A balanced protein diet is considered one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight. The diet is aimed at those who want to lose weight without giving up meat products. The protein diet menu consists mainly of protein-containing foods and the consumption of fats and carbohydrates is kept to a reasonable minimum. A protein diet for weight loss will help you lose extra pounds without causing much harm to your body, provided you follow all the recommendations listed below.
Basic principles of a protein diet for weight loss
When a person eats a lot of carbohydrate-containing foods, he provides the body with simple "fuel", and all rolls, cakes, pizzas and much more contain mostly simple fats and carbohydrates. The body, recognizing food, uses carbohydrates to obtain strengthof a person, that is, he spends them on energy production, but he (the body) stores the remaining fats in containers as if for a "rainy day". In humans, there are many places where fat could hide, for example on the stomach or sides. But don't despair, the body can be tricked. It is enough to exclude carbohydrates from consumption and only supply the body with proteins; he will immediately look for a way out of the current situation and will have to burn his own fats to get energy.
Physical activity also helps you lose weight. A 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 excess fat faster.
Pros and cons of a protein diet for weight loss
Benefits of a protein diet
The main and one of the most important advantages of a protein diet is the fact that after consuming the prescribed proportion of protein, a person no longer feels hungry for a long time, and the body continues to work for you during this time. Protein is considered a complex component of food, the body spends more time and effort digesting it, so hunger does not gnaw at you in one or more hours. Of course, the second advantage of the protein diet remains the fact that after completing the diet, a person will not gain all the kilograms that he lost so hard, and this is with a balanced diet. Weight loss is particularly noticeable in people who have a large excess of fat in their bodies. Losing weight happens quickly enough and prevents you from missing sweets. In addition, a large number of recipes have appeared on the Internet that brighten up the not-so-bright everyday nutritional routine, but at the same time make it possible to maintain the required amount of calories. The main thing is to take the first step, and when you notice an amazing change and the old clothes grow big, you will no longer want to turn back or leave your intended goal.
Disadvantages of a protein diet for weight loss
As in any other case, before starting a protein diet, you need to consult a doctor and get personal recommendations on this step. All protein diets have contraindications – these are diseases of the kidneys, liver, heart and pregnancy. Of course, the protein diet is very different from some other mono-diets, in which there is no balance at all between vitamins and minerals. What can we at least say about the cheese or kefir-apple diet? If someone decides to follow such a diet, he will not only experience a deterioration in the quality of hair and nails, but will also experience all the delights of improper/slow digestion and constipation. Of course, if you're on a protein diet, it's better to protect your body with vitamin tablets. And the slow production of energy from the food consumed can lead to mild dizziness and weakness. During the diet it is recommended to drink more fluids. It promotes good kidney function, which is at risk when following a protein diet for weight loss. In addition, older people should not go on a protein diet. A large amount of protein and a low percentage of fat increase the likelihood of blood clots due to improved blood clotting. That is why the protein diet, like others, should be approached with caution.
Products for a protein diet, their preparation
You don't have to be afraid that you will now have to stand idly in the kitchen for days, trying to prepare the entire diet menu according to recipes. Not at all! The diet is very simple and does not require buying papaya or mangosteens every day. The main food for the entire period of the diet should be protein foods. These include, above all, low-fat types of fish and meat as well as protein in large quantities (found in eggs and all kinds of dairy products). When consuming dairy products, you should not exaggerate the fat content; it is better to limit it to 1-3%. In some diet menus you can use grapefruit or orange. However, you should not overuse these citrus fruits as this can lead to an increase in stomach acid, which in turn can have negative consequences. It is better to cook all dietary products permitted for consumption in a water bath. This device prepares dishes perfectly, prevents vitamins from "leaking" from the product (which can happen during cooking), and also saves time and effort. Multi-stage steamers are designed for the simultaneous processing and preparation of several products. The protein diet is also oneGrill is your helper on which you can easily cook without oil or fat.
It is worth noting that in addition to the listed products, the consumption of which is permitted, there are also those that are strictly prohibited for everyone who strictly adheres to a protein diet for weight loss. For example, all lovers of fried potatoes will have to give up their delicacy for the entire duration of the diet! It is not advisable to consume potatoes in any form, be it mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. All types of cereal and pasta are now banned! And you should not fall for sellers' admonitions that the durum wheat from which their pasta is made can be eaten every day. This is not true, as is the fact that for good stomach function it is important to eat oatmeal porridge in the morning, because there are many substitutes for this product to properly revitalize the body after sleep. Of course, all baked goods are also a thing of the past, especially rich baked goods. The same applies to all types of butter (butter, sunflower butter).
Duration of protein diet
Typically, protein diets are prescribed in detail for one to two weeks. The menu is not very varied; In the second week, if available, experts recommend eating the same menu as in the first week and following the diet from the last day to the first. Among other things, nutritionists advise not to follow a protein diet for more than two weeks, after which it is recommended to take a break of six months, only after that the course can be resumed.
Protein diet menu for weight loss for the day
All menus of protein diets, of which there is currently a huge variety (and they often bear the proud names of the menu creators), you can study and, based on them, create your own. Protein diets include the Kremlin diet, the Pierre Dukan diet, the egg diet, the Japanese weight loss diet, the fishing diet, the English diet and the sports diet.
The ready-made version of the diet is particularly suitable for people who want to lose weight and are not used to following a plan created by someone else.
Remember that you need to eat at least four times a day. This may seem difficult for some people who lead an active lifestyle and cannot devote much time to eating. But the claim that you can lose weight by eating once a day is a big misconception. Chinese wisdom says: "Do you want to raise a sumo fighter? Give him something to eat once a day! "The fact is that our body is very tired throughout the day and hunger makes itself felt more often and with renewed vigor, which creates the risk of gaining weight due to one, but very dense, snack. In these moments, a person cannot control himselfand the feeling of satiety does not come immediately, as a result of which the person overeats and gains weight. Food intake should be in small portions several times a day. Remember that you need to start your diet in the morning with a glass of water. After that, you should have aWait half an hour and only then start breakfast. The last meal should be eaten no later than two to three hours before going to bed. After lunch, it is allowed to eat proteins along with some fiber, namely vegetables. This can be abe a small amount of tomatoes or cabbage, cucumber or zucchini.
To better perceive information, you need to imagine the complete menu for the week.
For breakfast
You can drink any coffee, even with milk, which is even more recommended than regular black coffee, as the latter increases acidity in the stomach. Instead of coffee, you can drink any kind of tea, of course, all drinks should be consumed without sugar. You can afford a small glass of regular or drinking yogurt, cottage cheese or a boiled egg. Once a week you can consume buckwheat or oatmeal in water.
For lunch
After the first meal, especially such a lean one, you want to eat something first, so after two to three hours you can eat any fruit, except bananas and peaches, preferably citrus fruits. Drink some more tea.
For lunch
Lunch can be completely varied, first you can treat yourself to coarse black bread, add two medium-sized tomatoes, a cucumber or a few lettuce leaves, one hundred grams of beef/fish/chicken meat. Occasionally - soup made from vegetables rich in fiber (zucchini, cabbage). You can drink tea.
For afternoon tea
It is allowed to eat apples, just one or two, and drink kefir.
For dinner
Of course, you can also prepare a seafood salad with eggs without mayonnaise. You can eat chicken breasts with herbs by wrapping them in foil and cooking them in the oven without oil. Any meat, except pork, with vegetables makes an excellent dinner and keeps 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 for two weeks might look like this.
1 day.Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: creamy broccoli or zucchini soup gratinated with 100 g 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: salad of fresh leafy vegetables with 1 tsp. Olive oil. Lunch: Okroshka on low-fat kefir with turkey or beef, 150 g of stewed fish. Afternoon snack: 100 ml kefir. Dinner: 150 g boiled beef, fresh vegetable salad.
Day 3.Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese with sour berries (cranberries, lingonberries). Second breakfast: 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 of beef baked with garlic.
Day 4Breakfast: 100 g cooked skinless chicken breast. Second breakfast: 100 g of grilled fish, a cucumber. Lunch: 150 ml vegetable soup without potatoes. Afternoon snack: fresh tomato salad dressed with olive oil. Dinner: 150 g garlic baked beef, 100 g grilled vegetables.
Day 5Breakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 1 orange. Lunch: fish soup, 100 g of red pepper salad, lettuce, tomatoes, seasoned with lemon juice. Afternoon snack: 100 g low-fat yogurt. Dinner: 150 g turkey stewed with cauliflower or broccoli.
Day 6Breakfast: oatmeal with water. Second breakfast: 100 g of sour berries. Lunch: 150g grilled fish, 100g steamed eggplant. Afternoon snack: low-fat yogurt without sugar and additives. Dinner: 150 g of steamed beef, 100 g of tomato and cucumber salad, dressed with olive oil.
Day 7Breakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150g grilled skinless chicken, two fresh tomatoes. Afternoon snack: grated carrots with lemon juice. Dinner: 150g cooked shrimps, 100g green beans.
Day 8Breakfast: millet porridge with water, you can add berries or pieces of fruit. Second breakfast: tuna and tomato salad, dressed with lemon and olive oil. Lunch: 200 g of steamed fish cutlets, 100 g of fresh vegetables. Afternoon snack: 125 ml drinking yogurt without additives. Dinner: 200 g grilled fish with vegetables.
Day 9Breakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese with finely chopped herbs (dill and parsley). Second breakfast: boiled egg with cucumber. Lunch: 200 g boiled beef, 150 ml tomato juice. Afternoon snack: 50 g pine nuts. Dinner: 200 g of steamed fish, salad.
Day 10Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach. Second breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Lunch: 150 g of boiled turkey, salad of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. Afternoon snack: 1 grapefruit. Dinner: 200 g beef chops, salad.
Day 11Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese with sour berries. Second breakfast: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150 g of boiled turkey, fresh vegetable salad. Afternoon snack: 75 g of tofu cheese. Dinner: 150 g grilled chicken fillet.
Day 12Breakfast: 2 low-fat yogurts, 1 boiled egg. Second breakfast: fresh vegetable salad with pieces of feta cheese. Lunch: fish soup (without potatoes). Afternoon snack: 100 g of white cabbage salad. Dinner: 150 g boiled beef, 200 ml tomato juice.
Day 13Breakfast: buckwheat porridge. Second breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: 160 g grilled fish, salad. Afternoon snack: an apple. Dinner: 120 g of stewed veal, cabbage and carrot salad.
Day 14Breakfast: oatmeal. Second breakfast: leaf salad with cheese. Lunch: creamy cauliflower soup, grilled chicken breast. Afternoon snack: a boiled egg, a glass of tomato juice. Dinner: 200g grilled seafood, 100g steamed green beans.
What can you drink during a protein diet for weight loss?
During the diet, you can drink tea or coffee without sugar, herbal teas, as well as plain and mineral water. Any fruit juices and sweet drinks are excluded from the protein diet menu for weight loss. On a protein diet, you can sometimes drink vegetable juices - tomato juice or celery and apple juice. The main thing is that the juice contains few carbohydrates.
The diet completely avoids alcoholic beverages in order to reduce the strain on the liver, stomach and kidneys. In addition, alcohol blocks the enzyme pepsin, which breaks down animal protein in the stomach, and by consuming protein foods and alcohol together, you not only will not lose weight, but most likely will also "get" indigestion.
Prognosis for weight loss on a protein diet
If you follow all diet instructions and exercise, the weight will come off fairly quickly. However, the breakdown occurs differently in people with different fat percentages. For example, with a height of 170 centimeters and a weight of sixty-five kilograms, you can easily lose six to ten kilograms in two weeks of diet, depending on the duration and energy consumption of the training.
This diet is not suitable for everyone, but if you get permission from a doctor and approach all the points correctly, you can ensure yourself a great figure in a short time. In addition, this value remains long after the diet.