The new year 2021 should begin with new goals. Out with the old, in with new. Now that we are in the new year, we have to set goals that will help us lose that extra weight during the festivities. So many of us indulged so much during Christmas and December holidays, the festive season is usually a long one, and since it mostly involves eating, we need to develop a way to get rid of all that fat.

There is a way of doing that while still keeping healthy. You can follow a 7-day meal plan that will see you lose weight and also be fit health-wise.

Meal planning helps you track how you eat, making it a simple and easy way to lose weight. There are meal plans to lose weight, build muscle, and feel healthy and fulfilled.

What to consider when meal planning

• Is the meal plan supposed to be for the whole family, or is it just for an individual?
• How much time do you have for food shopping and food preparation?
• What are your activity levels?
• Do you have health conditions that require nutritional needs?
• Your target weight loss. How much do you want to lose?
• Your level of cooking skill

7 Days Weight Loss Meal Plan

Below is a sample of a 7-day weight loss meal plan; it includes nutritious whole foods. It would be best to determine the appropriate portion following your weight loss goals and the above-listed requirements.

Day 1:

Breakfast: scrambled egg with spinach and tomato

Lunch: tuna salad + lettuce, cucumber, and tomato

Dinner: bean chili with rice

Day 2:

Breakfast: berries and oat milk smoothie

Lunch: hummus and vegetable wrap

Dinner: sesame salmon, growing broccoli, and mashed sweet potato

Day 3:

Breakfast: avocado mash and a fried egg on rye toast

Lunch: broccoli quinoa and toasted almonds

Dinner: chicken stir fry and soba noodles

Day 4:

Breakfast: protein powder + berries and oat milk smoothie

 lunch: chicken salad with corn and lettuce

dinner: roasted veggies, lentils, and tahini dressing

Day 5:

breakfast: Greek yogurt with buckwheat pancakes

lunch: veggies soup, two oatcakes

dinner: Coleslaw with fish tacos

Day 6:

Breakfast: apple slices with peanut butter

Lunch: feta omelet and minted pea

Dinner: veggies, baked sweet potato, chicken breast

Day 7:

Breakfast: muffin with eggs and vegetables

Lunch: crispy tofu

Dinner: zucchini noodles with lentil Bolognese

When following this diet meal plan, be sure to include fruits in between.

What is the importance of a weight loss meal plan?

• The plan adapts to you, so there will be no lifestyle change in the process.
• This is a move to a healthy diet stress-free.
• There will be reduced health complications since you are eating healthy.
• This is a faster and more workable way to lose weight.
• Reduced risk of adding weight after the 7-day plan.
• Affordable
• It is long-term useful content for you.

Additional tips on weight loss

Let us look at other weight loss tips that are helpful.

• Plan meals and snacks
• Only buy foods on the shopping list.
• Portion size and nutrient information are key.
• Every meal should have fiber and protein.
• Drink water regularly 
• Avoid sugary beverages
• Have a diet and exercise buddy
• Avoid skipping meals to reduce the craving for junk food.
• Add variety to meals by adding spices.
• Cook healthy meals
• Do physical activity like walks and jogging
• Use the weighing scale at least once a week.
• Make mini goals rather than one big goal, which will be overwhelming.
• Enjoy treats in moderation, don’t overindulge; you might deviate from your plan.
• Support from friends and family can be really helpful.
• Get advice from a nutritional expert before starting.
• Managing stress levels and getting enough sleep will lead to a healthy body.

Meal plans help you to keep your diet on track. It prevents the cycle of meal skipping and eating junk and unhealthy meals. It makes it so much easier since the food is readily available, you don’t have to struggle with cooking when you are hungry.

How to prepare a meal plan

• Choose and write down the meals you plan to have during the week. This should incorporate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 
• Use easy recipes since you need to be quick in the process.
• List the ingredients and quantify them.
• Shop for groceries
• Do all your meal preparation. Try not to go more than an hour on each cooking session.

Who knew it was as simple as that? When you incorporate a healthy diet into an active lifestyle, it will help you maintain a healthy weight. For successful weight loss, plan meals and shop for only the essentials. That’s why you have a shopping list, so you don’t deviate from the plan. Avoid impulsive buying. Meal plans can actually help to reduce waste. You might be tempted to buy junk but remember your goal.

You should buy nutrient-dense foods for weight loss. These are foods with proteins and fiber, and they are so efficient when it comes to weight management.

 Some foods like nuts, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and yogurt are linked to weight loss. Eat foods rich in them plus a little physical work put and watch your body change healthily.

However, foods associated with gaining weight like chips, sugary drinks, processed meats, and red meats should be avoided or taken in very low quantities. 

To sum it all up, you need to be committed to a healthy lifestyle to maintain weight loss. It would help if you tried not to go astray from the path of eating healthy and regular physical exercise. When you deviate, you lose focus, and going back to the routine will be hard. It does not matter what method of weight loss you opt for; you should always be conscious of what you eat. Remember to eat fresh, healthy and quality foods and maintain physical activity to get rid of excess weight because they go hand in hand.

To help you out with what you eat, Reuben’s Gourmet Meals have launched their service for meal plan delivery. We serve you the best meal plans at your doorstep anywhere in Ireland. We also have a special 6 Days Weight Loss Lunch & Dinner Meal Plan which can be easily followed by anyone. With these tips on meal planning and weight loss, you are now ready to set and work on achieving your weight loss goals.