The nutritional system is constantly changing: after the peak of "starvation" diets, "protein" or "fat" diets come. Either calorie restriction or the opposite nutritional systems are in trend. We will talk about the protein diet: what are its advantages, under what conditions will it help youto lose weight.
Why you shouldn't give up protein
A young girl, a mature woman, an ambitious athlete - sometimes all of us, driven by motives of losing weight at any cost, rush to restrict ourselves in food, first removing fats and proteins. But it's one thing to "shake" your body for a week, and quite another to eat like this all the time: it doesn't bode well in the long run. But who follows the rules when you "really need" to lose weight?
Why protein foods should be on the menu:
- Without protein there is no muscle building. When athletes gain muscle mass, they need to consume a lot of protein. If you are not an athlete and just want to lose fat, do not eliminate protein from your diet: without it, your muscles will not recover properly after training.
- With a lack of protein in the diet, hair, teeth, nails and bones deteriorate and weaken.
- Proteins consist of amino acids - the body needs 22 for normal functioning, 9 of which the body does not produce and receives from food. When you exclude proteins from the menu, you do not get substances without which the normal functioning of the body is impossible.
- Without proteins, there are no metabolic processes, because they work as a service for delivering oxygen molecules to the cells of the body.
- Trying to limit yourself to only plant proteins (for vegans) has consequences: not all essential amino acids are found in grains, nuts and soy. Vegans must supplement them with special vitamins and nutritional supplements.
Protein diet for weight loss: how it works
Scientists have studied the effects of a protein diet on weight loss for decades. And we found out why it is important in the fight against excess weight:
- Proteins, especially from meat, activate the production of the satiety hormone (leptin) and suppress the production of the hunger hormone (ghrelin): that's why food that satisfies "brutal hunger" is most often understood as meat;
- Protein speeds up your metabolism, helping you burn calories quickly. Dukan, Atkins, Malysheva, Kremlin and many other weight loss diets are based on it. The keto phenomenon is of the same nature: when a person receives a lot of protein and fat, and little carbohydrates, the body enters a state of ketosis, in which there is an effective loss of excess fat;
- In the case of intense weight loss through physical activity, a protein menu is important to combat sagging skin, which is possible in case of sudden weight loss, and to strengthen bones, teeth and hair.
Protein diet rules
Any serious diet should be prescribed and supervised by your doctor, taking into account your characteristics, desired and actual weight. Such a diet can be rich in protein, as in professional athletes during the period of increasing muscle mass, or a form of rational nutrition for improving health and losing weight. The second option will help you achieve the desired result without much difficulty.
The rules for protein weight loss are:
- Proteins should make up 50% of the daily menu (ideally 60%).
- Fats and carbohydrates should be reduced, ideally they should not exceed 15% of the daily diet.
- Vegetables and herbs complete the protein menu with fiber and vitamins.
- Sugary fruit should be limited to 2 pieces per day.
- You need to drink more water, avoiding, of course, sugary juices.
- There is no place on the menu for preservatives, sauces and mayonnaise.
- The emphasis is on food cooked without frying, boiled or steamed.
- Meals are fractional, 5-6 times a day, in portions no larger than 200 grams.
- Physical activity is important for speeding up metabolism, and therefore for faster weight loss.
This approach to nutrition helps you lose 4 to 10 extra pounds in two weeks. But if you follow the proportions of protein, fat and carbohydrates described above, it can be difficult. And the body should not be subjected to a strict diet of this type for more than 3-4 weeks, or the diet should be supervised by a doctor.
Contraindications for this diet:
- anemia;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- kidney disease;
- diseases of the pancreas;
- problems with the heart and blood vessels;
- diabetes;
- cases of individual protein intolerance.
And yes, protein poisoning is not a myth.
If you want to focus on a protein diet and lose weight easily, without changing your diet, you only need to look at the menu:
- increase the amount of protein products in the diet: introduce meat, fish, eggs, green vegetables, milk and fermented milk products;
- track total daily calorie intake;
- eat small meals and drink enough fluids;
- minimize frying when cooking, remove mayonnaise from the diet, reduce salt and coffee consumption;
- To speed up weight loss, you need a manageable amount of physical activity.
How to properly create a menu
Now about planning a protein menu for weight loss. Many people feel uncomfortable when offered ready-made menus for the week. We will show you approximate options that you can focus on. Or make your own menu for the week from them.Breakfast
Eggs
In the diet mode, it is usual to eat only proteins. But even on a diet, you can eat eggs almost every day if you don't have allergies. For example, on Monday and Wednesday the menu may include boiled eggs, and on Tuesday and Thursday it may be an omelette.
Chicken and quail eggs are also useful - you can alternate them. You will find the recipe for a simple and delicious omelette below.
Cereals and porridges
Nutritionists call lentil and bean porridge the richest proteins. The first is tasty and low-calorie, rich in microelements and fiber. It is worth including it on the menu for breakfast or lunch at least once a week. Find the recipe below.
Important
Despite the benefits, cereals contain a lot of carbohydrates, which can spoil your diet. Therefore, we recommend that you rarely include porridge, muesli and granola in the menu.
Milk products
Yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast are great options: but they should be sugar-free and low-fat in the diet menu.
You can add fresh or frozen berries to fermented milk products, and fresh cheese to taste. Or you can make a delicious protein (low-calorie! ) yogurt with oriental eggs - step-by-step instructions and photos await you below.
Breakfast "combo" with meat
In autumn and winter, breakfast is denser than in summer, because we need energy for the whole coming day. Therefore, scrambled eggs with turkey will be useful. Moreover, it is prepared in 10 minutes.
Dinner
Salads
Tuna salad with beans, as in our recipe, can be a complete lunch. Balanced, satisfying meals in just 15 minutes.
Mussels in spinach salad can be lunch or part of a complete meal. Tasty, low-calorie and nutritious.
Soups
A simple and healthy lean lentil soup? Easy, fast and cheap in every sense. See our recipe with a detailed description.
Another option is aromatic bean soup. Pork is rich in protein and contains almost no fat or carbohydrates. Just replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt: it's less fatty.
If you think that traditional cabbage soup will not suit you, you are wrong - take our recipe with photos and prepare a delicious, healthy and inexpensive soup.
You can also consider options for vegetable soups with shrimp: but to adhere to the diet, you should remove heavy cream or replace it with protein yogurt.
Other courses
Tuna is called sea beef: it is thick, juicy and resembles meat, contains a lot of protein and vitamins. Therefore, tuna fillet can be an option for a lunch dish, a step-by-step recipe for its preparation is presented below.
What about dumplings? If it is fish according to the recipe below, they can be prepared for almost the entire period of the diet, and you will not have any problems with lunch: 2-3 days of dumplings in a week will certainly not bore you with monotony.
If time is short, keep the recipe with the video below. Chicken fillet with beans is perhaps the fastest recipe for delicious weight loss.
Another good option for a quick and satisfying afternoon meal: try the spicy beef - you won't be disappointed.
Important
Watch your calorie intake if your goal is to lose weight. Our lunch options should be seen as dishes from which you can choose: combine a first course and a salad or a main course and a salad, without exceeding the daily calorie limit.
Dinner
Fish or seafood
Spinach with shrimp can be called a snack, a full dinner or a warm salad - the essence will not change. This is a low-calorie and very tasty dish: almost a haute cuisine menu, but prepared in less than half an hour.
If you are wondering whether it is possible to eat cheaply on such a diet, then the answer is of course. It is not necessary to eat shrimp every day, classic, cheap white fish is enough. For example, cod - a lot of vitamins, protein and a very nice presentation. You can prepare the recipe below in half an hour, and your family or guests will be delighted with its appearance, taste and healthiness.
Advice
Fish dishes are generally high in protein and nutrients, but are usually low in calories; try to include them in your diet at least 3 times a week.
Meat or poultry
Steak is always good, because meat is one of the main sources of protein. But taking into account the calorie requirements, we advise you to pay attention to the recipe for juicy turkey steak with teriyaki sauce.
You can eat meat steaks or steaks 1-3 times a week. Their caloric content will be reduced by baking or baking without oil.
Combined dinner
Baking, as many believe, should be abandoned on a diet. But from beef liver pancakes according to our recipe - no. You can prepare the dish at least once a week and make it even healthier: bake pancakes in the oven without oil.
If you don't mind eating scrambled eggs for dinner, here's a recipe for it with breaded meat. You can also reduce its calorie content by choosing the oven instead of the pan.
Would you like a pizza? There is a completely acceptable option that you can afford once every 1-2 weeks: get a recipe for mini-pizza with zucchini.
Snacks and desserts
Nuts, seeds, chia and sesame seeds are high in protein but high in fat. So a handful of nuts or seeds is not suitable as a snack during the diet weeks. But you can decorate the vegetable salad with a spoonful of nuts.
It is the same with dried fruits - raisins, dried apricots, prunes and citrus fruits. They contain protein, fiber and a lot of sugar. This can spoil your weekly efforts.
What you're not sold on for a breakfast of yogurt and cottage cheese snacks is perfectly fine as a snack. A slice of sheep's cheese is a great solution for any occasion.
And so that you can enjoy desserts, but not increase the total calorie content, you can approach things in a sporty way: use protein powder. It is added instead of flour in pies and cheesecakes. It turned out to be a protein bomb of goodness and taste. Like, for example, those waffles, the recipe for which you will find below.
What can be done?
Make protein shakes. They saturate with proteins, give vitamins and an unusual taste. Learn easy weight loss smoothie recipes to get you on your way to a healthy diet.