The protein diet is very popular among world stars of show business, athletes and ordinary people.This is an effective weight loss technique that allows you to lose weight quickly without causing any harm or strain to the body.But you need to lose weight according to the rules so that instead of a beautiful figure you do not get health problems.
The main features of a protein diet
You need to start a diet by studying its basic principles.This includes:
- The basis of nutrition is protein.It should make up at least 60% of your daily diet.
- The proportion of fats and carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.Ideally, they should not make up more than 15% of your daily diet.
- The menu is allowed to contain vegetables and fruits that make the diet more varied and balanced.
- Physical activity is required.
- Meals should be divided up to 6 times a day and the portion size must not exceed 200 grams.
This nutritional system allows you to lose 4-5 kg in a week without feeling hungry.Proteins saturate the body with important substances, but you cannot eat according to this system for a longer period of time.The maximum period is 21 days.The optimal period for the diet is 14 days.
Who is a protein diet suitable for?
A protein diet is ideal for anyone who wants to lose weight quickly and without putting any strain on the body.Thanks to a varied diet, you don't have to eat just one type of product, and the high nutritional value of meat eliminates the feeling of hunger for a long time.
For athletes and people leading an active lifestyle, a protein diet helps lose weight and gain muscle mass.Weight loss occurs through fat loss, not muscle loss.This helps form a beautiful, sculpted figure.
Contraindications to a protein diet
Ideally, before starting a diet, you should consult a doctor to determine any contraindications.This is a pretty serious power system that should not be used by people:
- minors and the elderly;
- pregnant and breastfeeding women;
- Diabetic;
- for kidney and liver diseases;
- with cancer;
- with increased blood clotting;
- under high physical and emotional stress.
You should not start a diet during illness or if you feel unwell.
If you follow a protein diet, you need to take vitamin complexes.This is necessary to prevent hair loss, nail and tooth damage.
Protein norm
The average person needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight.When losing weight, this norm doubles.If you follow a protein diet, you need to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams per day.Protein per kilogram of weight.It is not the current but the planned body weight that is taken into account.
To calculate how much protein is in a prepared dish, you need to know its composition and the amount of protein in each ingredient.
For example.Planned weight – 70 kg.You need to consume 84 to 112 grams per day.Squirrel.The menu is composed:
- Beef – 200 gr. (37.8 g protein);
- Eggs – 2 pcs. (12.7 g protein);
- Cottage cheese – 200 gr. (33.4 g protein).
This results in 83.9 g.Squirrel.Additionally, other foods are taken into account, increasing the total amount of protein consumed.
To make the correct calculation, purchase a kitchen scale and weigh each product fresh.
Pros and cons of a protein diet
A protein diet, like any specific nutritional system, has its advantages and disadvantages.If you plan to lose weight with the help of proteins, you need to take them into account.
Benefits include:
- Varied food.You don't have to eat just one product.The list of permitted dishes is quite extensive.
- Not hungry.Protein relieves hunger over a long period of time.This allows you to lose weight without suffering from the debilitating desire to eat.
- Strengthening the immune system.Proteins increase the body's endurance and increase physical strength.
- Fast weight loss.If after completing the diet you do not return to your previous table, but eat healthy, the lost kilograms will not return.
- Weight loss due to fat layer.The body gets energy from fat, not muscle.Therefore, muscle mass does not suffer on this diet.
- Ideal for athletes.Thanks to the high protein content in the food, muscle mass is actively built up.As a bonus for losing weight, the athlete increases the body's endurance and provides nice relief for the body.
But a protein diet also has disadvantages.This includes:
- It is possible to reduce mental abilities by limiting the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
- Due to the increased blood density and clotting, there is a risk of blood clots.
- Calcium is washed out and problems with bones and teeth can occur.
- Due to the increase in ketone bodies in the body, an unpleasant odor appears in the body and mouth.
You need to approach the protein diet wisely and be sure to take vitamin complexes to compensate for the lack of nutrients.This method of losing weight is suitable only for absolutely healthy people who do not have any chronic or acute diseases.
Another disadvantage of a protein diet is the complete avoidance of sweet and fatty foods.And if you cannot do without sweets and cakes, such a nutritional system leads to nervous stress.It is worth choosing another diet where carbohydrates are allowed in small quantities.
Rules of a protein diet for weight loss
In order for a protein diet for weight loss to help you lose weight, follow a few important rules:
- Focus on proteins.These are meat and dairy products.You are allowed to add a side dish to the main dish once a day.
- Limit the amount of fat you consume.Your daily amount should not exceed 30 grams.
- Grain is allowed as a side dish, but only in the first half of the day.Choose low-calorie foods, except semolina and millet.
- Vegetables can also be used as a side dish, but potatoes and other starchy varieties are completely forbidden.You can eat cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers.
- Fruits are allowed, but not sweet.Prefer oranges and green apples.
- The last meal should be eaten 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- During the diet you must avoid alcohol and sweets.
- A protein diet deprives the body of a lot of fluid, so the amount of water consumed daily should be increased by 1.5 times.Drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day.
- Ideally, you should avoid salt.As seasonings, you can add dried herbs, garlic and soy sauce to your food.
If you feel dizzy during the diet, your health and sleep deteriorate sharply, you need to add more complex carbohydrates to your diet.
Permissible foods for a protein diet
When drawing up a menu, consider the list of foods allowed on a protein diet.This includes:
- Meat.Lean cuts of beef, chicken, veal, rabbit and turkey are permitted.Fatty pork and lamb are completely forbidden.
- Fermented milk products.The daily diet should include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt and kefir.
- Eggs.Be sure to eat chicken or quail eggs.This can be soft-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs or an omelette.It is recommended to consume 2 chicken or 4 quail eggs per day.
- Fish.Another source of protein is lean fish.Cook it by steaming, in the oven or simmering without adding oil.
- Green vegetables.Fiber is necessary for complete digestion of food and improved well-being.Prefer tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini.Vegetables can be eaten fresh, steamed, baked or boiled.
- Grain.A protein-rich diet avoids all types of grain.However, they are still necessary as a source of carbohydrates.You can cook buckwheat, peas or oatmeal.
- Fruit.Nutritionists recommend consuming citrus fruits as part of a protein diet.But be careful with them - high acidity irritates the stomach lining and can cause gastritis.
When it comes to drinks, prefer herbal teas and green tea.A small amount of coffee is allowed - no more than 1 cup per day.The majority of the liquid should be prepared with plain water.
Forbidden foods for a protein diet
The list of prohibited foods on a protein diet is much more extensive.This is because the nutritional system implies the rejection of most food groups.So this list includes:
- Baked goods are completely excluded.A few times a week you can eat 1 piece of rye bread.
- Pasta.
- Sweet and flour dishes.This includes all foods that contain sugar.You can't even sweeten drinks.
- Alcohol.Some protein diets allow you to drink a glass of dry red wine every day.But it is still better to avoid alcohol in any quantity.
- Starchy vegetables.Avoid radishes and potatoes.Despite their nutritional value, they increase weight.
- Sweet fruits.Bananas, pears and melons are prohibited.
- Fast food products.Fast food must be excluded from the diet.
- Carbonated drinks.
Only in the first week is it difficult to give up your favorite foods.Then get used to eating right and maintain this habit even after the diet is over.
How to organize protein nutrition
To prevent your new diet from harming your health, stick to the plan:
- Preparing for a diet.Gradually, over the course of 2-3 weeks, begin eliminating sweets if you have a strong fondness for them.Replace sugar with dried fruits, reduce the sweetener content in drinks.
- Smooth entry into the diet.You need to smoothly switch to a protein diet and give up other foods within 1-2 days.
- The diet itself. Be sure to take care of your health and control your weight.
- Stop the diet.End the diet smoothly and gradually increase the amount of food consumed.
It is good if the timing of the diet falls on the holiday, which reduces the temptation to have lunch with sandwiches or refuse a full breakfast.
Buy groceries in advance by creating a menu.If you go to the store, you risk buying a product from the banned list.
Be sure to exercise.You can join a gym or opt for home aerobics.Yoga and running are enough.Physical activity should occur at least three times a week.However, remember that if you have never exercised before, you should not overload your body.Start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.
Duration of protein diet
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 14 days.During this time, a weight loss of up to 15 kg is possible.After a 3-month break, you can repeat it to improve the result.
The optimal period is 10 days.During this time you can lose up to 10 kg.The result depends on the individual characteristics of the organism.The more you weigh, the more active your weight loss will be.
The minimum term is 7 days.You can use it to lose up to 8 kg.This time is suitable for those who find it difficult to give up their favorite foods.
Sample menu for a week for weight loss
An approximate menu of a protein diet for weight loss for a week will help you decide on your diet.Take the specified dishes as a basis, but adapt them yourself, taking into account the lists of prohibited and permitted foods.
| day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| 1 | Cheese omelet, green tea | Beef stew with buckwheat | Boiled fish |
| 2 | Low-fat cottage cheese | Cooked chicken breast, cucumber and tomato salad | Scrambled eggs, green tea |
| 3 | Oatmeal on water | Braised veal with zucchini | Baked salmon with lemon and herbs |
| 4 | Quark cake | Rabbit in sour cream sauce, brown rice | Steamed turkey cutlets |
| 5 | Toast with cheese | Fish soup with rice | Beef fillet baked with soy sauce |
| 6 | Low-fat cottage cheese, apple | Stew made from veal, carrots, cabbage and zucchini | Caesar salad |
| 7 | Buckwheat porridge | Chicken soup with meatballs | Fish casserole |
What to Eat as a Snack:
- boiled eggs;
- Kefir;
- natural yogurt;
- apples, grapefruit;
- Cheese;
- cottage cheese pancakes and casserole;
- Vegetable salad.
Every day you should eat 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks.Before going to bed, 2-3 hours before bedtime, you can drink a glass of kefir, tea or eat natural yogurt.The diet should be as light as possible so that there is no discomfort due to indigestion and a full stomach.
If you exercise, also consume protein shakes.Choose foods that are free of sugar and additives.This cocktail relieves hunger and does not cause weight gain.
Getting off the protein diet
So that the lost kilograms do not come back after completing the diet, you need to correctly return to your usual table.Add 1-2 products to your diet every day, leaving sugar, pasta and potatoes for last.Start with vegetables and fruits and increase the amount of side dishes.Be sure to include grains as a source of carbohydrates.
Nutritionists say that the duration of exit from a diet is twice as long as the duration of the diet itself. If you followed the protein diet for 10 days, you need to complete it in 20 days.
To maintain your results, follow a healthy diet.Avoid unhealthy, fatty, fried foods.And then the weight will disappear, your figure will become slimmer, and as a pleasant bonus you will gain health and beauty.
Mistakes with a high-protein diet
Many people are prevented from achieving their goals by common mistakes.This includes:
- Quickly ditch carbohydrates and fats in favor of proteins.Remember that the protein diet is serious and you cannot suddenly “get on it” by giving up your usual diet in one day.
- Complete avoidance of carbohydrates.The diet should contain vegetables, fruits and grains in small quantities.Otherwise, poor health and stress cannot be avoided.
- Lack of physical activity.You can't achieve a beautiful figure without exercise.But it is worth waiting for the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin.
- Hunger.Plan your diet so that you don't feel hungry.Otherwise, the body enters a phase of extreme energy conservation and begins to store fat.
Transition smoothly to the new system and monitor your well-being.And then you will lose weight in a week without putting any strain on the body.