hCG Phase 3/P3 – Stabilization/Maintenance Tips and Foods Lists, What do I do now??

hCG Phase 3/P3 – Stabilization/Maintenance Tips and Foods Lists, What do I do now??

Another question we receive often: “I am moving into Phase 3/P3 Maintenance. I don’t know what or how to eat now. What do I do?!”

Below are some tips on Phase 3/P3 along with two Phase 3/P3 food lists: “Foods Not Allowed and Foods to Avoid on Phase 3/P3” and “Foods Allowed on Phase 3/P3”.

Phase 3/P3 of the hCG protocol is called the “Stabilization Phase” (or “Maintenance Phase”’) which is the 3 weeks immediately following Phase 2/P2.  You are no longer taking the hCG injections. In Phase 3/P3 you can eat no starch and no sugar (bad carbs) but you will eat about 1100-1500 calories maximum per day, you can mix the food, and you add fat/oil back into your diet. You can eat breakfast now and snacks. You can add back the oily vitamins and body lotions with oil as well.  You can also go back to your usual or any exercise plan.

Phase 3/P3 of the hCG diet opens up all sorts of great new food options. You’re done with the 500-calorie phase, no more hCG injections, and your calorie restrictions have been lifted. You can now eat foods with oils and fats.The Phase 3/P3 diet plan is very close to a Keto diet.  It is not Paleo. The only things you can’t eat now are sugar and starch (NO SUGAR, NO STARCH) but after the strict rules of the 500-calorie phase of the hCG Protocol, many people still worry about what exactly they CAN eat.  It continues to be very important to read labels. When it comes to sugar, make sure there are no ingredients that end in: OSE or OL (like Fructose, Sucrose, Glucose, Sucralose, Maltitol, Erythritol). Also, keep staying away from Artificial Sweetners: Sucralose, Aspartame, and Saccharin (Splenda, Equal, SweetnLow respectively). *See list of sugars at the end of this article. The ONLY ALLOWED SWEETENER INGREDIENTS are: STEVIA or MONK FRUIT. These are natural foods with zero calories or negligible calories. As a rule, moving forward, these are the best choices for sweeteners for Phase 3/P3, Phase 4/P4 and beyond!

We have included Food Lists below that should make Phase 3/P3 food choices much easier for you.

Phase 3/P3 IS THE MOST CRITICAL PART OF THE hCG Weight Loss Protocol. This is where you maintain the amazing weight loss that you just achieved in Phase 2/P2. During Phase 3/P3 your goal is to keep your weight within 2 lbs of your LDW (Last Daily P2 Weight).  Your LDW is your weight 72 hrs after your last hCG injection. Have healthy snacks. Keep portions down. GRADUALLY introduce new foods into your diet and watch what they do to your weight. WEIGH YOURSELF DAILY.  DO A STEAK DAY IF GAIN MORE THAN 2 LBS. This will drop your weight down.

NOTE:

Too much fruit causes some people to gain weight. So ease into fruits. Berries are the best fruit to eat as they have a low-glycemic index. Watch how certain foods affect your weight. The Phase 3/P3 diet plan is very close to a Keto diet.  It is not Paleo.  You will want to stay away from starchy vegetables (potatoes, beets, yams, etc), high sugar fruits (bananas, cherries, grapes), and no breads, cracker, melba. See food lists below for more information.

In Phase 3/P3, you want to start slowly as you raise your portions and calories. You will gradually add calories back into your diet as follows: Week 1 – 1100 cals, Week 2 – 1300 cals, Week 3 – 1500 cals. After Phase 3/P3 is completed, you can, optionally, do another round of P2 & P3. So, although you are limited to 40 days in a row of hCG, you can do as many rounds of P2/P3 as you need to reach your weight loss goal.  One round equals one Phase 2/P2 and one Phase 3/P3. So, a round will be 6 weeks (short) or 9 weeks (long). We’ve seen people lose 200+ pounds and they just do multiple rounds to achieve this. You just can’t go past 40 hCG injections in a single round because your body could become a bit immune the hCG and it could become less effective. Also, you must wait 3 weeks between additional rounds of P2/P3 (wait 3 weeks after P3).

Phase 3/P3 Foods NOT ALLOWED

(not complete list, read ingredients on labels)

• Bread, Buns, Rolls (regular and gluten free)
• Melba toast, Grissini Bread stick, Wasa crisp bread crackers
• Tortillas
• Crackers
• Potato Chips
• Pretzels
• Flour (Any type)
• Pasta
• Pizza
• Bagels
• Donuts
• Pancakes/Waffles/Crepes
• French Toast
• Nachos
• Tortilla Chips
• Nuts (in moderation)
• Tempura
• Rice
• Corn
• Corn Starch
• Popcorn
• Salad Dressings with Sugar (read ingredients)
• Peanuts (other nuts OK)
• Milk (avoid high fat, CAN HAVE skim or half and half in coffee, tea)
• Breaded foods
• Ice Cream
• Dried Fruit (raisins, prunes, cranberries, apricots, etc)
• Honey, Agave Nectar, Sugar, Molasses, Sugar, Raw Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Brown Sugar
• Candy (sugar free ok)
• Cookies (Graham crackers, wafers, meringues, all)
• Maple Syrup, Strawberry Syrup, Berry Syrup, Any Syrups
• Chocolate Syrup, Caramel Topping, Strawberry Toppings
• Simple Syrup
• Flavored Yogurt (plain is fine)
• Jellies/Jams/Marmalade
• Seasonings with 4 grams of sugar or more (read labels)
• All Gluten Free items (they still have starch and sugar in them)
• Miracle Whip

Phase 3/P3 – FOODS TO AVOID (or eat in moderation, high in carbs)

But wait, where are such healthy staples as carrots, peas, and grapes? Dr. Simeons (the creator of the hCG Protocol) says the following about the 3 week Stabilization phase of the HCG diet:

“If no carbohydrates whatsoever are eaten, fats can be indulged in somewhat more liberally . . . but as soon as fat and starch are combined things are very liable to get out of hand.”

“All foods allowed except starch and sugar in any form (careful with very sweet fruit).”

The following foods have a high starch or sugar content. While not forbidden per se, they may violate Dr. Simeons’ rules, especially if you’re increasing your fat content at all. Introduce these foods only in small quantities, if at all, with careful attention to your morning weighing.

Protein

• Beans, including black, garbanzo, kidney, fava, lentils, lima, pinto, and white
• Peanuts (all other nuts and sugar-free nut butters are OK)

Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Avocado
• Beets
• Butternut Squash
• Carrots
• Celeriac (not celery)
• Corn
• Leeks
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Plantains
• Potato
• Sweet Potato
• Water Chestnuts
• Yams

Fruit

• Bananas
• Cherries
• Dates
• Grapes
• Mangos
• Pomegranate
• Prunes
• Raisins
• Tangerines
• All Dried Fruits

P3/Phase 3 – 100 FOODS YOU CAN EAT

Now for the good news! Below is a list of foods you CAN eat on Phase 3/P3. These are in addition to the foods you could eat on Phase 2/P2. You can continue to eat all foods from Phase 2/P2.

Meat

Meat lovers can finally cut loose on Phase 3 and enjoy some of their favorite foods again. Consider branching out to celebrate all your lost weight—try some lamb, venison, or a rare sausage and see if you like it. Some of these items, like bacon and hot dogs, have a very high fat content, so be careful with those!

1. Bacon
2. Beef jerky
3. Beef roast
4. Breakfast sausage
5. Elk
6. Ground beef
7. Ham
8. Hot dogs
9. Lamb
10. Liver
11. Pork chops
12. Prosciutto
13. Venison
14. Brats / Knockwurst

Fish

Fish fans already had the best variety during the 500-calorie phase of the HCG diet. Phase 3 gives them even more choices. The list could go on and on, but we’ve limited it to just a few representatives.  There are vegetables and fruits still to consider!

15. Anchovy
16. Bass
17. Catfish
18. Clams
19. Eel
20. Herring
21. Mackerel
22. Mahimahi
23. Mussels
24. Oysters
25. Salmon
26. Sardines
27. Squid or calamari
28. Trout
29. Tuna

Poultry

If you’re not a fish fan you might have had a hard time on the HCG diet. If you feel you’ll die at the thought of eating more chicken, you now have several more poultry options at your disposal on Phase 3/P3.

30. Duck
31. Goose
32. Pheasant / Quail
33. Turkey

Other Protein Sources

Your protein options aren’t limited to just meat anymore! Nuts make an especially good snack food on phase 3. Sugar free nut butters are fine (except no peanut). Unfortunately, beans are still off limits due to their high starch content, but vegetarians can try them with care.

34. Hummus (check ingredients)
35. Nuts of all types: almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, other (no peanuts)
36. Soy, Tofu
37. Sunflower Seeds, pumpkin seeds, other seeds

Vegetables

There’s an absolutely gigantic world of vegetables waiting to be explored during the stabilization phase of the hCG diet. Some popular options such as corn and potatoes have been left out due to high starch or carb content. You might still get away with them if you’re very careful about it—eat them in small quantities and monitor your weight each day. But there are so many other choices during Phase 3—why not try something new?!

38. Bamboo shoots
39. Bean sprouts
40. Bok Choy
41. Broccoli
42. Brussels sprouts
43. Cauliflower
44. Eggplant
45. Green beans
46. Kohlrabi
47. Jalapeno peppers
48. Mushrooms
49. Okra
50. Pickles
51. Pumpkin
52. Radishes
53. Red chili pepper
54. Sauerkraut
55. Scallions
56. Snow peas (pods)
57. Spaghetti squash
58. Summer squash
59. Sweet bell peppers (green, red, or yellow)
60. Turnips
61. Watercress
62. Zucchini

Fruits

Now is the time to indulge in fruits. Like the vegetables, some fruits are still not good for the stabilization phase. Dr. Simeons warns against very sweet fruits, so you won’t find popular choices like bananas or grapes here. As with starchy veggies, you could still try sugary fruits while exercising restraint and care plus watch for any weight gain after.

63. Apricots
64. Blackberries
65. Blueberries
66. Cantaloupe
67. Coconut (unsweetened)
68. Cranberries, fresh or dried
69. Figs, one large—careful of sugar content
70. Guava
71. Honeydew
72. Kiwi
73. Lemons
74. Limes
75. Nectarines
76. Olives
77. Papaya
78. Peaches
79. Pears
80. Pineapple
81. Plums
82. Raspberries
83. Watermelon

Dairy

Hooray! Dairy of all kinds is finally allowed during Phase 3/P3 of the hCG diet. The main thing to beware of is added sugar. Of course, it’s always a good idea to go for fat-free or reduced-fat options. Read labels!

84. Butter (in moderation, of course)
85. Cheese, including both hard and soft cheeses like American, brie, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, string cheese, and Swiss
86. Cottage cheese
87. Cream cheese
88. Eggs—boiled, fried, poached, scrambled, deviled, etc.
89. Milk
90. Omelette
91. Yogurt (sugar-free)

Other

The stabilization phase unlocks a whole new world of food options. Here are a few odds and ends to really spice up your hCG diet on phase 3.

92. Alcoholic beverages in moderation (Dr. Simeons mentions a glass of wine with a meal, for example)
93. Dried soy beans
94. Fruit juices with no added sugar, and watch portion sizes to limit sugar intake
95. Mayonnaise (check label for sugar)
96. Oils for cooking or baking
97. Pure peanut butter, other nut butters (sugar-free)
98. Sugar-free dressings and mustards (can have oil)
99. Taco salad, without the tortilla product
100. Veggie dip: combine plain non-fat yogurt with ranch or onion seasoning mix (check seasonings for sugar)

*SUGAR LABEL INGREDIENTS TO AVOID during Phase 3/P3

There are many different names for sugars. Watch for these on food labels. You must avoid foods with these sugar ingredients during Phase 3/P3. You’ll notice that the words “syrup,” “sweetener,” and anything ending in “ose” are sugars. If the label says “no added sugars,” it should not contain any of them, although the food may contain naturally occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk). Some ingredients that end in “ol” can usually be assumed to be sugar or a “sugar alcohol”. They have no calories and are artificial sweeteners. But they sometimes cause some side-effects such as nausea and diahrrea. Remember: The only sweetener ingredients that are allowed are: Stevia or Monk Fruit. These are zero calories or negligible calories. Also, do not eat any foods with the following artificial sweeteners: Aspartame (Equal), Sucralose (Splenda), Saccharin (Sweet & Low). They actaully can make you gain weight by tricking your body to think it is getting sugar, but it is not. They can upset insulin levels to make you eat more and get cravings.

• Agave nectar
• Barley malt syrup
• Beet sugar
• Blackstrap molasses
• Brown rice syrup
• Brown sugar
• Buttered syrup
• Cane crystals (or cane juice crystals)
• Cane sugar
• Caramel
• Carob syrup
• Castor sugar
• Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar
• Confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar)
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup or corn syrup solids
• Date sugar
• Demerara sugar
• Dehydrated cane juice
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Florida crystals
• Fructose
• Fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• Golden sugar
• Golden syrup
• Grape sugar
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Icing sugar
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Muscovado sugar
• Palm sugar
• Panela sugar
• Rapadura
• Raw sugar
• Refiner’s syrup
• Rice syrup
• Saccharose
• Sorghum or sorghum syrup
• Sucanat
• Sugar
• Sucrose
• Syrup
• Treacle
• Turbinado sugar
• Yellow sugar
• Xylose
• Maltitol (Sugar Alcohol)
• Sorbitol (Sugar Alcohol)
• Erythritol (Sugar Alcohol)
• Xylitol (Sugar Alcohol)
• Aspartame (Equal, Artificial Sweetner)
• Sucralose (Splenda, Artificial Sweetner)
• Saccharin (SweetnLow, Artificial Sweetner)