Modernization has changed, or rather re-engineered the nature of food that we eat. Unbalanced intake of nutrients and lack of physical exertion, aided with unhealthy lifestyle, has damaged our bodies considerably. Thus, problems such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and other such ailments have gripped us. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to follow healthy diet plans to lose weight, and also to keep the body well maintained. One should keep in mind that one cannot just jump into any diet or routine. It is better to introduce new eating habits gradually. Only eating vegetables or fruits, drinking shakes, or eating microscopic proportions of food is a nonsensical approach. This way, one loses weight at the cost of serious damage to the body. Your body needs proper nutrition. General rule of thumb is to - eat healthy, eat on time, and eat till you are satisfied (not full). For an average-sized, working adult who does a reasonable amount of exercise, the 1200 calorie diet menu is a good one. Other healthy menus include 1600, 1500, or even 2000-calorie meal plans. The kind of plan you choose, depends on your daily physical exertion, and your body's requirements. It must be noted that all weight loss plans should be backed up with a suitable exercise routine for better results. Weekly Meal Plan In order to reduce weight there are three things that are needed to make the plan a successful one - eating on time, eating in appropriate amounts, and exercising. It is not necessary to opt for hour-long workouts. Taking a 30-minute brisk walk, or performing Yoga or home based workouts is sufficient too. Lastly, abstain from smoking and alcohol consumption.

Day	Breakfast	Mid-morning Snack	Lunch	Tea Snack	Dinner
1	Baked beans with multi-grain toast, any fruit or fruit juice, tea or coffee	A sandwich with only vegetables, or raw fruits and vegetables	French tuna sandwich with raw vegetables or fruits	A sandwich, a cracker, a crumpet, or a single pancake (strictly low-fat)	Layered vegetable casserole with some cottage cheese, or a couple of slices of bread, or rice. A strict accompaniment is a raw fruit, or vegetable salad with no meat or heavy oil. You may also include a vegetable soup.
2	Bacon and eggs with very less fat, fruit juice, tea or coffee	Fruit salad	Baked tilapia and a vegetable salad, accompanied with some meat.	A veggie burger, a fruit, or a muffin	Maple-dill chicken breast and vegetable salad, with bread or rice.
3	Hard-boiled eggs with a slice of bread or toast or fruits and cereal, with tea or coffee	A single bakery item which is low in fat and sugar.	Grilled sandwich (with less meat and fat) accompanied with soup or salad	A low-fat muffin	Spicy pork and peppers with salad, soup, rice or bread
4	Burritos made up of egg, salsa, and beans, with fruit juice.	Vegetable salad	Sandwich with roasted or smoked meat, and vegetable salad	A muffin with a fruit	Spinach lasagna with ricotta and mozzarella cheese
5	Cooked oatmeal with fruit, and tea or coffee	Raw fruit, or vegetable salad	Chowder (low in cheese and meat), crackers or bread, with vegetable salad	Salad with a vegetable sandwich	Grilled meat in small quantities, along with salad and mashed potatoes
6	2 small pancakes (less syrup)	A salad or a fruit	Any stir fried vegetable with rice	A fruit or a bakery item	On day 7, you can follow your usual dinner routine.

About Food Nutrients Food nutrients can be classified into macro nutrients, energy providers, and metabolism boosters. » Macro Nutrients The first class of nutrients are macro nutrients. The nutrients constitute of several substances that make up the body such as water, carbon, calcium, oxygen, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc. Apart from these, there are also several other elements and chemical compounds that constitute the body. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are other nutrients that are found in the body. They are replenished in the body from time to time, and a small proportion of the nutrients gets assimilated into the body from the diet. Macro nutrients are something that one might refer to as the 'building blocks of the body'. » Energy Providers The next category of nutrients is the energy providers. Energy providers include, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Apart from these prominently known ones, simple sugars, vitamins, and minerals also come into this category. » Metabolism Boosters Metabolism boosters basically support the fuel-burning processes in the body. In case of healthy meal plans for weight loss, you will have to emphasize on the metabolism supporting dietary nutrients, as they will help you burn excessive fats easily. Enjoying the combination of healthy food, and a good exercise regime is the ideal way to lead a healthy lifestyle. Well-balanced and disciplined diet plans like the ones mentioned above, will result in gradual and healthy weight loss. When you start off these healthy meal plans, make it a point to reduce the quantity of fat that you consume. The time of meals also have to be considered. A breakfast should be as early as 7 am in the morning, and there should be a 3 to 4 hour gap in between two meals. Also, never over-stuff yourself while eating. Apart from that, make sure you exercise regularly. Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.