Free Weight Loss Meal Planner

Weight management doesn't have to involve boring, restrictive meals. In fact, planning appealing meals that include your favorite foods makes it easier to stick with your diet and see good results. This free weight loss meal planner focuses on simple ways to prepare enticing, nutritious menus that will help improve your overall health while you work toward your ideal weight.

Choose a Sustainable Plan

Severely limiting calories or restricting certain food groups isn't necessarily the best diet plan for people on a weight loss program. For example, the Mayo Clinic reports that most people who use carb-restricted diets give up the programs within a year and subsequently gain back the weight they worked so hard to lose. If your goal is permanent weight loss, focus on planning healthy and enjoyable meals that will become part of your normal lifestyle.

Focus on Nutrition

The American Dietetic Association, or ADA, recommends choosing a weight loss meal plan that includes foods from all five food groups: lean protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, as well as healthy fats. Read product labels to determine the fat and sugar content in packaged foods, and use them sparingly when whole foods are available. Rather than counting calories, be sure to get the right number of servings from each food group.

Switch to Healthy Fats

Not all fat is bad for you. In fact, omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, flax seeds and walnuts, can be highly beneficial. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week, and the ADA suggests adding a handful of walnuts or almonds to your daily diet. Also, substitute omega-3 rich canola or olive oil for other vegetable oils.

Reduce Empty Calories

Empty calories, so called because they are low in nutritional value, can sabotage your weight loss plan. Soft drinks, sweets, coffee additives and calories from excessive fat in prepackaged foods are common culprits. Gradually wean yourself from empty calories by substituting more beneficial products. For instance, chocolate soy milk added to your coffee can replace sugary, high-fat mocha drinks, while water with a lemon wedge can substitute for soft drinks.

Watch Portion Size

A serving of protein, such as meat or fish, is about the size of a deck of cards; a serving of rice is a half cup, which is smaller than a woman's fist. The ADA suggests an easy way to control portions and ensure each meal contains the proper nutrients: Fill half your plate with vegetables and one-quarter each with protein and whole grains. Add a piece of fruit and a serving of dairy.

Take a Day Off

The Body for Life fitness program embraces the notion of a weekly "free day." Within reason, the program allows you to select one day a week when you can eat the foods that tempt you most to stray from your diet. Indulging moderately in foods that would otherwise be off limits removes the feeling of being deprived. Continued success in eating healthfully then becomes more likely. Further, the more fit you become, the less effect an occasional indulgence will have on your overall success.