Having a Maintenance or Lifestyle Diet Plan after the HCG Diet Program

Most of my patients have incredible success with losing weight on the HCG Diet program.  We work together through all of the phases and then in the end create a healthy lifestyle diet that I ask my patients to follow 90% of the time. This way, they can have the occasional indulgence and not be overly rigid in their diet.  I always suggest eating in a way that is functional for our cells and our bodies and then having a special treat here and there and really enjoying it!

The HCG Diet is not magic. If patients go back to old eating habits, the weight will surely come right back on.  That was never the plan!  From the start, the plan on the HCG Diet is to re-create a lifestyle diet that is designed for weight maintenance or further weight loss for some.

Great Habits for HCG Diet Maintenance

I also recommend getting into the habit of weighing yourself most days.  It may take practice to let go of any emotional attachment to that number on the scale.  I encourage my patients to look at that number as information. In a world where we have an excessive amount of food it is a way to keep our body composition on track.  I have correction days that I teach my patients to use when they go 1-2 lbs over where they like to be.  The cool thing is that the correction days always work.  When we do not check in with the scale and wait until our clothes feel snug it is often 7-10 lbs and a big mental hurdle. Stay on top it. In my clinical research with my patient population, I have found that weighing in most days is a habit that my long term weight loss maintainers subscribe to.

I also encourage experimenting with different habits and food protocols when you are in maintenance. No one on Earth has the same genetic make up as you do. Therefore, it is up to you to come up with a food plan and an intermittent fasting schedule that works for you.

Intermittent Fasting after the HCG Diet Protocol

Clinically, I have seen wonders happen with intermittent fasting over time. When people make this change and stick with it consistently over months to years, it is incredible what happens. I like to keep it simple and ask my patients to commit to a 16-18 hour fasting window followed by a 6-8 hour eating window.  Of course, what you put in the eating window does matter. However, studies have shown that body composition will change more favorably if the same food that is put in a 12-hour eating window is moved to an 8 hour eating window. Here is a link to an article that I wrote on intermittent fasting.

Choosing Foods for your Lifestyle Diet

I spend a lot of time educating my patients on the physiological impact of food. It is really quite simple – if we consume foods higher in sugar/carbs and we elicit an elevation in blood sugar and therefore a consequential insulin elevation we begin the program of fat storage.  Insulin is our “fat storage” hormone and it tells your cells to store fat and it makes your existing fat stores very difficult to access (think of insulin putting barracades around your fat stores).  If we can keep our blood sugar and insulin in an optimal range, our fat stores will freely be available to use for fuel!!!

I encourage my patients to consume clean, proteins. I believe that 2 servings daily is plenty.  For those who are very active they may prefer to have 3 servings of clean, proteins daily.  Protein sources can be very variable from person to person. There are many protein options in the meat, fish, poultry categories for the carnivores and many options for those who are vegan or vegetarian.  Try to avoid “sugars” on your proteins – honey glazed ham, maple sausage, teriyaki chicken or wings covered in barbecue sauce.

I encourage LOTS of low-starch, low-sugar, organic vegetables as desired.   Vegetables are a great way to get fiber, vitamins and minerals in our diets. Some vegetables even contain some protein.  In fact, broccoli is higher in protein per calorie than beef. Veggies to avoid or have on special occasions would be potatoes, starchy squashes and corn.

Fruits are a category I ask my patients to have on occasion. If someone wants to have fruit daily, I would suggest only one serving. I find that fruit can be a culprit for weight gain in many of my patients. My favorite fruits are berries, apples and citrus.

Healthy fats in moderation are a nice addition to a clean, diet. Cooking with clean oils which are cold processed and stored in dark glass is great. You can also use an oil based salad dressing as desired.  Having avocados or some nuts on salad is wonderful.  Some enjoy a serving of cheese here and there.

Above are the “nuts and bolts” to a healthy lifestyle diet. It is also important to add things in if needed that will make your lifestyle diet SUSTAINABLE for you. This is your forever diet that we hope you will subscribe to 90% of the time and of course, indulge and enjoy on special occasions.

I also encourage experimenting with different habits and food protocols when you are in maintenance. No one on Earth has the same genetic make up as you do. Therefore, it is up to you to come up with a food plan and an intermittent fasting schedule that works for you.   I can give the “nuts and bolts” but, the fine tuning is really up to you.

Categories: hCG Diet, HCG Diet Weight Loss, HCG Weight Loss, Weight Loss