The lean meal plan for females is a guide that will help you lose excess weight fast and keep it off.Are you struggling to lose fat but only have so much time for exercise? Do you work a busy job and need a simple way to optimize your time? It can sometimes be difficult if not frustrating to find a suitable meal plan or a workout routine or whatever solution there is that matches your lifestyle and goals.
The Woman’s Meal Plan for Getting Lean
If you want to lose weight, give lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and veggies top priority.
Not sure where to begin in your attempt to lose a few inches and get toned? Look nowhere else! Here are some suggestions and a general eating plan that anyone may use to lose weight and build muscle, regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth.
The Benefits of Losing Fat
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that more than two out of every three persons in the United States are overweight or obese (NIDDK).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing even a small amount of weight, such as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, has health benefits such as lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels (CDC). Additionally, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it might assist you in lowering your risk of contracting certain disorders linked to weight (including diabetes and heart disease) (NLM).
Weight Loss for Women
If you’ve ever thought that losing weight is more difficult for women than it is for men, you’re not alone.
The Women’s Health Research Institute claims that there are numerous biological explanations for this. First off, those who were born male (AMAB) often have greater lean muscle and a lower body fat percentage than those who were born female (AFAB), which raises their resting metabolic rate. And according to the American Council on Exercise, the greater your resting metabolic rate, the more calories your body can burn each day (ACE).
The hips, thighs, and buttocks of AFAB people prefer to accumulate fat, and those areas have shown to be a little more resistant to fat reduction and muscle building. Additionally, female hormones increase the likelihood that extra calories won’t be burned and will instead be stored as fat, which takes up more room than muscle.
What Should a Woman Eat to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle?
Priorities first The Cleveland Clinic advises against trying to lose weight quickly by going on a crash diet, despite the fact that it can be enticing. Fad diets, cleanses, and quick weight reduction in general can pose a number of risks, and it’s likely that once you start eating normally again, you’ll put the weight back on.
Instead, according to the CDC, try to lose 1 or 2 pounds weekly by adopting a slower, more progressive weight loss strategy. According to Harvard Health Publishing, to do this, you must reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories in order to lose up to 2 pounds every week.
You risk losing out on important nutrients if you allow your daily caloric intake to dip below 1,200 calories. Weight loss may halt if a 1,200-calorie diet results in a calorie deficit of more than 1,000 and you’re also exercising. According to a Current Obesity Reports paper from October 2016, adaptive thermogenesis happens immediately after the initial weight reduction when your metabolism gradually adjusts to match your low-calorie diet.
What Foods to Eat for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
The amount of calories is not the only factor. Harvard Health Publishing advises that when creating a meal plan for weight loss and muscle building, it’s important to consider the caloric quality as well. A calorie from junk food is not the same as a calorie from a healthy diet since not all calories are created equal. While the calories in the latter typically come with the necessary nutrients your body needs, the former typically offers little to no nutrition.
Every meal should be different; according to the CDC, a healthy diet consists of a balanced, colorful diet. Choose wholesome foods that give you both nourishment and calories (energy). This comprises:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains like brown rice and quinoa
- Good fats like avocado and nuts
- Lean proteins
Your body is capable of doing two things at once, so you can burn fat and gain muscle.
“You don’t grow muscle through food. Exercise is necessary, and lifting weights is necessary for that “says best-selling author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook Nancy Clark, RD, CSSD.
“Protein-rich meals like Greek yogurt, chicken, turkey, tofu, and beans — any protein-rich food will develop and repair — are what the body requires in order to create muscle. Grain and other carbohydrates provide the muscle with nourishment for exercise “says Clark. Learn more with this food plan for weight loss for athletes.
According to ACE, everyone’s rate of muscular growth during a strength-training program differs. The factors that affect how quickly your muscles grow include age, sex, hormone levels, and general genetic make-up. In three to six months, you’ll probably be able to observe some growth.
Tip
Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Adults should also engage in muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.
What Foods to Cut Out to Get Lean
Avoid certain foods if your goal is to get lean, per Harvard Health Publishing, including:
- Refined grains
- Highly processed foods and snacks
- Refined sugar
- Sugary foods and drinks
- Fried foods and foods with trans fats or significant amounts of saturated fat
That said, keep in mind that a too-restrictive diet just isn’t realistic for long-term weight loss and maintenance. “The minute you say ‘Don’t eat apples,’ the person starts craving apples,” Clark says.
Lean Meal Plan Ideas
A dietician can create a meal plan for you that is specific to your age, preferences, lifestyle, medical issues, and dietary allergies. A nutritionist can help you choose the ideal route for you because a weight-loss strategy for a woman over 60 may differ from a weight-loss plan for a woman over 40, for example.
Clark advises that you eat at least three or four different types of food with the meal in the meantime. You would need some type of protein to create and rebuild your muscles, some kind of grain to feed them, some kind of fruit or veg for vitamins and minerals, and some kind of calcium-rich diet for your bones, according to the expert.
Be careful to get enough water as well.
A study that was published in July 2016 in The Annals of Family Medicine found a strong correlation between obesity and dehydration.
Harvard Health Publishing advises adhering to the 4- to 6-cup norm, but you should absolutely raise your intake on hot days or if you’re perspiring a much from activity.
Breakfast
Here are some lean meal plan ideas for breakfast, courtesy of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI):
- Whole-wheat bread with some jelly, shredded wheat cereal with 1 percent milk, orange juice and regular coffee
- Oatmeal (made with 1 percent milk), fruit and coffee
You should also add a protein in there, according to Clark, like eggs or cottage cheese.
And don’t forget those good fats! Unsaturated fats — like avocado, nuts and seeds, oils and fish — are necessary and beneficial to your health, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Lunch
For your midday meal, try:
- Apple and a roast beef sandwich, made with lean beef, whole-wheat bread, lettuce, tomato and low-calorie mayo
- Baked chicken (without the skin), a vegetable salad with an oil and vinegar dressing and some brown rice
Dinner
Some dinner ideas, per the NHLBI:
- Salmon, a baked potato, carrots and green beans, a dinner roll and some unsweetened iced tea
- Chicken taco (made with a corn tortilla and skinless chicken breast), Spanish rice (without meat), corn, a banana and some coffee (made with 1 percent milk)
Strategies for Success
Losing weight can be hard, but apart from eating healthier and exercising regularly, there are some changes you can make in your daily habits to make it easier.
How to Gain Control
For instance, the Mayo Clinic advises that you pay attention to what you eat and how much of it you consume; rather than eating aimlessly, do so only when you are truly hungry and stop when you are full. You’re less likely to detect your body’s cues that you’re full if you eat while working, watching TV, or playing with your phone.
Examine your motivations for eating what you do. You can be eating because you’re bored or because stress or unhappiness has triggered an emotional response in you. If emotional eating is a habit you have, start changing it for a better one.
Getting assistance from friends and family and/or joining a support group can also be beneficial.
How to Meal Prep for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, having a little meal every three to four hours is a good approach to maintain a constant metabolism and keep the body in a continuous anabolic state, which is a state when muscles are being built (NASM).
Meal planning will help you stick to any kind of nutrition program since it helps you manage your calorie intake, gives you structure, and takes the guesswork out of planning your meals. When compared to dining out, it gives you a lot more control over what you put in your body.
To prepare these meals that you can simply reheat throughout the week, Clark advises that you simply write down what you feel like eating for a few days or the week (and make sure the meals include all the food groups, especially protein), quickly calculate the calories for each meal, make a shopping list, and spend a few hours preparing them.
Women’s Nutrition Plan To Get Toned And Lose Fat
You may have heard that proper diet is essential to getting the body of your dreams. This is not a lie! You may construct your body to achieve your objectives—become slim and toned, reduce fat, or maintain your weight—by paying attention to your nutrition. We provide a variety of meal plans for ladies who want to lose weight by eating in accordance with their fitness objectives.
You get the energy you need to work exercise correctly from the food you eat. But muscular toning and post-workout recuperation are significantly influenced by healthy nutrition as well.
This diet will include all the meals required to help you achieve your ideal figure!
Calories Are What Matters The Most In A Nutrition Plan
Nutrition will be important in this process whether you want to tone up, shed fat, or maintain your weight! Your diet, which is measured in calories, is what feeds your body.
Your calorie intake will determine the type of body you get:
- Get Toned: Toning your muscle means; building lean muscle mass progressively without getting too much fat. In order to do so, you will have to eat more calories than you burn, often called: caloric surplus. If you increase your calories too quickly, your body will store fat. This why it’s important to do it progressively, so you can track your progress and avoid looking bulky.
- Maintain Weight: This is when you burn as many calories as you consume, often called: calorie maintenance. Knowing the caloric intake you need in order to maintain your weight is the starting point. From there, you can determine how you would have to eat in order to tone your body or lose fat. Use this calorie calculator!
- Lose Fat: If you want to lose fat, you will have to burn more calories than you consume, often called: caloric deficit. It’s when your body uses fat stores for energy, which leads to weight loss. Be aware, the body can also use muscle tissue; which is bad. This is why you must lose fat progressively, if you’re doing it too quickly you will kill your health and most certainly give up.
Explanations Of Macronutrients Ratio
Macronutrients are nutrients that our body needs in large amount: Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. It’s important to define the right macronutrient ratio according to your fitness goal; whether you want to tone your body or lose fat.
In short words, this ratio will depend on:
- Your Fitness Goal: If you want to burn fat, you won’t have the same macronutrient ratio that someone who wants to tone up.
- Your Body Type: Some people tend to gain more weight than others. They should consume less carbohydrates and fats than the ones having a hard time toning up.
- Your Gender: Women are generally more efficient at burning fat and would often consume less carbohydrates than men.
Macronutrients Ratio According To Your Fitness Goals
During this women’s nutrition plan we will define a general macronutrient ratio for each fitness goal: toning, burning fat and maintaining weight. Like said earlier, we all have different body types, so it will be your job to slightly change this ratio if your body doesn’t respond to it.
The macronutrient ratios are:
- Muscle Toning: Carbohydrate 40% – Protein 40% – Fat 20%
- Maintain Weight: Carbohydrate 35% – Protein 35% – Fat 30%
- Burn Fat: Carbohydrate 30% – Protein 40% – Fat 30%
There Is Good Fat In This Nutrition Plan
“I want to lose fat, shouldn’t I avoid eating fat?”. This is good question, in fact there is several type of fats. Some are bad and others are required by your body. I recommend you to read this article: good fat versus bad fat.
Eating Healthy Is Not The Key Factor To Good Nutrition
“Eat fresh produce, drink water, and everything will be OK.” You may read about this in periodicals and online. That statement is not entirely accurate, though. A healthy diet nowadays consists of foods that are low in fat and high in micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.
Indeed, consuming foods high in vitamins improves your health. However, even if you consume just the healthiest foods available, you still won’t achieve your desired results if you don’t meet your daily macronutrient requirements. Do you understand it?
Simply put, calories are calories. Whether you eat “good food” or not, you must first care about your macronutrient intake if you want to reach your fitness goals. Pure science, that is!
The More Often You Eat, The Better You Will Feel
Everyone is familiar with the person who has tried every diet known to man but always gives up because it is too difficult. Nowadays, diets are all about limiting your intake of certain foods, so you feel bad if you consume one more grain of rice than recommended. Your capacity to meet your daily macronutrient requirements, however, is what matters most in that situation.
We will try to have three main meals and one or two snacks, whether you want to tone your body or lose some weight. If you can get your calories in fewer meals, by all means, do so.
Why? You won’t ever feel hungry if you eat every three to four hours, which will help you quit seeking junk food.
You can structure this women’s nutrition plan according to your schedule by using it as an example. It’s crucial to consume something in between your big meals so that you may re-achieve your macronutrient goals!
Daily Calorie Intake For Women
You calorie intake depends on your age, height, gender and how often you exercise weekly. I recommend you to try a calorie calculator.
For a healthy woman with a balanced diet, who is moderately active it’s recommended to eat between 1800 and 2200 calories. We will start with these numbers.
Converting Percentage To Grams
It’s very easy to calcule how many grams you should have for each macronutrient.
First you need to know how many calories contain each macronutrient:
- Carbohydrate: 4 Calories per gram
- Protein: 4 Calories per gram
- Fats: 9 Calories per gram
Then, let’s take 2200 calories as an example and our macronutrient ratio for maintaining weight:
- 35% Carbohydrate -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
- 35% Protein -> 2200 x 0.35 / 4 = 192.5g
- 30% Fat -> 2200 x 0.3 / 9 = 73.3g
Here’s a workout program you should try:
5-Day Get Lean For Summer
24 Workouts
4 Weeks
Cheat Meals And Women’s Nutrition Plan
You can reward yourself with one cheat meal per week, where you won’t count your calories at all; yes you deserve it!
Women’s Nutrition Plan To Maintain Weight
This women’s nutrition plan will be the basis for the other ones, so take notes. Just a few changes will be made in order to hit your macronutrients.
- Carbohydrate: 35%
- Protein: 35%
- Fat: 30%
- Calories: 2200 calories
- Meal 1 – Breakfast (470 calories)
- 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
- 1 Large Banana
- 20g Oats
- 32g Peanut Butter (2 Tablespoons)
- Snack 1 – Morning (350 calories)
- 40g Almonds
- 1 Apple
- Meal 2 – Lunch (500 calories)
- 60g White Basmati Rice
- 100g Carrots
- 200g Broccoli
- 1 Chicken Fillet
- Snack 2 – Pre-workout (250 calories)
- 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
- 1 Apple
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)
- Snack 3 – Post-Workout (250 calories)
- 0.5 Large Banana
- 2 Scoops Whey Protein (50g)
- Meal 3 – Dinner (380 calories)
- 200g Green Beans
- 1 Salmon Fillet Frozen
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Women’s Nutrition Plan To Get Toned
The women’s nutrition plan to get toned will use the same organization as the maintenance one. However, we will make a caloric surplus with a few changes in the meals.
- Carbohydrate: 40%
- Protein: 40%
- Fat: 20%
- Calories: 2500 calories
- Meal 1 – Breakfast
- 16g Peanut Butter (1 Tablespoon) instead of 32g
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)
- Snack 1 – Morning
- 20g Almonds instead of 40g
- 250g Greek Yoghurt 0%
- Meal 2 – Lunch
- 200g Carrots instead of 100g
- Snack 2 – Pre-workout
- 375ml Skimmed Milk (1,5 glass) instead of 250ml
- Snack 3 – Post-workout
- 250ml Skimmed Milk (1 glass)
- 1 Large Banana instead of 0.5
- Meal 3 – Dinner
- 100g Carrots
- 1,5 Salmon Fillet Frozen instead of 1
Women’s Nutrition Plan To Lose Fat
The women’s nutrition plan for losing fat will use the same structure as the maintenance one. However, we will make a caloric deficit with a few changes in the meals.
- Carbohydrate: 30%
- Protein: 40%
- Fat: 30%
- Calories: 1950 calories
- Meal 1 – Breakfast
- Oats removed instead of 20g
- 48g Peanut Butter (3 Tablespoons) instead of 32g
- 1 Apple instead of 1 large banana
- Snack 1 – Morning
- 20 Almonds instead of 40g
- 1 Apple Removed
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25g)
- Meal 2 – Lunch
- White Basmatic Rice removed instead of 60g
- 300g Broccoli instead of 200g
- 200g Carrots instead of 100g
- Meal 3 – Dinner
- 100g Carrots
- 0.5 Tablespoon Olive Oil instead of 1
In Summary
Let’s summarize what we’ve just learned:
- Nutrition is key to obtain the body you want
- Change your daily calorie intake according to your fitness goals
- Watch your macronutrient ratio and listen to your body
- Calories are calories. Care less about whether it is healthy or not and hit your macronutrients
- Indeed, eating healthy is good for your body, but if you’re on a cheap diet you can’t always go healthy
- This nutrition plan is an example, change it to what you can afford
- Take time to prepare your meal plan according to your schedule
7-Day Lean and Clean Meal Plan
Become an efficient machine for dinner preparation!
This is the signal you have been waiting for to start taking better care of yourself. The time has come to change! Place healthy goods in your shopping cart in place of unhealthy ones, and leave the junk food on the shelf! Uncertain about where to start? You can see exactly what a healthy diet may look like by following this 7-day lean and clean food plan.
Cleaning Up Your Diet
Leaving processed food alone is the first step in purging your diet. Instead, emphasize whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Don’t worry if that sounds like nonsense; you’re going to receive a crash lesson in clean eating:
- The most popular forms of lean protein come from land animals, seafood, dairy, and beans.
- You’ll find healthy fats in nuts, seeds, fish, and even some produce.
- Fresh fruits that are lower in sugar (like berries and melons) are best. You can also incorporate a wide variety of other fruits into your diet, as long as you eat them in moderation.
- Fresh vegetables are always a healthy option, keeping you full for hours while remaining relatively low in calories.
- Finally, whole grains contain complex carbohydrates and are found in foods like oats, brown rice, and whole wheat bread.
7-Day Lean and Clean Meal Plan
Let’s move on to the daily schedule now that you have a good understanding of the kinds of meals you will be eating during this meal plan. You can find recipes for three meals and one snack per day in the sections below. You’ll consume 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day if you follow this diet. When attempting to eat for weight loss, the typical healthy adult often falls somewhere between that range.
Save your leftovers because the majority of these recipes in the 7-day lean and clean meal plan make more than one serve. They are recycled for upcoming planned meals. Adapt your grocery list if you are feeding more people than simply yourself.
Day 1 — 1558 calories
Breakfast: Souffle Omelette with Mushrooms (3 servings) and a Banana
Lunch: Skinny Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps (1 serving)
Dinner: Mediterranean Greek Salmon and Orzo (1.5 servings)
Snack: Crispy Broiled Green Beans (2 servings) and ¼ cup of Almonds
Day 2 — 1558 calories
Breakfast: Leftover Souffle Omelette with Mushrooms (3 servings) and a Banana
Lunch: leftover Skinny Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps (1 serving)
Dinner: leftover Mediterranean Greek Salmon and Orzo (1.5 servings)
Snack: leftover Crispy Broiled Green Beans (2 servings) and ¼ cup of Almonds
Day 3 — 1675 calories
Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Pancakes (1 serving)
Lunch: Skinny Chicken Fajitas (2 servings)
Dinner: Quinoa Shrimp Paella (2 servings)
Snack: Avocado Stuffed Deviled Eggs (2 servings) and an Apple
Day 4 — 1675 calories
Breakfast: leftover Blueberry Oat Pancakes (1 serving)
Lunch: leftover Skinny Chicken Fajitas (2 servings)
Dinner: leftover Quinoa Shrimp Paella (2 servings)
Snack: leftover Avocado Stuffed Deviled Eggs (2 servings) and an Apple
Day 5 — 1659 calories
Breakfast: Chocolate Coconut Protein Breakfast Shake (1 serving)
Lunch: leftover Skinny Chicken Fajitas (2 servings)
Dinner: leftover Quinoa Shrimp Paella (2 servings)
Snack: leftover Avocado Stuffed Deviled Eggs (2 servings) and an Apple
Day 6 — 1774 calories
Breakfast: Spinach Parmesan Baked Eggs (2 servings)
Lunch: Korean BBQ Cabbage Cups (2 servings)
Dinner: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms (2 servings)
Snack: Stuffed Bell Pepper Pizzas (2 servings)
Day 7 — 1774 calories
Breakfast: leftover Spinach Parmesan Baked Eggs (2 servings)
Lunch: leftover Korean BBQ Cabbage Cups (2 servings)
Dinner: leftover Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms (2 servings)
Snack: leftover Stuffed Bell Pepper Pizzas (2 servings)