Diet for a week: how to lose weight if you really need it, but you don't have time

how to lose weight with a diet

A weekly diet is a reasonable compromise between exhausting fasting days and a long diet as a lifestyle. Of course, the last option is the most effective in the long run, but what if you need to lose weight here and now - for example, for a vacation, a party or a date? We will tell you how to prepare a balanced and satisfying diet menu for a week, the result of which will pleasantly surprise you.

A one-week diet is a good solution if you need quick results. Find out what rules you need to follow in order to not only lose weight, but to consolidate your success.

Diet for a week: briefly about the main thing

Period:One Week.

Result:from minus three kilograms.

Rules:limit the calorie content of the daily diet, exclude many foods.

Features:a kind of express diet, not suitable for regular use.

Authorized products:vegetables, fruits, cereals, lean meats, dairy products.

Prohibited products:fatty meats, lard, baked goods, foods with added sugar, soda and store-bought juices.

Contraindications:these can be any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrinological disorders. Before starting the diet, be sure to consult a doctor and do the necessary tests.

What should your diet be like for a week? Does it make sense to suddenly stop eating all fatty foods or completely remove, say, carbohydrates from the menu? We will not surprise you, but the truth is that it is best to stick to a balanced diet and healthy eating principles. Most scientists are of the same opinion, and there is no point in not believing them - their statements are based on a lot of research.

For example, an expert, Deirdre Tobias, associate professor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, spoke about this based on data from 53 dietary studies involving more than 68, 000 people. The best results were shown by those who followed a balanced diet.

A week is a good period for a diet, if only because you can survive such a period only through motivation, and you won't have time to get bored with the narrow product list. However, the effect of the one-week diet will be as short-term as the period of restrictions. If you immediately return to your usual diet, the pounds will return. Below we will tell you how to properly exit the diet so that this does not happen.

Of course, there are many weekly diets. And although not all of them work according to the principle described above, some are very effective at short distances. We also report on some original diets, but we still recommend adopting the following rules as the basis of a week-long classic diet.

Healthy eating rules for a week

diet rules for weight loss

Of course, a week-long diet will not help you get rid of what has already accumulated. But it will be able to make you realize the taste of good eating habits and motivate you through an even more tangible "water match".

Eat a varied diet

The basic principles of healthy eating, which must be followed during a one-week diet, are a varied diet. Have meat, cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products, mushrooms and herbs on your table. If the body receives the full range of necessary substances, microelements, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, then calorie restriction does not cause harm.

Count the calories

Here is the main pitfall of the diet for one week. No matter how you look at it, you need to eat less to lose weight. We will not name a specific number of calories, because it is very individual, but it is easy to find special calculators on the Internet. Calculate your basal metabolic rate and subtract 20-30 percent. This should be your daily calorie intake. But in no case should you go below 1000 kcal per day - such strict restrictions are not welcomed by nutritionists.

Eat five times a day

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks - eat little and often, and then you simply won't have time to get hungry for the next meal. For a week's worth of slimming snacks, it's also worth choosing healthy foods - maybe a salty tomato, but definitely not a sandwich. Although scientists recently say that the importance of breakfast is overrated and that you should eat when you are hungry, breakfast is important in this food system. If you don't want to eat from very early in the morning, then eat breakfast when your body is definitely awake.

Choose fresh foods instead of processed foods

You definitely need to give up nuggets, burgers, buns and pizza delivery for a week. Such foods often contain various flavor enhancers and will only satisfy your hunger for a short time, and you will soon eat again. Well, let's not even talk about their very high calorie content, but the quality of those calories leaves a lot to be desired.

Plan your menu in advance

All of the above rules should have led to the idea that such a diet should be planned in advance. If you are hungry and there is only sausage in the fridge for the scheduled meal, you eat it, convincing yourself that nothing will happen from one meal. And you know how it ends. But if you prepare all the vegetables and meat the day before and plan the menu, the chances of failure are minimized.

Results of a one-week diet: what to expect and how to stick to it

If you follow all the rules, the result can be impressive. You can count on minus three to five kilograms. But if, immediately after the event that caused you to lose weight, you return to your usual diet and even begin to break away from the days of difficulties and hardships, then the weight will return with an increase. Therefore, you should gradually leave the diet for a week - you do not need to monitor the calorie content of the diet so closely, but you should continue to choose vegetables and lean meat as the basis of the menu. Then there is a chance that at least some of the lost weight will not come back.

Sample diet menu for a week

sample diet menu for the week

The convenience of the one-week diet is that the menu can be written out in great detail for the entire period.

If you follow the diet for a week, don't skip meals so you don't get hungry. It is better to steam, boil or fry the food. For drinks, choose unsweetened coffee or tea. If you feel that the portions are small, drink a glass of warm water before eating. We offer a weekly sample menu, adapt it to your calorie intake.

Monday

  • Breakfast: boiled egg, cereal bread, 100 g low-fat cottage cheese, half a grapefruit.
  • Lunch: lean borscht, 100 g boiled veal, beetroot salad with prunes.
  • Dinner: 150 g lean steamed fish, one boiled potato.
  • Snack: apple, tomato.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: unsweetened oatmeal, carrots and celery.
  • Lunch: 100 g of boiled beef, salad of cucumber, tomato and radish.
  • Dinner: white yogurt without fillers, bran, 100 g low-fat cottage cheese.
  • Snack: half an avocado, cereal bread.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: chicken soup, 100 g of boiled chicken fillet, two rye breads.
  • Lunch: cabbage soup, 100 g of boiled lean meat, spinach.
  • Dinner: 200 g low-fat cottage cheese with grated apple.
  • Snack: orange, a few cucumbers.

Thursday

  • Breakfast: buckwheat porridge, a glass of low-fat kefir, fresh tomato salad.
  • Lunch: grilled fish, rice, cucumber.
  • Dinner: 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese with dried apricots or prunes.
  • Snack: kiwi, grapefruit.

Friday

  • Breakfast: two boiled eggs, salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
  • Lunch: boiled chicken fillet, buckwheat, sliced vegetables.
  • Dinner: tuna, boiled green beans.
  • Snack: apple, pear.

Saturday

  • Breakfast: rice porridge with dried apricots.
  • Lunch: low-fat fish soup, rice, grain bread, beet and carrot salad.
  • Dinner: vegetable stew.
  • Snack: low-fat cottage cheese with prunes.

Sunday

  • Breakfast: two-egg omelet, tofu.
  • Lunch: 100 g of boiled beef, lentils, cucumber and tomato salad.
  • Dinner: 100 g of roasted turkey, grain bread, bell pepper.
  • Snacks: natural yogurt, 30 g of almonds.

Original diets for a week

We talked about the most balanced diet of the week, but it requires attention: you need to watch the calories and take care of the daily cooking. There are other diet options where the list of foods is significantly reduced, but these diets promise greater results. The downside is that these diets are not suitable for everyone, so under no circumstances should you try them without consulting your doctor.

Japanese diet

The Japanese seven-day diet can also be used as a weekly diet. Its basic principles are low calorie content, maximum protein and fiber content, minimum carbohydrate content. The diet is based on fish foods, seafood, seaweed and soy cheeses, as well as vegetables, some fruits are allowed. Expect to use simple, often seasonal ingredients for cooking. According to experts, the main benefit of this diet is that it is rich in fish, which contains healthy omega-3 fats. Avoiding foods containing added sugar will also have a beneficial effect on your health. However, the diet has its own risks. It is quite strict, so it can lead to stress due to hunger. Doctors do not recommend sticking to it for a long time.

Diet on kefir and buckwheat

A diet familiar to everyone, attractive in the wallet and frightening in severity. Only buckwheat and kefir sound normal when we are talking about a fasting day, and as a test of willpower when we are talking about a longer period. As a diet of the week, we recommend that you slightly change your approach and include fresh vegetables and dried fruits in your diet. Even with such relaxation, you can expect impressive results - minus three kilos per week.

The advantage of the one-week buckwheat diet is that you will not be hungry despite the meager diet. The carbohydrates in cereals are complex, so the feeling of fullness remains for a long time. In addition, buckwheat is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains fiber, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, folic acid, B vitamins and 18 amino acids. Kefir contains beneficial lactic acid bacteria that aid digestion. Lactocultures of prebiotics not only digest kefir itself, but also other foods well. In addition, kefir is a source of protein and calcium.

Egg diet

Another diet that brings results quickly. But as in the previous case, we recommend modifying the egg diet and at least adding vegetables and grapefruit to the egg diet. The one-week egg diet shows the best results - you can lose five kilograms in seven days, but of course the final number depends on the initial weight and personal metabolic characteristics. The effect is achieved thanks to biotin, which eggs are rich in. It accelerates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The menu is very easy to plan - every meal includes eggs, you can eat grapefruit for breakfast, and complement eggs with fresh or steamed vegetables at other meals.