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 thisprotein dietquite difficult, however, it is not so. A big advantage is satiety from food, with almost no restrictions. Let's now find out which foods you should consume in large quantities, as 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 yogurt and cottage cheese
4. Legumes
5. Vegetables
6. Seafood

Foods that should not be consumed on a protein diet:

1. Fast food
2. High-calorie sweet fruits
3. Baking and desserts.
4. Potato
5. Full-fat dairy products
6. Fatty meat.

Why should you choose a protein diet to lose weight?

Proteins are the building material of our body, as they contain a large amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements. The problem for many people trying to lose weight is constant collapse due to hunger. With a protein diet, you will have enough energy and will not constantly think about food. You also will not exhaust your body, you will look attractive, as muscle tissue will practically not be damaged. This is a great option for anyone looking to get a toned body.

How does the protein diet work?

The issue is that indigestionand 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 begins. To get maximum results, it's worth adding at least minimal physical exercise.

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

Significant benefits of a protein diet. Firstly, there is a wide selection of products that are available in many stores. You will not feel a constant feeling of hunger, but you will always be satisfied with the food and have fun. Agree, even a piece of lean meat, cooked very tasty, looks much more appetizing than the freshest lettuce leaf or green apple. There are a wide variety of recipes suitable for people who eat protein foods.

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

Cons of a protein diet. Of course, each weight loss method has its drawbacks, but the protein diet has small drawbacks. The first and most important thing is that the products you need to consume frequently are not cheap. Seafood will cost more than a loaf of bread or pie 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 with a sweet tooth, since a protein diet includes almost no desserts, with the exception of dried fruits and low-fructose fruits.

You'll need to carry containers that will last 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 analogous. 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, resulting in overeating.
2. Drink more water. It refers to pure water and not various drinks in the form of coffee, tea or juices. During 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 remember to take a few sips, even if you're not at home or in an establishment.
3. Minimize fat intake. If your diet contains fatty cheeses, fatty cottage cheese, nuts or butter, consume them before lunch so that the body expends energy at the right time and excess calories are not 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 way 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?

Firstly, those who suffer fromgastrointestinal tract diseases, as well as kidney failure. A protein diet is undesirable for elderly people, because the body must process a fairly large amount of protein foods, and if there are openings in 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 be careful that weight loss 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 girls have already managed to relax a little and even enjoy something very tasty and no less "very" caloric. Without a doubt, small joys make everyday life more joyful and positive. The main thing is to tell yourself to stop in time! Otherwise, excess weight will appear 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 wasted? How to quickly return 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 find out if 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 comply with certain standards of beauty and, it would seem, 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 for certain standards, to show results in the pool, in the gym and in road running. The tragedy of the situation is that we do things that are very right for our bodies, not because they bring satisfaction and benefits, but just for the sake of compliance. We don't monitor our well-being, we don't monitor the signals that the body gives, we measure and weigh our body! And as a result, we only make the situation worse.

Everyone was inspired, fulfilled, ready to act, 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 discomfort and dissatisfaction.

What is non ideal weight?

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

• its 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 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 are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms, your weight is far from ideal:

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

the weight starts to make unpleasant adjustments to your life. You cannot carry out your usual activities (anything that requires mobility and physical resistance), you have to limit yourself in clothing, you feel embarrassed on public transport or in crowded places, you begin to adjust your life and work plans taking into account your weight.

Remember, if you decide to seriously take care of yourself, start by visiting a nutritionist and an 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 the need for constant physical activity in your life.

What is a protein diet

How can you adjust your menu to lose those pounds that are preventing 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. Using this nutritional method, you can lose 14 kg in 3 months.

The basic principle of a protein diet is to consume foods that contain proteins that regulate our body's metabolism. In this way, it is possible to avoid the main disadvantage of any diet - a decrease in the intake of proteins by 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 of 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 seem quite significant:

• maintain a healthy muscular system;
• the ability to combine diet even with intense physical activity;
• the impossibility of developing a complication as painful as anorexia;
• absence of an exhausting and stressful feeling of hunger (protein foods are absorbed by the body within 3-4 hours);
• Protein dietary dishes include a large amount of fiber, which ensures good bowel function;
• due to the rather slow and gradual weight loss, without much effort, it is possible to maintain the necessary weight after leaving the diet;
• good health - complete absence of weakness, dizziness and nausea, typical for other types of diet;
• 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 on the health of your body can only be achieved by following the rules of dietary nutrition combined with physical activity, all organs and their systems must be trained.

Cons and contraindications of a protein diet

When deciding 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. It is for this reason that we cannot fail to mention the disadvantages of following a protein diet.

The protein diet should be short-term. Prolonged intake of protein foods leads to problems with the skeletal system (the predominant consumption of proteins leads to the 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 sufficient amounts 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 - hemoglobin production increases sharply.

Protein foods leave behind a large amount of "decomposition products", which leads to an 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 ensure the achievement of the necessary results (for example, weight loss by 10 kg):

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

Refusal of constant snacks, for this purpose, 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 by roasting, stewing or steaming.

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, veal, rabbit

Exceptions: lamb, pork (high fat content)

Low-fat fish

(no more than 4% fat)

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

Dairy and fermented milk products with 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 in mineral water), herbal teas 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;
• sugary and sugar-containing products and dishes - baked goods, ice cream, chocolates, sweets, ready-made juices, fruit drinks, etc. ;
• any sausages;
• potatoes and dishes containing them;
• alcohol and any products containing alcohol;
• 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 diet periods cannot be more than once every 6 months.

Protein diet: list of permitted foods and recommendations

During the protein diet, the following are allowed:

• any meat - pork, beef, poultry with a minimum fat content;
• seafood, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese;
• raw vegetables: cabbage, cucumber, 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 adhere to 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 still mineral water or clean water daily;
• any alcohol is prohibited;
• If desired, it is allowed to eat some unsweetened citrus fruits or apples for a snack.

What protein diet programs are there?

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

Protein diet for a week: menu options

Protein diet options for 7 days

1 option

• Breakfast: 150 grams of beef with 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 seasoned with lemon juice.

option 2

• Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, tea, coffee;
• Snack: 1 citrus fruit of any kind;
• For lunch: stewed meat with vegetables (150 grams);
• Afternoon snack: 1 cup of low-fat kefir with diet bread;
• For dinner: 200 grams of lean fish cooked 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 portion of vegetable salad;
• Afternoon snack: 200 grams of low-fat yogurt with diet cookies;
• For dinner: 150 grams of cooked meat with 150 grams of cabbage salad seasoned with 1 tbsp. I. oil.

Option 4

• Breakfast: 1 glass of low-fat kefir with diet cookies;
• Snack: 1 sugar-free 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 wholemeal bread;
• Afternoon snack: 1 glass of low-fat kefir;
• For dinner: 150 grams of boiled meat with vegetable salad.

Option 6

• Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and tea;
• Snack: 1 grapefruit;
• For lunch: beans cooked 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 skimmed milk, 1 diet biscuit;
• Snack: 1 unsweetened apple;
• For lunch: vegetable soup with champignons;
• Afternoon snack: 50 grams of skimmed cottage cheese;
• For dinner: boiled meat (150 grams) with fresh salad.

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

The main feature of 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 teas between meals.

1. breakfast - 1 boiled chicken egg, cooked in any form (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 6 pm.

When leaving a short-term protein diet, follow the principle of gradation, in order not to harm your health, you should add food and increase its quantity gradually, over 1-2 weeks. Start by adding cereals and fruits, then add dairy and fermented dairy products (watch the fat content of the products).

Unfortunately, no matter how much we would like, 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 intended 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 arise during this period. Give up the diet (or change it in time) if:

• you have recently suffered from a somatic illness;
• you are experiencing a period of severe physical, intellectual or emotional stress;
• you are over 50;
• you have problems with your liver and/or kidneys, as well as your cardiovascular system;
• you have had (or are having) 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 breastfeeding.

If you want to schedule a protein diet menu 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 permitted calorie content and the list of permitted foods, but 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 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 veal.
• Snack: boil 200 grams of shrimp or other seafood.
• For dinner: 200 grams of boiled veal or lamb.

results

The effect of weight loss on a protein diet, as a rule, becomes noticeable within a week, when the first 4-5 extra pounds disappear.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 eliminate fat deposits without losing muscle mass. Fortunately, there are enough protein products to restore and "build" muscles.

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

It is believed that the ideal period for following a protein diet with benefits and without harm to health is 10 to 14 days. During this time, you can lose 8 to 15 pounds.

The right way to get out of a protein diet

Experts advise gradually exiting any diet. The protein nutrition system is no exception. You should not immediately attack 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.

What is more, you must continue to follow the regime: eat at least 5-6 times a day in small portions, do not eat 2-3 hours before bed, drink more water and give up 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 received energy and maintain the result.

Contraindications

In order not to harm their 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 anomalies);
• kidney dysfunction;
• dysbiosis;
• colitis;
• pancreatitis;
• increased thrombus formation;
• joint pain (and all related illnesses).

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