A seven-day beginner plan

Week one is hard mostly because you are making too many decisions. This plan removes the decisions. Two meals a day, three protein rotations, one shopping list. Eat to satiety.

Set your weight and sex above — every amount on this page adjusts to you. The shapes stay the same.

The shopping list (one trip, one week, one person)

AUD 70–100 at a standard supermarket. Adjust upward for multiple people.

• 2 kg beef mince (any fat percentage; 70/30 is ideal, 80/20 also fine)
• 1 kg ribeye or chuck steak
• 500 g pork belly or thick-cut bacon
• 24 eggs
• 500 g butter
• Salt — any unrefined salt is fine
• Optional: 250 g hard cheese (aged cheddar, parmesan)
• Optional: 200 g sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt

Cook everything in butter or rendered fat from the meat itself. No seed oils. No marinades. Salt liberally.

The daily shape

Two meals a day works for most people in the first week. You can add a third if hunger demands it.

• Meal 1 — around 10am or 11am. Skip breakfast if you wake up not hungry. Most people stop wanting breakfast within the first week.
• Meal 2 — around 5pm or 6pm. Earlier is generally better for sleep.

If you are very active or coming off a high-carb diet, a small third meal between is fine. No fixed time, no fixed portion. Eat when hungry, stop when full.

Day 1 (Sunday)

Meal 1

400 g beef mince, pan-fried in butter, salt to taste. 2 fried eggs in the same pan after.

Meal 2

300 g ribeye, seared in butter. Sprinkle of salt. 50 g hard cheese on the side if including dairy.

Day 2 (Monday)

Meal 1

3 eggs scrambled in butter. 150 g pork belly, sliced and pan-fried until crispy.

Meal 2

400 g beef mince, formed into patties, pan-seared. Salt. Optional sour cream on the side.

Day 3 (Tuesday)

Meal 1

300 g leftover beef mince from yesterday, reheated in butter with 2 fresh eggs cracked in.

Meal 2

300 g ribeye, seared. Salt and butter melted on top to finish.

Day 4 (Wednesday)

Meal 1

150 g pork belly pan-fried, 3 eggs in the rendered fat. Salt.

Meal 2

400 g beef mince. Mix in 50 g grated cheese before cooking if including dairy. Pan-sear as patties.

Day 5 (Thursday)

Meal 1

4 eggs scrambled in butter, generous salt.

Meal 2

300 g ribeye, seared in butter. 150 g pork belly slices on the side.

Day 6 (Friday)

Meal 1

300 g beef mince patties (cook two at once, save one for tomorrow). Salt. 2 eggs.

Meal 2

Last of the ribeye, around 250 g. Seared in butter. Sour cream or yoghurt on the side if including.

Day 7 (Saturday)

Meal 1

Yesterday's saved patty, reheated in butter with 2 fresh eggs.

Meal 2

Whatever is left. Combine the last of the mince, eggs, and bacon into one large pan. Top with the rest of the cheese. Eat the whole pan.

What you actually need beyond food

• A heavy pan (cast iron is ideal but a stainless or non-stick base also works)
• Salt within reach at every meal
• A water bottle, drunk to thirst
• No notebook tracking calories or macros in week one. Just track sleep and energy.

What to expect this week

• Days 1–3: usually easy. Energy holds.
• Days 4–7: this is the adaptation window. Some headaches, fatigue, possibly disrupted sleep. The salt-and-water fix is more important than any of these meals.
• You will probably stop being hungry between meals by day 5 or 6. Trust that signal — do not force a snack just because the clock says you should eat.

Full detail of what to expect physically: Side effects and what to expect.

Week 2 onwards

Once you have run this plan once, you have everything you need. Vary the cuts (lamb chops, fish, organ meats once a week), but keep the shape. Two meals, varied protein, salt, butter, no decisions.

Where to go next

• Cheaper than this plan? Budget plan
• Tired of cooking every day? Batch cooking
• Full food list with options: Food list