DAILY MEAL PLAN
When you are trying to make your diet healthier one of the hardest things is to figure out what exactly should you be eating. So in this article I want to make that easy with a simple daily meal plan example you can try.
Most of my clients want to lose weight, but they also can’t do without a few of life’s pleasures or existing on bland diet food they don’t enjoy.
So my goal is to help them find a way of eating that fits into their lifestyle and can become something they can stick with for the long term.
The starting point to figure this out is understanding what they are eating right now, what type of foods do they like and also what are their eating habits.
Most often I find that their main meals are perfectly fine - but they aren’t eating enough and are grazing throughout the day. Many of us have grown up with the notion that it’s not ladylike to eat large meals. We have small servings which don’t fuel us properly, but instead of increasing our portions, we keep reaching for extras throughout the day.
There are several problems with this. We can easily end up eating more calories from snacks than our meals, yet it never feels like we are eating much, and we rarely feel full or satisfied. We’re tricked into thinking how unfair it is that we’re eating so little, yet gaining or unable to lose weight. Many snack foods are high in carbs and low in protein and vitamins and minerals, and when a significant proportion of our daily food comes from low-nutrient sources, the quality of our diet reduces.
Constant snacking also affects our hormones and the way the body alternates between burning and storing fat and managing blood sugar. When snacks are too high in sugar and carbohydrates it can lead to us having too much glucose in the blood, which is stored as fat. This constant supply of energy also means that we never need to tap into our fat stores. It’s like having your phone plugged in all day so the battery stays at 100%.
Yet, making simple changes can be surprisingly effective to kick start weight loss, without leaving you feeling hungry and deprived - and this is important. Around menopause we naturally have high levels of chronic stress as our body adjusts to the changing hormones. Being too short on calories and trying to cope with hunger adds more stress into the system. In this state the body responds by conserving energy and hanging on to fat stores - the opposite of what you want. So you’ll feel drained and won’t lose weight which is incredibly frustrating when you aren’t getting results for your efforts.
Key changes to focus on are:
Eat large, nourishing meals. Aim for 400-600 calories per meal. A lot of people aim for 1200 calories a day to lose weight, but this is far too low. A more realistic option is 1500-1600, although this varies depending on your weight, height and age. You can check how many calories you should be aiming for here Look for your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and subtract 500 calories from it. That gives you an idea of a daily calorie intake.
Increase the amount of protein you are eating and reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Most people eat too many carbs and not enough protein. Think about protein as the building blocks of your body. We need protein to build and maintain muscle, skin, hair and nails, and as we age we need more of it. Studies of mid-life women who increase their protein intake have shown increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass, just from a simple dietary change. It’s also now widely known that during the menopause transition, women become less able to handle carbs. This means we store more of them as fat than we did when we were younger. Another frustrating menopause symptom, but the bottom line is if you want to maintain your body composition as you age, you’ll have to eat fewer carbs (bread, pasta, rice, noodles, fruit and processed foods like pizza, cake etc…) But fewer doesn’t mean none, it means rationing your portion sizes and being selective about which ones you can let go, versus the ones you most enjoy and want to keep eating.
Enjoy all your meals. We need pleasure in our lives, especially at this time of our lives when pleasure sensations can be dulled. So we won’t be able to stick to eating bland, low-fat meals. It can take some trial and error to find a bank of go-to recipes that work for you, but that’s part of the process. Once you have a repertoire of meals you really enjoy and are happy to eat regularly, sticking to your healthier diet becomes so much easier.
Making these simple changes can have a profound effect on how you feel. When you eat properly you feel full and satisfied, which reduces cravings dramatically. You’ll also have more energy throughout the day and may even sleep better. You might feel nervous about eating larger meals, but stick with it and trust the process. I’ve switched many women over to eating like this and they’ve all lost weight. More importantly, they’ve all felt better too and been surprised by how easy it actually is.
So now you know the theory behind the changes you should be making to your diet, here’s an example of what this looks like.
Breakfast
3 eggs on a small slice of sourdough toast (~60g) with 15g butter for frying and buttering the bread
Lunch
Salad made from:
100g boiled quinoa
Mixed roast veg: onion, pepper, cherry tomatoes
80g drained, rinsed, tinned chickpeas
30g chopped almonds
15ml olive oil
Dinner
150g salmon
100g boiled new potatoes
80g fine beans
Pesto dressing made with 1tbs olive oil, 1 tsp pine nuts, half clove garlic and a small handful of basil
Optional: 175ml glass of wine
Calories & Protein Content
This meal plan has around 1650 calories and includes around 79g of protein which is the minimum you should be aiming for. However, it can feel like a lot of food to increase your protein too quickly so this is a good place to start and will be very effective at keeping you feeling full and satisfied whilst putting you into a small calorie deficit which will help you lose around 1-1.5lbs per week. Always go for slow and steady to reduce the stress on your body.
Eggs on Toast
Don’t skimp on the eggs. Three medium eggs on a small slice of toast cooked in a little butter with butter on your toast comes in around 450 calories and includes a good serving of healthy fats and protein which will keep you full until lunch.
Get Real results with Personal support from me
Do you need support to make lifestyle changes?
Making changes at this stage of your life can feel daunting, but getting support and being accountable to someone can make all the difference. I have a range of programme options available, from a low-cost online programme to weekly 1-2-1s to give you the personal support to create both a healthier lifestyle and a healthier relationship with food.
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