The Lean Plate Club

Health and nutrition writer Sally Squires pens the weekly Lean Plate Club column in the Washington Post. The Lean Plate Club is an eight-week program that uses simple, step-by-step instructions with weekly goals to help adopt a lifetime of healthy eating and exercise habits. There are no forbidden foods - everything is allowed in moderation. Grab your calculator and measuring spoons because calories do count and controlling portion sizes is a must.

Most diets work because when you impose restrictions, you cut calories and ultimately lose weight. Eventually, however, if the diet is too restrictive and you are not eating what you like, you will cheat on the diet and your weight will creep back. The Lean Plate Club realizes this phenomenon and allows you to gradually add healthy habits to your lifestyle, so you can stick with it.

What makes The Lean Plate Club a different weight loss plan?

The Lean Plate Club promotes a balanced diet, including all of the food groups, but you must measure, track, record, and count what you eat, in order to cut calories and ensure you stay within your calorie limits,.

What is The Lean Plate Club?

The Lean Plate Club is an eight-week program that teaches you how to eat smart by choosing the healthiest foods, finding physical activities that you enjoy, and setting reasonable goals each week.

Each week, you'll get food and exercise tips for success (for example, only take half a serving at first and then wait 10 or 20 minutes before you decide whether you need the other half). Emphasis is on adding fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole-grain fiber to your diet, and remembering to take care of yourself by sleeping more and being mindful while you eat.

A typical day on the Lean Plate Club diet would include having some oatmeal and fruit for breakfast; bean, corn and pepper salad with low-fat cheese and chicken for lunch; baked salmon Dijon with vegetables for dinner; and a peach cobbler for dessert. Of course, your typical day will depend on your calorie allowance. The diet allows more food for men than for women, since men require more calories.

What are the weight loss expectations?

The Lean Plate Club says you shouldn't just rely on your bathroom scale to show the progress you are making, since you may lose inches before pounds. Expect a steady loss at first, which may slow and even plateau before you see continued loss.

Is exercise promoted?

The Lean Plate Club diet recommends you aim for thirty minutes of exercise each day for health benefits, and sixty to ninety minutes of exercise each day for weight loss and weight maintenance. Including resistance training two or more times per week and stretching exercises at least three times per week is also recommended.

Are supplements recommended?

A calcium supplement with vitamin D is recommended, only if you fall short on the recommended dose through diet (meaning you are not taking in enough calcium through food). No other supplement is suggested on the Lean Plate Club diet.