Closer’s 30 Day flat tummy challenge: Week 1 of your meal plan!

Blitz your stomach, with our 30-day flat tummy challenge! With our easy diet and simple exercises, you could lose up to 10lbs and shave two inches off your middle

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by Fiona Day |
Published on

**The first week’s diet is below – it provides around 1400 calories a day, which should help you lose 2lbs a week, especially if you’re following the fitness plan.

Here’s what to do…

**

1. Simply follow the daily menus over the next 7 days. You’ll see we’ve given vegetarian options to add variety. If you don’t like some of the suggested meals, simply swap them for ones from other days that you do like. But vary your choices so you get a good mix of nutrients.

2. As well as each daily menu, have an extra 300ml skimmed milk each day to use in tea, coffee or to make fat-free lattes and cappuccinos. Try blending it with some of the fruit in the menus to make a shakes, too. Don’t skip it as milk provides bone-building calcium. Plus studies show low-fat dairy products help to speed up weight loss, especially helping us to lose belly fat.

3. As well as your breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’re also allowed ONE snack and ONE treat each day. You can eat these when you want but the snack is especially good to have around an hour before exercising to give you energy for your workout. Alternatively, it’s a great choice to have once your workout has finished when you might need an energy boost.

CHECK OUT YOUR FLAT TUMMY FITNESS PLAN HERE!

4. Can’t be bothered to cook or prefer to grab breakfast or lunch on the go? No problem!

  • For breakfast, choose something with around 250 calories – fruit, yogurt, a cereal bar or a porridge pot are all good options.

  • For lunch, choose a sandwich, roll, wrap, salad or sushi tray with around 350 calories

  • For a quick and easy ready meal for dinner, choose one with around 400 calories and serve it with lots of salad on the side.

5. If you find you’re hungry, add extra veg or salad to meals. Toss salads with balsamic vinegar or a little fat-free dressing. And remember, veg aren’t just full of fibre to fill you up – they’re also rich in vitamins to keep your skin, hair and nails looking good.

6. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and fill you up. It’s fine to drink tea, coffee and herbal and fruit teas for variety. For a fizzy fix, choose sparkling water with a dash of fresh lemon or lime juice.

Menu: Week 1!

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30 day challenge meal plan: Week 1

DAY 11 of 8

DAY 1

Breakfast: Porridge and blueberries: Make a bowl of porridge from 4tbsp oats and 275ml skimmed milk, topped with a handful of blueberries.Lunch: Italian panini: Fill 1 panini with 1/4 ball reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, 1 ripe tomato and fresh basil. Toast and serve with mixed leaves. Plus 1 apple.Dinner: Spaghetti with spinach and pinenuts: Chop and fry 1 garlic clove and 1 small onion until soft in a spray oil. Add 1/2 can chopped tomatoes, black pepper and chopped fresh basil. Cook for 5 min then mix with 150g cooked wholewheat spaghetti, 2 handfuls of baby spinach and 1tbsp pinenuts. Heat until the spinach wilts, top with 1tbsp Parmesan and serve with salad. Veggie option: swap the Parmesan for 1tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar.

DAY 22 of 8

DAY 2

Breakfast: Fruit salad with creamy yogurt and honey: Make a fruit salad from 1 pear, 1 apple and a handful of blueberries. Top with 1 small pot fat-free Greek yogurt and 1tsp honey.Lunch: Jacket potato with tzatziki and salad: Mix 3tbsp tzatziki with extra diced cucumber and use to top 1 large jacket potato, and serve with salad. Plus 1 orange.Dinner: Spanish omelette: Fry 1 small chopped onion in 1tsp olive oil until soft. Add 1 small sliced cooked potato and heat through. Pour over 2 beaten eggs mixed with chopped parsley and cook until the egg is almost set. Turn the omelette over and cook on the other side until set. Serve with salad.

DAY 33 of 8

DAY 3

Breakfast: Sultana cereal: Serve 5tbsp branflakes with 2tbsp sultanas and skimmed milk.Lunch: Tuna and bean salad: Make a salad from mixed leaves, 1/2 can kidney beans, 1/2 can tuna in water, cucumber, 1 tomato, fresh parsley, lemon juice and 2tbsp fat-free dressing. Plus 1 small pot fat-free fruit yogurt and 1 apple. Veggie option: Swap the tuna for 1 hard-boiled egg.Dinner: Mixed vegetable couscous with chicken: Slice and roast 1/2 courgette, 1 small red onion, 1/2 red and green pepper and 1/2 aubergine in 1tsp olive oil with crushed garlic until soft and brown. Mix with 6tbsp prepared cous cous (made using reduced-salt stock) and chopped fresh parsley, mint and coriander. Serve with 1 oven-baked small skinless chicken breast. Veggie option: Instead of the chicken, mix 1/2 tin chickpeas into the cous cous.

DAY 44 of 8

DAY 4

Breakfast: Winter fruits with yogurt and almonds: Top 1 sliced fig with 1 small pot fat-free Greek yogurt, the seeds from 1 pomegranate, 1tsp flaked almonds and a sprinkling of cinnamon.Lunch: Soup and cheesy bread: Serve 1/2 carton fresh vegetable soup with 2 thin slices granary baguette topped with 2tbsp grated reduced-fat cheese, grilled until the cheese melts. Plus 1 pear.Dinner: Cottage pie with sweet potato topping: Dry fry 100g lean beef mince with garlic and 1 small chopped onion until brown. Add 150ml reduced-salt beef stock, 1tbsp tomato puree, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens, then spoon into a shallow dish. Top with 1 mashed sweet potato and grill until the top is golden. Serve with steamed green beans. Veggie option: replace the beef mince with 165g Quorn mince and use vegetable stock.

DAY 55 of 8

DAY 5

Breakfast: Toast and honey: Top 2 slices wholegrain toast with 1tsp each of low-fat spread and honey.Lunch: Ham salad pitta: Fill 1 wholemeal pitta with 2 slices lean ham and salad. Plus 1 apple and 1 small pot fat-free fruit yogurt. Veggie option: replace the ham with 2tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar.Dinner: Grilled salmon and veg: Serve 1 grilled or baked salmon fillet with steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Plus 1 small pot fat-free fruit yogurt. Veggie option: replace the salmon with 1 grilled veggie or bean burger.

DAY 66 of 8

DAY 6

Breakfast: Protein fruit shake: Blend 2 handfuls of frozen summer fruits, 1 banana, 200ml skimmed milk and 2tbsp oats until smooth, then serve in a glass over ice.Lunch: Turkey, cranberry and rocket sandwich: Spread 2 slices wholegrain bread with 2tsp low-fat spread and fill with 2 slices turkey, 1tsp cranberry sauce and a handful of rocket. Plus a handful of grapes and 1 kiwi fruit.Veggie option: replace the low-fat spread, turkey and cranberry sauce with 3tbsp reduced-fat hummus.

DAY 77 of 8

DAY 7

Breakfast fruit shake: Blend 2 handfuls of frozen summer fruits, 1 banana, 200ml skimmed milk and 2tbsp oats until smooth, then serve in a glass over ice.Lunch: Turkey, cranberry and rocket sandwich: Spread 2 slices wholegrain bread with 2tsp low-fat spread and fill with 2 slices turkey, 1tsp cranberry sauce and a handful of rocket. Plus a handful of grapes and 1 kiwi fruit.Veggie option: replace the low-fat spread, turkey and cranberry sauce with 3tbsp reduced-fat hummus.Dinner stir fry with cashew nuts and rice: Gently fry chopped garlic and ginger in 2tsp sunflower oil for 1 min then add 1Ž2 bag of ready-prepared stir fry veg and cook for a few mins. Add 1tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce and 1tbsp unsalted cashew nuts. Heat through and serve with 6tbsp cooked brown rice.

DAY 78 of 8

DAY 7

Breakfast: Boiled egg and toast: Serve 1 boiled egg with 1 slice wholegrain bread topped with 1tsp low-fat spread. Plus 1 pear.Lunch: Mexican-style wrap: Fill 1 wholemeal wrap with 1 chopped tomato, 1Ž2 small avocado, shredded lettuce, 1tbsp reduced-fat soured cream and 3tbsp grated reduced-fat cheese.Dinner: Roast pork: Serve 2 thin slices lean roast pork with 2 medium roast potatoes, steamed Brussels sprouts and carrots, 1tbsp apple sauce and fat-free gravy. Veggie option: replace the pork with 3 slices Quorn Family Roast.

SNACK ATTACK

Have ONE snack a day

• Wholegrain toast with 2tsp peanut butter and a handful of blueberries.

• 2 oatcakes topped with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and cucumber.

• Small pot fat-free yogurt and 1 small banana.

• 1tbsp unsalted peanuts mixed with 1tbsp raisins.

• 1 small pack of sushi (around 150 calories).

• 4tbsp guacamole with 1Ž2 sliced red pepper and 1 carrot.

TUCK INTO A TREAT!

Enjoy ONE treat each day

• 2 chocolate digestive biscuits

• 1 small packet of crisps (around 150 calories).

• 1 scoop of ice cream with 1tbsp chocolate ice cream sauce.

• 1 toasted crumpet with low-fat spread and jam.

• 1 medium sized (175ml) glass of red or white wine.

Get in shape this New Year with the Closer 30-day Flat Tummy Challenge. Pick up every issue of Closer in January for your weekly diet and exercise plan.

Reach your weightloss targets and try out Closer Diets today!

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