Diet Plans
Simple Diet Plan
A simple diet is one which is easy to follow and which is effective. It is a misconception that going on a diet means that you have to starve. A simple diet plan is one which cuts down the unnecessary calories by including foods that are in their natural state, for example, raw foods like fruits and vegetables. Also, a simple diet is one that can be incorporated in your daily lifestyle. Now, we all know that with our busy schedule, it is impossible to make different food items just for our consumption everyday. So, by following a few simple tips and by counting your calories, you can probably fit back into those old jeans!
Basic Guidelines for a Simple Diet
The following are a list of diet tips that are necessary to be followed for any diet plan.
- Commit to consuming 4 – 6 small meals and snacks everyday.
- To succeed, you must plan ahead by deciding your foods the night before. Thus, you will always have fresh and low-fat healthy foods around.
- Keep it simple. Do not go into details about the specifics of the diet. Start by simply just counting calories.
- It is important to eat your foods slower, as this helps in reducing the amount of food that is being consumed.
- If you are opting for a simple detox diet plan then make healthier food choices like opting for fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, beans, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, low-fat meats, fish and skinless poultry.
- Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your nutrition plan. Start by trying to eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits every single day.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat only when you are hungry.
- Do not ever starve yourself. If you starve yourself, you will end up eating more later on. So, it is best to have a fruit or salad or even low fat-yogurt as a snack if you are really hungry.
- Ensure that you do not skip a meal as this results in an increase in hunger pangs later on. Most people have a tendency to skip breakfast, which ultimately makes them eat more in the day.
- Most importantly, set realistic goals or you will end up being disappointed and demotivated.
Simple Diet Plan Sample
The following are possible meals while following free simple diet plans that will give you an idea as to how to prepare one that suits your taste and preference. You can modify the following plans but make sure that you replace it with something equally nutritious and with the same calorie count.
| Calories | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks |
| 1000 calorie diet plan | Cereal and fruit – 4 tbsp bran flakes with semi-skimmed milk and 1 apple | Mozzarella, avocado and tomato salad – Slice 50g/2oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese and arrange on a plate with 1 sliced tomato, half of a small sliced avocado, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with salad and a 5cm/2” piece of French bread | Roast pork dinner – Serve 2 thin slices of lean roast pork with 2 medium-sized roast potatoes, 2 tbsp apple sauce, vegetables and fat-free gravy | 3 tbsp reduced-fat hummus with crudités |
| 1200 calorie diet plan | Croissant and jam – 1 warmed croissant with 2 tsp jam | Roast beef salad – Serve 2 slices of lean roast beef with 1 jacket potato, salad and 2 tbsp of fat-free dressing | Baked salmon with peppers – Slice half a green pepper and half a red pepper. Place on a piece of foil with 1 raw salmon steak. Add some lemon juice and black pepper, fold up the foil and bake until the fish is cooked. Serve with 4 boiled new potatoes, cooked in their skins, and vegetables | 1 small banana, 1 apple and 1 small orange |
| 1400 calorie diet plan | Beans on toast – 1 slice wholemeal toast with 1 small can baked beans in tomato sauce | Pitta bread and tzatziki with fruit – Warm 1 wholemeal pitta bread and serve with 170 gm tub tzatziki and salad. Plus 1 banana and 12 grapes | Prawn curry – Spray a non-stick pan with oil, heat, and fry 150gm/5oz prawns and a selection of vegetables until browned. Add half a jar of low-fat korma curry sauce and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve with 6 tbsp of cooked brown rice. Along with this meal, eat 1 small banana | Light crackers with cheese |
This was to give you an idea for a simple diet plan for weight loss. But remember, that along with following a diet, it is equally important to exercise daily. It’s best to consult a doctor before you start with it.
Diet Menu Ideas
This diet plan should be started when consumption of same kinds of foods everyday has resulted in a weight loss plateau, and your diet has failed to burn down the extra pounds gained by you. Nutritionists and health experts say that you should alter the total calorie count by reducing it and increasing it every alternate day.
This diet plan is extremely easy to follow and you will get the desired results within a month’s time. The digestive system gets accustomed to similar foods, if you do not alter your menu. If you chalk out a graphical representation of a monotonous diet, you will find a flat line on it. Consuming different types of food creates a metabolic confusion that further helps you to utilize energy more effectively. This ultimately results in weight loss. This way you are ‘shifting’ your calories to achieve the weight loss goals. In order to plan a diet for yourself, you need to check the calorie content of each food, calorie requirement of your body, and how much calorie do you burn each day (metabolism rate). If you are unsure of the shifting diet plan, here is an example of the menu, which will help you decide:
Day 1
Day 1 starts with setting up a calorie baseline for yourself. The maximum amount of calorie permitted is 2000. So, on the first day you have the liberty to consume food that will sum up to 2000 calories, which is required by your body. You can include the following list of items on day 1.
- Boiled eggs
- Milk
- Cereals
- Brown rice
- Assorted vegetables
- Strawberries
- Nuts
- Dried fruits
- Bananas
Day 2
On this day, you will follow the plan where you can add extra 300 calories to the standard value. So your gross calorie intake is up-shifted to 2300. You can achieve the extra value by adding protein rich foods to your diet along with complex carbohydrates. Stay away from junk food. Rather opt for the healthy food to increase your calorie requirements.
- Scrambled eggs
- Tuna salad
- Protein shakes
- Fruit juices
- Roasted beef
- Low fat cheese
- Whole wheat pasta
Day 3
On day three, you need to subtract 500 calories from the standard value. This way you direct your body to consume less food, thereby altering your metabolic rate. Now your calorie intake goes down to 1500. This phase is extremely important and you have to rely on natural sources of proteins to fulfill the requirement.
- Egg white
- Boiled chicken
- Citrus fruits
- Vegetable soups
- Fish fillet
- Tofu
- Skim milk
- Soy beans
Day 4
On day four, you once again go back to the basic calorie line, i.e., 2000 calories. Day 4 completes one cycle of the plan. The extra calorie will come from saturated fatty acids and proteins. So the following items should be consumed during the last day of this diet plan.
- Oatmeal
- Legumes
- Turkey
- Milk shakes
- Nuts
- Sea fish
- Banana
- Raspberries
Follow this plan for a month to get the desired results. Also, it is good practice to note down the foods and the number of calories you are consuming, so that it’s easier for you to remember and calculate.
Fruit Diets for Weight Loss
As the name suggests, you must have concluded that in this diet, one is expected to include only fruits during the day. However, following are the popular 3 types of plans that include consumption of different food items along with fruits to lose weight.
Fruit Detox Diet Plan
A detox diet is meant for internal cleansing of the body, which also aids in weight loss. The fruit detox diet also helps in making the skin smooth and supple. The foods that you can consume while on this diet are all fresh fruits, juices, raw vegetables, and fresh fish. One is also encouraged to have nuts and seeds (unsalted) in this detox diet plan. You can have a single fruit whenever you are hungry and also for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This diet can last for 7-10 days.
Fruit Flush Diet Plan
The fruit flush diet was created by Jay Robb. This fruit diet plan, which lasts for 3 days, is also a detox diet and helps in weight loss. On the first day of the diet, the person is supposed to have protein shakes with protein powder (without sugar). On the remaining days, one can have fresh fruits every 2 hours or whenever hungry. This is to be accompanied by a meal containing lean proteins (turkey, chicken, fish) and raw fresh vegetables (preferably, green leafy). Along with this, sufficient amounts of water should also be consumed for a proper detox.
Grapefruit Diet Plan
The grapefruit diet lasts for 12 days. This is a low-calorie and low carbohydrate diet plan which aids in weight loss through the medium of a healthy diet. When on this diet, a person is expected to consume grapefruit raw and in juice form as it is believed to aid in quick fat burning. At the same time, one can also have a vegetable salad, egg, bacon, meat, fish, coffee, and tea during the day. When organizing the grapefruit diet meal plan, one should take care not to consume more than 1,000 calories daily.
Apart from these popular plans, there are several other simpler plans like the all-fruit diet where one should have only fresh fruits for breakfast and meals during the day. This diet can be continued for more than a week. But then, it is a fad diet as one should exclude all other foods and simply have fruits. On the other hand, the vegetable and fruit diet is also a version of the fruit diet, where a person can include raw or boiled vegetables, vegetable juices and salads in the daily meals.
Although it is a healthy diet plan, it cannot be continued for a longer period as it is a fad diet. The diet lacks in carbohydrates and fats which are essential for gaining energy and hence, people are not recommended to follow this diet for long. You should consult the doctor before going for it.
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