A balanced protein diet is considered one of the simplest and most effective ways to lose weight. The diet is intended for those who want to lose weight without giving up meat products. The protein diet menu consists mainly of protein foods, and the consumption of fats and carbohydrates is reduced to a reasonable minimum. A protein diet for weight loss will help you lose extra pounds without much harm to your body, provided you follow all the recommendations below.
Basic principles of a protein diet for weight loss
When a person eats a lot of carbohydrate-containing foods, he feeds the body with simple "fuel", and all breads, cakes, pizzas and many other things, for the most part, consist of simple fats and carbohydrates. The body that knows food uses carbohydrates to maintain energy, in other words, it uses them to produce energy, but it (the body) stores the remaining fat as if for a "rainy day". A person has many places where fat can hide, such as the stomach or sides. But do not despair, the body can be overcome. It is enough to exclude carbohydrates from consumption and feed the body only with proteins, it will immediately start looking for a way out of the current situation and will have to burn its own fat for energy.
Physical activity will also help you lose weight. A protein diet is a great way to tone and build muscle (which requires a lot of protein), and exercise will help burn excess fat faster.
Pros and cons of a protein diet for weight loss
Advantages of protein diet
One of the main and most important advantages of a protein diet can be considered that after eating a prescribed proportion of proteins, a person is deprived of hunger for a long time, and during this time the body continues to work for you. Protein is considered a complex food component, the body spends more time and effort to digest it, so hunger will not bite you in an hour or several hours. The second advantage of the protein diet, of course, remains the fact that after the end of the diet course, a person cannot gain all the kilograms that he lost so hard by maintaining a balanced diet. Weight loss is especially noticeable in people with a large amount of body fat. Losing weight happens quickly enough, which prevents you from skipping sweets. In addition, a large number of recipes have appeared on the Internet that will brighten up everyday life, which is not so bright, and at the same time allow you to maintain the necessary amount of allowed calories. The main thing is to take the first step, and when you start to see an amazing change and the old clothes are big, you will no longer want to go back or leave the intended goal.
Disadvantages of protein diet for weight loss
As in any other situation, before starting to follow a protein diet, you should consult a doctor and get personal recommendations about this step. All protein diets have contraindications - they are disorders of the kidneys, liver, heart, pregnancy. Of course, the protein diet is very different from some other mono-diets that lack any balance of vitamins and minerals. At least what can we say about the cheese or kefir-apple diet. If a person decides to follow such a diet, he will not only experience poor quality hair and nails, but also experience all the flavors of improper/slow digestion and constipation. In the case of a protein diet, of course, it is also good to protect your body with tablet vitamins. And the slow absorption of energy from the consumed food can cause mild dizziness and weakness. It is recommended to drink more fluids while following the diet. It will promote good kidney function, which is at risk during a protein diet for weight loss. In addition, elderly people should not go on a protein diet. A large amount of protein and a small amount of fat increases the likelihood of blood clots due to improved blood clotting. Therefore, the protein diet, like any other, should be approached with caution.
Products for protein diet, their preparation
You no longer need to fear that you will have to stand idle in the kitchen for days trying to prepare the entire diet menu according to the recipes. Not worth it! The diet is very simple and does not require taking papaya or mangosteen every day. The main food for the entire period of the diet should be protein-containing foods. These include especially low-fat fish and meat types, as well as large amounts of protein (found in eggs and all types of dairy products). When consuming dairy products, you should not abuse the percentage of fat content, it is better to limit yourself to 1-3%. Some diet menus allow you to include grapefruit or oranges, but you should not use these citrus fruits too much, because the acidity of the stomach may increase, which in turn will lead to negative consequences. It is better to boil all dietary products allowed for consumption using a double boiler. This device perfectly prepares food, does not allow vitamins to "escape" from the product (which can happen during cooking), and also saves your time and effort. Multi-level steam boilers are designed to process and cook several products at the same time. During the protein diet, the grill will also be your helper, on which you can easily cook with or without oil.
It should be noted that in addition to the listed products that are allowed for consumption, there are also those that are strictly prohibited for all those who strictly follow a protein diet for weight loss. For example, all lovers of fried potatoes will have to forget about their subtleties for the entire duration of the diet! It is recommended not to consume it in any form, be it mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. All types of cereals and pasta are now prohibited! You should not follow the recommendations of sellers that durum wheat, from which pasta is made, can be eaten every day. This is not true, just as eating oatmeal in the morning is vital for a healthy stomach, as there are many substitutes for this product to get the body working properly after sleep. All baked goods are of course a thing of the past, especially rich baked goods. The same applies to all types of oil (butter, sunflower).
The duration of the protein diet
Typically, protein-type diets are prescribed in detail for one to two weeks. The menu is not very varied, in the second week, if there is one, experts advise to follow the diet from the last day to the first and eat the same menu as in the first week. Among other things, nutritionists recommend following a protein diet for no more than two weeks, after which it is recommended to take a break for six months, only after that you can continue the course.
Protein diet menu for weight loss during the day
All menus of protein diets, which are currently very diverse (and they often bear the proud names of menu creators), can be studied and prepared on their basis. Protein diets include the Kremlin diet, the Pierre Dukan diet, the egg diet, the Japanese diet for weight loss, the angel diet, the English diet, and the sports diet.
The prefabricated version of the diet is especially suitable for those who lose weight who are not used to following a plan drawn up by another person.
It is important to remember that you need to eat at least four times a day, which may seem difficult for some people who lead an active lifestyle and do not have much time to eat. But claims that you can lose weight by eating once a day are a big misconception. Chinese wisdom says: "Do you want to train a sumo fighter? Feed him once a day! "The fact is that our body is very tired throughout the day, and hunger will remind itself more and more often and with renewed vigor, as a result of which one but very intense snackthere is a risk of obesity due toIn these moments, a person cannot control himself and the feeling of fullness does not come immediately, as a result, a person overeats and gains weight. Food should be taken several times a day in small portions. It should be remembered that you should start your morning diet with a glass of water, after that you should wait half an hour and only then you can start breakfast. The last meal should be two to three hours before bedtime. In the afternoon, it is allowed to consume proteins with some fibers, that is, vegetables. It can be a small amount of tomatoes or cabbage, cucumbers or zucchini.
To better understand the information, it is necessary to imagine the full menu of the week.
For breakfast
You can drink any coffee, even with milk, it is advisable to drink more than regular black coffee, because 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 buy a small jar of plain or drinkable yogurt, cottage cheese or boiled eggs. You can eat buckwheat or oatmeal in water once a week.
For lunch
After the first meal, especially such a small meal, you will want to eat first, so after two to three hours you can eat any fruit, except bananas and peaches, preferably citrus. Drink some more tea.
For lunch
Lunch can be completely different, first you can treat yourself with coarse black bread, you can add two medium tomatoes, a cucumber or a few lettuce leaves, a hundred grams of beef/fish/chicken. Sometimes - soup from vegetables rich in fiber (zucchini, cabbage). You can drink tea.
For afternoon tea
It is allowed to eat only one or two apples and drink kefir.
For lunch
You can make seafood salad with eggs naturally without using mayonnaise. You can wrap the grass-fed chicken breast in foil and cook it in the oven without using any oil. With the exception of pork, any meat with vegetables will make a great dinner and keep you full for a long time. Try not to eat anything but kefir after dinner.
Protein diet menu for 14 days
A protein diet menu to lose weight in two weeks may look like this.
1 day.Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: Creamy broccoli or zucchini soup cooked with 100 g of feta cheese. Afternoon snack: 100 ml of low-fat drinking yogurt. Dinner: 150 g fried turkey fillet with cranberry sauce.
2 nd day.Breakfast: 100 g omelette. Second breakfast: fresh leafy vegetable salad with 1 tsp. olive oil. Lunch: okroshka in low-fat kefir with turkey or beef, 150 g of steamed fish. Afternoon snack: 100 ml kefir. Dinner: 150 g of boiled beef, fresh vegetable salad.
3rd day.Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese with sour berries (lingonberries, cranberries). Second breakfast: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 200g of stuffed peppers, but use vegetables like broccoli instead of rice. Afternoon snack: 100 g cucumber and cabbage salad with olive oil. Dinner: 150-200 g of beef, cooked with garlic.
4th dayBreakfast: 100 g boiled skinless chicken breast. Second breakfast: 100 g of fried fish, a cucumber. Lunch: 150 ml of vegetable soup without potatoes. Afternoon snack: fresh tomato salad with olive oil. Dinner: 150 g of beef cooked with garlic, 100 g of grilled vegetables.
Day 5Breakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 1 orange. Lunch: fish soup, 100 g red bell pepper salad, lettuce, tomato, seasoned with lemon juice. Afternoon snack: 100 g of low-fat yogurt. Dinner: 150 g of turkey, cooked with cauliflower or broccoli.
6th dayBreakfast: oatmeal with water. Second breakfast: 100 g sour berries. Lunch: 150 g of fried fish, 100 g of boiled 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.
7th dayBreakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Second breakfast: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150 g skinless grilled chicken, two fresh tomatoes. Afternoon snack: grated carrots with lemon juice. Dinner: 150 g of boiled shrimp, 100 g of green beans.
Day 8Breakfast: you can add millet porridge with water, 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 any fresh vegetables. Afternoon snack: 125 ml plain yogurt. Dinner: any grilled fish with 200 g of vegetables.
9th dayBreakfast: 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese, finely chopped greens (fennel and parsley). Second breakfast: boiled eggs with cucumber. Lunch: 200 g of boiled beef, 150 ml of tomato juice. Afternoon snack: 50 g pine nuts. Dinner: 200 g of steamed fish, lettuce.
10th dayBreakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach. Second breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Lunch: 150 g boiled turkey, fresh cucumber and tomato salad seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. Afternoon snack: 1 grapefruit. Dinner: 200 g beef cutlets, lettuce.
Day 11Breakfast: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese with sour berries. Second breakfast: 1 boiled egg. Lunch: 150 g boiled turkey, fresh vegetable salad. Afternoon snack: 75 g of tofu cheese. Dinner: 150 g of fried chicken fillet.
12th dayBreakfast: 2 low-fat yogurt, 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 of boiled beef, 200 ml of tomato juice.
13th dayBreakfast: buckwheat porridge. Second breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. Lunch: 160 g of any grilled fish, lettuce. Afternoon snack: an apple. Dinner: 120 g of cooked beef, cabbage and carrot salad.
14th dayBreakfast: oatmeal. Second breakfast: leaf salad with cheese. Lunch: creamy cauliflower soup, fried chicken breast. Afternoon snack: a boiled egg, a glass of tomato juice. Dinner: 200 g of any grilled seafood, 100 g of steamed green beans.
What can you drink during a protein diet to lose weight?
During the diet, you can drink unsweetened tea or coffee, herbal infusions, both ordinary and mineral water. Any fruit juices and sweet drinks are excluded from the protein diet menu for weight loss. When 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 a small amount of carbohydrates.
The diet completely excludes any alcoholic beverages to reduce the burden on the liver, stomach and kidneys. In addition, alcohol blocks the pepsin enzyme that breaks down animal protein in the stomach, and by consuming protein foods and alcohol together, not only will you not lose weight, but you will probably "get" indigestion.
Forecast for weight loss on a protein diet
If you follow all the dietary guidelines, along with exercise, the weight will come off fairly quickly. But the reduction occurs differently in people with different fat ratios. For example, with a height of 170 centimeters and a weight of sixty-five kilograms, on a two-week diet, depending on the duration of exercise and energy consumption, you can easily lose between six and ten kilograms.
This diet is not suitable for everyone, but if you get a doctor's permission and approach all points correctly, you can provide yourself with an excellent figure in a short time. Moreover, this figure will remain for a long time after the diet.