Ahhhh, stabilization! The phase we wait for the entire time we’re in Phase Two of the diet! The chance to eat a larger variety of foods and more calories. On the one hand, it’s a joy to taste more choices but on the other hand it’s very hard to stabilize. I think the biggest challenge of stabilization is not succumbing to the temptation to add too many new foods at once. You’re so excited to be able to eat more and it’s hard to stick to one new thing a day!
I’ve done stabilization 4 times now, but it hasn’t gotten a whole lot easier. I’ve found that my body gains easily with cheese and nuts so I have to ration the servings and make sure I don’t eat more than a couple of ounces a day. The first week is always wildly fluctuating, which is a little disconcerting after seeing the scales steadily drop while you’re on the drops. If you can keep from stressing out about it and just learn to adjust your diet, eventually it evens out and stabilizes.
On stabilization, you are supposed to stay within two lbs of your weight on your last day of drops. You are not supposed to gain OR lose more than 2 lbs. If you lose, then you are not getting enough calories or nutrients. The purpose of stabilization is to help you learn to eat healthy off the drops and maintain what you've lost and set your "weight-set point" to your new weight! Each time you do this correctly, it will help you in the long run to not gain the weight back. If you go overboard and have to do a correction day to get back within that 2 lb limit, you are technically supposed to start your 3 week count over again. The reason is your weight is supposed to be "stable" for 3 weeks before starting again.
The biggest thing to remember on stabilization is NO sugar or carbs for 3 weeks. NONE. ZERO. That is hardest part for me. Not the sugar but the carbs. That is where I get in trouble on stabilization, I think I can have a “little” bit of carbs and it won’t hurt me. But then my weight is up and down and not stable, so in the long run it does hurt me. The other problem I have in stabilization is staying “regular”. This time has been the worst for me. If anyone has any tips to share regarding this, I’d love to hear them! I’ve tried a lot of different things, but nothing seems to work well for me.
My stabilization phase for this time ended yesterday. Today I am “loading” and “gorging” and ready to start Round 5!!!! Here’s to seeing more pounds and inches melt away!
