The only maintenance program I’ve found that works, in 25 plus years of medical weight loss practice, is to eat a
low carbohydrate diet Monday through Friday, and then cheat on Saturday or Sunday or both. Then go back
on the low carbohydrate diet on Monday. The low carbohydrate maintenance diet that I recommend is the same
as my weight loss diet – if it can’t Walk, Swim or Fly don’t put it in your mouth, and any vegetable you want
except peas, potatoes or corn. That’s it. Nothing else works, because weight maintenance is about the same
thing that weight loss is – fat storage. If you try to maintain your weight by eating less and exercising more, if you
eat the average American carbohydrate intake, you are going to store too much fat. We eat too much
carbohydrate to maintain weight. This is why 60% of Americans are fat. Carbohydrate causes fat storage, so
even if you try to maintain your weight by eating a little and exercising a lot – eating too much carbohydrate will
store too much fat. 50% of patients can cheat one day a week and maintain their weight. 50% of patients can
cheat two days a week and maintain.