle you wanted are just some ideas to help expand the mind in what a “reward” can be.
11. If I’ve got less than 15 pounds to lose, can I still use the HCG diet program to get rid of it?
HCG drops and injections are can be effective for when there’s large amounts of fat to be burned off. When there’s less than 15 pounds to lose, there’s likely not enough abnormal fat tissue available for HCG to be effective.
Once again, this is something you need to discuss with your prescribing physician.
12. What are the ultimate benefits that I can expect from completing Phase 4 of the HCG program?
Apart from the obvious weight loss and body transformation your body has undergone, you’ve also allowed your body to correct imbalances that prevented you from losing weight prior to the HCG diet.
You can expect to see:
- stabilized weight loss
- optimized insulin activity
- sensitized leptin activity
- balanced hormone levels
- reset metabolism
13. How do I continue to remain accountable after Phase 4 is completed?
Remaining accountable for what you eat and how active you stay is a lifelong endeavor. It’s made easier by the HCG diet program by instituting accountable habits that you should continue even after the diet is completed.
- Continue tracking what you eat via a food journal
- Maintain an exercise regimen
- Set realistic health goals
- Don’t plan diets around holidays and celebrations where you’re more likely to cheat
- Use supportive online forums for support and to motivate others
You know your mindset has been changed during the HCG diet program if you feel you no longer need to reward yourself with fried, greasy foods… the kinds of foods that put those extra tires on your hips in the first place.
Turn to making positive experiences and memories to celebrate your weight loss achievements instead of turning to old, bad habits and turning to foods that will drag you down. This is the body and the life you’ve looked forward to for so long. Congratulations, good job, now go live it!
