Protein diet to lose weight: the menu of the week includes several foods with the highest protein content, which can cause dysfunction of some organs, affect the immune system and have a number of contraindications. Nutritionists recommend using this method to lose extra pounds or gain muscle mass only to healthy people and no more than once a year.
A strong blow to the body requires recovery for many months, but it gives serious results and is suitable for those who cannot refuse fish and meat dishes. Eating foods containing sugar is strictly prohibited in this type of diet, which can cause significant discomfort for lovers of sweets and affect brain activity. On what varieties exist, positive and negative points, menus and information are given in the text below.
The effect of proteins on the human body
Protein, being necessary for the normal development and functioning of the human body, in excess is harmful, as well as in deficiency. Let's try together to understand this complex mechanism and discover all the pros and cons of the predominance of protein in the diet for muscle mass and fat.
Protein is a complex nitrogen-containing organic compound that distinguishes it from carbohydrates and fats. This is a structural element of cells and the human body is deprived of the possibility of independent protein synthesis. From this it follows that it can only be obtained from the outside, eating it inside with food. Scheme of this type of connection:
- Ingestion with food.
- Destruction in the digestive system of amino acids.
- Synthesis of proteins and enzymatic substances from decomposition products.
Therefore, lack of protein contributes to:
- delayed growth and development;
- deficiency of enzymatic substances for digestion;
- anemia;
- decreased defensive capacity;
- dystrophy;
- decrease in muscle mass.
Since the essence of the protein diet is the increase in the amount of protein consumed, it must be said about the effect of its excess, which leads to:
- creating excessive stress on the kidneys;
- increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease;
- weakening of the bones due to loss of calcium (excreted in the body's urine) and osteoporosis;
- altered metabolism;
- gastritis;
- constipation and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- headaches.
The risk of developing diseases increases if the recommendations are not followed: drink too little water, lack of physical activity, non-compliance with contraindications, etc.
Protein diet: how it works
The principle is as follows:
- increased protein intake;
- keep carbohydrates as low as possible.
When ingested with food, protein compounds that the body has not processed become:
- glucose;
- fat.
This diet acts as a quick tool for the loss of excess adipose tissue. Protein foods take a long time to digest, so there is no feeling of hunger. To reduce the load on the organs, you need to carry a large amount of water inside, which increases in the hot season.
Lack of carbohydrates can lead to impaired metabolism, so this type of diet should be approached with caution and only after consulting a specialist so as not to hurt yourself.
Advantages of a protein diet
This nutritional system assumes a rapid loss of kilos without the desire to eat. Other positive aspects:
- long saturation;
- variety in the diet;
- the calories of the food consumed are not limited;
- long-term security of results, subject to exit rules;
- efficiency in the form of ten kilograms in fourteen days.
Who is contraindicated in a protein diet?
With obvious advantages, the power supply system is not without its drawbacks in the form:
- unbalanced diet;
- significant load on organs;
- loss of minerals (excreted in urine);
- lack of vitamins, minerals and nutrients;
- refusal of sweet flour products (creates discomfort for lovers);
- Mandatory physical activity is required; without this, the body will be damaged.
Due to its shortcomings, the program has several contraindications:
- period of pregnancy;
- age of the children;
- age older than sixty years (possible thrombosis);
- kidney and liver diseases;
- gallstone disease;
- diseases or abnormalities in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- oncological diseases;
- presence of neoplasms.
Eating large amounts of protein in some cases can be life-threatening, so you should first consult a dietitian or therapist for contraindications.
Rules
Recommendations:
- mandatory physical activity in the form of a series of exercises;
- must burn more calories per day than it consumes (the difference must be equal to three hundred kilocalories);
- take small portions, but often;
- consumption of metabolic stimulants and natural fat burners (coffee, green tea);
- calculation of the minimum amount of protein - forty grams / day - and the maximum - 140 grams / day;
- additional use of vitamin-mineral complexes.
In the early days, weight loss occurs due to fluid loss, possibly weight gain due to muscle growth. The weight loss program is unbalanced, promotes mineral loss, and requires the mandatory introduction of multivitamins. The measure will allow to avoid exhaustion and its consequences in the form of brittle nails, excessive loss of strands, etc.
Types of protein diets
This type of food combines a series of diets that have been developed by different nutritionists, the difference lies in the duration and rules:
- according to Dukan(in stages, you have a number of requirements, it is not necessary to count calories, you should consume a reduced amount of salt and prevent thirst);
- according to Malysheva(lasts twenty-eight days, does not allow hunger, needs to eat five times, needs to count calories, needs to eat simple carbohydrates);
- View of the Kremlin(assumes score - 1 = 1 gram of carbohydrates / 100 grams of this product - and vegetable days);
- according to Atkins(low-carbohydrate system, the use of cheese, meat, dairy products is prohibited);
- from Maggi(three meals a day, there are two options: egg and cottage cheese, calorie counting is required).
The positive and negative aspects of each type are shown in the table:
| Title | Suitable for | Pros | Cons |
| Ducan | All | You don't need to count calories and limit your diet | Contraindicated in diseases of the central nervous system |
| Malysheva | Those who want to improve their health and lose weight for a long time | Long-lasting results, simplicity, without overeating | Weight loss is slow, low metabolic rate, contraindicated in children, adolescents, pregnant women, heavy physical work and the presence of chronic diseases |
| Kremlin | Overweight people | Significant loss of kilograms while maintaining psychological comfort | Reduced mental activity, not suitable for lovers of sweets, unacceptable for diseases of the kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract, pregnancy |
| Atkins | All | Quick and effective weight loss, improves kidney function and other organs | Eating many essential food products is prohibited |
| Maggi | All | Menu auto-select, simple rules, no age restrictions | Requires a higher number of eggs, which increases cholesterol |
The Ducan diet focuses on reducing carbohydrates in the early stages. To improve the functioning of the digestive system, the diet is supplemented with bran. In the subsequent stages, the body continues to lose weight, but carbohydrate-containing foods begin to return to the menu again.
The Malysheva program assumes a long-term weight loss system, leading to long-term results. Basic principles: drink at least two liters or ten glasses of water during the day, avoid sugar and salt, overeating is not allowed.
The Atkins system combines the following requirements:
- the amount of meat, fish should be equivalent to vegetables, fruits;
- reduced carbohydrate volume;
- Foods that contain protein and fat are not limited by the amount consumed.
There is also a classic version:
- five days;
- ten days;
- fourteen days.
Approved Products
There are two requirements for food products that can be consumed as part of a protein diet:
- high protein content;
- low concentration of fat component.
Only materials that meet these requirements can serve as ingredients for the preparation of the daily menu. The list includes (name / example):
- chicken / lean chicken, turkey;
- rabbit meat;
- veal;
- lean beef;
- offal / liver (contains vitamins and minerals in chemical composition);
- lean fish / tilapia;
- salad;
- parsley;
- coriander;
- dill;
- vegetables / cucumber, tomato, onion, zucchini;
- chicken or quail egg white;
- fruit and juice crops / apple, citrus;
- rice porridge, buckwheat, oats (not more than one hundred and sixty grams / day);
- bread (maximum sixty grams / day);
- tea;
- natural coffee;
- still mineral water;
- low-fat dairy products of natural origin in the classic version / milk, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese;
- spices / red, black pepper;
- sauces / soy, etc.
Maybe the use of apple cider vinegar, seafood, tofu cheese, low-fat cheese.
Nutritional value is not an indicator to determine the suitability of a component; one should focus on the amount of carbohydrates and fats. When calculating the amount of protein, the food packaging data provided by the manufacturers should be used as sources of information.
Prohibited Products
The following checklist can help determine the suitability of foods, including:
- pork, fish with a high percentage of fat;
- pasta;
- bakery products;
- all types of cereals other than those specified in the allowed list;
- fruit crops (only apples and citrus are allowed) (bananas are not recommended);
- potatoes (high starch content);
- corn;
- carrots (contains sugar);
- beetroot (contains sugar);
- fructose;
- sugar and sweeteners;
- juices (except allowed);
- products containing sugar;
- drinks with added sugar;
- carbonated water (mineral and other drinks);
- mayonnaise;
- tomato sauce;
- any sauce that contains a high percentage of fat.
Protein drinks
Daily in the diet there must be at least 1. 2 and no more than 1. 6 grams of protein for normal body function. You can also provide the norm by drinking beverages with a higher content of this component during the day. There are three drink options:
- protein powder shakes;
- homemade cocktails;
- milk, dairy products, juices separately.
Protein Powder Shakes are concentrated mixes with little or no fat and carbohydrates. A distinctive feature is the ease of assimilation.
For a high protein drink, you can mix the simple foods you will find in the kitchen in a blender. The table shows the possible variations:
| Title | Components | Volume, grams / quantity, pieces | Kcal / gram of protein |
| With a banana | Curd 0% Banana Milk |
100 1 200 |
293/24 |
| Egg | Chicken egg white Milk Curd 0% Syrup |
1 200 50 Two teaspoons |
200/17 |
| Fruit | Curd 0% Milk Peach Honey |
100 100 One fifth Table spoon |
198 / 19. 5 |
| With spinach | Banana Low-fat Greek yogurt Spinach Vanilla extract |
Half 150 225 A quarter teaspoon |
196 / 22. 4 |
| Oats and berries | Oat flakes Milk Berries, frozen Honey Greek yogurt Ice |
45 230 80 Three tablespoons 100 One or two dice |
557/23 |
The drinks listed in the table are rich in protein, not all are suitable for diets; When choosing, you must adhere to the list of prohibited foods for a particular diet.
7-day protein diet menu
When drawing up a menu for the day, the manufacturer's data on the composition of the product should be taken into account, the general data is given in the list(name / calories / protein / fat / carbohydrates):
- chicken fillet / 110/23, 1/1, 2 / -;
- Ideyka steak / 84 / 19. 2/0. 7 / -;
- rabbit meat / 173/33 / 3. 5 / -;
- beef / 250/26/15 / -;
- tilapia / 96 / 20. 1 / 1. 7;
- flounder / 83 / 16. 5 / 1. 8 / -;
- hake fish meat / 86 / 16. 6 / 2. 2 / -;
- cod / 78 / 17. 7 / 0. 7 / -;
- one percent kefir / 40 / 2. 8 / 1. 0 / 4. 0;
- one percent milk / 41 / 3. 3 / 1. 0 / 4. 8;
- one percent yogurt / 40 / 3. 0 / 1. 0 / 4. 1;
- one percent cottage cheese / 79 / 16. 3/1 0/1 3;
- chicken liver / 136 / 19. 1 / 6. 3 / 0. 6;
- beef liver / 125 / 20. 0 / 3. 1 / 4. 0.
The recommendations for use are given in the table:
| Product / Group / Period | Received time |
| Breakfast | No later than three hours (counting down upon waking) |
| Dinner | At least three hours of sleep |
| Complex carbohydrates | Small portions in the morning, before 2: 00 p. m. |
| Apples (no more than two) or citrus fruits | Before lunch |
| Combine protein with non-starchy vegetables (tomato, cucumber, celery) | After 2: 00 p. m. |
When compiling a daily diet, you must adhere to these rules.No more than thirty grams of vegetable fats in the form of flaxseed oil.
The simplest protein diet
The foods in this program are basically taken five times, following the recommendations above. The menu is shown in the following table:
| Days | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| 1 | Curd | Fruit / apple | Whole wheat bread / chicken fillet | Natural yogurt | Steamed Vegetable / Fish Salad |
| 2 | Tea | Orange | Beef / Stewed Vegetables | Kefir | Baked fish |
| 3 | Tea / Three chicken egg whites | apple | Turkey fillet boiled with rice | Curd | Boiled meat / vegetable salad (cabbage) |
| 4 | Oatmeal cookies, two pieces / kefir | Grapefruit | Cooked chicken / asparagus | Kefir | Boiled Fish / Vegetables |
| 5 | Curd with tea | Apple | Boiled fish / whole wheat bread | Yogurt | Beef / Stewed Vegetables |
| 6 | Tea / two squirrels | Citrus | Beans / vegetables | Kefir | Boiled Fish / Vegetables |
| 7 | Curd with tea | Apple | Boiled beef / vegetable soup / bread | Curd | Boiled beef / fresh vegetables |
Ducan's Diet
User results range from one to four pounds lost in seven days. An example menu is presented in the table:
| Days | Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| 1 | Protein omelette Lightly salted salmon Coffee |
Chicken cutlets Kefir |
Curd Yogurt |
Seafood platter (soup, cocktail) |
| 2 | Cottage cheese casserole Tea (herbal, green, black) |
Veal / Vegetable Meatball Salad | Kefir + bran | Vegetable stew with chicken platter |
| 3 | Baked cheesecakes with sour cream Coffee |
Chowder or fish soup | Apple, Citrus or Kiwi | Baked meat and vegetables plate |
| 4 | Curd Kefir |
Solyanka Meat | Lightly Salted Salmon and Vegetable Sandwich | Roll with meat and vegetables |
| 5 | Chicken fillet Apple Tea |
Baked fish / whole wheat bread | Pancake with cottage cheese and bran | Chicken cutlets / vegetable salad |
| 6 | Boiled chicken egg Lightly salted salmon Coffee |
Bean Stew / Vegetable Salad | Cheesecakes Herbal tea |
Steamed fish fillet / cole slaw |
| 7 | Fried eggs with added meat Coffee |
Meat soup with vegetables | Apple, Citrus or Kiwi Cheese |
Baked Fish / Vegetables Red wine |
Protein and carbohydrate diet for weight loss
A sample menu for a week within this food system is presented in the table:
| Days | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| 1 | Cottage cheese + nuts Coffee + cream |
Apple / one | Chicken and lentil soup | Tea + jam | Curry |
| 2 | Protein omelette Herbal tea |
Orange / one | Spinach soup | Kefir | Chicken nuggets |
| 3 | Cottage cheese casserole Coffee + milk |
Kiwi / two pieces | Salmon in milk | Yogurt | Egg salad |
| 4 | Porridge + fruit + honey | Maroon / uno | Soup with potatoes and sour cream | Dates / handful | Buckwheat salad with honey and cabbage |
| 5 | Cottage cheese + honey casserole Tea + jam |
Banana | Fish and shrimp soup | Yogurt | Protein and carbohydrate salad |
| 6 | Boiled proteins / two pieces Herbal tea |
Tangerines / two | Oriental soup (with eggs and pink salmon) | Curdled milk | Kebab (turkey + vegetables) |
| 7 | Rice porridge Cookies Coffee + sugar |
Banana | Minestrone | Bake | Empanadillas (potatoes and cabbage) |
Protein diet for women
The recommendations are given in the table (the numbers correspond to pieces and grams):
| Days | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| 1 | Curd / 200 Coffee |
Apples / 1 | Baked chicken fillet / 100 Black bread |
Yogurt | Fish Vegetable salad |
| 2 | Yogurt | Orange / 1 | Meat + vegetables | Kefir | Fish + vegetables |
| 3 | Hard boiled eggs Tea |
Grapefruit / 1 | Chicken fillet + brown rice | Yogurt | Baked beef Vegetable salad |
| 4 | Kefir Oatmeal cookies / 3 |
Banana / 1 | Turkey fillet | Ryazhenka | Baked Fish Vegetable salad |
| 5 | Curd / 200 | Apple / 1 | Baked beef Black bread |
Kefir | Baked fish Vegetable salad |
| 6 | Tortilla | Maroon / 1 | Baked chicken fillet Vegetable salad |
Yogurt | Fish + baked vegetables |
| 7 | Curd / 200 | Tangerines / 2 | Boiled beef Black bread |
Kefir | Baked fish + broccoli |
Duration of protein diet
The classic variation assumes three types of duration in days:
The maximum number of days is fourteen. The meaning assumes the presence of physical activity, with a passive lifestyle, this type of nutrition can lead to impaired kidney function. To reduce the load on the internal organs, it is required to consume large amounts of liquid. Exceeding the recommended duration can result in:
- increased fatigue;
- decreased mental alertness;
- headaches;
- urolithiasis;
- brittleness, dullness of hair shafts, nail plates;
- increased dryness of the epidermis;
- renal edema.
The reason for the damage in the form of the presented side effects of a long adherence to the requirements of the protein system is imbalance, which creates a load on the body. Despite the undoubted benefits of protein for the body, its predominance in the diet can be detrimental to health. At the end of the recommended time frames, you should gradually abandon this program and not repeat it throughout the year.
Protein diet recipes for weight loss
Tortilla
You can cook in a double boiler, microwave or multi-cooker.
Prepare the components and add them to the bowl:
- raw chicken eggs / four pieces;
- milk / half a glass.
Cooking instructions:
- Beat the ingredients with a mixer.
- Immerse in the steamer container.
- Cook under normal conditions for twenty minutes.
Baked chum salmon
Prepare the components and add them to the container:
- fish fillets / one piece;
- lemon juice / teaspoon;
- spices / to taste;
- hard cheese / twenty grams;
- yogurt / two tablespoons;
- tomato / one piece.
Cooking instructions:
- Wash the steak, pour with juice, add spices.
- Let marinate for twenty minutes.
- Cut the tomato into rings.
- Place the vegetable.
- Spread the steak with yogurt.
- Place the cheese.
- Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Bake for thirty minutes.
How to get off the diet
The weight lost is given to the body by stress, but after the period suggested by the weight loss or weight maintenance program, the transition to a normal diet should be gradual. This requirement is basic and the duration of the maintenance of the value reached in the scales depends on compliance. If the next day you suddenly start consuming most of the prohibited products, the stocks are plagued not only with a return to their original form, but also with a large set.
Basic principles of output:
- exclusion of the sugar component from beverages (tea, coffee);
- consumption of minimal amounts of flour and sweet products;
- do not eat too fatty foods;
- a sip of water on an empty stomach;
- oatmeal or low-fat cottage cheese for breakfast;
- lunch: low-fat soup, baked fish or meat (not fried);
- refrain from potatoes (contains starch);
- small servings at least three and no more than five times during the day.
Familiar diet ingredients should be added slowly to daily menus. Exercise, relaxing procedures enhance the effect.
Output
- A protein diet can cause the kidneys and other organs to malfunction due to stress on the body. The food system is contraindicated in a number of diseases, therefore, you should first consult with a dietitian or therapist for contraindications.
- Eating protein foods and excluding carbohydrates from the diet requires mandatory physical activity. Only in combination with exercises will it be possible to achieve the best results.
- You should not be happy about the first few kilos lost, they are not fat, but water that leaves the body.
- In some cases, it is not possible to lose, but to accumulate fat in the body, deterioration of the nail structure, loss of hair strands. In addition, the immune system is under pressure - the diet must be enriched with vitamins consumed internally.
- It is necessary to leave the diet without problems: excessive consumption of foods high in carbohydrates will lead not only to the restoration of lost kilograms, but also to gain more.