Diets are one of the simplest and most common weight loss options. To lose weight for some event and the extra pounds have long since disappeared, women and men resort to food restrictions. But nutritionists warn that some diets can seriously harm the body. And then, instead of a slim, beautiful figure, we'll get a referral to a doctor.
How to lose weight safely? Using a protein diet is easy! You don't need to exhaust yourself with constant refusal to eat and always be hungry. Protein food, which forms the basis of the diet with this diet, is quite satisfying. At the same time, it provides the necessary energy for the body and the person does not feel lazy or depressed.
In addition, this is a completely safe way to lose weight - you will not be deficient in vitamins and you will 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 preferable to use mostly natural vegetable fats;
- in order not to interrupt 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 play sports or physical activity every day: walking a lot, going to the gym or gym, etc.
How does it work? The main source of energy for our body are carbohydrates obtained from food. When there aren't enough of them, our body rebuilds itself in a new way of functioning, burning stored glycogen in the form of subcutaneous fat. The body uses up its energy reserves.
After seven days, the effect will be noticeable: 4-5 extra pounds will go away. At the same time, muscle mass will remain the same due to the fact that there are enough protein products on the menu to "build" and restore muscles. The greatest effect will appear in three weeks - the excess weight will disappear and the beautiful muscle relief will become clearly visible.
Rules of the protein diet
The protein diet is structured in such a way that our daily menu is mainly composed of proteins. But when drawing up a diet for every day or for the whole week, you need to be guided by some rules:
- Monitor the quality of your products. Canned foods, smoked meats, semi-finished products are also prohibited during the diet, although they can be attributed to proteins. Fast foods 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 birds, rabbits, ocean and saltwater fish. It is better to temporarily refuse fatty pork and beef and offal. Meat rich in lipids 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 subjected to more stress than usual. Excess salt, spices, flavor enhancers retain the 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.
Permitted products
What can you eat on a protein diet? The list of allowed products includes:
- Meat. It is recommended to eat chicken, turkey, rabbit fillets, lean parts of beef, veal.
- Fish. Only unsalted and unsmoked, steamed or baked fish without additional fats are suitable.
- Egg. They can be both chicken and quail eggs. They can be boiled, eaten raw, or made with a steamed omelette.
- Milk and fermented milk products. These include unsweetened yogurt, 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, boiled, stewed and baked.
- Fruit. Although this type of food is usually high in carbohydrates, you can include some citrus fruits on the menu to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
- Cereals. Cereals and grains are prohibited, but you still can't do without them. It is recommended to add some buckwheat or oatmeal as a side dish.
- You. You can drink herbal tea or unsweetened green tea. The rest of the liquid should be pure water. Only one cup of coffee per day is allowed.
Forbidden foods
The protein diet prescribes the maximum restriction of carbohydrates, therefore, in 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. Although of good quality and made from durum wheat, these foods should be completely eliminated from the menu during the diet.
- Sweet. Sugar should not be consumed in any form, not even added to drinks. Not only cakes and pastries are prohibited, but also other products that may contain them, for example, ready-made shop 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 prohibited.
- 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.
In addition, during a protein diet, it is necessary 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 weight loss effect, it is necessary to gradually switch to a diet. It is worth starting to gradually give up carbohydrates over 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, it is necessary to gradually exclude other foods, switching to the planned diet. During the restriction, you must definitely check 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 feces.
If you are unsure of your abilities, plan your first weight loss diet attempt while on vacation. In this way there will be less temptation to eat something forbidden with colleagues or friends.
It is better to draw up a menu in advance, go shopping. Try to keep the refrigerator free of excess food that could overwhelm your efforts. The main condition is that the protein diet is accompanied by physical activity. Even if you don't play sports, it is worthwhile to start exercising, running, biking 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 achieve a noticeable result. Such a period is good in cases when it is necessary to lose weight, for example, for some kind of celebration and impress guests with a slim figure.
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 21 days. Increasing this period is not safe for health. This is true for those who play sports and want to "dry out" for the competition. In all other cases, you shouldn't give up on 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.
Get out of the diet
Proper exit from the protein diet will help avoid excessive stress on the intestines and digestion, as well as on the excretory system. The basic rule is that the exit should last twice as long as the diet itself. For example, if you have been in the limits for ten days, it will take twenty to gradually restore your diet.
It is necessary to introduce carbohydrates and other foods gradually and very smoothly. Start with vegetables and fruit, adding some 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 maintain the results 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 poor quality, seasoned with preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers;
- bake food in the oven or steam it, avoiding fried, fatty and spicy foods;
- maintaining a high level of physical activity - this not only contributes to weight loss, but also helps fight stress;
- control your alcohol consumption - regular meetings with a can of beer in the evening 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 famous for its effectiveness - it can help you achieve tangible weight loss. However, it fits a lot of people. Among the advantages of this method:
- a variety of products used: it is not necessary 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;
- rapid weight loss - the result appears almost immediately and can be stored for a long time;
- weight loss due to own fat: the reserves of the body are consumed without harm to health;
- suitable for athletes and exercisers - physical activity is a prerequisite for a protein diet.
Despite the numerous advantages, there are several disadvantages to this method of losing weight. The nutritional imbalances that can lead to the leaching of calcium from the bones are commonly cited as the most serious. In addition, other disadvantages may appear:
- decreased cognitive ability and concentration of attention 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 that are constantly present in the body.
Contraindications
Like all effective weight loss methods, a protein diet has contraindications. It is best, 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;
- anyone diagnosed with cancer;
- people with chronic disorders of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract;
- those suffering from diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders.
Also, you shouldn't start losing weight during the time of greatest physical or emotional stress. These include not only final exams, but also a rush to work or a sharp change in climate.
You can not follow a diet if you have acute or infectious respiratory diseases, as well as during the period of taking medications. You must first fully recover from an illness and take a course of the necessary medications, and only then start losing weight.
During a protein diet, you can take vitamins and complexes with macro and microelements.
Common mistakes
The protein diet is a proven procedure. If the weight stubbornly does not want to go away, you have most likely made one or more common mistakes:
- Refusal from physical activity. It is best if you are involved in sports and daily exercise. But without stress, the restrictions won't work, so start with walks and simple exercises in the morning. Even at home you can do aerobics or fitness.
- Complete refusal of carbohydrates. Vegetables, fruits and grains need to be limited as much as possible, but you can't refuse them at all. Foods rich in fiber should remain on the menu for the gut to function properly. Furthermore, carbohydrates are a source of energy necessary for the functioning of the brain.
- Quick switch to protein foods. Gradual transition to such a diet is extremely important: it is not possible to sharply 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 subsequent excess weight gain.
Also remember not to starve or overeat. Satiety during the day is also important for satiety and lack of hunger and helps maintain a normal strain on the intestines and liver.
Conclusion
With a protein diet, the menu is mainly composed of foods rich in proteins: meat, fish, dairy products, eggs. This diet does not help you lose weight through fatigue. To compensate 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.
The protein diet is suitable not only for weight loss, but also for the formation of a nice relief for the body. 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.
Therefore, the main thing is not to harm your body. Approach your diet review with attention and awareness. Do not force yourself and do not force yourself to lose a couple of kilograms during difficult times in life. If for some reason you are under intense stress, anxiety, or need to take medication, postpone diet therapy for a while.