Welcome To The Maintenance Plan
Congratulations on completing the 8 Week Lose Weight Fast Academy, I hope you have achieved the life changing transformation you were hoping for at the start of the programme.
If you haven’t done so already, please send your before and after photos to shaun@loseweightfastacademy.com and I will add your transformation to the Lose Weight Fast Academy hall of fame. It would also be great if you could write a short testimonial of how you have found the programme and how the Lose Weight Fast Academy has changed your life. I would massively appreciate you doing this and I am sure seeing other peoples before and after photos inspired you to follow the programme and I hope you pass on the favour and allow me to use your photos to inspire other people to change their lives just like you.
If you are reading this section you will probably be very happy with your results and are looking to maintain your results, however, if you still have weight to lose you can go through the 8 week plan again or you can buy our 30 Day Final Phase Meltdown Plan which takes your results to the next level.
If you are very happy with your results and are looking to maintain your results there are a couple of ways to do this.
Before I go into how to maintain your results it is very important to consciously maintain your results for 6 months to 1 year. The reason being is that it takes 6 months to 1 year for your new weight to become your set weight. This is the weight your body is happy with and maintains easily. If you go back to your old habits within 6 months or even a year then your body will gain the weight quickly, however, if you maintain your weight for 6 months to 1 year then your new weight will become your set point in weight and it becomes much easier to maintain.
There are two methods I recommend you use to maintain your weight. You can choose whichever method suits you best.
Maintenance Method 1
The first method to maintain your weight is to continue eating for your metabolism burner type and have between 1 and 4 cheat meals per week.
You should eat the amount of meals per day which fits in with your lifestyle so you can eat anywhere between 2 and 6 meals per day for your metabolism burning type. You should choose the amount which fits in with your lifestyle as well as the amount which helps to balance your hunger, energy and cravings. Some days you might want to have more meals than others. For example when you are at work you might only be able to fit in 2 or 3 meals per day, however, when you are off work there might be more temptation to eat unhealthy so you might want to eat 5 or 6 meals per day to prevent you getting hungry and craving bad foods. The important thing is to find the amount of meals which works for you whether you have the same amount every day or the amount varies depending on your lifestyle.
It isn’t realistic to eat 100% healthy for the rest of your life which is why I am recommending adding in cheat meals to help you maintain your results. If I said eat 100% healthy for the rest of your life then you will get sick and go back to your old habits.
It is very important to only eat foods that are not on your allowable food list for your metabolism burning type when you are having a cheat meal. If you add in foods not on the list anytime you want then before you know it you are back eating bad foods at every meal and you will start gaining weight.
It is very important if you are serious about maintaining your results that you eat 100% for your metabolism burning type unless you are having a planned cheat meal.
If you want to have a coffee, a glass of wine, chocolate, bread or anything else not on the allowable food list for your metabolism burning type then have it at a specific planned cheat meal. You can have as many of these things you like at a cheat meal without going crazy. The reason why having them all at one meal rather than spread throughout the day is better, is because having all these things at one meal will affect your hormones negatively once whereas as if you spread them throughout the day then they would affect your hormones negatively multiple times. Remember your hormones have a far bigger influence on your weight than calories, so keeping your hormones balanced is essential if you want to maintain your weight.
Because everyone is different I would advise you to add in 1 cheat meal per week at a time rather than going straight for the 4 cheat meals per week. Some people may be ok eating 4 cheat meals per week and maintaining their weight whereas others may only be able to have 1 cheat meal and if they have anymore they start gaining weight.
I would advise you begin with 1 cheat meal per week and if you maintain your weight after 2-3 weeks of doing this then you can add another cheat meal in. If you are still maintaining your weight after 2-3 weeks then you can add a third cheat meal and if you are still maintaining your weight then add a fourth cheat meal. For the good of your health 4 cheat meals would be the maximum amount of cheat meals I would recommend even if you can get away with more whilst maintaining your weight. Remember that your health is just as important, if not more important than your weight, so you should focus on building health once you have reached your ideal weight.
When you are adding in your cheat meals, if you start gaining weight then this is a sign that you are eating too many cheat meals. Make sure you take the cheat meals out again completely for a week or two and then add them in again one by one. Add them back in one by one until you are back at the amount where you maintained your weight at the amount before you started gaining weight.
Remember everyone is different; some people may be able to have 3 or 4 cheat meals per week whereas others may only be able to have 1 per week. As everyone is different, it is important you find out the number of cheat meals per week which works for you. Your friends may be able to eat 4 cheat meals per week and maintain their weight whereas you may only be able to have 1 cheat meal in order to maintain your weight. It may not seem fair if you can only have the 1 cheat meal but unfortunately this is how your body works. If you want to maintain your results then you have to listen to your body rather than copy what your friends are doing. If you do go above what works for you then you will gradually put the weight back on. This is the last thing you want after putting in all the hard work and effort to lose the weight.
So basically for the first method to maintain your weight you should eat for your metabolism burning type and add in between 1 and 4 cheat meals per week. You must stick to eating the foods for your metabolism burning type; however, you must also keep eating the amount of carbs in terms of bites for your metabolism burning type as well.
Maintenance Method 2
The second method to maintain your weight is to follow the Regeneration Diet (you can download this at the bottom of the page) and have between 1 and 4 cheat meals per week.
The Regeneration Diet consists of just eating natural foods with no recommendation to eating for your burner type or eating the amount of carbs for your individual needs. This means it is easier to stick to than eating for your burner type as there is a larger choice of foods, however, it may not be as effective as there is no limit on the amount of carbs you can eat although you can only eat carbs from natural sources. If you choose to follow the Regeneration Diet rather than your burner type diet then please be careful not to eat too many carbs even though they are good carbs. Too much carbs even if healthy carbs can lead to weight gain so be careful not to overeat carbs if you decide to follow the Regeneration Diet.
When following the Regeneration Diet you should eat the amount of meals per day which fits in with your lifestyle. This means you can eat anywhere between 2 and 6 meals per day. You should choose the amount which fits in with your lifestyle as well as the amount which helps you to balance your hunger, energy and cravings. Some days you might want to have more meals than others. For example when you are at work you might only be able to fit in 2 or 3 meals per day, however, when you are off work there might be more temptation to eat unhealthy so you might want to eat 5 or 6 meals per day to prevent you getting hungry and craving bad foods. The important thing is to find the amount of meals which works for you whether you have the same amount every day or the amount varies depending on your lifestyle.
It isn’t realistic to eat 100% healthy and follow the Regeneration Diet for the rest of your life which is why I am recommending adding in cheat meals to help you maintain your results. If I said eat 100% healthy for the rest of your life then you will get sick and go back to your old habits.
It is very important to only eat foods that are not on the allowable food list for the Regeneration Diet when you are having a cheat meal. If you add in foods not on the list anytime you want then before you know it you are back eating bad foods at every meal and you will start gaining weight.
It is very important if you are serious about maintaining your results that you follow the Regeneration Diet 100% unless you are having a planned cheat meal.
If you want to have a coffee, a glass of wine, chocolate, bread or anything else not on the Regeneration Diet allowable food list then have it at a specific planned cheat meal. You can have as many of these things you like at a cheat meal without going crazy. The reason why having them all at one meal rather than spread throughout the day is better, is because having all these things at one meal will affect your hormones negatively once whereas as if you spread them throughout the day then they would affect your hormones negatively multiple times. Remember your hormones have a far bigger influence on your weight than calories, so keeping your hormones balanced is essential if you want to maintain your weight.
Because everyone is different I would advise you to add in 1 cheat meal per week at a time rather than going straight for the 4 cheat meals per week. Some people may be ok eating 4 cheat meals per week and maintaining their weight whereas others may only be able to have 1 cheat meal and if they have anymore they start gaining weight.
I would advise you begin with 1 cheat meal per week and if you maintain your weight after 2-3 weeks of doing this then you can add another cheat meal in. If you are still maintaining your weight after 2-3 weeks then you can add a third cheat meal and if you are still maintaining your weight then add a fourth cheat meal. For the good of your health 4 cheat meals would be the maximum amount of cheat meals I would recommend even if you can get away with more whilst maintaining your weight. Remember that your health is just as important, if not more important than your weight, so you should focus on building health once you have reached your ideal weight.
When you are adding in your cheat meals, if you start gaining weight then this is a sign that you are eating too many cheat meals. Make sure you take the cheat meals out again completely for a week or two and then add them in again one by one. Add them back in one by one until you are back at the amount where you maintained your weight at the amount before you started gaining weight.
Remember everyone is different; some people may be able to have 3 or 4 cheat meals per week whereas others may only be able to have 1 per week. As everyone is different, it is important you find out the number of cheat meals per week which works for you. Your friends may be able to eat 4 cheat meals per week and maintain their weight whereas you may only be able to have 1 cheat meal in order to maintain your weight. It may not seem fair if you can only have the 1 cheat meal but unfortunately this is how your body works. If you want to maintain your results then you have to listen to your body rather than copy what your friends are doing. If you do go above what works for you then you will gradually put the weight back on. This is the last thing you want after putting in all the hard work and effort to lose the weight.
So basically for the second method to maintain your weight you should follow the Regeneration Diet and add in between 1 and 4 cheat meals per week.
Weight Maintenance Tips
- If you are having more than 1 cheat meal each week then try and have them all on the same day if possible. Having your cheat meals all on one day and having a cheat day often helps you to maintain your weight easier than spreading your cheat meals throughout the week. However, if you are to spread your cheat meals throughout the week then try to make sure you don't have cheat meals on two consecutive days. If you have them on consecutive days then this often leads to people cheating all the time. Ideally it would be best to have all your cheat meals on one day, the next best thing is to have them over two days but they must not be consecutive days, at a push have your cheat meals over 3 days but if you are having 4 cheat meals per week try not to have them on 4 separate days. If you are eating cheat meals on more than one day make sure you have them at the end of the day rather than at the start of the day. If you have your cheat meal in the morning then you are more likely to cheat the rest of the day. By having your cheat meals later in the day your hormones will reset overnight making it easier to get straight back to eating healthy the next day.
- After your planned cheat meals either eat low carb the next day and stick to meat and veg only or do a 24 hour or 36 hour fast. When you have a cheat meal it increases your hormone leptin which means you can lose weight faster. If you eat low carb or fast the day after a cheat meal then you will lose the weight quickly from the cheat meal and prevent fat being stored. Remember though you should only do a maximum of 1 fast per week so if you are having more than 1 cheat meal each week on different days then you will want to eat low carb most of the time the day after you have a cheat meal. Ideally you would have one cheat day where you eat all of your cheat meals on that day and have a low carb day or a fast day after your cheat day rather than have your cheat meals on numerous days throughout the week.
- If it makes it easier to stick to the diet you may add cheese back into your diet. If you are eating for your burner type cheese should count as part of your carb bites. Although it isn't technically a carb you should count it as a carb bite as cheese is not 100 ideal, although most people can tolerate cheese without gaining weight. If you find you start gaining weight with cheese then take it out your diet and only have it at cheat meals. If you are following the Regeneration Diet then make sure not to overeat on cheese. Also make sure you eat protein whenever you eat cheese. Cheese can prevent weight loss when you are looking to lose weight, however, at the same time most people don't gain weight by adding cheese back into their diet which is why we are allowing you to add it back into your diet if you wish.
- It is very important to continue planning your meals in advance. Every single week fill in the 7 day meal planner with the foods you plan on eating in the coming week. Remember if you fail to plan you are planning to fail. If you want to maintain your results it is important to keep planning your meals in advance.
- It is essential to keep following the principle of weight loss through nutrition if you want to maintain your weight. This means only eating fresh whole natural foods which are preferably organic except when you have a cheat meal. If you eat fresh whole natural foods which are preferably organic 90-95% of the time you will maintain your results. You should also make sure you eat protein at every meal and drink 3 litres of water per day.
- To help maintain your weight make sure you are asleep by 10pm 5 nights of the week and get 8 hours sleep each night. This will keep your hormones balanced to help you maintain your weight as well as reducing hunger and cravings.
- To help you maintain your weight it is a good idea to set a goal maintenance weigh to stay below. Remember without a goal you have nothing to aim for. If you go above your goal maintenance weight then this is the sign that you need to make changes to get back below this weight. If you go above this maintenance weight then either go through the 8 week programme again until you get back below your goal maintenance weight or stick to the weeks which were most effective for you.
- To help maintain your weight you should exercise 3 to 4 times per week. It has been shown it is harder to maintain your weight without exercise. Make sure you exercise regularly. Even if you are stressed or are busy with other things you should still make time to exercise. In fact when you are busy and stressed it is an even bigger reason to exercise as exercise helps balance your hormones. Even 20 minutes of exercise 3 times per week will help you to maintain your weight easier.
- For health purposes and to help maintain your weight it is a good idea to fast for 24 hours or 36 hours once a month or once every few months. Fasting gives your digestive system a rest and also helps to balance your hormones. There are many health benefits to fasting so fasting once per month will improve your health. You don't want to do it too regularly though. The maximum you should fast is once per week, however, when you are maintaining your weight fasting once per month or once every few months is recommended.
- A good tip to help reduce the chances of unplanned cheating is to fast for 24 hours or 36 hours if you cheat on your diet and it isn't a planned cheat meal. By doing this it helps you to stop cheating as you don't want to go 24 hours or 36 hours without food. The threat of a fast will ward of the temptations to cheat on your diet. If you do end up unplanned cheating on your diet then don't feel guilty as guilt is what leads to people giving up completely. Learn from your mistakes of where you went wrong and start eating healthy straight away at your next meal. One meal won't make you gain a ton of weight but if you feel guilty and keep eating bad then you will start gaining weight.
I really do hope you follow the advice in this maintenance plan. The last thing I want is to get an email from you saying you have undone all your hard work and put the weight back on. If you don’t follow this maintenance plan and consciously focus on maintaining your weight for a minimum of 6 months then the chances are you will go back to your old habits and regain the weight. No matter what diet you follow if you go back to your old ways you will regain weight which is why it is really important you carry on consciously maintaining your weight through following this maintenance plan.
I want this 8 week plan to be the start of a new lifestyle change that you maintain for the rest of your life.
I really do hope that you maintain your results and live a long and happy life at your ideal weight and in the nicest possible way I hope I never hear from you again because if I don’t hear from you then this means you are maintaining your weight. If for any reason you do gain weight then I will always be here to help you.
All the best for the future
Your Coach For Life
Shaun McGill
