28 delicious days to a skinnier you

When it comes to weight loss, it’s always the last few pounds that are the hardest, right? At least, that’s how it’s going for me. I want to be choosier about how much and what I eat, but I don’t have time to count calories. So I’m going to take the deliciously easy way out by using this yummy 28-day diet meal plan. That’s about the level of effort I can make at this point, and as a bonus I know I’ll be eating really delicious recipes so I won’t be tempted to cheat. It’s so simple: just pick your calorie level and voila!—breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack planned for nearly a month. Plus I know it’s going to work! According to nutrition experts, safely reducing your caloric intake is the quickest way to drop pounds fast. Find out how here.

Here’s a sample day, including my breakfast recipe (get the rest of the day’s recipes at eatingwell.com):

(By the way, if you want to know if your weight is in a healthy range, find out here.)

Breakfast

• Quick Breakfast Taco (see recipe below)
• Skim milk (1 cup)
• Orange (1 large)

Lunch

• Seared Tuna & Watercress with Scallion-Ginger Relish
• Whole-wheat toast (1 slice)
• Fat-free cheese slice

Snack

• Hummus & Vegetables

Dinner

• Cucumber Salad
• Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers
• Mary's Zucchini with Parmesan
• Cinnamon Baked Apples

Quick Breakfast Taco

2 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon salsa
2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters

1. Top tortillas with salsa and cheese. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds.
2. Meanwhile coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, add egg substitute and cook, stirring, until the eggs are cooked through, about 90 seconds. Divide the scrambled egg between the tacos.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 153 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 17 g protein; 0 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.

By Michelle Edelbaum

Michelle is the associate editor of interactive for EatingWell Media Group. In between editing and writing, she enjoys sampling the tasty results of the easy, healthy recipes that the EatingWell Test Kitchen cooks are working on.

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