Transitioning to P3 of the HCG diet takes place during the last 72 hours of P2. This is also known as the last 3 days of P2 where you stop administering the HCG shot. This period is the time that your body is set ready for your weight loss maintenance.  The last 72 hours is to make sure that your body is cleared from the diet hormones. You still have to consider the 500 calorie diet during the 3 days. You do not have to worry about hunger or cravings. This is because the hormones left in your body will remain active until you are ready for weight loss maintenance.

What you must do during the last 72 hours of HCG diet P2?

You have to stop the injection and maintain the VLCD. Avoid eating foods that have sugar and carbs. After the 3-days transition, you can slowly introduce real foods. Maintain proper food portion and control your intake of calories. Track your weight loss and make sure that you are not gaining additional pounds when you eat real foods. Do not make your life even more complicated by getting back in the old eating habits.

What will you do when you gain pounds during the transition period?

The common weight gain corrector of the HCG diet is the steak day. This is when your weight is 2 pounds higher than your last weigh-in. Weight gain happens when you unconsciously eat food that has high-calorie content. This also happens when you experience water retention during your menstrual period. Steak day is allowed when you eat nothing all day and just have tea, coffee or water during the day. You are allowed to eat a large piece of steak at dinner. You can go back right away to normal eating style as soon as you recover your weight loss.

The food list allowed on P3 of the HCG diet

• Pork, whitefish, Salmon
• Turkey, Lobster, crab
• Water chestnut, peppers, sea vegetables
• Eggplant, spaghetti squash
• Guava, Papaya, cranberries
• Apricots, plums, pear
• Eggs, shrimp, tuna
• Asparagus, Mushrooms, Cauliflower
• Sugar-free milk, yogurt, butter, and sour cream

Exercising during the transition period

You can consider exercising after the 3 days transition. You are not allowed to exercise during this period. However, in starting the P3 proper you can already increase your time of exercise. This helps in renewing your energy, keeping your muscle and bones healthy. Exercise is also a way of burning extra calories. In exercising during the p3, it is important that you will not overdo it. Simple physical activities will do as long as you are not tired or hungry.

Using the stairs instead of taking the elevator to move your bones and muscle is one example of simple activity. This is a kind of exercise where you will be not wasting too much energy and time. You can do yoga for one week and swimming, walking, biking or jogging for the following weeks. This easy exercise routine has various benefits in weight loss. These are also helpful in boosting your metabolism during the HCG diet.

Basic steps you can do during the transition period of the HCG diet

• Avoid sugar and starches

You can eat real foods but you still have to avoid sugar and starch. This is because it may lead to a weight-loss stall. You cannot successfully stabilize your weight loss when you continue to load on sugar. Choose to have fresh fruits and vegetables instead of having sugar.

• Introduce real foods slowly

You are not on a race and eating is not a race as well. Introduce real foods slowly to give your body time to adjust. Introducing food slowly helps in digestion and in maintaining proper metabolism. The foods that you are going to add back are still new in your body.

• Follow proper food portioning

Being free from VLCD does not mean you can eat as much as you want. Remember that p3 is not like the loading phase. This is not about preparing your fats stores but in maintaining the weight loss you achieved. Balance your food intake to stabilize the weight loss that you reached.

• Track your weight

You must step in your weighing scale every morning as soon as you get up from your bed. This will be your record for your daily food intake and weight loss. This is a good way to track your weight to see if it is stalling.

The snack foods during the transitioning period of the HCG diet

• Apples-This is a great clean eating snack and in regulating your cholesterol levels. It has low calories which are good during the very low-calorie diet. These help regulate good bacteria in your gut during the HCG diet. It can also be a replacement for your unhealthy sugary food indulgences.
• Hard-boiled eggs -It is rich in protein and low in fats. Thus, helps in maintaining the fullness of your stomach during the HCG diet. It helps in lowering your intake of calories for the entire day and boosting your metabolic rate during the HCG diet. It can also lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Kale- It has low levels of calorie which aids the HCG in rapid fat burning. This prevents you from consuming too many calories. Kale has high levels of fiber and another important nutrient for weight loss. The fiber in kale helps in stabilizing your blood sugar
• Almonds- Eat a handful of almonds to stay satisfied until your last meal. This is rich in nutrients and can boost your mood and metabolism. It lowers hunger and is high in antioxidant that protects your body cells. It has high magnesium that improves your metabolic rate.
• Grapefruits and oranges- Both fruits have high levels of vitamin C and helps in weight loss. It has powerful antioxidants. These fruits are also one of the metabolism booster that aids the HCG for fat burning.  It allows burning more stubborn fats in your body.