If you’re in the final days of my Bone Broth Diet right now, you’re dropping pounds like crazy. Your skin is looking smooth and gorgeous, and you’re filled with incredible energy. It’s awesome, isn’t it? However, as you come down the home stretch, you may be wondering how you can maintain your weight loss. After all, you’ve dieted before, and regained all of those pounds afterward… and if you’re like most people, you’ve done it over and over again.

Luckily, I have the answer for you: my 80/20 Plan. This plan lets you enjoy life without gaining back those pounds and wrinkles. I like to say that you get 100% of the results with only 80% of the work!

In this post, I’ll explain exactly how the 80/20 plan works. If you’re not familiar with it, read on… and if you’re already on this plan, scroll down to the end for two fabulous 80/20 recipes from my new book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Cookbook.

How the 80/20 Plan works

On the 80/20 Plan, you can eat non-diet foods for 20% of your meals, while sticking to the basic diet template for the other 80%. This gives you plenty of room for “personal play.” For instance, you can indulge in pasta and wine on date night or pop some popcorn for a Sunday afternoon movie, and still keep your weight right where you want it.

When you eat right 80% of the time, your body is so vibrant and healthy that it can easily handle a little sin once in a while. How great is that?

I do have two cautions, however.

First, as you reintroduce foods, I want you to pay close attention to how your body reacts to them. When you do this, you’ll learn a lot about how specific foods affect your health, your mood, your skin, and your weight. (I’ll talk more about this in an upcoming post.) In particular, be cautious with grains—especially those that contain gluten—and dairy.

Second, don’t over-indulge in sugary foods. At this point, you’ve got your sugar cravings under control, so it’s okay to give your sweet tooth a little thrill now and then. Honey, molasses, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and stevia are all okay in limited amounts now (although it’s smart to stay away from table sugar as much as you can, because it’s poison to your cells). But don’t go crazy eating sweet foods, or you’ll be inviting the Sugar Demon right back into your life.

There you have it—that’s all there is to the 80/20 Plan. Follow the diet template 80% of the time, and sprinkle on some fairy dust the rest of the time. Watch out for a few tricky foods like gluten and dairy, and limit how much you indulge your sweet tooth.

It sounds simple, but it’s magic. Follow this plan, and you’ll keep those pounds and wrinkles from sneaking back into your life. You’ll feel young, vibrant, and energetic every day. And you’ll say goodbye to yo-yo dieting… forever!

Ready to sprinkle some fairy dust?

If you’re at your goal weight, then it’s time to live it up a little. Here are two terrific 80/20 recipes from my new cookbook—a hearty main course meal, and a luscious cake.

Shepherd’s Pie

Alternating slices of russet potato and sweet potato create a pretty topping for this rustic dish. The filling stars lamb braised with wine and seasoned with rosemary and garlic.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• Celtic or pink Himalayan salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1⁄3 cup red wine
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1⁄3 cup chicken bone broth or beef bone broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large russet potato, scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), melted 

DIRECTIONS

In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency and coats the meat, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Let the lamb mixture cool slightly and stir in the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the lamb into an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Toss the potatoes with the ghee and shingle over the lamb, alternating between white potato and sweet potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until the potatoes are tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

Coconut Cake with Deep Chocolate Frosting

This is one of my favorite special-occasion desserts. Serve it at a birthday party or a baby shower, and no one will guess that it’s actually healthy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Celtic or pink Himalayan salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of Celtic or pink Himalayan salt

DIRECTIONS

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with coconut oil spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix well, making sure there are no lumps.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

For the frosting: In a bowl, stir together the cocoa, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.

Enjoy!