The GLP-1 Diet Plan and the HCG Diet Maintenance Phase: This Is How to Eat!
- Dr. Zachary Laboube
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
For months now, I've been talking about GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. I feel like could write my next book on GLP-1s - that's how much time I've spent researching them. In fact, I might.
I'm not entirely opposed to them, especially if those that are dangerously obese. If you have less than 50 pounds to lose, I would recommend losing it the old fashioned way, but if you can't beat them, join them, right?
So I've made that my goal - to design a meal plan for GLP-1 users.
Because when you strip away the medications, the hype, and the marketing, the ideal GLP-1 diet plan looks remarkably similar to the HCG Diet Maintenance Phase, commonly known as P3.
In both approaches, the goal is no longer rapid weight loss. The goal becomes teaching your body how to maintain a healthy weight while eating real food.
The Forgotten Goal of Dieting
Somewhere along the way, many people started believing that successful weight management means counting calories forever.
I don't believe that's true.
Human beings were never designed to spend their entire lives tracking every bite of food. We were designed to respond to hunger and satiety signals. The problem is that highly processed foods often disrupt those signals.
Modern foods are engineered to be hyper-palatable. They combine sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and artificial flavoring in ways that encourage us to keep eating long after our nutritional needs have been met. As a result, many people lose touch with what normal hunger and fullness actually feel like.
But something interesting happens when you consistently feed the body what it needs:
Hunger becomes more manageable.
Cravings begin to fade.
Energy levels stabilize.
Most importantly, your body starts telling you when you've had enough. You finally feel full.
That is exactly what we are trying to accomplish during HCG Diet P3, and it's exactly what GLP-1 users should be learning while they're eating less.
Why HCG Diet P3 Works for GLP-1 Users
The purpose of Phase 3 is not to continue aggressive weight loss. Phase 3 is where you learn how to eat.
After spending weeks focusing on lean protein, vegetables, hydration, and food quality, you begin gradually adding healthy fats back into your diet while continuing to avoid the foods that got most people into trouble in the first place.
That generally means limiting:
Sugar
Refined flour
Highly processed snack foods
Sweetened beverages
Ultra-processed carbohydrates
At the same time, you emphasize foods that provide actual nutrition:
Lean proteins
Vegetables
Healthy fats - A 1:1 ratio of Omega 3s and 9s
Whole-food carbohydrate sources
High-fiber foods
The objective isn't perfection. The objective is teaching your body how to function normally again.
The GLP-1 Opportunity Most People Are Missing
One of my biggest concerns about GLP-1 medications is that many people focus entirely on eating less while paying very little attention to what they're eating. The medication handles the quantity problem. You still have to solve the quality problem.
If someone spends six months eating tiny portions of highly processed foods, they may lose weight, but they haven't developed any of the habits necessary to keep it off once the medication is removed.
On the other hand, if that same person uses the appetite suppression as an opportunity to learn how to build meals around protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, they create a foundation that can last a lifetime.
The goal should never be to stay on the pen forever.
The goal should be to learn how to eat.
Carbohydrates Are Not the Enemy - Processed Carbs Are!
The Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with processed carbs that are immediately stored away as fat - in all the areas you don't want it. This is one of the reasons I prefer the HCG Diet P3 philosophy is that it teaches moderation rather than fear.
If you can eliminate the highly processed carbohydrates, which drive cravings and overeating, you can "indulge" a bit on the right carb, like pasta and fresh bread. But that doesn't mean carbohydrates are inherently bad.
In fact, many whole-food carbohydrate sources can be valuable additions to a healthy lifestyle.
We strongly prefer:
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Rice
Fruit
Oats
Beans
Minimally processed whole-food carbohydrate sources
Especially for:
Active adults
Growing children
Family meals
Maintenance phases
Long-term sustainability
The difference is that these foods are supporting nutrition rather than replacing it.
The Real End Goal
The greatest lesson from HCG Diet P3 for GLP-1 users is that successful weight maintenance is not about eating less forever.
It's about eating better.
When meals are built around quality protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and sensible carbohydrate choices, the body often responds the way it was designed to respond.
Hunger becomes more predictable. Fullness becomes easier to recognize. Cravings become less intense.
In other words, your body starts helping you regulate your weight instead of fighting against you.
That's why the upcoming GLP-1 meal plan series will look very familiar to anyone who has completed HCG Diet P3 successfully.
The recipes won't be focused on starvation.
They won't be focused on calorie counting.
They'll be focused on nutrition, satiety, and teaching your body what real food looks like.
Because whether you're coming off HCG or using a GLP-1 medication, the long-term solution is ultimately the same:
Learn how to eat, and your body will do the rest.
