Diets are one of the easiest and most common weight loss options. To lose weight for some event, and the extra pounds are gone for a long time, women and men resort to food restrictions. But nutritionists warn that some diets can seriously harm the body. And then, instead of a beautiful and slender figure, we will receive a referral to a doctor.
How to lose weight safely? Using a protein diet is easy! You do not need to exhaust yourself with constant refusals to eat and feel hungry all the time. Protein food, which forms the basis of the diet with this diet, is quite satisfying. At the same time, it provides the energy necessary for the body, and the person does not feel sluggish or depressed.
In addition, this is a completely safe way to lose weight - you will not be deficient in any vitamins and lose muscle mass.
Features of the protein diet
As the name suggests, the core of a protein diet is protein foods. This is not only meat and milk, but also eggs, legumes, nuts. Protein should make up more than half of the daily diet. In this case, fats and carbohydrates should not be excluded, but limited as much as possible.
Other principles of a protein diet:
- simple "fast" carbohydrates should be completely removed from the menu;
- it is desirable to use mostly natural vegetable fats;
- in order not to disrupt the digestion process, vegetables rich in fiber should remain in the diet;
- during the day you need to eat fractionally, breaking the daily norm into 5-6 meals;
- with an abundance of protein foods, you need to go in for sports or physical activity every day - walk a lot, go to fitness or to the gym, etc.
How it works? The main source of energy for our body is carbohydrates obtained from food. When there are not enough of them, our body rebuilds to a new mode of operation, burning glycogen stored in the form of subcutaneous fat. The body uses up its own reserves of energy.
After seven days, the effect will be noticeable - 4-5 extra pounds will go away. At the same time, the muscle mass will remain the same due to the fact that there are enough protein products in the menu to "build" and restore muscles. The greatest effect will appear in three weeks - the excess weight will go away, and the beautiful muscle relief will become clearly visible.
Protein diet rules
The protein diet is structured in such a way that our daily menu consists mostly of proteins. But when drawing up a diet for every day or for the whole week, you need to be guided by certain rules:
- Monitor the quality of your products. Canned food, smoked meats, semi-finished products are also prohibited during the diet, although they can be attributed to proteins. Fast food and other similar foods contain not only fast carbohydrates, but also rich in animal fats, harmful additives.
- Give preference to lean meats and fish. This includes bird, rabbit, ocean and saltwater fish. It is better to temporarily refuse from fatty pork and beef, as well as offal. Lipid-rich meat takes longer to digest and puts more stress on the digestive tract and kidneys.
- Limit spices, preservatives, etc. With an abundance of protein foods, the kidneys are subject to more stress than usual. Excess salt, spices, flavor enhancers retain liquid and create additional difficulties for the excretory system.
As with other diets, remember to drink plenty of fluids and keep track of your condition. If it starts to get worse, you should immediately cancel the protein diet and see a doctor.
Allowed Products
What can you eat while on a protein diet? The list of products that are allowed includes:
- Meat. It is recommended to eat chicken, turkey, rabbit fillets, lean parts of beef, veal.
- Fish. Only unsalted and non-smoked fish are suitable, steamed or in the oven without additional fat.
- Eggs. It can be both chicken and quail eggs. They can be boiled, eaten raw, or made with a steam omelet.
- Milk and fermented milk products. These include unsweetened yoghurts, sour cream, and low-fat cottage cheese.
- Vegetables. Green vegetables that are rich in fiber are allowed: for example, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. They can be eaten raw, boiled, stewed and baked.
- Fruits. Although this type of food is usually high in carbohydrates, you can include some citrus fruits in the menu to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
- Cereals. Cereals and cereals are prohibited, but you still cannot do without them. It is recommended to add a little buckwheat or oatmeal as a side dish.
- Tea. You can drink herbal tea or green tea without sugar. The rest of the liquid should be pure water. Only one cup of coffee is allowed per day.
Prohibited foods
The protein diet prescribes the maximum restriction of carbohydrates, therefore, on the list of prohibited foods:
- Bread and pastries. All flour is prohibited. It is allowed to eat a slice of rye bread with bran or similar products made from yeast-free dough a couple of times a week.
- Pasta. Even if they are of good quality and made from durum wheat, such foods should be completely removed from the menu during the diet.
- Sweet. Sugar should not be consumed in any form, even added to drinks. Not only cakes and pastries are prohibited, but also other products that may contain it, for example, ready-made store sauces.
- Starchy vegetables. First of all, these are potatoes, radishes, corn, celery, pumpkin. You can also add carrots and beets to this.
- Sweet fruits. Bananas, pears, melons should be excluded from the diet. Figs, dates, and mangoes are also banned.
- Alcohol. Alcohol is completely excluded at once for several reasons. First, alcohol contains almost pure carbohydrates and is very high in calories. Secondly, it greatly dehydrates, loads the liver and kidneys.
Also, during a protein diet, you need to completely abandon fast food, sweet soda, fried, smoked or spicy foods.
How to switch to a protein diet
In order for the transition to protein nutrition to be as comfortable as possible and to give the maximum effect of weight loss, you need to switch to a diet gradually. It is worth starting to gradually give up carbohydrates in 2-3 weeks, limiting sweet and starchy foods. This is especially true for those who love sweets. If you abruptly 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 exclude the rest of the products, switching to the planned diet. During the restriction, you must definitely control your condition. This applies not only to weight, but also to well-being. Even with mild discomfort, pay attention to the state of urine and stool.
If you are unsure of your abilities, plan your first attempt at a weight loss diet while on vacation. This way there will be less temptations to eat something forbidden with colleagues or friends.
It is best to draw up a menu in advance, go for groceries. Try to keep the fridge free of excess food that might overwhelm your efforts. The main condition is that the protein diet should be accompanied by physical activity. Even if you do not play sports, it is worth starting to exercise, run, ride a bike every day or at least every other day.
Duration of the protein diet
The minimum period for which a protein diet is designed is 7 days. It is considered optimal if you adhere to this diet for 10-14 days. During this time, you can lose up to 8-15 extra pounds and get a noticeable result. Such a period is good in cases where you need to lose weight, for example, for some kind of celebration and amaze guests with a slender figure.
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 21 days. Increasing this period is unsafe for health. This is true for those who go in for sports and want to "dry up" for the competition. In all other cases, you should not give up a balanced diet and favorite foods for almost a 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 stressing it again.
Exiting the diet
The correct exit from the protein diet will help to avoid undue stress on the intestines and digestion, as well as the excretory system. The basic rule is that the exit should last twice as long as the diet itself. For example, if you adhered to the limits for ten days, it will take twenty to gradually restore the diet.
You need to introduce carbohydrates and other foods gradually and very smoothly. Start with vegetables and fruits, adding a little of them to the menu. Cereals, pasta, sugar and potatoes should be introduced last and also smoothly, gradually increasing not only the variety of carbohydrate foods, but also their quantity.
In order to maintain the result obtained, give up some bad habits:
- limit the use of sweet and starchy foods, especially baked goods, cakes, carbonated drinks;
- give up fast food and semi-finished products - they use products of not the best quality, seasoned with preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers;
- bake food in the oven or steam it, avoiding fried, fatty, spicy foods;
- keep a high level of physical activity - this not only contributes to weight loss, but also helps to fight stress;
- control alcohol consumption - regular gatherings with a can of beer in the evenings will have a deplorable effect not only on your figure, but also on the condition of your hair, skin and the whole body as a whole.
Protein diet: pros and cons
The protein diet is popular for its effectiveness - it can help you achieve tangible weight loss. However, it suits a lot of people. Among the advantages of this method:
- a variety of products used - you do not need to give up everything in a row, you can eat deliciously;
- lack of a constant feeling of hunger - you should eat fractionally every 2-3 hours;
- fast weight loss - the result appears almost immediately and can be kept for a long time;
- weight loss due to its own fat - the body's reserves are consumed without harm to health;
- suitable for athletes and those who are actively exercising - physical activity is a prerequisite for a protein diet.
Despite the many advantages, there are several disadvantages to this method of losing weight. Nutritional imbalances that can lead to calcium leaching from the bones are commonly cited as the most serious ones. In addition, other disadvantages may appear:
- decreased cognitive ability and concentration of attention due to a lack of carbohydrates;
- increased risk of thrombosis and similar diseases due to increased blood clotting;
- bad breath, the cause of which lies in the high level of ketones that are constantly present in the body.
Contraindications
Like all effective weight loss methods, a protein diet has contraindications. It is best of all, before starting to switch to a protein menu, to consult a doctor with whom you are regularly monitored. This diet is not suitable:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- the elderly and young children;
- everyone who has been diagnosed with cancer;
- people with chronic disorders of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract;
- those who suffer from diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders.
In addition, you should not start losing weight during the period of increased physical or emotional stress. These include not only final exams, but also a work rush or a sharp change in climate.
You can not go on a diet if you have acute respiratory or infectious diseases, as well as during the period of taking any medications. You must first fully recover from an illness and take a course of necessary drugs, and only then start losing weight.
During a protein diet, you can take vitamins, as well as complexes with macro- and microelements.
Common mistakes
Protein diet is a proven procedure. If the weight stubbornly does not want to leave, most likely you made one or more common mistakes:
- Refusal from physical activity. It is best if you are involved in sports and daily exercise. But without the strain of the restrictions, there will be no effect, so start with walking and simple exercises in the morning. Even at home, you can do aerobics or fitness.
- Complete rejection of carbohydrates. Vegetables, fruits and cereals should be limited as much as possible, but you cannot refuse them at all. Fiber-rich foods should remain on the menu for the intestines to function properly. In addition, carbohydrates are a source of energy that is needed for the brain to function.
- Fast transition to protein foods. The gradual transition to such a diet is extremely important - you cannot abruptly remove all carbohydrates and fats. Otherwise, the body will experience stress, to which it will react not only with poor health and depressed mood, but also with the subsequent gain of excess weight.
Also remember not to starve or overeat. Even satiety throughout the day is important for satiety and a lack of hunger, and helps maintain a normal strain on the intestines and liver.
Conclusion
With a protein diet, the menu mainly consists of foods rich in proteins: meat, fish, dairy products, eggs. Such a diet does not help you lose weight through fatigue. To make up for the energy deficit, the body starts burning its own fat. In this case, muscle mass can even increase - a sufficient amount of protein ensures muscle recovery and growth.
A protein diet is suitable not only for weight loss, but also for the formation of a beautiful body relief. Despite the fact that the technique is suitable for many people, it has contraindications. You cannot ignore them - this can lead to sad consequences.
Therefore, the main thing is not to harm your body. Approach your diet revision carefully and consciously. Do not force yourself, and also do not strive to lose a couple of kilograms during difficult periods of life. If for some reason you are under intense stress, anxiety, or have to take medication, postpone diet therapy for a while.