The protein diet is one of the most popular, especially among men. Unlike most diets, it helps to increase muscle mass, and also allows you to have a varied menu for the week. The caloric content of the diet can easily change depending on the current energy costs. This allows a flexible approach to nutrition and not feeling hungry.
Is it possible to lose weight on a protein diet
Many people wonder if it is possible to lose weight on a protein diet. It ranks in the top of the most effective nutritional programs for weight loss, but the result can only be achieved with regular exercise.
The main principle of the diet is that the majority of the diet is protein. They are a building material for the body, indispensable for muscle growth and an active happy life in general. Their deficiency leads to decreased performance, fatigue and depression.
Protein diet can help a person start their transformation. Of course, you will have to say goodbye to sweet and fried, but isn't the result worth it?
Do not forget: in order to lose weight, you need to do physical education.
What nutrition systems exist (Ducan, ketone, Atkins) and how effective are they
There are several nutritional programs for 7, 14 or more days based on the predominance of protein in the diet. Let's talk about the most effective ones.
Ducan System
The point of this system is that a lot of protein is consumed, and carbohydrate - in limited quantities.
Ducan's feeding system consists of 4 stages, each of which has its own rules. However, there are general principles for everyone:
- drink at least 1. 5 liters of water daily;
- every day there should be at least minimal physical activity - exercises and walking.
First step
Meals at this stage are based on lean protein foods: skinless chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, beef tenderloin, and low-fat dairy products.Frying in oil is strictly prohibited, but you can use all other cooking methods, for example, steam.In addition, it is allowed to add spices and herbs to the diet. It is imperative to support the work of the intestines and take one and a half tablespoons of oat bran daily. It is forbidden to eat pork, sausages, rice and other cereals, fruits, sweets, bread, flour, beans and sugar.
Second step
This step will be easier already and will take over two weeks. It combines protein and vegetable days. The protein-vegetable diet is varied and light, especially in comparison with the protein days. Estimated weight loss will be more than 4 kg. If you need to lose no more than 10 kg, then the days alternate with each other after one, and if more - 5 after 5. The duration of the stage is calculated based on a simple formula: 1 lost kilogram = 7 days.
Protein days completely repeat the menu from the first step. The only clarification is that it is allowed to add cucumbers. On vegetable days, you can eat any vegetables except beets, avocados and potatoes. They cannot be seasoned with mayonnaise, but they can be boiled and baked. You also need to consume 2 tablespoons of bran daily. Prohibited foods are the same as before.
Third step
At this stage, the result is fixed. For each dropped kilogram, 10 days of fixing are needed. Yes, it seems that it is very long, but this is how you can provide a beautiful figure. It is forbidden to eat sugar, sweets, flour and semi-finished meat products.
It is allowed to use everything that was in the previous stages, but with additions: fruits are added per day (not only grapes, dates and bananas), 2 slices of whole grain bread and 40 g of cheese. Starchy foods, such as potatoes, can be cooked twice a week. And also 2 times a week it is allowed to arrange a holiday and eat whatever one wants, but, of course, without fanaticism.
Fourth step
This step assumes that the food system has already become a habit and has become a way of eating in principle. Now there are no prohibited products, but it is recommended to arrange with protein one day a week. Of course, you should not attack sweet and harmful and eat it in huge quantities - no diet will save you from weight gain and loss of the achieved result.
The ketone diet
This diet allows you to eat meat, high-fat fish, eggs, green vegetables (spinach, cabbage, cucumber or zucchini), tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, strawberries, mushrooms, vegetable and butter, hard and soft cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt, as well as all spices, almonds, peanuts, walnuts and pine nuts. Therefore, the menu can be very varied.
The diet is definitely not suitable for those with kidney and cardiovascular problems, diabetes and an eating disorder. Here are some of the side effects to follow when following a keto diet:
- negative effect on kidney function;
- dehydration, constipation, risk of heart disease.
There are advantages and disadvantages to keto, so switching to this diet is worth considering carefully.
Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet is similar to the Ducan Diet. There are also 4 steps here - introductory, main (aimed at weight loss), transitional (the result is fixed) and final. The first two steps last 14 days: during this time, the body gets used to a new way of eating and rebuilds. In the future, the diet should become a way of life. The diet assumes a minimum of carbohydrates, a maximum of proteins and a complete rejection of alcohol.
Protein is the basis of the diet, unsaturated fats and fiber are also allowed. The latter include avocados, nuts, salmon, and vegetable oils. Fiber will be provided by green vegetables and herbs, and some carbohydrates can be obtained from unsweetened fruits, cereals and berries. The diet is not suitable for pregnant women and people with kidney and liver problems.
Dangers of protein diets
Due to serious deficiencies, protein diets cannot be called healthy and safe. An excess of protein leads to the development of urolithiasis and negatively affects the functioning of the kidneys, brain and liver. There are a few more significant drawbacks:
- The gastrointestinal tract may be impaired.
- Animal food contains cholesterol, even if it is the most dietary poultry.
- Nutrition is generally unbalanced.
We do not recommend sticking to a purely protein diet, as they cause health problems over a long period of time.
List of Protein Products
To properly compose the menu, you should familiarize yourself with the list of protein products:
- Meat: chicken and turkey fillets, and beef.
- Fish: especially tuna, which is practically fat-free, but has a record protein content among fish.
- Soy replaces meat and fish for vegetarians and people who abstain from meat for other reasons.
- Curd is an affordable high-protein product.
- Cheese contains protein, but it also contains a lot of fat. It is not suitable for every diet.
- Beans. Most legumes are high in protein, but beans are particularly prominent. Chickpeas and lentils are also good options.
- Buckwheat. Of all cereals, it is buckwheat that contains the most protein, and it also contains a lot of fiber that is useful for the intestines.
If you devote time to physical activity, then you have an increased need for protein. We recommend paying attention to protein powder mixtures, protein bars.The proteins in these products are well absorbed, and the compositions are balanced in amino acids, vitamins, micro- and macroelements.
A detailed menu of a strict low-calorie diet for the week
A low-calorie diet for a week will allow you to get quick results and generally adjust the body to a new diet. This easy-to-lose weight loss diet is based on one principle: Eating 800 calories a day. Consider a menu for very quick weight loss.
Monday
For breakfast, you can eat low fat yogurt and drink green tea.
Snack - a handful of peanuts, lunch - steamed chicken.
Afternoon snack - 150 g fat-free cottage cheese. It is recommended to end the day with a glass of zero fat kefir.
Tuesday
For breakfast, it is recommended to eat 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese and drink coffee without sugar.
Snack - low-fat yogurt, for lunch - boiled beans, for an afternoon snack - a glass of zero-fat kefir. For dinner - chum steak.
Wednesday
Start the day with 2 boiled eggs and sugar-free coffee. For a snack - a glass of low-fat yogurt. For lunch - lean fish, such as steamed pollock, for an afternoon snack - a glass of zero fat kefir, and for dinner - a handful of peanuts.
Thursday
For breakfast, you can eat low-fat cottage cheese and drink green tea. For a snack - 2 boiled eggs, for lunch - a baked turkey fillet with mushrooms, and for an afternoon snack - a rucola salad. It is recommended to bake trout for dinner.
Friday
For breakfast, fat-free cottage cheese and sugar-free coffee. For a snack - a glass of low-fat kefir, for lunch - boiled beef with beans. For an afternoon snack, you can eat boiled cauliflower, and for dinner, boiled or baked lean fish, such as cod.
Saturday
For breakfast, you can boil oatmeal porridge in water and drink green tea. For a snack - a handful of peanuts, for lunch - boiled squid fillet,
for an afternoon snack - a glass of low-fat yogurt. For dinner - 2 boiled eggs.
Sunday
Last breakfast of this week - oatmeal porridge on water and coffee without sugar. For a snack - a glass of low-fat kefir, for lunch - lean fish, for example, steamed pollock. Afternoon snack - salad of boiled beans with mushrooms, and for dinner - low-fat cottage cheese.
Protein and vegetable menu for 14 days
Protein and vegetable nutrition is a perfectly balanced menu that allows you to lose weight easily, quickly, tasty and without side effects.Nutrition is rich in vitamins, fiber and protein - everything that is so important for the body. For 14 days, the following ration is offered every day (a cup of green tea is supposed for breakfast every day):
| Day | Products |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 boiled egg with olives, 200 g steamed chicken fillet with vegetables, 200 g broccoli and low fat yogurt |
| 2 | Porridge on the water, a handful of dried fruits, 200 g of steamed fish with vegetables, 200 g of cottage cheese |
| 3 | Protein omelet with tomatoes and rucola, chicken fillet with carrot and cabbage salad, 1 boiled egg with cheese and tomato |
| 4 | 150 g low-fat cottage cheese with cucumber and buckwheat, steamed turkey fillet with vegetable salad, baked cod with olives and feta cheese |
| 5 | Porridge on water, boiled beef + vegetables, avocado salad, a glass of low-fat or 1% kefir. |
| 6 | Buckwheat with milk, salad of boiled chicken, tomatoes and iceberg leaves, chum salmon with vegetables |
| 7 | Porridge with low-fat milk, vegetable salad and 1 boiled egg, stewed pollock with wild rice for garnish |
| 8 | This day should be a fasting day, you can eat vegetables in unlimited quantities (but within reasonable limits) |
| 9 | 150 g Greek yogurt, 2 boiled eggs, stewed cabbage with chicken, 200 g steamed pollock with vegetables |
| 10 | Zucchini baked with cheese, boiled beef with vegetables, buckwheat with cottage cheese and milk |
| 11 | Low fat yogurt, baked fish with olives and any salad, low fat or 1% kefir |
| 12 | Porridge on the water, cod with beans, vegetable salad with chicken |
| 13 | Buckwheat with cottage cheese and milk, steamed turkey fillet with vegetables, cabbage and carrot salad |
| 14 | Oatmeal in water with dried fruits, boiled beef with vegetables, a glass of low-fat yogurt. |
The protein-vegetable diet is balanced and can be recommended for long-term use.
Review of Results Feedback
Usually people first search on the Internet for how to lose weight on a protein diet, is it really easy to lose weight. Most people report both positive body changes and negative health effects. It is really possible to lose weight without losing muscle, improve relief and not stress the body. There is also a variety of menus for every day, the absence of hunger and bad mood. Protein days for weight loss can be arranged without harm to health, but the total duration of such a diet should not exceed 14 days as recommended by doctors.
Protein diet is chosen by those who want not only to lose weight, but also to qualitatively change the body in general, in order to look not exhausted, but, on the contrary, a cheerful and fit person. Also, this diet is suitable for those who love pure meat and can easily do without sausages and sausages. In order not to lose weight, those who have lost weight give some tips:
- Drink a glass of warm water in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Have breakfast half an hour after waking up.
- Have dinner 3 hours before bed.
- Drink 2 liters of water a day.
- To avoid problems with stool, you need to drink 1% kefir.
- For those who cannot live without coffee, 1 cup without sugar is allowed.
People's reviews are filled with joy that in 2 weeks people began to notice small changes in their bodies. Although these steps are still quite small, they have already been taken. From the negative, the majority has an unpleasant odor from the body, which nothing can interrupt. It is not recommended to sit on this diet longer than 14 days.
Alas, there are no magic weight loss pills. It is often said that protein diets are effective for weight loss, but this is a misconception. Yes, you can quickly lose a couple of extra pounds, but this will happen if you significantly limit the amount of calories you eat. Proteins alone are not suitable for weight loss.
Interesting recipes
On the one hand, it seems that there are very few permitted products and a person is in for a painful monotony. However, this is not the case, you can easily diversify a protein diet, and simple and tasty recipes for a protein diet for weight loss will help in this. Don't forget to include hiking, running and other sports in your day. Otherwise, there will be no effect.
Protein Shake
Protein Slimming Shake is a sports drink that will saturate your body all day long. For cooking you will need:
- 200 ml low-fat milk
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 banana;
- 100 g 9% cottage cheese;
- a teaspoon of sugar.
Prepare a blender or mixer from special equipment.
- Beat the peeled egg in a blender with sugar
- Cut the peeled banana into small circles
- Add the banana to the egg bowl, pour in the milk and beat until smooth.
- Now add the curd and beat again.
Done! Bon Appetit.
Chicken fillet with guacamole sauce
This is an easy-to-prepare dietary meal. Despite the presence of avocado in the composition, the BJU of the dish is 57/25/18. For cooking we need:
- 500 g chicken fillet;
- 1 avocado;
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- half a teaspoon of dried garlic;
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper;
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 g low-fat cheese;
- cilantro and pepper to taste.
First, remove the pulp from the avocado and mash it with a fork, then add pepper, lemon juice, a little salt and seasoning. Now let's put aside this mass for a while. The remaining salt, seasonings and dried garlic should be smeared with fillets. Put the meat in a skillet and fry it on each side for 4 minutes over medium heat. After that, sprinkle it with cheese and close the lid to melt the cheese. Next, you need to wait a couple more minutes, after which you can put the fillet on a dish and put the sauce prepared earlier on top.
Protein Curd Casserole
Protein casserole is great for breakfast. To prepare it you will need:
- 500 g of cottage cheese;
- 1 egg;
- 40 g cornstarch;
- 2 egg whites;
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- a tablespoon of sugar;
- half a teaspoon of vanillin;
- 50 g raisins.
First you need to mix the curd, egg and egg whites. Then add the cornstarch and the rest of the ingredients. Now put the mass in a baking dish and leave for 30 minutes. at 180 degrees. The crust will turn out crispy, and the casserole itself will be tender and satisfying.
Lightly salted trout salad
For this light salad you will need:
- lettuce leaves;
- 4 cherry tomatoes;
- 30 g trout fillet;
- leek stalk;
- a tablespoon of olive oil for dressing;
- pepper.
You can also add a teaspoon of chia seeds to improve stomach function. Cherry needs to be cut in half, trout - into cubes, onion stalk - into slices. We wash the lettuce leaves, cut into pieces and put on a plate, put all the ingredients on top, season with olive oil and seasonings. Then you need to mix everything thoroughly. Such a salad should be eaten immediately, in the refrigerator it will quickly lose its freshness.
Conclusion
Protein diets get you started on the path to losing weight, building a strong body and beautiful shape. In combination with sports loads, in particular jogging, during the period of observance it will turn out to lose a little weight, and it will be fats that will go away, not muscles. The feeling of hunger will not torment, but you must definitely drink enough water, exercise, walk and consume fiber.
Remember that a diet rich in animal products is not safe for your health due to their cholesterol content.
It is recommended to add vegetables to the protein diet, at least 400 g per day, excluding potatoes. This will help keep your diet balanced.