TLETA Meal Plan

It is hard to give a day by day schedule not knowing what the DFAC will serve.   Listed below are the priorities that you should select from to create a meal plan that will keep you healthy, lose weight, and build upon the progress you are gaining while allowing your body to heal from exercise. 

Breakfast

First Pick

Hard Boiled Eggs (2-4)

Oatmeal-preferably plain no sugar but if you have to add anything, add some real butter or artificial sweetener

Fruit (all you want)

1-3 slices of bacon or 1 sausage patty unless links then 2 links.

No biscuits or croissants. You may have one piece of wheat toast with honey.

Water, Water, Water, and more Water. 

If you must a small glass of white milk is okay. 

Second Pick

Over Easy Eggs.  (Two Max)

Scrambled Eggs (One spoon full). These are processed so avoid as much as possible. 

Grits

Cereal- non-sweet type, preferably a whole grain Cheerios, Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes, etc.

Stay away from bread products as much as possible. No gravies, sauces, jellies, jams, etc.

Bacon and Sausage should not be eaten in large amounts.  Keep it reasonable.

Focus on clean protein, fruits, and vegetables that have not been fried or covered in sauces.

Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want. 

You can eat a large breakfast because you will be burning it up the rest of the day.  If you eat a large breakfast, scale back lunch and dinner proportionally.   

Lunch and Dinner

First Choices

Grilled, Baked, or Broiled Fish or Shrimp                               1-2 portions for lunch / 1 portion for supper

Grilled, Baked, or Broiled Chicken without skin                    Same as above

Grilled, Baked, or Broiled Beef                                                   Same as above

NO Fried anything unless that is the only choice.

Eat as much as you want from the salad bar, but limit the cheeses and meats. No dressing ever!!!!! Use the vinegar and oil or nothing at all. Lemon juice is also a viable option.

Avoid soups unless they are water based, then limit them as they are high in salt. 

Vegetables are okay but they cannot be cooked in any sauces or butter. 

Avoid gravy and sauces.

Avoid pasta as much as possible- it converts to sugar in your body. 

Eat all the fruit that you want.

TIPS:

If you have strictly followed the right diet for the week, you may reward yourself with dessert on just one day of the week  (Hint: Wednesday is Ice Cream Day). You may also reward yourself with one cheat meal but do not over-do it (A whole pizza or two value meals from anywhere is over doing it).

The goal is to eat the most food at breakfast and then taper off for lunch and even more for dinner.  If you do not feel like eating a whole lot for breakfast then eat more at lunch but less at supper/dinner.

Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.   Especially if you feel like you need a snack between meals. 

Water, water, and water.

NO sodas of any type, especially full strength sodas.  (Diet Soda 1-2 times a week at most)

Avoid high sugar juices.  Read labels- 20+grams of sugar per serving in anything is too much.

No Gatorade or related, they are all sugar unless you go with the zero Gatorade. It is also important to know that Gatorade is not designed to drink as its own beverage. It was designed to be consumed by drinking half of it and then filling back up with water, then drink half of it again and fill up with water.  Then you drink all of that and you are done.  

Avoid, at all costs, food from a bag or a box.  They are processed and contain high sugar and salt. 

Your protein intake needs to be high to build muscle.  Focus on lean meats and eggs. 

You may give yourself one cheat meal a week if you have really earned it.  

Understand, once you have reached your goal weight you must maintain it for 30 days to re-program your body to that weight.  Once you have done that you can go back to eating more normally, but you always have to do it in moderation, in a smart manner, and being cognizant of the total calorie intake for the day to week.  Chances are if you follow this program you will feel so much better your body will no longer want to eat the foods you use to.

Good Luck!