Following the running thread.

We all like to lose a bit of the timber that surrounds our bodies and the running thread has made me think this little topic up, out there are a plethora of diets aimed at people with no nutritional idea of how the body works, below is a guide to losing weight the right way. I've posted some meal plans for people of all ages whether you are active or not.

1.Meal Plan for a Sedentary Office Worker - Male

One important consideration is to make sure that all your meals and snacks are based around low glycaemic carbohydrate foods so to ensure that energy levels are evenly maintained to help maintain good even energy levels which will aid concentration while sitting at your desk. This will also help to curb urges to snack on biscuits, cakes, sweets and chocolate!

Breakfast High fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 200ml skimmed milk + 1 tsp sugar
1-2 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
Mid-morning 2 oatcakes or home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Lunch Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Mid afternoon 2 oatcakes or home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Evening Meal 180g chicken breast or 200g white fish or 180g lean meat
3-4 tblsp basmati rice or 2 cupfuls cooked pasta or 1 medium potato
Loads of veg or large salad
Evening 2-3 oatcakes or rye crispbread + low fat soft cheese
Drink


2.Meal Plan for a Sedentary Office Worker - Female


The following example meal plan has been designed for a female with an 'average' 9-5 office-based job. Her job would be fairly inactive and involve primarily sitting at a desk with minimal walking about. It has been designed to be nutritionally balanced to suit an adult female who has a sedentary job and weighs 55-60kg, who does no regular exercise, and she should maintain her weight on this intake. This is somewhat of a hypothetical scenario as we are all different, so like all plans, it is merely an example and needs to be adapted to suit an individual's own lifestyle, daily routine and nutritional requirements. However, use this to give you an idea of what are healthy nutritious foods to include, but don't forget to vary your food choices and to drink plenty of water through the day.

One important consideration is to make sure that all your meals and snacks are based around low glycaemic carbohydrate foods so to ensure that energy levels are evenly maintained to help maintain good even energy levels which will aid concentration while sitting at your desk. This will also help to curb urges to snack on biscuits, cakes, sweets and chocolate!

Breakfast High fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 200ml skimmed milk + 1 tsp sugar
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
Mid-morning Item fruit
Drink
Lunch Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
or salad with tuna/salmon /chicken/ham + crispbread
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Mid afternoon 2 oatcakes or home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Evening Meal 120g chicken breast or 140g white fish or 120g lean meat
2-3 tblsp basmati rice or 2 cupfuls cooked pasta or 1 medium potato
Loads of veg or large salad
Evening Item fruit
Drink


3.Meal Plan for a Manual Worker


This plan has been designed for all those involved in manual jobs: builders, farmers, engineers, road workers, landscape gardeners and all professions which require a great deal of strength and energy. Obviously different jobs will require different shifts and break times, so adapt timings to suit you and your job. The common factor with all the jobs for which this meal plan has been designed is that they are all very physical and all require a lot of food and fluid. Food choices are not high fatty and sugary junk foods (although there is some fat and sugar present for energy), rather healthy food choices, big portions and regular eating. The plan has also been designed to involve home-made snacks and lunches to ensure you have control over your own food, as well as to save money.

The intake is based on a man weighing 70-75kg for weight maintenance, and although primarily aimed at male manual workers, women involved in such professions will also need a high energy intake, so can adapt this plan to suit them. Like all plans, it is merely an example and needs to be adapted to suit an individual’s own lifestyle, daily routine and nutritional requirements. Use this to give you an idea of what are healthy nutritious foods to include, but don’t forget to vary your food choices and to drink plenty of water through the day, especially if you’re working outdoors in the heat.

Breakfast Large bowl high fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 250ml skimmed milk + 3 tsp sugar
3-4 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread + jam/peanut butter
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
First break 6 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese
2-3 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Second break Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + 2 slice chicken/ham or 60g cheese
Drink
Lunch Sandwiches: 4 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Mid afternoon 6 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese
2-3 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Evening Meal 250g chicken breast or 250g white fish or 180g lean meat
80g tblsp basmati rice or 100g wholewheat pasta or large serving potatoes
Loads of veg or large salad
Evening 3-4 oatcakes or rye crispbread + low fat soft cheese
Large handful nuts
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink


4.Meal Plan for a Shift Worker – Early Shift


The plans are based on a moderately active job on the traditional shift pattern, for example, factory workers, warehouse employees, forklift truck drivers, etc. These jobs do not require a large amount of strength but for good health and adequate energy, a regular meal pattern is desirable. Typical shift patterns will be 6am – 2pm (early), 2pm – 10pm (late), 10pm-6am (night) though they may differ slightly, in which case adjust timings appropriately.

Food choices are not snack junk foods, rather healthy food choices, with the focus on regular eating. The plans have also been designed to involve home-made snacks and lunches to ensure you have control over your own food, as well as to save money.

The intake is based on an average weight individual for weight maintenance. For energy the base of each meal and snack is on slow releasing carbohydrate foods and don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Like all plans, it is merely an example and needs to be adapted to suit an individual’s own lifestyle, daily routine and nutritional requirements. Use this to give you an idea of what are healthy nutritious foods to include, but don’t forget to vary your food choices.

For your days off, try to integrate yourself into a regular and structured eating plan, according to what shift you’ve just come off, and when you like to get up.

Breakfast 5.00am Large bowl high fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 250ml skimmed milk
or 2 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread + jam/peanut butter
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
Break 9.00am Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken / ham or 60g cheese
Item fruit
Drink
Lunch 12.00pm Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Home from work 3.00pm 3-4 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese
or 2 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Evening Meal 6.00pm 150g chicken breast or 170g white fish or 150g lean meat
60g tblsp basmati rice or 70g wholewheat pasta or serving potatoes
Loads of veg or large salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Hour pre-bed Banana
Large handful nuts
Drink


5.Meal Plan for a Shift Worker – Late Shift


Breakfast 9.00am Large bowl high fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 250ml skimmed milk
or 2 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread + jam/peanut butter
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
Mid-morning 3-4 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese or 2 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
Lunch 1.00pm 150g chicken breast or 170g white fish or 150g lean meat
60g tblsp basmati rice or 70g wholewheat pasta or serving potatoes
Loads of veg or large salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Break 5.00pm Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken / ham or 60g cheese
Item fruit
Drink
8.00pm Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
Hour pre-bed 3-4 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese or 2 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink


6.Meal Plan for a Shift Worker – Night Shift


If your shift hours are different, adjust meal timings on the plans appropriately. The plans are based on a moderately active job on the traditional shift pattern, for example, factory workers, warehouse employees, forklift truck drivers, etc. For introduction text, please see Shift Worker – Early Shift meal plan.

Breakfast 6.30am Large bowl high fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 250ml skimmed milk
or 2 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread + jam/peanut butter
200ml fruit juice
7.30am – bed
3.00pm Large bowl high fibre cereal (like Weetabix, bran flakes, Shreddies, muesli, porridge, etc) + 250ml skimmed milk
or 2 slices granary bread (toasted) + olive oil based spread + jam/peanut butter
200ml fruit juice
Mug tea/coffee
Evening meal 6.00pm 150g chicken breast or170g white fish or 150g lean meat
60g tblsp basmati rice or 70g wholewheat pasta or serving potatoes
Loads of veg or large salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink
9.00pm Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken / ham or 60g cheese
Item fruit
Drink
Break 1.00am 3-4 oatcakes + cottage cheese / quark / low fat soft cheese or 2 squares home-made easy flapjack
Item fruit
Drink
4.00am Sandwich: 2 slices granary bread + olive oil-based spread + slice chicken/ ham or tuna in low fat natural yoghurt or smoked salmon
Mixed salad
Low fat / low sugar yoghurt
Drink