Diets are one of the easiest and most common weight loss options. To lose weight for an event, and the extra pounds have disappeared for a long time, women and men resort to dietary 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 have to be exhausted by constant refusals to eat and feel hungry all the time. The protein food that is the basis of the diet with this diet is quite satisfactory. At the same time, it provides the energy the body needs, and the person does not feel slow or depressed.
In addition, it is a completely safe way to lose weight - you will not be deficient in any vitamins and lose muscle mass.
Characteristics 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 your daily diet. In this case, fats and carbohydrates should not be excluded, but limited as much as possible.
Other principles of protein diet:
- simple "fast" carbohydrates should be completely removed from the menu;
- it is desirable to use mainly natural vegetable fats;
- in order not to disrupt the digestive process, vegetables rich in fiber should remain in the diet;
- during the day you should eat partially, violating the daily norm of 5-6 meals;
- with plenty of protein foods, you should do sports or physical activity every day - go for a walk, go to the gym or to the gym, etc.
How it works? The main source of energy for our body are carbohydrates derived from food. When they are not enough, our body recovers to a new mode of operation, burning glycogen stored in the form of subcutaneous fat. The body uses up its own energy reserves.
After seven days the effect will be noticeable - 4-5 extra pounds will disappear. At the same time, muscle mass will remain the same due to the fact that the menu has enough protein products to "build" and rebuild muscle. The biggest effect will appear after three weeks - excess weight will disappear and the beautiful muscle relief will become clearly visible.
Rules for a protein diet
The protein diet is structured in such a way that our daily menu consists mainly of protein. But when compiling a diet for every day or for the whole week, you should 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 protein. Fast food and other similar foods contain not only fast carbohydrates, but also rich in animal fats, harmful additives.
- Give preference to lean meat and fish. This includes birds, rabbits, ocean and sea fish. It is better to temporarily give up fatty pork and beef, as well as offal. Lipid-rich meat takes more time 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 under more stress than usual. Excess salt, spices, flavor enhancers retain fluid and create additional difficulties for the excretory system.
As with other diets, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and monitor your condition. If it starts to get worse, you should immediately cancel the protein diet and see a doctor.
Authorized products
What can you eat while on a protein diet? The list of authorized products includes:
- Meat. It is recommended to eat chicken, turkey, rabbit fillet, lean parts of beef, veal.
- Fish. Only unsalted and non-smoked fish, steamed or in the oven without additional fat are suitable.
- Eggs. These can be both chicken and quail eggs. They can be cooked, eaten raw or made with a steamed omelet.
- Milk and fermented dairy products. These include unsweetened yogurts, sour cream and low-fat cottage cheese.
- Vegetables. Green vegetables rich in fiber are allowed: for example cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. They can be eaten raw, cooked, 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 grains are banned, but you still can't do without them. It is advisable to add a little buckwheat or oatmeal as a side dish.
- Tea. You can drink herbal tea or green tea without sugar. The remaining liquid must be clean water. Only one cup of coffee per day is allowed.
Prohibited foods
The protein diet prescribes the maximum restriction of carbohydrates, therefore in the list of forbidden foods:
- Bread and pastries. Any flour is forbidden. It is allowed to eat a piece of rye bread with bran or similar products made from yeast-free dough several times a week.
- Pastry. 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 if added to beverages. Not only cakes and pastries are prohibited, but also other products that may contain it, such as ready-made store-bought sauces.
- Vegetables rich in starch. First of all, these are potatoes, radishes, corn, celery, pumpkin. You can also add carrots and beets.
- 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. Second, it severely dehydrates, burdens the liver and kidneys.
Also, during a protein diet, you should completely abandon fast food, sweet soda, fried, smoked or spicy foods.
How to switch to a protein diet
In order for the transition to a protein diet to be as comfortable as possible and to give the maximum effect of weight loss, you should gradually switch to a diet. It is worth gradually giving up carbohydrates for 2-3 weeks, limiting sweet and starchy foods. This is especially true for those who love sweets. If you suddenly exclude them from the menu, there is a high risk of failure.
1-2 days before the start of the protein diet, you should gradually exclude other foods, switching to the planned diet. During the restriction, you definitely need to monitor your condition. This applies not only to weight, but also to well-being. Even with mild discomfort, pay attention to the condition of urine and feces.
If you are unsure of your abilities, plan your first attempt at a weight loss diet while you are on vacation. This way there will be less temptation to eat something forbidden with colleagues or friends.
It is best to make a preliminary menu, go for groceries. Try to keep the refrigerator without excess food, which can exceed your efforts. The main condition is that the protein diet is accompanied by physical activity. Even if you don't exercise, it's 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 the protein diet is designed is 7 days. It is considered optimal if you stick 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 holiday and surprise guests with a slender figure.
The maximum duration of the protein diet is 21 days. Increasing this period is dangerous to health. This is true for those who do sports and want to "dry out" 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 this way no more than once every three months. Give your body a chance to recover and normalize its metabolism before you stress it again.
Getting out of the diet
Getting out of a protein diet properly will help avoid unnecessary stress on the gut and digestion, as well as the urinary system. The basic rule is that the outcome lasts twice as long as the diet itself. For example, if you stick 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 by adding some 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.
To keep the results, give up some bad habits:
- limit the use of sweet and starchy foods, especially baked goods, pastries, carbonated beverages;
- 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, greasy, spicy foods;
- maintain a high level of physical activity - this not only contributes to weight loss, but also helps to combat stress;
- control alcohol consumption - regular gatherings with a can of beer in the evening will have a deplorable effect not only on your figure, but also on the condition of hair, skin and the whole body as a whole.
Protein diet: pros and cons
Protein diet is popular for its effectiveness - it can help you achieve tangible weight loss. However, this suits many 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 delicious;
- lack of constant feeling of hunger - you should eat partially every 2-3 hours;
- rapid weight loss - the result appears almost immediately and can be maintained for a long time;
- weight loss due to their own fats - the body's reserves are depleted without harm to health;
- suitable for athletes and those who are active in sports - physical activity is a prerequisite for a protein diet.
Despite the many advantages, this method of weight loss has several disadvantages. Nutritional imbalances, which can lead to the extraction of calcium from the bones, are usually referred to as the most serious. In addition, other disadvantages may occur:
- reduced cognition and concentration due to 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, which are constantly present in the body.
Contraindications
Like all effective weight loss methods, the protein diet has contraindications. It is best to consult a doctor who is regularly monitored before switching to a protein menu. This diet is not suitable:
- pregnant and breastfeeding women;
- adults and young children;
- anyone diagnosed with cancer;
- people with chronic disorders of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract;
- those suffering from 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 rush to work or abrupt climate change.
You can not go on a diet if you have acute respiratory or infectious diseases, as well as during the period of taking any medication. First you need to fully recover from the disease and take a course of necessary drugs and only then begin to lose weight.
During a protein diet you can take vitamins, as well as complexes with macro-and micronutrients.
Common mistakes
Protein diet is a proven procedure. If the weight stubbornly refuses to leave, you have most likely made one or more common mistakes:
- Refusal of physical activity. It is best if you do sports and daily exercise. But without stress, restrictions will not work, so start with walking and simple exercises in the morning. You can even do aerobics or fitness at home.
- Complete rejection of carbohydrates. Vegetables, fruits and cereals should be limited as much as possible, but you can not refuse them at all. Foods rich in fiber should remain on the menu for proper bowel function. In addition, carbohydrates are a source of energy needed for the brain to function.
- Fast transition to protein foods. The gradual transition to such a diet is extremely important - you can not abruptly eliminate all carbohydrates and fats. Otherwise, the body will experience stress, to which it will react not only with deteriorating health and depressed mood, but also with the subsequent weight gain.
Also, remember not to starve or overeat. Even satiety throughout the day is important for satiety and lack of hunger and helps maintain a normal load on the intestines and liver.
Conclusion
In a protein diet, the menu consists mainly of foods rich in protein: meat, fish, dairy products, eggs. This diet does not help you lose weight through fatigue. To compensate for the energy deficit, the body begins to burn its own fat. In this case, muscle mass may even increase - a sufficient amount of protein provides muscle recovery and growth.
The 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 can't ignore them - this can lead to sad consequences.
That is why the most important thing is not to harm your body. Approach your diet carefully and consciously. Do not force yourself and do not try to lose a few pounds during difficult periods of life. If for any reason you are under severe stress, anxiety or need to take medication, postpone dietary therapy for some time.