You’ve arrived. Literally. Cycle 4 of the 17 Day Diet is the “Arrive” cycle in which you have established healthy eating habits and now it’s time to maintain the weight you have lost in the first three cycles of the diet.
While there is no specific food list for Cycle 4, there is a systematic approach to this “maintenance” cycle.
By now if you’ve reached Cycle 4, you have achieved your weight loss goals. It’s now up to you to maintain your weight loss by establishing strategies that will help you keep your weight down for the rest of your life.
The idea behind Cycle 4 of the 17 Day Diet is to continue to confuse your body and shock your metabolism by having five days of controlled eating (living by Cycle 3 standards) followed by two days of increased calories.
The strategy of Cycle 4 is that during the week you continue to eat meals from any of the three cycles. Starting with Friday’s dinner through Sunday’s dinner, enjoy your favorite foods in moderation throughout the weekend.
Plan to have up to three meals during your weekend that you normally would not eat during your controlled weekdays. The idea here is to eat moderately, no binging, and resume low-caloric, healthy eating patterns on Monday morning.
Cycle 4 also includes exercising, hot lemon water in the mornings, green tea for meal times, and at least eight 8 oz of plain water per day.
During Cycle 4, Dr. Moreno recommends weighing yourself on weekends. If you see your weight rise three to five pounds, immediately return to one of your favorite cycles to shed the pounds.
Cycle 4 is all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Continuing to live by the Cycle 4 rules, you’ll live the rest of your life choosing the right foods, maintaining an active lifestyle, and reaping the rewards of a slimmer, healthier you!
