Protein diet

Protein foods

The protein diet is a common nutritional system that helps to cope with excess weight. As the name suggests, this diet is based on protein. At the same time, the amount of fat and carbohydrates decreases. As a result, the metabolic processes in the body change. It has to spend a lot of fat on energy.

Principles of the protein diet

Proteins are essential for the proper functioning of the body. From this substance, muscle tissues, organs, blood cells and immune bodies are formed. It is also included in the structure of the skin, hair, nails.

The main functions of proteins include the following:

  1. Structural.Proteins are considered the basis for building the body. They are found in bones, hair, skin and muscles.
  2. Exchange and enzyme.The basis of hormones and enzymes is pure protein or its combination with other elements.
  3. Transport.Proteins carry important elements to organs and cells. These include molecules, ions, nutrients. Therefore, hemoglobin carries oxygen to the cells of the body.

Proteins are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. They provide reliable protection against infection. In addition, these substances support beauty and youth. This is due to the renewal of elastin and collagen fibers.

Protein substances enter the human body from animal food. It contains many valuable amino acids which are required by the body.

Plant proteins do not provide the body with sufficient amino acids. In addition, they are able to combine with other substances. This allows you to get a complete protein.

When there is a lack of protein in the body, metabolic disorders occur. The basic principle of a protein diet is to replenish the body with important substances necessary for its normal functioning. In a normal diet, the amount of protein is generally 12%. During the diet period, this figure increases significantly due to a decrease in the volume of fats and carbohydrates.

Protein diet products

Characteristics of the protein diet

Eating a protein diet is quite easy. This is due to the possibility of its adaptation to personal preferences and taste desires of a person.

To achieve good results, the following characteristics of the protein diet must be followed:

  1. Recording menu.To do this, you need to start keeping a food diary. This can be done manually or using a special program.
  2. Find out the norm about proteins.To do this, you should focus on your body weight.
  3. Maintain a protein balance.The menu may include products containing the necessary amino acids.
  4. Controls the lower limit of the protein norm.Even outside of the diet, the body must receive the necessary amount of protein. The average is 30 years.
  5. Monitors the biological value of proteins.It is better to give preference to fresh meat, eggs, dairy products. In this case, it is better to avoid processed foods in the form of bacon, sausage, ham.
  6. Combine proteins with herbs and vegetables.The diet should contain a sufficient amount of vegetables, fruits and herbs.
Healthy protein foods

Benefits of a protein diet

The advantage of a protein diet is that it helps not only to lose weight, but also to achieve the following results:

  1. Increase muscle mass.The combination of protein with strength training is considered to be particularly effective.
  2. Reduce age-related muscle loss.Over the years, many people lose muscle mass. If you include protein shakes in your menu, you can prevent such losses.
  3. Strengthens the bones.The protein diet helps to avoid the development of osteoporosis, which often occurs in women. This food system helps minimize risks by 69%.
  4. Speeds up wound healing.Eating protein foods normalizes recovery processes after injury or surgery.

The harm of a protein diet

The harm of a protein diet is that meat can be high in calories. Therefore, the uncontrolled use of protein can lead to weight gain. It is advisable to carefully count calories and avoid exceeding the daily volume.

A severe carbohydrate restriction can be very stressful for the body. Sugar keeps the brain active. If you abandon it completely, there is a risk of worsening your mood and decreasing concentration.

Lack of fiber in the diet and increased digestion of proteins lead to constipation. To minimize stress on the kidneys, you need to drink plenty of fluids. Also, vegetables and herbs should be present in the diet.

Other disadvantages of a protein diet include the following:

  1. Increased load on the kidneys.When a large amount of protein is consumed, the oxidation of its elements - amino acids - causes an increase in the load on the kidneys. Also, such a feeding system can lead to the appearance of stones.
  2. Threat of metabolic disorders.During the processing of amino acids, by-products that prevent oxidation of fatty acids are synthesized. If there is a large amount of fat in the diet, the body accumulates sub-oxidized substrates. They cause a disruption of the action of insulin and increase the risk of metabolic disturbances.
  3. Lack of vitamins and minerals. This risk is relevant only for strict diets rich in protein. Therefore, nutritionists do not recommend completely excluding fruits, vegetables and grains from the diet. If this is not possible, it is worth taking additional vitamins.
Foods allowed with a protein diet

Allowed and prohibited foods in a protein diet

So that a protein diet for weight loss does not harm the body, you should follow these tips:

  • drinks enough liquid - at least 2 liters;
  • drinks multivitamins;
  • consumes at least 1200 Kcal per day.

The list of foods allowed in a protein diet includes:

  • lean fish;
  • offal;
  • poultry meat without skin - it is better to give preference to chicken, turkey;
  • low-fat dairy products;
  • seafood;
  • veal and beef;
  • apples and citrus fruits;
  • cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage;
  • cereals;
  • egg whites;
  • mineral water, tea and coffee with no added sugar.

The prohibited foods with a protein diet are:

  • baked goods;
  • sweets;
  • canned foods;
  • fatty dairy products;
  • semi-finished products;
  • sweet fruits;
  • fruit juices, sweet carbonated drinks;
  • starchy vegetables;
  • composed;
  • sugar and its analogues.

The way food is prepared is also important. It should be steamed, boiled, cooked. Do not fry foods in oil and do not pour them over fatty sauces. To improve the taste of dishes, it is allowed to use herbs, salt, soy sauce, pepper. You can also use lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.

Pregnant girl

Protein diet for pregnant women

During pregnancy, the need for protein foods increases significantly. Most of the amino acids are spent on the development of the baby. Many people are sure that such a nutritional system involves only severe restrictions. However, a protein diet for pregnant women involves regulating these substances in the diet.

During the gestation period, it is recommended to eat up to 2-2. 5 g of protein products per 1 kg of weight. This means that the daily rate should be around 100-120g.

At the same time, other foods must certainly be present in the diet. You have to eat fats and carbohydrates. They are necessary for the full development of the child. In this case, it is worth giving up sugar, bread, baked goods.

Each meal should only include 1 serving of protein foods. With an excess of these substances, there is a risk of overloading the body with their decomposition products. This greatly increases the load on the liver and kidneys.

Peanuts

Contraindications to the protein diet

The protein diet has contraindications in these situations:

  • is ​​over 45 years old;
  • tendency to form blood clots;
  • kidney disease;
  • pregnancy;
  • breastfeeding.

Protein diet for weight loss: menu of the week

The protein weight loss diet includes the following menu for the week.

Day 1

  1. Breakfast:can consist of cottage cheese or unpolished rice with chicken, tea or coffee.
  2. Second breakfast:you can eat an apple.
  3. Lunch:you can eat boiled breast with a piece of wholemeal bread.
  4. Afternoon snack:some natural yogurt.
  5. Dinner:can include poultry or fish with vegetable salad.

Day 2

  1. Breakfast:It is worth eating yogurt and drinking tea.
  2. Second breakfast:Eat a couple of sugar-free cheesecakes or an orange.
  3. Lunch:you can eat beef or turkey. Steamed vegetables are suitable as a side dish.
  4. Snack:you can drink kefir.
  5. Dinner:eat baked fish with vegetables.

Day 3

  1. Breakfast:3 proteins or cottage cheese is worth eating. For drinks, tea or coffee is suitable.
  2. Lunch:You can use any fruit except banana.
  3. Lunch:you need to make a meat soup. A turkey with boiled unpolished rice will also work.
  4. Snack:eat an apple.
  5. Dinner:Cabbage and beef salad is worth eating.

Day 4

  1. Breakfast:can consist of buckwheat porridge.
  2. Lunch:may include grapefruit.
  3. Lunch:Asparagus and chicken fillets are worth eating.
  4. Afternoon snack:you should drink a glass of fermented cooked milk.
  5. Dinner:can include vegetables and boiled fish.

Day 5

  1. Breakfast:Eat boiled chicken with cabbage and cucumber salad.
  2. Lunch:can consist of an apple and an orange.
  3. Lunch:Steamed fish or vegetable soup is worth eating.
  4. Snack:may include natural yogurt.
  5. Dinner:Beef and vegetable salad are fine.

Day 6

  1. Breakfast:It is worth eating a protein omelette and drinking tea or coffee.
  2. Lunch:Any citrus is fine.
  3. Lunch:you can eat veal or chicken steak and vegetables.
  4. Afternoon snack:a glass of kefir is worth it.
  5. Dinner:can consist of baked fish and salad.

Day 7

  1. Breakfast:cottage cheese is worth eating. Drinking tea or coffee is also allowed.
  2. Second breakfast:you can eat an apple.
  3. Lunch:you can eat boiled beef and vegetable soup.
  4. Afternoon snack:ricotta.
  5. Dinner:can consist of poultry and vegetable salad.

Subject to such a nutritional system, there should be 4-6 meals a day. The first meal should be half an hour after getting up. You have to have dinner 3 hours before going to bed. During the day, it is worth drinking 1. 5 liters of water.

Dairy product

Protein diet for 14 days: menu

If you are planning a protein diet for weight loss for 14 days, you should focus on the following menu:

  1. Food should be eaten 5-6 times a day. The first time it is recommended to do this half an hour after getting up, the last - 3 hours before bedtime. Carbohydrates can be consumed until 2pm.
  2. Breakfast can include a portion of complex carbohydrates. This will require 4 tablespoons of boiled cereals: oatmeal, buckwheat, brown rice. Eating a slice of wholemeal bread is also fine. Also, eat some protein: 100 g of boiled fillet, 30 g of nuts, 1 egg, yogurt.
  3. Fruit should be eaten as a snack in the morning. Apples, tangerines, or oranges are great options.
  4. In the afternoon, protein foods should be combined with starch-free vegetables. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage.
  5. We recommend dressing salads with 30 g of vegetable fats. The rest of the food is prepared without oil.

Protein diet recipes

For such a nutritional system to be beneficial, protein diet recipes must be tasty and varied.

Egg cream soup

Cream of egg soup

This dish requires:

  • 300 g of spinach;
  • 400 g of chicken fillet;
  • 2 eggs;
  • 150 ml of milk;
  • spices, salt, parsley.

Preparation:

  1. First, boil the meat in 2 liters of water.
  2. Then take it out and cut it into cubes.
  3. Add the chopped spinach to the broth and cook until tender.
  4. Pour the soup into a blender, add the milk, meat and eggs and beat until creamy.
  5. When ready to serve, garnish with parsley and hard-boiled egg.

Protein salad

To cook you need:

  • 3 eggs;
  • 400 g of Chinese cabbage;
  • 1 chicken fillet;
  • 1 cucumber.

For refueling:

  • goes up;
  • natural yogurt;
  • mustard.

Preparation:

  1. Grind all ingredients.
  2. Mix the ingredients for the seasoning in a separate bowl.
  3. Pour the mixture into the salad and mix well.
  4. Sprinkle the protein salad with lemon juice before serving.

Protein ice cream

To cook you need:

  • 1 pack of low-fat cottage cheese;
  • half an orange;
  • 1 apple;
  • vanilla.

Preparation:

  1. Cut the orange and apple into wedges.
  2. Mix the fruit with the curd.
  3. Add a little vanilla and beat until smooth.
  4. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes. The finished dessert tastes like popsicles.
Various protein foods

Breaking a protein diet

In order to record the results obtained, it is necessary to exit the protein diet correctly.

To do this, we recommend that you observe the following rules:

  1. Avoid sweets and heavy foods within 2 weeks of ending the diet. In this case, preference should be given to light meals. If it is difficult to do without sweets, you can add a spoonful of honey to oatmeal.
  2. Drink unsweetened tea. You need low-fat cereals and dairy products.
  3. Vegetables and lean meats are recommended for lunch. Fish, beef and chicken will be great options. You can also eat various stews. Fruit is also useful. From drinks you can choose green or herbal tea. Eggs are great.
  4. Dinner can be quite light. A vegetable salad with a hard-boiled egg or piece of meat is a good option. If you feel very hungry before going to bed, you should drink 250 ml of low-fat kefir.
  5. Among the desserts, honey and fruit should be preferred. It is also acceptable to eat yogurt. In any case, such products should be consumed in the morning.
Lose weight on a protein diet

Protein diet: nutritionist reviews

Nutritionists' reviews on the protein diet for weight loss are positive:

  1. “The main benefit of this diet is the feeling of satiety it provides. At the same time, protein foods quickly get rid of excess weight. Disadvantages include the risk of loss of skin elasticity and impaired renal function ".
  2. “Any dietary restrictions should be taken very seriously. The diet should not completely exclude fruits and vegetables. Only in this case will it be possible to lose weight without harm to health ".

The protein diet is a popular nutritional system that helps to shed excess weight and replenish the body with vital energy. To achieve good results and avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the recommendations of nutritionists. Before following the diet, be sure to read the list of contraindications.