Designing a Nutritious Dog Diet Plan to Combat Obesity Tips for Success

7 Day Obesity Diet Meal Plan (PDF + Menu)

Sharing is caring!

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) above 30. Obesity can increase the risk of many health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, strokes and certain types of cancer like breast and bowel cancer.

One of the best ways of combatting obesity is by losing weight following a healthy diet and exercise.

However, its important to find a way of eating that you can stick to so that you can lose sufficient weight and maintain that weight over the long-term. Fad diets can often lead to drastic weight loss, but people cannot sustain it and return to their previous when they stop the diet.

This diet plan follows healthy, sustainable principles backed up by science.

The article below will cover everything you need to know about following a diet plan for obesity and offer a sample 7 day plan to follow.

Following a Diet Plan for Obesity

When a person consumes more calories than they burn, the excess calories are stored as fat. Consuming too many calories over a period of time will lead to more fat gain and eventually obesity.

Therefore, either lowering the number of calories that you intake or burning more calories is how you can lose weight over time.

As well as ensuring you eat fewer calories overall, the other important thing when it comes to your diet is to ensure the foods you eat are predominantly healthy ones.

Because you are eating less food overall, you want to make sure that you are still getting enough vitamins and minerals and the like to ensure your body properly.

Even when it comes to your weight, eating more of these foods help you stay full, usually because they contain more fiber and protein which are more filling. You have fewer cravings as a result and are, therefore, less prone to overeating.

The sorts of foods you should try and consume more of include:

Fruits

Various studies correlate a higher fruit consumption with lower weight, most likely because they contain lots of fiber. Fiber helps you stay full.

Fruit has a bad reputation because it has more sugars, but these are natural. Fruit typically has high water contents too, so you dont see the blood sugar level rises that are caused by added sugar.

One large study of over 133,468 people over a 24 year period found that fruit intake was associated with a greater weight loss over time (1).

Vegetables

Vegetables contain lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which again helps you stay full with fewer calories. Many studies find that generally, those who eat more vegetables weigh less over time (2).

Leafy greens (such as broccoli, spinach, collard greens etc) have lots of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, which some studies show may help fat burning (3).

Whole Grains

Just because whole grains contain carbs, doesnt matter they are bad for you. Many studies find they can actually help promote weight loss long-term.

They contain lots of important nutrients. These include:

• Fiber, in the form of bran
• Vitamin B minerals like niacin, thiamine, and folate
• Minerals like manganese, magnesium, iron and zinc
• Protein, helping promote muscle growth and repair

One review examined 15 different studies containing 120,000+ people. It found 3 servings of whole grains every day was linked to a lower body mass index and less belly fat (4).

Another study examining 45 years of research on whole grains found that whole-grain cereal and cereal with added bran were associated with a modestly lower risk of obesity (5).

Examples of whole grains include:

• Oatmeal
• Whole grain bread
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Bulgur

However, refined grains can have the opposite effect and encourage weight gain. This is because a whole grain is made up of a bran, endosperm and germ. The bran and germ contain most of the nutrients, fiber and protein, whereas the endosperm contains only carbs.

Refining grains leaves on the endosperm, which contains none of the nutrients, fiber and protein of whole grains. Long-term studies have shown that eating refined carbs is associated with higher belly fat over the long-term (6, 7).

Refined grains include foods such as white bread and white rice.

Legumes & Beans

Legumes and beans are one of the best plant-based sources of protein you can eat. They are also highly nutritious and usually very cheap, making them a perfect staple in any diet.

Because they contain lots of protein and fiber, they can help you stay full and reduce your food intake which leads to long-term weight loss (8, 9).

They have also been linked to a reduction in other health risks, including a reduced risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels (10, 11).

One study of overweight adults found that 5 cups (910g) of navy beans and legumes per week helped reduce waist circumference and blood pressure and was more effective than dietary counseling (12).

Some examples of popular beans and legumes include:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Soybeans
• Peanuts

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are very popular foods. Theyre also tasty and convenient, making them easy to add to your diet.

Although they are thought be fattening and contain lots of calories, research consistently shows they are one of the best foods you can eat for weight loss.

One of the reasons is that your body doesnt absorb all the calories from them, as a portion of fat is trapped within the nuts fibrous wall through the digestive process.

In a study in overweight women, those eating almonds lost nearly three times as much weight and experienced a significantly greater decrease in waist size compared to the control group (13).

Another study found those who ate two or more portions of nuts per week had a 31% lower risk of weight gain compared to the control group that didnt eat them (14).

Great nut and seed additions to your diet include:

• Almonds
• Pistachios
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Walnuts
• Peanuts
• Pecans

Fatty Fish

Any fish is good for you, but fatty fish is even better. This is because it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids that most of us dont get enough of.

However, they also contain an abundance of other nutrients like iodine as well as being a good source of protein.

High protein foods have been shown to help regulate hormones that control appetite. These help you feel fuller (15).

Many studies find fatty fish such as salmon that contain omega-3 fats can help cut body fat and help weight loss (16, 17, 18).

Low Fat Dairy

Dairy foods in general contain good amounts of protein and is rich in lots of important vitamins like calcium.

Although the evidence is less clear cut around the effects on weight loss, one observational study examined those who consumed the most dairy had lower belly fat, less inflammation, lower triglycerides and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (19).

Its best to eat dairy in moderate amounts. Good examples of dairy include milk, cheese and eggs.

Lean Protein

Out of all the macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein), protein is the most filling and therefore, eat less food (20).

Protein is known to boost levels of the hormone peptide YY (a hormone that makes you feel full) and reduce levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you feel hungry). (21,22).

These effects on appetite can be powerful. In one study, increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories made overweight women eat 441 fewer calories each day without intentionally restricting anything (23).

It also helps build muscle and strength. If you build muscle through weight training, your muscles require more energy to maintain and you use up more energy. This can also help you lose weight.

Lean protein includes chicken, turkey and fish. The reason these meats are preferred to other meats, particularly red meat, is because they are lower in saturated fat.

Red meats like beef, pork and lamb are higher in saturated fat, which is linked to increased cholesterol levels and other health risks.

Foods to Limit on an Obesity Diet Plan

Of course its fine to treat yourself occasionally, but these are the type of foods that will keep the weight on if you eat too much of them:

• Junk foods:fast food and potato chips
• Refined carbohydrates:white bread, pasta, crackers, flour tortillas, biscuits
• Fried foods:french fries, donuts, fried meats
• Sugar-sweetened beverages:soda, tea with added sugar, sports drinks
• Processed meats: bacon, canned meat, salami, sausages
• Trans fats: vegetable oil and margarine

Whats the Best Diet for Obesity?

Because you most likely want to lose a lot of weight, it can be tempting to choose a diet plan that offers more extreme weight loss.

However, this can be a mistake, because often these diets arent meant to be followed for long periods of time. This means that once you come off them, theres a good chance youll start reverting back to your old eating habits and gradually put the weight back on.

When it comes to fad diets, studies show that 83% of dieters tend to regain their weight after a fad diet.

They are also often nutritionally deficient because they often cut out whole foods groups. These types of diets will only starve your body of the balanced amount of nutrients it needs, creating long-term health problems.

They usually fall into the following categories:

• Food-specific diets, which encourage eating large amounts of a single food (e.g cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet)
• Low-carb, high-fat diets (e.gAtkins Diet, Dukan Diet)
• Liquid diets (e.g SlimFastmeal replacement drinks)
• Fasting diets(e.g 5:2 Diet)

Our recommendation would be to follow a Mediterranean-style diet, due to the research backing up its use and how easy it is to follow.

It is high in healthy foods that help you lose weight such asfruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils.

Many credible organisations suggest following a Mediterranean diet. These include:

It has also been ranked as the number 1 diet since 2018 according to the U.S. News & World Report.

It is a well-researched diet with many studies showing its effectiveness for a range of health markers. You can be confident about losing weight and ensuring you adopt healthy eating habits. Some of the studies are linked below:

• Lower risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, (24, 25)
• Lower risk of coronary heart disease (26, 27)
• Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (28)
• Lower risk of breast cancer (29)
• Lower risk of obesity (30)
• Better cognitive function (31)

Its considered one of the best both because of how easy it is to follow and the scientific research that backs how healthy it is. This makes it a great choice if youre tired of yo-yo diets and want to get the body shape you want without resorting to unhealthy measures.

Obesity Diet Meal Plan

In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:

• A handful of nuts or seeds
• A piece of fruit
• Carrots or baby carrots
• Berries or grapes

Day 1: Monday

Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots

Nutrition

• Calories 236
• Protein 14g
• Carbs 32g
• Fat 7g

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 225g / cup Greek yogurt
• 2 bananas, sliced into chunks
• 15g / 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped

Instructions

1. Place some of the yogurt into the bottom of a glass. Add a layer of banana, then yogurt and repeat. Once the glass is full, scatter with the nuts.

Lunch: Cannellini Bean Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 302
• Protein 20g
• Carbs 54g
• Fat 0g

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 600g / 3 cups cannellini beans
• 70g / cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• red onion, thinly sliced
• tbsp red wine vinegar
• small bunch basil, torn

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the beans and mix with the tomatoes, onion and vinegar. Season, then add basil just before serving.

Dinner: Moussaka

Nutrition

• Calories 577
• Protein 27g
• Carbs 46g
• Fat 27g

Prep time + cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 250g / 9 oz lean beef mince
• 200g can / 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato pure
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200g can / 1 cup chickpeas
• 100g pack / cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Mint (fresh preferable)
• Brown bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft. Add the mince and fry for 3-4 minutes until browned.
2. Tip the tomatoes into the pan and stir in the tomato pure and cinnamon, then season. Leave the mince to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas halfway through.
3. Sprinkle the feta and mint over the mince. Serve with toasted bread.

Day 2: Tuesday

Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 177
• Protein 5g
• Carbs 13g
• Fat 13g

Prep time + cook time:5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 120g / cups tomatoes, chopped
• watermelon, cut into chunks
• 50g / cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. For the dressing, Mix the oil, vinegar, chilli flakes and mint and then season.
2. Put the tomatoes and watermelon into a bowl. Pour over the dressing, add the feta, then serve.

Lunch: Edgy Veggie Wraps

Nutrition

• Calories 310
• Protein 11g
• Carbs 39g
• Fat 11g

Prep time + cook time:10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 100g / cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 6 Kalamata olives
• 2 large wholemeal tortilla wraps
• 50g / cups feta cheese
• 2 tbsp hummus

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatoes, cut the cucumber into sticks, split the olives and remove the stones.
2. Heat the tortillas.
3. Spread the houmous over the wrap. Put the vegetable mix in the middle and roll up.

Dinner: Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs

Nutrition

• Calories 417
• Protein 19g
• Carbs 45g
• Fat 17g

Prep time + cook time:25 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded & chopped
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• small bunch coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
• 800g can / 4 cups cherry tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• brown bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan with a lid, then cook the onions, chilli, garlic and coriander stalks for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8-10 minutes.
2. Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 dips in the sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 mins, until the eggs are done to your liking. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with bread.

Day 3: Wednesday

Breakfast: Blueberry Oats Bowl

Nutrition

• Calories 235
• Protein 13g
• Carbs 38g
• Fat 4g

Prep time + cook time:10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 60g porridge oats
• 160g Greek yogurt
• 175g blueberries
• 1 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Put the oats in a pan with 400ml of water. Heat and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a third of the yogurt.
2. Tip the blueberries into a pan with the honey and 1 tbsp of water. Gently poach until the blueberries are tender.
3. Spoon the porridge into bowls and add the remaining yogurt and blueberries.

Lunch: Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 177
• Protein 5g
• Carbs 13g
• Fat 13g

Prep time + cook time:5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 orange, plus zest and juice of 1
• 2 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced with a peeler
• 35g / 1 cups rocket / arugula
• 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Cut the segments from 1 of the oranges and put in a bowl with the carrots, rocket/arugula and avocado. Whisk together the orange juice, zest and oil. Toss through the salad, and season.

Dinner: Salmon with Potatoes and Corn Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 479
• Protein 43g
• Carbs 27g
• Fat 21g

Prep time + cook time:30 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 200g / 1 cups baby new potatoes
• 1 sweetcorn cob
• 2 skinless salmon fillets
• 60g / cups tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Bunch of spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
• handful basil leaves

Instructions

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, adding corn for final 5 minutes. Drain & cool.
2. For the dressing, mix the vinegar, oil, shallot, capers, basil & seasoning.
3. Heat grill to high. Rub some dressing on salmon & cook, skinned side down, for 7-8 minutes. Slice tomatoes & place on a plate. Slice the potatoes, cut the corn from the cob & add to plate. Add the salmon & drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Day 4: Thursday

Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots

Lunch: Mixed Bean Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 240
• Protein 11g
• Carbs 22g
• Fat 12g

Prep time + cook time:10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 145g / cups jar artichoke heart in oil
• tbsp sundried tomato paste
• tsp red wine vinegar
• 200g can / 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 150g / cups tomatoes, quartered
• handful Kalamata black olives
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 100g / cups feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Drain the jar of artichokes, reserving 1-2 tbsp of oil. Add the oil, sun-dried tomato paste and vinegar and stir until smooth. Season to taste.
2. Chop the artichokes and tip into a bowl. Add the cannellini beans, tomatoes, olives, spring onions and half of the feta cheese. Stir in the artichoke oil mixture and tip into a serving bowl. Crumble over the remaining feta cheese, then serve.

Dinner: Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Nutrition

• Calories 238
• Protein 11g
• Carbs 34g
• Fat 7g

Prep time + cook time:25 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300g /2 cups carrots, washed and coarsely grated
• 70g / cup split red lentils
• 500ml / 2 cups hot vegetable stock
• 60ml / cup milk
• Greek yogurt, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have swollen and softened.
2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices.

Day 5: Friday

Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Lunch: Panzanella Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 452
• Protein 6g
• Carbs 37g
• Fat 25g

Prep time + cook time:10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 400g / 2 cups tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 slices of brown bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• small handful basil leaves

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Season well and add the garlic, capers, avocado and onion. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks and place in a bowl. Drizzle over half of the olive oil and half of the vinegar. When ready to serve, scatter tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzle with remaining oil and vinegar. Stir before serving.

Dinner: Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 473
• Protein 36g
• Carbs 57g
• Fat 25g

Prep time + cook time:20 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 100g / cup quinoa
• red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 150g / cup tomatoes, roughly chopped
• handful pitted black kalamata olives
• red onion, finely sliced
• 50g / cup feta cheese, crumbled
• small bunch mint leaves, chopped
• juice and zest lemon

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, toss the chicken fillets in the olive oil with some seasoning, chilli and garlic. Lay in a hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside
3. Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken on top.

Day 6: Saturday

Breakfast: Blueberry Oats Bowl

Lunch: Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg

Nutrition

• Calories 473
• Protein 11g
• Carbs 56g
• Fat 25g

Prep time + cook time:30 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 100g / cup quinoa
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
• 150g / 1 leek, sliced
• 1 broccoli head, cut into small florets
• 50g / cup tomatoes
• 100ml / cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp tomato pure
• juice lemon

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a pan, then add the garlic and quickly fry for 1 minute. Throw in the carrots, leeks and broccoli, then stir-fry for 2 minutes until everything is glistening.
2. Add the tomatoes, mix together the stock and tomato pure, then add to the pan. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the quinoa and toss in the remaining oil and lemon juice. Divide between warm plates and spoon the vegetables on top.

Dinner: Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash

Nutrition

• Calories 314
• Protein 19g
• Carbs 33g
• Fat 16g

Prep time + cook time:40 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 pepper, deseeded & quartered
• 1 aubergine, sliced lengthways
• 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• For the mash
• 400g / 2 cups haricot beans, rinsed
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 100ml / cup vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander

Instructions

1. Heat the grill. Arrange the vegetables over a grill pan &brush lightly with oil. Grill until lightly browned, turn them over, brush again with oil, then grill until tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the beans in a pan with garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Mash roughly with a potato masher. Divide the vegetables and mash between 2 plates, drizzle over oil and sprinkle with black pepper and coriander.

Day 7: Sunday

Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots

Lunch: Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Nutrition

• Calories 408
• Protein 15g
• Carbs 63g
• Fat 11g

Prep time + cook time:25 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 300ml / 1 cups hot vegetable stock
• 200g can / 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 200g can / 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 50g / cup frozen broad beans
• zest and juice lemon
• coriander & bread to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the cumin and fry for another minute.
2. Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas and black pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add broad beans and lemon juice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Top with lemon zest and coriander.

Dinner: Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad

Nutrition

• Calories 548
• Protein 23g
• Carbs 58g
• Fat 20g

Prep time + cook time:40 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 8 raw baby beetroots, or 4 medium, scrubbed
• tbsp sumac
• tbsp ground cumin
• 400g can /2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• tsp lemon zest
• tsp lemon juice
• 200g / cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
• mint leaves, chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Halve or quarter beetroots depending on size. Mix spices together. On a large baking tray, mix chickpeas and beetroot with the oil. Season with salt & sprinkle over the spices. Mix again. Roast for 30 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, mix the lemon zest and juice with the yogurt. Swirl the harissa through and spread into a bowl. Top with the beetroot & chickpeas, and sprinkle with the chilli flakes & mint.

Obesity Diet Shopping List

This shopping list corresponds to the 7 day plan, serving 2 people. No snacks are included.

Life after the meal plan

Find more recipes on our site

Your journey doesnt end after 7 days of Mediterranean-style recipes to lose weight youve always wanted. Its about finding recipes that can become staples in your household and creating eating habits that actually last.

Weve got plenty of recipes online already. Just use the search function on our home page if youre looking for a specific ingredient or check out our recipe page.

Start a 28 Day Mediterranean Diet Plan for Obesity

Weve created a 4-week Mediterranean diet meal plan that follows the same format as this 7-day meal plan pdf. In it contains four weeks of meal plans, recipes, shopping lists and prep guides all available in digital format.

Click here to grab your copy of the 28 day Mediterranean diet plan!

Disclosure

We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. It makes no claims in respect to weight loss, either in terms of the amount or rate at which weight loss could be achieved. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.