Day 1:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond milk, chia seeds, banana, peanut butter, and coffee/tea
Snack: Apple with almonds
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and whole wheat pita
Snack: Greek yogurt with honey and berries
Dinner: Baked salmon, roasted vegetables, and quinoa

Day 2:

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, whole grain toast, and an orange
Snack: Carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus
Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap, side salad with balsamic vinegar
Snack: Mixed nuts
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, sweet potato mash, and steamed asparagus

Day 3:

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with granola, berries, and flaxseeds
Snack: Rice cake with almond butter
Lunch: Lentil soup, side salad, and whole grain bread
Snack: Cottage cheese with pineapple
Dinner: Grilled shrimp stir-fry with vegetables and brown rice

Day 4:

Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, banana, protein powder, almond milk, peanut butter)
Snack: Hard-boiled egg and cherry tomatoes
Lunch: Quinoa salad with chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, feta, and lemon vinaigrette
Snack: Sliced pear with walnuts
Dinner: Grilled turkey burger with roasted Brussels sprouts

Day 5:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms, whole grain toast, and kiwi
Snack: Air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast
Lunch: Grilled chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato, and hummus, baby carrots
Snack: Low-fat string cheese
Dinner: Baked cod, roasted cauliflower, and mashed sweet potatoes

Day 6:

Breakfast: Chia pudding with almond milk and berries, boiled egg
Snack: Cucumber slices with guacamole
Lunch: Tuna salad on greens with whole grain crackers
Snack: Greek yogurt with chia seeds and honey
Dinner: Beef stir-fry with broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and brown rice

Day 7:

Breakfast: Whole grain pancakes with berries and maple syrup
Snack: Apple with almond butter
Lunch: Grilled vegetable and quinoa bowl with tahini dressing
Snack: Mixed nuts
Dinner: Grilled chicken, roasted carrots, green beans, and wild rice

Tips for Success:

• Meal Prep: Plan meals in advance to stay on track.
• Portion Control: Watch portion sizes, especially for healthy fats.
• Hydration: Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily, flavored with lemon or cucumber if desired.

Day 1:

Breakfast: Whole grain toast with avocado and 2 poached eggs, orange juice
Snack: Greek yogurt with mixed berries and chia seeds
Lunch: Grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread with spinach, tomato, and mustard
Snack: Banana with peanut butter
Dinner: Grilled salmon, sweet potato mash, and steamed broccoli

Day 2:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond milk, walnuts, and sliced banana
Snack: Rice cakes with almond butter
Lunch: Quinoa bowl with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and tahini dressing
Snack: Cottage cheese with pineapple chunks
Dinner: Beef stir-fry with broccoli, bell peppers, and brown rice

Day 3:

Breakfast: Smoothie with spinach, banana, protein powder, almond milk, and flaxseeds
Snack: Apple slices with almond butter
Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap with mixed greens
Snack: Trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit)
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, quinoa, and roasted Brussels sprouts

Day 4:

Breakfast: Whole grain pancakes with berries and maple syrup
Snack: Hard-boiled egg with cucumber slices
Lunch: Tuna salad on whole grain bread with a side salad
Snack: Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts
Dinner: Grilled shrimp, zucchini noodles, and roasted carrots

Day 5:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms, whole grain toast
Snack: Orange slices and almonds
Lunch: Chicken and veggie wrap with hummus
Snack: Rice cakes with cottage cheese
Dinner: Baked cod with wild rice and steamed asparagus

Day 6:

Breakfast: Chia pudding with almond milk, mixed berries, and flaxseeds
Snack: Sliced pear with walnuts
Lunch: Lentil soup with whole grain bread
Snack: Baby carrots with hummus
Dinner: Grilled steak, mashed sweet potatoes, and roasted green beans

Day 7:

Breakfast: Whole grain bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon
Snack: Banana with peanut butter
Lunch: Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and feta cheese
Snack: Greek yogurt with granola
Dinner: Grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed spinach

Tips for Runners:

• Carbohydrates: Prioritize complex carbs for energy.
• Protein: Include lean protein for muscle recovery.
• Hydration: Stay well-hydrated, especially after long runs.

Day 1:

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with mixed berries and flaxseeds
Snack: Apple slices with almond butter
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with spinach, cucumber, and avocado
Snack: Cottage cheese with a few walnuts
Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted cauliflower and a small sweet potato

Day 2:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond milk, chia seeds, and blueberries
Snack: Carrot sticks with hummus
Lunch: Turkey wrap with lettuce, tomato, and mustard
Snack: Hard-boiled egg
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with steamed broccoli and wild rice

Day 3:

Breakfast: Smoothie with spinach, banana, protein powder, and almond milk
Snack: Rice cake with almond butter
Lunch: Quinoa bowl with roasted vegetables and chickpeas
Snack: Sliced cucumber with guacamole
Dinner: Beef stir-fry with bell peppers and a small portion of brown rice

Day 4:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms
Snack: Orange slices
Lunch: Tuna salad on mixed greens
Snack: Cottage cheese with pineapple chunks
Dinner: Grilled shrimp with zucchini noodles and roasted carrots

Day 5:

Breakfast: Whole grain toast with avocado and a poached egg
Snack: A handful of almonds
Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap with mixed greens
Snack: Greek yogurt with honey and chia seeds
Dinner: Baked cod with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts

Day 6:

Breakfast: Chia pudding with almond milk and fresh berries
Snack: Baby carrots with hummus
Lunch: Lentil soup with a side of whole grain bread
Snack: Low-fat string cheese
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with steamed asparagus and wild rice

Day 7:

Breakfast: Whole grain pancakes with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup
Snack: Sliced apple with peanut butter
Lunch: Grilled vegetable and quinoa bowl with tahini dressing
Snack: Mixed nuts
Dinner: Grilled steak with a side of roasted carrots and green beans

Tips for Weight Loss:

• Portion Control: Be mindful of serving sizes.
• Snacking: Choose healthy, protein-rich snacks to stay full longer.
• Hydration: Drink water before meals to reduce appetite.

The Keto Diet focuses on reducing carbohydrate intake while increasing healthy fats and moderate protein, putting your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This encourages the body to burn fat for energy, aiding in weight loss and improving energy levels.

The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate diet designed to promote weight loss and improve health by changing how your body processes food. Created by Dr. Robert Atkins, the diet focuses on reducing carbs while increasing protein and healthy fat intake to shift the body’s metabolism from burning glucose (sugar) for energy to burning stored fat, a state known as ketosis.

The Caveman Diet (or Paleo Diet) emphasizes eating whole, unprocessed foods, similar to what early humans might have consumed. It excludes grains, dairy, and processed sugars, focusing on lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Combining elements of both diets allows you to enjoy the fat-burning benefits of keto while maintaining the clean, natural eating principles of paleo.

I am not a huge fan of fad diets or overly restrictive diet, but in all honesty, the Keto diet did kickstart my weight loss during my recovery. It was an easy diet for me to follow, I enjoy most kinds of meat, cheese and most of the foods you can eat on it. It was difficult to avoid carbs and sugar, but once you get used to it, you do realize the addictive nature of sugar. I haven’t followed a Keto Diet for over three years, but I still have similar eating habits where I eat a lot of protein and fat and minimize carbohydrates, except when fueling for runs.

Note that the proposed diet plan below incorporates a lot of variety. It is not even close to the diet I follow or followed while losing weight. The idea is to get an idea of food options. Personally, I have no problem eating almost the same lunch daily (beef) and just spicing up the variety at dinner. I usually eat a lot of salmon and fish in the evenings, but the price is getting a little expensive and have started to start incorporating more chicken and cheaper types of fish.

As for carbohydrates, I eat a lot of broccolis, spinach, carrots, potatoes, berries, fruit, and when carb loading for running -> anything is on the table.

7-Day Diet Plan

Each day includes simple, whole-food-based meals to stay low-carb and nutrient-rich.

Day 1

• Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with olive oil and lemon dressing.
• Snack: Handful of almonds.
• Dinner: Pan-seared salmon with steamed broccoli and cauliflower rice.

Day 2

• Breakfast: Keto smoothie (unsweetened almond milk, spinach, avocado, chia seeds, and a few berries).
• Lunch: Grass-fed beef burger (lettuce wrap) with sliced cucumbers and guacamole.
• Snack: Boiled egg and a few macadamia nuts.
• Dinner: Grilled steak with asparagus sautéed in coconut oil.

Day 3

• Breakfast: 2 fried eggs with turkey bacon and sautéed mushrooms.
• Lunch: Tuna salad (mixed with avocado) on a bed of arugula.
• Snack: Sliced celery with almond butter.
• Dinner: Roast chicken thighs with roasted Brussels sprouts and zucchini.

Day 4

• Breakfast: Keto chia pudding (chia seeds, unsweetened coconut milk, vanilla, and a touch of stevia).
• Lunch: Shrimp stir-fry with coconut aminos and mixed vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers, and snap peas).
• Snack: Handful of walnuts.
• Dinner: Baked cod with lemon butter sauce and a side of garlic spinach.

Day 5

• Breakfast: 2 poached eggs with smoked salmon and avocado slices.
• Lunch: Grilled turkey breast with a mixed green salad and olive oil dressing.
• Snack: A few olives and sliced cucumbers.
• Dinner: Pork chops with mashed cauliflower and sautéed green beans.

Day 6

• Breakfast: Coconut yogurt (unsweetened) topped with a few berries and flaxseeds.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with roasted vegetables (carrots, zucchini, and cauliflower).
• Snack: Handful of pumpkin seeds.
• Dinner: Lamb chops with roasted eggplant and a side salad.

Day 7

• Breakfast: Omelette with mushrooms, spinach, and avocado.
• Lunch: Grilled salmon salad with arugula, cucumber, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
• Snack: Handful of pecans.
• Dinner: Roasted turkey breast with steamed broccoli and sautéed mushrooms.

Tips for Success

• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Cook with healthy fats: Use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil for cooking.
• Avoid processed foods: Stick to whole, fresh ingredients.
• Prep in advance: Chop vegetables, portion snacks, and prepare meals for convenience.