Meal Plan: Week One

Up to this point, Michelle has made changes in her nutrition that have helped her lose weight, but has only made simple changes. She still has some adjustments to make in order to switch from “diet mode” to a permanent and impactful lifestyle change. She has made the typical changes that many people make when they decide to lose weight. Most people know what foods are healthy choices and what foods to stay away from, and she has done that. She has not “cheated,” or in other words, allowed herself any unhealthy choices for some time now. Our fear with this type of dramatic change in eating habits is that it is less likely to be a permanent positive change because one can become frustrated with never allowing themselves a reward like a piece of chocolate or a nice steak dinner. We are starting to work with Michelle on the idea that she doesn’t have to eat 100% healthy all of the time. This type of approach will keep her sane and allow her to indulge in some of the foods she enjoys every once in a while.

We are working with Michelle on creating a basic balance of macronutrients within each of her four to five meals per day. Prior to our coaching, Michelle was really limiting her food choices and pretty much eating the same foods for every meal, every day. This also eventually leads boredom and frustration, and the idea of long-lasting weight loss seems less attractive. Therefore, we will be creating an ongoing list of foods so Michelle can learn to build menus and grocery lists, eventually with as little mental work as possible.