iFit 1-Month Individual Membership [Digital Subscription]
TACKLING WEIGHT LOSS
When it comes to losing weight, many people find the two hardest
challenges to be:
- Keeping portion sizes in check while still feeling satisfied
- Keeping enough variety and flavor to avoid feeling deprived
This meal plan addresses both of these challenges in a delicious and
achievable way. You’ll receive 10 days of breakfast, snack, lunch, and
dinner meals that provide a satisfying amount of food and balance of
nutrients, while still providing a 500-calorie deficit each day to produce
weight loss. And when you eat 500 calories less than what you burn
each day, it puts you on track to lose 1 pound a week
MEAL FLEXIBILITY
The following meals and snacks have been carefully calculated, so you don’t have to count any calories. Each meal contains approximately 400 calories and each snack approximately 100 calories. This consistency gives you the flexibility to switch out meals for one another. So if you’re in the mood for oatmeal instead of a breakfast burrito, you can easily swap the two and still meet your calorie goal for the day.
THE POWER OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES
A larger portion of your grocery bill will be spent on produce. As you eat out less and purchase fewer snack foods, it should balance out the extra cost of produce that you’ll be buying. Plus, when you consider the myriad of health benefits that come from eating more fruits and veggies, it becomes something worth investing in.
Most of the meals are accompanied with fruit. Feel free to use unsweetened, frozen fruit in place of fresh fruit. You can also swap fruits out for one another. If a fruit or vegetable isn’t in season or not on hand at home, don’t hesitate to swap it out. For example, if you only have cantaloupe on hand, feel free to swap out the scheduled fruit with a wedge of cantaloupe.
BENEFITS OF COOKING AT HOME
If you’re new to preparing your own meals, consider these benefits:
- Food prepared at home is usually more nutritious
- People who cook are more likely to meet their nutritional needs
- People who cook tend to eat more fruits and veggies
Don’t worry, the recipes included are easy and take no more than 30 minutes at most to prepare. Plus, the recipes make great leftovers and are included in a couple of the lunches. Nothing is better than cooking once and enjoying twice.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
+ Drink lots of water. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so when you feel hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes, then re-evaluate your hunger level.
+ Do not inhale your food. Slow down, chew well, and savor each bite. Enjoying the flavor and texture of your food will help you feel satisfied both physically and emotionally.
+ Get used to less sweets. Your body will adjust its sweet tooth tolerance with time and your cravings for sweets will decrease. If you’re dying for a treat, have a small, individually wrapped piece of chocolate. Consider keeping it in the freezer so that you have to make a conscious choice, instead of mindlessly eating it because it’s in plain sight.
+ The following meals and snacks aim to satisfy, not stuff. They have plenty of nutrients to fuel your body, but it may require some patience as your body adjusts to eating less.
10-Day Weight Loss for Women
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+ Finish with a clean mouth. There’s nothing quite like brushing your teeth after eating to really end a meal and keep from snacking.
+ Spice it up. Feel free to season your food with cinnamon, nutmeg, tarragon, basil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chipotle powder, garlic powder, or onion powder. Perhaps a splash of lime or lemon juice suits your taste buds. Or you might like your food hot, and there’s nothing wrong with adding an extra kick. Keep your food tasty by seasoning it to a flavor you like. However, go easy on the salt.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
+ Feed your cravings with a healthy snack. If you find yourself hungry between meals, eat some carrots, celery, or cucumber sticks dipped in a spicy salsa, and drink a tall glass of ice water.
+ Place 2 ½ tablespoons of popcorn kernels in a microwave safe, lunch size paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over and microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes, or until the popping almost stops. You can opt for a 100-calorie bag of low-fat microwave popcorn, but popping your own is just as easy, cheap, and healthy.
+ Chia seeds store well in the freezer in an airtight container.
+ Cook up a batch of quinoa or steel cut oats. Then store ½ cup servings in little zip-top bags and place in your freezer. Beans also store well in the freezer. This will help reduce your preparation time during the week.