How to Maintain, Not Regain
If you're happy with the weight you've reached, now's the time to begin a maintenance program that will allow you to continue to enjoy all the health benefits you've experienced on your program, plus a more lenient food plan without gaining back an inch. (If you still want to lose more weight, simply extend your Herbalife weight-management program until you achieve your desired goal.)

Ease into Maintenance
How you make the transition to maintenance is important. Every body is different, so you'll have to go cautiously in the beginning to get a feel for the types and quantities of foods you can now eat without regaining your lost pounds. After a few weeks on maintenance you'll get a feel for the eating plan that works for you. Ideally it should be one that allows you to enjoy the foods you like best -- even some of those foods considered "diet-unfriendly" -- in quantities that don't undermine your weight loss. By all means have a taste of your mother's pasta, but be satisfied with a bite or two. Remember, your eating plan should be flexible enough that you don't feel deprived, and it should continue to supply your body with the healthy foods and nutrients it needs to function at its best.

The Golden Rules for Keeping Your Pounds Off
Keep a close eye on your calorie intake as you shift into your maintenance program. As a guideline, a successful maintenance program usually means allowing your calorie intake to increase by no more than about 200 to 300 extra calories per day. Continue to use the Green Weekly Meal Planner as your guideline. You can choose to replace one of your two daily shakes with a second healthy meal, somewhat smaller than you have been eating for dinner. Or, you can continue indefinitely with two shakes per day and enjoy the freedom of a hearty evening meal. Here are some other suggestions:

• Have fun incorporating a wider variety of fresh fruit treats into your daily program, such as mangos, kiwis and papayas.
• Make the focus of one of your main meals a delicious salad filled with a variety of crunchy vegetables, such as raw cauliflower, carrots, radishes, red peppers, tomatoes and broccoli. Top with slices of roast chicken or shrimp, then dress with your favorite low-calorie topping.

Keep moving
One of the best ways to maintain your weight is to exercise regularly. Whether that means walking, running, cycling, weight-training, taking an aerobics class or doing a work-out video at home, regular physical activity will help you maintain a healthy metabolic rate to avoid gaining back your hard-won pounds and inches. As we talked about in the Week Three show, focus on adding in activity wherever you can-play music while you clean house; turn off the television and walk the dog; park your car as far from the store as you can and walk. You get the idea!

Keep your herbal and nutrition edge
Continue to take your Thermcomplete™ plus your other Herbalife nutritional supplements to keep your energy levels high and your appetite under control. Nutrition is the long-term key to achieving life-long health, vitality and weight control. Our Optimum Cellular Nutrition products form a strong foundation for your health. Choose the Lifestyle Programs from our product brochure that fit you, such as Women's Health, Digestive Health, etc. and create a nutrition and herbal program that is specifically and scientifically tailored for your needs.

Keep celebrating
If you're celebrating a birthday, a wedding or a holiday, by all means enjoy a treat, such as a portion of cake or a piece of pie. Simply make it the exception rather than the rule and get back on track with your maintenance program when the celebration ends.

Keep in control
If you discover you've gained a few pounds that cannot be accounted for by normal fluctuations in your weight, don't panic. Go back to your weight-management program for a few days until your weight evens out again. Remember, you're in control. You've worked hard to lose those extra pounds and you have the power to do so again any time you choose.

Keep sharing
Although maintaining is easier than losing, until your body gets used to your new weight, you need to stay vigilant. Talk to your Herbalife sponsor if you need extra support. Hopefully you have found someone else during these eight weeks to "buddy" up with on your way to a new you! Keep that connection-walk together and talk every day. We can all be a support for another person and often that process will give us the support we need as well!

Keep connected
Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our monthly email newsletter. Or use the information at Thermosuccess.com and review past shows online. Both Herbalife sites offer weight-loss support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They're like having your own nutritional consultant right at your fingertips!