The protein diet is very popular among world show business stars, athletes and ordinary people.This is an effective weight loss technique that allows you to lose weight quickly without causing harm or stress to your body.But you need to lose weight according to the rules, so that instead of a beautiful figure you do not end up with health problems.
The main features of a protein diet
You need to start a diet by studying its basic principles.These include:
- The basis of nutrition is protein.It should represent at least 60% of the daily diet.
- The amount of fats and carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.Ideally, they should make up no more than 15% of the daily diet.
- The menu can include vegetables and fruits that make the diet more varied and balanced.
- Physical activity is necessary.
- Meals should be divided up to 6 times a day, the portion size does 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 in this system for a long time.The maximum period is 21 days.The ideal period for the diet is 14 days.
Who is a protein diet suitable for?
A protein diet is ideal for those who want to lose weight quickly and without stress for the body.Thanks to a varied diet, it is not necessary to consume 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 to lose weight and gain muscle mass.Weight is lost through loss of fat, not muscle.This helps to form a beautiful and sculpted figure.
Contraindications to a protein diet
Ideally, before starting a diet, you should consult a doctor to identify contraindications.This is a rather serious power system that should not be used by people:
- minors and elderly people;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- diabetics;
- with kidney and liver diseases;
- with cancer;
- with an increase in the level of blood clotting;
- under high physical and emotional stress.
You should not start a diet during an illness or when you feel unwell.
When adhering to a protein diet, you need to take vitamin complexes.This is necessary to prevent hair loss, deterioration of nails and teeth.
Protein norm
The average person needs 0.8 grams.protein per kilogram of weight.For weight loss, this norm doubles.If you follow a protein diet, you will need to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams per day.protein per kilogram of weight.It is not the current weight, but the planned body weight that is taken into account.
To calculate the amount of protein included 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 being compiled:
- beef – 200 gr.(37.8g of protein);
- eggs – 2 pcs.(12.7g of protein);
- cottage cheese – 200 gr.(33.4 g of protein).
It turns out 83.9 g.squirrel.In addition, other foods are taken into account, which increases the total amount of protein ingested.
To make the correct calculation, buy a kitchen scale and weigh each fresh product.
Pros and cons of a protein diet
A protein diet, like any specialized nutritional system, has its pros and cons.When planning 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 wide.
- Not hungry.Proteins relieve hunger for a long period of time.This allows you to lose weight without suffering from debilitating cravings.
- Strengthening the immune system.Proteins increase the body's resistance and increase physical strength.
- Fast weight loss.After completing the diet, if you do not return to the previous table, but eat healthy foods, the lost kilos will not return.
- Weight loss due to the fat layer.The body derives energy from fat, not muscle.Therefore, muscle mass does not suffer from this diet.
- Ideal for athletes.Thanks to the presence of a large amount of protein in the diet, muscle mass is actively built.As a bonus for losing weight, the athlete increases the body's resistance and forms a beautiful relief on the body.
But there are also disadvantages to a protein diet.These include:
- It is possible to reduce mental abilities by limiting the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
- There is a risk of blood clots due to increased blood density and clotting.
- Calcium is eliminated and problems with bones and teeth may arise.
- An unpleasant odor appears in the body and mouth due to the increase in ketone bodies in the body.
You need to approach the protein diet wisely, being sure to take vitamin complexes to compensate for the lack of nutrients.This weight loss method is only suitable for absolutely healthy people who do not have chronic or acute diseases.
Another disadvantage of a protein diet is the complete rejection of sweet and fatty foods.And if you can't live without sweets and cakes, this nutritional system will cause nervous stress.It is worth choosing a different 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 several important rules:
- Give main emphasis to proteins.These are meat and dairy products.You can 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.
- Cereals are allowed, but only in the first half of the day, as a side dish.Choose low-calorie foods, excluding semolina and corn.
- Vegetables can also be used as a side dish, but potatoes and other types of starch are completely prohibited.You can eat cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers.
- Fruits are allowed, but not sweets.Give preference to oranges and green apples.
- The last meal should be 2 to 3 hours before bed.
- During the diet you will have to give up alcohol and sweets.
- On a protein diet, a lot of liquid is excreted from the body, so the daily amount of water consumed should be increased by 1.5 times.Drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day.
- The ideal is to avoid salt.You can add dried herbs, garlic and soy sauce to your food as seasonings.
If during the diet you feel dizzy, your health and sleep deteriorate dramatically, you will need to add more complex carbohydrates to your diet.
Allowed foods for a protein diet
When creating a menu, consider the list of foods allowed on a protein diet.These include:
- Meat.Lean cuts of beef, chicken, veal, rabbit and turkey are permitted.Fatty pork and lamb are completely prohibited.
- Fermented dairy products.The daily diet should include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt and kefir.
- Eggs.Be sure to eat chicken or quail eggs.It can be scrambled eggs, boiled eggs or an omelet.It is recommended to consume 2 chicken eggs or 4 quail eggs per day.
- Fish.Another source of protein is lean fish.Cook in steam, oven or low heat without adding oil.
- Green vegetables.Fiber is necessary for complete digestion of food and to improve well-being.Give preference to tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini.Vegetables can be eaten fresh, boiled, roasted or boiled.
- Cereals.High-protein diets involve avoiding all types of grains.But they are still needed as a source of carbohydrates.You can cook buckwheat, peas or oatmeal.
- Fruits.Nutritionists recommend eating citrus fruits on a protein diet.But be careful with them - high acidity irritates the gastric mucosa and can cause gastritis.
For drinks, give preference to herbal infusions and green tea.A small amount of coffee is allowed - no more than 1 cup per day.Most of the liquid should come from plain water.
Prohibited foods for a protein diet
The list of prohibited foods on a protein diet is much wider.This is due to the fact that the nutritional system implies the rejection of most food groups.So, this list includes:
- Bakery products are completely excluded.A few times a week you can eat 1 piece of rye bread.
- Noodle.
- Sweet and floury dishes.This includes all foods that contain sugar.You can't even sweeten the drinks.
- Alcohol.Some protein diets allow you to drink a glass of dry red wine a day.But it is still better to give up alcohol in any quantity.
- Starchy vegetables.Avoid radishes and potatoes.Despite their nutritional value, they increase weight.
- Sweet fruits.Bananas, pears, melons are prohibited.
- Fast food products.Fast food should be excluded from the diet.
- Carbonated drinks.
Giving up your favorite foods is only difficult for the first week.This way you will get used to eating well and maintain this habit after completing the diet.
How to organize protein nutrition
To prevent your new diet from harming your health, follow the plan:
- Preparing for a diet.Over the course of 2 to 3 weeks, gradually start giving up sweets if you have a great love for them.Replace sugar with dried fruits, reduce the amount of sweetener in drinks.
- Gentle entry into the diet.You need to switch to a protein diet without any problems, giving up other foods within 1-2 days.
- The diet itself.Be sure to monitor your health and control your weight.
- Give up the diet.Complete the diet without any problems, gradually increasing the amount of food consumed.
It's good if the diet schedule falls on vacation, which reduces the temptation to have lunch with sandwiches or refuse a full breakfast.
Buy groceries in advance by making a menu.By going to the store, you run the risk of purchasing a product from the prohibited list.
Be sure to play sports.You can join a gym or opt for aerobics at home.Yoga and running are enough.Physical activity should be at least 3 times a week.But remember that if you have never played sports before, you should not overload your body.Start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.
Duration of the protein diet
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 14 days.During this period it is possible to lose up to 15 kg.After a break of 3 months, you can repeat to improve the result.
The ideal 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.
The minimum period is 7 days.Allows you to lose up to 8 kg.This period is recommended for those who have difficulty giving 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 indicated dishes as a basis, but adjust it yourself, taking into account the lists of prohibited and permitted foods.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | To have lunch |
| 1 | Cheese omelet, green tea | Beef stew with buckwheat | Cooked fish |
| 2 | Low-fat cottage cheese | Boiled chicken breast, cucumber and tomato salad | Scrambled eggs, green tea |
| 3 | Oats in water | Stewed Veal with Zucchini | Baked salmon with lemon and herbs |
| 4 | Curd cheesecakes | Rabbit in cream sauce, brown rice | Steamed ground turkey cutlets |
| 5 | Toast with cheese | Fish soup with rice | Roasted beef tenderloin with soy sauce |
| 6 | Low-fat cottage cheese, apple | Veal, carrot, cabbage and zucchini stew | 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;
- pancakes and cottage cheese casserole;
- vegetable salad.
Every day you should have 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks.Before bed, 2-3 hours before bedtime, you can drink a glass of kefir, tea or eat natural yogurt.Food should be as light as possible to avoid feeling unwell due to indigestion and a full stomach.
If you play sports, drink additional protein shakes.Choose foods free of sugar and additives.This cocktail will relieve the feeling of hunger and will not cause weight gain.
Get off the protein diet
To ensure that the lost kilos do not return after the end of the diet, it is necessary to correctly return to your usual table.Add 1-2 products to your diet daily, leaving sugar, pasta and potatoes for last.Start with vegetables and fruits, increasing the amount of side dishes.Be sure to include grains as a carbohydrate source.
Nutritionists claim that the period of leaving the diet is twice as long as the duration of the diet itself.If you adhered to the protein diet for 10 days, you will need to complete it in 20 days.
To maintain your results, follow a healthy diet.Avoid unhealthy, fatty and fried foods.And then the weight will go away, your body will become slimmer and as a pleasant bonus you will receive good health and beauty.
Mistakes with a high-protein diet
Many people are prevented from achieving their goals by very common mistakes.These include:
- Quickly give up carbohydrates and fats in favor of proteins.Remember that the protein diet is serious, so you cannot suddenly “go” into it, giving up your usual diet in one day.
- Complete refusal of carbohydrates.The diet should contain vegetables, fruits and cereals in small quantities.Otherwise, health problems and stress cannot be avoided.
- Lack of physical activity.Without sports you cannot achieve a beautiful figure.But it's worth waiting for the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin.
- Hunger.Plan your diet so you don't feel hungry.Otherwise, the body will enter a stage of extreme energy conservation and begin storing fat.
Make a smooth transition to the new system and monitor your well-being.And then in a week you will lose weight without stressing your body.