Jumpstart Your Weight Loss in 1 Day with These 5 Meals

Want to lose five pounds the healthy way? Put these five power foods on your plate, and eat your way to a smaller size.

1. Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin
Holy cow—you'd need to consume nearly three times as much conventional beef to get the same amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that may help whittle your middle.

2. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
What is sweet: They're loaded with medium-chain triglycerides that are burned as energy (rather than stored like other fats).

3. Spinach
Women who downed drinks made with an extract of this low-cal supergreen lost 43 percent more weight than those given a placebo, thanks to hunger quashers called thylakoids.

4. Quick-Cooking Barley
A rad way to get your carb fix. Though whole-grain hulled barley has more fiber (and takes longer to cook), this low-glycemic variety is digested slowly, so you stay full longer.

5. Cherries
Because they're a natural source of the sleep hormone melatonin, this fruit can help you snag more z's—so clutch in regulating hunger and weight.

Make sure you're also stocked with the following ingredients:
Yogurt
Tomato
Balsamic vinegar
Honey
Almond butter
Cinnamon
Cilantro
Garlic
Lime
Coriander
Dark chocolate

Now that you're ready to create delicious fat-blasting meals, check out the recipes below!

BREAKFAST

Mitch Mandel

Overnight Barley Bowl
Stir together 3/4 cup plain yogurt and 1/3 cup uncooked barley. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp coconut flakes and 1/2 cup halved cherries.

RELATED: 5 Quick and Delicious Ways to Turn Yogurt into an Actual Meal

LUNCH

Mitch Mandel

Barley Beef Salad
Preheat oven to 500°F. Place 4 oz beef fillet on a lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 8 minutes for medium-rare (145°F). Remove, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Dress 2 cups spinach, 1/4 cup cooked barley, and 1/4 cup diced tomato with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with sliced steak.

RELATED: How to Make Sure Your Salads Have More Than 5 Grams of Protein

SNACK

Mitch Mandel

Crunchy Energy Bites
Mix together 3 Tbsp honey, 3/4 cup uncooked barley, 1/4 cup chopped cherries, 4 Tbsp almond butter, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Roll into 8 patties, place on parchment paper, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Makes 4 two-bite servings

RELATED: 16 Weight-Loss Tips to Live By Every Day

DINNER

Mitch Mandel

Beef with Spinach Chimichurri
Chop 2 Tbsp spinach, 4 tsp cilantro, and 2 cloves garlic. Mix with juice of 1 lime. Rub 4 oz beef fillet with salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp olive oil. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp oil, and cook beef 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare, flipping once midway through. Rest 5 minutes. Serve with sauce and 1/3 cup cooked barley tossed with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of coriander.

DESSERT

Mitch Mandel

Chocolate-Covered Cherries
Break 1 oz dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring until melted and smooth. Dip 4 whole cherries in chocolate to coat, then place on a plate and sprinkle with 1 heaping tsp coconut flakes.

RELATED: The Perfect Mix of Meals for Day 1 of Your Weight-Loss Mission

For more healthy recipes and easy weight-loss tips, pick up the July/August 2015 issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.

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