The protein diet is very popular among world show business stars, athletes and ordinary people.This is an effective weight loss technique that allows you to quickly lose weight without harm or stress to the body.But you need to lose weight according to the rules, so that instead of a beautiful figure you don’t end up with health problems.
The main features of a protein diet
You need to start a diet by studying its main principles.These include:
- The basis of nutrition is protein.It should make up at least 60% of the daily diet.
- The amount of fats and carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum.Ideally, they should be no more than 15% of the daily diet.
- The menu is allowed to include vegetables and fruits that make the diet more varied and balanced.
- Physical activity is required.
- Meals should be divided up to 6 times a day, the serving size does not exceed 200 grams.
This nutrition system allows you to lose 4-5 kg in a week without feeling hungry.Proteins saturate the body with important substances, but you cannot eat according to this system for a long time.The maximum period is 21 days.The optimal 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 and without stress on the body.Thanks to a varied diet, you don’t have to eat only one type of product, and the high nutritional value of meat eliminates the feeling of hunger for a long time.
For athletes and people leading an active lifestyle, a protein diet helps them lose weight and gain muscle mass.Weight is lost by losing fat, not muscle.This helps to form a beautiful, sculpted figure.
Contraindications for a protein diet
Ideally, before starting a diet, you should consult a doctor to identify contraindications.This is a rather serious power system that should not be used by persons:
- minors and elderly people;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- diabetics;
- with kidney and liver diseases;
- with cancer;
- with an increased level of blood clotting;
- under high physical and emotional stress.
You should not start a diet during illness or when you feel unwell.
When adhering to a protein diet, you need to take vitamin complexes.This is necessary to prevent hair loss, deterioration of nails and teeth.
Protein norm
The average person needs 0.8 grams.protein per kilogram of weight.For weight loss, this norm doubles.If you follow a protein diet, you need to consume from 1.2 to 1.6 grams per day.protein per kilogram of weight.It is not the current, but the planned body weight that is taken into account.
To calculate how much protein is included in a prepared dish, you need to know its composition and the amount of protein in each ingredient.
For example.Planned weight – 70 kg.You need to consume from 84 to 112 grams per day.squirrel.The menu is being compiled:
- beef – 200 gr.(37.8 g protein);
- eggs – 2 pcs.(12.7 g protein);
- cottage cheese – 200 gr.(33.4 g protein).
It turns out 83.9 g.squirrel.Plus, other foods are taken into account, which increases the total amount of protein eaten.
To make the correct calculation, buy a kitchen scale and weigh each product fresh.
Pros and cons of a protein diet
A protein diet, like any specialized nutrition system, has its pros and cons.When planning to lose weight with the help of proteins, you need to take them into account.
The benefits include:
- Varied food.You don't have to eat only one product.The list of permitted dishes is quite wide.
- No hunger.Proteins relieve hunger for a long period of time.This allows you to lose weight without suffering from a debilitating desire to eat something.
- Strengthening the immune system.Proteins increase the body's endurance and increase physical strength.
- Rapid weight loss.After completing the diet, if you do not return to your previous table, but eat healthy food, the lost kilograms will not return.
- Weight loss due to fat layer.The body draws energy from fat, not muscle.Therefore, muscle mass does not suffer on this diet.
- Ideal for athletes.Thanks to the presence of a large amount of protein in the diet, muscle mass is actively built up.As a bonus to losing weight, the athlete increases the body's endurance and forms a beautiful relief on the body.
But there are also disadvantages to a protein diet.These include:
- It is possible to reduce mental abilities 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 out, and problems with bones and teeth may appear.
- An unpleasant odor appears from the body and mouth due to an increase in ketone bodies in the body.
You need to approach the protein diet wisely, making sure to take vitamin complexes to make up for the lack of nutrients.This method of losing weight is only suitable for absolutely healthy people who do not have chronic or acute diseases.
Another disadvantage of a protein diet is a complete rejection of sweet and fatty foods.And if you cannot do without sweets and cakes, then such a nutritional system will cause nervous stress.It is worth choosing a different diet where carbohydrates are allowed in small quantities.
Rules of a protein diet for weight loss
For a protein diet for weight loss to help you lose weight, follow several important rules:
- Place the main emphasis on proteins.These are meat and dairy products.You are allowed to add a side dish to the main dish once a day.
- Limit the amount of fat you consume.Their daily amount should not exceed 30 grams.
- Cereals are allowed, but only in the first half of the day, as a side dish.Choose foods with low calorie content, excluding semolina and millet.
- Vegetables can also be used as a side dish, but potatoes and other starchy types are completely prohibited.You can eat cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers.
- Fruits are allowed, but not sweet.Give preference to oranges and green apples.
- The last meal should be 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- During the diet you will have to give up alcohol and sweets.
- On a protein diet, a lot of fluid is removed from the body, so the daily amount of water consumed should be increased by 1.5 times.Drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day.
- Ideally, you should avoid salt.You can add dried herbs, garlic and soy sauce to your food as seasonings.
If during the diet you feel dizzy, your health and sleep deteriorate sharply, then you need to add more complex carbohydrates to your diet.
Allowed foods for a protein diet
When creating a menu, consider the list of foods allowed on a protein diet.These include:
- Meat.Lean cuts of beef, chicken, veal, rabbit, and turkey are allowed.Fatty pork and lamb are completely prohibited.
- Fermented milk products.The daily diet should include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yogurt, and kefir.
- Eggs.Be sure to eat chicken or quail eggs.They can be soft-boiled, scrambled eggs or an omelet.It is recommended to consume 2 chicken or 4 quail eggs per day.
- Fish.Another source of protein is lean fish.Cook it by steaming, in the oven or simmering without adding oil.
- Green vegetables.Fiber is necessary for complete digestion of food and improved well-being.Give preference to tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and zucchini.Vegetables can be eaten fresh, stewed, baked or boiled.
- Cereals.High-protein diets involve avoiding all types of grains.But they are still necessary as a source of carbohydrates.You can cook buckwheat, pea or oatmeal.
- Fruits.Nutritionists recommend eating citrus fruits on a protein diet.But be careful with them - high acidity has an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa and can cause gastritis.
For drinks, give preference to herbal infusions and green tea.A small amount of coffee is allowed - no more than 1 cup per day.The bulk of the liquid should come with plain water.
Prohibited foods for a protein diet
The list of prohibited foods on a protein diet is much wider.This is due to the fact that the nutritional system implies the rejection of most food groups.So, this list includes:
- Bakery products are excluded completely.A couple of times a week you can eat 1 piece of rye bread.
- Pasta.
- Sweet and flour dishes.This includes all foods containing sugar.You can't even sweeten drinks.
- Alcohol.Some protein diets allow you to drink a glass of dry red wine a day.But it is still better to give up alcohol in any quantity.
- Starchy vegetables.Avoid radishes and potatoes.Despite their nutritional value, they increase weight.
- Sweet fruits.Bananas, pears, melons are prohibited.
- Fast food products.Fast foods will have to be excluded from the diet.
- Carbonated drinks.
Giving up your favorite foods is only hard for the first week.Then you will get used to eating right and maintain this habit after completing the diet.
How to organize protein nutrition
To prevent your new diet from harming your health, stick to the plan:
- Preparing for a diet.Over 2-3 weeks, gradually begin to give up sweets if you have a great love for them.Replace sugar with dried fruits, reduce the amount of sweetener in drinks.
- Smooth entry into the diet.You need to switch to a protein diet smoothly, giving up other foods within 1-2 days.
- The diet itself.Be sure to monitor your health and control your weight.
- Quitting the diet.Complete the diet smoothly, gradually increasing the amount of food consumed.
It’s good if the time of the diet falls on vacation, which reduces the temptation to have lunch with sandwiches or refuse a full breakfast.
Buy groceries in advance by making a menu.When you go to the store, you risk buying a product from 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 at least 3 times a week.But remember that if you have not played sports before, you should not overload your body.Start with light exercises and gradually increase the load.
Duration of the protein diet
The maximum duration of a protein diet is 14 days.During this time, it is possible to lose up to 15 kg.After a 3-month break, you can repeat it to improve the result.
The optimal period is 10 days.During this time you can lose up to 10 kg.The result depends on the individual characteristics of the organism.The more you weigh, the more active your weight loss is.
The minimum period is 7 days.It allows you to lose up to 8 kg.This period is suitable for those who find it difficult to give up their favorite foods.
Sample menu for a week for weight loss
An approximate menu of a protein diet for weight loss for a week will help you decide on your diet.Take the indicated dishes as a basis, but adjust them yourself, taking into account the lists of prohibited and permitted foods.
| Day | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| 1 | Cheese omelette, green tea | Beef stew with buckwheat | Boiled fish |
| 2 | Low-fat cottage cheese | Boiled chicken breast, cucumber and tomato salad | Scrambled eggs, green tea |
| 3 | Oatmeal on water | Stewed veal with zucchini | Baked salmon with lemon and herbs |
| 4 | Curd cheesecakes | Rabbit in sour cream sauce, brown rice | Steamed ground turkey cutlets |
| 5 | Toast with cheese | Fish soup with rice | Beef tenderloin baked with soy sauce |
| 6 | Low-fat cottage cheese, apple | Stew of veal, carrots, cabbage and zucchini | Caesar salad" |
| 7 | Buckwheat porridge | Chicken soup with meatballs | Fish casserole |
What to eat as snacks:
- boiled eggs;
- kefir;
- natural yogurt;
- apples, grapefruit;
- cheese;
- cottage cheese pancakes and casserole;
- vegetable salad.
Every day you should have 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks.Before going to bed, 2-3 hours before bed, you can drink a glass of kefir, tea or eat natural yogurt.Food should be as light as possible so as not to feel unwell due to indigestion and a full stomach.
If you play sports, take additional protein shakes.Choose foods that are free of sugar and additives.This cocktail will relieve the feeling of hunger and will not cause weight gain.
Exit from the protein diet
To ensure that the lost kilograms do not return after completing the diet, you need to return to your usual table correctly.Add 1-2 products to your diet daily, leaving sugar, pasta and potatoes for last.Start with vegetables and fruits, increasing the amount of side dishes.Be sure to include grains as a source of carbohydrates.
Nutritionists say that the period of exit from a diet is twice as long as the duration of the diet itself.If you adhered to the protein diet for 10 days, then you need to complete it in 20 days.
To maintain your results, follow a healthy diet.Avoid unhealthy, fatty, fried foods.And then the weight will go away, your figure will become slimmer, and as a pleasant bonus you will receive good health and beauty.
Mistakes with a high protein diet
Many people are prevented from achieving their goals by quite common mistakes.These include:
- Quickly give up carbohydrates and fats in favor of proteins.Remember that the protein diet is serious, so you can’t suddenly “enter” it by giving up your usual diet in a day.
- Complete refusal of carbohydrates.The diet should contain vegetables, fruits and cereals in small quantities.Otherwise, poor health and stress cannot be avoided.
- Lack of physical activity.Without sports you cannot achieve a beautiful figure.But the appearance of stretch marks and sagging skin is worth waiting for.
- Starvation.Plan your diet so that you don’t feel hungry.Otherwise, the body will go into a stage of extreme energy conservation and begin to store fat.
Transition to the new system smoothly and monitor your well-being.And then in a week you will lose weight without stressing the body.