How to Lose Weight Using Regular Food

Click here to learn more about how the Take Shape for Life program works.

Click here to learn more about the 5&1 Plan.

Click here to learn more about Lean & Green meals.

On the 5&1 Plan, you’ll eat one Lean & Green meal and five fueling breaks. I highly recommend using the Medifast Portion Controlled Meal Replacements (PCMRs), but you don’t have to use them to succeed on the program. I used the PCMRs and I lost 40 pounds in six months and have kept it off! If you’d rather use regular food from the grocery store, below is a list of choices. I can act as your free Health Coach either way. If you’d like to know more about becoming a Health Coach, check out my website. You don’t have to be thin or perfectly healthy (I’m not!) to become a Health Coach, just willing to learn and help others. But for now, take a look at this list of fueling break choices.

Fueling Breaks

Your fueling breaks should provide about 100 calories each and give you a steady, balanced stream of energy throughout your waking hours. You will need to eat five of these per day about two-three hours apart. You will also need to eat one Lean & Green meal per day. Let me know if you’d like to talk more about this and I’ll coach you through the program!

Sample Fueling Breaks:

One PCMR (Click here to learn more about Portion Controlled Meal Replacements)
Cheese & tomato – One portion size of two AA batteries of natural cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack with one sliced tomato
Endive and tuna salad. One endive leaf with one tablespoon tuna salad prepared with hummus in place of mayonnaise.
Three ounces of mixed nuts (a small handful)
Ten almonds and a celery stick
29 pistachios
Twelve cashews
Twenty peanuts
Two tbsp sesame seeds
Four Brazil nuts (great for getting your selenium!)
½ sliced apple with three walnuts
½ apple with two tsp natural peanut butter – make sure it’s all-natural peanut butter (nothing other than peanuts and salt)
½ cup fresh strawberries and two tbsp light whipped topping
One cup fresh cherries
One medium apple
½ cup blueberries or strawberries with a dollop of yogurt
One orange
One pear
½ peach with two tbsp yogurt
Two cups raspberries
30 raisins
Fresh veggie mix – one cup broccoli, red pepper, cauliflower with one tbsp low-fat ranch dressing (Kraft makes a low-fat ranch without high-fructose corn syrup! Check the labels if you buy any other brand!)
Six pieces basil, sliced tomato, and hummus
Herbal lentils and one tomato
Celery sticks with one tbsp natural peanut butter
One cup fresh spinach salad with olives
¼ cup egg salad with lettuce or endive
Half small avocado
Cauliflower (size of a paperback)
One cup tomato and cucumber soup
¼ cup guacamole – combine avocado, tomato, lime juice, and hot pepper to taste
Basil, one tomato, and hummus
Grilled portobello mushroom sprinkled with cheese
Five cherry tomatoes with one portion cheddar cheese (size of two AA batteries)
½ cup endive and cottage cheese spread – in a food processor or blender, mix cottage chees, red pepper, fresh parsley, chives, and chopped jalapeno. Spread on endive.
Eggplant pizza slice – sprinkle a slice of eggplant with oregano and roast. Melt cheese on top
One cup vegetarian chili
½ cup edamame (soybeans)
½ red bell pepper dipped in three tbsp hummus
½ cup cucumber slices
One large dill pickle
One Carrabolla (starfruit)
Two cups baby carrots
Three celery sticks with 1 tsp natural peanut butter
¼ cup hummus and avocado dip with three celery stalks
One cup mashed lentils and tomatoes
Vegetables and dip – choose either ½ cup cucumber slices, six celery sticks, six slices red pepper, or ½ cup raw broccoli florets and dip into two ounces fat-free, sugar-free ranch dressing
One cup bean and chickpea salad – toss diced celery, green pepper, cooked red beans, cooked chickpeas, and fresh parsley together with low-calorie balsamic vinaigrette
1/3 cup cottage cheese and ½ medium tomato
One Yoplait Light Smoothie
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese with five strawberries
One serving of string chees
Three ounces frozen nonfat yogurt
One square 70% or higher dark chocolate with five almonds
One whole deviled egg – cut a hard-boiled egg in half, mix the yolk with hummus, and fill the egg
One cup of soup (cream of tomato, cream of chicken, chicken noodle, or vegetable
One slice Wasa crispbread with one ounce smoked salmon
One slice whole grain bread (such as Fiber for Life) with two ounces fat-free turkey breast
½ cup couscous with celery sticks
Four slices Melba toast
One slice Wasa crispbread and ½ sliced tomato