How to use the plan
This plan works best alongside a few simple habits. Here is how to get the most from it.
Getting started
Shop on the weekend, preferably Sundays, and prepare your meals timely as your schedule permits. You need to eat at home most of the time, not at a restaurant. Please follow the calendar. If you cannot prepare the meal for a certain date, you can exchange with another day for your convenience, hopefully sparingly. You can always eat less than what is listed — just try not to eat more.
When to eat
Try to finish eating your dinner by 7 p.m. in winter and 8 p.m. in summer. Spread your snacks out across the day. You can divide your snacks to halfway between breakfast and lunch, halfway between lunch and dinner, and a very small snack if you feel hungry two hours after dinner or two hours before going to bed. If you go to bed after 12 midnight you may need to eat a snack. Eating late and going straight to bed makes it harder for your body to burn what you ate. Try not to skip meals — going too long without eating can lead to overeating later and make it harder to get enough nutrition.
Drink enough water
Aim for about 64 fl oz of fluids a day if you are a woman, or about 80 fl oz if you are a man. If you are small built or older than 65 years old, aim for about 48 fl oz of fluids a day if you are a woman, or about 64 fl oz if you are a man. Some of this comes from the food you eat. Drink more, like 12 ounces, when the weather is hot and you do not have air conditioning.
Move your body
Pick an activity that fits what you can do. Aim for exercise 5 days a week to lose weight, or 3 days a week to keep it off. If you do not go to a gym or pool, try to walk at least 7,000 steps a day.
Cook at home
Most of your meals should be made at home. It takes some planning — shopping, cooking, and cleaning up — but going back to your usual restaurant meals will stop the weight from coming off.
Keep stress low
Stress raises a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol lifts your blood sugar, stores fat around your belly, and makes weight harder to lose. Rest and calm are part of the plan too.
A few more notes
Around menopause, weight can be harder to lose — be patient with yourself. Taking a daily multivitamin is fine.