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" INTRODUCING STEP 4   Is there anything quite as delicious as the taste of success? Arriving at Step 4 means that you have reached your goal weight. I know you can&amp;#039;t hear it, but I&amp;#039;m cheering for you! Congratulations!   Step 4 is all about maintenance: This is about finding a plan you can comfortably and happily live with for the rest of your life. Until now, the diet has been a firm guide, with food lists and rules and meal plans and recipes. Now that you&amp;#039;re in maintenance, it&amp;#039;s all about the power of choice. You know what it took to lose the weight\u2014which means you already know how to keep it off. But the commitment to maintenance has to be as strong as the commitment to shedding pounds.   Step 4 follows the same basic food guidelines as Step 3. However, you have more flexibility in how you choose to use your daily 150 bonus calories.   /&amp;amp;gt;   Get 2 weeks of free recipes and meal plans when you visit JoyBauer.com   /&amp;amp;gt;   Step 4 Dos (there aren&amp;#039;t any Don&amp;#039;ts!)   DO \u2022 Weigh yourself at least once a week. \u2022 Go back to Step 1 ASAP if the scale indicates you&amp;#039;ve gained 5 pounds. \u2022 Count all added sugars toward your daily 150-calorie bonus. (1 level tsp sugar = 16 calories; 1 level tsp honey = 20 calories.) \u2022 Count alcohol as part of your 150 bonus calories. \u2022 Avoid trigger foods if you think they will set you off on an eating binge. \u2022 Consider carefully before adding salt to anything, but indulge moderately if you really feel you need it. \u2022 Eat all meals on a schedule and drink lots of water throughout the day. \u2022 Think about everything you eat\u2014be conscious of your choices. \u2022 Indulge in foods on the Unlimited list. \u2022 Feel free to swap meals or ingredients from within the same categories. Also, you may eat any breakfast for lunch, and any breakfast or lunch for dinner. Choose meals from any of the steps. \u2022 Feel free to repeat a favorite meal or recipes during the week, as many times as you like (including menu options from any step). \u2022 As in Step 3, you can enjoy a wider variety of restaurant meals. \u2022 Feel free to substitute a frozen entr\u00E9e for lunch or dinner on any night, as long as it&amp;#039;s 350 calories or less. \u2022 Try making healthier versions of any of your personal favorite recipes. \u2022 Feel free (if you choose) to consume up to two items each day with artificial sweetener or natural no-calorie sweetener. \u2022 Continue to get exercise every day\u2014and try to make it fun! By all means continue doing cardio and strength training. And if walking works for you, great. But maybe now you&amp;#039;ll also want to try salsa dancing, water polo, yoga or even mountain climbing! \u2022 Feel free to enjoy your daily 150-calorie bonus at any time you like.   To see the diet do&amp;#039;s and don&amp;#039;ts and meal plans for every step of our weight-loss plan, visit WomansDay.com/Slimdown. Before starting on any weight loss program, be sure to consult with your doctor. (Read our disclaimer here.)   Get a FREE 2-week trial of Joy&amp;#039;s full weight-loss program\u2014which includes personalized dietitian support, online dieting tools and Joy&amp;#039;s weight-loss advice\u2014at JoyBauer.com/WomansDay. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/a5035/the-womans-day-slimdown-joy-bauer-step-4-109423/>