Protein diets are very popular among world showbiz stars, athletes and ordinary people.This is an effective weight loss technique that allows you to lose weight quickly without causing harm or stress to your body.But you need to follow the rules to lose weight so that you will not have a beautiful figure and will end up with health problems.
Key Features of a Protein Diet
You need to start the diet by studying its main principles.These include:
- The basis of nutrition is protein.It should account for at least 60% of your daily diet.
- The amount of fat and carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.Ideally, they should make up no more than 15% of your daily diet.
- Vegetables and fruits are allowed in the menu, making the diet more varied and balanced.
- Physical activity required.
- Daily meals should be divided into 6 times, and each portion should not exceed 200 grams.
This nutritional system allows you to lose 4-5 kilograms in a week without feeling hungry.Protein fills the body with important substances, but you can't eat on this system long-term.The maximum period is 21 days.The best period for the diet is 14 days.
Who is a protein diet suitable for?
A protein diet is ideal for those who want to lose weight quickly without stressing the body.Thanks to a varied diet, you do not have to eat only one product, and the high nutritional value of meat eliminates prolonged hunger pangs.
For athletes and people with active lifestyles, a protein diet can help them lose weight and increase muscle mass.Weight loss is achieved by losing fat, not muscle.This helps create a beautiful, sculpted figure.
Contraindications to a protein diet
Ideally, you should consult your doctor to determine contraindications before starting a diet.This is a pretty serious power system and should not be used by humans:
- minors and senior citizens;
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women;
- diabetics;
- Have kidney and liver disease;
- have cancer;
- Increased blood clotting levels;
- Under high physical and mental stress.
You should not start a diet when you are sick or feeling unwell.
When following a protein diet, you will need to take a multivitamin.This is necessary to prevent hair loss, nail and tooth deterioration.
Protein standard value
The average person needs 0.8 grams.Protein per kilogram of body weight.For weight loss, this standard is doubled.If you are following a protein diet, you need to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams per day.Protein per kilogram of body weight.It’s not your current weight that’s considered, but your planned weight.
To calculate how much protein is in a prepared dish, you need to know its ingredients and the amount of protein in each ingredient.
For example.Planned weight – 70 kg.You need 84 to 112 grams per day.squirrel.The menu is being compiled:
- Beef – 200 g (37.8 g protein);
- Eggs – 2.(12.7 grams of protein);
- Cottage cheese – 200 g (33.4 g protein).
The result is 83.9 grams.squirrel.Additionally, other foods were considered, which increased the total amount of protein consumed.
For proper calculations, purchase a kitchen scale and weigh each product fresh.
Pros and Cons of Protein Diets
As with any specialized nutritional system, a protein diet has its pros and cons.You need to take them into consideration when planning to lose weight with the help of protein.
Benefits include:
- The food is varied.You don't have to eat just one product.The list of allowed dishes is quite extensive.
- No hunger.Protein can relieve hunger for a long time.This allows you to lose weight without the urge to eat diminishing.
- Strengthen the immune system.Protein can increase the body's endurance and enhance physical strength.
- Lose weight quickly.After you complete the diet, if you don't go back to your previous meals and eat healthy foods, the weight you lost won't come back.
- Weight loss due to fat layer.The body gets energy from fat rather than muscle.Therefore, this diet does not affect muscle mass.
- Great for athletes.Due to the presence of large amounts of protein in the diet, muscle mass is actively increased.As a weight loss benefit, athletes can increase their body's endurance and create beautiful relief on their body.
But protein diets also have drawbacks.These include:
- Intelligence can be reduced by limiting the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
- There is a risk of blood clots due to increased blood density and clotting.
- Calcium is washed away, and problems can occur with bones and teeth.
- Due to the increase in ketones in the body, an unpleasant odor occurs in the body and mouth.
You need to be smart about your protein diet and make sure to take a multivitamin to make up for any nutritional deficiencies.This method of weight loss is only suitable for absolutely healthy people with no chronic or acute illnesses.
Another disadvantage of a protein diet is the complete rejection of sweet and fatty foods.And if you can't live without sweets and cakes, then such a nutritional system can cause nervous stress.It is worth choosing a different diet that allows a small amount of carbohydrates.
Protein Diet Weight Loss Rules
For a protein-based weight loss diet that will help you lose weight, here are a few important rules to follow:
- The main emphasis is on protein.These are meat and dairy products.You can add a side dish to your main course once a day.
- Limit the amount of fat you eat.Daily intake should not exceed 30 grams.
- Cereals are allowed, but only during the first half of the day, as a side dish.Choose low-calorie foods, except semolina and millet.
- Vegetables can also be used as side dishes, but potatoes and other starchy foods are completely off limits.You can eat cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
- Fruit is allowed, but not sweet.Prefer oranges and green apples.
- The last meal should be 2-3 hours before bed.
- During the diet, you must give up alcohol and sweets.
- On a protein diet, a large amount of fluid is excreted from the body, so the daily water intake should be increased by 1.5 times.Drink at least 2 liters of fluid every day.
- Ideally, you should avoid salt.You can add dried herbs, garlic, and soy sauce to your food as seasonings.
If you experience dizziness, a drastic deterioration in health and sleep while dieting, then you need to add more complex carbohydrates to your diet.
Foods Allowed on a Protein Diet
When creating your menu, consider the list of foods allowed on a protein diet.These include:
- Meat.Lean beef, chicken, veal, rabbit and turkey are allowed.Fatty pork and mutton are completely prohibited.
- Fermented dairy products.Your daily diet should include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt and kefir.
- egg.Be sure to have chicken or quail eggs.They can be soft-boiled scrambled eggs or omelets.It is recommended to consume 2 eggs or 4 quail eggs daily.
- fish.Another source of protein is lean fish.Can be cooked by steaming, oven or simmering without adding oil.
- green vegetables.Fiber is necessary for complete digestion of food and improved health.Give priority to tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini.Vegetables can be eaten fresh, stewed, roasted or boiled.
- cereals.A high-protein diet involves avoiding all types of grains.But they are still an essential source of carbohydrates.You can cook buckwheat, peas or oatmeal.
- fruit.Nutritionists recommend eating citrus fruits in a protein diet.But be careful - high acidity has an irritating effect on the stomach lining and may cause gastritis.
For drinks, give preference to herbal infusions and green tea.Small amounts of coffee are allowed - no more than 1 cup per day.Most of the liquid should be plain water.
Prohibited Foods on a Protein Diet
The list of prohibited foods on a protein diet is much more extensive.This is because nutrisystem means rejecting most food groups.So, this list includes:
- Baked products are completely excluded.You can eat rye bread several times a week.
- pasta.
- Sweet and flour dishes.This includes all sugary foods.You can't even add sugar to the drink.
- Alcohol.Some protein diets allow you to drink a glass of dry red wine every day.But it's best to abstain from any amount of alcohol.
- Starchy vegetables.Avoid radishes and potatoes.Despite their nutritional value, they can cause weight gain.
- Sweet fruit.It is forbidden to eat bananas, pears, and melons.
- Fast food products.Fast food must be excluded from the diet.
- Carbonated drinks.
Giving up your favorite foods is only hard the first week.You will then get used to eating right and maintain this habit after completing the diet.
How to organize protein nutrition
To prevent new eating habits from harming your health, follow this plan:
- Prepare meals.If you have a strong sweet tooth, start giving it up gradually over 2-3 weeks.Replace sugar with dried fruit and reduce the amount of sweetener in your drinks.
- Smooth entry into the diet.You need to smoothly switch to a protein diet and give up other foods within 1-2 days.
- The diet itself.Be sure to monitor your health and control your weight.
- Quit dieting.Complete the diet successfully and gradually increase food intake.
It's great if the time of your diet coincides with a holiday, which reduces the temptation to eat a sandwich for lunch or turn down a hearty breakfast.
Shop for groceries in advance by making a menu.When you go to a store, you run the risk of purchasing products that are on the prohibited list.
Be sure to play sports.You can join a gym or opt for home aerobics.Yoga and running will do.Physical activity should be done at least 3 times a week.But remember, if you haven't played sports before, you shouldn't overload your body.Start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.
Duration of protein diet
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 14 days.During this period, you can lose up to 15 kilograms.After 3 months of rest, you can repeat the exercise to improve the effect.
The optimal period is 10 days.You can lose up to 10kg during this period.The results depend on the individual characteristics of the organism.The more weight you gain, the more aggressive you will be in your weight loss efforts.
The minimum period is 7 days.It can help you lose up to 8kg.This period is suitable for those who find it difficult to give up their favorite foods.
Example of a weekly weight loss menu
A rough menu of a week's protein weight loss diet will help you decide what to eat.Use the dishes shown as a basis, but make your own adjustments and consider the list of prohibited and permitted foods.
| day | breakfast | Lunch | dinner |
| 1 | Cheese omelette, green tea | Buckwheat beef stew | Boiled fish |
| 2 | low fat cheese | Boiled chicken breast, cucumber and tomato salad | Scrambled eggs, green tea |
| 3 | Oatmeal with water | Veal stew with zucchini | Grilled salmon with lemon and herbs |
| 4 | Curd Cheesecake | Sour Cream Rabbit, Brown Rice | Steamed Turkey Steak |
| 5 | Toast with cheese | fish soup rice | Baked Beef Tenderloin in Soy Sauce |
| 6 | Low-fat cheese, apples | Veal, carrot, cabbage and zucchini stew | caesar salad |
| 7 | buckwheat porridge | Meatball Chicken Soup | Fish Casserole |
What to eat as a snack:
- boiled eggs;
- Kefir;
- natural yogurt;
- apple, grapefruit;
- cheese;
- cheese pancakes and casseroles;
- Green salad.
You should eat 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks every day.Before going to bed, 2-3 hours before going to bed, you can drink a cup of kefir, tea or eat natural yogurt.The diet should be as light as possible to avoid discomfort caused by indigestion and bloating.
If you play sports, take an extra protein shake.Choose foods that are free of sugar and additives.This cocktail will relieve hunger pangs and won't lead to weight gain.
Quit protein diet
To make sure you don't gain back the weight you lost after completing the diet, you need to get back to your usual eating habits properly.Add 1-2 products to the diet every day, ending with sugar, pasta and potatoes.Start with vegetables and fruits and increase the amount of side dishes.Make sure to include grains as a source of carbohydrates.
Nutritionists say the time it takes to stop a diet is twice as long as the duration of the diet itself.If you stick to a protein diet for 10 days, you'll need to finish it in 20 days.
To maintain your results, follow a healthy diet.Avoid unhealthy, greasy, and fried foods.Then the weight will disappear, your figure will become slimmer, and as a pleasant bonus, you will gain health and beauty.
High protein diet mistakes
Many people fail to achieve their goals because of common mistakes.These include:
- Quickly ditch carbs and fats in favor of protein.Remember, a protein diet is serious, so you can't suddenly "get into" it by giving up your usual diet for a day.
- Cut out carbs altogether.The diet should contain small amounts of vegetables, fruits and grains.Otherwise, poor health and stress are inevitable.
- Lack of physical activity.It is impossible to have a beautiful figure without exercise.But the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin is worth the wait.
- hunger.Plan your meals so you don't feel hungry.Otherwise, the body will enter an extremely energy-saving stage and begin to store fat.
Smoothly transition to your new system and monitor your health.Then after a week you will lose weight without putting stress on your body.