Dieting is one of the easiest and most common ways to lose weight. To lose weight for certain activities and have no excess weight for a long time, both women and men will adopt food restriction measures. But nutritionists warn that some diets can seriously harm the body. Then, we will receive a notice of referral to a doctor instead of a beautiful and slim body.
How to lose weight safely? It's easy to use a protein diet! You don't have to be exhausted by constantly refusing to eat and feel hungry all the time. The protein foods that are the basis of this diet are very satisfying. At the same time, it provides the energy needed by the body, so that people will not feel sluggish or depressed.
In addition, this is a completely safe way to lose weight-you will not lack any vitamins, and you will not lose muscle mass.
Features of a protein diet
As the name suggests, the core of a protein diet is protein food. This is not only meat and milk, but also eggs, beans, and nuts. Protein should account for more than half of the daily diet. In this case, fats and carbohydrates should not be excluded, but should be restricted as much as possible.
Other principles of protein diet:
- Simple "quick" carbohydrates should be completely removed from the menu;
- It is best to use most natural vegetable fats;
- In order not to disrupt the digestive process, keep fiber-rich vegetables in the diet;
- During the day, you need to eat a small amount of food, break down the daily standard into 5-6 meals;
- With abundant protein foods, you need to exercise or physical exercise every day-walk more, go to the gym or go to the gym, etc.
How does this work? The main source of energy for our body is carbohydrates obtained from food. When they are insufficient, our body will rebuild to a new mode of operation, burning glycogen stored in the form of subcutaneous fat. The body consumes its own reserves of energy.
After 7 days, the effect will be obvious-4-5 pounds of weight will disappear. At the same time, muscle mass will remain the same because there are enough protein products in the menu to "build" and restore muscle. The greatest effect will appear within three weeks-the excess weight will disappear and the beautiful muscle relaxation will become clearly visible.
Protein diet rules
The structure of the protein diet makes our daily menu mainly composed of protein. But when formulating a daily or whole week diet, you need to follow certain rules:
- Monitor the quality of your products. Canned food, bacon, and semi-finished products are also banned in the diet, although they can be attributed to protein. Fast food and other similar foods not only contain fast carbohydrates, they are also rich in animal fats and harmful additives.
- Lean meat and fish are preferred. This includes birds, rabbits, oceans, and saltwater fish. It is best to temporarily refuse fatty pork, beef, and offal. Meat rich in lipids takes longer to digest and puts more pressure on the digestive tract and kidneys.
- Limit spices, preservatives, etc. Due to protein-rich foods, the kidneys are under greater pressure than usual. Excessive salt, spices, and flavor enhancers will retain liquid and cause additional difficulties for the excretion system.
As with other diets, remember to drink plenty of fluids and keep track of your condition. If the situation starts to worsen, you should immediately cancel the protein diet and see a doctor.
Allowed products
What can you eat during a protein diet? The list of allowed products includes:
- Meat. It is recommended to eat more chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean parts of beef, and veal.
- fish. Only unsalted and unsmoked fish are suitable, steamed or in the oven without adding extra fat.
- Egg. It can be chicken and quail eggs. They can be boiled, eaten raw or made with steam omelets.
- Milk and fermented dairy products. These include unsweetened yogurt, sour cream, and low-fat cheese.
- vegetable. It is allowed to eat green vegetables rich in fiber: such as cucumber, zucchini, cabbage. They can be eaten raw, boiled, stewed and roasted.
- fruit. Although these types of foods are usually high in carbohydrates, you can add some citrus fruits to the menu to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
- cereals. Grains and grains are forbidden, but you still cannot live without them. It is recommended to add a little buckwheat or oats as a side dish.
- Tea. You can drink unsweetened herbal tea or green tea. The remaining liquid should be pure water. Only one cup of coffee per day is allowed.
fasting
The protein diet stipulates the maximum limit of carbohydrates. Therefore, on the list of prohibited foods:
- Bread and pastries. Ban all flour. It is allowed to eat rye bread and bran or similar products made from yeast-free dough several times a week.
- spaghetti. Even if they are of good quality and made of durum wheat, such foods should be completely removed from the menu during the diet.
- Sweet. Sugar should not be consumed in any form, even when added to beverages. Not only cakes and pastries are banned, but other products that may contain it are also banned, for example, ready-made store sauces.
- Vegetables rich in starch. First of all, these are potatoes, radishes, corn, celery, and pumpkin. You can also add carrots and beets.
- Sweet fruits. Bananas, pears, and melons should be excluded from the diet. Figs, dates and mangoes are also banned.
- alcohol. For many reasons, alcohol was completely eliminated immediately. First of all, alcohol contains almost pure carbohydrates and is very high in calories. Secondly, it will be greatly dehydrated, increasing the burden on the liver and kidneys.
In addition, during the protein diet, you need to completely give up fast food, sweet soda, fried, smoked or spicy food.
How to switch to a protein diet
In order to make the transition to protein nutrition as comfortable as possible and get the maximum weight loss effect, you need to gradually switch to diet. It is worth gradually giving up carbohydrates and limiting sweets and starchy foods in 2-3 weeks. This is especially true for people who like sweets. If you suddenly exclude them from the menu, there is a great risk of failure.
1-2 days before the start of the protein diet, you need to smoothly eliminate other foods and switch to a planned diet. During the restriction period, you must control your condition. This applies not only to weight, but also to health. Even if you have a slight discomfort, you should pay attention to the state of urine and feces.
If you are not sure about your abilities, plan your first weight loss diet attempt during your vacation. In this way, the temptation to eat prohibited foods with colleagues or friends will be reduced.
It is best to draw up a menu in advance and go shopping. Try to keep the refrigerator free of excess food, these foods may overwhelm your efforts. The main condition is that the protein diet should be accompanied by physical exercise. Even if you do not participate in sports, it is worthwhile to start exercising, running, and cycling every day or at least every other day.
The duration of the protein diet
The shortest time for protein diet design is 7 days. If you stick to this diet for 10-14 days, it is considered the best option. During this period, you can lose up to 8-15 pounds and get significant results. This period of time is very suitable for situations that need to lose weight, such as participating in a certain kind of celebration to surprise guests with a slim figure.
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 21 days. Extending this time is not safe for health. This is true for those who participate in sports and want to "dry up" for the game. In all other cases, you should not give up a balanced diet and favorite foods in the past month.
How often can you use a protein diet? It is recommended to lose weight in this way no more than once every three months. Give your body a chance to recover and normalize its metabolism before applying stress again.
Quit the diet
Exiting the protein diet correctly will help avoid excessive stress on the intestines and digestive and excretory systems. The basic rule is that the withdrawal time should be twice as long as the diet itself. For example, if you adhere to the ten-day limit, it will take twenty days to gradually resume your diet.
You need to introduce carbohydrates and other foods gradually and very smoothly. Start with vegetables and fruits and add some to the menu. Cereals, pasta, sugar and potatoes should be added last, and should be added smoothly, not only gradually increasing the types of carbohydrate foods, but also gradually increasing their quantity.
In order to maintain the results obtained, give up some bad habits:
- Restrict the use of sweets and starchy foods, especially baked goods, cakes, and carbonated drinks;
- Give up fast food and semi-finished products-they use products that are not of the best quality, flavor them with preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers;
- Bake or steam food in the oven, avoid fried, greasy and spicy food;
- Maintain a high level of physical activity-this will not only help reduce weight, but also help fight stress;
- Control your drinking-drinking a can of beer regularly at night will not only affect your body, but also your hair, skin, and overall body condition.
Protein diet: pros and cons
The protein diet is popular because of its effectiveness-it can help you achieve tangible weight loss. However, it suits many people. The advantages of this approach include:
- The products used are diverse-you don't need to give up everything continuously, you can eat deliciously;
- No persistent hunger-you should eat a little every 2-3 hours;
- Fast weight loss-results appear almost immediately and can be maintained for a long time;
- Weight loss due to own fat-deplete the body's reserves without harming health;
- Suitable for athletes and people who are actively exercising-physical activity is a prerequisite for a protein diet.
Despite the many advantages, this method of weight loss also has several disadvantages. Nutritional imbalances that can cause calcium to leak from bones are generally considered the most serious problem. In addition, other disadvantages may occur:
- Due to lack of carbohydrates, cognitive ability and concentration of attention are reduced;
- As blood clotting increases, the risk of thrombosis and similar diseases increases;
- Bad breath is caused by the constant high levels of ketones in the body.
Contraindications
Like all effective weight loss methods, protein diets have contraindications. Most importantly, before starting to switch to the protein menu, consult your doctor who is regularly monitored. This diet is not suitable for:
- Pregnant and lactating women;
- Old people and children;
- Everyone diagnosed with cancer;
- People with chronic diseases of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract;
- People with diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
In addition, you should not start losing weight during periods of increased physical or emotional stress. These include not only final exams, but also busy work or drastic changes in climate.
If you have an acute respiratory disease or an infectious disease, and while taking any medications, you cannot go on a diet. You must first fully recover from the disease and take the necessary medications before you can start losing weight.
During the protein diet, you can take vitamins and complexes containing large and trace elements.
Common mistakes
A protein diet is an effective method. If the weight stubbornly does not want to leave, it is likely that you have made one or more common mistakes:
- Reject physical activity. It is best to participate in sports and daily exercise. But without stress, restrictions won't work, so start with walking and simple exercise in the morning. Even at home, you can do aerobic exercise or fitness.
- Reject carbohydrates completely. Vegetables, fruits, and grains need to be restricted as much as possible, but you can't reject them completely. Foods rich in fiber should be kept on the menu to allow the intestines to function normally. In addition, carbohydrates are a source of energy required for the functioning of the brain.
- Quickly transition to protein foods. Gradually transitioning to this diet is very important-you cannot suddenly remove all carbohydrates and fats. Otherwise, the body will be under stress, which will not only lead to poor health and depression, but also lead to weight gain.
Also remember not to go hungry or overeating. Even a whole day of satiety is important for feelings of fullness and hunger, and helps maintain normal pressure in the intestines and liver.
in conclusion
For a protein diet, the menu mainly includes foods rich in protein: meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. This diet cannot help you lose weight through fatigue. In order to make up for the lack of energy, the body begins to burn its own fat. In this case, muscle mass can even increase-adequate protein can ensure muscle recovery and growth.
Protein diet is not only suitable for weight loss, but also suitable for forming a beautiful body soothing. Although the technique is suitable for many people, it has contraindications. You can't ignore them-this can lead to tragic consequences.
Therefore, the most important thing is not to hurt your body. Adjust your diet carefully and consciously. Don't force yourself, and don't try to lose a few kilos during difficult times in life. If for some reason, you are under great stress, anxiety or have to take medication, please temporarily postpone the diet therapy.