Protein diet for weight loss: the menu for the week includes various foods with the highest protein content, which can lead to malfunctioning of some organs, hit the immune system and has a number of contraindications. Nutritionists recommend using this method of losing extra pounds or gaining 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, meat dishes. It is strictly forbidden to eat foods containing sugar on this type of diet, which can lead to significant discomfort for sweet lovers and affect brain activity. About 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, is harmful in excess, as well as in deficiency. Let's try together to understand this complex mechanism and find out all the pros and cons of the predominance of protein in the diet for muscle and fat mass.
Protein is a nitrogen-containing complex 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 - by eating it inside with food. Scheme of this type of connection:
- Ingestion with food.
- Destruction in the digestive system to amino acids.
- Synthesis of protein and enzymatic substances from decay products.
Thus, a lack of protein contributes to:
- stunted growth and development;
- deficiency of enzyme substances for digestion;
- anemia;
- decrease in defensive ability;
- dystrophy;
- decreased muscle mass.
Since the essence of the protein diet is the increased amount of protein consumed, it should be said about the effect of its excess, which leads to:
- creating excessive stress on the kidneys;
- increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases;
- weakening of bones due to loss of calcium (excreted in the urine from the body) and osteoporosis;
- impaired metabolism;
- gastritis;
- constipation and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- headaches.
The risk of developing diseases increases if the recommendations are not followed: drinking 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;
- cut carbohydrates to the minimum possible.
When ingested with food, protein compounds that the body has not processed become:
- glucose;
- fat.
This diet acts as an express tool for the loss of excess adipose tissue. Protein food takes a long time to digest, so there is no feeling of hunger. To reduce the load on the organs, you should take 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 harm yourself.
Pros of a Protein Diet
This nutritional system assumes a rapid loss of pounds without the desire to eat. Other positive aspects:
- long saturation;
- variety in the diet;
- the calories for the food consumed are not limited;
- preservation of results for a long period, provided that the exit rules are followed;
- efficiency in the form of ten kilograms in fourteen days.
Who is contraindicated on a protein diet
With obvious advantages, the power supply system is not without drawbacks in the form:
- unbalanced diet;
- significant burden on organs;
- loss of minerals (excreted in the urine);
- lack of vitamins, minerals and nutrients;
- refusal from sweet, flour products (creates discomfort for lovers);
- mandatory physical activity is required - without this, the body will be harmed.
Due to its shortcomings, the program has a number of contraindications:
- pregnancy period;
- children's age;
- age over 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, therapists for contraindications.
Rules
Recommendations:
- compulsory physical activity in the form of a set of exercises;
- you should burn more calories daily than you consume (the difference should be equal to three hundred kilocalories);
- take small portions, but often;
- consumption of metabolic boosters and natural fat burners (coffee, green tea);
- calculating the minimum amount of proteins - forty grams / day - and the maximum - 140 grams / day;
- additional use of vitamin and mineral complexes.
In the early days, weight loss occurs due to fluid loss, possibly weight gain due to muscle mass growth. The weight loss program is unbalanced, promotes the loss of minerals and requires the mandatory introduction of multivitamins. The measure will allow avoiding 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 number of diets that have been developed by different nutritionists, the difference lies in the duration and rules:
- according to Dukan(in stages, has a number of requirements, calorie counting is not needed, you need to consume a reduced amount of salt and prevent thirst);
- by Malysheva(lasts for twenty-eight days, does not allow hunger, you need to eat five times, you need to count calories, you need to eat simple carbohydrates);
- Kremlin view(assumes scoring - 1 = 1 gram of carbohydrates / 100 grams of this product - and vegetable days);
- according to Atkins(low-carb system, it is forbidden to eat cheeses, meat, dairy products);
- by 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 | Everyone | 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, no 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 | Everyone | Fast and effective weight loss, improves kidney and other organ function | It is forbidden to eat many essential foods |
| Maggi | Everyone | Self-selection of the menu, simple rules, no age restrictions | Requires an increased amount of eggs, leading to increased cholesterol |
The Ducan Diet focuses on lowering carbohydrates in the early stages. To improve the functioning of the digestive system, the diet is supplemented with bran. In subsequent stages, the body continues to lose weight, but carbohydrate-containing foods begin to return to the menu again.
Malysheva's program assumes a long-term system of weight loss, which leads to long-term results. Basic principles: taking at least two liters or ten glasses of water during the day, avoiding 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;
- protein-containing and fat-containing foods 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 foods that are allowed to be consumed as part of a protein diet:
- high protein content;
- low concentration of fatty component.
Only materials that meet these requirements can serve as ingredients for the preparation of the daily menu. The list includes (name / example):
- lean poultry / chicken, turkey;
- rabbit meat;
- veal;
- lean beef;
- offal / liver (contains vitamins and minerals in the chemical composition);
- lean fish / tilapia;
- salad;
- parsley;
- cilantro;
- dill;
- vegetables / cucumber, tomato, onion, zucchini;
- chicken or quail egg white;
- fruit crops and juices / apple, citrus;
- porridge made of rice, buckwheat, oats (no 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 / black, red pepper;
- sauces / soy etc.
Perhaps the use of apple cider vinegar, seafood, tofu, low-fat cheese.
Nutritional value is not an indicator for determining the suitability of a component; one should focus on the amount of carbohydrate and fat components. When calculating the amount of protein, data from food packages provided by manufacturers should be used as sources of information.
Prohibited Products
The following checklist can help determine the suitability of food, which includes:
- pork, fish with a high percentage of fat;
- pasta;
- bakery products;
- all types of cereals other than those specified in the permitted list;
- fruit crops (only apples and citruses are allowed) (bananas are not recommended);
- potatoes (high percentage of starch);
- corn;
- carrots (contains sugar);
- beets (contains sugar);
- fructose;
- sugar and sweeteners;
- juices (except allowed);
- sugar-containing products;
- beverages with added sugar;
- carbonated water (mineral and other types of drinks);
- mayonnaise;
- ketchups;
- any sauces containing a high percentage of fat.
Protein drinks
Daily in the diet should be at least 1. 2 and not more than 1. 6 grams of protein for the normal functioning of the body. You can also provide the norm by drinking drinks with an increased content of this component during the day. There are three drink options:
- protein shakes from powders;
- homemade cocktails;
- milk, fermented milk products, juices separately.
Powdered protein shakes are concentrated mixtures with minimal or no fatty and carbohydrate components. A distinctive feature is the ease of assimilation.
You can make a high protein drink by blending 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 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 |
| Oat and berry | 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 high in protein, not all are suitable for diets - when choosing, you should adhere to the list of prohibited foods for a particular diet.
7 Day Protein Diet Menu
When composing the menu for the day, one should take into account the manufacturer's data on the composition of the product, general data are given in the list(name / calories / protein / fat / carbohydrates):
- chicken fillet / 110 / 23, 1 / 1, 2 / -;
- Ideyka fillet / 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.
Recommendations for use are given in the table:
| Product / Group / Period | Reception time |
| Breakfast | No later than three hours (counting down upon waking) |
| Dinner | At least three hours of sleep time |
| Complex carbohydrates | Small portions in the morning - no later than 14: 00 |
| Apples (no more than two) or citrus fruits | Before lunch |
| Combination of proteins with non-starchy vegetables (tomato, cucumber, celery) | After 14: 00 |
When drawing up a daily diet, these rules should be followed.No more than thirty grams of vegetable fats in the form of linseed oil is allowed.
The Simplest Protein Diet
Food in this program is taken five times in essence, adhering to the recommendations above. The menu is shown in the table below:
| Days | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| 1 | Curd | Fruit / apple | Whole grain bread / chicken fillet | Natural Yogurt | Steamed fish / vegetable salad |
| 2 | Tea | Orange | Beef / stewed vegetables | Kefir | Baked fish |
| 3 | Tea / Three Chicken Egg Whites | Apple | Boiled turkey fillet with rice | Curd | Boiled beef / 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 grain 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 Omelet Light salted salmon Coffee |
Chicken cutlets Kefir |
Curd Yogurt |
Seafood platter (soup, cocktail) |
| 2 | Cottage cheese casserole Tea (herbal, green, black) |
Veal Meatballs / Vegetable Salad | Kefir + bran | Vegetable stew with chicken platter |
| 3 | Baked cheesecakes with sour cream Coffee |
Fish soup or fish soup | Apple, Citrus or Kiwi | Baked meat and vegetable dish |
| 4 | Curd Kefir |
Meat solyanka | Lightly salted salmon and greens sandwich | Roll with meat and vegetables |
| 5 | Chicken fillet Apple Tea |
Baked fish / whole grain 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 steak / cabbage salad |
| 7 | Fried eggs with added meat Coffee |
Meat soup with vegetables | Apple, Citrus or Kiwi Cheese |
Baked fish / vegetables Red Wine |
Protein-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 + dried fruits Coffee + cream |
Apple / one | Lentil Chicken Chowder | Tea + jam | Curry |
| 2 | Protein Omelet 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 | Oatmeal porridge + fruit + honey | Garnet / one | Soup with potatoes and sour cream | Dates / handful | Buckwheat / salad with honey and cabbage |
| 5 | Cottage cheese casserole + honey Tea + jam |
Banana | Fish and Shrimp Soup | Yogurt | Protein and Carbohydrate Salad |
| 6 | Boiled proteins / two pieces Herbal tea |
Tangerines / two | Oriental soup (from eggs and pink salmon) | Curdled milk | Kebab (turkey + vegetables) |
| 7 | Rice porridge Cookies Coffee + sugar |
Banana | Minestrone | Baking | Dumplings (potato and cabbage) |
Protein Diet for Women
Recommendations are given in the table (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 | Beef + vegetables | Kefir | Fish + vegetables |
| 3 | 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 | Omelet | Garnet / 1 | Baked chicken fillet Vegetable salad |
Yogurt | Baked fish + vegetables |
| 7 | Curd / 200 | Tangerines / 2 | Boiled beef Black bread |
Kefir | Baked fish + broccoli |
Duration of the 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 provoke:
- increased fatigue;
- decreased mental alertness;
- headaches;
- urolithiasis;
- fragility, lack of shine of hair shafts, nail plates;
- increased dryness of the epidermis;
- kidney edema.
The reason for the damage in the form of the presented side effects of long adherence to the requirements of the protein system is imbalance, creating a load on the body. Despite the undoubted benefits of proteins for the body, their predominance in the diet can be harmful to health. At the end of the recommended terms, you should gradually leave this program and not repeat it throughout the year.
Protein Diet Recipes for Weight Loss
Omelet
You can cook in a double boiler, microwave or multicooker.
Prepare the components and add to the bowl:
- raw chicken eggs / four pieces;
- milk / half glass.
Cooking instructions:
- Whisk the ingredients with a mixer.
- Immerse in the container of the steamer.
- Cook under normal conditions for twenty minutes.
Chum salmon
Prepare the components and add to the bowl:
- fish steaks / 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.
- Marinate for twenty minutes.
- Cut the tomato into rings.
- Place the vegetable.
- Brush the steak with yogurt.
- Place the cheese.
- Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Bake for thirty minutes.
How to get out of the diet
The lost weight is given to the body by stress, but after the period suggested by the weight loss or maintenance program, the transition to a normal diet should be gradual. This requirement is basic and the duration of maintaining the achieved value on the scales depends on compliance. If the next day you suddenly start using most of the prohibited products, actions are fraught not only with a return to their original form, but also with a large set.
Basic Exit Principles:
- exclusion of the sugar component from drinks (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);
- abstain from potatoes (contains starch);
- small portions at least three and no more than five times during the day.
Familiar dietary ingredients should be added slowly to daily menus. Exercise, relaxing procedures enhance the effect.
Output
- A protein diet can lead to malfunctioning of the kidneys and other organs due to the stress on the body. The food system is contraindicated in a number of diseases, therefore, you must first consult with a dietitian or therapist for contraindications.
- Eating protein foods and excluding carbohydrates from the diet requires compulsory physical activity. Only in combination with exercises will it be possible to achieve the best results.
- You shouldn't rejoice at the first pounds lost - these are not fats, 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 structure of nails, loss of hair strands. Also, the immune system is under pressure - the diet should be enriched with vitamins consumed internally.
- It is necessary to leave the diet smoothly - excessive consumption of foods high in carbohydrates will lead not only to the restoration of lost kilograms, but also to gain more.