Losing weight is like a roller coaster ride on the diet

Those who have followed a diet at least once know very well that the most intense weight loss is observed exclusively in the first days. Later, a person notices that his weight does not change even with the poorest diet, and sometimes it increases. This can be explained quite simply: the body, not receiving the required amount of required substances, switches to “saving mode”, which does not allow it to quickly consume energy. Metabolism slows down, vigor disappears and is replaced by a loss of strength. It is at this stage that many people despair, because they have to give up a lot, but there is no visible result. And this is where the “Roller Coaster” diet comes in handy, reviews of which are mostly positive. Her menu is quite simple, and the results are impressive.

The Roller Coaster Diet

What is the peculiarity of the technique? The creator of the diet is the American Martin Catan, who in the mid-eighties published a book containing a detailed description of this nutritional pattern. The author himself claims that the diet helped him lose 30 kg. For those who plan to try it for themselves, Martin Catan promises results of up to 6-8 kg in 3 weeks.

Why does our diet require drastic changes?

So, Katan, tired of his excess weight, decided to change his diet and approached the problem from a scientific point of view. He is a psychologist by profession, so he knew firsthand how women suffer due to unsuccessful diets. Even if the results were impressive, the weight quickly returns after a while. Therefore, Katan decided to investigate the problem of such blatant injustice.

Martin Catan and his stress-free diet

He managed to find out that every person’s body strives to acquire fat reserves for a “rainy day” or a stressful situation. And each method of losing weight (especially hard) is a strong stress, which disrupts the previous rhythm of life. But if such a state drags on, all systems get used to it, and stress gradually develops into everyday life. You have to survive somehow. As a result, the person gets better again. This especially applies to women, whose bodies are more prone to accumulating strategic reserves (after all, they have yet to be given the gift of life).

Women's tendency to be overweight

When Martin Catan realized all this, he created a completely new approach to nutrition, designed to support the body in good physical condition. It turned out that constant stress is required to burn fat regularly . Moreover, it is exclusively stress that cannot harm mental or physical health. When the calorie intake is sharply reduced, this always initially leads to weight loss, but for the results to be really good, the number of calories consumed must be periodically reduced and then increased again. This way, the body will not have time to get used to the new diet, therefore, weight will not increase.

When Katan tested the technique on himself, he managed to lose more than 30 kg. Since then, the psychologist has managed to publish several books that have helped millions of women lose weight; Moreover, even for men a special diet was developed. And the fact that Katan proved by his own example the effectiveness of the technique makes the diet known as the “Roller Coaster” very popular.

Note! Initially, the technique was called differently - Rotation diet (translated from English - alternating, rotational). But due to the fact that it was confused with a diet for allergy sufferers (their rotation involves regular alternation of foods to prevent the accumulation of allergens) and the BUC sports nutrition scheme (here carbohydrate foods alternate with protein foods), an original name was invented - “Roller Coaster”.

Principles of the Roller Coaster Diet

Menu from 4 to 7 days

For the next four days, it is planned to create a diet consisting of 900 calories. More attention should be paid to breakfast and lunch, but dinner can be made light, consisting of fruits, vegetables or fermented milk drinks.

Sample menu from days 4 to 7:

• breakfast – 1 green apple (50 kcal), 3 rice cakes (100 kcal) and a pack of low-fat cottage cheese (200 kcal);
• lunch – 200 g of borscht (70 kcal), 100 g of buckwheat porridge steamed with boiling water (90 kcal), 200 g of steamed pike perch (200 kcal);
• dinner - 100 g of seaweed salad, boiled egg, crab sticks, onions and butter (130 kcal), 100 g of zucchini pancakes (80 kcal), a glass of low-fat kefir (80 kcal).

These four days are easier to bear than the first three. If you wish, you can make main meals less caloric, for example, remove one of the dishes to eat it as one of the snacks - this will make it easier for the body to tolerate the diet. If a little time passes between meals, the digestive system will have time to digest everything without stress.

Key features of the diet attraction

We learned that to lose weight most effectively, you need to alternate the number of calories you eat. Therefore, now we will only tell you what exactly the American psychologist managed to introduce into world practice. Martin Katan stretched the entire course over 21 days, so for those who want to quickly lose a couple of kilograms (as, for example, with a military diet for 3 days), the “slides” are unlikely to be suitable. But people who do not have a passion for sports and healthy lifestyles in general will certainly like them. And it is for them that this original power system is primarily designed. During the entire 3 weeks, a person losing weight must carefully observe the caloric intake of food and not go beyond the key stages of the method.

Counting calories on a diet

In practice, all this will look something like this.

Option #1

1. First stage. Lasts 3 days, daily calorie intake should not exceed 600 kcal.
2. Second phase. Its duration is also 3 days, but the calorie content of the daily diet increases to 900 kcal.
3. Third stage. For the next three days you need to consume 1200 kcal per day. After this, our circle seems to close.
4. Fourth, fifth, sixth stage. For all 9 days, the nutrition plan should be based on the same principle, i.e. every 3 days the daily calorie content should increase (from 600 to 1200 kcal).
5. Seventh, eighth, ninth stage. Another repetition of the first three stages. It turns out that during the entire 21 days the first 3 stages of the course are repeated three times.

Key Stages of the Roller Coaster Diet

It is worth noting that for the first 2 weeks after completing the course, it is advisable to limit your diet (no more than 1200 kcal per day), which will help consolidate the results obtained.

Option No. 2

There is another scheme - it is recommended by those who have experienced gastronomic “slides”. It lies in the fact that for the first 3 days you need to consume no more than 600 kcal per day, for another 4 days the daily calorie content should not exceed 900 kcal. After this, you need to maintain a daily volume of 1200 kcal for another 7 days. The total duration of the diet, again, is 21 days, after which you need to eat for at least 2 more weeks in such a way as to consume no more than 1200 kcal per day. This, according to experts, should strengthen the result.

Exit from the diet and results

It is necessary to exit the diet correctly. That is, after completion, do not sharply increase the calorie content by 2 or 3 times. After 1200 kcal, you need to stay at about 1600-2000 kcal for a month. The body gradually adapts to such a diet and the weight, although it will stop decreasing, will not increase.

If necessary, after 2-3 months you can repeat the “Roller Coaster”. And again, if you enter it not with 4000 kcal, but at least with 2500, then the first days will be much easier to bear. There will be no brutal hunger, fainting and depression.

Is sports activity necessary during the period of leaving the diet? According to reviews from those losing weight, and advice from fitness trainers, strong physical activity is not needed at this time. The body already spends much more than it receives, and full-fledged intensive training will not work with such a diet. Breathing practices, such as bodyflex, are allowed. You can do yoga, stretching, that is, focus on stretching, which is known to calm and relax.

With such weight loss, the results can be different, from 5 kilograms to 15. This depends on the initial weight (as a rule, it is easier to lose the first 15 kg at 115 kg than the first 5 at 55), and on strict adherence to the diet. The point is not even how much extra you can lose, what’s more important is how not to return it all with interest and gain more.

Reviews from nutritionists about “Roller Coaster”

Almost all diets that offer only 600 kcal per day are harshly criticized by nutritionists, because if the calorie content is less than 1200 kcal, this can lead to a sharp deterioration in health. Therefore, it is proposed to slightly adjust the described technique so that it gives good results with minimal risk. This scheme also provides for “jumps,” i.e., periodic changes in caloric content, but in a different mode: the first stage is 1200 kcal, the second is 1400 kcal and the third is 1600 kcal. When the cycle is completed, it must be repeated 2 more times to make a total of 21 days.

The first 3 days of the diet will be the most difficult.

If you prefer a less gentle version of the “slides”, be prepared for the fact that the first 3 days will be the most difficult : a sudden reduction in calories consumed can lead to dizziness, insomnia, migraines and general weakness. If we talk about physical activity, which further stimulates the process of losing weight, then when “riding” on a roller coaster, it must be approached extremely responsibly. Intensive loads during this period are extremely difficult due to the insufficient supply of “energy sources”. Therefore, during the diet you need to engage in less active sports (cycling, yoga, etc.).

Note! In this case, there are no foods that are prohibited for consumption - you can eat almost anything, but do not forget to monitor the calorie content. You can even eat a bar of chocolate, thereby meeting your daily calorie requirement, although this does not apply to the chocolate diet.

Nutritionists recommend creating a menu in such a way that calories enter the body “proportionally” and a balanced diet is maintained. It is also advisable to give up sweets, fast food, baked goods and anything fried. You can also give up animal fats and use fatty acids instead. As for vegetable fats, you shouldn’t give them up. Other recommendations: do not combine carbohydrates and proteins in one meal, drink at least 1-1.5 liters of liquid daily to “drown out” the feeling of hunger.

Replacing harmful foods with healthy ones

It will be great if you begin to “accustom” your body to a new regime as you “ride” the “slide.” To begin with, reduce the load along with the calorie intake, and then, increasing it, slowly increase it. For example, at the first stage it is advisable to focus on corn/oat flakes, fruits, herbs and vegetables. At the second stage, the menu can be slightly diversified by adding fruits, cereals, whole grain bread, chicken eggs and lean meat. But the third stage is truly heaven: you can eat almost everything, including dairy products, potatoes, lean fish and meat. But don't forget to limit calories!

Whole grain bread - what is it?

What nutritionists say

As for nutritionists, the majority claims: 1,200 kcal is the minimum for an adult, and for some, even this will not be enough for the normal functioning of the body, because everyone has an individual norm. Therefore, before deciding to take this step, be sure to consult your doctor.

As an example, doctors cite models who have to live for years on a diet of 1,000-1,500 kcal per day. After a few years, their physique often changes, and not for the better.

Would you risk taking your body on such an attraction? Maybe someone can complement my story with the advantages and disadvantages of this diet? Share your opinion in the comments and involve your friends from social networks in the discussion! Subscribe to new articles, a lot of interesting things await you ahead!

Other Important Diet Tips

Here are some useful tips that will help you when working on your ideal figure. You may know about some of them, but others will be a pleasant discovery.

1. Despite the fact that the “Roller Coaster” is based on maintaining calorie content, give preference to healthy eating, and it is better to avoid carbonated drinks and baked goods altogether.
2. Don't eat after 18:00. Yes, this rule also works here.
3. As snacks, you can eat vegetables and fruits that contain a lot of water - cucumbers, apples, etc. (no more than 400 g for the whole day).
4. There are no restrictions regarding coffee or tea (without cream or sugar).
5. Be sure to consume vegetable oil, both in its pure form (2 teaspoons per day) and in salads. Give preference to flaxseed or olive oil.
6. Drink at least 1-1.5 liters of water daily (more is possible).
7. Avoid eating fried or baked foods with oil.
8. Avoid ready-made sauces and ketchups altogether during the course.
9. Limit the amount of salt (no more than ¼ teaspoon per day), you can replace it with herbs.
10. If you do not get the desired result, you can “ride” the “Roller Coaster” again, but at least after 3 months.

Video – Losing weight with the “Roller Coaster” diet

Product Lists

The diet is varied and allows you to cook amazing dishes. The only limitation is that they should all be as low-calorie as possible. And not only fats are prohibited, but also harmful foods that should not be included in a healthy diet.

Allowed:

• drinks: black coffee, tea (black, green, herbal), dried fruit compote;
• dairy products with a minimum percentage of fat content: kefir, milk, cottage cheese, natural yogurt;
• rye and whole grain bread;
• cereals and porridges made from them (preferably cooked in water), bran;
• vegetables;
• fruits, berries;
• eggs;
• lean meat (chicken, beef, turkey);
• seafood.

Prohibited:

• baked goods, white bread, confectionery;
• carbonated drinks, alcohol;
• fatty dairy products;
• fatty meat (pork, lamb);
• fatty fish;
• vegetable and butter;
• nuts;
• semi-finished products, canned food, smoked meats, pickles, marinades;
• fast food.

Arm yourself with calorie tables and nutritional supplements to follow the “Roller Coaster”. Everything low-calorie and with a minimum amount of fat automatically falls into the list of permitted products, everything else is prohibited.

Recommended Roller Coaster Diet Menu

An important advantage of the method is that any food can be included in the diet. In this case, you just need not to eat after 18:00 and not exceed your daily calorie intake.

First stage. Day 1, 2 and 3 (600 kcal)

Breakfast. For breakfast you can eat low-fat cottage cheese (150 g), 2 tbsp. l. oatmeal with milk or one boiled egg (optional).

Menu for the first stage of the “Roller Coaster” diet

Lunch. You are allowed to eat one fruit, any fruit - peach, apple, tangerine, kiwi, etc.

Dinner. You can eat 200 g of vegetable soup (pepper, broccoli, carrots) with a piece of bran bread or a handful of crackers.

Afternoon snack. You are allowed to eat an apple, grated carrot or 4 boiled egg whites with herbs.

Dinner. For dinner you can eat 100 g of stewed chicken or fish + one tomato or cucumber +

What is typical is that you can alternate all these products, change them for others, based on calorie content and similar composition.

Food calorie table

Second phase. Days 4, 5 and 6 (900 kcal)

Breakfast. Now you can eat an omelet with milk (only 1 egg); low-fat cottage cheese (150 g), mixed with kefir, as well as finely chopped fruits and berries; oatmeal with milk (also 150 g).

Menu for the second stage of the “Roller Coaster” diet

Lunch. Dry cracker and 200 ml of juice (any except banana and grape).

Dinner. Vegetable soup (150 g), stewed veal, fish or chicken (100 g), as well as a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes or fresh cabbage (also 100 g).

Afternoon snack. No more than 200 g of yogurt or kefir (necessarily low-fat) is allowed.

Dinner. Stewed chicken, fish, veal (100 g), as well as tomato or cucumber salad +

Third stage. Day 7, 8 and 9 (1200 kcal)

Breakfast. Today for breakfast you can eat an omelet with milk (2 eggs); cottage cheese (200 g), mixed with kefir, as well as berries or fruits; buckwheat, oatmeal (also 200 g) with milk.

Menu for the third stage of the “Roller Coaster” diet

Lunch. All you can have is one apple or a glass of grated carrots.

Dinner. No more than 150 g of chicken soup (you can use fish or veal instead of chicken), 100 g of baked meat and 150 g of cabbage salad (use only olive oil).

Afternoon snack. Berries, fruits (no more than 200 g).

Dinner. You can eat 200 g of cheese casserole with apples and a raw egg, or, alternatively, baked potatoes with vegetable salad. To improve your mood and speed up fat burning, enjoy. You can also just eat a large fruit or vegetable salad.

1200 kcal is the amount contained in 2.5 Snickers bars

During the entire course, you can safely drink coffee and tea (only without sugar!), still mineral water, and herbal infusions. As for physical exercises, we talked about them above.

Note! A lack of fat in the diet can negatively affect the condition of hair, nails and skin, so use cosmetics with oils every day.

Menu for the first three days

The first three days of the “Roller Coaster” diet will be the most difficult, since the menu during this period contains only 600 calories, which is 2 times less than the minimum daily allowance. You need to choose foods carefully - it is better to prepare a large portion of a low-calorie dish and divide it into several meals than to eat, for example, a piece of fried meat at once.

Example menu for the first three days of the diet:

• breakfast – 100-130 g of low-fat cottage cheese (100 kcal), 1 kiwi (50 kcal);
• lunch – 200 g of boiled broccoli (50 kcal), 100 g of boiled beef (250 kcal);
• dinner - 200 g of red cabbage salad, carrots and olive oil (50 kcal), a handful of almonds (100 kcal).

If you feel hungry between meals, it is better to satisfy it with water, tea, or low-calorie vegetables, mostly consisting of water. These are cucumbers, bell peppers, lettuce, radishes, spinach and sorrel.

Who is the diet contraindicated for?

The weight loss technique described in the article is contraindicated:

• pregnant women;
• mothers who are breastfeeding;
• people suffering from periodic exacerbation of any disease;
• people with chronic kidney, gastrointestinal and heart diseases.

If you do not belong to any of the listed categories, you can safely stock up on precision kitchen scales - “Roller Coaster” will help you find your ideal figure!

Video – Martin Catan Diet

conclusions

The “Roller Coaster” diet is not difficult because it allows you to eat any food, but in limited quantities. The body receives all the necessary nutrients, so health problems do not arise. Physical activity would make the technique even more effective, but the low daily calorie content does not allow for strength training. However, various variations of the Roller Coaster Diet allow for gentle exercise that increases the overall effectiveness of the technique.

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How to achieve better results?

In order to simplify the preparation of a nutrition plan, we recommend that you select low-calorie foods in advance and make a list so that you end up with, for example, 600 kcal.

You need to make a meal plan in advance

These products can be prepared as a whole or eaten separately. For example, on the first day you can eat 100 g of egg white and 200 g of chicken fillet, potatoes, bell peppers or apples. Very good, I have to agree.

Mute the feeling of hunger, from which you will suffer especially greatly at the first stage, with plenty of water (from 1-1.5 liters per day), and do not forget about proper sleep - you should sleep at least 8 hours a day (this is how metabolic processes will occur with utmost efficiency). Don't neglect your daily walks.

Note! If you are afraid of falling out, don’t worry – Martin Catan has taken care of everything! To outwit your body, have several snacks a day - fresh vegetables containing a lot of fiber and water, as well as watermelon or apples are suitable for this. Typically, such snacks should not be taken into account in the daily diet.

Common diet mistakes

One common mistake is to try to reduce the number of calories per day even further. Do not forget that with each stage you are already exposing the body to stress, reducing portions in this case is absolutely useless.

Another common mistake is the absolute exclusion of fatty and sweet foods. No one argues that the consumption of all this should be reduced as much as possible, especially on a diet, but completely removing it from the diet if your body does not reject such foods is not worth it.

Fasting and skipping meals is the worst mistake anyone can make when losing weight. Especially after childbirth, many firmly believe that losing weight quickly is possible only in this way. If you have already trusted the diet, follow it to the end; amateur activities are not welcome here.

Reviews of “Roller Coaster: Are the Results That Good?”

And real reviews say that the diet is quite easy to tolerate, since, first of all, a person does not have to deny himself everything for too long. However, this does not mean that you can make adjustments to your caloric intake whenever you please.

Zhenya's review of the diet

Angelina's review of the "Roller Coaster" diet

Lyudmila's review of "Roller Coaster"

Benefits and harms

In addition to losing extra pounds, the author promises additional benefits, such as stimulating metabolic processes and regulating eating behavior.

However, you must be aware that nutrition according to such a program is not a joke and can cause serious harm in case of any, even minor diseases, when the body needs to be nourished and strengthened, and not take away energy. Therefore, this technique falls into the category of diets that cannot be prescribed independently without consulting a doctor.