The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks (6 page)
Read The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks Online
Authors: Lisa Lillien
1. Remember, if you’re not eating all the food in each meal, you CAN (and should) save it for later that day. So if you find yourself feeling hungry, eat those leftover berries from breakfast or the rest of that HUGE salad from lunch.
2. Have a tall glass of water. Slightly boring advice, but VERY effective. It’s common to confuse thirst with hunger, so drink up! If you find cold water tough to get down, try some room-temp H
2
O. Then wait five to ten minutes to let the water do its thing.
3. If you’ve done the above and still feel hungry, you may want to have one of the
supplemental snacks
. These snacks are particularly helpful for those who have 75 pounds or more to lose, exercise vigorously, or simply find a 1,300-calorie target to be too aggressive.
* WEEK 2 *
DAY 5
BREAKFAST
8 ounces hot, room-temp, or cold water
Choose one of the following:
* Any
Week 1 Breakfast
LUNCH
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
* Any
Week 1 Lunch
DINNER
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Chicken So Low Mein with Side Salad
* Any
Week 1 Dinner
SNACKS
Choose any THREE snacks from the following:
Have each with 8 ounces room-temp or cold water.
Dining Out at a Glance
Yes, you’ll get the best weight-loss results by prepping your own meals as often as you can, but it’s entirely possible to eat at restaurants while on this plan. Here’s a quick guide to plan-friendly meals. Don’t miss the full
Dining Out
section!
HG Tip!
Before you head out to a restaurant, check out the menu online. Then decide in advance exactly what you’ll have. This is much better than showing up hungry and scrambling to make a smart choice.
Another HG Tip!
Carry around a portion-controlled stash of almonds or pistachios. Not only are they great for emergency-snack situations (more on
Emergency Snacks
), but they’re also perfect as part of a fruit and yogurt breakfast on the go.
Breakfast …
Fruit and Yogurt
: If fat-free Greek yogurt isn’t available, go with 6 ounces of any fat-free yogurt. Pair it with a large piece of fruit or fruit salad and ½ ounce of almonds or pistachios (about 12 almonds or 24 pistachios). Easy and delicious!
Egg-White or Egg Beaters Omelette
: Request no cheese, plenty of veggies, and that it be prepared with little to no oil or butter. Get an English muffin or one slice of whole-wheat toast, and spread with a small amount of jam instead of butter. Add a small piece of fruit or fruit salad, and you’ve got a guilt-free morning meal.
Lunch and Dinner …
Salad with Chicken or Turkey
: Keep it simple, and skip the croutons, cheese, and crunchy toppings. Stick with lots of greens and fresh veggies with a palm-sized serving of lean poultry. Ask for either oil and vinegar or low-fat/light dressing on the side, and use sparingly. (Dip, don’t pour.) You can get this meal almost anywhere.
Fish or Chicken with Salad and Hot Veggies
: Start with a side salad (same guidelines as above). Have your protein baked, broiled, or grilled and prepared dry or with very little oil. Order steamed veggies. (Get double veggies if the meal normally comes with pasta or a starchy side.). Add a squeeze of lemon for extra flavor.
* WEEK 2 *
DAY 6
BREAKFAST
8 ounces hot, room-temp, or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Tropical Fruit ’n Yogurt Bowl
* Any
Week 1 Breakfast
LUNCH
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Balsamic BBQ Chicken with Side Salad
* Any
Week 1 Lunch
DINNER
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Crunchy Beef Tacos with Side Salad
* Any
Week 1 Dinner
SNACKS
Choose any THREE snacks from the following:
Have each with 8 ounces room-temp or cold water.
Pssst … One of tomorrow’s breakfast options is a chilled oatmeal parfait. To save time in the morning, cook your oatmeal tonight, and refrigerate it overnight.
Craving-Busting Super Snacks!
Who says you can’t indulge in favorites like pizza and French fries when on a diet? Not me!
If you’re craving something hot and cheesy, have …
If you’re craving chocolate, have …
A Vitalicious VitaTop!
Chocolate-Chip-Stuffed Strawberries
!
A Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie!
A low-fat frozen fudge pop with 100 calories or less (Enlightened bars are my top pick here)!
If you’re craving French fries, have …
If you’re craving chips or popcorn, have …
A 100-calorie bag of baked chips, popped chips, or tortilla chips (like Popchips or Kettle Brand Bakes)!
A 100-calorie bag of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn!
If you’re craving pie or pastries, have …
A 6-ounce container of dessert-inspired fat-free yogurt (like Yoplait Light Apple Turnover)!
* WEEK 2 *
DAY 7
BREAKFAST
8 ounces hot, room-temp, or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Strawberry Peach Oatmeal Parfait
* Any
Week 1 Breakfast
LUNCH
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
* Any
Week 1 Lunch
DINNER
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Sesame-Ginger Salmon & Veggies
*
Chicken Parm with Saucy Pasta Swap
* Any
Week 1 Dinner
SNACKS
Choose any THREE snacks from the following:
Have each with 8 ounces room-temp or cold water.
WEEK 3
Way to go!
You’re halfway through the four-week jump-start plan. That’s quite an accomplishment! Kudos to you, if you’ve been staying on track. And if you haven’t exactly been perfect, there’s still time to step it up. You’ve got two full weeks left—plenty of time to see major results.
It’s time to weigh in again to check your progress. Remember to get on the scale at around the same time of day as in previous weeks and in similar clothing. Heads up! If you had a big loss in the first week, you may experience a smaller loss this week. That’s completely normal, so don’t be discouraged. Just keep on the path, and you’ll continue to drop pounds. If you didn’t lose weight this week, revisit
How to Avoid Common Missteps
. And recommit yourself to the plan, starting NOW.
Week 3 is a fantastic time to really push yourself and follow the diet as closely as possible. The most successful Hungry Girl Diet followers prepare their own meals on a daily basis and keep dining out to a minimum while on the plan. Now is also a good time to add some physical activity to your routine. If you’re already exercising, take it to the next level. Increase the length of your workouts or step up the intensity. If you haven’t been active, think about starting now. Pick up a workout DVD, or call a friend to join you for daily jogs or brisk walks. For more exercise ideas—including ideas for beginners—visit
here
.
Before you dive into the second half of the plan, here are three important reminders:
1.
The daily meal plans are designed to give you an easy guide to weight loss, packed with variety and indulgence. But you can mix ’n match meals however you like. So feel free to repeat favorites and swap lunches with dinners. And don’t forget about the Week 1 meals … They’re incredible staples that can and should be enjoyed throughout the plan.
2.
In addition to having at least 8 ounces of water with each meal and snack, drink another 16 ounces (or more) throughout the day. It’s common to confuse thirst for hunger, so keep up with your water intake and you’ll feel more satisfied.
3.
If you have 75 pounds or more to lose, have a vigorous exercise routine, or feel the approximate 1,300-calorie level is too aggressive for you, consider adding one of the
supplemental snacks
. However, if you’ve been eating the additional snacks throughout the first half of the plan, you may want to challenge yourself and go without them for the remainder of the plan. This could really kick your weight loss into high gear. Give it a try, and see how you feel!
Here’s to an amazing third week! Enjoy …
Emergency Snack 101
Cheesy cliché alert: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It’s true! So keep appropriate snacks on hand at all times …
In your purse, backpack, gym bag, etc.:
100-calorie pack of almonds
100-calorie snack bar (like Fiber One Protein)
200-calorie snack bar (like Quest Bar; have in place of two snacks, either at once or half at a time)
In your desk drawer:
100-calorie pouches of low-sodium tuna packed in water
Whole fruit (a medium pear, apple, or banana)
100-calorie bags of freeze-dried fruit
100-calorie bags of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn
In your office fridge:
Light string cheese (to pair with fruit or nuts)
6-ounce containers of fat-free yogurt (flavored regular or plain Greek)
No-salt-added turkey breast with cucumber
Cut veggies with dip
Cut fruit
See the
Grab-n-Go Snacks
section for more need-to-know snack info!
For more tools for success—including an app that lets you create custom shopping lists and track your food—visit
hungry-girl.com/diet
!
* WEEK 3 *
DAY 1
BREAKFAST
8 ounces hot, room-temp, or cold water
Choose one of the following:
* Any
Week 1 Breakfast
LUNCH
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
*
Pizza-fied Chicken with Saucy Spaghetti Swap
DINNER
8 ounces room-temp or cold water
Choose one of the following:
SNACKS
Choose any THREE snacks from the following:
Have each with 8 ounces room-temp or cold water.
How to Handle a Slip …
No one’s perfect. Not me, not you, not ANYONE. So don’t let a bad food decision derail the whole diet, and do NOT beat yourself up over it. You’re only human. So get over it, and move on …
Some people use a slip as an excuse to continue overindulging, causing a snowball effect that’s hard to rebound from. If you eat too much or have a high-calorie meal, there’s no reason to give up and blow the rest of the day. That kind of attitude is not productive and could lead you to blow the week or even the MONTH.
Don’t starve or restrict yourself to make up for a misstep. That’ll only make things worse, since your body will be thrown off by the two extremes. And dipping below 1,200 calories per day is never recommended and could curtail your weight loss. The best way to get back on track is to start following the plan again immediately—as in, at YOUR NEXT MEAL OR SNACK.
Secrets of Successful HG Dieters: Water with Lemon
I drank the lemon water constantly. I keep a water kettle next to my desk at work, and I drink several mugs of water each day.
