Diets are one of the easiest and most common weight loss options. To lose weight for any event, and excess pounds are gone for a long time, women and men turn to food restrictions. But nutritionists warn that some diets can seriously damage the body. And then, instead of a beautiful and slender figure, we will get a recommendation to a doctor.
How to lose weight safely? Using a protein diet is easy! You do not need to bother with constant refusals to eat and feel hungry all the time. The protein diet, 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 sluggish or depressed.
Moreover, it is a completely safe way to lose weight - you will not be deficient in any vitamins and you will 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 a protein diet:
- simple "quick" 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, fiber-rich vegetables should remain in the diet;
- during the day you should eat partially, breaking the daily norm into 5-6 meals;
- with an abundance of protein foods, you should do sports or physical activity every day - walk a lot, go 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 are not enough of them, our body rebuilds in a new way of functioning, burning the glycogen stored in the form of subcutaneous fat. The body uses its own energy reserves.
After seven days, the effect will be noticeable - the extra 4-5 pounds will go away. At the same time, muscle mass will remain the same for the fact that there are plenty of protein products on the menu to "build" and restore muscle. The greatest effect will appear in three weeks - the excess weight will be removed and the beautiful muscle relief will become clearly visible.
Rules of protein diet
The protein diet is structured in such a way that our daily menu consists mainly of protein. But when designing 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 meat, 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 fish from birds, rabbits, ocean and saltwater. Better yet better to temporarily refuse from fatty pork and beef, as well as offal. Lipid-rich meat 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 exposed to more stress than usual. Excess salt, spices, aroma enhancers retain fluid and create additional difficulties for the excretory system.
As with other diets, remember to drink plenty of fluids and keep notes of your condition. If it starts to get worse, you should immediately cancel your protein diet and see a doctor.
Allowed Products
What can you eat during a protein diet? The list of allowed products includes:
- Mish. It is recommended to eat chicken, turkey, rabbit fillets, weak pieces of beef, beef.
- Fish. Only unsalted and non-smoked fish are suitable, steamed or in the oven without extra fat.
- Eggs. They can be chicken and quail eggs. They can be cooked, eaten raw or made with a steam omelette.
- Milk and fermented milk products. These include sweet yogurt, sour cream and low-fat cottage cheese.
- Vegetables. Green vegetables that are rich in fiber are allowed: for example, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. They can be eaten raw, boiled, stewed and baked.
- Fruits. Although this type of food is usually rich in carbohydrates, you can include some citrus in the menu to avoid vitamin deficiencies.
- Cereals Cereals and grains are forbidden, but you still can not do without them. It is recommended to add a little buckwheat or oatmeal as a side dish.
- Tea. You can drink herbal tea or green tea without sugar. The rest of the liquid should be clean water. Only one cup of coffee per day is allowed.
Prohibited foods
The protein diet describes the maximum restriction of carbohydrates, therefore, in the list of prohibited foods:
- Bread and pastries. All flour is prohibited. It is permissible to eat a slice of rye bread with bran or similar products made from unleavened dough several times a week.
- Pasta. Even if they are of good quality and made from whole wheat, such foods should be completely removed from the menu during the diet.
- Sweet. Sugar should not be consumed in any form, not even added to drinks. Not only sweets and pastries are banned, but also other products that may contain it, for example, ready-made store sauces.
- Starchy vegetables. First of all, these are potatoes, radish, corn, celery, squash. 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 immediately for several reasons. First, alcohol contains almost pure carbohydrates and is very high in calories. Second, it dehydrates a lot, 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 protein food to be as comfortable as possible and give the maximum effect of weight loss, you should gradually switch to a diet. It is worth starting to gradually give up carbohydrates in 2-3 weeks, limiting sweet foods and starches. 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 starting the protein diet, you should smoothly exclude other foods, switching to the planned diet. During the restraint, you should definitely check your condition. This applies not only to weight but also to well-being. Even with mild discomfort, pay attention to the condition of the urine and feces.
If you are unsure of your abilities, plan your first attempt at a weight loss diet over the holidays. That way there will be less temptation to eat something forbidden with colleagues or friends.
It is better to design a menu in advance, go for groceries. Try to keep the fridge free of excess food that may overwhelm your efforts. The main condition is that the protein diet should be accompanied by physical activity. Even if you do not do sports, it is worthwhile to start training, running, cycling every day or at least every other day.
Duration of protein diet
The minimum period for which a protein diet is established 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 get a noticeable result. Such a period is good in cases where you need to lose weight, for example, for some kind of celebration and amaze guests with a slender figure.
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 21 days. Increasing this period is unsafe for 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 heal and normalize its metabolism before you stress it out again.
Getting off the diet
Getting proper protein out of the diet will help avoid unnecessary stress on the intestines and digestion, as well as the excretory system. The basic rule is that the output should last 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 ingest carbohydrates and other foods gradually and very smoothly. Start with vegetables and fruits, adding a few of them to the menu. Cereals, pasta, sugar and potatoes should be introduced last and also without problems, gradually increasing not only the variety of carbohydrate foods, but also their quantity.
To maintain the results obtained, get rid of some bad habits:
- restrict the use of sweet foods and starches, especially baked goods, cakes, 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, fatty, spicy foods;
- maintain a high level of physical activity - this not only contributes to weight loss, but also helps fight stress;
- check alcohol consumption - regular gatherings with a can of beer in the evening will have a miserable effect not only on your figure but also on the condition of your hair, skin and your whole body as a whole.
Protein diet: the pros and cons
A protein diet is known for its effectiveness - it can help you achieve tangible weight loss. However, it suits many people. Among the advantages of this method:
- a variety of used products - you do not need to give up everything in turn, you can eat deliciously;
- lack of a 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 its own fat - the body's reserves are consumed without harming health;
- Suitable for athletes and those who actively exercise - physical activity is a prerequisite for a protein diet.
Despite the many advantages, there are some disadvantages to this method of weight loss. Nutritional imbalances that can lead to calcium leakage from the bones are commonly referred to as the most serious ones. Furthermore, other disadvantages may arise:
- decreased cognitive ability 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 that are constantly present in the body.
Contraindications
Like all effective weight loss methods, a protein diet has contraindications. It is best to consult a doctor with whom you are monitored regularly before you start switching to the protein menu. This diet is not suitable:
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- the elderly and young children;
- all those diagnosed with cancer;
- people with chronic disorders of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract;
- those suffering from diabetes mellitus 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 a rush of work or a sharp change of climate.
You can not follow 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 an illness and take a course of necessary medications, and only then start to lose weight.
During a protein diet, you can take vitamins as well as complexes with macro- and microelements.
Common mistakes
Protein diet is a proven procedure. If the weight stubbornly does not want to go away, it is very likely that you have made one or more common mistakes:
- Refusal from physical activity. It is better if you do sports and daily exercise. But without stress, restrictions will not work, so start with simple walks and exercises in the morning. Even at home, you can do aerobics or fitness.
- Complete rejection of carbohydrates. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains should be limited as much as possible, but you can not refuse them at all. Fiber-rich foods should remain on the menu for the intestines to function properly. In addition, carbohydrates are a source of energy needed for brain function.
- Fast transition to protein foods. Gradually switching to such a diet is extremely important - you can not suddenly remove all carbohydrates and fats. Otherwise, the body will experience stress, to which it will react not only with poor health and depressive state, but also with the subsequent increase of excess weight.
Also remember not to starve or eat too much. Satiety throughout 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 consists mainly of protein-rich foods: meat, fish, dairy products, eggs. This diet does not help you lose weight from fatigue. To compensate for the energy deficit, the body begins to burn its own fat. In this case, muscle mass can even be increased - a sufficient amount of protein ensures healing and muscle growth.
The protein diet is suitable not only for weight loss, but also for the formation of a beautiful relief of the body. Despite the fact that the technique is suitable for many people, it has contraindications. You can not ignore them - it can lead to sad consequences.
Therefore, the main thing is not to harm your body. Approach your diet review carefully and consciously. Do not force yourself, and also do not try to lose a few pounds during difficult periods of life. If for some reason you are under stress, anxiety or need to take medication, postpone diet therapy for a while.