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When you reach Cycle 4 of The 17 Day Diet, you’ve now “arrived” at your goals. Whether it was losing weight or living a healthier life – you’ve made it!
Cycle 4 capitalizes on the normal rhythms of your life and helps you build a livable maintenance plan around them. Here’s how you’ll keep the weight off: Stay strict during the week, then enjoy yourself more over the weekend.
In Cycle 4 you’ve achieved your goals and now it’s time to maintain all the progress you’ve made. Cycle 4 is metabolically strategic because you’re shocking your metabolism back into action. Why? Because you’re following five days of controlled eating, followed by two days of increased calories.
On the weekends you can begin adding in foods you enjoy like burgers, bread, ice cream, wine, cheesecake, you name it—you’re speeding up your metabolism. Then, when your metabolism is roaring like a furnace, you get back to your diet on Monday, burning calories faster than ever.
Basically, Cycle 4 keeps your metabolism guessing, so it never has a chance to go into hibernation. Since your metabolism is now well trained, due to better eating habits and digestive health, a few “cheat treats” on the weekend will not have an adverse effect.
In Cycle 4, during the week you can eat any meals from Cycle 1, Cycle 2 or Cycle 3 – you decide!
Then, on the weekends you can eat whatever you want – within reason. A good rule of thumb to follow while stabilizing your weight is to enjoy no more than three “favorite meals” each weekend, otherwise known as “strategic cheating.”
Cycle 4 is what’s considered a “maintenance plan”. You continue to make healthy choices and you’ll continue to look and feel better than ever before!
When you’ve reached Cycle 4, you are officially living The 17 Day Diet lifestyle. This is when many people report improved lab results like lower cholesterol, improved blood sugar, better blood pressure and so much more too.
In Cycle 4, you’’ continue to exercise at least 45-60 minutes a day. Plus, because you’ll be eating more food on the weekends, you’ll also want to exercise at least 60 minutes on both Saturday and Sunday.
Remember to focus on high-intensity workouts that get your blood pumping.
In Cycle 4, while you can eat your favorite foods on the weekends, you should never binge. You have permission to indulge, as long as it’s planned and doesn’t spin out of control into weekdays. You’re in control; food is not in control of you. Remembering this will help you bounce back into wise eating on Monday.
And if you ever fall off the plan? Start again. Don’t expect perfection – just progress.
Cycle 4 is the maintenance plan, so as long as you maintain your goal weight, you can stay on Cycle 4. If you need to lose weight at any time, you can go back to Cycle 1, Cycle 2, or Cycle 3.
Think of it this way, you’ll never “complete” Cycle 4, because it’s now a way of life! As long as you maintain your healthy habits, you can continue on Cycle 4 as a brand-new way of life.
If however, you want to lose a few pounds, of kick start your metabolism, you can go back to Cycle 1, Cycle 2, or Cycle 3 at any time. It’s all up to you!
If you’re looking for a step-by-step overview of The 17 Day Diet, you can review that here.
"The 17 Day Diet works! I lost 8 lbs. and 11.5 inches in just 17 Days - I couldn't believe it! I feel great, I feel strong, I'm confident that I will continue living this lifestyle. I AM VERY PROUD OF MYSELF! Being part of the 17 Day Diet community was such a wonderful experience too!"
Heather C.