Protein diet for weight loss: 3 menus, pros and cons of the diet

A high-protein diet includes a variety of nutritious foods

Hi everyone! Today I will tell you how to lose up to 3 kilos in 10 days without being hungry and without much exercise. We were taught that success can only be achieved 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, under various conditions. Below, you'll 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 contraindications),
  • permitted and prohibited products,
  • scheduled food for several days,
  • reviews from those who have tried the system themselves.

What causes protein weight loss?

What have you heard about protein diet? Many people often confuse it with keto nutrition. However, there are small but fundamental differences between these weight loss options. Look at the diagram.

  • Macronutrient percentage on keto: B - 20%, F - 75%, U - 5%;
  • Ratio of nutrients to protein diet: B - 70%, F - 5%, U - 25%;

The high-fat diet (keto) involves eating large amounts of high-fat foods. If it is fish, it is the fattest; if it's meat, it's definitely not lean. And most importantly, there should be no other elements. Carbohydrates, even complex ones, are prohibited; they can only be obtained from vegetables, herbs and a few other products.

Healthy, protein-rich food for weight loss

Losing weight on a protein diet, on the contrary, rather prohibits eating too fatty foods and allows a small amount of "long-term" carbohydrates for breakfast or lunch. In addition, you are allowed to eat unsweetened dairy products and fermented milk products.

That is, you practically do not limit yourself in food, you do not feel hunger and at the same time you lose volume and weight. The main thing is to maintain your calorie intake, protein foods are very filling, you simply may not get the calories you need, this will slow down the weight loss process. It can be calculated using the calorie chart. There are a lot of them online. Print and hang on your fridge for easy counting, or use the free app. The daily norm for weight loss with a less active lifestyle is 1200-1500 kcal.

The best 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 exertion it can even grow.

The advantage of this diet is that due to the lack of fast carbohydrates:

  • first, excess moisture is removed,
  • and secondly, reserves from the sides, hips and abdomen are used.

Therefore, you will 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 constitutes a protein product. Many people may have different ideas about them.

Turkey or chicken breast in the protein food menu

Here's what you should buy while on the 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 (better not to take too fatty), seafood,
  • mushrooms,
  • vegetable oils,
  • lentils,
  • egg,
  • whey protein (optional, but as a snack - salvation for the lazy).

You should also have on your shopping list:

  • green vegetables and fruits (avoid too sweet fruits and limit yourself to 1-2 pieces per day),
  • from grains, oats, buckwheat, brown rice (although in moderation),
  • greener.

Avoid frying like. . . it depletes amino acids. It is best to pick, bake or boil the ingredients.

Here is a list of what should be excluded from the diet:

  • sweets (anything containing sugar),
  • honey,
  • buns and white bread,
  • soda and any kind of alcohol,
  • semi-finished products, including sausages and frankfurters (even if they have an optimal composition),
  • canned food,
  • pasta,
  • grains with a high glycemic index (white rice),
  • sauces,
  • spicy food
  • fast food and street food.

I remind you that this list of restrictions is only for 7-14 days. Then you can gradually introduce the ingredients.

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 exercise, a person needs 0. 66-0. 8 g. protein per kilogram of body weight (WHO). For weight loss on a protein diet, this criterion 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 does not take into account your current body weight, but the one you want.

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 with respect to BJU and is suitable for time limited use. The best 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'm going to dwell more on this point.

By the way, for people who do not get enough protein in their daily diet, switching to a similar diet can even be useful - eating habits should be reorganized.

Amino acids in animal and plant foods are important for immunity, especially during the cold season. Residents of coastal countries get sick less because they regularly eat oily fish.

In addition, without proteins, it is impossible to maintain youthful skin. Flabbiness, lethargy, peeling, early wrinkles - these are among other symptoms of the lack of meat and fermented milk in the daily menu.

It is especially important for women to get all the micronutrients. Their deficiency leads to inflammatory processes in the female reproductive system, difficulty in conceiving, dizziness, etc.

You can include small amounts of vegetables in your protein diet.

Fun side effects of this diet include decreased appetite and weight loss. Tried it myself - after a good steak you don't want to eat soon. And you completely forget sweets.

Once I went on fish oil and noticed that I started craving sweets and cookies less. However, don't rush to get ready for the supermarket. Let's figure it out, is this menu right for you?

To whom and how much?

Although diet is an obvious PP mood, it has several limitations.

  • First, it is not balanced. Carbohydrates and fats will decrease. Add here the lack of vitamins and minerals.

    Therefore, it is not recommended to abuse this menu. A week, maximum 14 days. This is an important period where the body will understand that something is missing and will start to rebel. But we don't want that. Ideally, take a supplemental vitamin for seven to fourteen days. Of course, by agreement with your doctor.

  • Second, the load on the kidneys is significant, which means they are working to the limit. It shouldn't be like this.
  • Thirdly, the recommended break between diets is at least 3 months and preferably six months. That is to say, such a quick measure cannot be used against the New Year's rush, and then even after March 8. Only two to four times a year, sensibly, with the right shopping list and well-thought-out 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 kilos, then you can definitely switch to a protein diet.

But as always, I strongly advise you to consult a doctor or a licensed nutritionist before experimenting on yourself.

Here is a list of contraindications where you should not eat a lot of protein at dinner, lunch and breakfast:

  • pregnancy and breastfeeding,
  • kidney problems,
  • diabetes,
  • chronic diseases,
  • anemia,
  • diseases of the female reproductive system,
  • liver problems,
  • gastrointestinal diseases.

Also, children and teenagers should not be switched to only meat and dairy products. Their growing bodies require large amounts of carbohydrate fuel.

Advantages of the system

Let's outline all the advantages of the system:

  • A relatively safe weight loss technique. This is not a diet with its sharp hit on the immune system and not a merciless detox. In reasonable amounts and with a healthy approach, nothing bad will happen,
  • really effective weight loss system. According to my friends, they lost the pounds without much effort,
  • ideal diet at home. No complicated recipes or dishes. Very simple, understandable food that is sold in all supermarkets,
  • I don't want sweets at all and my appetite decreases. This is true! I checked it myself. Sometimes the need for dinner disappeared completely,
  • you can organize Fridays even on vacation or on a trip (of course, if you have a strong will),
  • easy to prepare dishes.

What about the cons?

Disadvantages of protein nutrition

Don't rush into buying a chicken and egg until you've read the following points:

  • a relatively small list of food items. There are options to choose from, but a number of familiar ingredients are still banned. For example, the same potatoes,
  • At first there may be weakness and nervousness due to the lack of carbohydrates. Even real sugar reactions take place. If you have a sweet tooth, be patient for a few days, it will get easier,
  • problems with bowel movements. Constipation can occur due to a lack of fiber. You can solve the problem by taking vegetable oils in raw form, drinking at least one and a half liters of water and adding vegetable salad to the menu,
  • there is an ammonia smell from the mouth. This happens when there is more protein in the body than usual. Only drinking enough fluids will help a little here,
  • You need to be careful with your diet. Many "nutritionists" write that the weight goes away and does not come back. Yes, this is true, but provided that you gradually and correctly transition to a normal diet. Gradually add small portions of complex carbohydrates, and then gradually addwith sweets and starchy foods,
  • if you are in treatment or don't want to stop drinking alcohol, you shouldn't even start,
  • you need to eat small portions 4-6 times. This item 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 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 evaluate your options and needs. If such weight loss does not suit you, there are many options to reduce the amount without harming your health.

Protein diet for weight loss: menu for several days

I offer 3 meals. You can switch and combine dishes of your choice. Add something of your own. I purposely didn't plan it for the week, because there are many options. You will see for yourself.

Omelette is an ideal breakfast for those who lose weight on a protein diet

Option 1

Breakfast

  • Two boiled eggs
  • 30 grams of cheese
  • Vegetable salad with a teaspoon of oil
  • Coffee

Snacks

After a few hours, have a snack of natural yogurt 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 few hours before sleep - kefir.

Remember to drink a few glasses of water between meals.

Option 2

Breakfast

  • 2 whole grain toast, spread with cream cheese, topped with avocado and a piece of lightly salted fish.
  • 1 boiled egg, 30 grams of hard cheese.
  • Coffee is the perfect start to the day.

Snacks

A handful of nuts and vegetables cut into strips.

Dinner

  • Soup is a good starter for lunch. Any version of it without potatoes or rice.
  • Baked chicken fillet in spices under a cheese lid.
  • A serving of broccoli or cauliflower.

Dinner

  • Fried chicken breast, 3 tablespoons of buckwheat, cucumber salad with tomatoes, herbs and onions. Season with a teaspoon of oil.
  • If desired, before bedtime - part of whey protein in milk 3, 2% or kefir.

Option 3

Breakfast

  • Omelette with vegetables and pieces of cooked turkey.
  • Buckwheat bread with feta cheese.
  • Coffee or tea.

Snacks

Kefir with some unsweetened fruit. I sometimes mix the ingredients in a blender and get a rich smoothie.

Dinner

For lunch, make a fashionable bowl: mix some cooked cereal (rice or lentils) on 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 lasts well into 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 need the simplest recipes and quick meals.

What are people saying?

The girls I know said they resorted to protein diets when they needed to lose a few pounds quickly. According to them, such weight loss was one of the gentlest in life. There is no need to strictly limit your food intake, on the contrary, you had to force yourself to eat regularly.

Here is what my friend says:

"I was on a protein diet for 7 days and lost 3 kilos. Without effort and hunger. The first two days I really wanted hot dogs and sweets. It was strange to drink tea without sugar. But on the third day it somehow got easier. On the plus side, I weaned myself off drinking sugary hot drinks. "