The essence of the diet is that every day you should eat mainly protein foods - a lot 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 hunger. However, the body that lacks carbohydrates and fats will begin to use its own fat reserves as additional energy.
The role of protein in the body
Life without protein is impossible. The importance of proteins for the body lies in the fact that they serve as materials 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 increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals. The activities of our lives are connected with the continuous consumption and renewal of protein. To balance this process, protein losses must be replenished daily. It, unlike fats and carbohydrates, does not accumulate and is not synthesized in the body from other nutrients, that is, you can get protein only with food.
Protein diet duration
Usually, a protein-type diet is prescribed in detail for a week or two. The menu is not very diverse: in the second week, if any, experts recommend eating the same menu as in the first week, following the diet from the last day to the first.
Also, nutritionists recommend following a protein diet for no more than 14 days, after which you need to rest for half a year. Only after that you can continue the course.
Pros and cons of a protein diet
In addition to the usual goal of "loss of weight", a protein diet has other beneficial effects on the body. That is:
- Improve skin condition. Protein is very important 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 more time and energy to process fat, the process of losing weight is unavoidable.
- Poison removal. Protein contributes to the removal of excess fluid from the body, and with it toxins.
- Lack of hunger. Due to the characteristics of the body and the long assimilation of protein, hunger appears after a long period of time. And given the fact that the protein diet consists of 4-6 meals, there is no feeling of hunger throughout the day.
There are several downsides to a protein diet. Most of them rely on contraindications for certain groups of people. But they can not be completely attributed to the minuses, because they have contraindications to the diet - there is no point in sitting on them. And if, after all, they sit down, then what's the point of complaining?
So, the disadvantages of the diet include:
- Constipation. This is a common problem in people on a protein diet. The solution to this problem is the use of large quantities of water or kefir. If it does not help, then the use of laxatives
- The products of decay are not removed. The solution to this problem, as in the previous case, is the use of the required amount of water.
- Bad breath
- Diet duration. Due to its specificity, it is not recommended to follow a protein diet for more than a month. If you're using your diet only as a means to maintain good shape and aren't trying to lose weight, then these restrictions don't apply to you.
This is where the cons of the diet end. Everything else falls into the category of contraindications and should be taken first before you even go on a diet.
Protein diet rules
Features of the protein diet according to the following rules:
- each food is protein combined with other foods,
- all meals should be prepared lean, your fat level per day is 30 g. , It is 1 - 2 tbsp. l. oil as salad dressing
- until 2 pm it is allowed to eat complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal) 4 - 6 tbsp. l. ,
- you can use non-starchy vegetables (or with a minimum portion) - cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage and lettuce,
- from fruits, give preference to unsweetened citrus fruits or apples (1 - 2 per day),
- drink plenty of water (1-2 liters per day),
- You need to eat 4 to 6 times a day, about every 3 hours,
- as a condiment, use herbs, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic,
- do not drink alcohol and sweets during the diet,
- follow the table of protein content in the product,
- the duration of the diet is not more than 2 weeks.
Diet in protein diet
You need to eat at least 5 times a day, while the last time you can afford 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 nutritional components, before lunch you should consume a little carbohydrate in the form of buckwheat, brown rice or oatmeal. Also, before lunch, you can eat fruit. You can consume up to 40 grams of fat per day, which is enough for your body.
How to cook food on a protein diet
For 7 days, 14 or a month, the menu, the number of grams per serving, with a protein diet, is not much different.
The first, second and third are the breakfast, lunch, and dinner components that do not change. The only difference is in the preparation and timing of the meal.
Soup is the first item on the menu. The basis of the soup is protein broth: fish, meat, poultry. Supplement your choice of vegetables, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, beans, eggs.
Potatoes are banned because of their high carbohydrate content. The lack of pasta and potatoes in the soup will not detract from the taste of vegetable soup with protein broth. Any liquid food contributes to weight loss.
For the second course, there is a wider choice of products to satisfy hunger and at the same time lose weight. Any recipe for a dish consists of chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cottage cheese, with the addition of vegetables, herbs and spices.
The question is what to replace the side dishes? Potatoes, pasta, cereals are saturated with carbohydrates and therefore are not suitable for any diet. Replace carbohydrate side dishes with vegetable side dishes. Bake, cook, boil, for every housewife. Just be careful with the spices.
Sugar, sweet syrups and some additives that are not recommended for use may be lost in the composition. Using a variety of foods in the diet, a violation of nutrition and hunger is not noticeable.
Choice of protein diet menu
The daily menu consists of five meals, including protein foods in sufficient quantities so that the body does not experience hunger. The food is quite varied, while it consists of the simplest and easiest dishes to prepare.
The diet is designed for a week, with excess weight the number of days can be increased to 14 days (maximum 2 weeks during which you can go on a protein diet).
Menu 1 protein diet for a week (7 days)
Arrange your diet in such a way that its daily calorie content does not exceed 1000 kcal. Divide into 5 meals so that the last one is 3-4 hours before bedtime. During the week you can throw 5-7 kg.
| Day | food | Today's menu |
| 1 day | Breakfast | Omelet of 3 proteins 1 cup kefir (low fat) tea or coffee without sugar |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | 100 grams of boiled chicken with herbs and spices | |
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | 100-150 grams. grilled fish with herbs and spices. 1 cup fat-free kefir |
|
| 2 days | Breakfast | 2 boiled eggs 1 tomato 1 whole wheat bread |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | 100 grams of steamed meat, tomato and pepper salad - 100 gr. |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | 100 grams canned (you can tuna or sardinella), 100-150 grams. fresh cabbage and cucumber salad, 1 cup kefir (up to 5% fat content) |
|
| 3 days | Breakfast | Oatmeal with a handful of nuts or dried fruit. Tea or coffee |
| Late breakfast | Whole grain 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 banana | |
| Dinner | 100 grams steamed, 1 cup boiled peanuts 1 cup kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 4 | Breakfast | 150 g fat-free cottage cheese, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 gr. | |
| Dinner | Chicken broth with vegetables and chicken breast. 1 whole wheat bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Dinner | Fish or meat baked in the oven. Salad of fresh vegetables - cabbage, tomatoes and red peppers. |
|
| Day 5 | Breakfast | Tomato and lettuce salad seasoned with lemon juice |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | Broccoli cream soup with chicken breast. 1 whole wheat bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 5 pieces. any dried fruit | |
| Dinner | Cabbage and green bean salad. Grilled breast with cheese and tomatoes (hard cheese) |
|
| Day 6 | Breakfast | Omelet of 2 eggs and low-fat ham. Tea or coffee, all without sugar. |
| Late breakfast | 1 fruit, any, except banana | |
| Dinner | 100 grams steamed, 1/3 cup boiled rice. 1 tomato |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives) | |
| Dinner | Decoction from vegetables and meat - no more than 200 gr. Kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 7 | Breakfast | 150 grams fat-free cottage cheese with dried apricots, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 gr. | |
| Dinner | 1/3 cup buckwheat (better not boiled, but pour boiling water and leave overnight) and fish or meat of your choice | |
| afternoon tea | 1 orange | |
| Dinner | 150 g of meat with lemon and spices baked 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 |
Number 2 protein diet menu for a week
Another advantage of a protein diet for very fast weight loss is that you can create a menu according to your wishes. There are no strict rules here. The options shown are just an example.
Serving size is about 200-250 gr.
First day: Morning, lunch, dinner, snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Unsweetened coffee/tea + cottage cheese |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Boiled chicken breast with grilled vegetables |
| 4 things. (snack) | Empty natural yogurt |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Second Day : Morning, Afternoon, Afternoon, Dinner, Snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Unsweetened coffee/tea + yogurt |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | orange |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Vegetables (grilled) + veal (beef) |
| 4 things. (snack) | kefir |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Fish (grilled) and vegetables (natural, no heat treatment) |
Third Day : Morning, Afternoon, Afternoon, Dinner, Snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Unsweetened coffee/tea + a few eggs |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | Pomelo |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Roasted turkey thigh + -5 tbsp. Brown rice |
| 4 things. (snack) | Cheese hut |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Cabbage salad + braised beef |
Fourth day: Morning, afternoon, evening, snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Kefir + cake (2 pcs. , from oatmeal, preferably homemade) |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | Kiwis (2 pieces) |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Chicken with asparagus |
| 4 things. (snack) | Fresh juice |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Seafood and vegetables |
Fifth day: Morning, afternoon, evening, snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | 2 steamed omelet + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Fish with bread |
| 4 things. (snack) | Ryazhenka |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Chicken + raw vegetables |
Sixth day: Morning, lunch, dinner, snacks
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Cottage cheese + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | orange |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Grilled tofu with vegetables |
| 4 things. (snack) | Yogurt without additives |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Shrimp with asparagus |
Seventh day: Morning, afternoon, dinner, snack
| 1 p. (breakfast) | Cottage cheese + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 things. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 things. (have lunch) | Vegetable soup + boiled beef |
| 4 things. (snack) | Kefir + whole wheat bread |
| 5 p. (dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Protein diet menu for 14 days
Products on the menu can be safely replaced with equivalents from the permissible table, and the proposed dishes can be replaced with similar ones in terms of calorie content and composition. The main thing is to follow the rules: eat in portions 5-6 times a day, drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day, do not eat prohibited foods.
| Breakfast |
|
| second breakfast |
|
| Dinner |
|
| afternoon tea |
|
| Dinner |
|
The list of permitted products is so diverse that it is not difficult to develop a detailed protein diet menu for yourself, there is room for imagination to "wander around". Gradual adherence to a protein diet will allow you to quit 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 a more frugal version of such a diet, vegetables and legumes are allowed. In a rigid weight loss system, you can't really clean it. For a week, and sometimes more, every day you need to eat only boiled eggs, fish and chicken.
As you understand, the following recipes are more suitable for thrifty and more variety in terms of allowed products. They are based on protein products, but some ingredients can be added to enhance the taste, which is somewhat outside the nutritional principles of a rigid protein diet.
First meal
Egg cream soup
Material:
- 400 gr chicken or turkey breast
- 300-400 grams of spinach,
- 2 boiled eggs,
- 150 ml milk
- herbs and spices,
- salt,
- sprigs of parsley.
Boil the meat in 2-2. 5 liters of water until tender with bay leaf, pepper and Provence seasoning. Remove the meat and cut into squares. Add the chopped spinach to the broth and boil until tender. Pour the soup, milk into a blender bowl, add the minced meat and eggs and beat until smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig of parsley and half a hard-boiled egg.
Nutritious fish soup
- 400 g fillet of any white fish,
- 1 red onion
- 400 g cauliflower,
- lemon juice,
- pepper,
- salt,
- natural yogurt (optional)
Peel the cauliflower, peel, cut into small pieces. Cut the fish into large cubes. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Put everything in a saucepan, fill with water and cook until tender. Salt, pepper, before serving, if desired, add lemon juice and a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt.
Soup with chicken meatballs
- 300 g minced chicken,
- 2 squirrels,
- 1 teaspoon bran,
- vegetable broth (from celery or cauliflower with onions),
- 5 spring onions
- 1 small onion
- salt and spices.
Mix the minced meat, squirrel, bran and finely ground onion, form small chestnut-sized meatballs. Enter the meatballs, bay leaf, 5 black peppercorns into the boiling broth, boil until tender. Before serving, garnish the soup with finely chopped green onions.
Results and reviews after a protein diet
The results before and after the diet are impressive - in just a week you can lose up to 5 kilograms, depending on weight and initial activity. Since protein foods saturate the body with energy well, it is recommended to combine diet with training for maximum effect.
As for the reviews, they are both positive and negative. For many, the diet is not suitable - against the background of a lack of vitamins and trace elements, some of those who lose weight experience dizziness and weakness. Nonetheless, everyone who has been on this diet has lost weight.
Protein diet contraindications
Before this diet, carry out a mandatory health check, because a protein diet is not allowed for everyone and is strictly prohibited:
- with irregularities in the work of the heart (with arrhythmias) and their diseases,
- hepatitis and any liver disease,
- during breastfeeding and during pregnancy,
- with kidney dysfunction
- with joint pain or related disease,
- 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,
- with a duration of more than 4 weeks.
Protein Diet Choices
Many modern diets are based on the principles of protein nutrition. Consider the most popular options.
Protein-carbohydrate diet
Its essence is that protein days alternate with carbohydrate days, that is, on one day you eat exclusively protein foods, on another you eat complex carbohydrates. This diet option is considered more balanced and can be followed for more than two weeks. Usually, such a diet is carried out after a pure protein diet to consolidate the results.
Atkins diet
Also known as the Hollywood diet, it has become a favorite of many Hollywood stars. Basic nutrition, compiled by Dr. Atkins, is the use of predominantly protein foods, even high-calorie fatty foods are allowed, but carbohydrates are excluded.
Protein diet Dr. Pierre Dukan
The most popular protein diet is the Dukan diet. This is a proper nutrition system, which must be followed for the rest of your life. According to modern nutritionists, the best diets for weight loss are those that you can comfortably follow without suffering from hunger, without falling for weakness, and without obsessing over the number of calories.
Protein Diet Recommendations
Given the disadvantages of this method of losing weight, we have compiled recommendations for you, in the following you can minimize the negative consequences for your body and only benefit from the diet:
- First and foremost, don't overdo it on your diet. Remember that the measure is necessary in everything: do not completely exclude carbohydrates and fats from the diet. If after a week of dieting you decide to continue to lose weight, do not go on such a diet for more than a month, and then take a break of 2-3 months.
- Since a protein diet for weight loss for 7 days puts a lot of stress on the kidneys, eat more vegetables.
- Eat at least 4 small meals a day.
- The last meal should be no more than 2 hours before bedtime.
- To avoid problems with feces, pay attention to the water regime - you should drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water per day.
- Do not exceed the daily calorie intake of 1500 kcal.
- Choose a quality product! 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 per day. This is especially true for egg yolks, which are mostly fat and raise cholesterol levels.
- Protein in a duet with carbohydrates is better absorbed. When eating boiled chicken breast, add some steamed cauliflower to your plate. But it is better to introduce carbohydrates in the middle of the day, at lunch.
- If your goal is not only to lose weight, but also to gain muscle mass, remember that muscles grow right from strength loads.
- To avoid nutritional deficiencies, it is recommended to take vitamins during weight loss.