So today I’m going to tell you a little about my fitness story, before we move on to figure out the perfect weekly diet plan for you. Before I started with my weight loss journey I used to eat whatever I could grab at the eleventh hour OR I would spend hours in the kitchen cooking the cheesiest mac’n’cheese I have ever eaten (which basically meant adding more cheese.) But then one day I realized that I’m probably accumulating quite a lot of fat when I stopped fitting in a size 16. This was nightmare for someone like me who has worn a size 10 through college.

It was time for some serious introspection and figuring out where the problem lies. At first I thought, maybe it’s all the donuts and fudge brownies I binge-eat while binge-watching TV at long weekends, so I decided to cut ‘em out. Then I started to eat less and at a certain point I even starved myself. No matter how much effort I would make, the needle won’t move at all. I was getting more and more depressed with each passing days and my clothes were getting tighter.

That’s when my friend told me that it is not about eating less or more, but rather about eating right and wrong. I will not say that I was unaware of the fact that we should eat healthy food, it’s just that all the way through my teens I ate junk food and I just thought it would never affect me. But clearly I was wrong. I realized at a point that I probably needed to make a few changes in my lifestyle. Upon some research I found out the golden rule to having the most perfect body one can ever have. They say you make 70% of your body in the kitchen and 30% in the gym. I realized that even working out would not cure my problem unless I focus on what I’m feeding myself.

Fun part, guys! I decided to become a vegetarian. It was probably the worst decision ever. I am totally not against the fact that one should not eat meat, in fact I still idealize vegetarians. It’s just that I’m not cut for it. I was a meat lover and when I decided to go green I didn’t realize what sort of self-deprivation I am inflicting upon my own self. So the “going veg” phase ended in a horrible binge-eating spree and then I just decided that no more terribly deprived meal plans will be followed by this young lady. It was time to see a nutritionist. As it so happens, the same friend of mine is a nutritionist and I told her I wanted her to give me a proper advice.

From that day onwards I embarked on the journey of eating healthy and I have never looked back. It’s been a delightful experience and I would love to share it with you guys. So let me tell you about the weekly mean plan. It comprises of a seven-day comprehensive guide on what you should eat and how many calories you should consume. Losing weight is all about creating the requisite calories deficit and therefore starting from 1200 calories is a safe bet in my opinion. So now we will discuss a weekly meal plan that you can easily execute.

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Day One

Breakfast (266 calories)

For breakfast, you should have an egg and a toast. Take slice whole-wheat bread, and toast it in the toaster, do not use butter or margarine. You can also have one large egg, cooked in 1/4 tsp. olive oil or you can coat the pan with a thin layer of cooking spray. Season the egg with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Would you want something spicier? Have a couple of tablespoons of salsa. And then you can just top the toast with egg and salsa. Oh and never forget to add fruit. So have a medium banana

A.M. Snack (63 calories)

You can three-fourth cup of blueberries.

Lunch (319 calories)

Make yourself some delicious Chickpea & Veggie Salad. Take two cups mixed greens, three-fourth cups veggies of your choice (try cucumbers and tomatoes), two-third cup chickpeas, rinsed and a tablespoon of finely chopped almonds.
Then just combine all the ingredients and top salad with a tablespoon of red-wine vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and freshly ground pepper.

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

You can enjoy a medium sized orange in the evening.

Dinner (470 calories)

You should eat a serving of Seared Salmon with Green Peppercorn Sauce, a cup steamed green beans and a baked medium red potato, drizzled with half a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Meal Prep Tip

Pack up the leftovers from dinner tonight to take for lunch on Day two of your diet.

Day Two

Breakfast (287 calories)

You can have a cup of bran cereal in breakfast, with a cup of skim milk and half a cup of blueberries.

A.M. Snack (95 calories)

Eat one medium apple for mid-day snack.

Lunch (330 calories)

It’s time to make a Veggie-Hummus Sandwich. Take two slices of whole-grain bread. Then take about three tablespoons of hummus. Then take about one-fourth of mashed avocado. Add to it about one-fourth cup of cucumber slices. Then add one-fourth of a medium red bell pepper, sliced and one-fourth cup of shredded carrots. Finally add a cup of mixed greens.
Spread bread with hummus and avocado and layer on vegetables.

P.M. Snack (80 calories)

About three-fourth medium sized red bell pepper, sliced and two tablespoons of hummus should be enough.

Dinner (425 calories)

You can have about two cups of Roasted Tofu & Peanut Noodle Salad.

Meal Prep Tip

Cook an extra 3 oz. of chicken tonight at dinner to have for lunch on Day 3.

Day Three

Breakfast (276 calories)

Eat a cup of non-fat plain Greek yogurt, about half cup of blueberries, one and a half tablespoon of slivered almond and two teaspoons of honey.
Top the yogurt with blueberries, almonds and honey.

A.M. Snack (102 calories)

Take about two medium carrots and two tablespoons of hummus.

Lunch (319 calories)

Once again have one and half cups of Roasted Tofu & Peanut Noodle Salad.

P.M. Snack (46 calories)

Eat a cup of strawberries for evening snack.

Dinner (437 calories)

You can have a serving of Grilled Romaine with Avocado-Lime Dressing.
You need 4 oz. cooked chicken breast that is cooked in 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil and seasoned with 1/4 tsp. cumin and a pinch each of salt and pepper. And you can eat it with three-fourth cup of cooked quinoa.

Day Four

Breakfast (287 calories)

You can have a cup of bran cereal in breakfast, with a cup of skim milk and half a cup of blueberries.

A.M. Snack (95 calories)

Eat one medium apple for mid-day snack.

Lunch (335 calories)

Make some Green Salad with Chicken. You need three cups of mixed greens, 3 oz. leftover cooked chicken breast, about five cherry tomatoes, halved, half a cup of cucumber slices and about one-fourth cup of shredded carrot.
Combine ingredients and top salad with 1 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar and 2 tsp. olive oil.

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

You can enjoy a medium sized orange in the evening.

Dinner (446 calories)

Try a serving of Cod with Tomato Cream Sauce. Add half a cup of cooked brown rice and then add two cups mixed greens, topped with 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp. olive oil.

Meal Prep Tip

Pack up the leftovers from dinner tonight to take for lunch on Day 5

Day Five

Breakfast (268 calories)

About half a cup of rolled oats, cooked in cup milk with half a cup of sliced strawberries
Cook oats and top with strawberries and a pinch of cinnamon.

A.M. Snack (64 calories)

Half a bell pepper, sliced along with two tablespoon of hummus.

Lunch (315 calories)

Try Toaster-Oven Tostadas!
You need two corn tortillas about two-third cup of canned black beans, rinsed and half a bell pepper, sliced. You also need two tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese and two tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo.
Top tortillas with beans, bell pepper and cheese. Toast until the cheese begins to melt. Top with salsa.

P.M. Snack (42 calories)

You can have a cup of blueberries.

Dinner (410 calories)

About one and a fourth of cups Chicken Cauliflower Fried “Rice”, along with two cups mixed greens, topped with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and two teaspoons of olive oil.

Day Six

Breakfast (287 calories)

You can have a cup of bran cereal in breakfast, with a cup of skim milk and half a cup of blueberries.

A.M. Snack (62 calories)

You can have a medium sized orange.

Lunch (347 calories)

About one and a fourth of cups Chicken Cauliflower Fried “Rice”, along with two cups mixed greens, topped with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and two teaspoons of olive oil. And you can have a kiwi with it.

P.M. Snack (46 calories)

Enjoy a cup of strawberries.

Dinner (458 calories)

Try Toaster-Oven Tostadas!
You need two corn tortillas about two-third cup of canned black beans, rinsed and half a bell pepper, sliced. You also need two tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese and two tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo.
Top tortillas with beans, bell pepper and cheese. Toast until the cheese begins to melt. Top with salsa.
2 cups mixed greens, topped with1 Tbsp. lime juice and 2 tsp. olive oil.

Day Seven

Breakfast (255 calories)

For breakfast, you should have an egg and a toast. Take a slice whole-wheat bread, and toast it in the toaster, do not use butter or margarine. You can also have one large egg, cooked in 1/4 tsp. olive oil or you can coat the pan with a thin layer of cooking spray. Season the egg with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Would you want something spicier? Have a couple of tablespoons of salsa. And then you can just top the toast with egg and salsa. Oh and never forget to add fruit. So have a medium banana

A.M. Snack (115 calories)

You can have three-fourth cups of blueberries with a tablespoon of unsalted dry-roasted almonds.

Lunch (308 calories)

For Lunch you can have Tuna & White Bean Spinach Salad

You need two cups spinach, 2.5 oz. chunk light tuna in water, drained, half a cup canned white beans, rinsed, about three-fourth cup veggies of your choice (try tomatoes & cucumbers)
Combine ingredients and top salad with 1 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar and 2 tsp. olive oil.

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

You can have one medium orange.

Dinner (440 calories)

Eat a serving of Lemongrass Pork & Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl.

So that was all of a weekly plan that you needed to know. I’m not asking you to stick to this one diet plan rigidly, although I have devised it with great care I must mention that I am no expert in this field and therefore you should only take advice of a nutritionist. If your nutritionist’s believe that there is some deficiency in you, you should pay heed to it and start trying to tackle the matter as soon as is possible.

Also, since your weekly plan has a lot of repetitive options there is a fair chance that you might get annoyed of it. I tried combining the best and most delicious recipes but keep researching for options that are healthier and have no worse effect on your diet as well.

Last but not the least, I don’t encourage the fatter people to stay fat but I suggest that they look at healthy eating as a trend that needs to be set for the well-being of our entire nation. Make sure that the food industry is not taking away from you the reason of why you started eating healthy.

Author Bio:

Sara is a psychologist by profession, and she loves massage therapies. She enjoys home-based work and travelling. She is obsessed with massage chair therapies and other relaxing techniques. She regularly blogs at my massage chair, check her latest blog post.