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, saturate for a long time, so you will not be bothered by the feeling of hunger. But the carbohydrate- and fat-deprived body will begin to use its own fat stores for extra energy.
The role of proteins in the body
Life without protein is impossible. The importance of proteins for the body lies in the fact that they serve as a material for the construction of cells, tissues and organs, the formation of enzymes, most hormones, hemoglobin and other substanceswhich perform the most important functions of the body. Proteins and their role in the body also lie in the fact that they participate in the protection of the body against infections, and also promote the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Our vital activity is related to the continuous consumption and renewal of proteins. To balance these processes, protein losses must be replenished daily. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, it does not accumulate and is not synthesized in the body from other nutrients, that is, you can only get protein from food.
The duration of the protein diet
As a rule, protein-type diets are prescribed in detail for one or two weeks. The menu is not very diverse: in the second week, if necessary, experts advise eating the same menu as the first, 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 take a six-month break. Only then can you take the course again.
Advantages and disadvantages of a protein diet
In addition to the usual goal of "reducing weight", a protein diet has other beneficial effects for the body. To know:
- Improve skin condition. Proteins are fundamental in the body. Thanks to him, your muscles are strong and the skin does not sag. By increasing the protein content of your daily diet, you will ensure that your skin looks great.
- Calorie content. Protein contains almost 2 times fewer calories than fat. And since the body needs much more time and energy to process fat, the weight loss process is simply inevitable.
- Elimination of toxins. Protein contributes to the removal of excess fluids from the body, and with them toxins.
- No feeling of hunger. Due to the characteristics of the body and the long assimilation of proteins, the feeling of hunger occurs after a long time. And since the protein diet consists of 4-6 meals, there is no feeling of hunger throughout the day.
There are few downsides to a protein diet. Most of them are based on contraindications for certain groups of people. But they can not be entirely attributed to the disadvantages, because having contraindications to the diet - there is no point in sitting on it. And if, nevertheless, they sat down, then what's the use of complaining?
So, the disadvantages of the diet include:
- Constipation. This is a common problem among people on a protein diet. The solution to this problem is the use of large amounts of water or kefir. If that doesn't help, then using a laxative
- Decomposition products are not removed. The solution to this problem, as in the previous case, is the use of water in the required quantities.
- bad breath
- Duration of the diet. Due to its specificity, it is not recommended to follow a protein diet for more than a month. If you are using the diet only as a means of maintaining a healthy figure and you are not trying to shed excess pounds, this restriction does not apply to you.
This is where the downsides of the diet end. Everything else already belongs to the category of contraindications and should be taken even before going on a diet.
Protein Diet Rules
The characteristics of the protein diet respect the following rules:
- each meal is made up of protein combined with other foods,
- all food must be prepared without fat, your fat rate per day is 30 gr. , or 1 to 2 tbsp. I. oils as salad dressing
- until 2 p. m. it is allowed to eat complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal) 4 - 6 tbsp. I. ,
- you can use vegetables that do not contain starch (or with a minimum share) - cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage and lettuce,
- from fruits, give preference to citrus fruits or unsweetened apples (1-2 per day),
- drink plenty of water (1 to 2 liters per day),
- you need to eat 4-6 times a day, about every 3 hours,
- as seasonings use herbs, lemon juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic,
- do not drink alcohol and sweets during the diet,
- follow the table of protein content of the products,
- the duration of the diet does not exceed 2 weeks.
Diet in a protein diet
You need to eat at least 5 times a day, while the last time you can afford to eat is 3 hours before lights out, and breakfast can't start until 30 minutes after you wake up. As for the distribution of nutritional components, before lunch you should consume a small amount of carbohydrates 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 Meals on a Protein Diet
For 7 days, 14 or for a month, the menu, the number of grams per serving, with a protein diet, is not much different.
The first, second and third are an invariable component of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The difference is only in the preparation and when to eat.
Soup is the first item on the menu. The base of the soup is a protein broth: fish, meat, poultry. Vegetable supplement of your choice, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, beans, eggs.
Potatoes are banned due to their high carbohydrate content. The lack of pasta and potatoes in the soup will not reduce the taste of protein broth vegetable soup. Any liquid food contributes to weight loss.
For second courses, there are many more choices of products to satisfy hunger and at the same time lose weight. All recipes for dishes consist of chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cottage cheese, with the addition of vegetables, herbs and spices.
The question is what to replace the accompaniments with? 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, simmer, for every housewife. Just be careful with the spices.
Sugar, sweet syrup and some unsuitable additives can get lost in the composition. Using a variety of foods in a diet, the violation of nutrition and the feeling of hunger are not noticeable.
Protein diet menu options
The menu for each day consists of five meals, including a sufficient amount of protein foods so that the body does not feel hungry. The diet is quite varied, while it consists of the simplest and most easily prepared dishes.
The diet is designed for a week, with excess weight, the number of days can be increased to 14 days (2 weeks is the maximum at which you can follow a protein diet).
Menu №1 protein diet for a week (7 days)
Compose your diet so that its daily calorie content does not exceed 1000 kcal. Divide them into 5 meals so that the last one is 3-4 hours before bedtime. For a week you can get rid of 5-7 kg.
| Day | meal | Menu of the day |
| One day | Breakfast | 3 Protein Omelet 1 cup kefir (low fat) unsweetened tea or coffee |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (without additives) | |
| Having dinner | 100 gr. boiled chicken with spices and herbs | |
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Having dinner | 100-150 g. baked fish with herbs and spices. 1 cup fat-free kefir |
|
| 2 days | Breakfast | 2 hard-boiled eggs 1 tomato 1 wholemeal bread |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (without additives) | |
| Having dinner | 100 gr. steamed meat, tomato and pepper salad - 100 gr. |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Having dinner | 100 gr. canned fish (you can tuna or sardinella), 100-150 g. fresh cabbage and cucumber salad, 1 glass of kefir (fat content up to 5%) |
|
| 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 | |
| Having dinner | 100 g of chicken breast, 1/3 cup brown rice tomato and pepper salad - 100-150 gr. |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 fruit, any, except bananas | |
| Having dinner | 100 gr. steamed fish, 1 cup boiled beans 1 cup kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 4 | Breakfast | 150 gr of white cheese without fat, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 gr. | |
| Having dinner | Chicken broth with vegetables and chicken breast. 1 wholemeal bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 apple or orange | |
| Having dinner | Baked fish or meat. Salad with fresh vegetables - cabbage, tomatoes and red pepper. |
|
| Day 5 | Breakfast | Tomato and lettuce salad seasoned with lemon juice |
| Late breakfast | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (without additives) | |
| Having dinner | Broccoli velouté with pieces of chicken breast. 1 wholemeal bread |
|
| afternoon tea | 5 pieces. any dried fruit | |
| Having dinner | Cabbage and pea salad. Breast cooked with cheese and tomatoes (hard cheese) |
|
| Day 6 | Breakfast | Omelette of 2 eggs and lean ham. Tea or coffee, all without sugar. |
| Late breakfast | 1 fruit, any, except bananas | |
| Having dinner | 100 gr. steamed fish, 1/3 cup boiled rice. 1 tomato |
|
| afternoon tea | 1 cup kefir or yogurt (without additives) | |
| Having dinner | Vegetable and meat stew - no more than 200 gr. Kefir or yogurt |
|
| Day 7 | Breakfast | 150 g. cottage cheese without fat with dried apricots, Green tea |
| Late breakfast | a handful of nuts - no more than 30 gr. | |
| Having dinner | 1/3 cup buckwheat (it is better not to boil it, but pour it with boiling water and leave it overnight) and fish or meat of your choice | |
| afternoon tea | 1 orange | |
| Having dinner | 150 g meat with lemon and herbs baked in the oven. Mix the juice of half a lemon and seasonings for meat, marinate the meat for 1-4 hours. After baking in the oven for 25-30 minutes |
Menu number 2 protein diet for a week
Another advantage of a protein diet for very fast weight loss is that you can make a menu as you wish. There are no hard and fast rules here. The option shown is an example only.
The serving size is around 200-250 gr.
First day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Coffee/tea without sweeteners + cottage cheese |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Boiled chicken breast with baked vegetables |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Empty plain yogurt |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Second day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Coffee/tea without sweeteners + yogurt |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Orange |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Vegetables (baked) + veal (beef) |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Kefir |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Fish (baked) and vegetables (natural, without heat treatment) |
Day 3: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Coffee/tea without sweeteners + some eggs |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Grapefruit |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Turkey leg in the oven + -5 tbsp. Brown rice |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | cottage cheese |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Cabbage salad + boiled veal |
Fourth day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Kefir + cookies (2 pieces, made from oatmeal, best homemade) |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Kiwi (2 pieces) |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Chicken with asparagus |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Fresh juice |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Seafood and vegetables |
Fifth day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Omelette 2 steamed eggs + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Fish with bread |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Riazhenka |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Chicken + raw vegetables |
Sixth day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Cottage cheese + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Orange |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Baked tofu with vegetables |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Yogurt without additives |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Shrimps with asparagus |
Seventh day: Morning, afternoon, evening meal, snacks
| 1 p. p. (breakfast) | Cottage cheese + unsweetened tea or coffee |
| 2 p. p. (2nd breakfast) | Apple |
| 3 p. p. (lunch) | Vegetable soup + boiled beef |
| 4 p. p. (to taste) | Kefir + wholemeal bread |
| 5 p. p. (having dinner) | Steamed fish + vegetable salad |
Protein diet menu for 14 days
Products on the menu can be safely replaced with equivalents from the table of permitted dishes, and the dishes offered can be replaced with dishes that are similar in calorie content and composition. The main thing is to follow the rules: eat fractionally 5-6 times a day, drink at least 2 liters of fluid a day, do not eat prohibited foods.
| Breakfasts |
|
| second breakfasts |
|
| Dinners |
|
| afternoon tea |
|
| Dinners |
|
The list of permitted products is so diverse that it is not difficult to draw up a detailed menu of a protein diet yourself, there is room for the imagination to "walk around". Gradual adherence to a protein diet will allow you to gradually and effectively exit the diet.
Protein Diet Recipes
As you know, a protein diet is based on the total or partial exclusion of carbohydrates from your body. The basis of your diet should be white meat, fish, eggs, dairy products. In more sparing versions of such a diet, vegetables and nuts are allowed. In a rigid weight loss system, you can't really thin yourself out. For a week, and sometimes more, every day you need to eat only boiled eggs, fish and chicken meat.
As you will have understood, the following recipes are more suitable for savings and more diversified in terms of authorized products. They are based on protein products, but some ingredients may be added to improve taste, which is somewhat outside the nutritional principles of a rigid protein diet.
First meal
egg cream soup
Ingredients:
- 400g chicken or turkey breast
- 300-400 g of spinach,
- 2 hard-boiled eggs,
- 150ml milk
- spices,
- salt,
- sprig of parsley.
Boil the meat in 2-2. 5 liters of water until tender with bay leaves, peppercorns and Provencal herbs. Take the meat out and cut it into cubes. Put the chopped spinach in the broth and boil until tender. Pour the soup, milk into the bowl of the mixer, place the minced meat and eggs and beat until creamy. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig of parsley and half a boiled egg.
Nutritious fish soup
- 400 g any white fish fillet,
- 1 red onion
- 400 g of cauliflower,
- lemon juice,
- pepper,
- salt,
- plain yogurt (optional)
Disassemble the cauliflower, peel it, cut it 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. Season with salt and pepper, before serving, if desired, add lemon juice and a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt.
Chicken meatball soup
- 300g minced chicken,
- 2 squirrels,
- 1 tbsp fiber,
- vegetable broth (celery or cauliflower with onions),
- 5 stalks of green onions
- 1 small onion
- salt and spices.
Mix minced meat, squirrels, bran and finely chopped onions, form meatballs the size of a small chestnut. Put the meatballs, bay leaf, 5 black peppercorns in 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 one week you can lose up to 5 kilograms, depending on initial weight and activity. Since protein foods saturate the body well with energy, 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 was not suitable - against a background of a lack of vitamins and trace elements, some of those who lost weight developed dizziness and weakness. Despite this, every person who followed this diet lost weight.
Contraindications to the protein diet
Before this diet, pass a mandatory medical examination, because the protein diet is not allowed for everyone and is totally prohibited:
- with deviations in the work of the heart (with arrhythmias) and any of its diseases,
- hepatitis and any liver disease,
- during lactation and during pregnancy,
- with kidney dysfunction
- suffering from joint pain or related diseases,
- with colitis, dysbacteriosis, chronic pancreatitis and a number of other diseases of the digestive system,
- a diet increases the risk of thrombosis and is therefore not recommended for the elderly,
- longer than 4 weeks.
Protein diet options
Many modern diets are based on the principle of protein nutrition. Consider the most popular options.
Protein-carbohydrate diet
Its essence is that protein days alternate with carbohydrate days, that is, one day you eat protein foods exclusively, the other 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 used after a pure protein diet to consolidate the result.
Atkins diet
Also known as the Hollywood diet, which has become a favorite of many Hollywood stars. The basis of nutrition, compiled by Dr. Atkins, is the use of protein-rich foods, even high-calorie fatty foods are allowed, but carbohydrates are excluded.
Dr. Pierre Dukan's protein diet
The most popular protein diet is the Dukan Diet. This is exactly the system of good nutrition, which should be followed for the rest of your life. According to modern nutritionists, the best diet for weight loss is one that you can comfortably follow without going hungry, falling from weakness, and obsessing over calorie count.
Protein Diet Recommendations
Considering the disadvantages of this weight loss method, we have compiled recommendations for you, following which you can minimize the negative consequences for your body and only benefit from the diet:
- First of all, do not abuse the diet. Remember that measurement is necessary in everything: do not completely exclude carbohydrates and fats from the diet. If after a week of dieting you decide to continue losing weight, do not sit on such a diet for more than a month, then take a break for 2-3 months.
- Since the protein diet to lose weight for 7 days puts a lot of strain on the kidneys, eat more vegetables.
- Eat at least 4 small meals a day.
- The last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
- To avoid stool problems, stick to the water regime - you need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water per day.
- Do not exceed the daily caloric intake of 1500 kcal.
- Choose quality products! Remember that the quality of food is a very important condition for losing weight.
- If you include eggs in your diet, eat no more than 4 eggs per day. This is especially true for egg yolk, which is mostly fat and raises cholesterol levels.
- Proteins in duo with carbohydrates are better absorbed. When eating boiled chicken breast, add steamed cauliflower to your plate. But it is better to introduce carbohydrates in the middle of the day, at lunchtime.
- If your goal is not only to lose weight, but also to gain muscle mass, remember that muscles grow precisely from a power load.
- In order to avoid nutrient deficiency, it is recommended to drink vitamins when losing weight.