Hi all! Today I will tell you how to lose up to 3 kilograms in 10 days without feeling hungry and without intense exercise. We were taught that results can only come through hard work. However, there is a protein diet for weight loss, and with it you can actually lose weight in almost no time, of course, with a number of conditions. Below you will learn how to fit into those skinny jeans you never bought.
Looking ahead - protein dietnot suitable as a permanent base, you can practice it from 7 to 14 days several times a year.
What we will talk about in this post:
- what is a protein diet,
- when can it be used and to whom,
- its pros and cons (we will definitely look at the contraindications),
- permitted and prohibited products,
- approximate food for several days,
- reviews from those who have tested the system for themselves.
What causes weight loss on proteins?
What have you heard about the protein diet? Many people often confuse it with keto nutrition. However, there is a small but fundamental difference between these weight loss options. Take a look at the diagram.
- Macronutrient ratio on keto: B - 20%, F - 75%, U - 5%;
- The ratio of macronutrients on a protein diet: B - 70%, F - 5%, U - 25%;
The high-fat system (keto) involves eating large amounts of food rich in fat. If it’s fish, then it’s the fattest one; if it’s meat, then it’s definitely not lean. And most importantly, there should not be any other elements. Carbohydrates, even complex ones, are prohibited; they can only be obtained from vegetables, herbs and a couple of other products.
Losing weight on protein foods, on the contrary, rather prohibits eating too fatty foods and allows a small amount of "long-term" carbohydrates for breakfast or lunch. Plus, you are allowed to eat unsweetened dairy and fermented milk ingredients.
That is, you practically do not limit yourself in food, you do not experience hunger and at the same time you lose volume and weight. The main thing is to maintain your caloric intake, protein foods are very filling, you may simply not get the calories you need, this will slow down the weight loss process. It can be calculated using the calorie table. There are a great many of them on the Internet. Print and hang on your refrigerator for easy counting, or use the free app. The daily norm for weight loss with a less active lifestyle is 1200-1500 kcal.
The optimal number of meals per day: five to six times in small portions. Coffee, tea without sugar, and water are allowed. Muscle mass does not suffer and remains in place, and with physical activity it can even grow.
The advantage of this diet is that due to the lack of fast carbohydrates:
- firstly, excess moisture is removed,
- and secondly, reserves from the sides, hips and abdomen are used.
Therefore, you lose weight quite quickly and see results immediately. This technique is also called "drying". Athletes actively use it before important competitions.
Protein foods for weight loss: list
Let's figure out what qualifies as protein products. Many people may have different ideas about them.
Here's what you should buy during your diet:
- chicken breast and turkey,
- ham without starch and sugar from the same birds,
- veal, beef, rabbit,
- low-fat cheeses (cheese, feta, tofu),
- low-fat and unsweetened dairy products,
- cottage cheese up to 9%,
- sour cream up to 15%,
- fish (it is better to take not too fatty), seafood,
- mushrooms,
- vegetable oils,
- lentils,
- eggs,
- whey protein (optional, but as a snack - a salvation for the lazy).
You should also include in your shopping list:
- green vegetables and fruits (avoid overly sweet fruits and limit yourself to 1-2 pieces per day),
- from cereals, leave rolled oats, buckwheat, brown rice (though in moderation),
- greenery.
Avoid frying as. . . it destroys amino acids. It is best to stew, bake or boil the ingredients.
Here is a list of what should be excluded from the diet:
- sweets (anything that contains sugar),
- honey,
- buns and white bread,
- soda and any alcohol,
- semi-finished products, including sausages and frankfurters (even if they have the ideal composition),
- canned food,
- pasta,
- cereals with a high glycemic index (white rice),
- sauces,
- spicy food
- fast food and street food.
Let me remind you that this list of restrictions is only for 7-14 days. Then you can introduce the ingredients gradually.
Ideally, eat what is prepared at home, and not in a cafe, and you will be happy on the scale and in the fitting room.
Protein norm per day
Under normal conditions, without physical activity, a person needs 0. 66-0. 8 g. protein per kilogram of weight (WHO). For weight loss on a protein diet, this norm is doubled. If you follow a protein diet, the norm is from 1. 3 to 1. 6 g. per 1 kg of weight.
The calculation takes into account not your current body weight, but your desired one.
How not to harm with excess protein?
But it is important to clarify: a protein diet is not a healthy diet. In the sense that it is not balanced in terms of BJU and is suitable for time-limited use. The most optimal is a week, maximum 14 days. If it’s longer, you can harm your body and get a long list of problems instead of a flat stomach. I will dwell on this point further.
By the way, for people who do not get enough protein in their daily diet, switching to a similar diet may even be useful - eating habits should be restructured.
Amino acids in foods of animal and plant origin are important for immunity, especially during the cold season. Residents of coastal countries get sick less because they regularly eat sea fatty fish.
In addition, without protein it is impossible to maintain youthful skin. Flabbiness, dullness, peeling, early wrinkles - these are, among other things, symptoms of a lack of meat and fermented milk in your daily menu.
It is especially important for women to get all the microelements. Their deficiency leads to inflammatory processes in the female reproductive system, difficulties in conception, dizziness, etc.
Pleasant side effects of this diet are decreased appetite and weight loss. Tested for myself - after a good steak you will not want to eat soon. And you completely forget about sweets.
Once I took a course of fish oil and noticed that I began to crave sweets and cookies less. However, do not rush to get ready for the supermarket. Let's figure it out, is this menu right for you?
To whom and how much?
Despite the apparent PP-ness of the diet, it has a number of limitations.
- Firstly, it is not balanced. Carbohydrates and fats will sag. Add here the lack of vitamins and minerals.
That is why it is not recommended to abuse this menu. A week, maximum 14 days. This is a critical period after which the body will understand that it is missing something and will begin to rebel. But we don't want that. Ideally, take additional vitamins for seven to fourteen days. Of course, after agreement with your doctor.
- Secondly, the load on the kidneys is significant, which means they are working to the limit. It shouldn't be this way.
- Thirdly, the recommended break between diets is at least 3 months, and preferably six months. That is, such an express remedy cannot be used against the New Year's glutton, and then even after March 8th. Only two to four times a year, wisely, with the right grocery list and thoughtful recipes.
Who is suitable and not suitable for protein weight loss?
If your health is fine, you are not allergic to amino acids or certain ingredients from the menu, and you want to lose up to 5 kilograms, then you can safely switch to a protein diet.
But, as always, I strongly advise you to consult with a physician or registered dietitian before experimenting with yourself.
Here is a list of contraindications under which you should not eat a lot of protein for dinner, lunch and breakfast:
- pregnancy and lactation,
- kidney problems,
- diabetes,
- chronic diseases,
- anemia,
- diseases of the female reproductive system,
- liver problems,
- gastrointestinal diseases.
Also, children and adolescents should not be switched to only meat and dairy products. Their growing bodies require large amounts of carbohydrate fuel.
Pros of the system
Let us outline all the advantages of the system:
- A relatively safe weight loss technique. This is not a mono-diet with its sharp blow to the immune system and not a ruthless detox. In reasonable quantities and with a healthy approach, nothing bad will happen,
- a really working weight loss system. According to my friends, they really lost kilos without much effort,
- ideal diet at home. No complicated recipes or dishes. Very simple, understandable food that is sold in every supermarket,
- I don’t want sweets at all and my appetite decreases. This is true! I checked it on myself. Sometimes the need for dinner disappeared completely,
- you can arrange fasting days even on vacation or while traveling (of course, if you have strong willpower),
- easy to prepare dishes.
What about the shortcomings?
Disadvantages of protein nutrition
Do not rush to buy chicken and eggs until you read the following points:
- relatively small list of food products. There are options to choose from, but a number of familiar ingredients are still prohibited. For example, the same potatoes,
- At first there may be weakness and nervousness due to a lack of carbohydrates. Even real sugar withdrawal happens. If you have a sweet tooth, be patient for a couple of days, then it will become easier,
- problems with stool. Constipation may occur due to a lack of fiber. You can solve the problem by taking vegetable oils in their raw form, drinking at least one and a half liters of water and including vegetable salads in the menu,
- there is a smell of ammonia from the mouth. This happens when there is more protein in the body than usual. Only drinking plenty of fluids will help a little here,
- You need to exit the diet carefully. Many "nutritionists" write that weight goes away and does not return. Yes, this is true, but provided that you gradually and correctly switch to a normal diet. Gradually include small portions of complex carbohydrates and only then gradually add sweets and starchy foods,
- if you are undergoing treatment or do not want to give up alcohol, you should not even start,
- you need to eat small portions 4-6 times. This point is not a definite minus. But when there is a lack of time, it can be difficult to find an opportunity to have a snack more than once at work,
- you need to think through the menu so that it doesn’t get boring and is at least somehow balanced.
Whether this weight loss option is right for you or not, you decide for yourself. Please read these points carefully and weigh your options and needs. If such weight loss is not suitable for you, there are many options on how to reduce volume without harm to your health.
Protein diet for weight loss: menu for several days
I offer 3 meal options. You can swap and combine dishes at your discretion. Add something of your own. I deliberately did not schedule it for the week, because there are many alternatives. You will see for yourself.
Option 1
Breakfast
- Two boiled eggs
- 30 grams of cheese
- Vegetable salad with a teaspoon of oil
- Coffee
Snack
After a couple of hours, have a snack with natural yoghurt or 5% cottage cheese with a handful of your favorite nuts, topped with a spoonful of sour cream.
Dinner
- Fish steak tilapia or catfish with a small portion of brown rice (about a handful) and cucumber.
- Spinach or mushroom soup.
Dinner
For dinner, make a stew with vegetables (no potatoes) and chicken. A couple of hours before bedtime - kefir.
Remember to drink several glasses of water between meals.
Option 2
Breakfast
- 2 whole grain toasts, spread with cream cheese, top with avocado and a piece of lightly salted fish.
- 1 boiled egg, 30 grams of hard cheese.
- Coffee makes the perfect start to the day.
Snack
A handful of nuts and vegetables cut into strips.
Dinner
- Soup is a good first course for lunch. Any version of it without potatoes or rice.
- Baked chicken fillet in spices under a cheese cap.
- A serving of broccoli or cauliflower.
Dinner
- Stewed chicken breast, 3 tablespoons of buckwheat, cucumber salad with tomato, herbs and onion. Season with a teaspoon of oil.
- If desired, before bedtime - a portion of whey protein in milk 3. 2% or kefir.
Option 3
Breakfast
- Omelette with vegetables and pieces of stewed turkey.
- Buckwheat bread with feta.
- Coffee or tea.
Snack
Kefir with some unsweetened fruit. I sometimes blend the ingredients in a blender and get a rich smoothie.
Dinner
For lunch, make a now fashionable bowl: mix a little boiled cereal (rice or lentils) in one plate, add chopped lightly salted fish, your favorite vegetables, avocado, an egg in a bag, the runny yolk will serve as a sauce. The result is a nutritious dish that will last until the evening.
Dinner
- Soup made from chicken thigh and green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, celery, onion, cabbage, zucchini).
- Salad of cucumber and canned tuna in its own juice.
As you can see, you will need the simplest recipes and quick meals.
What are people saying?
The girls I know said that they resorted to a protein diet when they needed to quickly lose a few pounds. According to them, such weight loss was one of the most gentle in life. There is no need to strictly limit yourself to food intake; on the contrary, you had to force yourself to eat regularly.
Here's what my friend says:
"I stayed on a protein diet for 7 days and lost 3 kilograms. Without effort and hunger. The first two days I really wanted sausages and sweets. It was strange to drink tea without sugar. But on the third day it somehow became easier. On the plus side, I weaned myself from drinking sweet hot drinks. "