Weight loss comes from eating a little less energy than you use, consistently, for weeks. A useful plan is not a special detox menu; it is ordinary home food that you can repeat on a working-week budget. This sample week is a starting template, not a medical prescription. Adjust portions to your hunger, activity and progress.
The plate rule behind every day
Fill half the plate with vegetables or salad, a quarter with a protein source (dal, chana, rajma, paneer, curd, eggs, chicken or fish) and a quarter with rice, roti or millet. Keep oil measured - a teaspoon per person per dish adds up quickly. Drink water through the day and limit sugary tea, juices and fried snacks.
Day 1 to Day 3
Day 1: poha with peanuts and curd; lunch of 2 roti, dal and sabzi; evening roasted chana; dinner of moong dal khichdi with salad. Day 2: besan chilla with mint chutney; lunch of rice, rajma and cucumber raita; fruit in the evening; dinner of 2 roti with paneer bhurji or egg bhurji. Day 3: vegetable upma; lunch of 2 roti, chana masala and salad; buttermilk; dinner of dal, mixed vegetables and 1 roti.
Day 4 to Day 7
Day 4: 2 boiled eggs or sprouts with toast; lunch of rice, sambar and beans poriyal; dinner of soya chunk curry with 2 roti. Day 5: oats cooked in milk with banana; lunch of curd rice with a dal side; dinner of chicken curry or chole with salad and 1 roti. Day 6: idli with sambar; lunch of rajma rice with salad; dinner of palak dal and 2 roti. Day 7: stuffed paratha with less ghee and curd; lunch of khichdi with vegetables; dinner of grilled fish, tofu or paneer tikka with sabzi.
How to keep it on budget
Dal, chana, soya chunks, eggs, curd and seasonal vegetables are among the cheapest protein and fibre sources in most Indian cities. Cook dal and chana in batches for two days. Use FitGeek's diet charts to swap foods and print a weekly grocery list with estimated costs.
Track the trend, not one morning
Weigh yourself at the same time a few days a week and look at the weekly average. If it has not moved after two or three weeks, reduce rice or roti slightly or add daily walking. People with diabetes, thyroid conditions, pregnancy or other medical needs should get advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.