Joy’s LIFE Diet Step One: Meal plan

Sample Step One meal plan
All men and active women under 40 years of age (women under 40 who do at least 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least 6 days a week) may have unlimited lean protein (skinless poultry, fish and seafood, lean meat, egg whites, and tofu) at breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but not with snacks and/or during the rest of the day.

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with fruit

Prepare 4 egg white omelet with any blend of non-starchy vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, onion, etc.); top with 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheese

Enjoy with 1 whole grapefruit, 1 apple or 1 banana.

Lunch: Open-faced turkey sandwich with veggies

Top one slice whole grain bread with 4 ounces sliced turkey breast, optional mustard and/or 1 tablespoon reduced fat mayo, and unlimited tomato slices, lettuce and onion.

Enjoy with unlimited baby carrots and celery sticks (or substitute any other non-starchy raw or steamed vegetables).

Snack: Nuts and fruit

10 raw almonds + fruit of your choice (orange, palm-sized apple, or 1/2 grapefruit)

Dinner: Sirloin steak with sautéed spinach

LIFE Dinner Salad (any non-starchy vegetables, topped with 2 tablespoons reduced calorie dressing)

- or -

2 cups LIFE Veggie Soup (*see recipe)

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Grilled sirloin steak
5 ounces lean sirloin steak, seasoned as desired with allowed marinades/herbs/seasonings.

Preheat a large skillet or grill to medium-high heat and cook to preferred temperature.

Sautéed spinach
Coat sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat to medium. Add 1 clove garlic, minced, and sauté until light brown, 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups washed spinach leaves and sauté until wilted, 3-5 minutes; season with black pepper.

Dos and Don’ts during Step One

Dos

• DO ... eat on a schedule and enjoy three meals and one afternoon snack each day.
• DO ... drink lots of water throughout the day, including two 8-ounce glasses 30 minutes before lunch and two 8-ounce glasses 30 minutes before dinner. Enjoy as much additional water as you want during meals and throughout the day.
• DO ... begin dinner with a large tossed salad (non-starchy vegetables only, including carrot, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli) or LIFE Veggie Soup (see recipe).
• DO ... indulge in non-starchy vegetables in unlimited quantities at any time throughout the day, particularly when you get hungry between designated meal and snack times. See non-starchy vegetables list above.
• DO ... engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday (walking is fine).

Don’ts

• DON’T ... add sugar or other natural or artificial sweeteners to anything
• DON’T ... add salt to anything
• DON’T ... eat starches during or after dinner (including bread, rice, pasta, peas, corn and potatoes)

Find out if Joy’s LIFE Diet is right for you at JoyBauer.com

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