A high protein diet may seem attractive primarily to meat lovers, however, not everything comes down to pork chops, ribs and hamburgers. The carnivorous nature in us is awakened by thoughts of a steak, but if you are thinking about losing weight or building muscle, then the nuances of the protein diet need to be dealt with more thoroughly and find a reasonable approach.
Why high protein diets are effective
Many people turn to protein diets to stimulate weight loss, because some researchers argue that it helps to better cope with hunger and reduce calorie intake. Diets with 30% protein in the diet are considered acceptable and reasonably justified, while with 50% protein, they are considered nutrition systems with a high content of proteins.
The introduction of a program of regular exercise, a diet with an increased amount of protein and a moderate amount of carbohydrates, as many experts believe, can reduce the level of fat in the blood. Muscle tissue is preserved, while fat is burned.
It is believed that proteins cause the brain to get the minimum amount of hormones responsible for awakening the appetite, and some studies have shown that the protein is able to satisfy hunger much more efficiently than fats and carbohydrates. Thus, the people who participated in the study, the diet was adjusted so that 30% of calories accounted for proteins, 20% - for fats, 50% - for carbohydrates.
People said they felt less hungry than usual (they ate less than 450 calories a day), were more satisfied with the food, they also lost in weight (5 kg on average in 12 weeks). In combination with exercise, weight reduction increased, the fat content in the blood returned to normal.
Protein food
Not all proteins are the same. In a well-designed diet, a source of protein can be foods rich in nutrients, but with a low amount of fat and calories, for example, lean meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy (fermented) foods.
The choice of carbohydrates should also be consciously approached. The maximum amount of fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits is welcome, as are “healthy” fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives.
How much protein do you need
The recommended rate of protein intake is from 10% to 35% per day of the total number of calories consumed for an adult. This can translate into 45 - 218 grams of protein per day, provided that you consume 1800 calories.
For a good diet, an average of 50 grams of protein per day or 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient. In order to obtain the potential for fat burning, it is recommended to eat up to 120 grams of high-quality proteins per day.
Obviously, the amount of protein consumed increases greatly on such a diet for weight loss, but there is no danger in this if you do not suffer from kidney diseases. It will be reasonable if you consult a doctor before starting any diet at home.
The best sources of protein:
- dietary meat;
- seafood;
- low-fat dairy products;
- eggs;
- nuts and seeds.
It’s a good idea to eat protein-rich foods: cook salmon or other fish rich in omega-3. Beans and lentils also contain a sufficient amount of protein, but still give us fiber. To enrich food with proteins you can add walnuts to a salad, or almonds to oatmeal.
How much protein do you get:
- half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese: 10-14 grams;
- 100 grams of tofu: 7-13 grams;
- half a cup of finished lentils: 9 g;
- 1 tbsp. l peanut butter (almond paste): 2g;
- 100 grams of lean chicken fillet: 25 grams;
- 100 grams of fish: 17-20 grams (depending on the variety);
- 30 grams of cheese: 7 grams;
- 1 large egg: 6 gr;
- a jar of low-fat yogurt (125 gr): 6 gr;
- 30 grams of nuts: 4 - 7 grams.
The best sources of carbohydrates:
- vegetables;
- fruits;
- cereals (wholegrain);
- legumes (contain a lot of protein);
- low fat yogurt / milk (contain a lot of protein).
Top Fat Sources:
- nuts and natural nut paste;
- seeds;
- olives;
- avocado;
- oil (cold pressed);
- fatty fish
In order to better manage the feeling of hunger, appetite, divide the calories consumed per day, into 5 or more meals.
Protein strength
High-protein foods require more of the body to digest, assimilate and use, which means that the body spends more calories by processing such food. Protein foods spend longer in the stomach, so the feeling of satiety comes pretty quickly and stays for much longer.
If you really intend to lose weight, a protein diet is best suited. For a healthy and gradual weight loss diet should include 3 full meals and 2 additional, and be balanced by the type of 45% carbohydrates, 30% protein, 25% healthy fats.
To moderate weight loss will help moderate exercise lasting no more than one and a half hours. Get to work and be ready to see how the weight begins to fall.
Diets with the highest protein content (up to 60%) and low carbohydrate content should be short-term, because such a diet for weight loss has not only advantages, but also significant drawbacks. Depending on the state of health and goals, for some, this type of diet will be really effective, for others - not the best choice.
Pros:
- lower calorie intake, as carbohydrate products (pastries, bread) contain a high calorie content;
- reduced craving for food;
- feeling of energy;
- diet contributes to weight loss due to fat, so it is especially effective for bodybuilders and people seeking to increase muscle mass;
- ketosis (the process of splitting the body’s accumulated fat into energy) starts faster than with other types of food;
- lack of passivity after eating, which is a frequent occurrence when eating carbohydrate foods.
Minuses:
- the load on the kidneys with insufficient water intake;
- the potential lack of essential vitamins and minerals due to a sharp decrease in carbohydrates;
- the likelihood of constipation with an insufficient amount of fiber in the diet;
- perhaps a feeling of lethargy throughout the diet, if the change in diet is too dramatic.
Protein diet menu for quick weight loss for 7 and 10 days
The weekly meal plan may be as follows.
Day 1:
- Breakfast: an omelette of 2 eggs with tomatoes.
- Second breakfast: 25 grams of a mixture of dried fruits and seeds with nuts (sunflower seeds, mixed with nuts and goji berries).
- Dinner: grilled vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes) with a slice of bread from raw grains.
- Lunch: 60 grams of low-fat yogurt flavored with flax seeds (1 tbsp. L.).
- Dinner: 150 g grilled trout, eggplant, fried in 1 tbsp. l olive oil.
Day 2:
- Breakfast: muesli (1 cup) and a half cup of berries and milk.
- Second breakfast: strawberries (5 pcs.), Pumpkin seeds (15 gr.).
- Lunch: a salad of spinach, lettuce, cucumbers and 100 grams of beans.
- Lunch: 1 apple and 20 grams of a mixture of dried fruit, seeds and nuts.
- Dinner: 150 grams of grilled chicken, 1 cup stewed broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin.
Day 3:
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs of 2 eggs with 30 grams of cheese and parsley.
- Second breakfast: 1 apple, 10 pcs. cashew nuts.
- Lunch: 1/2 cup quinoa, 1 cup seasonal steamed vegetables.
- Tea time: 1 cup of carrots and hummus.
- Dinner: 180 grams of baked chicken, 1 cup of mushrooms with spinach.
Day 4:
- Breakfast: granola (1 cup) with berries (1/2 cup), 50 grams of low-fat yogurt.
- Second breakfast: 25 grams of a mixture of dried fruit and seeds with nuts.
- Lunch: 100 grams of canned tuna, sprinkled with lemon zest, onions, 1 slice of raw grain bread.
- Tea time: 1 apple and a handful of grapes.
- Dinner: a salad of 180 grams of beef, greens, olives, cucumber, dressing of balsamic vinegar (15 grams) and olive oil (15 grams).
Day 5:
- Breakfast: 100 grams of low-fat yogurt with 10 grams of flax seeds, 1 banana.
- Second breakfast: 1 toast with avocado.
- Lunch: lentil soup (75 grams of boiled green lentils, 1 clove of garlic, 1 onion, 1/2 small carrots, 3 - 4 cherry tomatoes, a handful of spinach per 2 tablespoons of water).
- Lunch: 10 pcs. nuts, any fruit.
- Dinner: 1 cup stewed zucchini or eggplant with 1/2 cup brown rice.
Day 6:
- Breakfast: 2 slices of raw grain bread with 80 grams of cheese, 1 tsp. honey
- Second breakfast: 120 grams of low-fat yogurt.
- Lunch: grilled chicken salad (150 gr), tomatoes with green salad.
- Lunch: 10 pcs. cashew, any fruit.
- Dinner: 150 g steamed trout, a handful of spinach, sprinkled with lime juice.
Day 7:
- Breakfast: 1 cup of granola with 1/2 cup of blueberries, 70 grams of low-fat yogurt.
- Second breakfast: 30 grams of pumpkin seeds.
- Lunch: 200 grams of vegetables, baked with olive oil, 100 grams of tofu.
- Lunch: 25 grams of a mixture of dried fruit and seeds with nuts, a cup of grapes.
- Dinner: beef steak (150 g), a cup of green beans with mushrooms.
Table. Diet plan with increased protein content for 10 days:
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Afternoon tea | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Low fat cottage cheese (200 gr) | Egg (1 pc.) | Cream soup of broccoli, zucchini, baked with 50 g of cheese | Low Fat Yoghurt (125g) | Grilled turkey fillet (150 gr) |
| Day 2 | Omelette from 2 egg proteins | Fruits | Steamed fish (150g), vegetable salad, dressed with 1 tsp. olive oil | A glass of kefir | Beefsteak (200 gr) |
| Day 3 | Low-fat cottage cheese (100 gr) with a handful of berries | Egg (1 pc.) | Grilled vegetables (200 gr) | Tofu cheese (75 gr) | Chicken breast, baked or boiled (200 gr) |
| Day 4 | Oatmeal on water | Fresh vegetable salad with diced feta cheese | Vegetable soup (200 ml) | Apple (1 pc.) | Boiled / Braised Beef (150g) with Cranberry Sauce |
| Day 5 | Low fat cottage cheese (200 gr) | Grapefruit | Fish ear (200 ml) | Low Fat Yoghurt (125g) | Turkey stew with cauliflower (150 gr) |
| Day 6 | Oatmeal on water | Berries (100 gr) or any fruit | Grilled fish (150 gr), braised eggplants (100 gr) | Low Fat Yoghurt (125g) | Boiled / Braised Beef (150g) with Cranberry Sauce |
| Day 7 | Low-fat cottage cheese (100 gr) with berries | Egg (1 pc.) | Salad of baked chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, greens, seasoned with 1 tsp. olive oil | Grated carrot with lemon juice | Shrimp cooked in the oven or on the grill (200 gr) |
| Day 8 | Buckwheat | Tuna salad, tomatoes with 1 tsp. olive oil and lemon juice | Steamed fish cutlets (200 gr) green beans (100 gr) | Tofu cheese (75 gr) | Chicken Breast (200 gr) |
| Day 9 | Omelette from 2 eggs with spinach | Fruit salad, seasoned with nonfat yogurt (200 gr) | Beef (200 gr), a glass of tomato juice | Nuts (6 pcs.) | Low fat cottage cheese (200 gr) |
| Day 10 | Oatmeal on water | Fresh vegetable salad with diced feta cheese | Turkey fillet (150 g), vegetable salad with 1 tsp. olive oil | Grapefruit | Shrimp cooked in the oven or on the grill (200 gr) |
Note: Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day, and liquids such as coffee and tea do not help increase the level of hydration, acting as diuretics.
How to get out of the diet
In order not to reduce the effect of the diet to nothing, it will be necessary to quit the protein diet for a long period, gradually increasing the amount of carbohydrates, mainly vegetables, and cereals. Once a week you can treat yourself to a minimal amount of chocolate, it is better if it is a bitter chocolate, or baked goods, but it is advisable to use sweets before lunch.
It is also necessary to remember about the priority of protein foods: fish and meat, grilled, baked, eggs and cottage cheese must make up lunch or dinner.
As during the diet, and after, at the exit, compliance with the drinking regime is an essential nuance.
Reviews and results are thinner
Sitting on a protein diet for me was a tough test, I just can’t imagine life without a lush croissant in the mornings and coffee with milk, but still I decided, because there is a lot of food - you can't even say that it is a diet. I decided to keep to the bitter end, I wanted to lose 10 kg. In the end, I was dieting for a month, but after 2 weeks I allowed for relaxation, replaced fruit with bitter chocolate.
Kristina, 26, Omsk
I sat on a rigid protein diet for 7 days, after which I switched to proper nutrition. No outputs did not. Of course, the first week of my journey to being slim was the simplest and most inspiring - minus 3 kg, then it was a little more difficult, but overall I was happy with the result, losing 1 kg a week.
Oksana, 36 years old, Kirov
And some more useful additional information about the protein diet - in the next video.
