How to maintain weight loss after hCG diet

June 21. 2021

The hCG diet has helped many people successfully lose weight from its beginnings back in the 1950s. Whether you’re currently on the hCG diet or are thinking about starting it, you’ve probably heard something about the troubles of maintaining the weight once you’ve lost it. Many people find it challenging to prevent gaining the weight back after completing the weight loss phase of the diet. However, this is primarily due to the fact that many of them complete the second phase, lose the excess weight, and then choose to neglect the third phase (known as the maintenance phase). Needless to say, this last stage of the diet is equally important as the previous ones, as it was designed to ease the process of transition for your body from a highly restricted eating regimen to a normal and healthy lifestyle. That’s why we believe it’s essential to understand all the ways to maintain weight loss after the hCG diet, even before starting it. 

For instance, it’s crucial to understand how your body works while losing weight. Imagine two individuals, both weighing 120lbs. The first person has weighed 120lbs for the last five years by maintaining a healthy diet and a desirable calorie intake. Occasional excess calories won’t influence that person’s weight because it’s essentially in a state of equilibrium. On the other hand, the second person has weighed 180lbs for the last few years and then completed the hCG diet, which resulted in their desired weight loss. The second person’s body was used to a high caloric intake and then went through somewhat of a starvation mode. Suppose that person starts taking significantly more calories after completing the diet. In that case, his body will desperately hold on to every calorie and aim to store it in case of another starvation period. Therefore, drastically increasing your calorie intake after leaving the hCG diet and ketosis will only confuse your body and hormones and get you to a pretty unpleasant starting point. 

To understand other culprits for gaining the pounds back after the hCG diet, and learn how to maintain your weight loss, here are a few essential tips.

Gradually increase your calorie intake

We can’t stress enough about this, but just as this previous example illustrated, you need to avoid confusing your body by abruptly switching between different regimes. Remember, the hCG diet involves a low-calorie phase, during which you’ll lose the most weight. That’s why you want to slowly and gradually increase your calorie intake. A good rule of thumb is to start by increasing your daily calories by 200kcal the first week and continue gradually increasing it until you reach 1500kcal a day. Keep in mind that this is quite a general example and that it would be best to consult your physician to determine the exact amount of calories you should aim to reach each week after your last hCG shot.

Slowly reintroduce starches and sugars

In addition to slowly increasing your calorie intake, you also need to pay close attention to what you’re eating. As you probably know, the hCG diet forbids sugars and starchy foods while also being a low-fat regimen. To begin with, you can consider this phase as a low-carb one and slowly reintroduce healthy fats into your diet; focus on eating whole foods, which provide you with essential nutrients, and no empty calories. It’s advisable to stay away from sugars and instead turn to Stevia if you’re a bit of a sweet tooth. You should also be moderate about starchy vegetables, such as beans, potatoes, etc., and carbs, such as rice, pasta, and bread. Once again, your body and metabolism will need some time to adjust to these minor changes. 

Start exercising

As you may know, exercising is not recommended during the low-calorie phase of the hCG diet. However, once you’ve completed it, you should start moderately exercising a few times a week. Cardio should be your workout of choice, as it will regulate the newly introduced calories and improve your heart health. In fact, it’s one of those habits you should aim to keep for a lifetime. Besides, there’s a variety of cardio workouts you can choose from, from jogging, swimming to Zumba – pick your activity of choice and embrace it. 

Final thoughts

In addition to the tips on how to maintain weight loss after the hCG diet, we listed above, you should also include training your self-discipline. It’s a feature you’ll benefit from in so many ways during your life, as it will help you make wise choices regarding your diet and lifestyle. That way, you’ll achieve a sustainable desired weight and will successfully manage it as you go. 

These few tips should serve as a ground rule for anyone having trouble maintaining their weight after the hCG diet. However, some people may need additional guidelines or more personalized hCG maintenance programs. If you’re having difficulty maintaining your weight or need further information regarding the subject, please contact our Chicago weight loss clinic.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.