The protein diet is one of the most popular, especially among men. Unlike most diets, it helps increase muscle mass and also allows you to have a varied menu for the week. The caloric content of the diet can easily change based on current energy costs. This allows for a flexible approach to nutrition and you don't feel hungry.
Is it possible to lose weight on a protein diet?
Many people wonder if it is possible to lose weight on a protein diet. It is among the best nutritional programs for weight loss, but the result can only be achieved with regular exercise.
The fundamental principle of the diet is that proteins make up the majority of the diet. They are a building material for the body, essential for muscle growth and an active and happy life in general. Its deficiency leads to decreased performance, fatigue and depression.
A protein diet can help a person begin their transformation. Of course, you will have to say goodbye to sweet and fried, but isn't the result worth it?
Don't forget: to lose weight, you need to do physical education.
What nutrition systems are there (Ducan, ketone, Atkins) and how effective are they?
There are several nutritional programs for 7, 14 or more days based on the predominance of protein in the diet. Let's talk about the most effective ones.
Ducan System
The meaning of this system is that you consume a lot of protein and carbohydrates in limited amounts.
The Ducan power system consists of 4 stages, each of which has its own rules. However, there are general principles for everyone:
- drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day;
- every day there should be at least minimal physical activity: exercises and walking.
First step
Meals at this stage are based on lean protein foods: skinless chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, beef tenderloin, and low-fat dairy products.It is strictly forbidden to fry in oil, but you can use all other cooking methods, for example steaming.In addition, it is allowed to add spices and herbs to the diet. It is imperative to support the work of the intestines and take a tablespoon and a half of oat bran a day. It is forbidden to eat pork, sausages, rice and other cereals, fruits, sweets, bread, flour, beans and sugar.
Second step
This step will be easier and will take more than two weeks. Combine protein and vegetable days. The protein-vegetable diet is varied and light, especially compared to protein days. The estimated weight loss will be more than 4 kg. If you do not need to lose more than 10 kg, the days alternate with each other after one, and if there are more, 5 after 5. The duration of the stage is calculated based on a simple formula: 1 kilogram lost = 7 days.
Protein days completely repeats the menu from the first step. The only clarification is that it is allowed to add cucumbers. On veggie days, you can eat any veggies except beets, avocado, and potatoes. They cannot be seasoned with mayonnaise, but they can be boiled and baked. You also need to consume 2 tablespoons of bran a day. The forbidden foods are the same as before.
Third step
At this stage, the result is fixed. For every kilogram lost, 10 days of fixation are needed. Yes, it seems like it is very long, but this is how you can bring a beautiful figure. Eating sugar, sweets, flour and semi-finished meat products is prohibited.
It is allowed to use everything that was in the previous stages, but with additions: fruits are added per day (not only grapes, dates and bananas), 2 slices of whole wheat bread and 40 g of cheese. Starchy foods, like potatoes, can be cooked twice a week. And also 2 times a week it is allowed to arrange a vacation and eat whatever you want, but, of course, without fanaticism.
Fourth step
This step assumes that the food system has already become a habit and has become a way of eating in principle. Now there are no prohibited products, but it is recommended to organize with proteins one day a week. Of course, you should not attack the sweet and harmful and eat it in large quantities; no diet will save you from weight gain and loss of the achieved result.
The ketone diet
This diet allows you to eat meat, high-fat fish, eggs, green vegetables (spinach, cabbage, cucumbers or zucchini), tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, strawberries, mushrooms, vegetables and butter, hard and soft cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, and yogurt, as well as all spices, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, and pine nuts. Therefore, the menu can be very varied.
The diet is definitely not suitable for people with kidney and cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and eating disorders. Here are some of the side effects to follow when following the ketogenic diet:
- negative effect on kidney function;
- dehydration, constipation, risk of heart disease.
Keto has significant advantages and disadvantages, so switching to this diet is worth careful consideration.
Atkins diet
The Atkins diet is similar to the Ducan diet. There are also 4 steps here: introductory, main (aimed at losing weight), transitory (the result is fixed) and final. The first two steps last 14 days: during this time, the body gets used to a new way of eating and rebuilds itself. In the future, diet should become a way of life. The diet assumes a minimum of carbohydrates, a maximum of proteins and a total rejection of alcohol.
Protein is the basis of the diet, unsaturated fats and fiber are also allowed. The latter include avocados, walnuts, salmon, and vegetable oils. Green vegetables and herbs will provide fiber, and some carbohydrates can be obtained from fruits, grains, and berries without sugar. The diet is not suitable for pregnant women and people with kidney or liver problems.
Dangers of protein diets
Due to serious deficiencies, protein diets cannot be considered healthy and safe. An excess of protein leads to the development of urolithiasis and adversely affects the functioning of the kidneys, brain and liver. There are some major drawbacks:
- The gastrointestinal tract can be affected.
- Animal feed contains cholesterol, even if it is the most dietary poultry.
- Nutrition is generally unbalanced.
We do not recommend following a pure protein diet, as they cause health problems for a long period of time.
List of protein products
To properly compose the menu, you should familiarize yourself with the list of protein products:
- Meat: chicken and turkey fillets and beef.
- Fish: especially tuna, which is virtually fat-free, but has a record protein content among fish.
- Soy replaces meat and fish for vegetarians and people who abstain from meat for other reasons.
- Curd is an affordable protein rich product.
- Cheese contains protein, but also a lot of fat. It is not suitable for all diets.
- Beans. Most legumes are high in protein, but beans are particularly prominent. Chickpeas and lentils are also good options.
- Buckwheat. Of all the cereals, it is buckwheat that contains the most protein and also contains a lot of fiber which is helpful for the intestines.
If you spend time in physical activity, then you have a higher need for protein. We recommend paying attention to protein powder mixes, protein bars.The proteins in these products are well absorbed and the compositions are balanced in amino acids, vitamins, micro and macro elements.
A detailed menu of a strict low calorie diet for the week
A low calorie diet for a week will allow you to get quick results and generally adjust the body to a new way of eating. This easy-to-lose weight loss diet is based on one principle: consume 800 calories a day. Consider a menu to lose weight very fast.
Monday
You can have low-fat yogurt and green tea for breakfast.
Snack: a handful of peanuts, Lunch: steamed chicken.
Afternoon snack: 150 g of fat-free cottage cheese. It is recommended to end the day with a glass of zero fat kefir.
Tuesday
For breakfast, it is recommended to eat 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese and drink coffee without sugar. 
Snack: low-fat yogurt, for lunch, boiled beans, for an afternoon snack, a glass of fat-free kefir. For dinner - chum steak.
Wednesday
Start the day with 2 hard-boiled eggs and coffee without sugar. For a snack: a glass of low-fat yogurt. For lunch, lean fish, such as steamed haddock, for an afternoon snack, a glass of fat-free kefir, and for dinner, a handful of peanuts.
Thursday
For breakfast, you can eat low-fat cottage cheese and drink green tea. For a snack, 2 hard-boiled eggs, for lunch, a baked turkey fillet with mushrooms, and for an afternoon snack, an arugula salad. It is recommended to bake trout for dinner.
Friday
For breakfast, fat-free cottage cheese and sugar-free coffee. For a snack, a glass of low-fat kefir, for lunch, boiled beef with beans. For a snack you can eat boiled cauliflower and for dinner lean boiled or baked fish, such as cod.
Saturday
For breakfast, you can boil oatmeal porridge in water and drink green tea. For a snack - a handful of peanuts, for lunch - boiled squid fillet, 
for an afternoon snack - a glass of low-fat yogurt. For dinner: 2 hard-boiled eggs.
Sunday
Last breakfast this week: oatmeal porridge with water and coffee without sugar. For a snack - a glass of low-fat kefir, for lunch - lean fish, for example, steamed pollock. Snack: salad of boiled beans with mushrooms and, for dinner, low-fat cottage cheese.
Protein and vegetable menu for 14 days
Protein and vegetable nutrition is a perfectly balanced menu that allows you to lose weight easily, quickly, tasty and without side effects.Nutrition is rich in vitamins, fiber, and protein, all of which are so important to the body. For 14 days, the following serving is offered every day (a cup of green tea is supposed for breakfast every day):
| Day | Products |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 boiled egg with olives, 200 g of steamed chicken fillet with vegetables, 200 g of broccoli and low-fat yogurt |
| 2 | Oatmeal porridge in water, a handful of nuts, 200 g of steamed fish with vegetables, 200 g of cottage cheese |
| 3 | Protein omelette with tomato and arugula, chicken fillet with carrot and cabbage salad, 1 boiled egg with cheese and tomato |
| 4 | 150g low-fat cottage cheese with cucumber and buckwheat, steamed turkey fillet with vegetable salad, baked cod with olives and feta cheese |
| 5 | Water oatmeal porridge, boiled veal + vegetables, avocado salad, a glass of fat-free or 1% kefir. |
| 6 | Buckwheat with milk, boiled chicken salad, tomatoes and iceberg leaves, chum salmon with vegetables |
| 7 | Oatmeal porridge with skim milk, vegetable salad and 1 boiled egg, stewed haddock with wild rice for garnish |
| 8 | This day should be a fast day, you can eat vegetables in unlimited quantities (but within reasonable limits) |
| 9 | 150 g of Greek yogurt, 2 hard-boiled eggs, stewed cabbage with chicken, 200 g of steamed haddock with vegetables |
| 10 | Baked zucchini with cheese, boiled veal with vegetables, buckwheat with cottage cheese and milk |
| 11 | Low-fat yogurt, baked fish with olives, and any salad, low-fat or 1% kefir |
| 12 | Water porridge, cod with beans, vegetable salad with chicken |
| 13 | Buckwheat with cottage cheese and milk, steamed turkey fillet with vegetables, cabbage and carrot salad |
| 14 | Oatmeal in water with nuts, boiled veal with vegetables, a glass of low-fat yogurt. |
The protein-vegetable diet is balanced and can be recommended for prolonged use.
Review feedback on results
Usually people first search the internet for how to lose weight on a protein diet, is losing weight really easy? Most people report both positive body changes and negative health effects. It really is possible to lose weight without losing muscle, improve relief, and not stress the body. There is also a variety of menus for every day, the absence of hunger and bad mood. Protein days for weight loss can be organized without harm to health, but the total duration of such a diet should not exceed 14 days as recommended by doctors.
The protein diet is chosen by those who want not only to lose weight, but also qualitatively change the body in general to look not exhausted, but, on the contrary, a cheerful and fit person. Also, this diet is suitable for those who love pure meat and can easily do without sausages and cold cuts. In order not to lose weight, those who have lost weight give some advice:
- Drink a glass of warm water in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Eat breakfast half an hour after waking up.
- Have dinner 3 hours before bed.
- Drink 2 liters of water a day.
- To avoid problems with stool, you should drink 1% kefir.
- For those who cannot live without coffee, 1 cup without sugar is allowed.
People's reviews are overjoyed because within 2 weeks people started noticing little changes in their bodies. Although these steps are still quite small, they have already been taken. From the negative, most get an unpleasant body odor, which nothing can interrupt. It is not recommended to follow this diet for more than 14 days.
Unfortunately, there are no magic pills for weight loss. Protein diets are often said to be effective for weight loss, but this is wrong. Yes, you can quickly lose a couple extra pounds, but this will happen if you significantly limit the number of calories you eat. Protein alone is not suitable for weight loss.
Interesting recipes
On the one hand, it seems that there are very few products allowed and a person is in a painful monotony. However, this is not the case, you can easily diversify a protein diet, and simple and tasty recipes of a protein diet for weight loss will help in this. Don't forget to include walking, running, and other sports in your day. Otherwise, there will be no effect.
Protein shake
Protein Slimming Shake is a sports drink that will saturate your body throughout the day. To cook you will need:
- 200 ml of skimmed milk
- 1 chicken egg;
- 1 banana;
- 100 g 9% cottage cheese;
- a teaspoon of sugar.
Prepare a blender or mixer with special equipment.
- Beat the peeled egg in a blender with sugar
- Cut the peeled banana into small circles
- Add the banana to the egg bowl, pour in the milk and beat until smooth.
- Now add the curd and beat again.
Done! Enjoy your meal.
Chicken fillet with guacamole sauce
This is an easy diet meal to prepare. Despite the presence of avocado in the composition, the BJU of the dish is 57/25/18. To cook we need:
- 500 g of chicken fillet;
- 1 avocado;
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- half a teaspoon of dried garlic;
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper;
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 100 g of low-fat cheese;
- coriander and pepper to taste.
First, remove the pulp from the avocado and mash it with a fork, then add pepper, lemon juice, a little salt and seasoning. Now let's put this dough aside for a while. The remaining salt, seasonings and dried garlic should be spread with fillets. Put the meat in a frying pan and fry it on each side for 4 minutes over medium heat. After that, sprinkle it with cheese and close the lid to melt the cheese. Next, you need to wait a couple more minutes, after which you can put the fillet on a plate and put the previously prepared sauce on top.
Protein Curd Casserole
Protein casserole is great for breakfast. To prepare it you will need:
- 500 g of cottage cheese;
- 1 egg;
- 40 g of cornstarch;
- 2 egg whites;
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- a tablespoon of sugar;
- half a teaspoon of vanillin;
- 50 g of raisins.
First mix the curd, egg and whites. Then add the cornstarch and the rest of the ingredients. Now put the dough in a baking dish and leave it for 30 minutes. at 180 degrees. The crust will be crispy and the casserole itself will be tender and satisfying.
Salted trout salad
For this light salad you will need:
- lettuce leaves;
- 4 cherry tomatoes;
- 30 g of trout fillet;
- leek stalk;
- a tablespoon of olive oil for dressing;
- pepper.
You can also add a teaspoon of chia seeds to improve stomach function. The cherry should be cut in half, the trout should be cut into cubes, the onion stalk should be cut into slices. We wash the lettuce leaves, cut them into pieces and put them on a plate, put all the ingredients on top, season with olive oil and seasonings. So you need to mix everything well. Such a salad should be eaten immediately, in the refrigerator it will quickly lose its freshness.
Conclusion
Protein diets help you start on the path to losing weight and building a strong, beautiful body. In combination with sports loads, in particular jogging, during the period of observance it will turn out to lose a little weight, and it will be fats that will disappear, not muscles. The feeling of hunger won't haunt you, but you should definitely drink enough water, exercise, walk, and eat fiber.
Remember that a diet rich in animal products is not safe for your health due to its cholesterol content.
It is recommended to add vegetables to the protein diet, at least 400 g per day, excluding potatoes. This will help maintain a balanced diet.