Losing weight may seem like a simple equation -- burn more calories than you eat, and your body will use stored fat for energy. But for millions of overweight Americans, that may seem easier said than done. Using pre-packaged foods made by Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers can help you limit calories, learn portion control, remove temptation and provide your body with a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat. You'll want to supplement packaged foods with fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products to ensure that you get all of the nutrients your body needs.
Step 1
Determine how many calories you need to consume daily to reach your goal weight. The average woman needs about 12 calories per pound of body weight. Multiply your goal weight in pounds by 12. If you'd like to weigh 140 lbs., eat about 1,680 calories daily. If you eat fewer calories, you may lose weight faster, but you'll need to consume at least 1,200 calories daily to ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need from your diet and keep your metabolism rate up.
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Step 2
Eat three meals and two or three snacks daily. It's important to keep your blood sugar level stable -- if you wait too long between meals, you increase your risk of overeating. Try to eat every four hours. If you're eating 1,650 calories daily, you could eat three 400-calorie meals and three 150-calorie snacks each day.
Step 3
Use a Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine meal for each of your three meals. Weight Watchers makes a line of frozen breakfasts, including french toast with turkey sausage, ham and cheese scramble, Canadian-style bacon sandwich on an English muffin or a breakfast quesadilla, that range from 210 to 290 calories. Both Weight Watchers and Lean Cuisine make a number of entrees that can be used for lunch and dinner. Most entrees have approximately 250 calories each. Adding a steamed vegetable or side salad will add to the calorie total, help you feel satisfied and ensure that you get all of the vitamins and minerals you need.
Step 4
Make your own snacks or use pre-packaged snacks and desserts from Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers. Both companies make snacks that are easy to eat on-the-go, but you may choose to make your own snacks. You'll need to learn proper portion control, and although pre-packaged foods make that easy in the beginning, you'll eventually want to learn how to measure out your own food. Making your own snacks can be great portion control practice.
Tip
If you're following the Weight Watchers points system, you can eat Lean Cuisine products, which have the points value marked on the package.
If you're following the Diabetic Exchange diet, both Weight Watchers and Lean Cuisine have all exchange values marked on each package.
Warning
Packaged frozen foods tend to be higher in sodium than fresh foods. If you have high blood pressure or need to watch your sodium intake, read the nutrition facts of each entree and choose lower-sodium options.
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