Michi's Ladder

When people ask me how to get started, this is one of the first things I send them. If you can make small tweaks to your diet, you will see significant changes in your health and your body. I also tell people to write down what they are consuming for week. Seeing it on paper can be scary if you don't realize what you are actually eating every day.

Michi's Ladder is not a diet. It's a simple substitution plan. To lose weight, try swapping the foods you eat for similar foods in tiers 1 and 2. The more you eat in tiers 1 and 2, the more you'll increase your chances of losing weight.

There are some healthy foods in lower tiers, but they're either calorie dense or nutrient deficient. To lose weight, you want to maximize the nutrients in every calorie you consume.

Note on frying: Foods should be eaten raw, steamed, grilled, poached, baked, or broiled. Frying automatically drops even the best foods into tier 5.

Apples, with skin C Artichokes (no sauce) PC Amaranth PC Arugula C Asparagus C Barley C Beans PCF Beets C Blueberries C Bok choy C Boysenberries C Bran C Broccoli PC Broccoli sprouts PC Brussels sprouts PC Cabbage C Carrots C Cauliflower C Celery C Chard PC Chickpeas PC Cherries C Citrus fruits C Collard greens PC Cottage cheese (nonfat) P Cucumbers C Egg whites P Endive C Fish (broiled, steamed, grilled) PF Flaxseed F Garlic (fresh) C Grapefruit C Grapes C Hempseed F Herbs Kale PFC Ketchup (homemade, no sugar) C Kiwifruit C Lentils PFC Lettuce (romaine, green or red leaf) C Melon honeydew C Milk (nonfat) PC Mushrooms C Mustard C Natto PFC Nectarines C Onions C Papayas C Peaches C Pears C Peas PC Peppers C Pineapple C Plums C Prunes C Quinoa PC Radishes C Raspberries C Refried beans (nonfat) PC Rice (whole-grain) C Salsa (natural, no sugar or oil) C Spelt PC Shakeology CP Spinach PC Squash C Strawberries C String beans PC Sweet potatoes C Tea (green or black, no sugar) Tomato sauce (no sugar) C Tomatoes C Vinegar Water Yams C Yogurt (nonfat, no sugar) PC Zucchini C

 

Apples, skinless C Applesauce (raw) C Avocados F Bagels (whole-grain) C Bananas C Bread (whole-grain) FC Broths (veggie, chicken, etc., low sodium) FC Buffalo, super lean (under 10% fat) PF Cereal (whole-grain) PFC Cheese (nonfat) P Coffee (black or cappuccino w/ nonfat milk) C Coconut F Corn FC Couscous PFC Cottage cheese (low-fat) PF Cream cheese (nonfat) P Dates C Eggs, whole PF Eggplant C Feta cheese (low-fat) PF Fowl (skinless, white meat only) PF Figs C Granola (raw, no sugar) PFC Hummus PFC Juice (fresh-squeezed w/ pulp, no sugar) C Mangoes C Meat, wild game PF Milk (1%) PFC Muesli (raw, no sugar) PFC Nuts (raw) PF Nut butters (raw, no additives) PF Oatmeal PC Olive oil F Olives F Pork tenderloin PF Plantains C Raisins C Ricotta cheese (nonfat) P Rye Crisp C Seitan PFC Squid PF Stevia Sunflower seeds PF Tahini PF Tempeh PFC Tofu PFC Vegetable juice C Veggie burger PFC Yacon syrup C Yogurt (low-fat, no sugar) PFC

 

Applesauce (big brand) C Agave nectar C Almond milk PFC Beef, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF Beef (lean cuts) PF Broths (veggie, chicken, etc.) C Butter (unsalted) F Canola oil F Cheese (hard) Cheese (low-fat) PF Chicken taco (baked) PFC Chili (no lard or sugar added) PF Crackers (whole-grain) FC Cream cheese (low-fat) PF Fowl (skinless, dark meat only) PF Fowl, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF French fries (baked) FC Fruit (dried) C Granola (no sugar added) C Honey C Jam or marmalade (no sugar added) C Ketchup (store bought, no sugar added) C Lamb (lean) PF Lettuce (iceberg) C Maple syrup (natural, no sugar added) C Milk (2%) PFC Muesli (big brand) PC Molasses C Oatmeal (flavored) PC Pancakes (buckwheat) C Pasta (whole-grain) C Pickles C Popcorn (plain) FC Potatoes (baked or boiled) C Refried beans (low-fat) PFC Rice cakes C Rice milk C Rice (white) C Sauerkraut C Shellfish P Shrimp P Soy milk PFC Soy nuts PFC Sugar alcohols (Truvia, & anything ending in –tol) C Sushi PFC Tortillas (whole wheat) FC Veal PF Wine (red) C Wine (white) C

 

Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharine, etc.) Bagels (refined flour) C Beef, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF Beer C Bread (refined flour) C Butter (salted) F Caesar salad (w/ chicken) PFC Canadian bacon PF Cheese, soft (including blue and goat) F Chips (low-fat, baked) C Cobb salad PFC Coffee (iced mocha latte w/ nonfat milk) PC Coffee (latte w/ whole milk) PFC Coffee cake FC Crackers FC Cream cheese F Fish (fried) PF Fowl (with skin) PF Fowl, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF Graham crackers C Ham PF Hot dogs (turkey) PF Ice cream (sugar-free or fat-free) FC Jell-O C Jerky (turkey) P Juice (from concentrate) C Lamb chops PF Lasagna PFC Macaroni and cheese FC Mayonnaise F Meat loaf PF Milk (whole) PFC Muffins FC Nuts (salted or roasted) F Nut butters (processed) FC Pancakes FC Peanut butter (not raw) FC Pizza (thin crust veggie) PFC Popcorn (w/ salt and butter) FC Pork chop PF Potato salad or macaroni salad FC Pretzels C Pudding (w/ low-fat milk) FC Reuben sandwich PFC Sauce (steak, etc.) C Sherbet C Sloppy Joe (lean beef or turkey) PFC Soup (canned creamy) PFC Soy sauce Spaghetti (w/ meatballs) PFC Sub sandwich PFC Sweet-and-sour sauce FC Tortilla (refined flour or corn) FC Tuna salad or chicken salad PF Yogurt (frozen) C

 

Alcohol (hard liquor) Bacon PF Baked beans PFC Beef, ground, regular, (over 20% fat) PF Beef taco (fried) PFC "Breaded" foods FC Breakfast sandwich (fast-food) PFC Cake FC Candy PFC Cereal (sugared) PFC Chicken à la King PFC Chicken (buffalo wings, nuggets, tenders) PFC Chicken or fish sandwich, fried PFC Chips (potato or corn) FC Chocolate PFC Chicken fried steak PFC Cinnamon bun FC Coffee (mocha, macchiato, ice blended, frappé, triple caramel vanilla buzz bomb, etc.) FC Cookies (Oreo®, etc.) FC Creamed veggies FC Creamer (nondairy) FC Doughnuts FC Energy drinks C Fowl, ground, regular (over 20% fat) PF French fries FC Gravy PF Grilled cheese sandwich PFC Hamburger (fast-food) PFC High fructose corn syrup C Hot dogs PFC "Hydrogenated" foods F Ice cream FC Jerky (beef, pork, venison) PFC Juice (sugar added) C Lobster Newburg PFC Margarine F Milk (cream or half-and-half) PFC Nachos FC Onion rings FC Pastries FC Pies FC Pizza (delivered) PFC Potato skins (fried) FC Refried beans (w/ lard) PFC Salad dressing (creamy) FC Sausage PF Soft drinks, diet (read the studies) Soft drinks, sugared C Sports drinks & foods (unless you're playing sports) Syrup C Sugar (refined) C Tater tots FC Toaster pastries FC Vegetable oil (cheap big brand) F