Science supports the fact that the only way to lose weight is to take in slightly less (no starvation or deprivation) than what your body needs to perform your daily activities,” says dietitian Ria Buys, who designed this plan.

A 2000kJ daily deficit to lose half a kilogram of fat per week is considered sensible for permanent fat loss, unlike the water loss associated with crash diets. To control kilojoules, you need to control portion sizes as well as the types of foods you’re eating, and this eating plan is designed to help you do just that.

You’ll get all the vitamins and nutrients you need for optimum health and energy, as well as the right balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates to ensure safe, sustainable weight loss.

The meal plan: refer to our seven-day sample menu plan.

THE PLAN
Choose the following food units from the food group lists to compose your meals:

BREAKFAST
1 unit protein/milk
2 units starch
1 unit fruit

LUNCH
2 units protein
1 unit starch
vegetables and/or salad as desired

DINNER

Option 1
3 units protein
vegetables and/or salads as desired
1 unit fruit

Option 2
3 units protein
1 unit starch
vegetables and/or salads as desired

REMEMBER

-Give preference to option 1 for dinner and try to limit option 2 for dinner to no more than twice per week.
-Four units (see food portions list) of fat can be used throughout the day as desired.
-Eat one portion of fruit either mid-morning or mid-afternoon as a snack.

FOOD GROUPS AND PORTION SIZES

1 unit of STARCH =
1/2 cup fibre bran or oats
1/3 cup low-fat muesli
1/2 cup barley, brown rice, quinoa, pasta (wholewheat), couscous (all cooked)
1/2 cup corn kernels
90 g potato or sweet potato
30 g bread (choose wholewheat, rye or seed loaf)
3 Pro-Vita, Fincrisp, Corn Thins, cracker bread
2 Ryvita

1 unit of PROTEIN =
1 cup milk (fat-free)
1/2 cup milk (low-fat)
1/2 cup yoghurt (low-fat plain or fat-free flavoured)
1/3 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 T ricotta cheese
3 slices (30 g) reduced-fat hard cheese
30 g feta
1 large egg
2–3 slices smoked salmon
1 fillet of low-fat fish (hake, haddock, kingklip)
1/2 tin salmon/tuna in brine
1/2 fillet (40 g) fresh fatty fish
40 g sardines, mackerel
70 g prawns, calamari, shrimp, lobster
40 g meat (chicken, pork, beef, lamb, cold meats)
30g minced beef, ostrich, veal
2 T hummus
80 g raw tofu
2 T soya mince (dry)
1/3 cup lentils, beans,
chickpeas, baked beans
1/2 cup soup that contains lentils or beans

1 unit of FATS =
1 t olive oil, canola oil
2 t peanut butter
30 g avocado
5 olives
5 cashew nuts, 2 macadamias, 4 almonds, 10 peanuts
1 t sunflower or grapeseed oil
1 t margarine
1 T low-fat oil dressing,
low-fat mayonnaise
2 t seeds (sunflower, flax, sesame)

1 unit of FRUIT =
1 medium apple, pear, peach, nectarine, orange (150 g)
1 small banana (90 g)
1/2 small mango (110 g)
3/4 cup fresh berries (140 g)
2 large figs, guavas, kiwi fruits, naartjies (110 g)
1 cup fresh fruit salad, melon, paw-paw (140 g)
15 medium grapes (110 g)
3 slices pineapple (160 g)
10 large strawberries (300 g)
200 g watermelon
1/2 cup canned fruit in juice

1 unit of VEG =
1 cup of the following vegetables (include a variety with each meal): artichokes, asparagus, baby marrow, beetroot, brinjal, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut, cabbage, cooked carrots, carrot salad, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, pickled cucumber, gem squash, red pepper, hubbard, leeks, lettuce, butter lettuce, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, parsley, peas, pumpkin, radishes, spinach, tomato, spring onions, onions, mange tout, peppadews, coleslaw and three bean salad.

You should aim for two to four portions of fruit per day, one to two portions of vegetables at lunch, and two to three portions at dinner.

WEIGHT-LOSS GUIDELINES

-Drinking enough water (six to eight glasses) is essential for fat oxidation. Additional fluid should include herbal teas, and aspartame-free, low-kilojoule cordials. Limit coffee and tea to three cups a day, and avoid fruit juices (high in carbohydrates), flavoured mineral water and sweet carbonated drinks.

-Have three small meals a day, with optional snacks. This will help to regulate insulin levels, appetite, energy, and ultimately weight loss.

-Avoid refined sugars (such as table sugar, honey, sweets, ice cream and desserts) as these significantly raise glucose and insulin levels.

-Avoid saturated fats (found in full-cream dairy products, butter, hard cheeses, fatty cuts of meat and chicken with skin) and trans-fatty acids found in take-away foods, biscuits, pastries and the like.

-Aim for three to five servings of fish per week, giving preference to oily fish such as salmon, trout, pilchards, sardines, and mackerel.

-Have at least two vegetarian meals a week, using beans, legumes and tofu for protein.

-Limit red meat and chicken to three times a week, using low-fat cooking methods such as steaming, grilling, boiling, poaching, stir-frying or oven-baking.

-Limit salt intake. Try cooking with salt-free herbs, spices and lemon juice.

-Avoid alcohol as it’s energy dense, nutrient poor and inhibits fat oxidation. If you can’t go without, limit to one unit per week. If you have more than that, swap two units of fat for one alcohol unit. One unit: one beer (340 ml), one glass dry red/white wine (150 ml), one tot spirits.

-Weigh yourself only once a week. Daily weigh-ins can be inaccurate due to fluctuations in your body’s water content.

-You can’t be 100 percent perfect all the time, so don’t throw in the towel after slipping up. Think of lapses in the context of a full week (21 meals). Two “bad” meals out of 21 shouldn’t mean the end of your efforts.

-If you’ve overindulged, cut down on your next two meals. Have a light meal of vegetable soup, or fruit and yoghurt, for example.

-Do some form of aerobic exercise daily. The recommendation is 30 to 60 minutes daily, with a minimum of 150 minutes per week. Exercise increases energy expenditure, and improves metabolic rate and appetite control — resulting in weight loss.