The food system is constantly changing: after the peak of the "hunger" diet, the "protein" or "fat" diet comes. Calorie restriction or reverse nutrition systems are trending. We will talk about a protein diet: what are its benefits, under what conditions it will help you lose weight.
Why you shouldn't give up protein
A young girl, an adult woman, an aspiring athlete - sometimes all of us, driven by the motive to lose weight at any cost, rush to limit food intake, eliminate substancesFat and protein first. But giving your body a "warm-up" for a week is one thing, and eating like this all the time is another: in the long run it doesn't bode well. But who's going to follow the rules when you "really need" to lose weight?
Why should there be protein-rich foods on the menu:
- Without protein, there is no muscle building. When athletes gain muscle, they need to consume more protein. If you're not an athlete and just want to lose fat, don't eliminate protein from your diet: without it, your muscles won't recover properly after a workout.
- When the diet lacks protein, hair, teeth, nails and bones deteriorate and weaken.
- Protein is made up of amino acids - the body needs 22 to function normally, 9 of which the body does not produce itself and receives from food. When you exclude protein from the menu, you will not receive substances without which the body cannot function normally.
- Without proteins there is no metabolism because they act as a service to deliver oxygen molecules to the body's cells.
- Trying to limit the use of only vegetable protein (for vegetarians) has consequences: not all essential amino acids are found in grains, nuts and soy. Vegetarians need to supplement special vitamins and supplements.
Protein diet for weight loss: how it works
Scientists have studied the effects of protein nutrition on weight loss for decades. And we found out why it is important in the fight against extra pounds:
- Protein, especially from meat, triggers the production of the satiety hormone (leptin) and suppresses the production of the hunger hormone (ghrelin): this is why the food that satisfies "devastating hunger" is often understood as meat;
- Protein speeds up metabolism, helping you burn calories quickly. Dukan, Atkins, Malysheva, Kremlin and many other weight loss diets are based on this. The keto phenomenon has the same nature: when a person receives a lot of protein and fat but little carbohydrates, the body enters a state of ketosis, in which effective fat loss occurs;
- In the case of intensive weight loss through physical activity, a protein menu is important to combat sagging skin, which can occur with sudden weight loss, and to strengthen bones, teeth and hair.
Protein diet rules
Any serious diet must be prescribed and monitored by a doctor, taking into account your characteristics, desired and actual weight level. Such a diet can be rich in protein, like the diet of professional athletes during muscle gain, or a form of proper nutrition to improve health and lose weight. The second option will help you get the desired result without much difficulty.
The principles of protein weight loss are:
- Protein should make up 50% of the daily menu (ideally 60%).
- Fats and carbohydrates should be reduced, ideally not exceeding 15% of the daily diet.
- Vegetables and herbs supplement the protein menu with fiber and vitamins.
- Sugary fruit should be limited to 2 pieces per day.
- You need to drink more water, of course avoid sweet soda.
- The menu has no place for preservatives, sauces and mayonnaise.
- The emphasis is on foods that are cooked without frying, boiling or steaming.
- Meals are divided into small portions, 5-6 times a day, portions should not exceed 200 grams.
- Physical activity is important to speed up metabolism and thus help lose weight faster.
This nutritional approach helps you lose another 4 to 10 pounds in two weeks. But if you stick to the protein, fat, and carbohydrate ratios described above, this can be difficult. And the body should not be on this type of strict diet for longer than 3-4 weeks, or the diet must be supervised by a doctor.
Contraindications to this diet:
- anemia;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- kidney disease;
- pancreatic disease;
- heart and blood vessel problems;
- diabetes;
- cases of individual protein intolerance.
And yes, protein poisoning is not a myth.
If you want to focus on protein nutrition and easily lose weight without changing your diet much, you just need to review the menu:
- increase the amount of protein products in the diet: add meat, fish, eggs, green vegetables, milk and fermented milk products;
- Track your total daily calories;
- eat many small meals and drink enough water;
- Limit frying when cooking, eliminate mayonnaise from your diet, reduce salt and coffee consumption;
- To speed up weight loss, you need feasible exercise.
How to make the correct menu
Now about planning a protein menu for weight loss. Many people feel uncomfortable when given a ready-made menu for the week. We will show you approximate options that you can focus on. Or put together your own menu for the week from them.Breakfast
Egg
On a diet, people usually only eat protein. But even if you are on a diet, you can still eat eggs almost every day if you are not allergic. For example, on Mondays and Wednesdays the menu may include boiled eggs, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays there may be omelettes.
Both chicken eggs and quail eggs are useful - you can replace them. You will find a simple and delicious omelette recipe below.
Cereals and porridge
Nutritionists call lentils and pea porridge the richest in protein. The first is delicious and low in calories, rich in trace elements and fiber. It should be included in the breakfast or lunch menu at least once a week. Find the recipe below.
Important
Despite their many benefits, grains contain a lot of carbohydrates, which can ruin your diet. Therefore, we advise you not to regularly include porridge, muesli and granola in the menu.
Dairy products
Yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast are an excellent choice: but in the diet menu they must be sugar-free and low-fat.
You can add fresh or frozen berries to fermented milk products and greens to flavor cottage cheese. Or you can make delicious high-protein (low-calorie! ) yogurt with Oriental eggs - step-by-step instructions and photos are waiting for you below.
Breakfast "combo" with meat
In autumn and winter, breakfast is denser than in summer, because we need energy for the whole day ahead. So, scrambled eggs with turkey will be beneficial. Furthermore, it is prepared in 10 minutes.
Dinner
Salad
Tuna salad with beans, as in our recipe, can be a complete lunch. Balanced, satisfying meal in just 15 minutes.
Mussels in a spinach salad can be lunch or part of a set meal. Delicious, low calorie and nutritious.
Soup
Simple and healthy lean lentil soup? Easy, quick and cheap in every sense. Grasp our recipe with step-by-step description.
Another option is fragrant bean soup. Pork tenderloin is rich in protein and contains almost no fat or carbohydrates. Just replace sour cream with Greek yogurt: it's less fatty.
If you think that traditional cabbage soup will not suit you, then you are wrong - take our recipe with photos and prepare a delicious, healthy and budget-friendly soup.
You can also consider choosing a vegetable soup with shrimp: but to comply with the diet, you should omit the heavy cream or replace it with protein-rich yogurt.
Second course
Tuna is called sea beef: it is dense, succulent and meat-like, packed with protein and vitamins. Therefore, tuna fillet can be an option for lunch, the step-by-step recipe for which 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 eating dumplings per week will definitely not causeYou are fed up with the monotony.
If time is short, keep the recipe with the video below. Chicken fillet with beans is perhaps the fastest delicious weight loss recipe.
Another good choice for a quick and satisfying afternoon meal: try the spicy beef - you won't be disappointed.
Important
Pay attention to your calorie intake if your goal is to lose weight. Our lunch choices should be thought of as dishes to choose from: a combination of first course and salad or main course and salad, without exceeding the daily calorie allowance.
Dinner
Fish or seafood
Water spinach with shrimp can be called a light snack, a filling dinner or a hot salad - the essence will not change. This is a low-calorie and very delicious dish: the menu is almost premium, but prepared in less than half an hour.
If you are wondering whether it is possible to eat cheaply on such a diet, the answer is of course. It is not necessary to eat shrimp every day, classic, inexpensive white fish will suffice. For example, cod - a lot of vitamins, proteins and a very beautiful presentation. The recipe below can be prepared in half an hour and your family or guests will be delighted with its appearance, taste and health.
Advice
Fish dishes are often rich in protein and nutrients but often low in calories; Try to include them in your diet at least 3 times a week.
Meat or poultry
Steak is always delicious because meat is one of the main sources of protein. But considering the calorie needs, we advise you to pay attention to the recipe for juicy turkey steaks with teriyaki sauce.
You can eat steak or steak 1-3 times a week. Their calorie content is reduced when grilled or grilled without oil.
Dinner combo
Baking, as many believe, should leave the diet. But from beef liver pancakes according to our recipe it is not. You can prepare this dish at least once a week and it's even healthier: bake the pancakes in the oven without oil.
If you don't mind having scrambled eggs for dinner, here's a recipe to make them with fried meat. You can also reduce the calorie content by choosing an oven instead of a frying pan.
Do you want to eat pizza? There's a perfectly acceptable option that you can afford every 1-2 weeks: get the recipe for mini pizzas with zucchini.
Snacks and desserts
Nuts, chia seeds, and sesame seeds are rich in protein but contain a lot of fat. Therefore, a handful of nuts are not suitable as snacks during the weeks of the diet. But you can decorate the vegetable salad with a spoonful of seeds.
Same with dried fruit - raisins, dried apricots, prunes and citrus fruits. They contain protein, fiber and lots of sugar. This can ruin your week's efforts.
The snacks you don't sell for breakfast are yogurt and curd which are quite suitable as snacks. A slice of sheep cheese is a great solution for any occasion.
And to be able to enjoy dessert without increasing the total calorie content, you can approach the problem in a sporty way: using protein powder. It is added to pies and cheesecakes instead of flour. It turns out to be a protein bomb in terms of benefits and taste. Take those waffles for example, the recipe for which you will find below.
What can be done?
Make a protein shake. They saturate protein, provide vitamins and unusual taste. Learn simple weight loss smoothie recipes to start working towards healthy eating.