Stabilization Phase Instructions

During this phase, you begin increasing calories and including new foods in a way that will allow you to maintain your weight in a healthy manner. In addition, you'll slowly start adding new habits to your routine.

Your metabolism will have slowed down somewhat during the Core Phase. This is normal, and is more pronounced the leaner you are. The primary goal of the Stabilization Phase is to boost your metabolism and prepare you to move into everyday weight maintenance -- or, if you wish, to do the Core Phase again.

Important!

Be sure to weigh yourself every day during the Stabilization Phase so you know what's happening.

However...

As you introduce more carbohydrates back into your diet, it's important to realize you will likely will gain some weight in the first few days to a week -- but that weight gain is NOT fat. Most people don't realize this is completely normal during Stabilization.

So, don't worry, and don't quit. Do not think you're failing.

Carbs are not stored as fat on the body except in very rare circumstances; carbs are stored as glycogen, along with extra water. See this page for a detailed explanation.

However, if your weight immediately spikes excessively after reintroducing carbs -- say, more than five pounds -- you may need to cut back on the starches for a few more days and add them in more slowly. You may need an extra week on the Stabilization Phase before your body gets used to carbs again and your weight stabilizes.

Just keep in mind as you move into maintenance on a more normal diet, it is common for your weight to be somewhat HIGHER than you ended with on the Core Phase. Again, don't worry. It's normal. Just look at your long term weight trends.

What To Eat

To help you readjust to a normal diet, you'll go through one week where you add one new food type or serving to your daily routine. Each step is described on the Schedule page. Then for the following week you stay on that same diet.

You'll continue to eat roughly the same amount of protein along with an unlimited amount of vegetables. As before, you must eat at least one serving of vegetables; don't be tempted to replace your vegetable serving with fruit or grains. Those foods are additions to your diet, not replacements. If they start replacing the good foods you were already eating during the Core Phase, then you are likely to get back into trouble with your weight.

With more choices, it becomes more important to accurately judge how much you are eating and how it is affecting your weight.

Hold off on the "anything goes" Flex Meals during Stabilization. They will just add unnecessary complications, and with the addition of other foods you probably won't feel the need for them anyway.

Carbohydrates (Starch): As long as you introduce carbohydrates into your diet in the controlled manner we will describe, you don't need to be afraid of them during the Stabilization Phase. Carbohydrates play an important role. Eating starch is an important part of a maintenance diet, as it increases your thyroid levels, which is the key to ramping up your metabolism and solidifying your new set point weight.

Supplements

Please read the Supplements page for suggestions for Stabilization.

Exercise

If you have been exercising during the Core Phase, simply keep it up throughout the Stabilization Phase. When you transition to an everyday diet, you can ramp up your efforts or add more aerobic exercise to your routines. If you have not been exercising, now is a great time to start.

Three Rules of the Stabilization Phase

In addition to the controlled introduction of new foods, are three simple dieting rules you'll need to focus on during this week:

Maintain Protein Intake. As you start adding more calories from refined starches to your diet, it can become easier (and tempting) to replace or cut down on your protein. Your protein intake should remain at roughly the same level it was during the Core Phase. It can vary up or down by 20 grams or so, but shouldn't go much further than that. Simply try to keep up the protein habits you've formed during the Core Phase, and you should be fine. (See Protein in Weight Loss Freedom Formula)
Eat Protein and Fiber First. You'll feel full sooner and be less likely to overeat on calories from refined starches that lead to fat gain. (See Prefill in the Weight Loss Freedom Formula)
Eat Slowly. You'll feel full sooner and be less likely to overeat on calories from refined starches. (See Savory Secret in Weight Loss Freedom Formula)

You'll want to work on those three rules every day. Internalize them, and they'll help you maintain your weight for the rest of your life.

Stabilization Phase Schedule

You can find our suggested 2-week schedule here on this page. It tells you how to add in new foods in order to stabilize at a certain weight.

Notes about the schedule:

REMEMBER: Continue to eat roughly the same amount of protein you were eating during the Core Phase, along with unlimited amounts of the approved Core Phase vegetables.
All foods are optional; you aren't required to add in any new foods you don't want to. And you don't need to add in any foods if you aren't hungry. You can adjust this schedule depending on your body's signals including hunger and energy levels.
The idea is to gradually increase your calories over a week or two, and slowly introduce new foods. See how your weight, energy, cravings and hunger responds.

Your weight could go up during this phase due to water retention (especially after increasing carbohydrate intake) -- please realize this is normal. A sudden spike is not fat gain; it's water gain. However, if you gain 5 pounds or more then you might be over doing it and may need to hold back or incorporate some other techniques for weight control. But for most people, as you increase calories your metabolism also increases and burns off the new foods you are adding in. It may be surprising to you, but carbohydrates are an important part of up-regulating your metabolism and hormones -- so unless you have reason to avoid carbs and are aiming for a low-carb diet in general, then don't be afraid of them.

Continual Weight Monitoring

Studies show that those who track their weight after weight loss are the most successful at keeping it off. Of course your weight will fluctuate, but if it ever consistently stays more than 3 - 5 pounds beyond your final stabilization weight, you need to take some swift action. Your Weight Loss Freedom Formula membership area provides you with a lot of tools and strategies to keep your weight in check.