For some reason, it is generally accepted that fat accumulated in the winter automatically evaporates due to an active lifestyle. No matter how it is! Many of us, when we get out of light shorts and loose sundress at the end of the season, realize we’ve gained significant weight. Memorable barbecue trips, cozy gatherings in the ice cream parlor, and exotic delicacies tasted at a foreign resort are immediately recalled.
But it’s not time to lose your temper, you have to act! August to September is the time for watermelon, and the striped berry icing is not only delicious, but also useful for those who dream of losing weight. Nutritionists call the watermelon diet one of the most effective and gentle. In the meantime, you don’t have to deal with the excruciating hunger that disrupts life and work. You just have to follow a diet and the positive dynamics don’t last long.
What is the effectiveness of the watermelon diet
Watermelon pulp is a storehouse of valuable micro- and macroelements, vitamins and organic acids. The iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium salts it contains have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system, hematopoiesis and cardiovascular system. Watermelon fiber helps cleanse the body of toxins and remove harmful cholesterol. The acid-base balance is regulated by the presence of alkaline compounds in the product, and pectin fibers normalize intestinal motility. In addition, regular consumption of watermelon is an excellent prevention of cancer.
How to calculate the dose
No matter how invaluable watermelon, uncontrolled consumption of juicy pulp, like any product, can have catastrophic consequences - diarrhea, nausea and severe stomach pain.
The formula for calculating your individual daily intake is simple: 1 kg of watermelon pulp for every 10 kg. That is, if you can eat up to 6 kg of watermelons weighing 60 kg without any health risk, of course not in one sitting, but divided into equal parts.
Watermelon diet options
If you’re afraid you only need to eat watermelon pulp during your diet, that’s not the case. The striped wonderberry works well with other foods, allowing for a variety of menus. Choose the right version of the watermelon diet for you:
- With melon: the famous aromatic relative - the melon - is helped by the sugar "bun". During the diet, eat light, low-calorie foods (low-fat cottage cheese, hard cheese, lean meats, vegetables), and melon slices serve as a healthy snack.
- With kefir: very good in the summer heat. Within 3 days, consume only the striped berry and kefir-zero pulp (you can take 1%). The interval between meals is 3 hours.
- With black bread: a good choice for those who lack flour during their diet. It simply replaces the watermelon slices with rye toast and becomes almost 1 kg lighter per day. The duration of the course is 10 days.
- With cucumbers: You eat only watermelons and cucumbers (1 kg per day) for 2 weeks. "Diluting" the daily menu is allowed with 1-2 rye toasts and a glass of zero yogurt.
- With Rice: This option only allows watermelon and rice (steamed, wild or brown). The daily standard for the products is: rice - 100 g, watermelon pulp - up to 1 kg for every 20 kg.
- With cottage cheese: the optimal weight loss program for dessert lovers. Eat low-fat cottage cheese (150-200 g each) for breakfast and afternoon tea, and a striped berry puree for the rest of the meal.
- Buckwheat porridge: an option that allows you to lose weight without feeling hungry. Buckwheat (1 kg per day) in oil-free water, watermelon (up to 5 kg per day), fresh vegetable salads and non-carbonated, non-carbonated drinks (green and herbal tea, lemon water) without sugar.
- Watermelon protein is an ideal diet for carnivores. Lean meat, low-fat fish, watermelon (2 kg per day) and dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free kefir, 1% milk) are allowed. The optimal duration of the course is 10 days.
If you are sitting on a watermelon diet, keep in mind that dieting is all about abandoning starchy foods, sweets, salt, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. Coffee lovers can replace their morning tea with a cup of their favorite drink.
Duration of the watermelon diet
So the decision to lose weight was made. Now assess the extent of the problem (the number of extra pounds) and your own willpower. Now choose a course of appropriate duration:
- 1, 2 or 3 days is a hard but effective relief of the body, during which only watermelon pulp and liquid (water, green tea) should be consumed.
- 5, 7, 10 or 14 days - milder programs in which the watermelon "works in a team" with other products.
Try not to show excessive fanaticism because only a completely healthy person can resist a long monodiet (the watermelon diet is like this) without unpleasant consequences.
Menu
According to many diets, the most successful of the watermelon diet courses is the five-day one, which allows you to eat other low-calorie foods in addition to watermelons.
This is what your meal plan for this period will look like:
One day
First breakfast:
- half a glass of tea (preferably green) or clear, still water;
- 1 soft-boiled chicken egg;
- a small dose of any porridge on the water.
Second breakfast: 2-3 slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- salad (cucumber + tomato) with olive oil;
- 200 g of lean fish;
- green tea.
Snack: watermelon slices.
Dinner (3-4 hours before bedtime): watermelon.
2 days
First breakfast:
- 200 g unsweetened fat-free cottage cheese;
- 2-3 watermelon slices;
- half a glass of tea or water (optional).
Second breakfast: a serving of watermelon.
Dinner:
- unsalted rice porridge in water without oil;
- watermelon.
Snack:
- 50 g of low-fat cottage cheese without sugar;
- 2 slices of watermelon.
Dinner: we cook the same as lunch.
3 days
First breakfast:
- unsweetened tea;
- 180 g fat-free cottage cheese;
- fruit salad (half a green apple + watermelon).
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2 small slices.
Dinner:
- 100 g of cooked chicken breast;
- salad (fresh cucumbers + herbs), flavored with olive oil or lemon juice.
- tea or water.
Snack: watermelon.
Dinner: vegetables - steamed, cooked or steamed.
4 days
First breakfast:
- a serving of oatmeal without oil. It can be cooked or steamed in a thermos overnight;
- a small slice of hard cheese;
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2-3 slices.
Dinner:
- 250 g of any lean meat cooked in a double boiler or grill;
- vegetable salad (tomatoes + bell peppers + cucumbers) with olive oil;
- water.
Snack: a few slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- low-fat cottage cheese - 100 g;
- 1 pear or green apple.
5 days
First breakfast:
- fruit salad (watermelon + green apple + prunes);
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon.
Dinner:
- fresh vegetable soup;
- a slice of black bread;
- tea.
Snack: 1 chicken egg (hard boiled or omelette).
Dinner: "shock" portion of watermelon - 400 g.
If we eat this way, we can lose up to 4-5 kg during the course. If you need to lose more and still have the strength to continue, try to keep this diet for 10 days instead of 5. Accordingly, the menu for the first day is similar to the menu for the sixth day, and so on.
How to get out of the watermelon diet
The end of the diet does not mean that the previously banned smoked meats, pickles and pastries can be hit hard, as such hard-to-lose pounds can quickly return to their original place. Continue to eat light, healthy foods such as cereals, fresh and steamed vegetables, fruits, cooked meats and lean fish. Servings of a rather dull watermelon can be reduced, but the striped berry should not be completely excluded from the menu. The transition takes as long as the diet itself.
Contraindications
The benefits of watermelon are an indisputable fact, but not everyone can consume large amounts. People with pathologies of the kidneys, choleretic and urinary system are at risk. Wonder berry is contraindicated in the last trimester of pregnancy, during lactation and in diabetes mellitus.
And remember! The watermelon diet will help you achieve the results you want, but to maintain it, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking and alcohol, and say goodbye to your daily bun-cheesecake. You can handle it! Good luck!