Giving yourself more time to chew your food peacefully helps with food absorption in the body and weight loss. It helps lose more weight and makes excessive weight stay off. Taking your time to eat your food also makes it easier for your body to digest the food. This prevents snacking throughout the entire day. I suggest being on the modified Mediterranean Diet’s big breakfast/small dinner plan for at least twelve weeks before going back to the Mediterranean Diet long term.
The Modified Mediterranean Diet’s Big breakfast/Small Dinner Plan
Breakfast (600-700 calories): Rotate daily.
Meal #1: Steel-cut oatmeal; you can add stevia, a handful of berries, a handful of walnuts or pecans if you want. Along with this, you can have a protein drink or smoothie with 8 ounces of almond or coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or almond butter for your good fats, one scoop of plant protein, and 1-2 tbsp. ground flaxseed for your fiber. May add ice or stevia to taste.
Meal #2: Eggs (3 whites and 1 yolk is best) or an omelet with onions, peppers, or any other vegetables: a little cheese or a few slices of avocado is okay. You can have 2 slices of gluten free toast (Canyon Bakery gluten-free bread is my favorite and is often found in the frozen section of a health food store.) with a little butter or a little almond butter.
Meal #3: Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese with berries and stevia, and a protein drink or smoothie with almond or coconut milk, almond butter or coconut oil, a scoop of plant protein, and 1-2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds. May add ice or stevia to taste.
Meal #4: Gluten-free pancakes with berries (blueberries,blackberries,strawberries, or raspberries) sauteed in a small amount of butter or coconut oil (not syrup). May add 3-4 oz. of smoked wild salmon, 2 slices of turkey bacon, or a protein drink or smoothie as above.
Coffee: Okay. just no sugar or cream. You can use stevia to sweeten, and almond or coconut milk in place of cream. Tea is also okay, just no sugar; use stevia or truvia.
Lunch: No bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes.
You can have all salads with all the vegetables you want, but don’t add croutons. A little cheese is fine, but not every day (rotating every 3-4 days). Add 3-6 ounces of protein such as chicken, turkey, or fish (3-4 oz. for women, 3-6 oz. for men). You can have 1/2-1 cu of beans, peas, or lentils in soups or have hummus as side dish. Use your olive oil and vinegar (use 2-4 parts vinegar and 1 part olive oil) in a salad spritzer, and other condiments like lemon or lime, garlic, pepper, or one calorie per spray salad spritzers by Wishbone on salads. No creamy dressings (i.e.,ranch, blue cheese, etc.).
Dinner: No starches, and no beans, peas, or lentils.
You can have salad with all your vegetables, but no croutons. You can add 3-6 ounces of proteins such as chicken, turkey, or fish. You can have non-cream based vegetable soups and all the green vegetables you desire, such as cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc.
Snacks:
Raw nuts Organic celery and carrot sticks Guacamole or avocado Lettuce wraps Salsa is okay, but with no chips Hot tea is okay with no sugar ( use stevia or Truvia)
Notes to remember:
- Make sure you eat dinner at around 6 or 7 p.m., and go to bed early, around 9 or 10 p.m., so you don’t get late night cravings. This helps both control and re-balance your ghrelin and leptin hormones. Sleep deprivation usually increases appetite.
- Drink 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up. This is great for weight loss and getting rid of body toxins first thing in the morning.
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, and try and get your heart rate up to 120-130 beats per minute. A recumbent bike is recommended to keep pressure off your knees. Try a brisk walk in the morning before breakfast for burning belly fat.
- Control our stress. That also affects your appetite hormones. Learn to let it go, forgive and move on.