Maintenance or Phase 3.  Maintenance is a bit like the Atkins diet except you can and should still continue to eat fruit.  Also, you should still try to watch fats some.   If you read the book  HCG Weigh Loss Cure Guide, by Linda Pinster she explains it well.  This is an important phase of the treatment. This is also part of the original Simeons protocol. Successfully following the instructions in this phase should result in a resetting of the body weight set point and hypothalamus. This is the phase that resets metabolism to a high normal state, eliminates future intense and constant hunger, and prevents the abnormal future storing of fat in the secure problem area fat reserves in the body.

This phase is relatively simple. For twenty-one days immediately following the last day of the Phase 2 restricted diet you are allowed to eat as much food and any type of food you choose with the exception of sugar and starch.  If you have reached your weight loss goal, then you would continue maintenance another 3 weeks and add in starches and sugar slowly, however, I am only doing 3 weeks maintenance then back on Phase 2 (VLCD) so I will not be adding sugars and starches.  The goal is to set your new set point as quickly as possible I have read that within 10 days is ideal.  If you gain more than 2 lbs in any day you are supposed to do a steak day.  A steak day is where you drink only water throughout the day and then a large steak for dinner.  This should get you back on track.  I am going to use caution so I can avoid a steak day.  Here are some tips I have found that I plan to use.  Dr. Simeons said you can eat anything you want except sugars and starches. Follow one simple rule, watch the scale. This means exactly that, you can eat up to three fruits a day, including bananas - eat cottage cheese daily - sometimes two servings - and have avocado and feta with dinner. The only thing to try to maintain is a doubling of your protein from the VLCD as you don't want to become protein deficient. Some sample foods on this phase include: prime steak slathered in butter, lots of avocados, loads and loads of fresh fruit and vegetables; you can put butter on those vegetables and cheese at times. You can eat fresh shrimp and fresh fish, often baking it in butter, wine and herbs, You can drink white wine on a few occasions. You can cook your eggs in butter and make omelets with vegetables and a little cheese. Use olive oil, eat more dietary fat—it can be the key to maintenance. Overall, eat the good fats and the scale goes down, try to limit the fats and the scale goes up. Nuts are a source of healthy fats and protein.  Drink plenty of water, eat REAL foods, REAL fats.  Avoid processed foods, try to snack throughout the day.  So I am looking forward to beginning this new phase.