You’ve done the hard part. You’ve completed Phase 2 of the HCG diet — stuck to the 500-calorie protocol, taken your HC-SLIM drops three times a day, and lost a significant amount of weight. Now comes the phase that most people don’t know enough about: Phase 3.
Phase 3 is where your results become permanent — or don’t. Get it right, and your new weight stabilises for good. Get it wrong, and the weight can creep back within weeks. This NZ guide covers exactly what to do during the three-week maintenance phase.
What Is Phase 3 and Why Does It Matter?
Phase 3 begins the day after your last dose of HC-SLIM drops. It lasts for exactly three weeks (21 days).
During Phase 2, your body has been in an accelerated fat-loss state. Your metabolism and hypothalamus (the part of your brain that regulates body weight) have adjusted to your new lower weight. Phase 3 is the period in which your body “locks in” this new set point — the weight your body now considers normal.
Without Phase 3, your body may try to return to its old weight. With a properly executed Phase 3, your new weight becomes your body’s new baseline, making it much easier to maintain long-term.
What to Eat in Phase 3
Phase 3 has two rules that are non-negotiable:
No sugar. This includes honey, fruit juice, sugary drinks, lollies, biscuits, cakes, most sauces and condiments, flavoured yoghurt, and anything with added sugar. Check ingredient labels — sugar hides in many NZ products under names like glucose, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, and corn syrup.
No starch. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, kumara, flour-based foods, corn, and most cereals are off the menu. This includes most takeaway foods and many restaurant dishes.
Everything else is allowed — and encouraged. This is the most important shift from Phase 2: you must eat enough. Calories are no longer restricted. Fat is welcomed back. The Phase 3 food list includes:
Proteins: All meats (beef, lamb, chicken, pork), seafood, eggs, dairy (full-fat cheese, cream, butter), legumes.
Fats: Avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy. These were restricted in Phase 2 — now actively include them.
Vegetables: All vegetables are allowed, including those restricted in Phase 2 (peas, corn, carrots, pumpkin, parsnip). Load up on leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, and capsicum.
Fruit: Most whole fruits are fine (berries, kiwifruit, apple, pear, stone fruit) but avoid fruit juice and very high-sugar fruits like watermelon, mango, and grapes in large amounts.
The Daily Weigh-In and the 2kg Rule
Weigh yourself every morning in Phase 3 — same time, same conditions (after toilet, before food or drink). This is essential for catching any weight creep early.
Your Phase 3 anchor weight is your weight on the final day of Phase 2 (your last day of drops). The rule is simple: never let your weight move more than 2kg above or below this anchor weight.
Slight daily fluctuations (0.5–1kg) are normal and expected — they reflect water retention, meal timing, and digestion, not real fat gain. Don’t panic over these. But if you’re consistently trending upward and approaching 2kg above your anchor, act immediately: cut out sugar and starch more strictly, increase your water intake, and do a Steak Day if needed.
The Steak Day: How to Correct Weight Gain in Phase 3
If you wake up and you’re more than 2kg above your anchor weight, do a Steak Day that same day.
A Steak Day works like this: skip breakfast and lunch (only water, black coffee, or herbal tea). For dinner, eat a large steak — at least 200–300g — with either a raw tomato or a raw apple. Nothing else.
This protocol rapidly corrects weight gain — most people drop 1–2kg by the next morning and return within range. You should only need a Steak Day once or twice in Phase 3 if you’re following the no-sugar, no-starch rules closely.
Introducing New Foods in Phase 3
Phase 3 is also a great opportunity to test which foods your body reacts to. Introduce new foods one at a time, watch your morning weight the next day, and you’ll quickly learn what causes water retention or weight fluctuation in your body specifically.
Common culprits in NZ that cause Phase 3 weight creep even without obvious sugar or starch: soy sauce, marinades and glazes, flavoured nuts, commercial salad dressings, protein bars, flavoured coffee, and “light” or “diet” packaged foods (which often substitute sugar for artificial sweeteners that still affect some people).
Exercise in Phase 3
You can and should return to normal exercise in Phase 3. Light activity during Phase 2 transitions to whatever your normal routine is. Most people find their energy levels return strongly in Phase 3 — and many report that the fat loss from Phase 2 has revealed muscle definition they didn’t know they had.
If you’re resuming weight training, be aware that muscle gain in Phase 3 can show on the scale — muscle is denser than fat. Don’t panic if the scale creeps up slightly while you’re clearly looking better. Use the mirror and measurements alongside the scale during this phase.
Transitioning to Normal Eating After Phase 3
After 21 days, you can gradually reintroduce starches and sugars — but this is where many people undo their results. The smart approach is to reintroduce them slowly, one at a time, and watch how your body responds.
Many NZ HC-SLIM customers find they naturally gravitate towards lower-starch eating after Phase 3 — not as a rule, but because their relationship with food has changed and they’ve broken habitual eating patterns. This is a positive side effect of the program.
When to Start a Second Round
If you want to lose more weight, you can do a second round of the HCG diet after completing Phase 3. The minimum break between rounds is six weeks: three weeks of Phase 3 plus three weeks of normal eating. This gives your body time to fully stabilise before the next round.
Many NZ customers see even better results in their second round — they know the protocol well, they’re more confident, and they’ve already shifted some of the hardest-to-lose weight in round one.
Ready to start or order for your next round? Browse HC-SLIM kits at rosecook.co.nz — with fast NZ delivery included.
Phase 3 Quick Reference
Duration: 21 days
No: Sugar, starch (bread, rice, pasta, potato)
Yes: All meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, vegetables, healthy fats, most fruit
Daily weigh-in: Morning, after toilet, before eating
Anchor weight: Your final Phase 2 weight
2kg rule: Never more than 2kg above anchor
If over 2kg: Do a Steak Day that day
Exercise: Resume normal activity
Next round: After 6 weeks minimum
