The protein diet is very popular among the stars of world show business, athletes and ordinary people.It is an effective weight loss technique that allows you to lose weight quickly without harm or stress to the body.But you need to lose weight according to the rules, so that instead of a beautiful figure, you do not have health problems.
The main features of the protein diet
You should start a diet by learning its basic principles.These include:
- The basis of nutrition is protein.It should make up at least 60% of the daily diet.
- The amount of fat and carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.Ideally, they should be no more than 15% of the daily diet.
- It is allowed to include vegetables and fruits in the menu, which make the diet more varied and balanced.
- Physical activity is required.
- Meals should be divided up to 6 times a day, with the portion size not exceeding 200 grams.
This food system allows you to lose weight by 4-5 kg per week without feeling hungry.Proteins saturate the body with important substances, but you cannot eat according to this system for a long time.The maximum term is 21 days.The optimal period for the diet is 14 days.
Who is the protein diet suitable for?
A protein diet is ideal for those who want to lose weight quickly and without stress on the body.Thanks to the varied diet, it is not necessary to eat only one type of product, and the high nutritional value of meat removes the feeling of hunger for a long time.
For athletes and people leading an active lifestyle, a protein diet helps you lose weight and gain muscle mass.Weight is lost by losing fat, not muscle.This helps form a beautiful, sculpted figure.
Contraindications for a protein diet
Ideally, before starting a diet, you should consult a doctor to identify contraindications.This is a pretty serious power system that should not be used by humans:
- minors and elderly people;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- diabetics;
- with kidney and liver diseases;
- with cancer;
- with an increased level of blood clotting;
- under strong physical and emotional stress.
You should not start a diet during illness or when you feel unwell.
When you adhere to a protein diet, you should take vitamin complexes.This is necessary to prevent hair loss, deterioration of nails and teeth.
Protein norm
The average person needs 0.8 grams.of protein per kilogram of weight.For weight loss, this rate is doubled.If you follow a protein diet, you should take 1.2 to 1.6 grams per day.of protein per kilogram of weight.It is not the current, but the planned body weight that is taken into account.
To calculate how much protein is included in a prepared dish, you need to know its composition and the amount of protein in each ingredient.
for example.Planned weight – 70 kg.You should consume 84 to 112 grams per day.squirrel.The menu consists of:
- beef - 200 g (37.8 g protein);
- eggs - 2 pcs.(12.7 g protein);
- cottage cheese - 200 g (33.4 g protein).
It turns out 83.9 g.squirrel.Plus, other foods are taken into account, which increases the total amount of protein eaten.
To make the correct calculation, buy a kitchen scale and weigh each product fresh.
Pros and cons of a protein diet
The protein diet, like any specialized nutritional system, has its pros and cons.When you plan to lose weight with the help of proteins, you need to take them into account.
Benefits include:
- A variety of food.You don't have to eat just one product.The list of permitted dishes is quite extensive.
- No hunger.Proteins relieve hunger for a long period of time.This allows you to lose weight without suffering from a debilitating urge to eat something.
- Strengthening the immune system.Proteins increase the endurance of the body and increase physical strength.
- Rapid weight loss.After completing the diet, if you do not return to your previous mass, but eat healthy food, the lost pounds will not return.
- Weight loss due to the fat layer.The body draws energy from fat, not muscle.Therefore, muscle mass does not suffer from this diet.
- Ideal for athletes.Thanks to the presence of a large amount of protein in the diet, muscle mass is actively built.As a bonus to losing weight, the athlete increases the endurance of the body and forms a beautiful relief of the body.
But the protein diet also has disadvantages.These include:
- It is possible to reduce mental abilities by limiting the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
- There is a risk of blood clots due to increased blood density and clotting.
- Calcium is washed away and bone and tooth problems can occur.
- An unpleasant odor appears from the body and mouth due to an increase in ketone bodies in the body.
You should approach the protein diet wisely, not forgetting to take vitamin complexes to compensate for the lack of nutrients.This weight loss method is suitable only for absolutely healthy people who do not have chronic or acute diseases.
Another disadvantage of the protein diet is the complete rejection of sweet and fatty foods.And if you can't do without sweets and sweets, then such a food system will lead to nervous stress.It is worth choosing a different diet where carbohydrates are allowed in small quantities.
Protein diet rules for weight loss
In order for the protein diet to help you lose weight, follow a few important rules:
- Put the main emphasis on proteins.These are meat and dairy products.You are allowed to add a side dish to the main course once a day.
- Limit the amount of fat you consume.Their daily amount should not exceed 30 grams.
- Cereals are allowed, but only in the first half of the day, as a side dish.Choose low-calorie foods, except semolina and millet.
- Vegetables can also be used as a side dish, but potatoes and other starchy types are completely prohibited.You can eat cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers.
- Fruits are allowed, but not sweets.Prefer oranges and green apples.
- The last meal should be 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- During the diet, you will have to give up alcohol and sweets.
- With a protein diet, a lot of liquid is removed from the body, so the daily amount of water consumed should be increased 1.5 times.Drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day.
- Ideally, you should avoid salt.You can add dried herbs, garlic and soy sauce to your food as seasonings.
If during the diet you feel dizzy, your health and sleep deteriorate sharply, then you need to add more complex carbohydrates to your diet.
Allowed foods for a protein diet
When making a menu, consider the list of foods allowed on a protein diet.These include:
- meat.Lean cuts of beef, chicken, veal, rabbit and turkey are allowed.Fat pork and lamb are completely prohibited.
- Fermented dairy products.The daily diet should include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt and kefir.
- eggs.Do not forget to eat chicken or quail eggs.They can be soft-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs or an omelette.It is recommended to consume 2 chicken or 4 quail eggs per day.
- Fish.Another source of protein is lean fish.Steam it, in the oven or stew it without adding oil.
- Green vegetables.Fiber is necessary for the complete digestion of food and improvement of well-being.Give preference to tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini.Vegetables can be eaten fresh, steamed, roasted or boiled.
- Cereals.High protein diets include avoiding all types of grains.But they are still needed as a source of carbohydrates.You can cook buckwheat, peas or oatmeal.
- Fruits.Nutritionists recommend eating citrus fruits on a protein diet.But be careful with them - high acidity irritates the stomach lining and can cause gastritis.
For drinks, prefer herbal decoctions and green tea.A small amount of coffee is allowed - no more than 1 cup per day.Most of the liquid should come with clean water.
Prohibited foods for a protein diet
The list of prohibited foods on a protein diet is much wider.This is due to the fact that the food system implies the rejection of most food groups.So, this list includes:
- Bread products are completely excluded.Several times a week you can eat 1 piece of rye bread.
- pasta.
- Sweet and floury dishes.This includes all foods containing sugar.You can't even sweeten the drinks.
- Alcohol.Some protein diets allow you to drink a glass of dry red wine a day.But it is still better to give up alcohol in any quantity.
- Starchy vegetables.Avoid radishes and potatoes.Despite their nutritional value, they add weight.
- Sweet fruits.Bananas, pears, melons are prohibited.
- Fast food products.Fast foods will have to be excluded from the diet.
- Carbonated drinks.
Giving up your favorite foods is only difficult in the first week.Then you will get into the habit of eating right and you will keep this habit after the diet is over.
How to organize a protein meal
To keep your new diet from harming your health, stick to the plan:
- Preparation for a diet.Over the course of 2-3 weeks, gradually begin to give up sweets if you have a great love for them.Replace sugar with dried fruit, reduce the amount of sweetener in drinks.
- Smooth entry into the diet.You should smoothly switch to a protein diet, giving up other foods within 1-2 days.
- The diet itself.Do not forget to monitor your health and control your weight.
- Giving up the diet.Complete the diet smoothly, gradually increasing the amount of food consumed.
It is good if the time of the diet is on vacation, which reduces the temptation to have lunch with sandwiches or refuse a full breakfast.
Buy groceries in advance by making a menu.When you go to the store, you risk buying a product from the prohibited list.
Be sure to exercise.You can join a gym or opt for home aerobics.Yoga and running will do the trick.Physical activity should be at least 3 times a week.But remember that if you have not played sports before, you should not overload your body.Start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.
Duration of the protein diet
The maximum duration of the protein diet is 14 days.During this time it is possible to lose up to 15 kg.After a 3-month break, you can repeat to improve the result.
The optimal period is 10 days.During this time you can lose up to 10 kg.The result depends on the individual characteristics of the organism.The more you weigh, the more active weight loss is.
The minimum term is 7 days.Allows you to lose weight up to 8 kg.This period is suitable for those who find it difficult to give up their favorite foods.
Sample menu for one week to lose weight
The approximate menu of a protein diet for weight loss for a week will help you decide on your diet.Take the specified dishes as a basis, but adjust them yourself, taking into account the lists of prohibited and permitted foods.
| day | breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| 1 | Omelet with cheese, green tea | Veal stewed with buckwheat | Boiled fish |
| 2 | Low-fat cottage cheese | Salad of boiled chicken breast, cucumbers and tomatoes | Scrambled eggs, green tea |
| 3 | Oatmeal on water | Stewed beef with zucchini | Baked salmon with lemon and herbs |
| 4 | Cheesecakes with cottage cheese | Rabbit in cream sauce, brown rice | Braised ground turkey cutlets |
| 5 | Cheese toast | Fish soup with rice | Veal fillet baked with soy sauce |
| 6 | Low-fat cottage cheese, apple | Beef, carrot, cabbage and zucchini stew | Caesar salad |
| 7 | Buckwheat porridge | Chicken soup with meatballs | Fish casserole |
What to eat as snacks:
- boiled eggs;
- kefir;
- natural yogurt;
- apples, grapefruit;
- cheese;
- pancakes and casseroles with cottage cheese;
- vegetable salad.
Every day you should have 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks.Before going to bed, 2-3 hours before going to bed, you can drink a glass of kefir, tea or eat natural yogurt.Food should be as light as possible so that you do not feel sick due to indigestion and a full stomach.
If you exercise, take extra protein shakes.Choose foods that do not contain sugar and additives.This cocktail will relieve the feeling of hunger and will not lead to weight gain.
Get off the protein diet
To make sure that the lost pounds do not return after the end of the diet, you need to properly return to your usual mass.Add 1-2 products to your diet daily, leaving sugar, pasta and potatoes for last.Start with vegetables and fruits, increasing the amount of side dishes.Be sure to include grains as a source of carbohydrates.
Nutritionists say that the period of coming out of a diet is twice as long as the duration of the diet itself.If you followed the protein diet for 10 days, then you should complete it after 20 days.
To maintain your results, follow a healthy diet.Avoid unhealthy, greasy, fried foods.And then the weight will disappear, your figure will become thinner, and as a pleasant bonus you will get good health and beauty.
High protein diet mistakes
Many people are held back from achieving their goals by fairly common mistakes.These include:
- Quickly give up carbohydrates and fats in favor of proteins.Remember that the protein diet is serious, so you can't suddenly "get into" it by giving up your usual diet for a day.
- Complete rejection of carbohydrates.The diet should contain vegetables, fruits and cereals in small quantities.Otherwise, ill health and stress cannot be avoided.
- Lack of physical activity.Without sports, you cannot achieve a beautiful figure.But the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin is worth the wait.
- Starvation.Plan your diet so that you don't feel hungry.Otherwise, the body will go into a stage of extreme energy conservation and begin to store fat.
Transition to the new system smoothly and monitor your well-being.And then for a week you will lose weight without stressing the body.