The benefits of watermelon for weight loss
Many diets and weight loss programs include seasonal vegetables and fruits in their diet.
With their help, fasting days are often carried out to consolidate the results of training and cleanse the body of excess fluid and toxins. In summer, watermelons are most often used for this. Its pulp is rich in fiber and dietary fiber, which are necessary for intestinal function.
Vitamin composition
This berry is a source of useful microelements:
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- gland;
- iodine;
- phosphorus;
- zinc
It also contains vitamins A, C, PP, B1, B2, lycopene and folic acid.
Calorie content of berries
Watermelon is 91.5% water and contains only 27 kcal per 100 g of pulp. If you eat 2 kg of this berry, only 540 kcal will enter the body.
Pros of watermelon unloading
Slags and toxins are removed from the body, increased stimulation of intestinal motility occurs, during which it is cleared of undigested food residues.
Due to the diuretic effect of this melon crop, kidney function improves, metabolism accelerates, and waste and toxins are eliminated.
Watermelon weight loss day does not require special preparation or calorie counting. Due to the high water content, you can quickly feel full and not feel hungry for a long time.
How to properly spend a fasting day on watermelon
This method is used to accelerate metabolism and remove toxins from the body, although it also helps to move weight from a “dead point” if it has been standing in one place for a long time. But even the most severe unloading on a watermelon does not give a sustainable result without observing the following rules:
- 3-4 days before unloading, you should exclude fried foods, flour and confectionery products, as well as “harmful” foods from your diet. For the most part, the menu should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Watermelon must be purchased at a trusted outlet. The berry must be ripe, otherwise it will not contain enough useful compounds.
- Before consumption, watermelon is washed with soap and wiped dry.
- The pulp is not eaten completely - the light and whitish parts should not be consumed, since harmful compounds are concentrated in them.
- It is recommended to organize fasting days no more than once a week for a couple of months.
- If the kidneys are healthy and there are no more than 5 “extra” kilograms, it is permissible to do a 3-day fast on watermelon.
- During fasting days on watermelon, it is prohibited to consume alcoholic and carbonated drinks, smoked and high-fat foods, sugar, and salt.
- Water is acceptable - at least 1.5 liters, teas and compotes without sugar (milk is acceptable).
- The cut watermelon is kept in the refrigerator - in the fruit and vegetable compartment, the cut area is covered with film - to prevent chapping. Otherwise, the beneficial properties of the berry will be lost.
- To consolidate the results for 3 days after the day of unloading, dinner is replaced with watermelon. Before going to bed - 2-3 hours before bed, it is permissible to consume about 0.5 kg of pulp for every 30 kg of body weight.
There are 3 types of watermelon diet - hard (watermelon only), light (the berry is combined with other low-calorie foods) and free (pulp for breakfast or dinner). If you follow the rules, even the hard (classic) option will go smoothly and will not cause negativity in a person losing weight. This is an effective method. But you shouldn’t continue to follow it if it’s too difficult - it’s better to choose some other option.
A classic fasting day on watermelon - when only this fruit is consumed, looks like this:
- Apart from watermelon pulp and water, nothing else should be consumed. An exception is green or black tea without sugar, if it is too difficult to maintain such a diet.
- For every 10 kg of weight, about 1-1.5 kg of pulp is required. This volume is divided into 6-8 meals with a break of no more than 3 hours. This will avoid feelings of hunger and prevent an increase in stomach volume.
- The portions are large, so they need to be consumed slowly; you should not eat the entire measured volume in 5 minutes. This will not overload the stomach and it will absorb beneficial compounds in a measured manner.
- If the state of health has not worsened by the end of the day, and the next morning the person does not feel unwell, it is permissible to continue unloading on watermelon. But its duration should not be more than 3 days.
- For a week after completing the watermelon fasting, you should eat only the berry for dinner; the pulp is calculated based on the weight - 0.5 kg for every 30 kg.
On a note!
If you consume exclusively watermelon throughout the day, the total calorie content will be about 570 kcal.
Basic recommendations and rules
In order for a fasting day on watermelon to be useful and bring the expected result, you need to prepare a little for it.
First of all, such a detox should be carried out during the ripening season of the fruits, when they grew in natural conditions and contain the maximum of useful substances. Greenhouse berries do not have such qualities and are often saturated with harmful chemical additives, which are used to speed up the ripening of watermelon.
A few days before cleansing, it is better to reduce the consumption of salty, fried and smoked foods, as well as sweet pastries and soda, and add more vegetables and fruits to the menu.
This will help the body cope with the diet without stress.
To unload, it is better to choose a day off to spend it at home. The diuretic effect of watermelon will require frequent visits to the toilet. Drink enough water throughout the day (at least 1.5 liters). You cannot drink alcoholic beverages or coffee. Nutritionists recommend cleansing the body with this berry for no longer than 72 hours. The best option is a day, followed by replacing dinner with watermelon slices for 3-5 days.
Softened unloading
A detox day doesn't have to be hard. Therefore, if you cannot survive on one watermelon, you can lighten your diet by combining several ingredients. Combination with berries and fruits, fermented milk products is allowed.
Hard day
With this cleaning option, you need to eat only watermelon pulp. Green tea without sugar, drinking water and mineral water are allowed. The duration of such a detox diet is 1-3 days. If you eat watermelons alone for a longer period of time, there is a risk of leaching essential microelements from the body - magnesium and potassium.
You can eat watermelon pulp alone for no more than three days.
During pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend such weight loss for women while they are expecting a child.
During pregnancy, the load on the kidneys increases, which can increase if you eat only watermelon. Experiments with nutrition can negatively affect the development and health of the unborn child. This sweet berry can be consumed by pregnant women as a light snack in small quantities. But in the 3rd trimester, watermelon should be excluded from the expectant mother’s menu, so as not to provoke false contractions or premature birth.
The effectiveness of the watermelon diet
Watermelon removes all excess water from the body without affecting anything unnecessary, so many who want to lose weight certainly switch to a watermelon diet. The effectiveness of the berry is high:
- it has a low calorie content (less than 30 kcal per 100 g of red pulp);
- has a diuretic effect aimed at cleansing the body naturally;
- eliminates hunger with its ability to fill the stomach, while the person does not gain weight, since he receives very few calories;
- The berry is known for its sweetness, juiciness and freshness, this is why everyone loves it, so it won’t be difficult to hold out on it all day, and even very tasty.
On a note! In order to start burning fat deposits, one fasting day is not enough. They need to be carried out with some regularity. After the first use, you can get rid of excess water and swelling, but not fat deposits. Therefore, when talking about how much you can lose by sticking to a fasting day on watermelon, they say 1-2 kg.
Options for watermelon unloadings
There are many ways to lose a few extra pounds using watermelon. To make your diet days enjoyable, you can diversify them with low-calorie foods.
A day only on watermelons
The ripe fruit must be purchased the day before to begin the detox process in the morning. To determine the amount of product you need to know your weight. For every 10 kg you will need 1 kg of watermelon pulp. It should be divided into 7 servings and eaten every 2 hours.
With black bread
Combining watermelon with carbohydrates makes it easier to tolerate dietary restrictions.
During it, there is almost no feeling of hunger, and emotional stress is reduced due to dietary restrictions. The bread should be bran or rye. You will need 150 g, which should be divided into 3 servings and eaten throughout the day, alternating with watermelon pulp.
The watermelon diet is diluted with black bread.
With cottage cheese
This combination will be useful for people intensely involved in sports.
Cottage cheese is a protein fermented milk product necessary for building muscle tissue. For this dietary day, a product with a fat content of no more than 5% is suitable. Nutritionists recommend alternating berries and 0.5 kg of cottage cheese, divided into several servings, throughout the day.
Cottage cheese will replenish the protein supply in the body.
With kefir
For this option you will need 1 liter of fermented milk drink. It is divided into 5 doses and ends the fasting day. And they start with a glass of water and a portion of watermelon pulp, after a while - 200 ml of kefir. Products cannot be combined.
With melon
With this option of cleansing the body, part of the watermelon is replaced with melon. The total number of fruits should not exceed the norm: 1 kg of melons for every 10 kg of weight.
Despite their proximity in nature, it is better to separate them in the diet.
These melons can cause increased gas formation in the intestines if consumed at the same time. To avoid such consequences, they must be alternated every 2 hours.
Alternate melon with watermelon every two hours.
With cucumbers
These vegetables consist of almost nothing but water, so the diuretic effect of the diet is enhanced.
Which puts additional stress on the kidneys. This option is suitable only for healthy people. For 2 kg of watermelon pulp you will need 0.5 kg of cucumbers. You can make a salad from them without salt with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil. To avoid bloating, it is recommended to alternate foods throughout the day and do not forget about the drinking regime.
Cucumbers with watermelon to enhance the diuretic effect.
With apples
These products go well together and can be eaten together or separately. The number of apples per day is no more than 1 kg. The volume of watermelon is up to 3.5 kg of pulp, depending on the initial weight. Portions should not cause a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. The ratio of products can be adjusted to suit the characteristics of the body.
Watermelon or cucumber relief - which is better?
Both watermelon and cucumber are great for cleansing the body. They contain a lot of water and have antioxidant properties. A fasting day with cucumbers is suitable for those who do not like sweets. But with a cucumber diet, people experience an increased feeling of hunger, so it’s better to start with watermelon. The results will please you after the first time.
In addition, you can alternate green foods, taking into account the norm and not overeating, since they both put a lot of stress on the kidneys.
Watermelon detox cocktail
Delicious drinks allow you to cleanse your body of excess fluid and toxins.
This hard unloading option is not for everyone. Detox cocktails based on melon culture are not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems, low blood pressure, pregnant and nursing mothers. In such drinks, the sweet fruit is combined with fruits, berries and vegetables:
- Watermelon pulp - 4 tbsp., 200 g kiwi, 100 g strawberries. Chop all ingredients, place in a container, add 1.5 liters of water and leave for 30 minutes.
- In this version, the products are the same, but instead of kiwi you need to take a few fresh mint leaves and prepare the cocktail in the same way.
- Watermelon pulp - 1 tbsp., lemon - 1 pc., orange - 1 pc., small cucumber. Cut citrus fruits in half and squeeze the juice from 1 part lemon and orange into a cocktail container. Chop the remaining halves, watermelon and cucumber and add to the juice, add water to a volume of 1.5 liters and let steep for 30 minutes.
Sweet strawberry-watermelon cocktail.
Reviews of those losing weight
Ekaterina, 34 years old, Krasnodar I have loved watermelons since childhood.
In the summer, in the village at my grandmother’s, my brother and I ate too much. And about 10 years ago I found out that with their help you can lose weight! Now every summer, once a week, I eat only watermelons all day long. I tried a 3-day fast several times, but it was too hard for me. In one day I lost 1.2 - 1.5 kg. It was not always possible to save the results obtained.
Olga, 28 years old, Moscow The watermelon diet is a good way to keep fit in the summer. I do it regularly. Sometimes I make detox cocktails with cucumbers and citrus fruits. I like fasting days with watermelon and cottage cheese. Both tasty and healthy. I can eat like this for up to 3 days. I don’t risk it anymore; doctors don’t recommend this method of long-term weight loss.
Lyudmila, 38 years old, Kazan I experiment a lot with these large berries. I shake my body. I spend one day on a mono-diet (only watermelon), then I start alternating with other foods for another 2 days.
And then I replace dinner with watermelon slices for another week. On the first day of such a fast, I try not to get involved in sports. A feeling of weakness and fatigue quickly sets in. I’m returning to my usual training regimen, when I only have watermelon for dinner. I'm happy with the result. The main thing is not to lose weight.
