How to lose weight on protein foods: rules of a protein diet, menu, products

First, let's try to figure out what a protein diet is and what its features are. First of all, it is worth saying that this diet is based on a large consumption of protein foods: eggs, seafood, meat, fish, dairy products, various beans and cereals. It is worth minimizing the consumption of fats, and especially carbohydrates.

Many people think thatprotein dietquite tough, however, this is not so. A huge advantage is satiety with food, almost without restrictions. Let's now figure out which foods you should eat in large quantities, because they will be your main diet.

What do you need to eat on a protein diet?

1. Dairy
2. Meat and fish
3. Low-fat yoghurts and cottage cheese
4. Legumes
5. Vegetables
6. Seafood

Foods that should not be consumed on a protein diet:

1. Fast food
2. Sweet high-calorie fruits
3. Baking and desserts.
4. Potato
5. Full fat dairy products
6. Fat meat.

Why should you choose a protein diet for weight loss?

Proteins are the building material for our body; they contain a huge amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements. The problem for many people who are trying to lose weight is constant breakdowns due to hunger. On a protein diet, you will have enough energy and you will not constantly think about food. You will also not exhaust your body, it will look attractive, because the muscle tissue will be practically not damaged. This is a great option for those who ultimately want to get a toned figure.

How does the protein diet work?

The point is that ondigestionand the body spends a huge amount of energy digesting protein foods. To digest lean chicken breast or egg whites, your body must use up its own reserves, which are fat. It is at these moments that a powerful weight loss process starts. In order to achieve maximum results, it is worth adding at least minimal physical exercise.

Nobody talks about what you have to do all daydisappear in the gym, but half-hour circuit training at home will help enhance the effect of a protein diet.

Significant Benefits of a Protein Diet. First of all, there is a wide selection of products that are available in many stores. You will not experience a constant feeling of hunger, but will be satisfied with food every time and enjoy it. Agree, even a lean piece of meat, cooked quite tasty, seems much more appetizing than the freshest lettuce leaf or green apple. There is a huge selection of recipes that are suitable for people who eat protein foods.

Many note the significant advantage of a protein diet over others; over time, you may even get used to this diet, and the diet may become your way of life. After losing a certain amount of kilograms, you will gradually be able to add your favorite foods without gaining weight. But it is always worth remembering that proteins should remain the main products of your diet.

Cons of a protein diet. Of course, each method of losing weight has its drawbacks, but the protein diet has minor disadvantages. The first and most important thing is that products that you need to eat quite often are not cheap. Seafood will cost you more than a bun or pie that you can buy on the way to work. You will also have to spend a lot more time preparing food. It will not be easy for those who have a sweet tooth, because a protein diet does not include almost any desserts, with the exception of dried fruits and fruits with low fructose content.

You will need to carry containers with you that will last you the whole day, especially if you spend a lot of time at work or school. A protein diet involves eating at least 5 times a day.

Basic principles of a protein diet:

1. Avoid high-calorie foods. It is necessary to exclude alcoholic drinks, fast food, baked goods, sweets; dried fruits can be an analogue. Sweeteners should also not be present in your diet. Any food that ends up on your plate should be low-carb. Don't forget that even a small amount of sweetener in a cup of coffee can cause a strong appetite, resulting in overeating.
2. Drink more water. This refers to pure water, and not various drinks in the form of coffee, tea or juices. When on a protein diet, you need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Carry a small bottle with you and refill it constantly, so you will remember to take a couple of sips, even if you are not at home or in an establishment.
3. Minimize your fat intake. If your diet contains fatty types of cheese, fatty cottage cheese, nuts or butter, consume them before lunch, so the body will spend energy on time and excess calories will not be stored as fat. Protein foods go well with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and low-glucose fruits.
4. Exercise stress. In any case, you will have to supplement your protein diet with exercise. This is how you will achieve the desired result faster, speed up your metabolism, improve the absorption of protein foods and be able to burn more calories than you consume, and this is the secret to healthy weight loss.

Who should think carefully about choosing a protein diet?

First of all, those who suffer fromdiseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as from renal failure. A protein diet is undesirable for older people, because the body must process a fairly large amount of protein food, and if there are openings with the heart or blood vessels, the idea should be abandoned altogether.

Sometimes when illiterateusing a protein dietblood clotting may change, and as a result there is a risk of blood clots. Therefore, take blood tests in advance and play it safe so that losing weight does not turn into health problems for you.

Protein diet for weight loss

The time of sun, relaxation, flowing clothes and bikinis is behind us. The beautiful ladies have already managed to relax a little and even treat themselves to something very tasty and no less "very" high in calories. Undoubtedly, small joys make everyday life brighter and more positive. The main thing is to tell yourself to stop in time! Otherwise, the appearance of excess weight very quickly and, as the experience of losing weight shows, will bring uncertainty, negativity and problems into your life for a long time.

But what if time was lost? How to quickly get yourself back to normal at home? Is a protein diet effective for every day?

Does perfect have to be perfect?

Before we talk about diet, let's figure out whether there is such a thing as "ideal weight. "It would seem that the answer is absolutely obvious, because the entire fashion and "healthy" lifestyle industry tells us every day about the need to meet certain standards of beauty and, it seems, health. Ideals that were not invented by us and, certainly, have nothing to do with an understanding of human nature and the biological mechanisms of our functioning. Despite this, we are motivated in every possible way to strive for certain standards, to show results in the pool, gym, and street jogging. The tragedy of the situation is that we do things that are very right for our body, not because they bring satisfaction and benefit, but solely for the sake of compliance. We do not monitor our well-being, we do not track the signals that the body gives, we measure and weigh our body! And, as a result, we only make the situation worse.

Everyone has been inspired, realized, ready to act, but where to start? And you need to start with your own definition of non-ideal weight. The same one, individual for each of us, but causing the same feeling of inconvenience and dissatisfaction.

What is non-ideal weight?

Try typing in any search engine a query to determine your ideal weight, and you will receive links to dozens of calculators and tables. And none of them will take into account:

• your heredity (genetic predisposition);
• presence of chronic diseases;
• the number of fat cells in your body and their ability to store fat;
• metabolism (metabolism) in your body;
• your lifestyle - the presence of stress, sleep and wakefulness, your mobility, the quality and mode of your diet.

If you put everything together, it becomes clear that each of us has our own individual non-ideal weight. How to determine when it's time to act? If you are experiencing one or more of the following, your weight is far from your ideal:

your weight has a negative impact on your health - your general health has worsened, you become tired faster, your joints and back are bothering you for the first time, shortness of breath has appeared, your blood pressure periodically rises, bowel function leaves much to be desired;

weight begins to make unpleasant adjustments in your life. You cannot do your usual activities (anything that requires mobility and physical endurance), you have to limit yourself in clothing, you feel awkward when in public transport or crowded places, you begin to adjust your life and work plans taking into account your weight.

Remember, if you seriously decide to take care of yourself, start by visiting a nutritionist and endocrinologist. This will be the best thing you can do for yourself. Only specialists in the field of medicine and proper nutrition, together, can help you maintain health and improve the quality of your life. Do not forget about the need for constant physical activity in your life.

What is a protein diet

How can you adjust your menu to lose those kilograms that are preventing you from living a full life? A high-protein diet can help with this - a diet based on foods high in protein, as well as a significant limitation of carbohydrates and fats. Using this nutrition method, you can lose 14 kg within 3 months.

The basic principle of a protein diet is to eat foods containing proteins that regulate metabolism in our body. This way, it is possible to avoid the main disadvantage of any diet - a decrease in the intake of proteins into the body, which, in turn, leads to rapid depletion of the body (internal organs, not receiving enough protein, begin to pull them out of muscle tissue). All this leads to weakness, poor physical health and sagging skin.

Benefits of Following a Protein Diet

The advantages that distinguish the protein diet from any other type of diet look quite significant:

• maintaining a healthy muscular system;
• the ability to combine diet even with serious physical activity;
• the impossibility of developing such a painful complication as anorexia;
• absence of an exhausting, stressful feeling of hunger (protein foods are absorbed by the body within 3-4 hours);
• Protein diet dishes include a large amount of fiber, which ensures smooth functioning of the intestines;
• due to fairly slow, gradual weight loss, without much effort, it is possible to maintain the required weight after leaving the diet;
• good health - complete absence of weakness, dizziness and nausea, which are typical for other types of diets;
• blooming appearance, real rejuvenation of the body occurs - the condition of the skin, hair and nails improves.

It is important to remember that the maximum effect for the health of your body can only be achieved by following the rules of dietary nutrition in combination with physical activity; all organs and their systems must be trained.

Cons and contraindications of a protein diet

When deciding to rebuild your diet in accordance with the principles of a protein diet, remember - there are no ideal diets! Any diet is associated with certain restrictions or exceptions, which means that the load on your body inevitably increases. It is for this reason that one cannot help but mention the disadvantages of following a protein diet.

The protein diet should be short-term. Long-term intake of protein foods leads to problems with the skeletal system (predominant consumption of proteins leads to leaching of calcium from bone tissue, which makes bones very fragile).

Prolonged restriction of carbohydrate intake can negatively affect overall performance.

The nervous system is also under attack, responding to the lack of a sufficient amount of fat in the diet - the main material for the reproduction of nerve cells. The main signs of this condition are increased nervousness and irritability.

A long-term protein diet can disrupt the balance of blood particles - the production of hemoglobin sharply increases.

Protein foods leave behind a large amount of "decomposition products", which leads to increased load on the kidneys (for their excretion).

Protein diet menu

The protein diet menu should be built on the basis of several principles that guarantee the achievement of the necessary results (for example, weight loss by 10 kg):

Proteins make up at least 60% of the total diet.

Refusal from constant snacking; for this purpose, preference is given to protein products with a long digestion cycle.

There should be at least 5 or 6 meals during the day, and the interval between them should not exceed 3 hours.

Avoid frying; all dishes should be prepared by baking, stewing or steaming.

To better balance your diet, you can include certain vegetables and fruits in your diet.

Having regular physical activity on the body.

Main products of the protein diet

Chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit

Exceptions: lamb, pork (high fat content)

Low-fat fish

(no more than 4% fat)

Pink salmon, pollock, cod, navaga, perch, pike perch, grayling

Dairy and fermented milk products no more than 3-5% fat

Kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeses

Rice, oatmeal, buckwheat

All "green" vegetables, as well as any others in small quantities, 2-3 times a week

Sour fruit drinks and unsweetened homemade compotes and juices (diluted 1: 1 with mineral water), teas based on herbs and their infusions, unsweetened coffee

Olive, flaxseed, sunflower - in strictly limited quantities

Among the products prohibited for consumption, several main ones can be identified:

• flour products - pasta, pastries, bread;
• sugar and sugar-containing products and dishes - baked goods, ice cream, chocolate, sweets, ready-made juices, fruit drinks, etc. ;
• any sausages;
• potatoes and dishes containing them;
• alcohol and any alcohol-containing products;
• fast food and industrial semi-finished products.

Important! Regardless of which protein diet option you plan to use (short-term or long-term), remember that dietary periods cannot be more than once every 6 months.

Protein diet: list of allowed foods and recommendations

During the protein diet, the following are allowed:

• any meat - pork, beef, poultry with minimal fat content;
• seafood, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese;
• raw vegetables: cabbage, cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes;
• Lemon juice or olive oil is used as a dressing;
• Oatmeal and buckwheat are allowed 2 times a week.

• sweets - here are all confectionery products (cakes, cookies), sugar and sweet fruits;
• bakery products, pasta, foods fried in fat;
• grains, potatoes, butter.

When following a protein diet, you must follow the following recommendations:

• you need to eat 5-6 times a day, the last time no later than 2 hours before bedtime;
• drink at least 1. 5 liters of mineral water without gas or clean water daily;
• any alcohol is prohibited;
• If desired, it is permissible to eat a couple of citrus or unsweetened apples for a snack.

What protein diet programs are there?

Quite a lot of protein diet programs have been developed. There are both pure protein diets and those with different variations: protein-vegetable, protein-fruit, protein-vitamin and others.

Protein diet for a week: menu options

Protein diet options for 7 days

1 option

• Breakfast: 150 grams of beef with one whole grain bread, a cup of tea or coffee;
• Snack: 1 apple;
• For lunch: boiled chicken breast (150 grams) with vegetable salad (200 grams);
• Afternoon snack: 1 glass of low-fat yogurt or kefir;
• For dinner: boiled sea fish (200 grams) with vegetable salad dressed with lemon juice.

Option 2

• Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, tea, coffee;
• Snack: 1 any citrus fruit;
• For lunch: beef stewed with vegetables (150 grams);
• Afternoon snack: 1 cup of low-fat kefir with diet bread;
• For dinner: 200 grams of boiled lean fish with fresh vegetables.

Option 3

• Breakfast: boiled chicken fillet (200 grams), tea or coffee;
• Snack: 1 apple;
• For lunch: 200 grams of boiled beans with a portion of vegetable salad;
• Afternoon snack: 200 grams of low-fat yogurt with dietary cookies;
• For dinner: 150 grams of boiled beef with 150 grams of cabbage salad, seasoned with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil.

Option 4

• Breakfast: 1 glass of low-fat kefir with diet cookies;
• Snack: 1 unsweetened fruit;
• For lunch: 200 grams of boiled chicken breast, 1 glass of apple juice;
• Afternoon snack: 1-2 boiled eggs;
• For dinner: 200 grams of boiled fish, 150 grams of fresh vegetables.

Option 5

• Breakfast: 150 grams of boiled turkey, 1 apple, tea or coffee;
• Snack: 1 glass of apple juice, 1 diet cookie;
• For lunch: boiled fish (200 grams) with a piece of whole grain bread;
• Afternoon snack: 1 glass of low-fat kefir;
• For dinner: 150 grams of boiled beef with vegetable salad.

Option 6

• Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and tea;
• Snack: 1 grapefruit;
• For lunch: beans stewed with vegetables;
• Afternoon snack: 1 glass of kefir;
• For dinner: boiled sea fish (200 grams) with fresh vegetable salad.

Option 7

• Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk, 1 diet cookie;
• Snack: 1 unsweetened apple;
• For lunch: vegetable soup with champignons;
• Afternoon snack: 50 grams of low-fat cottage cheese;
• For dinner: boiled beef (150 grams) with fresh salad.

Short-term (fast) protein diet option (3 days)

The main feature of such a "fast" protein diet is the complete absence of snacks, strict adherence to 3 meals a day and a ban on any, even the most minor, physical activity. At the same time, drinking unsweetened herbal teas is allowed between meals.

1. breakfast - 1 boiled chicken egg, cooked in any form (hard-boiled, poached, etc. ), can be replaced with quail eggs, taking into account the calorie content;
2. lunch and dinner – 150-200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese (no more than 3-5% fat) and tea without any sweeteners (the use of sugar and honey is unacceptable);
3. fluid consumption - at least 2 liters per day;
4. last meal no later than 18: 00.

When leaving a short-term protein diet, follow the principle of gradualness, so as not to harm your health; you must add foods and increase their quantity gradually, over 1-2 weeks. Start by adding cereals and fruits, then add dairy and fermented milk products (watch the fat content of the products).

Unfortunately, no matter how much we would like it, it is difficult to call such a diet balanced; during the period of a protein diet (especially short-term), the body experiences an acute deficiency of vitamins and minerals. To minimize the possible negative consequences of such restrictions, about a week before the diet, start taking vitamin complexes designed for long-term use (from 1 to 3 months).

When deciding to start a fast protein diet, evaluate not only your current physical condition, but also the emotional and intellectual stress that may lie ahead during this period. Give up the diet (or shift it in time) if:

• you have recently suffered from a somatic illness;
• you are facing a period of serious physical, intellectual or emotional stress;
• you are over 50 years old;
• you have problems with the liver and/or kidneys, as well as the cardiovascular system;
• you have previously (or are currently experiencing) blood clotting disorders (increased risk of thrombosis) and signs of diabetes.

And, of course, the use of any diet is absolutely not possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If you want to schedule a menu for a protein diet for a longer period, for example, a month, then it is better to contact specialists. They will not only be able to create a diet based on the permissible calorie content and the list of permitted foods, but will also make it as balanced as possible.

Dukan diet menu

The Dukan diet also refers to a type of protein diet; according to the menu, it is divided into various stages: attack, cruise, protein-vegetable, consolidation, stabilization. The very first stage of the attack is the most critical, here is its approximate menu:

• For breakfast: 2 egg white omelette with low-fat milk and some herbs.
• Snack: one and a half tablespoons of bran oatmeal.
• For lunch: 200 grams of boiled veal.
• Snack: boil 200 grams of shrimp or other seafood.
• For dinner: 200 grams of boiled veal or lamb.

results

The effect of losing weight on a protein diet, as a rule, becomes noticeable within a week, when the first 4-5 extra pounds are gone.The most noticeable result will be after three weeks, when excess weight will disappear even more and muscle relief will become noticeable. After all, a protein diet is designed to get rid of fat deposits without losing muscle mass. Fortunately, there are enough protein products to restore and "build" muscles.

The greater the initial weight of the person losing weight, the greater the "losses" will be during the diet. For example, if you weigh 100 kg and are obese, you can lose 5 - 10 kg in two weeks. At the same time, the diet is quite varied and will not cause an aversion to a specific product, as happens in mono-diets.

It is believed that the optimal period when you can stick to a protein diet with benefit and without harm to health is 10-14 days. During this time, you can lose 8-15 kilograms.

The right way out of a protein diet

Experts advise exiting any diet gradually. The protein nutrition system is no exception. You should not immediately pounce on your favorite foods, the consumption of which was prohibited during the program. It is better to exclude sugar and flour products from your diet altogether.

Besides, you must continue to adhere to the regime: eat at least 5-6 times a day in small portions, do not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime, drink more water and give up alcoholic beverages.

In the first 2 weeks after a protein diet, physical activity should also be increased. This should be done in order to optimally use the incoming energy and maintain the result.

Contraindications

In order not to harm your health, people suffering from the following diseases are better off giving up a protein diet:

• hepatitis (and other liver diseases);
• arrhythmia (and other cardiac abnormalities);
• kidney dysfunction;
• dysbacteriosis;
• colitis;
• pancreatitis;
• increased thrombus formation;
• joint pain (and all related ailments).

Also, the protein nutrition system is not suitable for older people, pregnant and lactating women.