Get a Meal Plan

By JOY BAUER

Updated 11:45 AM EST, Mon, Jan 12, 2009

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All men and active women (women under 40 years of age who do 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 that's not all. Here are some sample meals and helpful guidelines of the LIFE diet.

BREAKFAST: LIFE Dark Chocolate Cherry Muffin with Cottage Cheese
One LIFE Dark Chocolate Cherry Muffin plus ½ cup nonfat or 1 percent low fat cottage cheese

LUNCH: Egg White Salad on English Muffin with Side Salad
Mash 4-5 hardboiled egg whites (discard the yolks) with 1 tablespoon reduced fat mayo, Dijon mustard (optional), minced onion (optional), and black pepper to taste. Spread onto one whole grain English muffin.

Serve with side salad: unlimited lettuce, tomato, onion, and/or cucumber with 2 tablespoons reduced calorie dressing (40 calories or less per 2 tablespoons) or 1 teaspoon olive oil with unlimited vinegar or fresh lemon.

SNACK: Celery with Peanut Butter
Unlimited celery sticks plus 1 level tablespoon natural peanut butter

DINNER: Turkey Sausage with Sautéed Peppers and Onions
LIFE Dinner Salad (any non-starchy vegetables, topped with 2 tablespoons reduced calorie dressing)

2 cups LIFE Veggie Soup (see recipe or add link – you have recipe form last week)

Turkey Sausage with Sautéed Peppers and Onions

Sauté one (3-4 ounce) link turkey sausage in nonstick cooking spray until fully cooked. Remove from pan and slice into rounds. In same pan, sauté one whole bell pepper (red, yellow or green) and one medium onion (both thinly sliced) until soft. Add sausage back to pan, heat through for about 1 minute, and serve

LIFE Healthy Extra (enjoy at any time throughout the day)

Choose one of the following as your LIFE Healthy Extra:

1 ounce dark chocolate (preferably at least 70% cocoa)
½ cup low-fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet
4 cups low-fat or air popped popcorn
1 small bag soy crisps (150 calories or less)
5 ounces wine
12 ounces light beer
1 LIFE Dark Chocolate Cherry Muffin

Dos and dont's during Step 2

Don’ts

DON’T…add sugar or salt to anything
DON’T…eat starches during or after dinner (including bread, rice, pasta, peas, corn and potatoes)

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…feel free (if you choose) to consume up to two items each day with artificial sweetener.
DO…feel free to enjoy one LIFE Healthy Extra each day at any time you like. Choose from the following list: