MHC Weight Plan

Drink at least 64 ounces a day. That is 8 cups. One glass when you wake up, one with each meal, and one between meals. More is fine if you are thirsty. Soda and juice do not count.

Your target is 200 minutes a week of walking or easy cardio — about 40 minutes on 5 days, or 50 minutes on 4 days. This week, start with 90 minutes so you do not burn out. You should be able to talk while you move. Strength training is 2 to 3 more days, on top of these minutes.

1. Week 1

   90

   min

2. Week 2

   130

   min

3. Week 3

   170

   min

4. Week 4

   200

   min

Strength train 2 to 3 days a week, not back to back. A short session is enough: sit-to-stand, wall push-ups, a row with a band or a bag, and a carry. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12. Stop with one good rep left. Rest the next day. Muscle helps you keep the weight off.

Calorie goal to maintain your weight: 2,300 a day, from the Mayo Clinic calorie method. Calorie goal to lose weight: 1,400–1,500 a day. That is the maintain goal minus a deficit of 800–900 calories, about 1.6 to 1.8 pounds a week. You do not have to count every bite if your plate looks like this. Each meal: a palm of protein, a palm of fiber, and a fist or less of carbs. Protein: chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, yogurt, shrimp, lean beef, or goat. Women need about 100 to 110 grams a day. Men need about 110 to 150 grams a day. One palm is about 20 to 30 grams. Fiber: spinach, broccoli, cabbage, okra, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, collards, or cauliflower — in a salad, stew, stir-fry, or soup. Carbs, a fist or less: potato, oats, injera, plantain, bread, yam, corn, pasta, or rice. Avoid white rice, or eat only a small spoon. Better swaps are quinoa, oats, and cauliflower in place of rice. Eat 3 times a day. If you are hungry between meals, have fruit, yogurt, or a small handful of nuts. Skip soda, juice, and fried extras most days.

Sleep 7 to 9 hours. Short sleep makes you hungrier the next day. Pick one bedtime and keep it on 5 nights this week. Stop food 2 to 3 hours before bed. Screens off for the last 30 minutes. Skip alcohol near bedtime — it makes sleep light and broken.

While you work this plan, keep drinks to 0–3 a week. None is even better. One drink is one beer, one small glass of wine, or one shot. Three beers is about 450 extra calories — almost a pound a month if you skip them, without changing your plate. If you drink every day, cut that number in half first. Then cut again.

If you smoke or vape, stopping helps your heart, your lungs, and this plan. Some people want to eat more when they quit. We can help so food does not fill that gap. You do not have to do it alone.

Walk with a friend, a faith group, a class, or other people at our clinic who want the same thing. Tell one person your first goal. Check in once a week. It is easier to keep going when someone is with you.

A medical specialist can match food, movement, and medicine to your health. Before and after labs are always helpful. We look at blood sugar, cholesterol, and kidney and liver numbers so we can see what is changing — not just the scale.

Write your numbers down so you can see change. Once a week, same scale, same time of day: your weight. Also track body fat and muscle when you can — at the clinic, or by how your clothes fit and how strong you feel. Other important numbers: blood pressure, waist size, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Bring the list to your visit. The scale is only one number.