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Healthy Weight Loss Meal Plan

By: Ron Lagerquist

1200 Calorie a Day Diet Program

Expect weight loss from 1 to 3 pounds of body fat a week. That's up to 12 pounds a month.

This diet was primarily designed for the ladies in mind, but men could double up on a meal portion or add an extra 300-calorie meal, increasing your daily intake to 1,500 calories. Smaller women who refuse to exercise could remove the mid-meal snacks, reducing your daily intake to around 900 calories, and still not experience much hunger. Your body will tell you what you need. If you are super hungry all the time, increase caloric intake; if you are experiencing almost no hunger, decrease. But beware of mistaking a craving for hunger. It’s time to get in tune with what your body is saying.

The expected weight loss will be between 1 to 3 pounds of real fat a week, depending on your size, activity level, and muscle fitness.

Budweiser Math

Some of you are not going to like this, but you must include any alcohol drinks in your overall daily caloric intake. For example, one Bud Light beer has 110 calories; a regular Budweiser, around 145 calories. The more beer you drink, the harder it will be for you to do the math, so let me help. Four beers will be around 580 bedtime calories. Six Buds will be around 870 calories. By the way, the liver neutralizes alcohol by turning it into blood sugar which, while you sleep, turns into body fat. And who has a few beers without beer nuts? This program is about getting honest with yourself about what you are eating—and drinking. The I just don’t know how I put on all this weight will be answered during this diet program.

Exercise

If you are exercising, you can reward yourself with a 300-calorie meal each day you work out. Or, if you are strong-willed, forgo the extra meal and have a snack instead, losing an additional 200 calories worth of body fat. It’s up to you how quickly you lose and how much hunger you are able to tolerate. If you experience extreme hunger or weakness, add an extra 300 calories of food to your workout day. The best time would be within an hour after exercising.

Mix It Up

To consume the widest spectrum of nutrients daily, diversify your meal choices. For example, if you are going to have eggs and toast for breakfast, do not eat a sandwich for lunch. That is two meals of bread carbs. If you are going to have a fruit salad for breakfast, have a handful of raw nuts for your snack or ½ cup of cottage cheese. Also, eating a variety of food helps to curtail boredom.

Simplicity

I could have included many more meals, but more is not always better. I wanted to keep this as simple as possible, both for choice and your grocery list. If you want to increase variety and color, you have a world of different fresh fruits and vegetables from which to choose for snacks and salads. I tried to include foods everyone is familiar with. As you go through the meals, you will start to get a picture of what will work, and can do your own research. If there is a must-have healthy weight loss meal that you feel should be included here, please send it to me: ron@freedomyou.com

Remember, this is a calorie-reduced diet for the exclusive purpose of weight loss. It is not meant to be a maintenance diet once the desired weight has been lost. To find out how to eat for optimum health while not gaining unwanted fat, read The Know-It-All Health Nut.

The key components of this meal plan:

carbs for breakfast and lunch (this sets up metabolism) and low-carb veggies and protein for dinner

a balance of the three macronutrients: carbs, fat, and protein

rich spectrum of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

good sources of bulking fiber

slow-releasing, so as not to spike blood sugar

non-processed, whole foods

Healthy Weight Loss Breakfast Meals

Cereal
250 Calories
1 cup healthy whole-grain cereal
1 cup organic soy milk

Eggs and Toast
300 Calories
2 organic eggs, fried without fat
2 slices Weight Watchers whole-grain bread, toasted
½ tablespoon butter

Oatmeal
200 calories
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup water
pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar

Breakfast Bar & Fruit
270 calories
1 all-natural whole-grain bar
1 fruit

Fruit Salad
300 calories
2 fruits
½ cup sweet yogurt

Mid-Morning Snacks

1 fruit
100 Calories

1 handful raw nuts
100 calories

½ cup cottage cheese
100 calories

8 ounces of 100% Fruit Juice
100 calories

Healthy Weight Loss Lunch Meals

Low-Fat Meat Sandwich
300 calories
2 slices of Weight Watchers whole-grain bread
3 ounces turkey breast
veggies (your choice)
1 tablespoon half-fat mayonnaise

Veggie and Cheese Sandwich
260 calories
2 slices Weight Watchers whole-grain bread
1 slice half-fat cheese
veggies (your choice)
1 tablespoon half-fat mayonnaise

Fruit Smoothie
300 calories
1 cup organic vanilla soy milk
1 banana
handful of frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
240 calories
2/3 cup cottage cheese
1 cup fresh pineapple

Mid-Afternoon Snacks

Raw Veggies and Dip
100 calories
your choice of cut raw veggies
1 tablespoon half-fat dip/dressing (your choice of flavor)

Raisins
85 calories
1 ounce raisins (snack-size box)

One Fruit
100 Calories

8 ounces of 100% Veggie Juice
100 calories

Healthy Weight Loss Dinner Meals

Wendy’s Small Chili and Salad
300 Calories
Wendy’s small chili (180 cal., high fiber)
Small mixed veggie salad (no croutons or bacon bits)
1 tablespoon half-fat dressing

Salad and Chicken Breast
350 calories
large mixed veggie salad
2 tablespoons half-fat dressing
1 boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked but not fried)
(Suggestion: slice chicken and add to salad)

Wild Pacific Salmon with Steamed Veggies
300 calories
1 salmon filet, 4 ounces
large serving of steamed veggies
1 tablespoon butter

Salad with Chick Peas
300 calories
large mixed veggie salad
2 tablespoons half-fat dressing
½ cup chick peas (or any legumes)