Protein day for weight loss: menu, recipes, benefits, harm and contraindications

Benefits and harms

High protein content has an impact on the organs and performance of our body, and this effect can be both positive and negative.
Benefit

• With rapid weight loss, the muscles do not disappear anywhere, giving the figure an attractive relief;
• the protein diet contains a sufficient proportion of nutrients and substances so that the body does not feel their deficiency;
• protein diet shows good results;
• wide variety of products;
• a protein day is ideal for combination with high physical activity, without having a negative effect on the mental state;
• the condition of the skin, teeth, nails and hair improves.

Harm

• The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases increases;
• for women, a protein day can be fraught with dysfunction of the reproductive system;
• a high concentration of protein puts a strong strain on the liver and kidneys;
• Digestive problems may occur due to lack of fiber;
• the necessary balance of BJU is disrupted, which has a bad effect on the intestinal microflora;
• Animal protein increases cholesterol levels.

Harm of a meat fasting day

Despite the many benefits, doctors note that excessive consumption of meat can lead to serious health problems. In particular, they insist on the optimal level of meat content in the daily diet for an adult in the amount of 80-100 grams.

According to doctors, meat consumption for a long time, exceeding 12% of the total caloric intake of the daily diet, can cause an imbalance in mineral metabolism and problems with intestinal function. Today it has already been established that active meat eaters are more susceptible to the development of cancer.

Therefore, you clearly should not get carried away with “meat nutrition,” including practicing long-term diets on meat, or making this product the basis of your diet. The best option is one fasting day on meat, no more than once a week for a month.

Rules

In order for protein weight loss to produce results immediately, you should follow certain recommendations:

• consume products only from the permitted list;
• include acceptable carbohydrates and fats at a certain time, when they are not stored in extra pounds;
• eat every day at exactly the same time;
• protein portions should be no more than 150 grams, but you need to eat them often;
• have snacks as often as possible;
• maintain a drinking regime (at least 1.5 liters of still water daily);
• try to reduce the amount of salt in dishes to a minimum;
• supplement the protein day with physical activity;
• try to include more plant protein in your diet than animal protein.

You can spend protein days no more than once a year. Only in this case they pass without harm to health. The maximum duration is 2 weeks. A short-term diet usually lasts 3-4 days, it also leads to weight loss in a minimum period.

You should pay attention to the correct way out of protein weight loss in order to consolidate the result and not create a stressful situation for the body. Habitual food must be introduced gradually - first add healthy carbohydrates (cereals, pasta, whole grain bread), then vegetables and fruits, and lastly add fermented milk products. You still need to stick to smaller meals and drink more water.

After a breakdown, there is no need to despair, but you can return to the diet menu again, taking into account all the recommendations.

Options

Due to such an extensive list of permitted foods, there are different options for fasting. So don’t be afraid: you won’t have to eat egg whites alone (except for the most strict regimen).

• With grapefruits

A very interesting technique - using proteins and grapefruits. The first ones start the digestion process in intensive mode. Calories are consumed to process the fiber contained in fruits. At the same time, their bitterness blocks appetite. So you won't feel like eating. The scheme is as follows: boil 5 egg whites, take 5 grapefruits. Alternate these two products every hour, while washing down the fruit with a glass of water.

Losses can be up to 1 kg.

• From Malysheva

There are several proposals for implementing protein one-day diets from Elena Malysheva, which she described in detail in her program.

Option 1. On egg whites and grapefruit (see above).

Option 2. On chicken. This is a protein fasting day in its purest form. A whole chicken is boiled without spices or salt. All excess is removed: peel, bones, fat. The meat is divided into 6 equal portions. No additional drinks or food. Only 2 liters of clean water and dietary meat. It's difficult to endure, but possible. Such food takes a long time to digest, forcing the body to expend its internal resources.

Results may vary - from 500 g to 1 kg.

• With cottage cheese

Perhaps the most satisfying fasting day is on chicken and cottage cheese. Both products are quite high in calories and guarantee long-term saturation. You need to evenly distribute 500 grams of boiled chicken breast and 300 grams of cottage cheese. The recommended scheme is six separate meals a day. In between alternating these products, you are allowed to drink kefir or milk. You can lose up to 500 grams.

• With egg whites

The classic version is based on egg whites, since they are the source of natural protein. They must be boiled, they must be eaten without salt and without bread. For breakfast, lunch and dinner - 2 pieces each (without yolks). For lunch, afternoon snack and before bed, drink a glass of kefir.

This type of weight loss plan using egg whites is considered one of the toughest, as it is truly difficult to tolerate due to a strong feeling of hunger. But the results with exposure can reach up to 1.5 kg.

• With a cocktail

You can lose weight very tasty and effectively with a protein shake. During the day you need to drink 3 glasses of this drink instead of main meals. There are many recipes on the Internet, but the main thing is that the composition contains egg whites, cottage cheese, milk or kefir. A good addition to them can be spices (ginger, pepper, cinnamon) or citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit), kiwi.

The rest of the time, it is recommended to drink green tea or herbal infusions to satisfy hunger. The results are usually quite good - minus 1 kg, or even more.

• According to Dukan

You can arrange a fasting day according to Dukan, according to his protein diet. He suggests using this technique at the stage of weight consolidation. In the morning - an egg and bran (an invariable attribute of his nutritional system). For lunch - cottage cheese with pieces of fruit and green tea. For dinner - rice and any vegetable. At night - herbal tea. The dosage of portions remains on the conscience of those losing weight, but those who remember that this is still a fasting day will not overeat. Results - minus 700-800 gr.

• With fruits

Most often, fasting days are done on proteins and fruits, as these products allow you to diversify your diet. Six meals a day in small portions (no more than 100 grams of solid food and no more than a glass of drink) should be separate. That is, you cannot mix fiber and protein in one dish. For example, for breakfast, lunch and dinner we eat kefir, cottage cheese and chicken breast, for lunch we eat half a grapefruit, for an afternoon snack - a pear, and before bed - a green apple. The body receives vitamins. Protein products are absorbed entirely. The feeling of hunger does not torment.

Losses are usually about 700 g.

• With vegetables

A fasting day on proteins and vegetables has a similar effect, but they can be mixed with each other. In this tandem, protein foods force the body to expend maximum energy on digesting plant fiber. For breakfast, 100 grams of cottage cheese with herbs are usually offered, for lunch and afternoon snack - a glass of kefir, for lunch you can eat egg white and 50 grams of "Brush" salad made of beets and carrots (fresh), for dinner - 100 grams of steamed fish.

Results - minus 500-600 gr.

You need to know this. Elena Malysheva, in her programs about fasting days, never tires of saying that they are not weight loss as such - they are just stimulation for weight loss. And in no case should they be carried out as part of any diet - only against the backdrop of a nutritious, healthy diet.

Contraindications

Protein days rich in amino acids and protein are not always beneficial. They promote weight loss if there are no listed contraindications:

• protein nutrition significantly reduces the level of calcium in the body, which can be critical for older people;
• high protein content in food negatively affects people suffering from kidney and liver diseases;
• Those who have serious problems with the stomach and intestines should not follow such a diet.

What can you eat?

Products for preparing dishes for protein weight loss should be taken from the recommended list:

• lean meat: beef, rabbit, veal;
• lean poultry: chicken, turkey;
• low-fat fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, hake, pollock, blue whiting, pike, flounder;
• seafood: squid, shrimp, mussels, octopus;
• vegetables: except potatoes, beets;
• fruits are predominantly sour: kiwi, orange, lemon, grapefruit, apples, pineapples;
• mushrooms;
• legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans;
• dairy products with a low fat content: sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, milk, cottage cheese, bifidok, cheese, yogurt - they also should not contain sugar or foreign additives;
• eggs;
• unsweetened teas (green, black, herbal), coffee, still water.

Options for a fasting day on meat

The fasting day menu on meat does not have to be monotonous in recipes. Here are some diet options for one day.

Mono-fasting day on meat

A mono-fasting day means that during the day only meat is eaten, and if the meat was boiled, also meat broth. When the meat is boiling, you can increase the nutritional value of the broth by adding onions, celery, carrots, peppercorns, and bay leaves to the pan. The finished meat is removed, the broth is filtered, discarding the vegetables.

The meat is divided into 5-6 parts and eaten throughout the day, washed down with broth. In between meals on a fasting day with boiled beef, they drink a lot of water and unsweetened tea.

Fasting day on meat with sauerkraut

A fasting day on meat with sauerkraut limits the daily calorie content of the entire diet to 850 kcal. The meat fasting day menu includes:

• 1. Boiled lean meat – 360 gr.,
• 2. Sauerkraut – 500 gr.,
• 3. Coffee with milk, low fat – 60 ml,
• 4. Not sweet rosehip decoction – 600 ml.

You are supposed to have 5 meals a day. During the first three meals, consume 90 grams. meat at a time, and in the last two - 45 grams. One serving of sauerkraut should contain 100 grams. product. In the morning you are allowed to treat yourself to a small cup of coffee, but without sugar, and the rosehip decoction should be distributed throughout the fasting day. The main thing: do not drink immediately after a meal; you should wait an hour and a half after eating. This type of unloading is ideal for the winter season.

Recipes

Recipes balanced in the amount of protein can form the basis of a menu and contribute to effective protein weight loss.

Chicken breast with orange

Remove the skin from the chicken fillet, rub with garlic, marinate for 30 minutes in honey with the addition of cumin and curry. Place on parchment paper, top with orange slices and grate cheese. Bake for 40 minutes at 160º C.

Omelette

Break 4 eggs into a bowl, add 100 ml of milk. Add chopped parsley and grated cheese there. Beat with a spoon or mixer. Pour into a heated frying pan.

Beans with egg

Pour green beans into a heated frying pan and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour in 2 raw eggs in a thin stream, stirring the beans constantly. Pepper and salt. Simmer for another 3 minutes.

Fish cutlets

Pass the pollock fillet through a meat grinder. Add half a finely chopped onion and a raw egg. Form cutlets, cook in a frying pan or bake in the oven. Serve with mustard, basil and natural yogurt sauce.

Menu options for every day

Many diets are based on the principles of losing weight on protein foods. Vivid examples are the Dukan and Malysheva diets. When compiling a menu for protein days, you can be guided by the proposed options.

On balls

When carrying out this type of fasting day, you cannot limit your diet to eggs alone. The best option is considered to be a supplement in the form of apples or grapefruit.

• Eggs should only be eaten boiled; salting or adding sauce to them is prohibited. You cannot fry, make omelettes or drink raw eggs.
• The daily quantity of eggs is 3 pieces, the same number of apples (or 2 grapefruits) is required.
• The specified diet should be evenly divided throughout the day, not forgetting to drink 2 liters of water.

On a chicken

The advantages of the chicken diet include satiety, variety of dishes and accessibility. The most gentle option is a combination of chicken and vegetables. The latter can be eaten raw or cooked; the most preferred in addition to poultry are zucchini, bell peppers, herbs, beets, carrots, cabbage, and tomatoes.

• The total amount of chicken meat is 1 kg. It is divided into 4-5 equal parts, which will make up each new meal.
• The chicken can be boiled or baked. In any case, the skin must be removed.
• The amount of salt is reduced to a minimum, oil is eliminated completely. When baking, it is recommended to use parchment.
• It is allowed to use spices, but remember that they whet the appetite.
• A variation of the chicken fasting day consists only of eating poultry. In this case, take the breast, boil it, do not salt it.
• You can prepare broth - a liter of chicken soup is also divided into 5 meals and supplemented with a large amount of liquid (herbal decoction, tea, water).
• It is allowed to replace chicken with turkey.

On fish

Fish fasting days are quite easily tolerated, excluding the feeling of hunger. In addition to losing weight, this diet option is beneficial for hypertensive patients and people suffering from atherosclerosis. It features a large variety of dishes available for consumption.

• You can only eat low-calorie, low-fat fish (mostly white varieties) - pike, flounder, hake, perch, pollock, blue whiting, crucian carp, herring, pike perch, cod, trout.
• The amount of salt in foods should be kept to a minimum.
• Fish can be boiled and baked.
• The total daily amount of fish is 1 kg. It is divided into 5 equal portions.

On meat

A meat fasting diet strengthens muscles, allowing you to lose fat mass. At the same time, the condition of the hair and skin does not suffer at all - they receive the necessary amount of nutrients.

• For meat fasting days, it is allowed to eat only lean meat (poultry, beef, rabbit, veal).
• Total quantity - 0.4 kg.
• Vegetables (0.3 kg) are also used as a supplement, from which it is preferable to prepare stews.
• Meat can be boiled, stewed or baked without adding salt or oil.
• The total amount of meat is divided into 5 equal portions. They need to be eaten throughout the day; vegetables are allowed only for lunch and dinner.
• Last meal no later than 19:00.

On cheese

Cheese days can be diluted with vegetables and a small amount of cottage cheese or kefir if hunger becomes difficult to control.

• For fasting days, only cheeses with a low fat content are suitable. These include tofu, chechil, mozzarella, ricotta and feta.
• The total amount of cheese product is 300 grams, divided into equal pieces, which are eaten throughout the day.

Protein and vegetable menu for 7 days

Protein-fruit menu for 3 days

To lose weight with the help of fruits and proteins, you need to give preference to low-calorie citrus fruits and not include bananas, grapes and plums in your diet.

Protein-fat days

The specificity of protein days supplemented with fatty foods is that weight loss occurs due to a lack of carbohydrates - incoming fats are spent on energy production, and subcutaneous fats are broken down.

During such weight loss, it is recommended to maintain a nutritional balance in terms of protein and fat: 2.5 grams of fat per 1 gram of protein.

You can diversify your diet these days by:

• fatty meat (pork, lamb),
• fattier fish (cod, mackerel, trout, salmon, tuna),
• various offal (kidneys, liver, stomachs, hearts).

Protein-carbohydrate alternation

Alternating protein and carbohydrate days is very effective for losing weight. Usually they are arranged every other day and are supplemented by a mixed day, but the duration of the cycle can increase.

2 days fast, 2 days protein

More rigorous weight loss involves the inclusion of fasting days. This diet follows the following scheme: 2 fast days - 2 protein days - 2 vegetable days. The first two days you need to limit yourself to 2 liters of kefir and a glass of tomato juice. The menu for protein days can be completed with dishes from the examples given, and vegetable days should contain the appropriate products, fresh or boiled.

1000 calorie menu

You can lose weight quickly if you significantly reduce the number of calories you consume. The presented menu is designed for 1000 kcal per day.

Curd fasting day

Weight loss may be limited to one day. Unloading in this case is based on the consumption of one product, supplemented with other acceptable components, but in small quantities. Cottage cheese is the most suitable protein ingredient to provide a complete protein relief.

For pregnant

Pregnant women are not recommended to lose weight on protein alone. It must be supplemented with a small amount of fiber (represented by cereals and vegetable components) and healthy fats. But a large share should still come from protein. Protein days as part of a well-structured diet help control weight without feeling hungry.

Sample menu for the day

You can control your water balance with clean, still water; you can also drink herbal teas and unsweetened compote of fresh berries or dried fruits.

Menu and recipes

There are a lot of varieties of fasting days on proteins: meat or fish, on kefir, cottage cheese, eggs, etc. Let’s take a closer look at the description of the diet and menu for protein days:

Meat day

For meat day you need 500g of meat. On a protein fasting day, you must adhere to five meals a day. Therefore, meat should be divided into each meal. It is necessary to cook and eat meat without salt, since salt helps retain water in the body. You can diversify the menu with low-calorie vegetables, for example, greens, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes. In the evening, for dinner, you can refresh your body with a glass of kefir.

Chicken fillet in sauce

It is necessary to boil the fillet and cut into pieces. To prepare the sauce you will need: garlic, cottage cheese, a pinch of salt, herbs and a little water. All ingredients are crushed and mixed, and the finished sauce is poured over the fillet.

Fish day

Fish is prepared in the same way as meat, but a little more is used, namely 600 g. If necessary, you can add some vegetables (cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes or lettuce).

Baked fish

You will need lean fish, such as pollock, cod or hake. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with herbs. Baked in the oven for 30 minutes.

Egg Day

It is advisable to eat boiled eggs, but you can also bake or fry them without oil. The main thing is that the white and yolk become hard, thanks to this they will be digested longer, and the feeling of hunger will not appear so quickly.

Protein omelet

You will need several ingredients:

• Egg white – 4 pcs;
• 0.5 glasses of milk;
• Leek;
• Onion;
• Garlic;
• Butter;
• Dill, parsley or other herbs to taste;
• You can season it with pepper.

Finely chop the leek, herbs, garlic, add onion, cut into half rings. Heat a frying pan and melt the butter. Lightly fry the vegetables, at this time beat the egg whites with milk and add herbs and spices. Pour the fried vegetables with the egg mixture and cover with a lid, bring to readiness over low heat. Sprinkle with herbs if desired.

"Omelette with tomatoes and herbs"

You need to take a couple of medium tomatoes, 5 egg whites, green onions and dill, salt and pepper as desired.

Preparation: cut the tomatoes into slices and simmer over low heat, pour in the beaten egg whites, sprinkle with herbs, pepper and salt. Fry over low heat for 10 minutes.

Curd day

You need to divide 600 g of cottage cheese into 4 parts; you can add berries, honey, herbs, vegetables and fruits. You can optionally add kefir and low-fat sour cream to your diet. It is allowed to prepare puddings or casseroles.

Curd paste with vegetables

For one serving you will need:

• Cucumber;
• Quarter bell pepper or paprika;
• Celery greens;
• A bunch of dill and cilantro;
• Clove of garlic;
• 200 g cottage cheese;
• A little natural yogurt;

It is necessary to wash and dry the vegetables with a paper towel, then peel the paprika and celery. Finely chop all the vegetables, garlic and herbs. Mix cottage cheese with chopped vegetables, season with yogurt. The finished mixture can be seasoned with pepper and decorated with herbs.

A day on kefir

Kefir is the most effective and popular ingredient during a protein fasting day. You can drink about 1.5 liters of kefir per day with the addition of other liquids, such as tea or compote.

You can also unload on a whey protein shake. They can be purchased or made at home. In a blender, 200 g of oatmeal, cottage cheese and milk are ground. You can use fruit for taste.

These are just a few examples of menus for a protein fasting day. They do not claim to be the ultimate truth and may vary depending on personal preferences and capabilities. Other options for dishes and daily diet are quite possible. When creating your own menu for the day, you should rely on protein-rich foods; sometimes you can add variety in the form of fresh vegetables or fruits. Protein fasting days are also suitable for weight loss. However, it should be remembered that any diet should be supported by proper nutrition and leading a healthy, physically active lifestyle.

THESE ARTICLES WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

results

The effect of protein days is manifested primarily in immediate weight loss. A distinctive feature is that the muscle definition is preserved, they are outlined due to the reduction of fat mass. Combining a protein diet with exercise gives even more impressive results.

How much excess weight is lost?

According to reviews from those losing weight, a strict diet based on protein alone promotes rapid weight loss - up to 9 kg per month. More gentle options also give positive results - up to 5 kg per month.