It’s very easy to adopt an all-or-nothing mind-set with dieting, so once you’ve slipped up a couple of times, you may decide to stop depriving yourself and eat whatever you like, only for the scales to creep up and your jeans to fit a little tighter.
But all is not lost as nutritional therapist Chris Newbold has devised the perfect plan to drop a dress size in 7 days with his own damage control diet. With this diet you’ll learn how to lose weight, but in the healthiest way possible with tips to make sure that your body stays in the best shape possible when the week is over.
This weight loss plan is a good option if you’re looking for a diet that works fast. But, bear in mind there are also other diet and exercise plans, which offer a more long-term approach to losing weight and improving health – like the 16:8 diet, the Mediterranean diet and the keto diet.
How to drop a dress size in seven days
Get back into a routine
This means eating three square meals a day, not grazing all day as this will help you carefully control the calories that you’re eating.
Eat fresh, quality food
Cut out all processed foods and ready meals. They might be convenient, but they’re full of additives, chemicals and sugars. Go for lean meats like chicken that are organically sourced.
Eat large amounts of vegetables
Make each meal around 70 per cent vegetables (this will provide healthy carbs) and around 30 per cent good-quality protein – e.g. chicken, fish, chickpeas, beans, tofu, etc. Use healthy fats, including olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and occasionally a tiny bit of butter. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Cut down on stimulants
Chris Newbold also recommends giving up alcohol – not only is it high in calories, but we tend to lose our motivation for eating the best foods on a hangover.
Coffee, should also be avoided as the caffeine in these might help you stay awake but they won’t help you lose weight.
The caffeine is likely to lead to poor sleep and sugar cravings, both of which aren’t productive if you want to lose weight.
Don’t snack between meals
The latest research shows that fasting between meals allows the body to burn more calories and speeds up weight loss.
This is because if we don’t snack between meals, our insulin levels go down. This forces fat cells to release stored sugar to be used as energy, therefore burning fat without even having to do any exercise. Also known as intermittent fasting, the idea of not snacking between meals is to allow your insulin levels to deplete just enough so that we use up this stored sugar and burn fat.
However, if you have any signs or symptoms of type 2 diabetes this is not a safe way to lose weight.
Replenish lost nutrients
Take a daily multivitamin to give your vitamin intake a boost. Try Biocare adult multivitamins & minerals, £25.99 for 90, and Biocare Bio-antioxidant 2000, £17.98 for 30.
Look after your gut
Erratic eating can throw gut bacteria out of balance, but you need plenty of good bacteria to lose weight more effectively. Try Biocare Bioacidophilus (a probiotic), £21.35 for 60 capsules.
How to drop a dress size in seven days
Day One
Breakfast
Vegetable omelette. Whisk 2 eggs, seasoned with salt and black pepper. Pour into a pan and cook both sides. Place cooked asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes on half the omelette and fold over. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Lunch
Hearty vegetable soup. Sautè 1 chopped onion and 1 clove garlic. Add 400ml water and vegetable stock, chopped cauliflower, courgette and broccoli. Add 100g chickpeas and 100g cannellini beans.
Dinner
Grilled cod with green veg and sweet potato wedges. Grill 1 cod fillet and serve with peas, sweetheart cabbage and sweet potato wedges.
Day Two
Breakfast
Banana and raspberry smoothie. Blend 1 banana, handful raspberries, 200ml unsweetened almond milk, 1tbsp oats, 1tbsp sunflower seeds, 4 almonds and 1 scoop protein powder (optional).
Lunch
Cold chicken salad. Mix rocket, leafy greens, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, grated carrot, broccoli florets, radish and chunks of cooked, cold chicken. Dress with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, queeze of lemon and black pepper.
Dinner
Lamb chop with pureed butter beans and greens. Grill 1 lamb chop. Cook peas, broccoli and leeks. Drizzle with minty butter (sauté some fresh, chopped mint in butter). Serve with pureed (or mashed) butter beans.
Day Three
Breakfast
Overnight oats with blueberries and walnuts. Soak 40g oats in 200ml unsweetened almond milk overnight. Serve with ahandful of blueberries and4 chopped walnuts.
Lunch
Grilled spicy salmon with steamed greens. Grill 1 salmon fillet drizzled with chilli oil. Serve with steamed broccoli and asparagus.
Dinner
Spicy frittata and salad. Saute chopped onion in olive oil. Pour in 4 whisked eggs and chopped, cooked vegetables (e.g. broccoli, asparagus, courgette). Season with a pinch of paprika and cayenne pepper, or a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Cook in pan then grill for 1 min. Serve with a large mixed salad. Save half the frittata and salad for lunch next day.
Day Four
Breakfast
Smashed avocado on sourdough toast. Mash 1 ripe avocado with chopped spring onions and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve on 1 slice of sourdough toast. Top with sliced tomato and fresh coriander.
Lunch
Spicy frittata. See day three.
Dinner
Chicken and vegetable casserole. Heat up some olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onion, carrot and celery. Cook until softened. Add 2 chicken thighs, a tin of chopped tomatoes, peppers and 1 chopped garlic clove. Pour in enough water and stock (vegetable or chicken) to cover. Season with cumin, thyme, black pepper. Cook until chicken is done. Save half.
Day Five
Breakfast
Piperade with eggs. Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 red pepper and 1 clove garlic in 5g butter and 1⁄2tbsp olive oil. Whisk 2 eggs. Pour into the pan with veg and stir to make scrambled eggs.
Lunch
Chicken and vegetable casserole leftover. See day four.
Dinner
Prawn stir-fry. Pan-fry vegetables (e.g. asparagus, broccoli, baby sweetcorn, spring onions, bamboo shoots) in olive or coconut oil. Add chopped chillies, ginger, dash of soy sauce and cooked prawns (or tofu). Drizzle with fresh lime juice.
Day Six and Seven
Repeat any two days.
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