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

To begin with, let's try to find out what a protein diet is and what its features are. First of all, it should be said that this diet is based on a large consumption of protein foods: eggs, seafood, meats, fish, dairy products, various legumes and cereals. It is advisable to minimize the consumption of fats, and especially carbohydrates.

Many people think thatprotein dietquite difficult, however, this is not so. A great advantage is satiety with food, almost without restrictions. Let's now find out what 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 yogurts and cottage cheese
4. legumes
5. Vegetables
6. Seafood

Foods that should not be consumed on a protein diet:

1. Fast food
2. Sweet fruits rich in calories
3. Pastry and desserts.
4. Dad
5. Full-fat dairy products
6. Fatty meat.

Why choose a protein diet to lose weight?

Proteins are the building material of our body, they contain a large amount of vitamins, macro and microelements. The problem of many people trying to lose weight is constant hunger crises. With 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 practically not be damaged. This is a great option for those who want to finally achieve a toned figure.

How does the protein diet work?

The point is that indigestionand the body spends a large amount of energy digesting protein foods. To digest lean chicken breast or egg whites, the body must use its own reserves, which are fats. It is at these moments when a powerful weight loss process begins. To achieve maximum results, it is advisable to add at least a minimum of physical exercise.

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

Significant benefits of a protein diet. First, there is a wide selection of products available in many stores. You will not experience a constant feeling of hunger, but will always be satisfied with the food and enjoy it. Agree, even a piece of lean meat, cooked quite tasty, looks much more appetizing than the freshest lettuce leaf or green apple. There is a large selection of recipes suitable for people who consume protein foods.

Many note the important 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, little by little you will be able to add your favorite foods without gaining weight. But it is always worth remembering that protein should remain the main product of your diet.

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

You'll need to carry containers that will last you all 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 beverages, 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 in carbohydrates. Don't forget that even a small amount of sweetener in a cup of coffee can cause a strong appetite, which will lead to overeating.
2. Drink more water. This is pure water and not various drinks in the form of coffee, tea or juices. When following a protein diet, it is necessary 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 consumption. If your diet contains fatty cheeses, fatty cottage cheese, nuts or butter, eat them before lunch, so the body will spend energy in time and excess calories will not be stored in the form of fat. Protein foods pair well with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and low-glucose fruits.
4. exercise stress. In any case, you will have to complement your protein diet with exercise. This way you will achieve the desired result faster, you will accelerate your metabolism, you will improve the absorption of protein foods and you will be able to burn more calories than you consume, and this is the secret to losing weight in a healthy way.

Who should think carefully when choosing a protein diet?

First of all, those who sufferdiseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as kidney failure. A protein diet is undesirable for older people, because the body must process a fairly large amount of protein foods, 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 forming. Therefore, do blood tests in advance and play it safe so that losing weight does not become a health problem for you.

Protein diet to lose weight.

Gone are the days of sunshine, relaxation, fluid clothing and bikinis. The beautiful ladies already managed to relax a little and even treat themselves to something very tasty and no less "very" caloric. Without a doubt, small joys make everyday life brighter and more positive. The main thing is to tell yourself that you must stop in time! Otherwise, the appearance of excess weight is very rapid and, as the experience of losing weight shows, will bring uncertainty, negativity and problems to your life for a long time.

But what if time was lost? How to quickly get back to normal at home? Is an everyday protein diet effective?

Does perfect have to be perfect?

Before talking about diet, let's find out if there is such a thing as an "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 understanding human nature and the biological mechanisms of our functioning. Despite this, we are motivated in every possible way to strive to achieve 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 good for our body, not because they bring satisfaction and benefit, but only to fulfill them. 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 felt inspired, fulfilled and ready to take action, but where to start? And you need to start with your own definition of non-ideal weight. The same, individual for each of us, but causing the same feeling of annoyance and dissatisfaction.

What is non-ideal weight?

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

• your inheritance (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 we put it all together, it becomes clear that each of us has our own individual, non-ideal weight. How to determine when it is time to act? If you experience one or more of the following symptoms, your weight is far from your ideal:

Your weight has a negative impact on your health: your general health has worsened, you get tired faster, your joints and back bother you for the first time, shortness of breath has appeared, your blood pressure periodically rises, intestinal function leaves a lot to be desired. want. be desired;

The weight begins to make unpleasant adjustments in your life. You can't do your usual activities (anything that requires mobility and physical endurance), you have to limit yourself in clothing, you feel uncomfortable when you are on public transport or crowded places, you start to adjust your life and work plans taking your weight into account .

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. Don't 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 kilos that prevent you from living a full life? A high-protein diet can help with this: a diet based on high-protein foods, as well as a significant limitation of carbohydrates and fats. With this nutrition method, you can lose 14 kg in 3 months.

The basic principle of a protein diet is to eat foods that contain proteins that regulate our body's metabolism. In this way, you can avoid the main drawback of any diet - a decrease in protein intake in the body, which, in turn, leads to rapid depletion of the body (internal organs, not receiving enough protein, they begin to extract them out of the muscle tissue). All of this causes 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 seem quite significant:

• maintain a healthy muscular system;
• the ability to combine the diet even with intense physical activity;
• the impossibility of developing such a painful complication as anorexia;
• absence of a tiring and stressful feeling of hunger (protein foods are absorbed by the body within 3-4 hours);
• Dietary protein dishes contain a large amount of fiber, which ensures proper functioning of the intestines;
• thanks to a fairly slow and gradual weight loss, without much effort, it is possible to maintain the necessary weight after abandoning the diet;
• good health: complete absence of weakness, dizziness and nausea, typical for other types of diets;
• flourishing appearance, a 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 you decide to rebuild your diet according to 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. That is why we cannot fail to mention the disadvantages of following a protein diet.

The protein diet should be of short duration. Prolonged intake of protein foods causes problems in the skeletal system (predominant protein consumption causes 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 attacked, in response 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 prolonged protein diet can disrupt the balance of blood particles: hemoglobin production increases dramatically.

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

Protein diet menu

The menu of a protein diet should be based on several principles that ensure the achievement of the necessary results (for example, losing 10 kg of weight):

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

Rejection of constant snacks, for this preference is given to protein products with a long digestion cycle.

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

Avoid frying; All dishes must be prepared in the oven, stewed or steamed.

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

Have regular physical activity in the body.

Main products of the protein diet.

Chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit.

Exceptions: lamb, pork (high fat)

low fat fish

(no more than 4% fat)

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

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

Kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeses.

Rice, oats, buckwheat

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

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

Olive, linseed, sunflower - in strictly limited quantities

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

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

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

Protein diet: list of allowed foods and recommendations

During the protein diet the following is 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 - this includes all confectionery products (cakes, cookies), sugar and sweet fruits;
• bakery products, pasta, deep fried foods;
• cereals, potatoes, butter.

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

• you should eat 5-6 times a day, the last time no later than 2 hours before bedtime;
• drink at least 1. 5 liters of still mineral water or clean water per day;
• any alcohol is prohibited;
• If you wish, you are allowed to eat a couple of unsweetened citrus fruits or apples as a snack.

What protein diet programs exist?

Quite a few protein diet programs have been developed. There are both purely 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 whole wheat bread, a cup of tea or coffee;
• Snack: 1 apple;
• For lunch: boiled chicken breast (150 grams) with vegetable salad (200 grams);
• 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: stewed beef with vegetables (150 grams);
• Snack: 1 cup of skimmed kefir with diet bread;
• For dinner: 200 grams of lean fish boiled with fresh vegetables.

Option 3

• Breakfast: boiled chicken fillet (200 grams), tea or coffee;
• Snack: 1 apple;
• For lunch: 200 grams of cooked beans with a serving of vegetable salad;
• Snack: 200 grams of low-fat yogurt with diet 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 crackers;
• Snack: 1 unsweetened fruit;
• For lunch: 200 grams of boiled chicken breast, 1 glass of apple juice;
• Snack: 1-2 hard-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 wheat bread;
• Snack: 1 glass of skimmed 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: stewed beans with vegetables;
• Snack: 1 glass of kefir;
• For dinner: boiled sea fish (200 grams) with fresh vegetable salad.

Option 7

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

Short-term (quick) 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 the prohibition of any, even the smallest, physical activity. At the same time, it is allowed to drink unsweetened herbal infusions 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 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 abandoning a short-term protein diet, follow the principle of gradualness, in order not to harm your health, you should add food and increase its amount gradually, over 1-2 weeks. Start by adding grains 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 is difficult to call a balanced diet, 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 await you during this period. Give up the diet (or change it in time) if:

• have recently suffered a somatic illness;
• are facing a period of serious physical, intellectual, or emotional stress;
• you are over 50 years old;
• you have problems with your liver and/or kidneys, as well as your cardiovascular system;
• you have previously had (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 impossible during pregnancy and lactation.

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

Dukan diet menu

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

• For breakfast: Omelet of 2 egg whites with skimmed milk and some herbs.
• Snack: one and a half tablespoons of oat bran.
• For lunch: 200 grams of boiled beef.
• Snack: boil 200 grams of shrimp or other seafood.
• For dinner: 200 grams of boiled beef or lamb.

results

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

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

It is believed that the optimal period in which a protein diet can be followed with benefit and without harm to health is 10 to 14 days. During this time, you can lose between 8 and 15 kilograms.

The right way to get off a protein diet

Experts advise abandoning 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 completely exclude sugar and flour products from your diet.

Besides, it is necessary to continue to adhere to the regimen: eat at least 5-6 times a day in small portions, do not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime, drink more water and abandon alcoholic beverages.

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

Contraindications

In order not to harm your health, it is better for people suffering from the following diseases to abandon 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).

In addition, the protein nutrition system is not suitable for the elderly, pregnant and lactating women.