NetDoctor weight loss plan: Week 1

Written by Carina Norris, registered nutritionist

Week 1 basics

Breakfast

Choose one from the mix and match list every day.

Morning snacks

Choose any one of the following each day for your morning snack.

• A piece of fruit such as a banana and a digestive biscuit.
• Two small pieces of fruit - such as apricots, kiwi fruit, plums, satsumas, clementines or mandarins.
• A yoghurt pot filled with veggie sticks and two tablespoons of low-fat dip or salsa.
• Two pieces of fruit, eg an orange and a pear.
• Two wholegrain crackers thinly spread with peanut butter or low-fat soft cheese. Handful of grapes.

Afternoon snacks

Choose any one of the following each day for your afternoon snack.

• One small currant bun/teacake (no icing) or fruit scone spread with low sugar jam or fruit spread.
• A pot of plain home-popped popcorn flavoured with a teaspoon of parmesan cheese or a pinch of paprika.
• Two oatcakes or crispbreads spread with low-fat cream cheese or low fat houmous.
• Cereal bar under 120kcal.

Recipes

You'll find recipes for the some of the dishes at the end of the week's plan.

Exercise

Walk for 10 minutes two to three times a day and for an hour at the weekend. You should walk briskly, taking long strides and focusing on your posture.

Monday

Lunch

• One bread roll spread with a teaspoon of low-fat mayonnaise and filled with two small slices of lean chicken, a sliced tomato, a handful of baby salad leaves.
• Low-fat fruit yoghurt.

Dinner

• Grilled salmon fillet on a bed of watercress, with five boiled new potatoes in their skins, green beans and a mixed salad.
• Two slices of grilled pineapple topped with two tablespoons of low-fat fromage frais or low-fat natural yoghurt.

Tuesday

Lunch

Tip

Avoid 'cream of' soups that can be high in fat.

Aim for less than 1g salt per portion of soup.

• Bowl of vegetable soup and a crusty roll.
• Small pot of low-fat fruit yoghurt and an apple.

Dinner

• Beef and vegetable stir fry served with four tablespoons of cooked rice.
• Half a large mango topped with twp tablespoons of low-fat fromage frais or natural yoghurt.

Wednesday

Lunch

• Tinned salmon, cucumber, tomato and lettuce in a wholemeal pitta.
• Low-fat fruit yoghurt and a piece of fruit.

Dinner

• Spicy chicken breast: remove the skin and sprinkle with Cajun or Jerk seasoning before baking for 20 minutes until cooked through.
• Serve with a medium baked potato (150g) topped with 15g low-fat olive spread and a green salad.
• Small tin of fruit in juice.

Thursday

Lunch

• Medium bowl of tuna and pasta salad with six cherry tomatoes.
• Small pot of low-fat fromage frais.

Dinner

• Grilled lamb chop (brushed with mint sauce before grilling) with four new potatoes in their skins, green beans and broccoli.
• Baked apple: cut out the core of an apple. Stuff the empty core with one tablespoon of dried fruit mixed with a pinch of cinnamon. Bake in an oven (180ºC/gas 4) for 40 minutes until soft.

Friday

Lunch

• Spicy chicken and salad wrap.
• Small low-fat fruit yoghurt and a piece of fruit.

Dinner

• Baked fillet of white fish (choose one that's sustainably caught) with 115g low-fat oven chips, green veg of your choice and a grilled tomato.
• Stewed apple: peel and chop an apple. Cook in saucepan until soft. Serve with two tablespoons of low-fat natural yoghurt and four walnut halves, chopped.

Saturday

Lunch

Jacket potato filled with either:

• 100g prawns and half a red pepper finely chopped, mixed with two teaspoons of low-fat mayo and a pinch of chilli powder or paprika
• small tin of low-sugar low-salt baked beans (spice them up with a dash of Worcestershire sauce).

Green salad served with two tablespoons of low-fat coleslaw.

Dinner

• Chicken and vegetable pasta and a large mixed salad.
• Fresh fruit salad.

Sunday

Lunch

• Two-egg mushroom and parsley omelette cooked in half a teaspoon of oil.
• One small crusty roll lightly spread with low-fat spread.

Dinner

• A 150g grilled steak, 115g low-fat potato wedges, two grilled tomatoes, green beans and broccoli.
• Three fresh plums.

Week 1 recipes

Tuesday beef stir-fry

Recipe

Stir fry the beef for 2 mins. Remove from the pan.

Add the garlic, then fry the veg for 3 mins. Stir in the soy sauce and five-spice.

Return the beef to the pan and cook for 2 mins.

• 100g lean beef finely sliced
• 200g your choice of vegetables
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• good pinch of Chinese five-spice

Thursday tuna pasta salad

Recipe

Cook pasta shapes according to the packet instructions, drain and cool.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Dress with 1 tablespoon of oil-free French dressing and ground black pepper.

• 65g pasta shapes (dry weight) or 150g cooked weight
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• half a green or red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 10cm piece of cucumber, chopped
• handful of torn lettuce leaves
• 1 small tin of tuna, drained

Friday spicy chicken wrap

Recipe

Combine the chicken, mayo and vegetables in a bowl.

Lay the filling on the tortilla and roll up. Cut into two.

Make the spicy chicken by sprinkling a small skinless chicken breast with Cajun spice. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through. When cold, cut into slices.

• 75g cold spicy cooked chicken (from the supermarket or cooked at home)
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 8 slices cucumber
• handful lettuce leaves
• 2 teaspoons of low-fat mayo
• 1 flour tortilla

Saturday chicken and vegetable pasta

Recipe

Heat oil in a non-stick pan.

Gently fry the onion and pepper for 2 mins. Add the chicken and cook for 2 mins.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano and black pepper. Simmer gently for 15 mins.

Cook the pasta, drain, then add to the sauce once it's ready.

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper, cut into strips
• 1 small chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 small can of chopped tomatoes
• pinch of sugar
• large pinch of dried oregano
• ground black pepper
• 40g pasta (dry weight)