What is a weight loss meal plan?

Put simply, a weight loss meal plan is a dietary guideline to follow that creates a calorie deficit—burn more than you consume—resulting in weight loss. A healthy and sustainable meal plan should include breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks so you never go hungry while losing weight. It's also important to include foods from all key food groups to ensure you're meeting all your nutrient needs.

How do I follow a meal plan?

Not sure where to start? WW has you covered! The U.S. News & World Report has named WW the #1 Best Diet for Weight Loss 13 years in a row—so we know a thing or two. Below you'll find a meal plan filled with delicious meals including pasta, pizza and desserts to prove you don't have to miss out on the foods you love to lose weight.

Meal plan for weight loss:

Here's a sample meal plan for a day of eating on the WeightWatchers program:

Breakfast:

Berry overnight oats

Layer oats, fat-free plain yoghurt and frozen berries in a jar or bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, stir to combine the layers and enjoy!

Lunch:

Thai beef salad wrap

Combine mashed avocado and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread wrap with avocado mixture. Top with spinach, sliced tomatoes and cucumber. Arrange deli sliced roast beef on top and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce. Sprinkle with sliced red onion and roll tightly.

Dinner:

Chicken and pineapple fried rice

Heat sesame oil and egg and swirl to coat wok. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until egg is set, flip over to set top. Roll up and cut into thin slices. Add remaining sesame oil, onion and capsicum. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add rice, pineapple, chicken and teriyaki sauce and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir through sprouts and egg strips and cook until sprouts are wilted. Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander.

Snacks:

• Skim cappuccino
• Piece of fruit
• Air-popped popcorn

>> Full 7 day meal plan

Benefits of weight loss

In addition to feeling good and having more energy, there are several health benefits associated with weight loss. In fact, research shows that you don’t need to lose a significant amount of weight to reap the benefits. Simply losing 5–10 per cent of your weight can improve your health in many ways. While the benefits may not always be visible, they are still important. Some of these potential health benefits include:

1. Improved cholesterol levels
2. Improved blood sugar control
3. Lowered blood pressure
4. Reduced risk of pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes
5. Reduced risk of certain cancers

People following the WeightWatchers weight loss program can expect to lose up to 1kg per week.

Meal planning tips

Planning meals and snacks in advance is an effective weight loss strategy as it reduces the need for impulse decision making.

Spending 15 minutes to plan your meals for the week, will not only help you stay inspired and focused on your eating habits, but it also minimises the challenge of thinking about what to have for lunch or dinner each day.

Weekends are ideal for meal prepping and planning. With the extra time, you can prep, shop and cook in one go. Writing your plan down can help cement your intention and stay on track. Place your meal plan somewhere easily accessible. The fridge door is a good spot because it’s around eye-level and usually in a prominent position in the kitchen.

Don't forget to keep things flexible! We all know sometimes things change and you may not get the chance to eat what you had planned but that's ok too! Meal plans, whether for weight loss or not, don't have to be fixed and rigid.

WW goes beyond meal planning

In theory, losing weight is really simple. All you have to do is eat less and move more, right? But, as we all know, in practice it’s not that easy.

To get the weight loss results you want, you need to see how all aspects of your life—the quality of the sleep you’re getting, the amount of activity you’re fitting in, and how you think about yourself all affect the choices you make, including what you eat.

The WW program is holistic and includes your whole lifestyle to build a complete wellness plan, featuring our award-winning weight-management system. When you’ve got a plan in place, everything, including losing weight, is easier!