A Guide to Success With the Balance Menu

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Your Menu

The Balance Menu is our most popular plan and was developed by nutritionists and chefs to not only be healthy and delicious, but to help you lose weight!*

Your Calorie Budget

What Is Your Calorie Budget?

Your calorie budget is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a recommendation for how many calories to eat in order to meet your goals. 

Do you know your calorie budget?

Don't know your calorie budget? Most of us don't, but it's of critical importance when trying to lose weight. We find it is helpful to use tools available, like MyFitnessPal, to determine how many calories you should be eating per day. Just follow the set-up instructions. For several weeks (and from time to time when you need to get back on track), you'll want to log all your calorie intake into the app. Include all Diet-to-Go meals and any other snacks and drinks you consume. Using the app, you can monitor your calories.  

Learn More:

Increasing Your Calorie Budget through Exercise
 

Tips for Mealtime, Snacktime, PARTYtime, and Even Eating Out!

How can I ensure I don’t blow my calorie budget?

The key is to plan ahead. Be sure to know and use your calorie budget when adding snacks and drinks. Be careful not to add snacks before calculating your meal total for the day.

How do I use my calorie budget to eat snacks?

The calorie surplus that remains from your calorie budget after the total of all your Diet-to-Go meals is what you can use to eat snacks. Be careful to calculate this number BEFORE you eat your meals, to be sure you have as much left over as you thought. (You may not actually have a calorie surplus. We’ll talk about that in a few moments).
  

What kind of snacks should I eat?  

That’s a great question! So great, in fact, that we’ve created a whole guide to snacking that you can read here.

What if I don’t have any or have only a few calories leftover in my budget for snacks?

You may not actually have a calorie surplus. We know this sounds like a challenge, but if your calorie budget does not allow for much snacking, we suggest reserving a fruit cup from a lunch meal, or saving other meal sides to enjoy at a later time. And always choose water to accompany your meals. If you feel like you are about to reach for a snack that would break your budget or that doesn’t support your goals, try sugarless gum, one pickle spear, or ½ cup cucumbers instead. These snacks have 10 calories or fewer but can still satisfy you until your next meal.

What about parties and other temptations?

Plan ahead! If you are attending a party where there will be food, eat your Diet-to-Go meal ahead of time and enjoy socializing at the party instead of overindulging. Or try a scientifically proven trick – tell yourself you can have {insert tempting item name here} anytime you want, just not today. According to research the mental postponement of treats actually helps stave off your internal battles!

What if I have to eat off Plan?

If you have to eat off plan (this includes restaurant dining), mimic our portion sizes and emulate the food on your Diet-to-Go Menu. Lean proteins, veggies and items baked (not fried) will be some of your best choices. Avoid heavy sauces, cheeses, and sweets.

Remember that while salads tend to seem like a healthy restaurant choice, be careful of those loaded with toppings like dried fruit, taco chips, croutons, or cheese. And remember that restaurant salad dressings can often sneak hundreds of extra calories (and sugars) into your meal. Many times a baked chicken or fish meal is a much better option.

What about exercise?

While a whopping 80 percent of weight loss comes from changing your diet, exercise can boost your results and has many other benefits. Exercise can increase energy levels (which in turn helps you be even more active), and can lift your mood, which makes making healthy decisions easier. Nice! Try walking more during the day, signing up for a Zumba class, or doing some leg lifts and stretching at your desk.

Fitness Tricks for People Who Hate to Exercise
Exercise and Your Calorie Budget

I want to do everything I can to lose weight effectively. Any tips?

Stick to your meal plan and stay within your calorie budget and you’re good to go! Try adding exercise to boost your results. Call or email us if you need encouragement.

Have more questions? Or need help customizing your plan?

Give us a call! 800-743-SLIM (7546), Option 2

* Weight loss results may vary. Results not guaranteed

Weight Loss Tips

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