I continually get emails asking for more weight gain and weight loss meal plans. I recently received one from a female asking for a meal plan for women, too.

Therefore, this week I decided to include two very brief summaries of an interesting weight loss study and one weight gain study. I also included a meal plan at the bottom for both scenarios; both can be used by women or men, the calories just may need to differ, depending on goals.

Obviously each person is unique, so this is to serve merely as a guideline; however, this model can be followed and adjusted to meet each person's needs.

A Neat Way To Lose Weight

What if fidgeting could contribute to weight control? That would be NEAT, wouldn't it? NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and is the energy expended by physical activities other than planned exercise (fidgeting, standing, and talking).

A study published in Science suggested that lean individuals practiced more NEAT behaviors than their obese counterparts¹. Twenty self-proclaimed couch potato (10 lean, 10 mildly obese) volunteers, had their body postures and movements measured for 10 days.

It was determined that the obese participants were seated for 164 minutes longer per day than the lean participants and were upright 152 minutes less, translating to an additional 325 calories of energy expended/day!

So make sure the next time you're sitting, you're shaking your legs, moving your arms, and, pretty much doing everything possible to annoy the people around you; it will make you look better in the long run.

Click To Enlarge.
Make Sure The Next Time You're Sitting, You're Shaking
Your Legs And Moving Your Arms.

Weight Gain Study

The term "functional training" is now in vogue; many sport-specific movements are performed on one leg (throwing, kicking, changing running direction, etc), so training regimens often recommend resistance training in similar planes of movement rather than focusing heavily on traditional movements, like squats, deadlifts, chins, etc.

Do these more "functional" movements give the same results? A study published by researchers in Valdosta State University in Georgia compared unilateral and bilateral lower-body resistance training on measures of strength and power in untrained individuals².

The one group of trainees performed lateral squats and front squats, whereas the other group performed unilateral squats, lunges, and step-ups. Researchers found no significant differences among subjects in overall strength or power, suggesting a similar benefit in both types of training.

Moral of the story: mix it up and never train the same way for an extended period of time.

Click To Enlarge.
Mix It Up And Never Train The Same Way For An Extended Period Of Time.

Weight Loss Plan

Meal 1:

• 1/2 cup Raw Oats cooked with 1 cup Skim Milk, 1 Banana, and Cinnamon to taste
  1 cup Green Tea

(300 calories, 15 g protein, 50 g carbs, 3 g fat)

or

• 1/2 cup Hot Oat Bran cooked with 1 cup Water, 2 tbs Wheat Germ and Cinnamon to taste
• 1 medium Grapefruit
• 1 cup Green Tea

(280 calories, 11 g protein, 51 g carbs, 3 g fat)

Snack 1:

• 1 Apple with 1 tbs Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 cup Skim Milk

(300 calories, 15 g protein, 27 g carbs, 8 g fat)

Meal 2:

• 3 oz Grilled Salmon over Mixed Greens and Vegetables tossed with 1 tbs Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

(330 calories, 25 g protein, 25 g carbs, 15 g fat)

or

• 1 medium Leftover Sweet Potato
  1 can Tuna Fish in water; Drain Water and add Salsa to taste

(400 calories, 40 g protein, 50 g carbs, 1 g fat)

Snack 2:

• 1/2 cup Hummus with Mixed Vegetables
• 1 Sweet Potato

(300 calories, 15 g protein, 40 g carbs, 10 g fat)

Meal 3:

• 3 oz Grilled Chicken
• 1 cup Steamed Yellow and Green Squash
• 4 Roasted Red Potatoes

(400 calories, 25 g protein, 50 g carbs, 6 g protein)

or

• 3 oz Grilled Turkey Burger
• 1 cup Steamed Mixed Vegetables
• 1/2 cup Cooked Brown Rice

(408 calories, 25 g protein, 37 g carbs, 9 g fat)

Snack 3:

• Favorite Meal Replacement Shake made with 1 cup Frozen Fruit and Water to desired consistency

(340 calories, 40 g protein, 40 g carbs, 2 g fat)

Weight Gain Meal Plan

Meal 1:

• 4 Whole Grain Frozen Waffles
• 1 tbs Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 cup Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1 cup Fruit
• 1 cup Green Tea

(450 calories, 25 g protein, 75 g carbs, 6 g fat)

or

• 2 Egg Muffin Sandwiches: (cook 2 pieces Canadian Bacon, 2 Jumbo Eggs Over Easy and Toast 2 Whole Wheat English Muffins).
• 1 Orange

(450 calories, 35 g protein, 65 g carbs, 6 g fat)

Snack 1:

• 1 cup Nonfat, Plain Yogurt mixed with,
• 1 cup Low-Fat Cottage Cheese ,
• 1 cup Black Seedless Grapes,
• 1 Banana,
• 1 tbs Ground Flax Seed

(410 calories, 43 g protein, 45 g carbs, 8 g fat)

Meal 2:

• 4 oz Grilled Chicken
• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1 cup Steamed Broccoli
• 1 cup Skim Milk

(500 calories, 40 g protein, 57 g carbs, 4 g fat)

or

• Triple Decker: 3 slices Whole Wheat Bread with 2 tbs Natural Peanut Butter and 1 Whole Banana. (Spread Peanut Butter evenly on Two Slices, divide Banana between Slices and Layer)
• 1 cup Skim Milk

(445 calories, 25 g protein, 71 g carbs, 16 g fat)

Snack 2:

• Favorite Meal Replacement Shake made with 1 cup Frozen Fruit, Skim Milk and 1 tbs Flax Oil, Blend to desired consistency

(400 calories, 40 g protein, 40 g carbs, 14 g fat)

Meal 3:

• Large tossed Spinach Salad with a variety of Vegetables
• 2 cups Red Grapes
• 1 can of Tuna Fish
• 1 tbs Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce to taste and Grated Ginger

(400 calories, 45 g protein, 50 g carbs, 14 g fat)

or

• Omelet: 2 Whole Eggs, 4 Egg Whites, with Mixed Vegetables, 3 oz Chopped Turkey Bacon and 2 tbs 1 oz Low-Fat Cheese
• 2 large Oranges
• 1 cup Green Tea

(400 calories, 35 g protein, 50 g carbs, 15 g fat)

Snack 3:

• Oatmeal Pudding (in a Blender, Blend 1/2 cup Raw Oats, 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese, sprinkle Raisins and Walnuts and 1 scoop Protein Powder. Add Water until consistency is like a thick Pudding)

(400 calories, 40 g protein, 40 g carbs, 6 g fat)

When using canned fruit, always purchase fruit that's canned in its own juice

References

1. Levine, J. A., Lanningham-Foster, L. M., McCrady, S. K., Krizan, A. C., Olson, L. R., Kane, P. H., et al. (2005). Interindividual variation in posture allocation: possible role in human obesity. Science, 307(5709), 584-586.
2. McCurdy, K. W., Langford, G. A., Doscher, M. W., Wiley, L. P., & Mallard, K. G. (2005). The effects of short-term unilateral and bilateral lower-body resistance training on measures of strength and power. J Strength Cond Res, 19(1), 9-15.

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