Weightloss Meal Plan

Over the course of the last 3 weeks, I  have found myself eating anything my soul desired. You know how it is in winter… right? It’s no surprise that I’ve put half of the weight I had lost back while on the Daniel Fast. I didn’t take much notice of this until Sunday, when I put on a pair of size 14 skinny jeans  that were previously loose and now fit perfectly. Sigh! My waist line is headed in the wrong direction and with my birthday looming in 4 weeks and a beach holiday over Easter, I need to get my skates on and get this waist snatched!

Thinking back, my weight has always been an issue. I remember losing a huge amount of weight in 2010 which I then maintained for years even after a pregnancy. It was the best I’d ever felt, and although there was a bit more weight to lose to get into my healthy weight range, I was active and eating well. Then in 2016, I went through a very rough patch and with all the emotional eating, my weight sky rocketed to the heaviest I’d ever been. It was absolutely awful – I hated the way I looked and felt. I had so many health complications that I couldn’t handle that and the pressure of work. Having met with a nutritionist in June last year, my weight was 80.3kgs, body fat percentage came in at a whopping 44.6%  (the percentage of fat around my waist as 45.4%) and my biometric age was 50!!! This was after 6 months of hard work where I lost 2 stone. That was a blow!! I don’t even want to think about what it was like before I started my weight loss journey in January 2017!

Since moving house last July, my weight has been up and down as I’ve struggled to keep the momentum. I had a great routine in London and a personal trainer that kept me accountable, but since moving, I’ve just not been able to keep at it. This morning I weighed in at 83 kgs.  My ideal healthy weight (as per my consultation with the nutritionist) is  68kgs which is at the top end of my healthy weight range. While I still have some way to go, it’s by no means impossible. So, my intention over the next 5 weeks is to lose 6 kg (1 stone, 14lbs). This amount of weightloss over this period of time is completely healthy and doable. My goal is not to become stick thin – my goal is to lead a healthy lifestyle especially as I grow older.

They say you can’t out train a bad diet, therefore what I eat will be the most important equation in this process. I do not believe in over restriction of entire food groups. I cook for my family and we need to be able to eat the same meal. My goal therefore is to cook healthy meals, exercise portion control within my calorie allowance and be balanced. If we want a pizza – please be assured I will have a slice. Just not every day.

If you don’t know already, I’ve been trying the Beachbody  exercise programmes which I find great. I will be generally using the Portion Fix eating plan (which uses the coloured portion control containers) and  PIYO/T25 Hybrid exercise programme over the next 6 weeks or so. So let’s get into my meal plan for this week.

Breakfast

Veggie loaded egg muffins – These are so versatile – you can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. I prefer to make 2 – 3 varieties every time I meal prep because I get bored easily. I sometimes add smoked salmon or cooked ground turkey or sausage if I want to add more protein to it or some cheese as a healthy fat.

Green smoothies – I love smoothies as a quick and easy breakfast. I use a combination of 2 fruits and 2-3 handfuls of vegetables (spinach, kale and frozen broccoli are my favourties).

Zucchini bread oatmeal (aka zoats) – Who knew that oats with zucchini could make such a tasty and filling breakfast? This is a great recipe – go easy on the nut butter and walnuts. I leave them out entirely and the recipe is just as good.

Yoghurt breakfast bowls – Another quick breakfast idea. I use greek yoghurt for additional protein.

Banana pancakes – With only 3 ingredients, these pancakes are gluten free and super tasty. On occasion, I eat this with some blueberries, greek yoghurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.  YUM! You could also add oats and some baking powder if you wish to do so.

English breakfast – What is better than a full English on a weekend? Oooo…  The best thing ever is brunch on a lazy Saturday. I particularly love this one pan meal because who needs to wash all those dishes?

Lunch/Dinner

Vegan Thai curry with brown rice – Thai food is one of our family faves. I would use whatever vegetables I have in the fridge and as I’m not a fan of tofu, I would add leave it out.

Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey and brown rice – This is sp tasty and anything that takes less than half an hour to make from start to finish is a winner.

Quinoa, Lentil, Kale And Feta Salad With Salmon –  I love salmon and feta, so anything that brings the two together gets a 10!!

Quinoa egg fried rice – so quick and easy and a great use of leftover quinoa

Green Shakshuka – I have only ever tried the traditional shakshuka for lunch but as I’m trying to get more greens in, this looks perfect as it’s packed with vegetables that I already have in the fridge.

Roasted butternut squash soup – With this undecided weather, I’m looking forward to having soup on a chilly night.

Southwest paleo chicken and fries – Much healthier and tastier than a KFC, this is the business!

Snacks

Apple with peanut butter – Choose sugar free peanut butter – he brands I love are Meridian, Whole Earth and Pip & Nut.

Vegetable crudites and hummus – I prefer making home made hummus because it’s super easy and I can control the amount of oil in it. I also like to add avocado or roasted red peppers.

Fruit or green smoothies – a couple of fruits a day is perfectly healthy and for extra vitamins, add some greens and make a smoothie. This is also my drink of choice after a workout. I simply add a scoop of protein powder (usually hemp protein or shakeology).

Kale Crisps – although my daughter hates vegetables, this is one snack that she absolutely loves. I can’t complain.

I am looking forward to a week of digging in to all these meals. I love variety and am not about that bland food life. Be sure to check my instagram posts or instastories where I’ll be posting “what I eat in a day” type posts as well as my workouts.

Also comment below if you are in the process of weight loss or weight gain. It would be interesting to know how you are doing and what you are doing. This is a judgement free zone. My only hope is that whatever you are doing is healthy.

I’ll keep you posted on how I’m getting on.

Love

The Girl Who Wears Heels xoxo