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When it come to weight loss it can seem like there is a new diet trending ever week. This can be incredibly confusing for anyone who wants to improve their nutrition and start their weight loss jounrey.
The weight management market size is was valued at USD $142.5 billion in 2022. This can make it difficult to determine which diet is marketed toward your best interests, and which is just after your wallet.
In this article, we discuss the best weight loss plans for women. We explore the pros and cons of each, including how to choose the right one for you.
Understanding Weight Loss Meal Plans
What is a Weigh Loss Meal Plan?
A weight loss meal plan is a structured nutrition plan designed to reduce body weight. These diets' main purpose is to create a calorie deficit while considering personal goals, dietary requirements, calorie, and macronutrient intakes. This is done to ensure steady and sustainable weight loss.
Importance of a Structured Meal Plan for Weight Loss
Structured meal plans are essential for weight loss. Designed with your end goal in mind, they establish daily calorie and macronutrient intakes and guidelines to ensure your weight loss journey.
Meal plans offer structure, containing foods with complex carbohydrates, quality protein sources, and healthy fats to ensure your body has exactly what it needs for a sustainable lifestyle change.
This ensures that your body is getting exactly what it needs while losing weight.
Top Meal Plans for Weight Loss
There are many different weight loss plans out there, which can make it difficult to decide which is the best one for you. Below we have listed the top meal plans for weight loss.
Before undertaking any of the following meal plans, speak to a healthcare professional. They will able to advise you on your meal plan requirements based on your health history and form an action plan to ensure the success of your new meal plan.
1- Keto Diet Meal Plan
The keto diet (study about keto here) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, which aims to promote weight loss and elevate energy levels. A keto diet's high-fat approach switches its fuel source from carbohydrates to fat. This induces a metabolic state called ketosis.
The primary goal of this diet is to reduce weight and improve metabolic health, with benefits including a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
However, the process of entering ketosis comes with the keto flu, which is characterized by feelings of nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. This can last a few days or a couple of weeks.
Furthermore, the dietary restrictions in variety can lead to nutrient and vitamin deficiencies. The high fat intake can increase the risk of heart disease, and kidney stones. While the lack of fiber can lead to constipation.
Macronutrient Ratio
- Fat: 55%–60%
- Protein: 30%–35%
- Carbohydrates: 5%–10%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
2- Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan
The Mediterranean diet (more info here) is a European-based diet based on the people living along the Mediterranean Sea coast. This diet largely centers around lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, with moderate alcohol intake.
The key to the Mediterranean diet is it focus on unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. Its focus on lean protein sources such as red meat, poultry, and fish, is excellent for maintaining muscle mass and improving satiety. The consumption of fish provides a boost in omega-3 intake, which is vital for our heart and brain while improving inflammation.
However, it should be noted that the Mediterranean diet is not specifically designed for weight loss. This means that even though you are consuming nutrient-dense whole foods, you won’t magically start shedding the unwanted weight.
To make this effective for weight loss, you will need to follow a meal plan with a focus on a calorie deficit. This will ensure that you are eating fewer calories and you are burning, leading to weight loss.
Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 50%–60%
- Protein: 15%–20%
- Fats: 30%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
3- Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan
Intermittent fasting (more info here) is characterized by alternating periods of eating and fasting. This can come in many configurations including fasting for entire days, calorie-restricted days, or daily eating and fasting windows.
Reducing eating windows can help reduce calorie intake, allowing us to maintain a calorie deficit, and supporting weight loss. However, this can lead to feelings of hunger, fatigue, irritability, and headaches.
If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, we recommend starting small with the 12-hour fasting, 12-hour eating format. This will allow you to experience the benefits of fasting without the shock. Additionally, consider performing the bulk of your fast overnight when you are asleep. for example, fasting from 8 pm to 8 am. This will allow you to skip the major feelings of hunger, and wake up closer to your eating window.
Unlike the keto diet and Mediterranean diet, there are no specific requirements during intermittent fasting. However, for the best results, it is recommended that you eat unprocessed, high-protein, nutrient-dense foods to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs.
Common fasting methods:
- 5:2 - Reducing calorie intake for two days each week
- 12:12 - Fasting for 12 hours each day
- 16:8 - Fasting for 16 hours each day
- 24 Hours - Fasting for 24 hours one to two times a week
Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 25%–60%
- Protien: 25%–35%
- Fats: 25%–35%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
4- Plant-Based Meal Plan
As the name suggests plant-based meal plans mainly focus on eating plant-based foods, with occasional consumption of fish, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy.
This may confuse many, as when people refer to plant-based, they immediately think vegetarian or vegan. Plant-based diets and meal plans are focused on consuming their nutrient intake from plant-based sources, while occasionally consuming meat.
Over this time meat alternatives have increased, and the U.S. plant-based food market has increased 29% from 2017 to 2019. Alternatives range from meat substitutes to eggs, cheese, and milk.
Furthermore, this is great for anyone who wants to begin cutting down or eliminating their animal food source intake. This enables them to do it gradually, slowing phasing it out.
The plant-based meal plan has been successful for weight loss, with links to decreased visceral fat (organ), decreased BMI, and improved insulin resistance. These benefits may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
5- Vegetarian Diet Meal Plan
The vegetarian diet (more info here) meal plan encompasses different types of diets. Like the plant-based diet, the main nutrient is sourced from plant-based foods, with occasional consumption of animal-based foods.
There are different types, of vegetarian diets based on varying levels of restriction and food preference. For many, switching over to a vegetarian diet for ethical or health reasons, with the welfare of animals being the most common.
However, like all plant-based diets special attention must be paid to potential nutrient deficiencies such as protein and vitamin B12. If you do decide to undertake a vegetarian diet, ensure that your recommended daily intake for protein, vitamin B12, and other nutrients is met.
To do this, log your daily calorie and macronutrient intake. This will ensure you are in a calorie deficit for weight loss, while still hitting your protein and vitamin targets. Consider using a calorie-tracking app. These streamline the tracking process and will help you monitor your nutrient and vitamin intake.
Vegetarian diets include:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian — excludes meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, allowing dairy.
- Lacto-vegetarian — ****excludes meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs.
- Ovo-vegetarian — ****excludes meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, allowing eggs.
- Pescatarian — excludes meat and poultry, eggs, and dairy, allowing fish .
- Vegan — excludes animal product such as meat, seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs and honey.
Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
6- Vegan Diet Meal Plan
Vegan meal plans are focused on eating plant-based foods for both health and animal welfare. This meal plan has seen a considerable rise in popularity over the last decade, with the number of Americans following a vegan diet increasing by 600% from 2014 to 2018.
However, due to the lack of meat, protein must be prioritized in the forms of brown rice, quinoa, beans, and legumes. This can further be supplemented with plant-based protein shakes.
There may also be a decrease in vitamin B12. Found in red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy, it is essential for red blood cell formation, nerve function, protein metabolism, and many of our body’s functions. This can be remedied with vitamin B12 supplementation.
Macronutrient Ratio
- Carbohydrates: 40%–45%
- Protein: 25%–30%
- Fats: 30%–35%
Positives & Negatives
Foods
7- Balanced Plate Method
The balanced plate method refers to the division of our plates into different food groups to ensure a healthy meal. Overeating poses a significant problem for many, which sees us eat well beyond our calorie limit, which can lead to weight gain. Portion control allows us to manage and lose weight, reducing total calorie intake, and sustaining a calorie deficit.
The balanced plate is used to help people practice portion control while building well-balanced meals. This can help us monitor our calorie intake, will providing us with the nutrients we need for our to body function.
These sections including:
- Quarter — Lean protien
- Quater — Complex carbohydrates
- Half — Fruits and vegetables
Macronutrient Ratio
Positives & Negatives
Foods
Balanaced diets such as the Meditteranean are great as they contain plenty of variety. Plant-based is can also be considered, with supplementation of vitamin B12 and protein.
Furthermore, intermittent fasting is an effective non-medicinal treatment option for type 2 diabetes.
It affects 34.2 million people in the U.S. and is linked to significant illness. Excess weight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Because of this, weight loss is recommended. Intermittent fasting enables us to restrict calorie intake to maintain a calorie deficit.
Below is a list of suitable meal plans for people with diabetes:
- Meditteranean Diet
- Plant-Based Diet
- Vegetarian Diet
- Vegan Diet
- Intermittent Fasting Diet (Type 2 Diabete)
Macronutrient Ratio
- Protein: 15%–20%
- Fats: 20%–35%
- Carbohydrates: 45%–60%
How to Choose the Best Meal Plan for Your Needs
When it comes to selecting the right meal plan you need to consider your goals, nutritional needs, and dietary preferences.
Considering Dietary Preferences and Restrictions
When choosing a meal plan, your dietary preferences will likely be the biggest consideration. Our beliefs, health requirements, and food preferences take precedence as they dictate the exact food we will be consuming.
For example, someone who has strong beliefs in animal welfare will naturally want to minimize or eliminate consuming animal-based products. This places them in the plant-based category.
However, If you are considering weight loss, all of the above diet and meal plans are applicable. This means the type of food, beliefs, and type of diet plan must be considered.
Choosing is essential as you will be eating those meals for the duration of your weight loss journey. We strongly recommend that you select a meal plan that favors your preferences and style of eating, as it will help you to stick to the plan long-term, leading to better results.
Balancing Nutritional Needs
Weight loss can easily be performed by reducing calorie intake, however, doing so without the consideration of vital nutrients can lead to health issues.
Weight loss, to maintain muscle mass is the prime example of balancing nutritional needs. When we reduce our calorie intake, we run the risk of decreased muscle mass. Because of this, we need to choose a meal plan that supports weight loss while maintaining muscle mass.
Intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, and keto are all great for weight loss and maintaining protein intake. However, if you are focused on plant-based diets, protein supplementation can be used to boost intake to preserve muscle mass.
Many different factors influence our nutritional needs. The key is to identify exactly what you need and select accordingly. If you are unsure of your nutritional needs, speak to a healthcare professional. They will be able to outline your needs and help you identify which plan is best for you.
Assessing Your Weight Loss Goals
Your weight loss goals are an important part of choosing your meal plan. While all weight loss goals will likely follow the same path, factors such as food preferences, and duration will dictate which is the best meal plan for you.
Whichever meal plan you choose to select, we recommend doing it at a steady pace, with foods you enjoy. While it can be tempting to take on a major calorie deficit, which foods you dislike for rapid weight loss, it will likely not be sustainable long-term. Likely leading you to abandon your plan, leading to weight gain.
By steadily losing the excess weight with a small calorie deficit, you will be able to adjust, correct, and maintain your weight loss. This will make it easier to switch to maintenance calories once you have hit your weight loss goal, allowing you to keep the weight down for good.
4 Tips for Sticking to Your Weight Loss Meal Plan
Changing your nutrition can present us with a range of challenges that can make it difficult to sustain long-term. From hunger, and cravings, to planning, and preparation, it can feel like there is always something nagging us to go back to our old eating habits.
Below, we share our best tips for sticking to your weight loss meal plan.
1- Meal Prepping and Planning Ahead
Meal planning and preparation are some of the best things you can do to maintain your weight loss meal plan long-term. It allows you to increase variety, and ensure that you have healthy meals and snacks on hand. While it can seem like a slog shopping and preparing meals in bulk, reassure yourself that you won’t need to cook for the entire week!
Furthermore, it enables you to get creative and choose different recipes, which can keep your mind and tastebuds interested. This helps you shift from a diet to a long-term dietary eating plan.
2- Managing Cravings and Hunger
Meal prep and planning are essential for reducing hunger, and killing cravings. In those early weeks and months, feelings of hunger and cravings can feel endless as your mind will play a highlight reel of all your favorite foods.
Organizing and preparing your meals enables us to not only have nutrient-dense healthy food choices on hand to kill cravings, it allows us to do it with foods we like.
This is the difference between eating a can of tuna over the kitchen sink in the breakroom or relaxing by your desk with a protein shake and dark chocolate and almond clusters.
We also recommend you stay hydrated. Increasing water intake is a great way to improve satiety between meals. This will stop the cravings, and help you consume unnecessary calories.
3- Adjusting Your Plan as Needed
Adjusting your diet plan as you go is essential for long-term sustainability. As you venture through your weight loss journey you will identify which foods and meals which work, and don’t work.
Things such as your favorite meals, meal times, energy levels, and hunger should all be regularly assessed. This will enable you to make changes, making a massive difference in your diet plan experience.
4- Dealing with Plateaus
When we begin our weight loss plan it can be guns blazing for those first few weeks. our motivation is high, we start to feel improvements in energy levels, and may even notice minor results in scale weight.
Monitoring our progress through photos, measurements, energy levels, scale weight, and clothes sizes is a great way to show you how far you have come. These give you hard evidence of your achievements, allowing you to refer back to all your hard work and success, which will boost your will to continue with your journey.
Conclusion: Finding the Right Meal Plan for Long-Term Success
Making a positive change to your health and nutrition can be challenging. With so many different styles and types out there, it can be difficult to understand which will suit your needs.
While those initial steps may feel daunting, understand that you are in control. Instead of viewing this as a food restriction, remember, that you have control of your food preferences, feeding times, and meals.
If something doesn’t work, you can change it.
Don’t like that meal? Scrap it.
Don’t like eating breakfast at 8 am? Eat at 10 am.
The key is to make it work for you!
Have fun by adding variety, and experimenting with new recipes, while monitoring your progress and energy levels. All these little changes make a major impact on your overall experience. This will allow you to make a sustainable healthy lifestyle change, ensuring long-term success.
The Mediterranean diet is a European-based diet based on the people living along the Mediterranean Sea coast. This diet largely centers around lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, with moderate alcohol intake.
The key to the Mediterranean diet is its focus on unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. Its focus on lean protein sources such as red meat, poultry, and fish, is excellent for maintaining muscle mass and improving satiety. The consumption of fish provides a boost in omega-3 intake, which is vital for our heart and brain while improving inflammation.
However, it should be noted that the Mediterranean diet is not specifically designed for weight loss. This means that even though you are consuming nutrient-dense whole foods, you won’t magically start shedding the unwanted weight.
To make this effective for weight loss, you will need to follow a meal plan with a focus on a calorie deficit. This will ensure that you are eating fewer calories and you are burning, leading to weight loss.
FAQs
Which food is best for weight loss in women?
Lean proteins like chicken, fish, and tofu, as well as high-fiber foods like leafy greens, whole grains, and legumes, are ideal for weight loss. These foods help reduce hunger, maintain muscle mass, and keep blood sugar levels stable.
What is the most effective meal schedule for weight loss?
A schedule of three balanced meals per day, with the option for healthy snacks if necessary, works well for most people. Intermittent fasting, particularly the 16:8 method (where you eat during an 8-hour window and fast for 16 hours), can also be highly effective for reducing overall calorie intake.
What diet helps women lose weight the fastest?
Low-carb diets such as the ketogenic diet or the Mediterranean diet can help women lose weight quickly. These diets emphasize nutrient-dense foods, higher protein intake, and healthy fats while cutting back on refined carbohydrates and sugars, which often leads to rapid weight loss.
Which diet plan is best for fast weight loss?
The ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting are considered among the best for fast weight loss. Keto induces ketosis, a state where your body burns fat for fuel, while intermittent fasting reduces your calorie intake by shortening the eating window, both promoting faster weight loss.
How can I lose 5kg in 7 days?
To lose 5kg in 7 days, follow a low-carb, high-protein diet, increase water intake, cut back on sodium, and engage in regular cardio exercises. Keep in mind that most of the weight lost in such a short time will be water weight rather than fat. Extreme diets should be approached with caution, and it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional before starting.
