Detailed healthy meal plans are for those who prefer more mental challenges and detail oriented or those who desire to be more particular about their daily calorie intake and the resulting health. If you find this plan to be too complicated, please check out Easy Healthy Meal Planner.To get started, follow the steps below.Calculation of BMIYou may use an online BMI calculator or do it manually. The formulas are available in BMI Calculator, Do You Really Need It?It is to help determine whether you are overweight, underweight or within the normal range. In general, a number lower than 20 suggests that an individual may be underweight whereas a number greater than 25 indicates that a person may be overweight.
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However, please keep in mind that the BMI figure is to be used only as a general guide or indicator. Never use it as an absolute standard to measure your
body fat content or health. For more information, please read BMI Calculator, Do You Really Need It?Choose Your Desired BMIYou may select your desired BMI more on the low or high side. Refer to the chart in BMI Calculator, Do You Really Need It? Please remember that our health is influenced by many factors, BMI is only a general indicator of it.Calculation of Your Desired Weight
Perform this calculation by using the same BMI formula except that this time you fill in information for your height and desired BMI. You will get the number for your desired weight.Set Daily Calorie Goal
Select your
daily calorie intake based on your desired body weight and the daily calorie requirement chart below. The simple principle to follow is: to lose weight, set a lower daily calorie goal; to gain weight, increase your daily calorie intake.Daily Calorie Requirement Chart Based on Age for Male and FemaleSlow weight loss is healthier and can be better maintained in the long run. It is best to lose weight at maximum 1 pound per week. To lose 1 pound in a week, you need to cut down 3,500 calories in that week. This means to reduce 500 calories from your calorie intake each day. To lose 1/2 a pound per week, you need to reduce 250 calories from your daily diet.Similarly, it is also best to gain weight gradually if you desire to gain muscles and not merely body fat. Make sure you combine extra food intake with work out. Some suggest that we should gain no more than 2 pounds per week at most. However, I personally prefer a slower weight gain process that is to gain only 1 pound a week at a maximum level.The same formula applies to weight gain as in weight loss. To gain 1 pound a week, add 500 calories to your regular daily intake. To gain ½ a pound, increase only 250 calories.
Professional meal planning requires the understanding of the
Food Guide Pyramid and the Food Exchange System. However, for the purpose of a simpler meal plan, please refer to the Traditional or Vegetarian Meal Plans to choose one that is closest to your daily calorie goal.
Plan your menu for a week. It may take time for you to get into the habit of following your
healthy meal plans, but once you become familiar with it, you will experience a greater sense of satisfaction and well-being.
