Source – https://www.femina.in/
Weight loss doesn’t come easy. Those late-night binge sessions, those unaccounted for cheese burst pizzas, the occasional noodle nights (unless it’s shitaki or buckwheat), those days you consider your cheat day although it ideally is your workout day, does show eventually. However, if you watch your food, fitness routine, sleep cycle, stress, diet, and other activities, you might beat the extra pounds to the curb.
The secret to maintaining an ideal weight is to not skip meals and timing your meals. Consuming decent morsels of protein-rich food every two hours ensures you are satiated and do not delay eating your next meal or overeat a big meal (like a dinner or lunch).
First, to acclimatise your body to a new diet plan, you must gradually introduce it in your plan. Start with breakfast, then lunch, then high tea and then supper. This way, your body will not react to a sudden shift in the diet which is likely to cause discomforts like headaches, indigestion and even constipation in some cases. “A holistic approach is the most important factor for weight loss and I put clients in a new clean eating diet plan. To begin with, acclimatisation is more of a mental approach as opposed to it being a deprivation feeling.
Along with the new diet plan, I ensure one’s body is releasing more happy hormones right from their gut by getting in a sporting activity, focusing on planning the meals with happy yet smart foods. These are key elements that contribute to acclimatising one’s Mind and body towards adapting an integrative diet plan,” says Payal Kothari, integrative nutritionist and gut health coach.
Let’s have a look at the 7-day diet plan for a gradual weight loss routine:
1. First Day
2. Second Day
3. Third Day
4. Fourth Day
5. Fifth Day
6. Sixth Day
7. Seventh Day
8. FAQs: Answered by Payal Kothari, Nutritionist
First Day
Breakfast:
This meal should be the heaviest of the day and should be well rounded in nutrition.
You can start with combining ¾ cups of bran flakes, one banana and a cup of fat-free milk in a bowl. Alongside, you can also have a fruit bowl including the likes of avocado, oranges, apple to give you the required satiety and nutrition.
Lunch:
To start with, you can opt for mini whole wheat pita sandwich with ½ roasted pepper, one teaspoon mayo, mustard, and lettuce. You can also add the meat of your choice or if you’re a vegetarian, you can opt for tofu. Add some kiwis to the sandwich and eat away!
Dinner:
This meal of the day should be the lightest of all meals. Eat boiled chicken with two tomatoes sprinkled with a cup of boiled couscous and steamed broccoli.
Second Day
Breakfast:
Energise your day with a glass of boost. Blend 3-4 frozen berries, ½ banana and low-fat milk to the quantity you usually consume. Throw in some mint leaves. You can also add two boiled eggs on the side however, this can be optional.
Lunch:
Try a variation of the usual daal by switching it to a cup of vegetable soup including pumpkins, tomato, chicken (optional), and broccoli. To add some ethical cheat plan – you can eat a 100 per cent whole-grain toast burger with veggies of your liking with a cup of concorde grapes.
Dinner:
You can either opt for skinless chicken breast with barbecue sauce or you could have a grilled fish (using cold-pressed olive or canola oil) sautéed with vegetables like beans, tomato and low-fat butter (optional). Add some spinach for a hint of green and minerals to your diet.
Third Day
Nutritionist and founder of Eat Fit Repeat, Ruchi Sharma shares a day’s detailed diet plan:
Early morning:
Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, aloe vera juice to 750 ml water and drink it on empty stomach.
Breakfast:
You can have oats idli, upma, poha or ragi dosa with veggies and sprouts.
Lunch:
A bowl of salad with one multigrain roti, ½ cup boiled brown or white rice, vegetables of your liking, ½ cup of daal and yoghurt or buttermilk.
High tea snack:
Keep this light and avoid fried food snacking. A handful of mixed almonds, walnuts and trail mix of seeds (flax, chia) would suffice.
Dinner:
Keep it light with sautéed exotic vegetables using unrefined cooking oils or just a simple Indian style sabzi, soup and moong dal or besan cheela.
P.S:
For all those caffeine fanatics, no more than two small cups of tea or coffee anytime throughout the day is admissible.
Fourth Day
Breakfast:
If you’re not in the mood to whip up high-profile gluten-free breakfast, you can simply microwave a bowl of oats that cook faster, with low-fat milk and stevia or honey (if you want it sweet), and a dash of cinnamon.
Lunch:
Mix in all vegetables you love (don’t forget the greens) and add some chicken to add flavour. Throw in some slivered almonds, a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise, and two tablespoons of Greek yoghurt (unsweetened). Mix well. If you don’t feel satiated yet, you can consume either a whole apple or banana.
Dinner:
For all shrimp lovers, you can try this one and give the chicken a little rest. Mix three ounces of shrimp with one baked potato, a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt (unsweetened), and roughly 3-4 cups of steamed spinach. Voila!
While you are busy following a strict diet plan for seven days, here’s a thought on whether following short-term stringent diets are conducive to your physical and mental health. “In the first few days of any extreme diet, a person can experience a substantial loss of water weight which will come back to haunt you sooner than you think. Steady weight loss is more likely to last over dramatic weight changes. If you lose weight too quickly, you will lose muscle, bone and water, and are more likely to gain it back in half the amount of time,” advises Sharma.
“A successful weight loss and keeping it off is accomplished by making positive lifestyle changes. If you want to maintain a healthy weight, lose fat, and build muscle, make realistic lifestyle changes by eating smarter and moving more. This combination will produce lifelong results without feeling like you are dieting all the time. For the most part, the results we’re looking for will rarely come quickly. But they won’t take that long, either for you treats it as a sustainable lifestyle change.”
Fifth Day
Breakfast:
Keep it simple and English. Top a toasted English muffin with ½ sliced apple, and reduced-fat cheese. Microwave it for half a minute. Add it to your regular stock of unsweetened Greek yoghurt and enjoy.
Lunch:
Consume a cup of mixed vegetable salad, a bowl of lentil curry, and one cup of methi rice. If you wish, you could eat a whole apple for satiety but no more than that.
Dinner:
Have your favourite paneer or mushrooms with a bowl of sautéed mixed vegetables preferably (always) containing greens, one roti, and two tablespoons of chutney. You can also treat yourself with a glass of buttermilk.
Sixth Day
Breakfast:
Give yourself a bit of a break (but not so much) because make this your waffle day! Choose 100 per cent whole-grain flour to whip up your favourite waffle. Instead of going with maple or chocolate syrup, you can spread a teaspoon of no-sugar almond or peanut butter as per your preferences.
Lunch:
If you are missing your Chinese just too much. You can make yourself some yummy soba noodles. Simple yet zippy, you’re not going to regret this. Opt for buckwheat soba noodles (preparation same like pasta), add some cilantro or Thai basil, if available; some baked tofu or tempeh, one sliced cucumber, blanched broccoli and stir in some sautéed mushrooms. You’ve made yourself a yummy lunch!
Dinner:
Make a simple under-30 minute salmon chowder using onion, garlic, and fennel. Sautee all the vegetables and boil the potatoes. Add in salmon and low-fat coconut milk and heat until the broth thickens.
Seventh Day
Breakfast:
Have a bowl of light, simple oats milk (skimmed) porridge and some mixed nuts to go along with it.
Lunch:
Add some paneer made out of skimmed milk, a bowl of mixed vegetable salad, roti and carrot – green pea vegetable. If you wish, you can also consume a small bowl of cut fruits of your choice.
Dinner:
Say hello to your seafood shrimp today! Four ounces of shrimp, a cup of steamed carrots, one steamed broccoli, half a cup of brown rice, cooked; two tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and a teaspoon of sesame seeds.