Stabilization Phase

After finishing the Core Phase, you begin the 3-week Stabilization Phase. The purpose of this phase is to allow your body to adjust to your new weight and stabilize your metabolism at this level. It takes about three weeks for your Core Phase ending weight to become stable. You can shorten it to 2 weeks, but 3 weeks is better.

Following the instructions for this phase is extremely important if you want to prevent future weight gain.

Length: This phase lasts for 21 days (3 weeks).

Stabilization Diet

During these 21 days you are allowed to eat almost any food you choose, EXCEPT sugars, starches, or artificial sweeteners in any form. This means no more grissini and no more Melba toast! The reason for this is that fat and carbohydrate consumed together in this stage of the program can cause weight gain. In order to stabilize your metabolism, you need to cut out the carbs while you reintroduce fats to your diet.

Specifically:

No sugar. This means no concentrated or manufactured sugar, such as dextrose, sucrose, honey, molasses, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc. You are allowed to eat fruit, but be careful of very sweet fruits.
No starch. Starches are foods like breads, pastas, white rice, potatoes, corn, and so forth.
No artificial sweeteners except stevia and saccharine.
No fast food, trans fats, or nitrites.

We highly suggest adding foods back in one at a time, monitoring how you feel, and measuring their effect on your weight as you go along. In general, you can eat almost any kind of protein, vegetable, and fruit that were forbidden during the Core Phase. There are a few exceptions, explained below. You may also add dairy, nuts, and all sorts of sauces, dressings, and other condiments that don't contain sugar.

You may increase your food intake to a level that allows you to stay at your Core Phase ending weight. Everyone's needs are different. Many people find that they can't eat as much as they expect during stabilization -- after all, they have been putting less than usual into their stomach for several weeks. So don't try to force yourself to eat too much.

On the other hand, some people mistakenly try to eat very little, hoping to lose even more weight. Don't try to continue the low calorie diet. Instead, gradually increase your calorie intake. This will stoke your metabolism which is very important to help you maintain what you've lost. Start off slow, watch your weight, and adjust your calorie intake as needed.

Stabilization Weigh-In

In addition to knowing your approximate caloric intake, be guided by the scales in what and how much you eat. In other words, weigh yourself every morning just as you did during the Core Phase, that is, when you first get out of bed and after emptying your bladder.

The Stabilization "2-Pound" Rule: You must stay within 2 pounds of your Core Phase ending weight. Weigh yourself every morning. If you exceed that 2 pound limit, you skip breakfast and lunch (fluids only). For dinner eat a large steak or chicken breast with an apple or raw tomato. Nothing else. The next day you should see a dramatic drop in the scales of up to 2 - 3 pounds, consisting of both water weight and real weight. Resume the stabilization diet the next day. Repeat whenever your weight exceeds the limit.

After Stabilization

After the Stabilization Phase you should take a break and spend 2 - 3 weeks in weight maintenance mode (everyday eating). After that you can repeat the entire program again for more weight loss if you wish.

Note that after you begin eating carbohydrates again, your weight will increase rather quickly by 3 - 5 pounds or more. This is not fat. It's water weight from glycogen storage. Once this initial weight spike is done, you should then monitor your weight on an ongoing basis to ensure it doesn't gradually creep upward.

It would be a great idea to keep following the "2-Pound" Rule indefinitely. People who track their weight after losing weight are much more likely to keep it off. As well, your All The Secrets membership area provides you with a lot of tools and strategies to keep your weight in check.