Weekly Diet & Exercise Plan

Losing weight is easy in theory, but putting together a plan and implementing it is another thing entirely. A weekly diet and exercise plan will help you lose weight. You need to tailor your diet and exercise plan to fit you as an individual, however, the key is to watch your fat and carbohydrates intake, exercise daily and drink plenty of water.

Weekly Diet

• In order to have a balanced diet, you need to include the appropriate amounts of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in your meals. Stick to the recommended serving sizes of the grains and proteins.

  Healthy breakfast choices:
  • Whole grain toast and cereals
  • Proteins from eggs and peanut butter
  • Dairy products such as low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt
  • Omelets with fresh vegetables
  • Fruits or fruit juices, as long as the juice is 100% juice with no sugar added

  Healthy lunch choices:
  • Salads with lots of vegetables and light dressing
  • Soups low in salt
  • Chicken breast or turkey
  • Vegetables raw or cooked (keep salt to a minimum)

  Healthy dinner choices:
  • Baked or broiled fish such as salmon or tuna
  • Lean cuts of meat
  • Chicken
  • Vegetables cooked (keep salt to a minimum)

  Portion control is important. Keep your protein portions small, but eat as many vegetables as you'd like. Include vegetables in at least two meals each day.
  You should include healthy snacks during the day to keep your metabolism moving.

  Healthy snack choices are:
  • Low-calorie and light buttered popcorn with little or no salt
  • String cheese
  • Fruit
  • 1 oz. walnuts

  Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Limit caffeine and alcohol.

Exercise Plan

• Cardio is the key in any weight-loss exercise program. Strive for at least 30 minutes a day of a moderate to hard cardio workout, six days a week. Change up the exercise during the week to keep yourself interested.

  Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday: Run 1 to 2 miles in the morning. Be sure to stretch before and after you run. Running burns a lot of calories quickly.

  Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Walk 2 to 4 miles at a fast pace or use a machine at your gym and include 15 minutes of strength training using at least 5-lb weights. Strength training keeps your metabolism moving and burns fat while creating muscle.

  Saturday is a rest day, but a short walk or any other type of movement will be beneficial to you.

Cautions

• Consult your physician before beginning any exercise and diet program.