This “Menu Plan and Tips for Your First Week on WW” is a primer for how to navigate the WW App, plan your food for the week, and build a team of support for your wellness journey!
If you’re new to my blog because you just started (or restarted) WW for the new year–welcome! You’re not alone. I have many friends and work colleagues who are doing the same, mainly starting on Monday (Jan 6th). They have tons of questions, and since I am a WW Ambassador, I can get answers pretty quickly to questions that I’m unsure how to answer myself. So I thought I would extend this conversation to my internet friends!
I occasionally post pretty bare-bones weekly menu plans here with links to recipes, but today I’m going to go into more detail with various options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a 5-day plan.
Before I do that, I’ll point you to a few links that can help with the very early stages of getting to know to WW app. This one is a basic breakdown of the app features, including the Recipe Builder, which is huge for me. Here is a much more detailed breakdown of how to access the Recipe Builder and use it.
If you have any questions about the app, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them!
Building a Menu PLan
Nothing has been more crucial to my success on WW than making sure I go into the week with a plan of what I will eat for each meal. That being said, I’m not perfect. I have days when I’m just not feeling what I had planned or I’m sick of leftovers, but I would say I stick to my plans about 80% of the week. This also helps me budget for groceries, since I only buy what I plan to use in a recipe rather than just grabbing things that look good off of the shelves.
Okay, let’s break down our meals:
Breakfast
I’m not a huge breakfast eater, but when I do eat it, I like whole grains and fruit to keep me full for a decent amount of time. For that reason, I like making something like Banana Walnut Crumble Muffins (4 SP on all plans) or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (5 SP or 4 SP with Lily’s dark chocolate chips.) These are great grab-and-go options, especially paired some some fruit.
If you’re not into baking, I like toasting up some light, whole grain English Muffins (3 SP each) along with some frozen turkey or veggie sausage. I can heat the sausage up while I cook up and egg, and breakfast is done pretty quickly. Eggs are 0 SP on Purple and Blue, but usually 2 SP each on Green. The points of your sausage will depend on the brand. You can make these sandwiches ahead of time and reheat in the microwave. Add some cheese if you like.
Lunch and Dinner for Sunday-Friday
I like to make a big meal on Sunday night, either a casserole or more labor-intensive meal that will provide lots of leftovers throughout the week for lunches or a last-minute dinner. I have more time on Sundays to do this, so why not put in some extra time to make sure I have options? If I don’t eat all of the leftovers, then I will freeze them individually for future use.
My favorite Sunday meals
- Lasagna with Meat Sauce (7 SP on Green and Blue; 5 SP on Purple if using whole wheat noodles)
- Chicken Tikka Masala— probably my favorite recipe of all time (7-5 SP on Green, 4 SP on Blue or Purple)
- Unstuffed Shells Casserole (if using whole wheat pasta, 8 on Green and Blue; 4 on Purple)
- Broccoli Cheese Soup (2 SP for 2 cups)
- Turkey Meatballs in Dijon Gravy (4 SP on Green; 3 SP on Blue and Purple)
- I’ll also make the sauce for my Peruvian Chicken and Green Sauce (3 SP on green; 0-1 SP on Blue and Purple) , marinate the chicken, and then just grill up the meat on Monday–my sauce is already done! And that green sauce is killer on EVERYTHING: salad, pasta, nachos, etc.
- Another delicious marinade is my El Pollo Loco Copycat.
need some quick prep?
Let’s say you don’t have a lot of time on Sunday to spend in the chicken. In that case, throw together my BBQ Pulled Chicken in the Crockpot or Instant Pot (2 SP on Green; 0 SP on Blue and Purple) or Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (3 SP on Green; 2 SP on Blue and Purple).
You could take just about 10 minutes to make Skinny Alfredo and/or the BEST Caesar Salad dressing ever. My Quick 0 Point Marinara is a total lifesaver, too. They will keep all week for quick dinner!
- Want a decadent pasta alfredo? Just saute some shrimp or chicken, boil some whole wheat pasta, and add in your pre-made alfredo. You’ve got a 15-minute meal that is truly decadent and only 2-3 SP on Purple, or 7-9 SP on Blue or Green!
- Do the same, but use the Quick Marinara for a 0 point meal on Purple (whaaaat??) or a 5-7 point meal on Blue and Green.
- Easy Caesar? Throw some lettuce, croutons, and cooked protein together with that decadent Caesar dressing, and your meal will be around 4-7SP depending on how much dressing and meat you use.
- These are such deals considering most restaurant and even store-bought versions are 2x or 3x the points!
Quick Weeknight MEals
If you need something to throw together quickly on a weeknight, look to this tab on my blog. But here are some reader favorites:
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Chicken
- Firecracker Turkey
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp
- Simple Rice Pilaf
- Easy Mashed Potatoes
- Jalapeno Popper Turkey Burgers
- One Pot Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Baked Ziti
lunches
I really do just eat leftovers all week for lunch. I love it! We also have one dinner week a night (usually Thursday) as a “leftovers buffet,” where we just reheat whatever leftovers are still hanging around from earlier in the week. It takes a lot of pressure off of me and cuts back on our waste.
other tips
I hope this has given you a little insight, whether you are new to the program or restarting! Here are a few more tips I can offer, outside of food:
- My first week back usually goes one of two ways: I either lose a lot, or I barely lose at all. No in between! Either way, don’t get overly excited or discouraged. Your body is adjusting, so the next week will probably bring different results. Allow your body a full month to regulate. If, at that time, you’re still discouraged, try switching to another one of the WW plans.
- Build a community on Instagram. I receive about 80% of my inspiration and support from IG. I know I have a lot of followers now, but when I first started my IG in Dec 2017, I knew no one. Engage on peoples’ posts that inspire you, tag people when you do something that was inspired by them, respond to their stories. You will build a WW support crew quickly! Btw, follow me @litecravings, let me know you came from this post, and I will follow you back to give you support and encouragement!
- Drink more water than you ever thought you needed to. Like, a lot! Around 90 ounces. Keep refilling that bottle. AND, for ever cup of coffee you have, drink an EXTRA 8 ounces of water. Coffee dehydrates. I see big results when I hydrate.
- Get in 10K steps at least 5 days a week. You don’t have to be a gym rat at first, but make yourself get those steps in. It always make a HUGE difference for me. If you don’t have a Fitbit or something like it, commit yourself to a 3-mile walk a day. Listen to an hour-long podcast or audiobook to make the time more enjoyable. Or get a walking buddy! Skip a happy hour for a walking hour.
- Remember that this is about more than just losing weight. It’s about being a healthier version of you. Read food labels. If they have a ton of weird ingredients, you might want to think about phasing those foods out. A lot of times “fat-free” or “light” products are just packed with added sugar and preservatives to make them palatable. You may feel bloated because of them. That has been my experience, anyway!
You can do this, my friend! It might seem daunting at first, but you will get the hang of all of this. Don’t give up because you’re confused about something. Ask questions and grow! I’m sending you all of the good vibes. 🙂
Love,
Geri
