What to Eat to Lose Weight in a Week
Exactly What to Eat For a Week to Lose Weight, the Healthy Way
It can be hard to know where to begin when you've decided you want to shed some weight. To put it simply, you probably already know you should eat what you know to be healthy foods, which is totally true, but there are many other things to consider when preparing yourself for a diet that will help you lose weight.
A weight-loss plan is very personal to you, so while we've put together an example of a week of meals that help you lose some pounds, it should serve as inspiration. Your first step should be to figure out what works for you and your body, and the best way to do that is to speak with a nutritionist, who can take a look at your current weight and lifestyle and craft a plan that is best suited for your goals.
What's important to remember if you're starting a new diet is to make sure you're eating enough food every day so that you're losing weight at a healthy rate. Keep reading for seven days' worth of healthy meals, and if you're on a special diet like vegan or WW, we've got meal plans for you as well.
What You Need to Know About This Meal Plan
We've put together seven days of meals and snacks that all fall around the 1,400- to 1,600-calorie range, which is about the average number of calories a woman should eat a day if she's looking to lose weight. To break that down even further, losing one pound a week equates to cutting 3,500 calories out of your diet, or 500 calories a day. A typical adult woman's diet is about 2,000 calories per day, so cutting it to 1,500 will shed you a pound a week. Each day of this plan also has a range of protein from 70-90 grams, which is a bit elevated, because your ideal protein intake is based on your weight. However, you want to make sure you're staying full so you're not tempted to reach for empty calories that will halt your weight loss.
Each day's meals and snacks have balanced servings of each food group, and each dish is a healthy option that's also delicious. While this plan takes calories and protein into consideration, if you're looking to track something like macros or carbs or sugar, you'll have to adjust slightly. And because this is a jump-start to a weight-loss journey, we didn't factor in any rigorous exercise, which will burn off calories. It's a good idea to settle into a healthy-eating plan first before adding in strenuous workouts, so you can get your body used to a new way of behaving.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
