The MAN Plan

The MAN Plan: A MANageable eating plan that will help you lose weight as you learn to eat real foods that are nutritious, tasty, and filling. This is my adaptation based on the old Weight Watcher’s Core Plan (which is not taught by WW today.) I have followed this plan in the past and easily lost 20% of my weight, while not feeling hungry or deprived.

Here are the simple rules: 1. Eat as much of the MAN foods as you need to feel satisfied.

2. If you want to eat foods that are not on the MAN list, use your daily 5-point bonus allowance.

MAN food list:

Vegetables: Fresh, frozen or canned (without added sauce, fat or sugar) Details Vegetables cannot contain ingredients that are not Man Foods (e.g., regular refried beans, pork & beans, corn in butter sauce, dried tomatoes packed in oil, French fries and sweet pickles are not Man Foods.

Vegetable juices are not Man Foods.

Fruits: Fresh, frozen or canned fruits (without added sugar) Details Canned fruit must be packed in water or juice (not syrup.)

Dried fruits are not Man Foods.

Fruit juices are not Man Foods.

Soups: Fresh, dried, canned, frozen or homemade soups made only with Man Foods Bean soup (e.g., lentil soup, split pea soup) Bouillon Broth-based soup Tomato soup Details Cream soups are not Man Foods.

Fat-Free Dairy Products and Dairy Substitutes: Fat-free milk, cheese, cottage cheese, plain yogurt Reduced-calorie dairy shakes Fat-free, sugar-free pudding fat-free, sugar-free instant hot cocoa (limited to once a day) Fat-free sour cream Soy milk, cheese and yogurt (plain)

Starches, Grains and Cereals: Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and grains Cornmeal Rolled oats Puffed wheat, puffed rice, shredded wheat, and 100% bran cereals that do not contain added sugar Cooked (hot) cereal Whole –wheat bread Details Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice or potatoes are limited to one meal a day Cold cereals are limited to one meal a day and must be eaten with fat-free milk or fat-free plain yogurt.

Hot cereal must be a plain variety that does not contain added sugar, nuts or dried fruit.

White Bread is not a Man Food.

Lean Meats: Beef, lamb, pork and veal At the meat case look for cuts from the “loin,” “round,” and “leg” Ground beef with no more than 7% fat is limited to one meal a day. Processed meats such as deli products and hot dogs are not Man Foods.

Poultry – Chicken and turkey Trim any visible fat before preparing and remove skin before eating Ground turkey or ground chicken is limited to one meal a day.

Fish and Shellfish: Fresh, frozen, or canned, any variety Details Canned varieties must be packed in water, broth or tomato juice (not packed in oil).

Meat Substitutes: Dried beans and lentils Tofu, any type Vegetarian burgers, frozen

Egg and Egg Substitutes: Whole eggs, egg whites and egg substitutes

Oils: Fat-free salad dressings Fat-free margarine Fat-free mayonnaise Nonstick cooking or baking spray Extracts, flavorings, and herbs Details Include 2 teaspoons of olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, or flaxseed oil each day. Use your daily Bonus Allowance for any additional oil.

Beverages: Coffee (without sugar) Tea (without sugar) Diet soft drinks Club soda Seltzer (plain or flavored, unsweetened) Details Beverages containing alcohol are not Man Foods

Condiments: Capers Cocktail sauce Hot sauce (pepper sauce) Ketchup Lemon juice Lime juice Mustard Salsa (fat-free) Soy sauce (shoyu) Steak sauce Sugar substitutes Taco sauce Teriyaki sauce Vinegar Worcestershire sauce

At Snack Time Choose: Fat-free milk Fruits Vegetables Popcorn (94% fat-free) Vegetable soup Gelatin (unflavored and sugar-free flavored)

Comfort Zone: To use the MAN Plan to its full advantage, you’ll need to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re satisfied. While the MAN Plan rules allow you to eat as much as you need to feel satisfied of any of the MAN foods without tracking, it’s important to remember that calories do matter in weight loss.

To adjust your portions to your appetite, assess your hunger on a scale of 1-5 before and after each meal. Strive to stay in the Comfort Zone. In time, you’ll be able to recognize when you’re truly getting hungry and how much food you’ll need to stay satisfied.

Very Hungry/Starving

Hungry

1

2

Satisfied/Comfortable Full/Not Hungry at all

3

4

Very Full/Stuffed

5

COMFORT ZONE Daily Bonus Allowance: The MAN Plan gives you a daily bonus allowance of 5 points to use on any food that is not on the MAN Food list. One point basically represents one Tablespoon of any other food. A tablespoon is about the size of your thumb. Use that to determine one point. You can use your daily bonus points any way that fits your eating preferences. It’s up to you whether you use some, all or none. Some people choose to spend their bonus points on regular salad dressing on a salad, or butter on a piece of whole wheat bread, or sour cream on a baked potato. Use your judgment to determine how many points you are using based on the size of a Tablespoon. If you have a piece of chocolate cake or a Big Mac you should assume that you have used up all your 5 points for that day.

A Final Word: It helps to have a partner or two doing the process with you. Encourage a friend, your spouse, or co-worker to join you on this journey to a healthier YOU!