Let’s admit it. Eating the same phase 3 foods day after day can be boring. Maybe not now but it’s going to happen at some point during your diet. You’ll get tired and drained of having to eat the same foods and you think of cheating. Cheating can happen anywhere in the HCG Diet even when you are on the maintenance phase, because- let’s be honest, this protocol is darn very strict.
Cheating during phase 3 of the HCG diet will derail your progress just like when you cheat during the weight loss phase. The best thing that you can do to prevent this from happening is to AVOID CHEATING! Do your best to avoid cheating because you’ll end up losing much of the progress you’ve made while you were still on the weight loss phase.
How to avoid cheating during phase 3
There are several things that you can do during phase 3 to avoid cheating and ensure that you won’t fall back after making a big stride of progress on the weight loss phase.
- Continue to follow the protocol
Continue to follow the maintenance phase protocol and by all means, don’t deviate from it. There are several things that you have to keep in mind such as the type of foods you can eat and the number of calories you can have each week but see to it that you follow everything. Do not cheat because the main product of cheating will always be weight gain.
- Slowly introduce foods back
Add foods back slowly to avoid weight gain. On your first week, you should stick to the exact same foods that you ate during the weight loss phase. You only increase the number of calories each day. Add more on protein rather than on carbs at the same time continue to monitor your weight. By doing this, you can pinpoint what foods cause you to gain weight and eliminate them as soon as possible.
- Absolutely avoid starches and sugar during the first week
Starches and sugars are essentially important as they provide a fuel source for many vital organs. However, a diet high in starches and sugars will definitely lead to weight gain. Not only that, but a diet high in refined sugar and starches is linked to many health issues.
Now, sugars and starches can be dangerous particularly during the first week of the maintenance phase. Absolutely no cereals, no bread and no pasta, and anything sugary or starchy. Anyway, one week is just short. The next week, you can start introducing starches and sugars back into your diet but you have to choose starches from veggies and natural sugars from fruits.
- Avoid high sugar fruits and vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are good but not all of them can be eaten during the maintenance phase of the HCG Diet. You can’t just eat any fruits and veggies because you need to be selective when it comes to their sugar and starch content. It’s best to keep your phase 3 foods list handy all the time so as not to make any unaware and unavoidable mistake. Check the glycemic index of the fruits and veggies. The glycemic index tells how quickly the fruit is broken down into glucose by your body. Foods with a higher glycemic index should be avoided because it’s not good during the maintenance phase. Fruits and veggies with high glycemic index include banana, watermelon, potatoes, corn, and beets. Fruits and veggies with low to a medium glycemic index are perfect for the maintenance phase.
- Avoid eating at restaurants
Now that you’re on the maintenance phase doesn’t mean to say you can safely dine out. Remember that you are still following some protocols so you can safely stabilize your weight. Once you start eating out at a restaurant you are taking a major risk because it can be difficult for you to control what you exactly eat and how much calories are in your foods. Yes, you are allowed to gradually increase your calorie intake but the truth is- more entrees at the restaurants are not very healthy. You shouldn’t rely much on restaurant foods when you are trying to continue to eat healthily. What you can do is to continue to stick to cooking at home. There are dozens of HCG Diet phase 3 recipes that you can download anytime. The recipes are not just delicious and satisfying but will help you avoid the desire to eat out.
Cheating safely on the HCG Diet
If you can’t help but cheat then there are ways to do it safely while you’re on the maintenance phase of the HCG Diet. One serving of that forbidden food won’t make a great deal. So, don’t just scarf on it but savor it! Then be good the next day.
Cheating isn’t the end of everything, so don’t panic. When you messed up it’s not too late to bet back on the protocol. Remember that you have the 2-pound rule to back you up. Just make sure your weight does not go beyond the 2-pound rule. If it does, you have one day to do the steak day. You can do a Steak day for two days straight just so you can get back on track. Of course, if you do cheat too often you may end up jeopardizing your weight loss goal-not to mention the money you have spent for HCG injections.
Happy cheating!
