December Weight Loss Challenge

It's December and that means lots of temptations. There will be pies, sugar cookies, and lots of really bad stuff. I am a firm believer that you should allow yourself treats here and there if you are staying good on your diet 90% of the time. You need a little breathing room. But let's make sure not to over-do anything.

I have a weight loss challenge for my readers. I challenge you to stick to the following rules in December and I will try my best to do the same:

• 8 cups of water per day
• 30 minutes exercise per day (you choose what to do)
• No refined/added sugars 90% of the time (to allow time to eat with family)
• Absolutely no drinks other than water
• Stick to a calorie goal 90% of the time

The 8 cups of water is self explanatory. We all need water to help keep our bodies functioning.

I want you to do 30 minutes of exercise every day. You should pick something you enjoy. Don't go hard every day and punish yourself. You will only increase your chance of injury. You can be tough on yourself half of the time, but the other half you should choose gentle walking, yoga, and low impact exercise. Focus on self care and give those muscles rest when needed.

No refined/added sugars 90% of the time. I chose 90% because I'm not trying to punish anyone. If you can make it 100% of the time, that's great but if you want to indulge in some holiday sweets, you can. Remember that refined and added sugars are different from natural sugars. Some natural sugars include stevia, fruit sugar, and raw honey. You are allowed natural sugars.

Do not drink anything other than water. No alcohol, no soft drinks, nothing but water.

Everyone has a target amount of calories they should be consuming for weight loss each day. Most women lost weight at 1500 calories, most men lose weight at 1800 calories. There are exceptions to this rule. I am actually an exception as I do not lose weight at 1500 calories. I have to restrict to 1200 to lose any amount of weight. You need to use this online calculator to find your ideal calorie goal.

So that's the weight loss challenge I have for you. I hope you do well with it.

7 Day 1200 Calorie Meal Plan

A great diet for weight loss is the 1200 calorie diet. It's not for everyone though. Small framed women who are not too active can use the 1200 calorie diet. Those who are taller, weigh more, or have more activity may need to eat more than 1200 calories. In this post, I thought it would be nice to formulate a mock 1200 calorie meal plan.

Monday

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 cup of cooked oatmeal sweetened with stevia (306 calories)

Snack: Banana (100 calories)

Lunch: Grilled chicken salad made with grilled chicken breast, 2 cups lettuce, your choice of vegetables and light ranch dressing (350 calories)

Dinner: Bowl of beans and rice 1 cup of each (451 calories)

Total calories: 1207

Tuesday

Breakfast: 1 cup plain yogurt (no added sugar) with 1 chopped banana (249 calories)

Snack: Apple (70 calories)

Lunch: 2 cups chicken and veggie stir fry (264 calories)

Snack: 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter with 1 banana (190 calories)

Dinner: Baked chicken breast with 1/2 cup of rice and 2 servings of veggies (430 calories)

Total calories: 1203

Wednesday

Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 banana, half cup of cooked oatmeal (253 calories)

Snack: 1 cup of grapes (62 calories)

Lunch: 1 cup tuna salad (383 calories)

Snack: plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup with 1 tablespoon raw honey (132 calories)

Dinner: Cod fish with 1 cup of rice and 1 serving veggies (425 calories)

Total calories: 1255

Thursday

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 cup cooked oatmeal with stevia (306 calories)

Snack: 2 cups grapes (124 calories)

Lunch: 2 cups chicken and veggie stir fry (264 calories)

Snack: 2 apples (140 calories)

Dinner: Grilled chicken, 2 cups of lettuce, your choice of veggies, and lite ranch dressing (350 calories)

Total calories: 1184

Friday

Breakfast: 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon raw honey and 1 apple (283 calories)

Snack: 1 banana (100 calories)

Lunch: Baked chicken breast and 2 servings of veggies (301 calories)

Snack: 1 apple (70 calories)

Dinner: 1 cup beans with 1 cup rice (451 calories)

Total calories: 1205

Saturday

Breakfast: 1 banana, 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (253 calories)

Snack: 1 cup grapes (62 calories)

Lunch: Cod fish and 2 servings of veggies (259 calories)

Snack: 1 banana (100 calories)

Dinner: Grilled chicken, 1 cup rice, 2 servings veggies (507 calories)

Total calories: 1181

Sunday

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 cup cooked oatmeal with stevia (306 calories)

Snack: 1 banana (100 calories)

Lunch: 2 cups chicken and veggie stir fry (264 calories)

Snack: 1 cup grapes and 1 banana (162 calories)

Dinner: Grilled chicken, 2 cups of lettuce, your choice of veggies, and lite ranch dressing (350 calories)

Total calories: 1182

Average calories for the week: 1202

As you can see, some days go slightly over 1200 calories and some days are a little under 1200 calories, but it all evens out to an average of 1202 calories per day for the week.

12 Best Weight Loss Snacks To Eat

When you are trying to lose weight, it's important to know what foods to eat. There are certain foods that make you gain weight, and other foods that increase your metabolism and help you lose weight. These weight loss foods will help keep your blood sugar stable, and you will notice your appetite won't be as ravenous as before.

Here are some snacks you can eat for weight loss:

• Almonds
• Oatmeal
• Raspberries
• Grapefruit
• Yogurt
• Apples
• Pistachios
• Berries
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Citrus fruits
• Dark chocolate

Of course you should use portion control when eating snacks and do your best not to go overboard. Measure and count your calories or macros (depending on your diet). But when you eat these foods, you will notice that you aren't as hungry.

These foods contain nutrients that your body is craving. They also have fiber and protein which will keep you full for longer than if you went for a bag of chips instead. These are whole foods, not processed junk so they will not slow down your metabolism or make you store fat. They will actually help prevent fat storage and give you lots of good energy to get through the day.

How Often Should You Snack On A Diet?

How often you should snack depends on which diet you choose. If you are eating a certain amount of calories, break them up into 3 meals and 2 snacks at designated times. Then you will be less likely to experience extreme hunger.

A 1200 calorie diet can be broken into 3 meals of 300 calories and 2 snacks of 150 calories each. A schedule may look like:

1. Breakfast: 300 calories at 8 a.m.
2. Snack 1: 150 calories at 10 a.m.
3. Lunch: 300 calories at 12 p.m.
4. Snack 2: 150 calories at 3 p.m.
5. Dinner: 300 calories at 6 p.m.

When you are on a diet, snacking is so important. If you are too hungry all the time, it will just lead to eventually overeating. Allow yourself to have some snacks here and there while dieting. These are great snacks to choose. Always keep a good stock of these foods in the house so that you aren't tempted to eat anything that's bad for you.