Protein diet for weight loss

The time for sun, relaxation, flying clothes and bikinis is over. The beautiful ladies have already managed to relax a bit and even pamper themselves with something very tasty and no less "very" calorie rich. There is no doubt that small pleasures make everyday life brighter and more positive. The most important thing is to tell yourself to stop on time! Otherwise, the appearance of being overweight very quickly and, as the experience of weight loss shows, will bring uncertainty, negativity and problems into your life for a long time.

But what if time is still lost? How to quickly return to normal at home? Is a protein diet so effective every day?

Does the perfect have to be perfect?

Before we talk about diet, let’s see if there’s such a thing as an "ideal weight". The answer seems to be absolutely obvious, because the whole fashion and "healthy" lifestyle industry tells us every day that we have to meet certain standards of beauty and health. Ideals that we did not invent and, of course, have nothing to do with understanding human nature and the biological mechanisms of our functioning. Nevertheless, we are motivated in every way possible to strive for certain standards, to show results in the pool, in the gym, in street jogging. The tragedy of the situation is that we do things that are very appropriate for our bodies, not because they bring satisfaction and benefit, but solely for the sake of compliance. We do not pay attention to our well-being, we do not pay attention to the signals that the body gives, we measure and we measure our body! And as a result, we are only exacerbating the situation.

Everyone, penetrating, recognizing, ready to act and what to start with? And you have to start with your own definition of imperfect weight. It’s the same, unique to everyone, but it causes the same inconvenience and dissatisfaction.

What is imperfect weight?

Try typing a query into any search engine to determine your ideal weight and you’ll get links to dozens of calculators and spreadsheets. And none of them take into account:

• heredity (genetic predisposition);
• presence of chronic diseases;
• the number of fat cells in the body and their ability to store fat;
• metabolism (metabolism) in the body;
• your lifestyle - stress, sleep and wakefulness, mobility, quality and way of diet.

When we put everything together, it becomes clear that we all have our own, individual imperfect weight. How do you know when to act? If you find one or more of the following points, your weight is far from ideal:

• weight negatively affects your health - your general health has deteriorated, you start to get tired faster, your joints and back are worried for the first time, shortness of breath appears, the pressure rises periodically, bowel function leaves much to be desired;
• weight is starting to make unpleasant changes in your life. You are unable to perform your normal activities (all that requires mobility and physical endurance), limit yourself in clothing, feel uncomfortable on public transport or in crowded places, start adjusting your life and work plan based on your weight. .

Remember that if you are serious about taking care of yourself, start seeing a nutritionist and endocrinologist. This will be the best thing you can do for yourself. Only professionals in medicine and proper nutrition can work together to help maintain your health and improve your quality of life. Let’s not forget the need for a constant presence of physical activity in your life.

What is a protein diet

How can you adjust your menu in order to lose the pounds that hinder your entire life? A high-protein diet can help with this - a diet based on foods that are high in protein and significantly limit carbohydrates and fats. With this nutrition technique, you can lose 14 kg in 3 months.

The principle of a protein diet is to eat foods that contain proteins that regulate our body’s metabolism. This avoids the main disadvantage of any diet - a decrease in the intake of proteins in the body, which in turn leads to rapid depletion of the body (internal organs, they get less protein, they start to pull them out) out of the muscle tissue). All this leads to weakness, poor physical well-being and sagging skin.

Benefits of following a protein diet

The benefits that distinguish a protein diet from any other diet seem to be quite significant:

• maintaining a healthy muscular system;
• the ability to combine diet even with serious physical activity;
• the impossibility of developing painful complications such as anorexia;
• lack of exhausting, stressful hunger (protein foods are absorbed by the body for 3-4 hours);
• protein diet foods contain large amounts of fiber, which ensures the smooth functioning of the intestines;
• due to the rather slow, gradual weight loss, without much effort, the necessary weight can be maintained even after leaving the diet;
• good health - absolutely no weakness, dizziness and nausea that are typical of other types of diets;
• flowering look, there is a real rejuvenation of the body - the condition of the skin, hair and nails improves.

It is important to note that the maximum effect on the health of your body can only be achieved if you follow the rules of dietary nutrition combined with physical activity, all organs and their systems must be exercised.

Disadvantages and contraindications of protein diet

When you decide to transform your diet according to the principles of a protein diet, remember - there is no ideal diet! Any diet comes with certain restrictions or exceptions, which means that the load on the body inevitably increases. That is why there is nothing to say but the disadvantages of following a protein diet.

1. A protein diet should be short term. Long-term intake of protein foods causes problems in the bone system (excessive protein intake leads to leaching of calcium from bone tissue, which makes bones very fragile).
2. Permanent restriction of carbohydrate intake can negatively affect overall performance.
3. The nervous system is also under attack in response to the lack of enough fat in the diet - the main material for nerve cell reproduction. The main signs of this condition are increased nervousness and irritability.
4. A long-term protein diet can upset the balance of blood particles - hemoglobin production increases dramatically.
5. Protein-containing foods leave large amounts of "breakdown product" behind, leading to increased strain on the kidneys (their excretion).

Protein diet menu

A protein diet should be based on several principles that guarantee the required results (for example, 10 kg weight loss):

1. Proteins make up at least 60% of the total diet.
2. Rejection of permanent snacks, therefore, preference is given to protein products with a long digestive cycle.
3. There should be at least 5 or 6 meals during the day and the interval between them should not exceed 3 hours.
4. Refusal to fry, all food should be cooked by frying, steaming or steaming.
5. You can add certain vegetables and fruits to your diet for a better nutritional balance.

The presence of regular physical activity in the body.

The main products of a protein diet

Meat products	Chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit Exception: lamb, pork (high fat)
Low fat fish (up to 4% fat)	Pink salmon, pollock, cod, navaga, perch, perch, gray
Milk and fermented milk products have a fat content of up to 3-5%	Kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheese
Cereals	Rice, oatmeal, buckwheat
Bread	Whole grain only
Vegetables	All "green" vegetables, as well as any other, in small quantities, 2-3 times a week
Drink	Sour fruit drinks and unsweetened homemade compotes and juices (diluted 1: 1 with mineral water), herbal teas and herbal teas, unsweetened coffee
Butter	Olives, flax seeds, sunflowers - in strictly limited quantities
Mushroom	Cooked
Egg
Legumes

There are several main prohibited products:

• flour products - pasta, baked goods, bread;
• sugar and sugar-containing products and food-bakery products, ice cream, chocolate, confectionery, prepared juices, fruit drinks, etc . ;
• any sausage product;
• butter;
• potatoes and foods containing them;
• alcohol and any alcoholic product;
• fast food and industrial foods.

Important! Regardless of which of the protein diets you want to use (short or long term), keep in mind that the duration of diet meals should not be more than 1 time in 6 months.

Short-term (fast) protein diet (3 days)

The main features of such a "fast" protein diet are a complete lack of snacks, strict adherence to 3 meals a day, and a ban on any, even the most insignificant, physical activity. However, the use of unsweetened herbal teas is permitted in the intervals between meals.

• breakfast - 1 boiled chicken egg, cooked in any form (steep, poached, etc. ), can be replaced by quail eggs, taking into account the caloric value;
• lunch and dinner-150-200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese (up to 3-5% fat) and tea without sweetener (the use of sugar and honey is unacceptable);
• fluid consumption - at least 2 liters per day;
• last meal no later than 18: 00.

When you exit a short-term protein diet, follow the principle of gradation so as not to damage your health, add foods and increase their amount gradually over 1-2 weeks. Start by adding cereals and fruits, then add dairy and sour milk products (watch the fat content of the products).

Unfortunately, no matter how much we don’t want to, but it’s hard to call it such a balanced diet, the body experiences acute vitamin and mineral deficiencies during the protein diet period (especially in the short term). To minimize the potential negative consequences of such restrictions, start taking vitamin complexes designed for long-term (1-3 months) intake approximately one week before your diet.

When deciding to start a fast protein diet, evaluate not only your current physical condition but also the emotional and mental tensions that are expected during this period. Stop the diet (or change it over time) if:

• recently suffered from a medical condition;
• faces a period of severe physical, mental or emotional stress;
• Older than 50 years;
• have problems with the liver and / or kidneys and the cardiovascular system;
• - if you have previously (or are currently being diagnosed) with bleeding disorders (increased risk of thrombosis) and signs of diabetes.

And of course, using any diet is categorically not possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If you want to schedule your menu for a longer period of time, such as a month, for a protein-rich diet, it’s best to contact a specialist. Not only can they make a diet based on their allowable calorie content and the list of allowed foods, but they also make it as balanced as possible.