Oz Tip: Hunger is driven in part by the hormone ghrelin. By eating regularly throughout the day, your levels of ghrelin stay under control, so you’re never tempted to overeat.
Eating fewer calories could increase your longevity by 25 percent. Here’s how: eating a little less every day activates your sirtuin gene, which increases the efficiency of your cells and improves your body’s ability to repair itself.
This three-day diet is designed to jump-start your body to lose weight. Click on the meal name inside the table for the full recipe, and find a list of all seven healthy recipes below, along with nutritional information for the entire three-day plan.
Day 1
Breakfast
1 cup high-fi ber cereal with 1/2 cup low-fat milk, 1 orange
Snack
3 tablespoons walnuts; 1 small apple
Lunch
Grilled chicken salad; 1 small whole-grain roll
Snack
1 cup nonfat yogurt with raisins
Dinner
5 ounces wild salmon; 1 cup steamed broccoli; 1/2 cup brown rice
Snack
1 cup blueberries
Nutritional information:
Breakfast: 267 calories, 9g protein, 54g carbohydrates, 9g dietary fiber, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 320mg sodium
Snack: 148 calories, 2g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 9g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 1mg sodium
Lunch: 464 calories, 37g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 23g fat (4g saturated fat), 86mg cholesterol, 493mg sodium
Snack #2: 170 calories, 13g protein, 21g carbohydrates, 0g dietary fiber, 4g fat (3g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 172mg sodium
Dinner: 319 calories, 35g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 7g dietary fiber, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 484mg sodium
Snack #3: 60 calories, 1g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 1g fat (0g saturated fat), 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium
Total Daily Calories: 1,428
Day 2
Breakfast
Egg-white omelet; 1 slice whole-grain toast
Snack
1/2 cup whole-grain cereal; 1/2 cup almonds
Lunch
Veggie burger on wholewheat roll; 1 medium apple
Snack
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 cup grapes
Dinner
Apricot chicken with green beans and toasted almonds
Snack
1 small apple
Nutritional information:
Breakfast: 359 calories, 19g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 25g fat (6g saturated fat), 222mg cholesterol, 384mg sodium
Snack #1: 297 calories, 10g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 7g dietary fiber, 19g fat (2g saturated fat) o mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium
Lunch: 338 calories, 18g protein, 56g carbohydrates, 11g dietary fiber, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 733mg Sodium
Snack #2: 150 calories, 7g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 1g fat (1g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 213mg sodium
Dinner: 291 calories, 24g protein, 21g carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 15g fat (2g saturated fat), 56mg cholesterol, 51mg sodium
Snack #3: 55 calories, 0g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 0g fat (0g saturated fat) 0mg cholesterol, 1mg sodium
Total Daily Calories: 1,490
Day 3
Breakfast
1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup
Snack
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 cup strawberry halves
Lunch
1 cup sautéed vegetables stuffed into a whole-wheat pita; 1 medium apple
Snack
1 cup low-fat yogurt
Dinner
Turkey tortilla wrap; 1/2 cup refried beans
Snack
1 cup blueberries
Nutritional information:
Breakfast: 228 calories, 8g protein, 44g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 3g fat (1g saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, 34mg sodium
Snack #1: 209 calories, 25g protein, 24g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 842mg sodium
Lunch: 446 calories, 13g protein, 70g carbohydrates, 11g dietary fiber, 15g fat (2g saturated fat), 0mg cholesterol, 951mg sodium
Snack #2: 194 calories, 11g protein, 31g carbohydrates, 0g dietary fiber, 3g fat (3g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium
Dinner: 347 calories, 22g protein, 53g carbohydrates, 9g dietary fiber, 5g fat (0g saturated), 22mg cholesterol, 2249mg sodium
Snack #3: 60 calories, 1g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 1g fat (0g saturated fat), 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium
Total Daily Calories: 1,484
