How to lose weight with protein foods: protein diet rules, menus, products

First, let's try to figure out what a protein diet is and its characteristics. First of all, it is worth saying that this diet is based on a high intake of protein foods: eggs, seafood, meat, fish, dairy products, various legumes and cereals. It pays to minimize fat and especially carbohydrate consumption.many people thinkprotein dietPretty tough, but it's not. A huge advantage is the satiety of the food, which is virtually unlimited. Now let’s figure out which foods you should eat in large quantities as they will become the mainstay of your diet.What do you need to eat on a protein diet?
  1. dairy
  2. meat and fish
  3. Low-fat yogurt and cheese
  4. beans
  5. vegetable
  6. seafood
Foods You Should Not Eat on a Protein Diet:
  1. fast food
  2. Sweet high-calorie fruit
  3. Baking and Desserts.
  4. Potato
  5. Full-fat dairy products
  6. Fat meat.

Why choose a protein diet for weight loss?

Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies; they contain large amounts of vitamins, macro and trace elements. The problem for many people trying to lose weight is constant crashing due to hunger. On a protein diet, you will have enough energy and you won't be thinking about food all the time. You won't deplete your body either, and it will look attractive because muscle tissue won't actually be damaged. This is a great option for those who ultimately want to have a toned body.

How does a protein diet work?

The point isDigestionAnd the body spends a lot of energy digesting protein foods. In order to digest lean chicken breast or egg whites, your body must use up its own reserves, known as fat. It is in these moments that the powerful weight loss process begins. For maximum results, at least a minimal increase in physical activity is required.No one talks about what you have to do all daydisappear into the gymBut a half-hour circuit training session at home will help enhance the effects of your protein diet.Significant Benefits of a Protein Diet. First, many stores offer a variety of products to choose from. Instead of experiencing constant hunger pangs, you will feel satisfied with food and enjoy it every time. Agreed, even a lean piece of meat, cooked quite nicely, seems more appetizing than the freshest leaf of lettuce or green apple. There are tons of recipes available for people who eat protein.Many people note the significant advantages of a protein diet over other diets; over time, you may even get used to it, and it may become a way of life for you. Once you've lost a certain number of kilograms, you can gradually add your favorite foods without gaining weight. But it is always worth remembering that protein should still be the main product of the diet.Disadvantages of a protein diet. Of course, every weight loss method has its drawbacks, but there are some minor drawbacks to protein diets. First and foremost, the products you need to eat regularly are not cheap. Seafood is more expensive than the bread or pie you buy on the way to work. You also have to spend more time preparing food. This is not easy for those with a sweet tooth, since the protein diet hardly includes any desserts, except for dried fruits and fruits low in fructose. You'll want to carry around a container that will last you 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 DietBasic Principles of a Protein Diet:
  1. Avoid high-calorie foods. It is necessary to exclude alcoholic drinks, fast food, baked goods, sweets; dried fruits can be similar. Sweeteners should also not be included in your diet. Everything on your plate should be low carb. Don't forget that even a small amount of sweetener in a cup of coffee can trigger strong cravings and lead to overeating.
  2. Drink more water. This refers to purified water, not various beverages such as coffee, tea or juice. When on a protein diet, you need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Carry a small bottle with you and keep refilling it so you'll remember to take a few sips even when you're not at home or in a facility.
  3. Minimize fat intake. If your diet contains fatty types of cheese, fatty cottage cheese, nuts or butter, eat it before lunch so that your body uses energy on time and excess calories are not stored as fat. Protein foods go well with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and low-glycemic fruits.
  4. exercise stress. No matter what, you must supplement your protein diet with exercise. This way you can achieve the results you want faster, speed up your metabolism, improve the absorption of protein foods, and be able to burn more calories than you consume, which is the secret to healthy weight loss.

Who should carefully consider choosing a protein diet?

First, those who suffer from the diseaseGastrointestinal diseases, and renal failure. A protein diet is not advisable for older people because the body has to process considerable amounts of protein foods, and if there are openings in the heart or blood vessels, the idea should be abandoned entirely.sometimes illiterateUse a protein dietBlood clotting may change, so there is a risk of blood clots. So, get your blood work done ahead of time and err on the side of caution so weight loss doesn't become a health issue for you.

protein diet for weight loss

protein weight loss foodThe days of sunshine, relaxation, flowy clothes and bikinis are over. The beautiful ladies have managed to relax a little and even treat themselves to something very delicious and equally "very" high in calories. There is no doubt that small joys make everyday life brighter and more positive. The most important thing is to tell yourself to stop in time! Otherwise, the weight will appear quickly and, as experience with weight loss shows, can cause long-term uncertainty, negativity, and problems in your life. But what if time is lost? How to quickly get back to normal at home? Is a daily protein diet effective?

Does perfection have to be perfect?

Before we talk about diet, let's find out if there is such a thing as an "ideal weight. "The answer seems absolutely obvious, as the entire fashion and "wellness" lifestyle industry tells us every day that we need to meet certain beauty and health standards. Ideals are not invented by us and certainly have nothing to do with an understanding of human nature and the biological mechanisms by which we function. Still, we motivate ourselves in every way possible to reach certain standards, showing results in the swimming pool, in the gym, and jogging in the streets. Sadly, we do things that feel right for our bodies, not because they bring satisfaction and benefit, but simply for compliance. We don't monitor our health, we don't track signals from our bodies, we measure and weigh our bodies! As a result, we only make the situation worse.Everyone is inspired, aware, and ready to take action, but where to start? You need to start with your own definition of non-ideal weight. The same one, individual to each of us, but causing the same feeling of inconvenience and dissatisfaction.

What is non-ideal weight?

Try typing the query into any search engine to determine your ideal weight and you will receive dozens of links to calculators and tables. None of them will consider:
  • your genetics (genetic predisposition);
  • Presence of chronic disease;
  • The number of fat cells in your body and their ability to store fat;
  • metabolism in your body (metabolism);
  • Your lifestyle - the presence of stress, sleep and wakefulness, your mobility, the quality and pattern of your diet.
If you put it all together, we all have our own non-ideal weight. How to determine when to take action? Your weight is far from ideal if you have one or more of the following conditions:Your weight has a negative impact on your health - your overall health deteriorates, you become tired faster, your joints and back feel troubled for the first time, you experience shortness of breath, your blood pressure rises periodically, your bowel functionSerious inadequacy is expected;Weight begins to make unpleasant adjustments in your life. You are unable to perform your usual activities (anything that requires mobility and physical endurance), you have to limit what you wear, you feel embarrassed when on public transport or in crowded places, you start to adjust your life and work plans according to your weight.Remember, if you are serious about taking care of yourself, visit a nutritionist and endocrinologist first. This will be the best thing you can do for yourself. Only experts in the fields of medicine and proper nutrition working together can help you stay healthy and improve your quality of life. Don’t forget the need for consistent physical activity in your life. Avoid sweets on your protein diet

What is a protein diet

How do you adjust your menu to lose those pounds that are holding you back from living a fulfilling life? A high-protein diet can help solve this problem - a diet based on high-protein foods while severely limiting carbohydrates and fats. Using this nutritional method, you can lose 14 kilograms in 3 months.The basic principle of a protein diet is to eat foods containing proteins that regulate metabolism in the body. In this way, the main disadvantage of any diet is avoided - a decrease in protein intake in the body, which in turn leads to rapid depletion of the body (internal organs, not absorbing enough protein, begin to pull the body away from the muscle tissue). All of these can lead to weakness, poor physical health and sagging skin.

Benefits of following a protein diet

The differences between a protein diet and any other type of diet appear to be quite significant:
  • Maintain a healthy muscular system;
  • Ability to combine diet with vigorous physical activity;
  • There is no possibility of such a painful complication as anorexia;
  • No tired, nervous hunger pangs (protein foods are absorbed by the body within 3-4 hours);
  • Protein diet dishes contain a lot of fiber, which ensures the smooth functioning of the intestines;
  • Because weight loss is fairly slow and gradual, it doesn't take much effort to maintain the desired weight after you stop dieting;
  • Good health - a complete absence of weakness, dizziness and nausea that are typical symptoms of other types of eating;
  • The face is radiant and the body is truly rejuvenated - the condition of the skin, hair and nails is improved.
It is important to remember that the maximum effect on physical health can only be achieved by following the rules of dietary nutrition and combining it with physical activity; all organs and their systems must be trained.

Disadvantages and contraindications of a protein diet

When deciding to rebuild your diet along protein diet principles, remember - there is no ideal diet! Any diet comes with certain restrictions or exceptions, which means the strain on your body inevitably increases. It is for this reason that one has to mention the disadvantages of a protein diet.Protein diets should be short-term. Long-term consumption of protein foods can cause problems in the skeletal system (high intakes of protein can cause calcium loss from bone tissue, making bones very fragile).Chronic restriction of carbohydrate intake can have a negative impact on overall performance.The nervous system can also be attacked due to a lack of adequate fat in the diet (the main substance for the reproduction of nerve cells). The main symptoms of this condition are increased nervousness and irritability.A long-term protein diet disrupts the balance of blood particles - the production of hemoglobin increases dramatically.Protein foods leave behind large amounts of "breakdown products" that increase the load on the kidneys (for excretion).

protein diet menu

The protein diet menu should be based on several principles to guarantee the achievement of the necessary results (for example, a weight loss of 10 kg):Protein should make up at least 60% of the total diet.Say no to frequent snacking; for this reason, give priority to protein products with a long digestion cycle.There should be at least 5 to 6 meals a day, and the interval should not exceed 3 hours.Avoid frying; all dishes should be baked, stewed or steamed.For a better balanced diet, you can include certain vegetables and fruits in your diet.Have regular physical activity.Characteristics of protein dietMain Products of Protein DietChicken, turkey, veal, rabbitExceptions: mutton, pork (high fat content)low fat fish(Fat content does not exceed 4%)Pink salmon, pollock, cod, Navaga, perch, pike, graylingDairy and fermented dairy products containing no more than 3-5% fatKefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeseRice, oatmeal, buckwheatAll "green" vegetables and any other vegetables in small amounts, 2-3 times per weekSour fruit drinks and unsweetened homemade preserves and juices (diluted 1: 1 with mineral water), herbal teas and their infusions, unsweetened coffeeOlives, flaxseeds, sunflowers - strictly limited quantitiesAmong the products prohibited from consumption, there are mainly the following categories:
  • Flour products - pasta, pastries, bread;
  • Sugar and sugar-containing products and dishes - baked goods, ice cream, chocolate, candies, ready-made juices, juice drinks, etc. ;
  • any sausage;
  • Potatoes and dishes containing potatoes;
  • Alcohol and any products containing alcohol;
  • Fast food and industrial semi-finished products.
important! No matter which protein diet you plan to use (short-term or long-term), remember that the eating cycle should be no more than once every 6 months.

Protein diet: list of allowed foods and recommendations

During the protein diet, the following are allowed:
  • Any meat - pork, beef, poultry with the lowest fat content;
  • Seafood, eggs, low-fat cheese;
  • Raw vegetables: cabbage, cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes;
  • Use lemon juice or olive oil as a dressing;
  • Oatmeal and buckwheat are allowed twice a week.
  • Confectionery - here you will find all confectionery products (cakes, biscuits), sugar and sweet fruits;
  • Baked products, pasta, fried foods;
  • Cereals, potatoes, butter.
When following a protein diet, you must follow these recommendations:
  • You need to eat 5-6 times a day, the last time no later than 2 hours before going to bed;
  • Drink at least 1. 5 liters of still mineral water or clean water every day;
  • Any alcoholic beverages are prohibited;
  • If desired, snack on a few citrus or unsweetened apples.

What protein diet plans are there?

Quite a few protein diet plans have been developed. There are pure protein diets and different types of protein diets: protein-vegetables, protein-fruits, protein-vitamins, etc.

One-week protein diet: menu options

7 Days of Protein Diet Options

1 option
  • Breakfast: 150 grams of beef, one whole wheat bread, one cup of tea or coffee;
  • Snacks: 1 apple;
  • Lunch: Boiled chicken breast (150g) with vegetable salad (200g);
  • Afternoon snack: 1 cup low-fat yogurt or kefir;
  • Dinner: Boiled sea fish (200g) with lemon juice vegetable salad.
Option 2
  • Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cheese, tea, coffee;
  • Snacks: 1 piece of any citrus fruit;
  • Lunch: Vegetable beef stew (150g);
  • Afternoon snack: 1 cup low-fat kefir with diet bread;
  • Dinner: 200 grams of boiled lean fish with fresh vegetables.
Option 3
  • Breakfast: boiled chicken slices (200g), tea or coffee;
  • Snacks: 1 apple;
  • Lunch: 200 grams of boiled beans, a vegetable salad;
  • Afternoon snack: 200 grams of low-fat yogurt and slimming biscuits;
  • Dinner: 150 grams of boiled beef, 150 grams of cabbage salad, 1 tablespoon of seasoning. lake olive oil.
Option 4
  • Breakfast: 1 cup low-fat kefir with diet cookies;
  • Snack: 1 piece of unsweetened fruit;
  • Lunch: 200 grams of boiled chicken breast, 1 cup of apple juice;
  • Afternoon snack: 1-2 boiled eggs;
  • Dinner: 200 grams of boiled fish and 150 grams of fresh vegetables.
Option 5
  • Breakfast: 150 grams of boiled turkey, 1 apple, tea or coffee;
  • Snacks: 1 cup of apple juice, 1 piece of diet biscuit;
  • Lunch: Boiled fish (200g) with a piece of whole wheat bread;
  • Afternoon snack: 1 cup low-fat kefir;
  • Dinner: 150 grams of boiled beef with vegetable salad.
Option 6
  • Breakfast: 150g low-fat cheese and tea;
  • Snack: 1 grapefruit;
  • Lunch: Beans and vegetable stew;
  • Afternoon snack: 1 cup of kefir;
  • Dinner: Boiled sea fish (200g) with fresh vegetable salad.
Option 7
  • Breakfast: 1 cup of skim milk, 1 piece of diet biscuit;
  • Snack: 1 unsweetened apple;
  • Lunch: Mushroom and vegetable soup;
  • Afternoon snack: 50 grams of low-fat cheese;
  • Dinner: Boiled beef (150g) with fresh salad.

Short-Term (Quick) Protein Diet Options (3 Days)

The main features of this "fast" protein diet are the complete absence of snacks, the strict observance of three meals a day and the prohibition of any physical activity, even the slightest. Also, unsweetened herbal tea is allowed between meals.
  1. Breakfast - 1 hard-boiled egg, cooked in any form (boiled, poached, etc. ), considering the calorie content, it can be replaced with quail eggs;
  2. Lunch and dinner - 150-200 grams of low-fat cheese (fat content not exceeding 3-5%) and tea without any sweetener (sugar and honey cannot be used);
  3. Fluid consumption - at least 2 liters per day;
  4. Last meal no later than 18: 00.
When taking a short-term protein diet, the principle of gradual progress should be followed to avoid damage to health; food must be added gradually and the quantity increased for 1-2 weeks. Add grains and fruits first, then dairy and fermented dairy products (watch the fat content of the product).Unfortunately, no matter how much we want such a diet, it is difficult to call it balanced; during periods of protein eating (especially short term), the body can become severely deficient in vitamins and minerals. To minimize the possible negative effects of such restrictions, start taking a vitamin complex designed for long-term use (1 to 3 months) about a week before dieting.When deciding to start a fast protein diet, assess not only your current physical condition, but also the emotional and intellectual stress you may be facing during this period. Give up the diet (or adjust your diet in time) if:
  • You have recently suffered from a physical illness;
  • You are facing a period of severe physical, intellectual, or emotional stress;
  • You are over 50 years old;
  • Problems with your liver and/or kidneys and cardiovascular system;
  • You have previously experienced (or are currently experiencing) a clotting disorder (increased risk of blood clots) and signs of diabetes.
Of course, it is absolutely impossible to use any diet during pregnancy and lactation.If you want to plan a protein diet menu for a longer period of time (for example, a month), then it is best to contact a specialist. Not only are they able to create a diet based on the allowed calorie content and list of allowed foods, but they are also able to make it as balanced as possible.

Dukan Diet Menu

The Dukan diet is also a type of protein diet, divided according to the menu into phases: attack, cruise, protein-vegetable, consolidation, stabilization. The first phase of the attack is the most critical, and here is its rough menu:
  • Breakfast: 2 egg white omelets, low fat milk and some vanilla.
  • Snack: One and a half tablespoons of bran oatmeal.
  • Lunch: 200 grams of boiled veal.
  • Snack: 200 grams of boiled shrimp or other seafood.
  • Dinner: 200 grams of boiled veal or lamb.

result

Generally, the weight loss effects of a protein diet become noticeable within a week, when the first 4-5 pounds of weight are gone.The most noticeable results will be seen after three weeks, when excess weight has further disappeared and muscle has been significantly reduced. After all, the purpose of a protein diet is 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 the dieter, the greater the "loss" during the diet. For example, if you weigh 100 kg and are obese, you can lose 5-10 kg in two weeks. At the same time, the diet is very varied and does not induce an aversion to specific products, as does a monolithic diet.It is believed that the optimal period for adhering to a protein diet to be beneficial without harming health is 10-14 days. During this period, you can lose 8-15 kg.What can a protein diet achieve

The right way to get off a protein diet

Experts recommend gradually stopping any diet. Protein Nutrisystem is no exception. You shouldn't immediately pounce on your favorite foods that are off-limits during the program. It is best to completely exclude sugar and flour products from your diet.Apart from, you must continue to adhere to such a lifestyle: eat at least 5-6 times a day, small and frequent meals, do not eat 2-3 hours before going to bed, drink plenty of water, and abstain from alcoholic beverages.Physical activity should also be increased during the first two weeks after a protein diet. This is done to optimally utilize the energy input and maintain the results.

Contraindications

In order not to damage your health, it is better for people with the following diseases to give up protein diet:
  • Hepatitis (and other liver diseases);
  • Arrhythmias (and other heart abnormalities);
  • Renal insufficiency;
  • Dysbiosis;
  • colitis;
  • pancreatitis;
  • increased thrombosis;
  • Joint pain (and all related conditions).
In addition, the protein nutritional system is not suitable for the elderly, pregnant and lactating women.