Lose Weight Diet Plan

1-WEEK DIET PLAN

You can lose weight like The Biggest Loser contestants without having to spend time at the ranch. This free 1-week meal plan, excerpted from The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start, helps you follow a low-calorie diet with delicious Biggest Loser recipes and meal ideas. On this diet, you’ll eat three healthy meals and two snacks a day for a total of around 1,500 calories per day.

DIET CHART

BREAKFAST

1. Coat an egg ring (see note) with olive oil cooking spray. 

2. Toast the muffin halves until they’re lightly browned. While the muffin toasts, warm the ham for about 1 minute in a small nonstick skillet. Remove the ham from the skillet and place it on half of the toasted English muffin. Cover to keep it warm. 

3. Place the prepared egg ring in the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg whites into the ring. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the eggs are nearly set. Run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of the ring to break the egg loose. Remove the ring. Flip the egg over and cook it for about 30 seconds longer, or until done. 

4. Place the egg on top of the ham. While the egg is piping hot, lay the cheese over it. Top with the remaining muffin half. Serve hot.

OR

Adding some fibre to your breakfast can help you stay feeling full until lunch and reduce the urge for a midmorning snack. 

• Swap white bread for wholemeal or wholegrain varieties. 

• Swap sugary cereals for high-fibre cereals such as wholegrain wheat cereals, unsweetened muesli, or porridge oats, and don’t forget to check the salt content.

SNACK

1 large apple 

1 stick low-fat mozzarella string cheese Ice water

OR

• Fruit – fresh, canned or frozen. Don’t forget to eat the skin on fruits such as apples and pears. 

• Veg sticks – carrot, celery or cucumber sticks or a packet of sugar snap peas. You can enjoy these low calorie snacks if you feel hungry in between your meals. 

• Reduced-fat hummus. For a bit of variety, dip your veg sticks, wholegrain crispbreads or pitta bread in a tub of reduced-fat hummus. You’ll get the fibre from both the veg and the bread.

• Air-popped, plain popcorn. Homemade is best, to avoid the high fat, sugar or salt content in some commercial brands. Don’t add any sugar or butter.

LUNCH

2 ounces sliced turkey breast 

1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts 

2 slices tomato 

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

1 La Tortilla Factory multigrain tortilla 

Serve with 6 baby carrots 

1 cup jicama sticks Ice water

or iced tea 

DINNER

5 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled or broiled 

8 medium asparagus spears, grilled or broiled 

1 cup cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 

8 ounces fat-free milk.

THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK

Coffee: 

              Getting a caffeine fix could give you 193kcal or more in one hit if you opt for cappuccino or mocha. Switch to black or white coffee instead. 

Fruit juice and smoothies: 

                                            You might feel virtuous guzzling these but watch out. A small glass of cranberry or apple juice racks up nearly 100kcal and a small 250ml yoghurtbased smoothie can be about 136kcal. Go for fruit-only smoothies instead. 

Fizzy drinks: 

                        Lemonade or cola is not only bad for our teeth but it can provide 140kcal in just one can. Switch to diet versions and think of it as a one-off treat. Experimenting with some interesting flavour combinations can help make it feel less like you’re depriving yourself so you’ll stick with it – research shows that our tastebuds can be retrained over time to enjoy far less sugar in drinks (or no sugar at all).

WEIGHT LOSS PITFALLS

Skipping breakfast:

Skipping breakfast can lead to unplanned and unhealthy mid-morning snacking or bingeing at lunchtime.

Fix: go for breakfasts containing fibre, such as wholegrain bread or porridge.

Skipping meals:

Skipping any meal is a bad idea. It may reduce your calorie intake for a brief period, but you’ll be much hungrier later on and more likely to overeat.

Fix: eat regularly and don’t starve from one meal to the next. Have some healthier snacks handy just in case.

Losing track of your calories:

A cafe latte, a handful of crisps, a piece of chocolate, a biscuit ... mindless munching can easily sabotage an otherwise well-planned diet.

Fix: make a note of every bite to stay within your calorie allowance.

Drinking too many calories:

Some fancy coffees, sweet fizzy drinks, smoothies and alcoholic drinks can pack a calorie punch.

Fix: go for water (still or sparkling) with a slice of lemon, tea or coffee with reduced-fat milk, or herbal tea.