We get a lot of questions from our readers (especially women) asking about diets and meal plans they can follow to lose weight. Today we introduce a new section dedicated to diets for weight loss. In this category you can find a number of weight loss diets arranged by calories consumed, difficulty level (how easy or difficult is to follow a diet) and type. Make sure that you register through RSS or email to get the new diet plans delivered to your inbox.

The 1800 calorie diet and a 7 day meal plan

The 1800 calories per day is not a random number.  The average woman needs about 1500-2000 calories per day in order to maintain current weight. If you are overweight then this means that you have exceeded this number for a number of weeks / months so you need to gradually start lowering your daily calorie intake to the suggested range. The 1800 calorie meal plan is not very difficult to follow so it is perfect for beginners to dieting and weight loss. It gives you all the nutrients and vitamins you need without feeling that you are starving. It includes food items from all food groups and it is a healthy way to lose weight.

How to get started

As with any other diet plan in order to get results you have to follow it strictly for a couple of weeks (at least). Before starting the diet you need to:

1. Go through all 7 days of the diet and make sure that you have the necessary ingredients at home. Once you get started you do not want to miss a meal or day because you are not prepared or because you do not have the ingredients you need to prepare your meals.
2. Create your shopping list (based on the diet) and purchase the necessary food items.
3. Prepare any meals you can in advance or at least plan how you are going to prepare the meals. You know what you will need for the next 7 days so get prepared.
4. Start the diet on a Monday morning so that it will be easier to follow the 7 day plan.
5. The night before your first day take a measure of your weight and write this number on your dairy or weight loss journal. Do this every 7^th night and watch your progress. Note: you may not see results from the first couple of weeks so stick to the diet until you see your weight decreasing.

Click the following link to download the diet in a printable format and use the comment button to ask any questions or clarifications about the 1800 calorie diet.

Diet Details

Type of Diet: 1800 calorie diet, 7 day meal plan

Difficulty Level: Easy

Suitable for: Men and women of all ages especially beginners to dieting and weight loss

Price: Free

Day 1

Breakfast: bread with peanut butter and juice
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 cup orange juice

Snack: Diet up shake 2 servings of fruit of your choice
1 teaspoon honey
1 / 2 cup milk 1.5%
2 ice cubes

Lunch: Spaghetti with tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms, grated cheese and salad 2 cups cooked pasta
6 tablespoons red sauce with peppers and mushrooms
2 tablespoons grated cheese (Parmesan or other cheese and low fat)
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice

Snack: cereal bar with milk, whole grains and fruit 1 wholemeal cereal bar
1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)
1 fruit of your choice

Dinner: Artichokes a la polita with cheese and bread 1 cup artichokes
1 piece (60 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese, low fat or 4 tablespoons of cream cheese)
2 slices whole wheat bread

Day 2

Breakfast: Toast with ham, milk and fruit
3 toast
1 1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet
1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)
1 fruit of your choice

Snack: sugar free jelly with fruit 3 cups sugar-free jelly
1 fruit of your choice

Lunch: Chicken fillet ham or turkey with potatoes and salad 70g. grilled fillet of chicken or turkey ham (uncooked 95gr.)
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice
3 small roasted or boiled potatoes (1 small potato weighs about 125g.)

Snack: crackers with cheese cream

3 cream Crackers
1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese, low fat or 2 tablespoons of cream cheese)

Dinner: Omelet with mushrooms, sausage and cheese salad 1 egg
1 egg white
1 / 2 cup mushrooms
1 / 2 cup vegetables of your choice
1 turkey sausage, low fat
1 slice of toast (30gr.) yellow cheese, low fat
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice

Day 3

Breakfast: toast with hazelnut praline and milk
2 toasts
2 teaspoons hazelnut praline
2 cups low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Cookie juice 1 biscuit (digestive)
1 cup orange juice

Lunch: Artichokes a la polita with potato, cheese and salad 1 cup artichokes a la polita
1 piece (60 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese and low fat)
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice
1 small boiled potato (125gr.)
1 slice whole wheat bread

Snack: Toast with tahini, honey or jam and fruit 2 toasts
2 teaspoons honey or jam
1 teaspoon tahini
1 fruit of your choice

Dinner: Salmon or trout (or other fish rich in healthy fats) with rice and salad 155gr. grilled fish, rich in good fats, baked or grilled (205gr. uncooked)
2 cups vegetable salad of your choice
1 / 4 cup cooked rice (1 1 / 2 tablespoon uncooked)

Day 4

Breakfast: Cruller and Fruit

1 1 / 2 cruller
1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Diet up shake

2 servings of fruit of your choice
1 teaspoon honey
1 / 2 cup milk 1.5%
2 ice cubes

Lunch: Salmon and trout (or other fish rich in healthy fats) with fries and salad

70g. grilled fish, rich in good fats, baked or grilled (95gr. uncooked)
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice
3 small, roasted or boiled, potatoes (1 small potato weighs about 125g.)

Snack: cereal bar with milk, whole grains and fruit

1 wholemeal cereal bar
1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)
1 fruit of your choice

Dinner: Cabbage rice soup with cheese and salad

1 1 / 2 cup cabbage rice soup

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow low fat cheese)
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice

Day 5

Breakfast: Toast with ham, milk and fruit
3 toast
1 1 / 2 slice of ham or turkey fillet
1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)
1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Sandwich with whole grain bread, tuna, tomato, lettuce and corn 2 slices whole wheat bread
40g. tuna in water
1-2 slices tomato
1 leaf lettuce
1 tablespoon of corn

Lunch: Giants Beans with cheese and salad 1 1 / 2 cup cooked giant beans
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice
1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow low fat cheese)

Snack: sugar free jelly with fruit 3 cups sugar-free jelly
1 fruit of your choice

Dinner: Potato Salad 2 medium (167gr each) potatoes
1 cup chopped tomato
1 / 2 cucumber, finely chopped
1 / 2 cup chopped bell peppers
1 carrot, grated
2 teaspoons olive oil
Chopped onion, lemon

Day 6

Breakfast: toast with hazelnut praline and milk

2 toasts
2 teaspoons hazelnut praline
2 cups low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Toast with cheese and yogurt

2 toasts
1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow low fat cheese,  or 2 tablespoons of cream cheese)
1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)

Lunch: Stuffed Squid (with rice, peppers and feta cheese) and salad

100g. grilled squid (130gr. uncooked)
1 / 2 cup cooked rice (3 tablespoons uncooked)
45gr. feta cheese
2-3 slices of pepper
2 cups vegetable salad of your choice

Snack: cereal bar with milk, whole grains and fruit

1 wholemeal cereal bar
1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)
1 fruit of your choice
Dinner: Pork Kebab (pita bread, chicken, tomato, lettuce) salad

1 1 / 2 pie
105gr. Chicken, cooked (uncooked 135gr.)
4-5 slices tomato
lettuce
1 cup vegetable salad of your choice

Day 7

Breakfast: Cruller and Fruit

1 1 / 2 cruller
1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Cookie with yogurt and fruit

1 biscuit (digestive)
1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)
1 fruit of your choice

Lunch: meat (pork) baked with rice and salad

70g. Roast pork with no visible fat, eg porterhouse (95gr. uncooked)
2 cups salad of your choice
1 1 / 4 cup cooked rice (7 1 / 2 tablespoons uncooked)

Snack: Diet up shake

2 servings of fruit of your choice
1 teaspoon honey
1 / 2 cup milk 1.5%
2 ice cubes

Dinner: a half sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), egg and cream cheese and salad

3 slices whole wheat bread
1 1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet
1 egg (boiled or scrambled eggs without oil)
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 cup salad of your choice

View full post on How To Lose Weight Healthy

The 17 day diet appears to be the new craze in the weight loss world. It is not unusual for diets to appear, become fashion and in time disappear or get discredited by professionals. So it will not come as a surprise if the 17 day diet follows the same path or if people start questioning its credibility.

So does the 17 day diet really work or is just one of the many trends that come and go? This article will look at the details of the 17 day diet and review these.

The 17 day diet details

The diet was designed by Dr. Mike Moreno a family practice physician and became popular after being introduced in a US TV program. The diet is mainly available through the internet, and is detailed in the 17 day diet book, published by Dr. Moreno.

The diet is divided into 4 cycles each lasting 17 days which are accompanied with specific diet plans. The cycles are as follows:

• 1^st – The accelerate cycle (Days 1-17). During the 1^st cycle the diet plans allow unlimited lean protein (in the form of lean meat including 2 eggs per day), a small amount of oil (i.e. flaxseed oil or olive oil), small amount of fruit and probiotics such as yogurt. Total recommended/given calorie intake is 1200 cal.

Diet plans don’t allow starchy vegetable such as potatoes, processed or ‘white’ carbs (i.e. pasta, bread), sugars and alcohol.

The plans also include drinking green tea and 64 ounces (aprox. 2 litters) of water. According to Dr. Moreno the 1^st cycle is like a cleansing period in which the body clears sugar and toxins from the blood. It also promotes rapid weight loss and fat-burning, discouraging fat storage. It promises weight loss of 10-12 pounds.

• 2^nd – The activate cycle (Days 18-34). During the 2^nd cycle the diet plans decrease the amount of fat into 1 serving and introduces ‘healthy carbs/starches’. Examples of Dr. Moreno classifies as healthy carbs/starches are legumes, brown rice, bulgar and sweet potatoes. The average calorie intake is around 1500 cal.

What is important in this cycle is ‘calorie cycling’. What is classified as calorie cycling here is alternating low calorie days with high calorie days. The theory is that this calorie yo-yo’ing will confuse the body and will keep the metabolism guessing. In result the ‘confused’ metabolism will not slow down and weight loss will not plateau.

• 3^rd – The achieve cycle (Days 35-51). During the 3^rd cycle the diet plan expands and allows a large variety of fruit, vegetables, proteins, fats and starches/carbs. Protein is restricted to the size of a sponge.

The cycle also allows 100 calorie snacks and a serving of alcohol.

• 4^th – The Arrive cycle (days 52-life). The 4^th cycle is the maintenance cycle which is meant to last a lifetime. The diet plan is to just follow plans from cycles 1, 2 and 3 through the week. At the weekend the plans allow 1-2 favourite meals (eat what you like) and 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day.

The recommendation given is splurge but do not binge. The theory is that in his way dieters can keep in track with their weight and it will be easier to pick up on Monday from where they left off. The last cycle is considered to be the weight stabilisation cycle. Dieters are advised weighing themselves once a week and if they have gained 5 pounds to go back to the 2^nd cycle and diet until they lose the weight.

The theory behind the 17 Day Diet

According to Dr. Moreno the diet will guarantee fast, radical and sustainable results. The theory behind it is that:

• By breaking down the diet in 17 day cycles dieters will not feel bored and are more likely to comply with the diet. In addition the body takes approximately 17 days to adapt therefore each cycle is 17 days.
• A 2^nd aspect is calorie cycling and tricking the body and the metabolism. By calorie cycling the metabolism will not slow down and therefore weight loss will not plateau.
• The diet will give the basis for healthy eating and healthy lifestyle so when dieters arrive in the 4^th cycle they will just practice what they learned from the previous 3 cycles.
• The diet is also accompanied with a 17 min exercise workout which will aid in both weight loss and healthy living.
• Dr. Moreno is citing a scientific research which supports that fast weight loss has more sustainable results than slow weight loss.

The facts

• It is not a very bad diet. It has some principles for healthy eating and lifestyle, such as don’t eat junk food, and do eat fruit and vegetable combined with exercise. Some people do like to follow a specific diet when trying to lose weight, and in comparison to some other diets available in the market, it is not too bad.

• However, it is not something new. The Dukan diet has a similar 4 phase outlook and structure. Phase 1 or cycle 1 in all those diets involve a very low carbohydrate high protein plan. There is some scientific evidence to actually support that higher protein diets are better for health than higher carbohydrate diets. However, very low carbohydrate diets are not recommended. There are healthier options when choosing carbs, such as legumes instead of bread or pasta and can be as healthy if included in a diet.

• Indeed the body does take about (±) 2 weeks to adapt completely to changes. So if transferring from a high carb to a very low carb diet there will be some effects until the body adapts. Dieters can expect to feel tired, have cravings for sugar, feel irritable and have possible mood swings. Therefore, following the 1^st cycle can be a challenge for some people. Lowering carbohydrates gradually may be easier and more feasible.

• Depending on the level of exercise, an adequate amount of carbohydrates should be taken. Exercise does not necessarily require large amounts of carbs as years ago used to be believed. However, if involved in intensive exercise, eating some carbs is important.

• The 1^st cycle is predominately a low calorie diet. Yes the body shifts into burning more fat during a low carb diet, however, during the 1^st week most of the weight lost will be water mainly with some fat and protein. Needing time to adapt means that the body needs those 2 weeks to adapt before making long term metabolic changes. In addition, any low calorie diet would result in weight loss.

The 1200 kcal could be for some people within a safe range however, calorie intake can depend on body build, age, gender and levels of physical activity. For example men in general have higher calorie ranges and for some 1200 kcal may be too low.

• Some research does show that in obese and morbidly obese people, very low calorie diets and fast weight loss can be more effective and can show better results. However, if obese and/or morbidly obese, taking on radical changes such as following a very low calorie, very low carb diet can be a shock to the body. It is recommended that a doctor, medical professional and/or a registered dietician, as there may be high risks for health.

In terms of overweight people there is no sufficient scientific evidence that fast weight loss can have better results. I must note that the research Dr Moreno has cited in his book is regarding obese women and not overweight. In general, fast weight loss is not recommended.

• Some studies have shown positive effects and some have studies have suggested that there may be links to negative long term effects to health.

• The diet appears to promote a long term obsession with dieting and weight. It does recommend dieters weighing themselves once a week and if they have gained 5 pounds to go back into dieting. This constant preoccupation with weight and dieting is surely not a healthy behavior.

• It is probably much better for people to commit themselves in changing behaviors and eating habits rather than follow a lifelong diet. Finding the reasons why one may have put on weight and changing those behaviors and reasons could have long term sustainable results. If for some people it works to follow the diet in order to make those changes could be as effective. However, I would not recommend lifelong weight and dieting obsession. Balanced diet, moderately lowering calorie intake, and increasing physical activity is as good and safe option for losing weight.

• As with every weight loss programs if suffering from any medical/health conditions and complaints always consult a medical professional before starting any diet. The 17 day diet would not be recommended for people who may have kidney problems/complaints, diabetics, pregnancy, high uric acid such as gout. If in any doubt or if you have any concerns always consult a medical professional.

Diet Review by Hara Hagikalfa

View full post on How To Lose Weight Healthy

Keeping a diet and fitness journal is the first step towards a healthy weight loss. By having a clear picture of how many calories you consume daily and how many calories you burn through exercise and activity you can easily set your weight loss targets. If you take into account that 1 pound = 3500 calories and that an average woman needs about 1500-2000 calories per day for normal work activities and an average man needs 2000-2500 calories per day, you can make your calculations and find out how many calories you should consume daily in order to lose weight. A diet and fitness journal is a great way to monitor your progress until you reach your target weight.

Download our diet and fitness journal. It is free and no registration is required.

The benefits of having a weight loss journal

1. You can record the actual number of calories consumed and not the number of calories you think you consume. Many studies show that for many people the number of calories actually consumed was different from the number of calories they thought they consume. By not counting each and every food/drink you put in your mouth you cannot have a precise picture on the calories you consume. By keeping a diet journal for a couple of weeks you will be able to calculate the average number of calories consumed daily and the average number of calories burn daily through exercise and activity.

2. A diet journal can help you identify which food items to remove or replace from your diet. By analyzing your daily diet journals you can easily identify the food items that carry a lot of calories and remove them or replace them with low calorie items.

3. A fitness journal can expose the lack of exercise and activity. If after analysing your journal you notice that the time/calories burn through exercise and activity are minimum or zero then you have just discovered the most important reason as to why you are overweight! Many people believe that they exercise but seeing the results on paper can help you view the ‘real’ picture about your activity levels.

4. Sleep, Water, Work and rest. Our diet and fitness journal allows you to record the number of hours you sleep per day, the number of water glasses you drink, the time you spend resting and watching TV and the time spend working. These numbers are very important when it comes to losing weight. A successful weigth loss is not only about dieting and exercise but is also about finding the right balance between rest, activity and work. The information you record in our journal will be valuable if you decide to get expert advice and assistance.

Tips of using a weight loss journal effectively

1. Print 14 copies of the journal to cover at least 2 weeks. During this period try to record anything that you eat and drink as well as any exercise and activity. Do not forget to fill the hours you sleep, work, rest and the number of water glasses.

2. Position the journal somewhere you can see it every day. The fridge, your office, your car are suggested places.

3. Do not lie. The purpose of the journal is to help you access your current situation so do not lie when filling up the numbers. Try to write correctly the items you eat and the activities you do.

4. Do not rush into conclusions Fill up the diet and fitness journal for at least 2 weeks and then sit down and analyse the results. Calculate your average daily calorie consumption and your average daily calorie burning. Identify areas you need to improve and re-assess your situation after 2 weeks.

You can also read:

How to lose weight if you have a slow metabolism
How many calories to lose weight
How many calories can you burn in 30 minutes?

Finally, do not forget that you can contact us with your questions or queries and one of our dedicated weight loss/fitness experts will reply to your concern.

View full post on How To Lose Weight Healthy

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1st day
Breakfast: a cup of honey water
Lunch: 2 cups of honey green tea, 1 tablespoon honey
Afternoon Tea: 2 tablespoons honey
Dinner: Honey Rose tea ,2 cups

2nd day

Breakfast: honey green tea,1 cup
Lunch: a cup of honey mint tea, a spoon of honey
Afternoon tea: a cup of honey water
Dinner: a cup of honey tea, a spoon of honey

3rd day

Breakfast: a cup of honey water
Lunch: honey orange tea,1 cup
Afternoon Tea: 1 tablespoon honey
Dinner: Honey Rose tea ,1 cup

3 days later,you can see your slim waist,and feel lighter than before.To pay attention，this method is indeed useful, but not humanitarian.It depands on your own will power in these 3 days.If you do manual labor ,not to try.Here,I suggest to practise this from Friday to Sunday.So you can control your freely.

So,you see,balanced diet ,both cereals,legumes , coffee and honey can loss weight.

Finally,I sould remind all of you ,avoid overeating when 3-day end . It will do harm to the stomach, and injure the body.The most important is still the body.