A balanced protein diet is considered one of the simplest and most effective methods for losing weight. The diet is designed for people who want to lose weight without giving up meat products. A protein diet consists mainly of protein-rich foods and the consumption of fats and carbohydrates is kept to a reasonable minimum. Protein diet for weight loss will help you lose extra pounds without causing much harm to your body, provided that you comply with all the recommendations below.
Basic principles of a protein diet for weight loss
When a person eats a lot of foods containing carbohydrates, he supplies his body with simple "fuel", and all cakes, pastries, pizza and much more contain simple fats. and carbohydrates. The body, when it perceives food, uses carbohydrates to maintain one's strength, in other words, it spends it on energy production, but it (the body) puts the remaining fat in the bin, as if for a "rainy day". A person has many places where fat can be hidden, such as the abdomen or sides. But do not despair, the body can be defeated. It is enough to eliminate carbohydrates from the intake and provide the body with only protein, it will immediately begin to look for a way out of the current situation and will have to burn its own fat for energy.
Physical activity will also help you lose weight. A high-protein diet is a great way to tone and strengthen muscles (you need a lot of protein for this) and exercise will help you burn fat faster.
Pros and cons of protein diets for weight loss
Advantages of a protein diet
The main and most important advantage of a protein diet can be considered that after eating the specified protein ratio, a person will not feel hungry for a long time, and during this time the body continues to work. for you. Protein is considered a complex food component, the body takes more time and effort to digest it, so hunger will not gnaw at you for an hour or several hours. Of course, the second advantage of a protein diet remains that after completing the diet, a person will not gain the kilograms that he lost with such difficulty, while maintaining such a regimen. balanced diet. Weight loss is especially noticeable in people with large amounts of excess body fat. The weight loss process happens quickly enough that you won't start craving sweets. In addition, a large number of recipes have appeared on the Internet that will brighten up everyday life with a not too bright diet, but at the same time allow you to maintain the necessary calorie allowance. It is important to take the first step, and when you start to notice an amazing transformation and your old clothes become huge, you will no longer want to go back or leave your intended goal. me too.
Disadvantages of protein diets for weight loss
As in any other case, before starting a high-protein diet, you need to visit your doctor and get individual recommendations on this step. All protein diets have contraindications - these are disorders of the kidneys, liver, heart and pregnancy. Of course, protein diets are very different from some other mono-nutrient diets, in which there is no balance of vitamins and minerals at all. The least we can say about the kefir cheese or apple diet. If a person decides to follow such a diet, he will not only experience deterioration in the quality of hair and nails but will also experience all the pleasures of improper/slow digestionand constipation. Of course, in the case of a protein diet, it is also better to protect the body with vitamin tablets. And the slow intake of energy from consumed food can cause dizziness and mild weakness. While on the diet, it is recommended to drink more water. It will promote good kidney function, which is at risk of being affected during a protein diet for weight loss. Additionally, older adults should not follow a high-protein diet. A large amount of protein and a small percentage of fat increases the likelihood of blood clot formation due to improved blood clotting. That's why protein diets, like other diets, should be approached with caution.
Products for protein diets, their preparation
There is no need to be afraid that now you will have to stand for days in the kitchen, trying to prepare the entire dietary menu according to the recipe. Nothing! The diet is very simple and there is no need to buy papaya and mangosteen every day. The main food during the entire diet period must be food containing protein. These include especially low-fat fish and meats, as well as protein in large quantities (found in eggs and all types of dairy products). You should not abuse the percentage of fat when consuming dairy products, it is better to limit it to 1-3%. Some diet menus allow you to supplement grapefruit or oranges, but you should not abuse these citrus fruits because acidity in the stomach can increase, leading to negative consequences. It is better to boil all dietary products allowed for consumption in a double boiler. This device helps prepare dishes perfectly, does not let vitamins "escape" from the product (which can happen during cooking), and also saves your time and effort. Multi-layer steamers are designed to process and cook multiple products at the same time. The oven will also be your great assistant in a protein-rich diet, thanks to which you can easily cook without oil or fat.
It is worth noting that along with the products allowed for consumption in the list, there are also products that are strictly prohibited for all people who strictly adhere to a protein diet for weight loss. For example, all lovers of potato chips will have to forget about their deliciousness during the diet! Potatoes should not be consumed in any form, be it mashed or baked. All grains and pasta are now banned! And you shouldn't listen to the advice of salespeople that you can eat durum wheat in their pasta every day. This is not true, just like the fact that for the stomach to function properly, it is important to eat oatmeal in the morning, because there are many substitutes for this product to properly warm up the body. after sleep. Of course, all grilling is also still a thing of the past, especially rich grilling. The same applies to all types of butter (avocado, sunflower).
Time to apply a protein diet
Usually, protein-type diets are prescribed in detail for one to two weeks. The menu is not very diverse, in the second week, if at all, experts advise eating the same menu as the first week, following the diet from the last day to the first. Among other things, nutritionists advise to follow a protein diet for no more than two weeks, after which a six-month break is recommended, only after that you can continue the course.
High-protein diet menu to lose weight during the day
All the menus of protein diets, which are now very diverse (and they often bear the proud names of the menu creators), you can study and make your own menu based on them. Protein diets include the Kremlin diet, the Pierre Dukan diet, the egg diet, the Japanese weight loss diet, the angel diet, the English diet, and the bodybuilding diet. sports.
The prefabricated version of the diet is especially suitable for those losing weight who are not used to following a plan drawn up by someone else.
The thing to remember is that you need to eat at least four times a day, which may seem difficult for some people who lead an active lifestyle and cannot spend much time eating. But the claim that you can lose weight by eating once a day is a serious misconception. Chinese wisdom says: "Do you want to feed a sumo wrestler? Feed him once a day! "The fact is that throughout the day our body is very tired and hunger will remind itselfmore and more often and with new vigor, therefore there is a risk of gaining weight due to eating only a light but very concentrated meal. At these times, a person cannot control himself and the feeling of fullness does not come immediately, as a result, the person overeats and gains excessive weight. Food should be divided into small portions several times a day. It should be remembered that in the morning you need to start your diet with a glass of water, then you should wait half an hour and only then can you start breakfast. Last meal no later than two to three hours before bedtime. After noon, it is allowed to consume protein along with some fiber, specifically vegetables. This can be a small amount of tomatoes or cabbage, cucumbers or zucchini.
To perceive information better, you need to imagine the full menu for the week.
For breakfast
You can drink any type of coffee, even with milk, this type of coffee is even more recommended than regular black coffee, because this type of coffee increases acidity in the stomach. Instead of coffee, you can drink any kind of tea, all drinks should be drunk without sugar. You can buy a small jar of regular or drinking yogurt, cottage cheese or a boiled egg. Once a week you can have buckwheat or oatmeal with water.
For lunch
After the first meal, especially such a small one, at first you will want to eat, so after two to three hours you can eat any fruit, except bananas and peaches, preferably citrus. Drink more tea.
For lunch
Lunch can be completely varied, at first you can reward yourself with a coarse black bread, add two medium tomatoes, a cucumber or a few leaves of lettuce, one hundred grams of beef/fish/chicken. Occasionally - soup from vegetables rich in fiber (zucchini, cabbage). You can drink tea.
For afternoon tea
You are allowed to eat apples, just one or two, and drink kefir.
For dinner
You can prepare seafood salad with eggs naturally without using mayonnaise. You can eat seasoned chicken breasts by wrapping them in foil and baking them in the oven without using oil. Any meat, except pork, with vegetables will be a great dinner and will keep you full for a long time. After dinner, try not to eat anything other than kefir.
Protein diet menu for 14 days
A protein diet menu for weight loss in two weeks may look like this.
1 day.Breakfast: 100 g low-fat cheese. Breakfast 2: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: creamy broccoli soup or grilled zucchini with 100g feta cheese. Afternoon snack: 100 ml low-fat drinking yogurt. Dinner: 150 g grilled turkey fillet with cranberry sauce.
Day 2.Breakfast: 100 g omelet. Second breakfast: fresh leafy vegetable salad with 1 tsp. olive oil. Lunch: okroshka with low-fat kefir with turkey or beef, 150 g of steamed fish. Afternoon snack: 100 ml kefir. Dinner: 150 g boiled beef, fresh vegetable salad.
Day 3.Breakfast: 100 g low-fat cottage cheese with sour fruits (strawberries, cranberries). Breakfast 2: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 200g stuffed peppers, but use vegetables, such as broccoli, instead of rice. Afternoon snack: 100 g cucumber and cabbage salad with olive oil. Dinner: 150-200 g grilled beef with garlic.
4thBreakfast: 100 g skinless boiled chicken breast. Second breakfast: 100 g grilled fish, 1 cucumber. Lunch: 150 ml vegetable soup without potatoes. Afternoon snack: fresh tomato salad mixed with olive oil. Dinner: 150g grilled garlic beef, 100g grilled vegetables.
Day 5Breakfast: 150 g low-fat cheese. Second breakfast: 1 orange. Lunch: fish soup, 100 g red bell pepper salad, lettuce, tomatoes, seasoned with lemon juice. Afternoon snack: 100 g low-fat yogurt. Dinner: 150 g turkey stew with cauliflower or broccoli.
6thBreakfast: oatmeal with water. Second breakfast: 100 g sour fruits. Lunch: 150 g grilled fish, 100 g stewed eggplant. Afternoon snack: low-fat yogurt without sugar or additives. Dinner: 150 g steamed beef, 100 g tomato and cucumber salad, mixed with olive oil.
7thBreakfast: 150 g low-fat cheese. Breakfast 2: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150g skinless grilled chicken, two fresh tomatoes. Afternoon snack: mashed carrots with lemon juice. Dinner: 150 g boiled shrimp, 100 g green beans.
Day 8Breakfast: millet porridge with water, can add fruit or fruit pieces. Second breakfast: tuna and tomato salad, mixed with lemon and olive oil. Lunch: 200 g steamed fish cutlets, 100 g any fresh vegetables. Afternoon snack: 125ml of yogurt without additives. Dinner: 200 g of any grilled fish with vegetables.
9thBreakfast: 150 g low-fat cheese with finely chopped herbs (dill and parsley). Second breakfast: boiled eggs with cucumbers. Lunch: 200 g boiled beef, 150 ml tomato juice. Afternoon snack: 50 g pine nuts. Dinner: 200 g steamed fish, lettuce.
10thBreakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach. Second breakfast: 100 g low-fat cheese. Lunch: 150 g boiled turkey, fresh cucumber and tomato salad, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. Afternoon snack: 1 grapefruit. Dinner: 200 g beef cutlet, lettuce.
Day 11Breakfast: 100 g low-fat cheese with sour berries. Breakfast 2: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150 g boiled turkey, fresh vegetable salad. Afternoon snack: 75 g tofu cheese. Dinner: 150 g grilled chicken fillet.
12ndBreakfast: 2 low-fat yogurts, 1 boiled egg. Second breakfast: fresh vegetable salad with feta cheese wedges. Lunch: fish soup (no potatoes). Afternoon snack: 100 g white cabbage salad. Dinner: 150 g boiled beef, 200 ml tomato juice.
13thBreakfast: buckwheat porridge. Breakfast 2: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: 160 g of any grilled fish, lettuce. Afternoon snack: an apple. Dinner: 120 g veal stew, cabbage and carrot salad.
Day 14Breakfast: oatmeal. Second breakfast: leaf salad with cheese. Lunch: cream cauliflower soup, grilled chicken breast. Afternoon snack: one boiled egg, a glass of tomato juice. Dinner: 200 g of any grilled seafood, 100 g of steamed green beans.
What can you drink on a protein diet to lose weight?
During the diet, you can drink unsweetened tea or coffee, herbal infusions, and both plain and mineral water. Any fruit juices and sweetened drinks are excluded from the protein diet menu for weight loss. When on a protein diet, you can sometimes drink vegetable juices - tomato or celery juice and apple juice. The main thing is that the juice contains a low amount of carbohydrates.
The diet completely excludes any alcoholic beverages to reduce the load on the liver, stomach and kidneys. In addition, alcohol also prevents the enzyme pepsin from decomposing animal proteins in the stomach, and when consuming protein-rich foods and alcohol together, not only will you not lose weight, but you will also most likely "suffer" from indigestion.
Predictors of weight loss on a protein diet
If you follow all the diet and exercise instructions, you will lose weight quite quickly. But the reduction happens differently in people with different fat percentages. For example, with a height of 170 cm and a weight of 65 kg, in two weeks of dieting you can easily lose from 6 to 10 kg, depending on the duration and energy consumption of training.
This diet is not suitable for everyone, but if approved by a doctor and correctly approached all points, you can ensure yourself an ideal figure in a short time. Furthermore, this figure will persist long after the diet.