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Use this dietitian-designed sample menu to lose 3kg in just six weeks
SIT DOWN TO BREAKFAST
“You need to eat first thing in the morning or your body switches into conservation mode, which means you’ll burn kilojoules at a slower rate,” says Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of The F-Factor Diet (Putnam). Dietitian Ria Buys recommends fuelling up with a fruit and a bowl of fibre cereal, like Bokomo Right Start.
DRINK WATER
When German researchers had 14 volunteers drink two cups of water, their metabolism jumped 30% after 40 minutes — and stayed at a higher rate for an hour.
HAVE A 400KJ SNACK
“Eat something every four hours,” says Zuckerbrot. “When you consistently give your body food, your metabolism doesn’t have a chance to slow down.”
EAT A MIX OF LEAN PROTEIN, VEGGIES, AND WHOLEGRAINS
The protein will help you build lean muscle, and the veggies and grains provide long-lasting energy.
NEED TO KNOW
-Have a maximum of 4 fats per day
-Roast chicken on Day 2 can be bought ready-made from the supermarket
-Drink 3 cups herbal or rooibos tea/coffee, 6 glasses of water
-Read more about the meal plan here.
DAY 1
Breakfast
-1/2 cup low-fat milk
-1 cup fibre cereal
-1 banana
Lunch
Chicken Salad
-1 grilled and sliced chicken breast (80 g) plus a big salad
-1 slice health/seed/rye bread
-Dressing: 1 T olive mix with lemon juice and herbs
Snack
-1 mango
Dinner
-90 g lean beef mince made into (2 small) meatballs with a tomato/ onion gravy.
-minted peas, baby carrots and green salad
-3 slices of pineapple
DAY 2
Breakfast
-1/2 cup fat-free/low-fat yoghurt
-2/3 cup muesli
-1 cup fresh fruit salad
Lunch
Mixed salad with cold meats
-4 slices lean ham or pastrami served with mustard on 2 Ryvita crackers
-Mixed salad using a variety of salad ingredients including 1/2 small avocado pear
Snack
-1 apple
Dinner
-120 g oven-roast chicken (1/2 breast) with lemon and rosemary (skin removed after roasting)
-Variety of roasted vegetables
eg. mushrooms, butternut, carrots baby marrow, onion, patty pans
-2 kiwi fruit, sliced
DAY 3
Breakfast
-1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese with sliced tomato
-1 slice rye/health bread toast
-1 cup cubed paw paw
Lunch
Tuna corn SALAD
-1 tin tuna (canned in brine) plus a mixed salad (using a variety of salad ingredients)
-1/2 tin corn kernels
-Dressing: 2 T low-fat mayonnaise
Snack
-2 naartjies
Dinner
-120 g yellowtail/Cape salmon grilled with olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and spices
-Broccoli, diced butternut and beetroot salad
-1 pear, sliced and poached with cinnamon and touch of sugar
DAY 4
Breakfast
-1/2 cup low-fat milk
-2/3 cup muesli
-1 pear, sliced
Lunch
Salad with turkey
-4 slices lean, shaved turkey
-1 slices health/seed/rye bread
-vegetable mix: baby carrots, baby corn, rosa tomatoes, pepperdews OR chunky vegetable soup
Snack
-3 prunes
Dinner
-90 g lean beef cut into strips and made into a stir-fry with soya sauce, herbs and spices
-as well as a variety of stir-fry vegetables
-1/2 cup cooked brown/wild rice
DAY 5
Breakfast
-1/2 cup fat-free/low-fat yoghurt
-1 slice health/rye bread toast with 2 t peanut butter
-1 cup cubed melon
Lunch
Large chickpea and brown rice SALAD
-2/3 cup canned chickpeas mixed with a variety of salad ingredients, including 1/2 cup (leftover) brown/wild riceas well as 1/2 small avocado pear
Snack
-3 plums
Dinner
Take out
-120 g Nando’s chicken
(skin removed)
-coleslaw and Portuguese salad
-10 fresh strawberries, sliced
DAY 6
Breakfast
-1/2 cup low-fat milk
-2/3 cup fibre bran cereal
-1 apple, sliced
Lunch
Restaurant Open sandwich
-2 slices smoked salmon with 2 T chunky, low-fat cottage cheese
-1 slice health/rye bread
-Side salad
-Dessing: 1 T olive oil with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Snack
-1 pear
Dinner
Restaurant
-210 g grilled calamari or 150 g catch of the day (no lemon butter)
-Vegetables — as served
-Dressing: 1 T olive oil with a drizzle of vinegar
-1 cup fresh fruit salad
DAY 7
Breakfast
-1 slice health/rye bread, toasted
-1 egg, poached/scrambled
-grilled tomato and mushroom
-1 cup fresh fruit salad
Lunch
Braai: main meal
-120 g chicken breast (skin removed) or 90 g lean beef fillet/rump steak or kebabs
-3 baby potatoes — boiled in skin and brushed with olive oil and herbs
-variety of salads e.g. carrot, beetroot and three-bean salad
Snack
-4 mango strips
Dinner
Light meal: soup
-3 Provita crackers
-4 T ricotta cheese or
4 T hummus
-chunky vegetable soup
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