Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! Today we’re continuing our latest installment of A Plan for Success. In this series, I want to show you how everyday people can make weight loss a reality, no matter their situation! With personalized strategies and custom meal planning, change is possible for anyone. Whether you want to improve the way you eat, lose weight, or get in shape, a plan that is perfectly tailored to your needs will ensure you reach your goals! Today, we’re going to create a weight loss meal plan for men that’s perfect for busy dads.

In this latest installment, we’ve been working with Chuck, our busy family man who’s come to the realization that his ole’ bod ain’t what it used to be. Though he used to dominate the field back in the glory days, a recent alumni game left him gassed and useless to his teammates. Ultimately, he’d like to lose 30 pounds, get back in shape, and reclaim some of his old stamina. Chuck wants results and he’s ready to make the changes that will bring back his A Game.

In the last post, we talked about the strategies that would help Chuck get more regular with his meals, make better choices when eating out, get those portions under control, and rein in his weekend nosh fest. Today, we’re going to get specific and create a weight loss meal plan for men that puts all the pieces together and delivers results!

Food for Thought

Now as you may recall, Chuck’s dietary intake is all over the place, from meal-to-meal and from day-to-day. Given that Chuck stands at 5’11 and weighs in at 215 pounds, his daily calorie needs are likely somewhere between 2300-2700 calories per day. With a 2000 calorie meal plan, Chuck will start to see that number on the scale go down anywhere from 1-2 pounds per week.

Because Chuck is unaccustomed to eating regular meals, it’s important that his options are straightforward and hassle-free. Anything overly fussy will be left by the wayside, so I purposely went with options that required little preparation and would not seem like “diet” food. Though he will still need to do a little planning for the week and shop accordingly, the options below will not require too much time and effort.

I also made sure to include multiple options for lunch, since this meal is often the most variable. He needs ideas for what to pack on days he’s eating at his desk as well as examples for what to order when he eats out.

Chuck’s Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast

• 1 slice whole grain toast
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• Chicken-apple breakfast sausage (e.g. Aidell’s)
• 1 banana
• Coffee (black)
• (450 calories, 50 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat, 21 g protein)

Lunch

• Olive Garden’s Chicken Parmigiana (Lunch Entrée)
• 1 serving salad
• Water or other calorie-free beverage
• (720 calories, 78 g carbohydrate, 28 g fat, 22 g protein)

~ OR ~

• Turkey and Swiss Sub Sandwich (4 oz sliced deli turkey, 1 slice Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Dijon mustard on a hoagie roll)
• 1 serving Triscuit Thin Crisps
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 cup grapes
• Water or other calorie-free beverage
• (613 calories, 78 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat, 40 g protein

~ OR ~

• Campbell’s Chunky Fajita Steak Soup (1 can)
• 1 oz Cheddar cheese
• 1 serving Tostitos Baked Scoops
• 1 orange
• Water or other calorie-free beverage
• (617 calories, 94 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat, 31 g protein

Afternoon Snack

• 1 medium piece of fruit, such as an apple or pear
• (80 calories, 21 g carbohydrate, <1 g fat, <1 g protein)

Dinner

• 6 oz grilled or broiled beef sirloin steak
• 1 medium baked potato with 1 Tb sour cream
• 1 cup steamed vegetables
• 1-12 oz beer
• (729 calories, 64 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat, 61 g protein)

Evening Treat

• Skinny Cow Caramel Truffle Bar (100 calories) ~OR~
• Kemps Orange Cream Bar (80 calories) ~OR~
• Blue Bunny Light Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar (110 calories)

The Numbers

This meal plan would provide Chuck approximately 1900-2000 calories with 48% of calories from carbohydrate, 26% from fat, and 26% from protein. Each meal has a balance of food groups, which will ward off hunger attacks all while providing his body with the nutrients he needs to get back in shape. Combining this plan with moderate-intensity exercise 3-4 days per week, Chuck will start to see the scale go down approximately 2 pounds each week. All this, AND he still get to knock back a cold one each day!

This meal plan for men proves that with individualized strategies, anyone can lose weight and still enjoy their favorite foods. Weight loss doesn’t haven’t to be all about deprivation! By creating a plan that’s just right for Chuck, he’ll be able to make changes he can stick with over the long haul and ultimately reach his goal!

I hope you found Chuck’s example helpful! I look forward to building on this series of strategies for everyday people who want to lose weight without losing their sanity. As always, thanks for reading and stay focused on your goals!