Protein diets for weight loss: a week's menu with recipes

protein foods for weight loss

The nature of your diet is that your daily diet should be dominated by protein foods - lots of fish, meat, and low-fat dairy products. All of these products are very nutritious and saturate for a long time, so you won't be plagued by hunger pangs. But the body deprived of carbohydrates and fat will begin to use its own fat reserves for extra energy.

The role of protein in the body

protein is good for the body

Life without protein is impossible. The importance of proteins to the body is that they are the materials that build cells, tissues and organs, form enzymes, most hormones, hemoglobin, and other substances that perform the most important functions in the body. Proteins and their role in the body are also involved in protecting the body from infection and facilitating the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Our life activities are related to the constant consumption and renewal of protein. To balance these processes, protein losses must be replenished daily. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, it does not accumulate in the body and is not synthesized from other nutrients, that is, you can only get protein through food.

duration of protein diet

Typically, protein diets are detailed for one to two weeks. The menu is not very diverse: in the second week, if any, experts recommend following the diet from the last day to the first, eating the same menu as the first week.

In addition, nutritionists recommend sticking to a protein diet for no more than 14 days, followed by a six-month break. Only after that can you resume the course.

Pros and Cons of Protein Diets

Pros and cons of protein diets

In addition to the usual "weight loss" goals, protein diets have other beneficial effects on the body. which is:

  1. Improve skin condition. Protein is the foundation of the human body. Thanks to him, your muscles are strong and your skin doesn't sag. By increasing the protein content in your daily diet, you will ensure the beautiful appearance of your skin.
  2. Calorie content. Protein contains almost twice as many calories as fat. Given that the body needs more time and energy to process fat, the process of losing weight is inevitable.
  3. Remove toxins. Proteins help remove excess fluids from the body and work with them to flush out toxins.
  4. Lack of hunger. Due to the properties of the body and the long-term assimilation of protein, hunger does not appear until after a long period of time. Given that the protein diet consists of 4-6 meals, there is no hunger throughout the day.

There are few downsides to a protein diet. Most of them rely on contraindications for certain populations. But they can't be entirely attributed to shortcomings, as there are dietary restrictions - there's no point in sitting on them. However, if they sit down, what's the point of complaining?

Therefore, the disadvantages of the diet include:

  1. constipate. This is a common problem for people on a protein diet. The solution to this problem is to use a lot of water or kefir. If it doesn't help, use a laxative
  2. Rotten product will not be removed. As in the previous case, the solution to this problem is to use the required amount of water.
  3. bad breath
  4. Diet duration. Due to its specificity, a protein diet for more than one month is not recommended. If you're only using your diet as a means of getting in good shape and don't want to lose extra pounds, this restriction doesn't apply to you.

This is where the downsides of the diet end. Everything else is already in the category of contraindications and should be taken first even before you start a diet.

protein diet rules

protein diet rules

A protein diet is characterized by the following rules:

  1. Every meal is a combination of protein and other foods,
  2. All foods should be fat-free, and your daily fat rate is 30 grams, which is 1-2 tablespoons. l. Oil as salad dressing
  3. Until 2 p. m. , allow 4-6 tablespoons of complex carbohydrates in the form of grains (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal). l. ,
  4. You can use non-starchy (or less starchy) vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage and lettuce,
  5. From fruits, prefer citrus fruits or unsweetened apples (1-2 per day),
  6. drink plenty of water (1-2 liters per day),
  7. You need to eat 4 to 6 times a day, about every 3 hours,
  8. As a seasoning, use herbs, lemon juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic,
  9. Avoid alcohol and sweets during the diet,
  10. Follow the protein content table in the product,
  11. The duration of the diet does not exceed 2 weeks.

diet on a protein diet

You need to eat at least 5 times a day, and the last affordable meal is 3 hours before lights out, and breakfast can only start 30 minutes after you wake up. As for the distribution of nutrients, eat a small amount of carbohydrates such as buckwheat, brown rice or oatmeal before lunch. Also, eat some fruit before lunch. You can consume up to 40 grams of fat per day, which is more than enough for your body.

How to Cook on a Protein Diet

For 7 days, 14 days or one month, the menu, grams per serving, is not much different from a protein diet.

The first, second and third are constant components for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The difference is only in the preparation and timing of the meal.

Soup is the first item on the menu. The base of the soup is a protein broth: fish, meat, poultry. Vegetable supplements of your choice, cabbage, eggplant, bell peppers, beans, eggs.

Potatoes are banned due to their high carbohydrate content. The absence of pasta and potatoes in the soup doesn't detract from the flavor of the protein soup vegetable soup. Any liquid food can help with weight loss.

For the second course, choose more products to satisfy hunger while losing weight. Recipes for any dish include chicken, fish, meat, eggs, cheese, as well as vegetables, herbs and spices.

The question is what to use in place of the side dish? Potatoes, pasta, grains are high in carbohydrates and therefore not suitable for any diet. Replace carbohydrate side dishes with vegetable dishes. Bake, cook, stew for every housewife. Be careful with spices.

Sugar, sweet syrups and some undesirable additives may be lost in the composition. With a variety of foods in the diet, nutritional impairment and hunger are not evident.

Protein diet menu options

The daily menu consists of five meals that include enough protein so the body doesn't feel hungry. The diet is varied, but it includes the simplest and easiest dishes to prepare.

The diet is designed for one week, and the number of days can be increased to 14 days if you are overweight (2 weeks is the maximum time you can go on a protein diet).

Menu №1 Protein diet for a week (7 days)

Products from the Protein Diet Menu

Make up your diet in such a way that it does not exceed 1, 000 calories per day. Divide them into 5 meals, making the last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime. You can lose 5-7kg in a week.

sky a meal menu of the day
1 day breakfast Omelet from 3 Proteins

1 cup kefir (low fat)

Unsweetened tea or coffee
late breakfast 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives)
dinner 100 g. Boiled Chicken with Spices and Herbs
afternoon tea 1 apple or orange
dinner 100-150 grams. Fish grilled with herbs and spices.

1 cup fat-free kefir
2 days breakfast 2 hard boiled eggs

1 tomato

1 whole wheat bread
late breakfast 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives)
dinner 100 g. steamed meat,

Tomato and Pepper Salad - 100 g.
afternoon tea 1 apple or orange
dinner 100 g. canned fish (you can have tuna or sardines),

100-150 grams. fresh cabbage and cucumber salad,

1 cup kefir (up to 5% fat)
3 days breakfast Oatmeal with a handful of nuts or dried fruit.

tea or coffee
late breakfast Whole Wheat Bread and Low-Fat Cheese Sandwich
dinner 100g chicken breast,

1/3 cup brown rice

Tomato and pepper salad - 100-150 g.
afternoon tea 1 fruit, any fruit except bananas
dinner 100 g. steamed fish,

1 cup boiled beans

1 cup kefir or yogurt
Day 4 breakfast 150 g nonfat cheese,

green tea
late breakfast A handful of nuts - no more than 30 grams.
dinner Chicken soup with vegetables and chicken breast.

1 whole wheat bread
afternoon tea 1 apple or orange
dinner Oven grilled fish or meat.

Fresh vegetable salad - cabbage, tomatoes and red peppers.
Day 5 breakfast Tomato and Lettuce Salad with Lemon Dressing
late breakfast 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives)
dinner Broccoli Cream Soup with Chicken Breast Slices.

1 whole wheat bread
afternoon tea 5 pieces. any dried fruit
dinner Cabbage and Green Bean Salad.

Baked brisket (hard cheese) with cheese and tomatoes
Day 6 breakfast Omelet with 2 eggs and low-fat ham.

No tea or coffee, no sugar.
late breakfast 1 fruit, any fruit except bananas
dinner 100 g. steamed fish,

1/3 cup boiled rice. 1 tomato
afternoon tea 1 cup kefir or yogurt (no additives)
dinner Vegetable and meat stews - up to 200 g.

kefir or yogurt
Day 7 breakfast 150 grams. fat-free cheese with dried apricots,

green tea
late breakfast A handful of nuts - no more than 30 grams.
dinner 1/3 cup buckwheat (preferably not boiled, pour in boiling water, let it sit overnight) and fish or meat of your choice
afternoon tea 1 orange
dinner 150 g of meat, lemon and herbs are roasted in the oven. Mix the juice of half a lemon with the meat seasoning and marinate for 1-4 hours. After 25-30 minutes of baking in the oven

Weekly menu number 2 protein diet

protein diet menu

Another advantage of a protein diet for quick weight loss is that you can make the menu at your own discretion. There are no strict rules here. The options shown are just an example.

Serving size is about 200-250 grams.

Day 1: morning, afternoon, dinner, snacks

1 page (breakfast) Unsweetened coffee/tea + cottage cheese
2 pages (second breakfast) apple
3 p. p. (lunch) Boiled Chicken Breast with Roasted Vegetables
4 pages (snacks) empty natural yogurt
5 pages (dinner) Steamed Fish + Vegetable Salad

Day 2: AM, PM, Dinner, Snack

1 page (breakfast) Unsweetened coffee/tea + yogurt
2 pages (second breakfast) orange
3 p. p. (lunch) Vegetables (grilled) + veal (beef)
4 pages (snacks) kefir
5 pages (dinner) Fish (grilled) and vegetables (natural, not heat-treated)

Day 3: morning, afternoon, dinner, snacks

1 page (breakfast) Unsweetened coffee/tea + a few eggs
2 pages (second breakfast) grapefruit
3 p. p. (lunch) Roasted turkey thighs + -5 tbsp. brown rice
4 pages (snacks) cottage cheese
5 pages (dinner) Cabbage Salad + Boiled Veal

Day 4: AM, PM, Dinner, Snack

1 page (breakfast) kefir + cookies (2, from oatmeal, homemade is better)
2 pages (second breakfast) Kiwi (2 pieces)
3 p. p. (lunch) Asparagus Chicken
4 pages (snacks) fresh fruit juice
5 pages (dinner) seafood and vegetables

Day 5: AM, PM, Dinner, Snack

1 page (breakfast) Steamed 2 egg omelet + tea or unsweetened coffee
2 pages (second breakfast) apple
3 p. p. (lunch) fish with bread
4 pages (snacks) riazhenka
5 pages (dinner) chicken + raw vegetables

Day 6: Morning, Afternoon, Dinner, Snack

1 page (breakfast) cottage cheese + tea or unsweetened coffee
2 pages (second breakfast) orange
3 p. p. (lunch) Baked Tofu with Vegetables
4 pages (snacks) no added yogurt
5 pages (dinner) Asparagus Shrimp

Day 7: Morning, Afternoon, Dinner, Snack

1 page (breakfast) cottage cheese + tea or unsweetened coffee
2 pages (second breakfast) apple
3 p. p. (lunch) Vegetable Soup + Boiled Beef
4 pages (snacks) Kefir + Whole Wheat Bread
5 pages (dinner) Steamed Fish + Vegetable Salad

14-day protein diet menu

Products on the menu can be safely replaced with equivalent products from the allowable list, and suggested dishes can be replaced with dishes that are similar in calorie content and ingredients. The main thing is to follow the rules: eat small meals 5-6 times a day, drink at least 2 liters of fluids a day, and avoid prohibited foods.

breakfast
  • 2 egg omelet
  • 200 g nonfat cheese/cheese casserole
  • oatmeal/millet on water
second breakfast
  • apple or pear
  • fruit salad
  • vegetable salad
dinner
  • 2 fish fillets + 100g boiled beans
  • 200 g boiled chicken + grain garnish
  • 200 g boiled rabbit + tomato salad
afternoon tea
  • 100 g nonfat yogurt
  • grapefruit or grapefruit
  • handful of pine nuts
dinner
  • 200 g grilled/boiled fish + vegetable garnish
  • 200 g boiled veal + coleslaw
  • Poultry meatballs + boiled lentils 200 g

With such a diverse list of products allowed, it's not difficult to create a detailed protein diet menu for yourself, with room for imagination to "wander around". Gradually sticking to a protein diet will allow you to gradually and effectively exit the diet.

protein diet recipes

protein diet recipes

As you know, a protein diet is based on the complete or partial elimination of carbohydrates from your body. The basis of your diet should be white meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Vegetables and nuts are allowed in more diet versions of this diet. In a rigid weight loss system, you can't really clear. For a week, and sometimes longer, all you need to eat every day is boiled eggs, fish and chicken.

As you know, the recipes below are better for backup and are more diverse in terms of products allowed. They are based on protein products, but can add some ingredients to improve the taste, which goes somewhat beyond the nutritional principles of rigid protein diets.

first meal

Egg Cream Soup

raw material:

  • 400 g chicken or turkey breast
  • 300-400 g spinach,
  • 2 hard boiled eggs,
  • 150 ml milk
  • spices,
  • Salt,
  • Sprigs of parsley.

Cook meat in 2-2. 5 liters of water until tender, add bay leaves, peppercorns and Provencal herbs. Remove the meat and cut into cubes. Cook chopped spinach in broth until tender. Pour soup, milk into a mixer bowl, add meat and chopped eggs and beat until creamy. Serve immediately, garnished with a parsley sprig and half a hard-boiled egg.

Nutritious fish soup

  • 400 grams of any white fish fillet,
  • 1 red onion
  • 400 g cauliflower,
  • lemon juice,
  • black pepper,
  • Salt,
  • natural yogurt (optional)

Break the cauliflower apart, peel and cut into small pieces. Cut the fish into large pieces. Cut the onion into thin halves. Put everything in a saucepan, add water and cook until tender. Salt, pepper, lemon juice and a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt if desired before serving.

Chicken Ball Soup

  • 300 g minced chicken,
  • 2 squirrels,
  • 1 tablespoon bran,
  • vegetable stock (celery or cauliflower with onion),
  • 5 scallions
  • 1 small onion
  • salt and spices.

Combine ground meat, squirrel, bran, and grated onion to form small chestnut-sized meatballs. Add meatballs, bay leaf, 5 black peppercorns to boiling stock and cook until tender. Garnish the soup with chopped green onions before serving.

Post-Protein Diet Results and Comments

protein diet results

The pre- and post-diet results are impressive - in just one week, you can lose up to 5kg, depending on your initial weight and level of activity. Since protein foods are great at energizing the body, it is advisable to combine diet with training for maximum effect.

As for the reviews, they are both positive and negative. For many, the diet is not suitable - against the background of a lack of vitamins and trace elements, some dieters develop dizziness and weakness. Still, everyone who adhered to this diet lost weight.

protein diet taboo

Contraindications to protein diets

Before this diet, pass a mandatory medical examination, as protein diets are not for everyone and are completely prohibited:

  • Deviations from the work of the heart (arrhythmias) and any disease thereof,
  • Hepatitis and any liver disease,
  • During breastfeeding and pregnancy,
  • renal insufficiency
  • suffer from joint pain or related conditions,
  • suffering from colitis, dysbacteriosis, chronic pancreatitis and many other digestive diseases,
  • Diet increases the risk of thrombosis, so it is not recommended for older adults,
  • lasts longer than 4 weeks.

protein diet options

protein diet options

Many modern diets are based on principles of protein nutrition. Consider the most popular options.

protein carbohydrate diet

Its essence is to alternate protein days with carbohydrate days, that is, eating only protein foods one day and eating complex carbohydrates the other day. This dietary choice is considered more balanced and can be followed for more than two weeks. Often, this diet is taken after a pure protein diet to consolidate the results.

Atkins diet

Also known as the Hollywood Diet, it has become the favorite of many Hollywood stars. The nutritional basis compiled by Dr. Atkins is to use mainly protein foods, even high-calorie fatty foods are allowed, but carbohydrates are excluded.

Dr. Pierre Dukan's Protein Diet

The most popular protein diet is the Dukan diet. This is exactly the system of proper nutrition that must be followed for the rest of your life. According to modern nutritionists, the best diet for weight loss is one that you can comfortably follow without suffering from hunger, stumble with weakness, or indulging in calorie counts.

protein diet advice

Recommendations for a high protein diet

Given the downsides of this weight loss method, we've compiled recommendations for you so you can minimize the negative effects on your body and benefit only from your diet:

  1. First, don't over-diet. Remember, everything requires action: don't completely eliminate carbohydrates and fats from your diet. If after a week of dieting you decide to continue to lose weight, don't stick to this diet for more than a month, then take a 2-3 month break.
  2. Since a 7-day protein diet to lose weight puts a lot of stress on the kidneys, eat more vegetables.
  3. Eat at least four small meals a day.
  4. The last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
  5. To avoid bowel problems, pay attention to your water intake - you must drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water a day.
  6. The daily caloric intake should not exceed 1500 kcal.
  7. Choose quality products! Remember that the quality of food is a very important condition for weight loss.
  8. If your diet includes eggs, do not eat more than 4 eggs per day. This is especially true of egg yolks, which are mainly composed of fat and can increase cholesterol levels.
  9. The protein in the duo with carbohydrates is better absorbed. Add some steamed cauliflower to your plate when you eat boiled chicken breasts. But it's best to introduce carbs at midday lunchtime.
  10. If your goal is not just to lose weight, but to gain muscle mass, remember that it is from dynamic load that muscle grows.
  11. To avoid nutritional deficiencies, it is recommended to drink vitamins during weight loss.