Trying To Slim Down?

 

Are you trying to slim down, tighten and tone your body? You’ll lose weight more effectively if you create a weekly workout plan to lose weight. When you create a weekly workout schedule for weight loss, there is no last-minute guesswork when it’s time to exercise. And when workouts are planned in advance, it’s more likely that you’ll complete them and reach your goal weight. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to change your diet. If you're going to lose body fat you have to stop eating the bad fats that can be found it all prepared foods. So, the answer to losing body is a combination of a meal plan high in nutrients and exercise. Today I’m going to go over the exercise part. For beginners this is the biggest challenge. How much is enough?

Weekly Workout Plan for Beginners

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you get 150- 250 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise to lose weight.

Does that sound like too much? Don’t worry. When you are first starting your weight loss workout plan, you’ll start at the low-end of that recommendation.

As a beginning-level exerciser, your main goal should simply be to complete some exercise on most days of the week. Choose activities that you enjoy and that are easy for you to do.

Walking is a great choice for many new exercisers because you can do it almost anywhere and it doesn’t require any fancy equipment. Online workouts and home strength training workouts are good for your body, too.

Before you start any weekly exercise program you should check with your doctor and follow his or her guidelines or restrictions to stay healthy. Then you can combine several different activities to create a full body weight loss workout schedule to lose weight and burn fat.

Monday (30 minutes): Moderate intensity walk
Tuesday (20 minutes): Simple home strength training workout
Wednesday (30 minutes): Moderate intensity walk
Thursday (20 minutes) Simple home strength training workout
Friday: (30) minutes) Moderate intensity walk
Saturday (20 minutes) Online relaxation yoga
Sunday: (30 minutes) Fun and easy cross training day (bike ride, swim or online aerobics class)
Total weekly exercise: 180 minutes

Weekly Workout Plan (Intermediate – Advanced)

As you get stronger and more fit, you’ll be able to add a few minutes to each of your daily workouts.

Be sure to add minutes gradually to avoid burnout. Eventually, you want your weekly workout plan to total 250 minutes or more for effective weight loss.

Your weight loss workout plan should also get harder as your level of fitness increases. The best workouts to burn fat are more difficult to do. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to include them in your exercise program as long as you are healthy enough for vigorous activity.

This sample weekly exercise routine includes strength training to build muscle, aerobic workouts to burn fat and flexibility training to reduce stress and keep your body healthy. As you read further, you’ll realize this workout is more for the workout enthusiast. You’ll need a gym membership, or your own workout room and you’ll need to be in pretty good shape to accomplish this 7-day routine.

Monday (45 minutes): Moderate intensity circuit workout with weights
Tuesday (20 minutes): HIIT workout at home or outdoors
Wednesday (30 minutes): Easy recovery day stretch and walk
Thursday (45 minutes) Moderate intensity circuit workout with weights
Friday: (20 minutes) High intensity day walk/run intervals
Saturday (30 minutes) recovery day relaxation yoga
Sunday: (75 minutes) moderate intensity jog, hike or walk
Total weekly exercise: 265 minutes

Weekly Workout Schedule Results

Many exercisers want to know how long they should stick to their weekly workout plan before they begin to see weight loss results. The answer depends. If you work out on a daily basis, by the second week you should begin to see improvements in the way your body looks and feels. Of course, the amount of weight you lose will also depend on you creating the right energy balance for weight loss. In other words, be careful how much you eat.

To make your workout plan more effective, make sure you combine your exercise program with a healthy diet full of lean protein, fruits and veggies. One of the most common mistakes that dieters make is to overeat after exercise. Don’t fall into that trap. Exercise daily, monitor the amount of food you eat every day and stay on track to get results. I think this is where the five small meal a day plan will fit in to the program. You eat only 300 calories in a meal and eat 5 or 6 meals a day 3 hours apart.

Beginners at exercise always fall into the same trap. After an intense workout they overeat. No matter how intense your workout even the most experienced athlete only burns about 350 calories an hour. And how much food is that? About one protein shake is 300 to 350 calories.

If you participate in a complete and balanced exercise program, you should see significant improvements in your body composition, your size and your weight in one to three months. You may even reach your goal weight in that period of time. But remember that to keep the weight off, you’ll need to continue to exercise on a regular basis. Make adjustments to your weekly workout plan and find new activities that you enjoy staying healthy and fit.

Losing body fat should be your goal. Read up on weight loss and losing body fat. It doesn’t cost money to lose weight. The internet is full of free information.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Is Eating Over Rated

 I ask this question now because Obesity is running ramped. North America may have the most serious problem with their weight. What is causing this severe health problem? Why are Americans looking to food at every opportunity? 

Some doctors believe it could be a food addiction. The foods we buy have a chemical content that can be addictive. Others think it can be a way to relieve stress. We know that as a society North Americans are running the rat race. We have always been pressured to do more, to make more money, to be more productive. 

I believe our eating habits are a combination of chemical dependence, a way to relieve stress, and just bad habits. I examined my habits and found that years ago when I smoked cigarettes I didn't crave food but I did crave cigarettes. I stopped smoking in 1975 after a long stay in a hospital with a broken leg. In the years that followed, I gained almost 50 pounds. I never returned to smoking. For the last 40 years, I battled with my weight. 

I can't deny that during the years I worked my life was stressful, trying to manage my business and my personal life. I did live through those stressful years paying off my debt and getting my girls through college, and it did take a toll on my body. Fortunately, I accomplished my goals before the age of 50. 

After that, I spent a few years traveling deciding what I would do next. I wanted to try the retail busy and spent 13 more years in retail. Because I was debt free the retail business was tiring but much less stressful. It was fun and we did travel a lot to trade shows and had more time for vacations. 

After I sold the store I retired for good. For the first time, I got serious about losing body fat. After trying dozens of different things, I decided the problem was mostly about my choices of food and drinks. You can't exercise away a bad diet. I learned that the hard way. After gym memberships and dozens of exercise videos, I decided I would stop eating everything I had bought. I threw out so much food and drinks and decided all I was going to eat was chicken and green vegetables, and I stopped drinking calories,  

You might think that's hard to do when you eat out every day, but it's not. A good restaurant will always have chicken and some type of green vegetable. My friends asked me if I would get hungry? I asked No, I would eat two dinners about 6 hours apart. I ate as much as I wanted. I usually, made two vegetables. I finished each meal with a cup of tea. Tea will eliminate the food taste and stop the cravings. I like green tea, no cream or sugar, and not too strong. I might drink coffee in the morning but after that it's tea all day. 

I decided that my food cravings were more from an addiction to things like sugar and salt and not because I was hungry. The new diet I was trying, Chicken and vegetables, worked for me. I lost 20 pounds, 175 to 155, in about 2 months. The only exercise I did was some extra walking. I was training my body to burn body fat instead of body fat instead of the food I was eating. It's a method that works time and time again. Some foods add fat to the body and some foods help the body burn your body fat.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Also, follow me on Twitter @gertsraymo70369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Sugar Detox

 If you watch the Today Show you probably know that the whole group decided to do a sugar detox for 10 days. My wife happened to be watching the show and she decided she wanted to do it too. So when she wants to do something then I have to do it too. I wasn’t wild about it because first of all you only cut out real sugar or added sugar. If you ever talked to anyone who did a “real sugar detox”, they give up all sugar and products with sugar.

The first day wasn’t so easy, let’s just say I ate a lot of fruit. The second day was much easier and that’s as far as I got so far. I should mention that most of the people on the Today Show didn’t make 10 days without cheating. That first day you can definitely tell you’re having withdrawals. I had an addiction and didn’t know it.  I don’t really have a lot of extra weight. I’m not a heavy person. For my size I’m in the middle, not heavy, not a light weight. I watch my diet so why do I have a sugar addiction?

It’s the food additives and restaurant food. We all eat out several times a week. We buy food in the grocery store that’s pre-made. All of us look for anyway possible to save a little time. But what’s really the point, do we actually get more work done or are we just trying to carve out more time to watch TV or surf the internet.

Maybe what I need to do is try to simplify my life by trying not to do so much in one day and what I can do, do those things better, like making meals at home. Making my own meals will save money, will help me to eat better. Eating a better-quality food is key to losing body fat.

I read a blog from one of my readers yesterday and she talked about buying groceries. “If you don’t buy it you won’t eat it.” Very true words, so what she is saying is that you need to use your willpower in the store. Most of us buy things out of habit, not necessarily because we want to eat those things but maybe someone in the house wants them. And once it’s in the house sooner or later the temptation will become to great.

A good way to stop buying snack food and other processed foods is first to have a talk with your family. I’m going to start buying fresh foods and making meals and sometimes I’ll be making meals at night for the next day, so if you want to snack do it before you come home because I’m not buying anymore junk food or soft drinks.  We’ll snack on fruit, plain popcorn and nuts and we’ll be drinking things like water or plain carbonated water, iced tea or coffee, no drinks with sugar.

You’re going to get a lot of complains but after the first week you’ll see a change in behavior, a change for the better. The whole idea is to break the sugar habit and reduce the food additives in their diet.  After a while your family will feel better and have more energy, be more active and start to lose body fat. Without them even knowing, they’ll become healthier and happier, and you might even save a little money in the process.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Tired Of Hearing About BMI?

 I read an article earlier this week about BMI. If you haven't heard of BMI it's a measure of body fat that is used by doctors. The idea is that if you are someone high in body fat then your doctor should be educating you on the health problems that you could be facing in the future. 

Today, doctors and other experts are saying the BMI method of calculating body fat isn't accurate enough. This very old method is based on your height and weight. Now experts are saying that in many cases it's better to be examed by a doctor and let the doctor make a decision based on your overall health. You don't have to be shaped like an apple to have too much body fat.

Having too much body fat can be causes by the foods you eat. Some foods add fat to the body and some foods burn body fat. Most people with excess body fat are just eating the wrong foods. 

Yes, some things can be blamed on genetics, but genetics could put your fat cells in the same places as your mom, for example, if your mother had big hips and thighs then you might also have big hips and thighs if you add fat. 

That example assumes that you have the same eating habits as your mom. The amount of fat you put on your body is a result of the foods you eat. But where genetics comes in play is that siblings that eat the same foods for all the years they live at home will not always add the same amount of fat. We all have some fat, but in the cases of siblings one can turn out to be heavier than the other. That was true with me and my brother. Even if your sibling is eating the same foods in the same amounts, we don't all burn calories the same way or in the quantity. That we do get from genetics. Everyone is different in some ways even if you both have the same parents. 

You can do something about body fat no matter what size or age or sex. It's never to late to make a change.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Work All The Muscles In Your Body, Not Just Your Abs

I follow this lady, who is a trainer, author who always has good advice for those of us who are trying to lose body fat. 

 Doing crunches every morning and every night? When you're down to your final inches of belly fat, countless crunches won't necessarily help you reveal a six-pack. It's time to switch it up. 

"You can't spot reduce," said Jill. In other words, you can't tell your body where to lose fat—even if you exercise your abs every day, that doesn't always make them flatter. Instead, Jill suggested doing functional exercises that use the muscles of your entire core—abdominals, back, pelvic, obliques—and other body parts. 

"These exercises use more muscles, so there is a higher rate of calorie burn while you are doing them," said Jill. 

Jill noted that planks are her favorite functional exercise. They activate your core muscles and your arm, leg, and butt muscles. Add some movement to the plank with shoulder taps or leg lifts, and you up the ante even more.

Remember to feel the burn, the burn is telling you that the muscle has been torn down and needs to rebuild. The muscle will start to burn the body fat in that area. the more core muscles that have been torn down the more body fat will be burned. This is really the only way to get rid of body fat through exercise. The other way is by diet.

Watch on YouTube: The 10-Move Stomach Workout You Can Do at Home for a Stronger Core.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Your BMI and Why It's Important

If you have trouble losing weight, it may be that you don't understand the science behind weight loss. Why does any of this matter? 50 percent of American are obese. That means you have too much body fat. Why Is That Important? Because excess body fat causes extra stress on the body. Your heart has to work harder which means your heart probably won't last as long. More stress on the heart can causes high blood pressure, and heart disease. Also added weight will cause stress on other organs like your liver. 

 You may have heard of BMI — body mass index. It’s based on your height and weight, and it’s widely used by doctors to tell who’s obese, who’s overweight (but not obese), who’s at a normal weight, and who’s underweight. But BMI has some drawbacks. It may not be the best way to size up your condition. And it says nothing at all about your fitness level. So how useful is BMI really? And what else might you use? First, you should know a little more about BMI. This is a measurement of your muscle mass vs. body fat. The idea is that your doctor should know your percentage of body fat and keep track of it. Why, you might ask. The more body fat you have, the higher risk you are for diseases.

First, you should know a little more about BMI. This is a measurement of your muscle mass vs. body fat. The idea is that your doctor should know your percentage of body fat and keep track of it. Why you might ask. The more body fat you have, the higher risk you are for diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure etc. As you gain weight or just get older, being overweight become a serious problem to your health.

I found this article on WebMD and it’s well worth reading. I wrote a post a few days ago about BMI and how Doctors and insurance companies use it.

BMI, calculated from a person’s height and weight, breaks down into four categories:

Underweight: BMI below 18.5
Normal: BMI ranging between18.5 and 24.9
Overweight: BMI ranging between 25 and 29.9
Obese: BMI of 30 or higher

“Probably for 90% or 95% of the population, BMI is just fine as a general measure of obesity,” says Richard L. Atkinson, MD, director of the Obetech Obesity Research Center. But some critics take a different view. Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness  believes that BMI has merit, particularly for scientific research.

“When you take a big population — thousands of people, tens of thousands of people — as part of a research study, it’s extraordinarily difficult to use anything more advanced than BMI,” he says. “BMI is cheap, it’s quick, and on average, it gives a reasonable measure that can be useful in most situations.”

But for you, or any other individual? BMI might not be the best.

Kahan specializes in helping patients manage excessive weight that can lead to health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. He notes that although BMI is useful as a quick screening tool by a doctor or nurse, it’s not enough just to look at a number. “Traditionally, we define obesity by a certain cut-off on the BMI scale,” he says. That amounts, he says, to judging whether a person is obese based only on that person’s size, something Kahan calls “antiquated and not terribly useful.”

You can find BMI calculators on the internet and you should know your number, but you want to remember that your number is only an indicator of your risk for diseases, it doesn’t tell what condition you're in. Your condition depends on many other factors. One very important factor is where your fat is located.

Are you shaped more like an apple, or a pear? The location of your fat may make a difference to your health.

There are exceptions, but generally, it’s the abdominal fat or the “apple” shape, that’s metabolically riskier. When fat settles around the waist instead of the hips, risk of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes is more likely.

“That tends to be more metabolically active fat or fat that deranges your metabolism and your health parameters and ultimately leads to more risk,” Kahan says. The doctor is a little technical, but to put this in layman’s terms, “belly fat is more dangerous than fat on the hips or thighs.”

Fat that accumulates on the hips and thighs — the “pear” shape — isn’t as potentially harmful. “Many women have lower body obesity, so their hips and thighs are larger, but their waists are not so big,” Atkinson says. Fat lower down on the body doesn’t carry the same risk as belly fat, he says.

Other Ways to Measure

What else is there besides BMI? You may want to get out your measuring tape.

Waist Size: This is as simple as it gets: wrapping a tape measure around your waist. For an accurate waist measurement, Kahan says the tape measure should encircle your waist at the top of your hip bones in your lower back and go around to the belly button.

Men should limit waist size to no more than 39 or 40 inches; women, no more than 34 or 35 inches, Atkinson says.

Again, there are some racial differences. For example, the Joslin Diabetes Center states that Asian men should keep their waists no more than 35.5 inches; Asian women, no more than 31.5 inches.

Is it useful? Yes. “The data show that waist circumference can be very valuable,” Kahan says.

Waist-to-Height Ratio: This compares your waist measurement to your height. It may be even more helpful than waist circumference alone, according to Kahan. The goal is for your waist circumference to be less than half of your height. The last sentence may be the most important part of this article. This, in my opinion, is more important than BMI and easier to keep track of. 

Waist-to-Hip Ratio: This compares your waist measurement to your hip measurement. Kahan doesn’t recommend this method. “We do have good data that using waist-to-hip ratio is not any more valuable than just using waist as a measurement,” he says.

Bioelectrical impedance scales: These scales send electrical currents through the body to assess fat and lean mass. They may be useful, according to Atkinson.

There are also better methods to measure body fat, such as MRIs and DEXA scans. But for most people, scans are not practical. “These things are much more accurate, but they’re much more expensive and much more difficult to do, so those are not likely to be reasonable options in the future,” Kahan says.

If you’re interested in learning more about BMI, I devoted part of my ebook on the topic.

Follow me on Twitter @GertsRay70369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Why Is It So Important To Lose Weight

You’ve seen the statistics. Americans are more overweight than ever and the trend is expected to continue. The lifespan of our children will likely be shorter than ours for the first time in the history of mankind, due to chronic diseases related to obesity. In this day and age, weight loss doesn’t happen by accident, but weight gain does. 

Why? Consider the following:

The majority of Americans do not get the minimum physical activity needed

The average American takes approximately 3,000-5,000 steps per day, which means they’re sitting most of the day

Portion sizes are significantly larger than before

Food is available in endless quantities, any time of the day, and high-calorie foods are often cheaper

The bottom line is our environment encourages sitting and eating 24/7. Sitting while commuting to work, sitting at a desk to make a living, sitting for entertainment (phones, movies, video games, TV), and of course sitting while eating. To make matters worse, humans are programmed to eat and take the path of least resistance — a survival mechanism that helped our hunting and gathering ancestors survive, but is now killing us. Literally.

Here are more facts to ponder:

1 out of 10 people do not know how many calories they need to maintain their weight

Most people think they eat less than they actually do (20-50 percent less on average)

Translation — we’re not very good at consuming the right amount of food and beverages to maintain a healthy body weight. If you want to change something, like your clothing size, body fat percentage, or the number on the scale, the first step is to become aware of your body’s needs and the choices you’re making. In other words, awareness opens the door to change. Otherwise, you’re clueless and you don’t even know it. You end up becoming a victim of creeping obesity — that 1-3 pounds a year the average American gains during adulthood because they’re not paying attention. That may not sound like much but over 20 years of adulthood, the years 25 to age 45, that extra weight should be as much as 60 pounds and the average person doesn’t even realize how they gained it. 

Perhaps you are paying attention, maybe even counting calories, and you’re wondering, is it worth it? Here’s what the research shows:

People who track what they eat at least 5 days a week lose twice as much weight as those who don’t

People who track what they eat regularly maintain weight loss better

People who use a body sensing device (a fitness tracker) that tracks activity and calories burned lose 2-3 times more weight than those who don’t

This makes sense. After all, how do you manage something, whether it’s your checkbook, your blood pressure, or your waistline if you’re not tracking it? Well…you don’t. You end up with bounced checks, uncontrolled blood pressure, and having to buy bigger clothes.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Also, follow me on Twitter @gertsraymo70369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

What Is A Vegetarian Diet?

People who follow a vegetarian diet don't consume meat, poultry, or seafood, but they eat eggs, dairy, and other animal-derived foods like honey. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and soy-based products, among others, are all included.

Both environmentalists and health experts promote plant-based diets as healthier for our bodies and healthier for the planet.1 A plant-based eating lifestyle can provide substantial health benefits, but like any diet, it is essential to choose nutrient-rich foods and eat in moderation to get the benefits you're looking for.

The 2021 U.S. News and World Report Best Diets ranks the vegetarian diet number 9 in Best Diets Overall and gives it an overall score of 3.6/5.

What Experts Say

"The vegetarian diet limits animal products to varying degrees. Experts agree this can be an earth-friendly and healthful way of eating, but care should be taken to ensure that food variety provides nutrition and satisfaction and is not a restrictive weight loss diet in disguise."

—Chrissy Carroll, RD, MPH

The 7-Day Diet Plan 

A vegetarian diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and includes eggs and dairy in some variations. Most people eat the standard three meals a day with snacks as desired.

The 7-day meal plan laid out below is just one idea of what to eat for three meals per day. This is not an all-inclusive meal plan. If you are eating a vegetarian diet, you may find other meals that work well for you.

• Day 1: California summer vegetable omelet, orange juice; baked potato with chickpeas, zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, kale salad with toasted nuts; Mediterranean quinoa stuffed peppers
• Day 2: Whole-wheat toast with avocado, spinach, and everything-bagel seasoning; shredded Brussels sprouts and roasted lentil salad; spicy vegan tomato and plantain stew
• Day 3: Charred white bean breakfast pizza; egg salad sandwich on a bagel with fresh fruit; Brown rice pasta with healthier Alfredo sauce
• Day 4: Whole grain toast with eggs, sauteed kale, grapes; cabbage and white bean sauté with garlicky greens, brown rice; carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hummus; bean, quinoa, and cheese stuffed bell pepper, side salad
• Day 5: Steel-cut oats with berries and almond milk, flaxseed, peanut butter; fruit and yogurt parfait; chickpea salad sandwich, cottage cheese, grapes; whole wheat pasta with seitan tomato vegetable sauce, garlic bread, green salad
• Day 6: Egg, mushroom, and cheese omelet, asparagus, grapefruit; chickpea and lemon soup with greens; yogurt with berries and nuts; tofu stir fry with bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli on rice
• Day 7: Green smoothie with whey protein and coconut milk, peanut butter toast; strawberries, almonds; vegetable lasagna, side green salad; Asian tofu lettuce wraps, quinoa, broccoli
  

What You Can Eat 

There are many different variations of the vegetarian diet. The main limitation is to avoid meat, poultry, and seafood. That means there are many compliant foods, including all plant-based foods (and other animal-derived foods, such as dairy products).

Grains 

All grains are eaten on any version of the vegetarian diet.

• Wheat
• Rice
• Oats
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Barley
• Rye

Beans and Legumes 

Beans and legumes are important staples on any vegetarian diet, as they are a source of protein.

• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Kidney peans
• Split peas
• Lentils
• Adzuki beans
  

Fruits and Vegetables 

All fruits and vegetables are eaten on any version of the vegetarian diet.

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Peas
• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Apples
• Berries
• Grapes
• Melons

Oils 

Plant oils are used as healthy fats on any vegetarian diet

• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Canola oil

Eggs and Dairy 

The most common type of vegetarian diet is the lacto-ovo version, in which meat and seafood are avoided but dairy and eggs are included. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but avoid dairy, meat, and seafood. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy but avoid eggs, meat, and seafood.

What You Cannot Eat 

Some people consider the pescatarian diet a variation of a vegetarian diet. Pescatarians eat plant-based foods and seafood. The flexitarian diet is primarily vegetarian but includes occasional meat or seafood-based meals. The vegan diet consists of no meat, dairy, eggs, or animal by-products, including honey.

 7-Day Pescatarian Meal Plan & Recipe Prep 

Meat and Poultry 

Most versions of the vegetarian diet avoid all meat and poultry, except the flexitarian diet, which is a hybrid version.

• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Turkey
• Pork
• Venison
  

Seafood 

Most vegetarian diets avoid seafood, except the pescetarian diet, which is considered by some a version of a vegetarian diet.

• Fish (salmon, halibut, tuna, etc.)
• Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, etc.)
• Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crabs, etc.)
  

How to Prepare the Vegetarian Diet & Tips 

On the lacto-ovo vegetarian and lacto-vegetarian diet, you consume foods in all food groups including vegetables, fruit, grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, protein foods, and oils. Those who adhere to an ovo-vegetarian diet would not consume foods from the dairy group. But milk alternatives (such as nut-based products) are widely available.

Instead of meat and seafood, vegetarians consume protein-rich grains, soy products like tofu, and vegetables with protein. It is fairly easy to eat a balanced diet on a vegetarian plan and to get your recommended intake of nutrients.

You don't need to follow any specific meal timing when you begin a vegetarian diet. However, if you currently consume a traditional American diet, experts often recommend a gradual approach to make the transition easier.

Some people try going meatless one day each week before fully adopting a vegetarian diet. Others use the flexitarian diet and slowly eliminate meat from their diets.

 Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services

Sample Shopping List 

The main products to avoid on a vegetarian diet are meat, poultry, and seafood. There are many foods you can include with a vegetarian diet, and they don't have to break the bank. Fruits and vegetables can be purchased fresh, frozen, or canned, and organic or conventional. Beans are available dried or canned.

Keep in mind that this is not a definitive shopping list. If you are consuming a vegetarian diet, you may find other foods that work best for you.

• Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, Brussels sprouts)
• Fruits (apples, bananas, pears, oranges, peaches)
• Beans and Legumes (pinto, black, cannellini, kidney, chickpeas)
• Grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley, oats)
• Nuts and Seeds (almonds, cashews, peanuts, flax, chia)
• Eggs
• Tofu
  

Pros of the Vegetarian Diet 

People following a vegetarian diet may enjoy several benefits documented by research.

• A large variety of foods to choose from: Beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds are just the beginning of what you can eat as a vegetarian. You may even discover new foods you hadn't previously tried.
• May aid weight loss: A vegetarian diet may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, and some researchers even believe that a vegetarian diet can help you live longer.2 Whether you lose weight depends on how many calories you consume, not necessarily on the source of the calories, but fruits, vegetables, and legumes are lower-calorie sources of nutrients.
• Better for the environment and animals: Many people follow a vegetarian diet to promote the ethical treatment of animals. While some animal products are consumed (if you consume eggs and dairy), this diet does not promote the farming of animals for slaughter. There is also evidence that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment.3
• Reduced risk of diseases: Several studies have shown that those who consume plant-based diets experience a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, cardiometabolic risk factors, and some cancers.2 There is also evidence that a plant-based diet may have preventative effects against high blood pressure,4 diverticular diseases,5 eye cataracts,6 kidney stones,7 and gallstones.

Cons of the Vegetarian Diet 

While the vegetarian diet has many benefits, it also has a few drawbacks to consider.

• Potential nutrient deficiencies: The main downside to this diet is that nutritional deficiencies are possible if you don't follow a well-balanced eating plan.
• Processed vegetarian foods can be unhealthy: Vegetarian diets may minimize the risk of certain diseases. However, consuming too many processed vegetarian foods can be unhealthy and lead to unwanted weight gain.
• Lack of certain vitamins: Nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet include vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc.8 In addition, without meat and seafood in the diet, it is possible (but not likely) that your protein intake may be lower than recommended. This can be avoided by consuming plenty of beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy.
• Potential for dependence on processed foods: Processed vegetarian foods, such as meat alternatives, cheese-like products, microwavable meals, and other convenience foods can be high in calories, fat, added sugar, and excess sodium. If your meal plan includes many of these foods, you are less likely to gain health benefits while on a vegetarian diet. In fact, researchers have found that an unhealthy plant-based diet (including sweetened juices, refined grain products, fries, and sweets) is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Until your body adjusts to this way of eating I suggest you only try this type of diet on a part-time basis. One week on and one week off.
•  Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

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