Diet Chart for Weight Loss for Female (7-Day Indian Plan)

Most weight loss plans written for women are either too strict to follow or too vague to help. "Eat healthy, stay active" is not a plan. This is the women-specific version of our main diet chart for weight loss: a 7-day Indian veg chart and a 7-day non-veg chart at 1,200 to 1,450 kcal a day, built around iron and calcium rich home food.

If you want the general chart, calorie table for men and women, and portion sizes, start with the diet chart for weight loss hub and come back here for the women-specific details.

Quick answer: diet plan for weight loss for female

• Calories: 1,200 to 1,450 kcal a day for most women, never lower without a nutritionist or doctor guiding you.
• Pace: 0.5 to 1 kg a week, about 2 to 4 kg a month.
• Protein: dal, curd, paneer, eggs, chicken, fish or soya at every main meal.
• Iron and calcium: palak, methi, rajma, chana, ragi, curd and milk through the week.

How many calories should a woman eat to lose weight?

A rough guide for an adult woman aged 25 to 45. Height, age and health change your number, so ask a nutritionist for a personal one.

Body weight	Mostly sitting	Moderately active	Protein goal a day
50 kg	1,200 kcal	1,250 to 1,350 kcal	45 to 55 g
60 kg	1,200 to 1,300 kcal	1,300 to 1,400 kcal	50 to 60 g
70 kg	1,250 to 1,350 kcal	1,350 to 1,450 kcal	55 to 70 g
80 kg	1,300 to 1,400 kcal	1,400 to 1,450 kcal	60 to 75 g

If you are over 40, protein matters even more, see the weight loss for women over 40 guide. After a baby, see weight loss after delivery.

7-day diet chart for weight loss for female (vegetarian)

About 1,300 kcal and 45 to 60 g protein a day. Portions are cooked amounts, and 1 katori is about 150 ml. Calories in brackets are per meal. Start the morning with warm water, and take 4 soaked almonds if you like.

Day	Breakfast	Mid-morning	Lunch	Evening snack	Dinner	Day total
Day 1	ragi dosa, 2 small, sambar, 1 katori (about 240 kcal)	1 guava (about 70 kcal)	2 phulka, rajma, 1 katori, palak sabzi, 1 katori, 1 katori curd (about 450 kcal)	1 cup tea, no sugar, roasted chana, 25 g, 1 glass toned milk (about 235 kcal)	1 phulka, 1 katori masoor dal, lauki sabzi, 1 katori, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 extra phulka (about 380 kcal)	about 1,380 kcal, 57 g protein
Day 2	veg oats daliya, 1 katori, 1 glass low-fat milk (about 270 kcal)	papaya, 150 g, 10 almonds (about 130 kcal)	1 katori rice, 1 katori moong dal, methi sabzi, 1 katori, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 410 kcal)	sprouts chaat, 1 katori, 1 glass toned milk (about 215 kcal)	2 phulka, paneer bhurji, 50 g paneer, cucumber-tomato salad (about 310 kcal)	about 1,340 kcal, 60 g protein
Day 3	2 moong dal chilla, mint chutney (about 210 kcal)	1 orange, 10 almonds (about 120 kcal)	2 bajra roti, chana masala, 1 katori, cabbage sabzi, 1 katori, 1 katori curd (about 500 kcal)	1 glass chaas, 15 g pumpkin seeds (about 120 kcal)	1 phulka, palak dal, 1 katori, 1 katori tinda sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 370 kcal)	about 1,320 kcal, 57 g protein
Day 4	2 palak thepla (1 tsp ghee total), 1 katori curd, 1 small banana (about 340 kcal)	1 pear (about 70 kcal)	1 katori brown rice, 1 katori toor dal, 1 katori mixed vegetable sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd, 1 tsp ghee on roti, 1 extra phulka (about 520 kcal)	2 dates, green tea (about 50 kcal)	2 phulka, tofu sabzi, 80 g tofu, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 350 kcal)	about 1,330 kcal, 47 g protein
Day 5	poha with peas, 1 katori, 1 glass chaas, 1 small banana (about 305 kcal)	1 apple (about 80 kcal)	2 phulka, lobia, 1 katori, karela sabzi, 1 katori, 1 katori curd, 1 tsp ghee on roti, 1 extra phulka (about 550 kcal)	1 cup tea, no sugar, makhana, 20 g (about 100 kcal)	moong khichdi, 1 katori, raita, 1 katori, beetroot salad, 1 extra phulka (about 330 kcal)	about 1,360 kcal, 44 g protein
Day 6	2 idli, sambar, 1 katori, 2 tbsp peanut chutney (about 240 kcal)	1 guava (about 70 kcal)	2 jowar roti, chole, 1 katori, 1 katori tori sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad (about 480 kcal)	1 glass chaas, roasted chana, 25 g (about 125 kcal)	1 phulka, palak paneer, 50 g paneer, light gravy, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori moong dal (about 380 kcal)	about 1,300 kcal, 58 g protein
Day 7	2 besan chilla with onion and spinach, 1 katori curd (about 300 kcal)	papaya, 150 g (about 60 kcal)	1 katori jeera rice, 1 katori dal fry, 1 katori mixed vegetable sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 tsp ghee on roti, 1 extra phulka (about 480 kcal)	5 almonds, 1 cup tea, no sugar (about 65 kcal)	2 phulka, soya chunk sabzi, 25 g dry soya, 1 katori lauki sabzi, 1 extra phulka (about 450 kcal)	about 1,360 kcal, 57 g protein

7-day diet chart for weight loss for female (non-vegetarian)

About 1,300 kcal and 50 to 75 g protein a day, with eggs, chicken and fish on different days. Choose grilled or curry over fried, with about 1 tsp oil per dish.

Day	Breakfast	Mid-morning	Lunch	Evening snack	Dinner	Day total
Day 1	2 egg bhurji with spinach, 1 phulka, 1 cup tea, no sugar (about 270 kcal)	1 guava, 10 almonds (about 140 kcal)	2 phulka, chicken curry, 100 g chicken, palak sabzi, 1 katori, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 480 kcal)	roasted chana, 25 g, green tea (about 90 kcal)	1 phulka, 1 katori masoor dal, lauki sabzi, 1 katori, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 360 kcal)	about 1,340 kcal, 77 g protein
Day 2	veg oats daliya, 1 katori, 1 boiled egg, 1 small banana (about 330 kcal)	papaya, 150 g (about 60 kcal)	1 katori rice, 1 katori moong dal, methi sabzi, 1 katori, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd, 1 tsp ghee on roti (about 450 kcal)	sprouts chaat, 1 katori (about 100 kcal)	2 phulka, fish curry, 100 g fish, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 390 kcal)	about 1,330 kcal, 66 g protein
Day 3	2 moong dal chilla, mint chutney, 1 small banana (about 300 kcal)	1 orange (about 50 kcal)	2 bajra roti, chana masala, 1 katori, cabbage sabzi, 1 katori, 1 katori curd (about 500 kcal)	1 glass chaas, 15 g pumpkin seeds (about 120 kcal)	1 phulka, egg curry, 2 eggs, light gravy, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori curd (about 350 kcal)	about 1,320 kcal, 60 g protein
Day 4	2 palak thepla (1 tsp ghee total), 1 katori curd, 1 small banana (about 340 kcal)	1 pear (about 70 kcal)	1 katori brown rice, 1 katori toor dal, 1 katori mixed vegetable sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 boiled egg, 1 tsp ghee on roti, 1 extra phulka (about 530 kcal)	2 dates, green tea (about 50 kcal)	2 phulka, chicken and vegetable stew, 1 bowl, cucumber-tomato salad (about 330 kcal)	about 1,320 kcal, 56 g protein
Day 5	poha with peas, 1 katori, 1 glass chaas (about 215 kcal)	1 apple (about 80 kcal)	2 phulka, lobia, 1 katori, karela sabzi, 1 katori, 1 katori curd, 1 tsp ghee on roti, 1 extra phulka (about 550 kcal)	1 cup tea, no sugar, makhana, 20 g (about 100 kcal)	moong khichdi, 1 katori, raita, 1 katori, grilled fish, 60 g, 1 extra phulka (about 380 kcal)	about 1,320 kcal, 53 g protein
Day 6	2 idli, sambar, 1 katori, 1 boiled egg (about 250 kcal)	1 guava (about 70 kcal)	2 jowar roti, chole, 1 katori, 1 katori tori sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad (about 480 kcal)	1 glass chaas, roasted chana, 25 g (about 125 kcal)	1 phulka, chicken palak, 80 g chicken, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 katori moong dal (about 370 kcal)	about 1,300 kcal, 70 g protein
Day 7	2 besan chilla with onion and spinach, 1 katori curd (about 300 kcal)	papaya, 150 g (about 60 kcal)	1 katori jeera rice, 1 katori dal fry, 1 katori mixed vegetable sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 egg bhurji (about 440 kcal)	5 almonds, 1 cup tea, no sugar (about 65 kcal)	2 phulka, fish tikka, 80 g fish, air-fried, 1 katori lauki sabzi, cucumber-tomato salad, 1 extra phulka (about 460 kcal)	about 1,320 kcal, 65 g protein

Iron and calcium: what to put on the plate

• Iron-rich foods: palak, methi, bathua, rajma, chana, lobia, masoor dal, ragi, til, dates. Add lemon, tomato or amla at the same meal so your body uses the iron better.
• Calcium-rich foods: curd, milk, paneer, ragi, til, sabzi with leafy greens.
• Tea and coffee: keep a one hour gap from lunch and dinner, since they reduce iron absorption.

If you feel tired all the time, please get your blood tests done and follow your doctor's advice on supplements. Food habits help, but they do not replace a check-up.

PCOS, period and thyroid: food habits that help

If you have PCOS

Choose jowar, bajra, ragi and daliya over maida and polished rice, keep protein in every meal, and avoid juice and sugary chai. These are food habits, not treatment, so follow your doctor's advice. More in our PCOS diet plan and hormonal balance diet guide.

Around your period

Do not crash diet during these days. Eat regular meals, add iron-rich foods and warm food, and keep water and curd or chaas in the day. Small sweet cravings are normal. Two dates work better than a mithai box.

If you have thyroid

Cook cabbage, cauliflower and similar vegetables rather than eating them raw in large amounts, and follow your doctor's advice about medicine timing. See the thyroid diet plan for more.

Foods to limit, not ban

• Maida foods like pav, naan, biscuits, samosa and kachori
• Sweet chai, packed juice and cold drinks
• Fried snacks like bhujia, chips and mathri
• Extra ghee and oil, keep to 2 to 3 tsp a day in total
• Heavy rice dinners very late at night

Timing and daily habits

• Eat breakfast within an hour or two of waking.
• Keep 3 to 4 hours between meals, and have dinner 2 to 3 hours before sleep.
• Drink a glass of water before meals, and eat slowly.
• A 20 minute walk daily, ideally after a meal, is enough to go with this plan.

For breakfast ideas to rotate, see best Indian breakfasts for weight loss.

FAQs

How much weight can a woman lose in a month with this diet chart?

On 1,200 to 1,450 kcal a day, most women lose about 0.5 to 1 kg a week, so 2 to 4 kg in a month. The first week may show more because of water. Do not judge the plan by week one, and do not try to go faster by eating less. If 5 kg is your goal, the 5 kg weight loss in 1 month diet chart shows who can reach it in a month and what that week of food looks like.

Can I follow this chart if I have PCOS?

The chart is built around dal, whole grains, vegetables and protein at every meal, which suits most PCOS food advice. But PCOS is a medical condition, so follow your doctor's advice and ask a nutritionist to adjust portions for you. See our PCOS diet plan for more food habits.

Is 1,300 kcal enough, or will I feel hungry?

Most women feel fine when each meal has dal or another protein, a sabzi and some fibre. If you are hungry, add a katori of sabzi or sprouts and a glass of water first, rather than extra rice or roti. If you are very active, ask for a higher number, since 1,200 kcal is the lowest we recommend.

Can I eat rice on a weight loss diet?

Yes. One katori of cooked rice, about 130 kcal, fits in the chart at lunch or dinner. Pair it with dal and sabzi, and skip the second helping. Rice is not the problem, a heaped plate is.

What should I eat during my period?

Keep eating regular meals. Add iron-rich foods like palak, rajma, chana, lobia and ragi, with lemon or tomato at the same meal, and have warm food if it feels better. Cravings are common, so have 2 dates or a square of dark chocolate instead of mithai. It is fine to eat a little more on those days, and if cramps or heavy bleeding bother you, follow your doctor's advice.

Why not follow a 1,000 or 1,200 kcal plan from social media?

Very low plans make it hard to get enough protein, iron, calcium and B vitamins from food, and most people quit within two weeks. The 1,200 to 1,450 kcal range here is low enough to lose weight and high enough to feel normal. A nutritionist can set your exact number.

Want this made for you?

A DietGhar nutritionist can make a personal plan for you around the food you cook at home and share it on WhatsApp, with changes for your cycle, goals and routine. We plan your own kitchen food, we are not a food delivery service.