Daily diet meal plan

Do you feel a bit of resistance about traditional diet plans? If so, you may be looking for a more relaxed approach to healthy weight loss. But without a diet, how do you know what to eat and when, while still being able to lose weight?

The following tips will provide a sample “snapshot” of a daily eating plan for weight loss. Keep in mind that this just an example and you may want to adjust it to better suit your own needs and goals:

1) Breakfast is important.

The first thing to keep in mind each day is that breakfast is a very important meal. It helps your body wake up and gets your metabolism going again after being at rest all night long. Good choices for breakfast foods are those that contain complex carbohydrates for immediate fuel, plus lean protein and a small amount of fat for energy and satisfaction. Half of a whole grain bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter is a good choice, as is yogurt with granola, or even one egg and some fruit.

2) Eat a mid-morning snack.

Two to three hours after your breakfast, you’ll probably start to feel hungry again, and it’s important to eat a little something to keep your energy up. Vegetables are a great choice because they are high in fiber, filling, and low in calories. Bring a small container of chopped raw veggies to work with you and snack on them when you feel hungry. You can even include a smaller container of low-fat salad dressing or salsa to dip them in.

3) Lunch is also important.

Another two to three hours after that snack, you’ll probably start feeling hungry for lunch, so you’ll want to eat something that contains protein, healthy fat, and complex carbs. How about a sandwich with lean chicken or turkey meat, chopped raw vegetables, and mustard or hummus? You can even slice some avocado on there, or drizzle extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for added fat and flavor. Also add a serving or two of fruit.

4) Mid-afternoon snack.

Since your lunch was probably satisfying you may not be as hungry for your afternoon snack, so you can have something small like one piece of fruit, or a small container of yogurt, or even some more vegetables. Just a little something to keep you from getting too hungry before dinner.