The best protein diets to lose weight in a week

Protein is an essential component of the normal functioning of the body, responsible for the synthesis of hormones and enzymes responsible for metabolism, and is considered the main building block of new cells. Many diets limit the intake of protein foods, causing one to experience health problems. However, protein diets for rapid weight loss are not like that because they are based on such products.

The role of proteins in the body

Proteins are very important nutrients in the human body. During the digestive process, they are converted into amino acids that are necessary for normal muscle growth, maintaining a healthy state, and living an active life. If they are present in small amounts in the human body, it indicates hormonal changes, chronic fatigue, or liver problems. Protein is especially necessary for those who connect their lives with sports activities, as it is the main material for building a beautiful relief.

General principles of nutrition

In order to lose weight, you should eat in small portions every 3 hours while following the protein diet, so there will be no feeling of hunger. The diet should include high-protein foods that include: fish, tofu cheese, dairy products, seafood, etc. If the menu includes carbohydrate products, they will only have a low glycemic index.

Cooking rules

During the protein diet you must follow the following cooking rules:

1. Use only handmade sauces for dressing salads. It is recommended to replace the mayonnaise with soy sauce and use kefir for the vegetable dressing.
2. When making vegetable stew, it is important to add spices, it is recommended to use the following: ground ginger, oregano and curry. Selected spices should be added in small amounts because they should only be added to the pot to enhance the flavor of the vegetables.
3. When cooking meat products, the following spices are recommended as additives: bay leaves, garlic, sweet peas.
4. We recommend that the fruits in your diet be raw.
5. Use as a beverage: tea, coffee, freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks and fruit drinks.

Period

The duration of a protein diet should not exceed two weeks, ideally following such a diet for 1 week to 10 days is recommended. This recommendation is given so as not to create a load on the liver. The break must be at least 4 months. A 10-day protein diet is the most popular option.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits include:

• the high efficiency of such a diet allows for the loss of up to 10 kilograms, and much more in the case of obesity;
• short-term attachment;
• during the diet there will be no overwhelming desire to eat anything, unlike other diets;
• the result obtained after the diet lasts for a long time;
• the diet insists on doing some physical activity, such as: fitness, various home exercises, going to the gym;
• the diet will be varied;
• you can choose the recipes of the food you eat yourself.

Disadvantages of a high protein diet for weight loss:

• such a diet puts a significant strain on the internal organs, especially the kidneys, due to the consumption of large amounts of protein products;
• high protein intake upsets the balance of minerals and vitamins needed by the body;
• adherence to a diet can cause digestive disorders;
• there is a risk of the body's water balance being upset;
• such a diet can aggravate chronic diseases and increase blood pressure.

Contraindications

Contraindications include:

• musculoskeletal disorders;
• lactation period;
• gastrointestinal disorders;
• any irregularity in the work of the kidneys;
• liver disease;
• the period of childbearing;
• cardiovascular disorders.

Variations

There are different protein diets that have been developed by different professionals.

Protein carbohydrate

In addition to following a protein-carbohydrate diet, the difficulty with losing weight is that when you limit the caloric content of foods, it is not fat that burns muscle tissue.

This diet food consists of 3 stages:

1. Protein cycle. It usually lasts 2-3 days. Due to the loss of glycogen due to a lack of carbohydrates in the diet, the body gradually begins to burn adipose tissue. It works as a day of fasting.
2. Carbohydrate cycle. It lasts for 1-2 days, during which time the human body is replenished with its main source of energy - carbohydrates.
3. Mixed cycle. Within 24 hours, a person will eat a moderate diet, with both proteins and carbohydrates added to the menu.

Atkins

In this diet, fish and meat are present in a balanced amount in the diet with vegetables and fruits, while the consumption of carbohydrates is reduced and fats and proteins are in unlimited amounts. You can lose 3-5 pounds in the first 14 days.

Ducan

The main goal of the diet developed by nutritionist Ducan is to minimize carbohydrates, only proteins are present in the diet, and bran is also included in the diet to improve digestion. The technique is divided into 4 stages, each with a unique length. The diet is quite effective and after 5 days you may notice 3-5 pounds of weight loss.

The doctors

The basic rule of this diet is to alternate between protein and carbohydrate days. It allows you to lose about 7 pounds in 10 days and in some cases someone can get rid of up to 10 pounds. You should eat 5 times a day, which will allow you to not feel hungry.

Recommendations for following this diet food:

• on a protein day on an empty stomach drink 1 glass of warm water and for breakfast eat boiled chicken eggs and herbs that can be used: celery, dill or parsley;
• You must eat chicken cooked before 15 hours without skin and eat at least 800 grams of meat a day, divided into several meals;
• you can eat a total of up to 5 kilograms of vegetables on a carbohydrate day.

What to eat

If you decide to follow a protein diet, you should first familiarize yourself with the list of permitted and prohibited foods in order to put together a proper diet.

Protein foods

The protein diet includes what to eat and what not - the list of foods is below:

• Seafood;
• lean meat;
• vegetables;
• soft and hard cheeses;
• vegetable oil;
• cereals, as an additive in soups;
• offal: kidneys, liver, chicken intestines, tongue and others;
• egg white;
• dried fruits;
• low fat dairy products.

How to choose meat

Lean meat is the main protein content, so this diet should be included in the diet. It is recommended to give preference to the following meat products: duck, chicken, lamb, beef and turkey.

The following types of meat products should be excluded from the diet:

• sausage;
• sausage;
• canned meat;
• pork;
• smoked meat.

Protein drinks

Drink selection:

1. Mix a tablespoon of nuts with a spoon of honey and add the resulting mixture to a glass with 200 grams of kefir.
2. To cook, you need 130 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon of bran, any fruit, and 130 grams of low-fat fermented fried milk.
3. To 250 grams of milk add 2 tablespoons of oatmeal, any fruit, 1 pinch of cinnamon and 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese.
4. In 150 grams of kefir, you need to mix the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon of cocoa, 1 tablespoon of bran and 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese.

Sample menu for a week

Protein diet for weight loss in the form of a weekly menu:

Monday

1. Breakfast. Tea or coffee with low-fat cottage cheese in an amount of 200 grams.
2. Lunch. 1 large orange.
3. Dinner. Small amounts of brown checkered boiled chicken fillet.
4. Snack. Protein drink.
5. Dinner. Boiled fish fillet with vegetable salad.

Tuesday

1. Breakfast. Tea and 2 boiled eggs.
2. Lunch. 1 large apple.
3. Dinner. Fried chicken breast in an amount of 100 grams with a small piece of rye bread.
4. Snack. A glass of natural yogurt.
5. Dinner. Fried pollock with vegetable salad.

Wednesday

1. Breakfast. Buckwheat porridge with milk and coffee.
2. Lunch. Banana.
3. Dinner. Cheese soup with a small piece of black bread.
4. Snack. Protein drink.
5. Dinner. 200 grams of roast lamb with vegetable salad.

Thursday

1. Breakfast. Chicken omelette and unsweetened tea.
2. Lunch. Grapefruit and apples.
3. Dinner. Spinach soup with crispy bread.
4. Snack. Cottage cheese without additives.
5. Dinner. 150 grams of grilled fish and fresh vegetables.

Friday

1. Breakfast. 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, coffee.
2. Lunch. 2 sugar-free cheesecakes.
3. Dinner. Liver in sour cream with vegetable salad.
4. Snack. Cottage cheese souffle.
5. Dinner. Two egg omelette with fresh tomatoes.

Saturday

1. Breakfast. Pair of oatmeal and a glass of fermented fried milk.
2. Lunch. Apple.
3. Dinner. Vegetable soup, 150 grams of chicken breast, a slice of wholemeal bread.
4. Snack. Milk jelly.
5. Dinner. Boiled beef with 150 grams of cabbage salad.

Sunday

1. Breakfast. Oatmeal with tea.
2. Lunch. Two tangerines.
3. Dinner. Chicken slices with 200 grams of asparagus.
4. Snack. Protein drink.
5. Dinner. 200 grams of steamed fish, fresh vegetables.

How to get out

When the 4-week protein diet in the form of a menu is over and the desired result is achieved, it does not mean that you have to eat everything the next day. If you do this, the weight lost will return and all previous efforts will be meaningless. To avoid this, dietary foods should be phased out.

To consolidate the results, you should get used to sugar-free tea and coffee, and not eat large amounts of flour and sweets, or eat too fatty foods. Before breakfast, it is recommended to drink a glass of water each time and eat oatmeal or low-fat cottage cheese. Vegetables can be consumed in any form other than frying. In addition, do not eat potatoes first after leaving the diet and gradually introduce the usual diet into the diet.

Why diet doesn't work

Numerous studies have demonstrated that by properly implementing the conditions of the diet, it clearly results in weight loss. However, there are cases where at the end of such a diet, the numbers on the scales do not like or do not decrease at all.

The cause can be found in several things. First, this can occur when a person has extremely low physical activity while consuming a fairly large amount of food. In this case, the energy accumulated with food is not lost and the kilograms cannot be burned in any way.

Second, the cause is to be found in slow metabolism. First, such people need to improve their metabolism and then try to follow a diet again.

And the last factor in the absence of the desired result may be the presence of constipation. Intestinal disorders should be treated, the diet should be adjusted accordingly, and medical treatment should be sought if necessary.

Recipes

Some may think that the protein menu is very limited and monotonous, but in reality a wide variety of delicious foods can be made from them for the protein diet.

The first

Detailed way to make spinach puree soup:

1. Boil the chicken breast in 0. 5 liters of water until soft.
2. You get the meat without draining the broth.
3. Wait for the meat to cool and cut into cubes.
4. Chop the frozen spinach.
5. Add chopped spinach to the broth, cook for 5 minutes;
6. Pour the chicken into the broth.
7. Pour in 1/3 cup of milk and mix with a blender.
8. Add spices to taste, you can use basil or nutmeg.

cheese soup:

1. The selected meat is cooked.
2. Wait for it to cool and cut into cubes.
3. Pour 50 grams of cheese into the broth and add 3 diced egg whites.
4. Cook for 10 minutes and then add the pieces of meat.

Second

Liver in sour cream:

1. Separate 500 grams of liver from the veins.
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
3. Cut the onion into half rings.
4. Fry the vegetables until golden brown.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
6. Add raw liver and a little water.
7. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes until completely cooked through.

Chicken slices:

1. Roll half a kilogram of chicken breast through a meat grinder.
2. You need to add 100 grams of grated cheese to the minced meat you get.
3. Add raw eggs.
4. Add spices.
5. The slices are shaped by hand.
6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

desserts

Oat pancakes:

1. Mix half a glass of milk with 4 tablespoons of oatmeal.
2. Add the eggs.
3. Salt.
4. Bake in a non-stick baking tray.

Jelly recipe:

1. Boil 500 ml of milk in a pan.
2. Before the milk boils, add 5 chopped strawberries.
3. Dissolve 2 small spoons of fast-acting gelatin in the milk.
4. Mix the contents thoroughly.
5. Pour into molds.
6. Put in a refrigerator until it solidifies

Opinions

• First opinion, girl, 25 years old: "The protein diet came in very handy after she finished breastfeeding. First, I found a meal option with a "14-day protein diet menu" and began to insist on losing weight. The extra 5 pounds I gained during pregnancy went away in just a week and a half. It was easy to follow the rules, and since I’m a big lover of protein foods, I was just glad you managed to get results without too much effort. After all, you can eat almost anything I love. "
• Second opinion, female, 31 years old: "During my adherence, I realized that the protein diet is not really mine. I could barely stand it because I’m not a big fan of poultry in life. The chicken breast practically brought tears to my eyes in the last days of the diet. Nevertheless, my efforts were justified, as I managed to get the desired parameters for the summer. "
• Third Review, Female, 41: "I have a lot of unsuccessful experiments with diets that have spoiled my health well. But when I stumbled upon a protein diet, I immediately noticed the difference compared to the others. It does not require strict restrictions on the amount of food consumed, the main condition is that the basis of the diet should be protein. At the same time, the body was given enough energy and I was able to live normally without any major restrictions. And by the end of the diet, I was very happy with the balance number, which was 6 pounds less, and they didn’t come back even after two years. "