The essence of the diet is that every day you should eat mainly protein foods - lots of fish, meat and low-fat dairy products. All these products are very nutritious, saturated for a long time, so you will not be bothered by the feeling of hunger. But the body that lacks carbohydrates and fats will start to use its own fat stores as extra energy.
The role of proteins in the body
Life without protein is impossible. The importance of proteins for the body lies in the fact that they serve as a material for building cells, tissues and organs, the formation of enzymes, most hormones, hemoglobin and other substances that perform the most important functions in the body. Proteins and their role in the body also lie in the fact that they are involved in protecting the body from infections and also promote the absorption of vitamins and minerals. The activity of our life is associated with the constant consumption and renewal of protein. To balance these processes, protein losses need to be replenished daily. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, it does not accumulate and is not synthesized in the body from other nutrients, that is, you can get protein only with food.
The duration of the protein diet
Usually, protein diets are prescribed in detail for one or two weeks. The menu is not very different: in the second week, if any, experts advise you to eat the same menu as in the first, following the diet from the last day to the first.
Nutritionists also recommend following a protein diet for no more than 14 days, after which you should take a break for half a year. Only then can you continue the course.
Advantages and disadvantages of a protein diet
In addition to the usual goal of "weight loss", a protein diet has other beneficial effects on the body. Namely:
- Improving the condition of the skin. Protein is essential in the body. Thanks to him, your muscles are strong and the skin does not sag. By increasing the protein content in your daily diet, you will ensure the beautiful appearance of your skin.
- Calorie content. Protein contains almost 2 times fewer calories than fat. And given the fact that the body needs a lot more time and energy to process fats, the process of losing weight is simply inevitable.
- Removal of toxins. Protein helps remove excess fluids from the body, and with them toxins.
- Lack of feeling hungry. Due to the characteristics of the organism and the long assimilation of proteins, the feeling of hunger comes after a long time. And given the fact that the protein diet consists of 4-6 meals, there is no feeling of hunger all day.
There are a few downsides to a protein diet. Most of them are based on contraindications for certain groups of people. But they can not be fully attributed to the disadvantages, because they have contraindications to the diet - it does not make sense to sit on it. And if, nevertheless, they sat down, then what is the point of protesting?
Thus, the disadvantages of the diet include:
- Constipation. This is a common problem in people who follow a protein diet. The solution to this problem is to use large amounts of water or kefir. If that does not help, then use a laxative
- Decomposition products are not removable. The solution to this problem, as in the previous case, is to use water in the required quantities.
- Bad breath
- Duration of diet. Due to its peculiarity, it is not recommended to sit on a protein diet for more than a month. If you use diet only as a means to keep your figure in shape and do not try to lose extra pounds, then this restriction does not apply to you.
This is where the disadvantages of dieting come into play. Everything else already belongs to the category of contraindications and you should take them first of all even before dieting.
Rules of protein diet
The characteristics of the protein diet comply with the following rules:
- every meal is protein in combination with other foods,
- all foods should be prepared without fat, your percentage of fat per day is 30 gr. , This is 1 - 2 kg large. oils as a salad dressing
- until 14: 00 is allowed the consumption of complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal) 4 - 6 tbsp. large. ,
- you can use vegetables that do not contain starch (or with a small portion of it) - cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage and lettuce,
- from fruits, prefer citrus fruits or apples without sugar (1 - 2 per day),
- drink plenty of water (1-2 liters per day),
- you should eat 4 to 6 times a day, about every 3 hours,
- as spices, use herbs, lemon juice, soy sauce, balsamic, garlic,
- do not drink alcohol and sweets during the diet,
- follow the table of protein content in the products,
- the duration of the diet is not more than 2 weeks.
Diet on a protein diet
You should eat at least 5 times a day, while the last time you can afford the food is 3 hours before the lights go out and breakfast can only start 30 minutes after you wake up. As for the distribution of nutrients, before lunch you should consume a small amount of carbohydrates in the form of buckwheat, brown rice or oatmeal. Also, before lunch, you can eat some fruit. You can consume up to 40 grams of fat per day, enough for your body.
How to cook meals with a protein diet
For 7 days, 14 or a month, the menu, the number of grams per serving, with a protein diet, does not differ much.
The first, second and third are an integral part of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only difference is in the preparation and the time of the meal.
Soup is the first item on the menu. The basis of the soup is a protein broth: fish, meat, poultry. Vegetable supplement of your choice, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, beans, eggs.
Potatoes are banned due to their high carbohydrate content. The lack of pasta and potatoes in the soup will not reduce the taste of vegetable soup with protein broth. Any liquid food contributes to weight loss.
For side dishes, there is a much larger selection of products to satisfy hunger and lose weight at the same time. Any recipes for dishes consist of chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cottage cheese, with the addition of vegetables, herbs and spices.
The question is what to replace the accompaniments? Potatoes, pasta, cereals are saturated with carbohydrates and therefore not suitable for any diet. Replace carbohydrate side dishes with vegetable dishes. Bake, cook, cook, for every housewife. Be careful only with spices.
Sugar, sweet syrup and some additives that are not suitable for use may be lost in the composition. The use of a variety of foods in a diet, the violation of the diet and the feeling of hunger are not noticeable.
Protein diet menu options
The daily menu consists of five meals, including a sufficient amount of protein foods, so that the body does not experience hunger. The diet is quite varied, while it consists of the simplest and easiest to prepare dishes.
The diet is designed for one week, with excess weight, the number of days can be increased to 14 days (2 weeks is the maximum at which you can be on a protein diet).
Menu №1 protein diet for a week (7 days)
Prepare your diet in such a way that its daily calorie content does not exceed 1000 kcal. Divide them into 5 meals so that the last one is 3-4 hours before bedtime. For a week you can lose 5-7 kg.
| Day | meal | Menu for the day |
| 1 day | breakfast | Omelette from 3 proteins 1 cup kefir (low fat) tea or coffee without sugar |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup of kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | 100 gr. boiled chicken with spices and herbs | |
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | 100-150 gr. Baked fish with herbs and spices. 1 cup of nonfat kefir |
|
| 2 days | breakfast | 2 boiled eggs 1 tomato 1 wholemeal bread |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup of kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | 100 gr. steamed meat, tomato and pepper salad - 100 gr. |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | 100 gr. canned fish (you can tuna or sardines), 100-150 gr. salad with fresh cabbage and cucumber, 1 glass of kefir (fat content up to 5%) |
|
| 3 day | breakfast | Oatmeal with a handful of nuts or dried fruits. Tea or coffee |
| Late breakfast | Wholemeal bread and low-fat cheese sandwich | |
| Dinner | 100 g chicken breast, 1/3 cup brown rice tomato and pepper salad - 100-150 gr. |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 fruit, any, except bananas | |
| Dinner | 100 gr. steamed fish, 1 cup boiled beans 1 cup of kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 4 | breakfast | 150 g fat-free cottage cheese, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 g. | |
| Dinner | Chicken broth with vegetables and chicken breast. 1 wholemeal bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | Baked fish or meat. Salad of fresh vegetables - cabbage, tomatoes and red pepper. |
|
| Day 5 | breakfast | Tomato salad and lettuce seasoned with lemon juice |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup of kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | Broccoli cream soup with pieces of chicken breast. 1 wholemeal bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 5 pieces. any dried fruit | |
| Dinner | Salad with cabbage and peas. Chest cooked with cheese and tomatoes (hard cheese) |
|
| Day 6 | breakfast | Omelette of 2 eggs and low fat ham. Tea or coffee, all without sugar. |
| Late breakfast | 1 fruit, any, except bananas | |
| Dinner | 100 gr. steamed fish, 1/3 cup boiled rice. 1 tomato |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 cup of kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | Vegetable and meat stew - not more than 200 gr. Kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 7 | breakfast | 150 gr. non-fat cottage cheese with dried apricots, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 g. | |
| Dinner | 1/3 cup buckwheat (better not to boil it, but pour it with boiling water and leave it overnight) and fish or meat of your choice | |
| afternoon tea | 1 orange | |
| Dinner | 150 grams of meat with lemon and herbs cooked in the oven. Mix the juice of half a lemon and the spices for the meat, marinate the meat for 1 to 4 hours. After baking in the oven for 25-30 minutes |
Menu number 2 protein diet for a week
Another advantage of a protein diet for very fast weight loss is that you can make a menu at your discretion. There are no strict rules here. The option displayed is just an example.
The size of the portion is about 200-250 gr.
First day: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Coffee / tea without sweeteners + cottage cheese |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | apple |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Boiled chicken breast with grilled vegetables |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Empty natural yogurt |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Second day: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Coffee / tea without sweeteners + yogurt |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Orange |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Vegetables (grilled) + beef (beef) |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Kefir |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Fish (grilled) and vegetables (of course, without heat treatment) |
Third day: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Coffee / tea without sweeteners + two eggs |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Grapefruit |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Baked turkey leg + -5 tbsp brown rice |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | cottage cheese |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Cabbage salad + boiled veal |
Fourth day: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Kefir + cookies (2 pcs. , From oatmeal, better homemade) |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Kiwi (2 pcs. ) |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Chicken with asparagus |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Fresh juice |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Seafood and vegetables |
Day five: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | 2 steamed egg omelette + tea or coffee without sugar |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | apple |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Fish with bread |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Ryazenka |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Chicken + raw vegetables |
Day six: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Cottage cheese + tea or coffee without sugar |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Orange |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Tofu cooked with vegetables |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Yogurt without additives |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Shrimp with asparagus |
Seventh day: Breakfast, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. p. (BREAKFAST) | Cottage cheese + tea or coffee without sugar |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | apple |
| 3 p. m. (lunch) | Vegetable soup + boiled beef |
| 4 p. p. (junk food) | Kefir + wholemeal bread |
| 5 p. m. p. (dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Protein diet menu for 14 days
The menu items can be safely replaced with equivalents from the list of allowed and the suggested dishes can be replaced with similar ones in terms of calorie content and composition. The main thing is to follow the rules: eat fractionally 5-6 times a day, drink at least 2 liters of fluids a day, do not eat forbidden foods.
| Mornings |
|
| second breakfast |
|
| Dinners |
|
| afternoon tea |
|
| Dinners |
|
The list of allowed products is so diverse that it is not difficult to develop a detailed menu of protein diet for yourself, there is room for the imagination to "wander". Gradually adhering to a protein diet will allow you to get out of the diet gradually and effectively.
Protein diet recipes
As you know, a protein diet is based on the complete or partial exclusion of carbohydrates from your body. The basis of your diet should be white meat, fish, eggs, dairy products. In more frugal versions of such a diet, vegetables and nuts are allowed. In a rigid weight loss system, you can not really clear up. For a week, and sometimes longer, you should eat only boiled eggs, fish and chicken every day.
As you can see, the following recipes are more suitable for the frugal and different in terms of permitted products. They are based on protein products, but some ingredients can be added to improve the taste, which is somewhat outside the dietary principles of a rigid protein diet.
First meal
Egg cream soup
Components:
- 400 g chicken or turkey breast
- 300-400 g spinach,
- 2 boiled eggs,
- 150 ml milk
- spices,
- salt,
- sprig of parsley.
Boil the meat in 2-2, 5 liters of water until softened with bay leaves, peppercorns and Provencal herbs. Take out the meat and cut it into cubes. Put the chopped spinach in the broth and cook until soft. Pour the soup, milk into the blender bowl, place the meat and chopped eggs and beat until creamy. Serve immediately, garnishing with a sprig of parsley and half a boiled egg.
Nutritious fish soup
- 400 grams of fillet of any white fish,
- 1 red onion
- 400 g cauliflower,
- lemon juice,
- pepper,
- salt,
- natural yogurt (optional)
Disassemble the cauliflower, peel it, cut it into small pieces. Cut the fish into large cubes. Finely chop the onion into thin half rings. Put everything in a saucepan, fill with water and cook until soft. Salt, pepper, before serving, if you want, add lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons of Greek yogurt.
Chicken meatball soup
- 300 g minced chicken,
- 2 squirrels,
- 1 tsp.
- vegetable broth (from celery or cauliflower with onions),
- 5 stalks of spring onions
- 1 small onion
- salt and spices.
Mix the minced meat, the squirrels, the bran and the chopped onions, form meatballs the size of a small chestnut. Put the meatballs, the bay leaf, 5 grains of black pepper in the boiling broth, boil until soft. Garnish the soup with chopped spring onions before serving.
Results and reviews after a protein diet
The results before and after the diet are impressive - in just one week you can lose up to 5 pounds, depending on your initial weight and activity. Since protein foods saturate the body well with energy, it is recommended to combine diet with exercise for maximum effect.
As for the reviews, they are both positive and negative. For many, the diet did not fit - in the absence of vitamins and minerals, some of those who lost weight developed dizziness and weakness. However, every person who has followed this diet has lost weight.
Contraindications to protein diet
Before this diet, undergo a mandatory medical examination, because the protein diet is not allowed for everyone and is completely forbidden:
- with abnormalities in the work of the heart (with arrhythmias) and any of its diseases,
- hepatitis and any liver disease,
- during breastfeeding and during pregnancy,
- with renal impairment
- with joint pain or related diseases,
- with colitis, dysbacteriosis, chronic pancreatitis and a number of other diseases of the digestive system,
- Diet increases the risk of thrombosis and is therefore not recommended in the elderly,
- lasting more than 4 weeks.
Protein diet options
Many modern diets are based on the principle of a protein diet. Consider the most popular options.
Protein-carbohydrate diet
Its essence is that protein days alternate with carbohydrate days, that is, one day you eat only protein foods, the next you eat complex carbohydrates. This dietary option is considered more balanced and can be followed for more than two weeks. Usually, such a diet is resorted to after a purely protein diet to consolidate the result.
Atkins diet
Also known as the Hollywood diet, which has become a favorite of many Hollywood stars. The basis of the diet, compiled by Dr. Atkins, is the use of mainly protein foods, even high-calorie fatty foods are allowed, but carbohydrates are excluded.
Dr Pierre Dukan protein diet
The most popular protein diet is the Dukan diet. This is exactly the system of proper nutrition that you must follow for the rest of your life. According to modern nutritionists, the best diet for weight loss is one that you can follow comfortably without suffering from hunger, without falling from weakness and without obsession with the number of calories.
Protein diet recommendations
Given the disadvantages of this weight loss method, we have compiled recommendations for you, following which you can minimize the negative effects on your body and benefit only from the diet:
- First and foremost, do not overdo the diet. Remember that moderation is needed in everything: do not completely exclude carbohydrates and fats from the diet. If after a week of dieting you decide to continue losing weight, do not sit on such a diet for more than a month and then take a break of 2-3 months.
- Since the protein diet for weight loss for 7 days puts a lot of pressure on the kidneys, eat more vegetables.
- Eat at least 4 small meals a day.
- The last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
- To avoid stool problems, follow the water regime - you should drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water a day.
- Do not exceed the daily caloric intake of 1500 kcal.
- Choose quality products! Remember that the quality of food is a very important condition for weight loss.
- If you include eggs in your diet, do not eat more than 4 eggs a day. This is especially true of egg yolk, which is high in fat and raises cholesterol levels.
- Protein in a carbohydrate duo is better absorbed. When eating boiled chicken breast, add a little steamed cauliflower to your plate. But it is better to enter carbohydrates in the middle of the day, at noon.
- If your goal is not only to lose weight, but also to gain muscle mass, remember that muscles develop just from a load of power.
- In order to avoid the lack of nutrients, it is recommended to consume vitamins during weight loss.