Diet of American astronauts: a secret gift from the Kremlin?

What is the essence of the astronaut diet?

The essence of the diet is to adhere to two basic principles.

1. Reducing the number of calories consumed.
2. Increasing the amount of protein in the diet while greatly reducing carbohydrates.

During a weight loss course, fat is burned, but muscle mass remains unchanged. This is due to the fact that the body spends much more energy on the digestion of protein foods than on the absorption of carbohydrates, which contributes to the rapid loss of fat mass.

It is assumed that in 1 day of the program 1 kg of excess weight is lost

If you exit this nutrition system correctly, you can maintain the result for a long time. It is these factors that distinguish the astronaut diet from other similar restricted diets.

Advantages and disadvantages of the astronaut diet

The diet of astronauts is characterized by the following advantages:

• absorption of nutrients is carried out slowly, which eliminates the constant feeling of hunger;
• the body gets rid of stagnant fluids, toxins and fat deposits;
• the general condition of the skin, nails and hair improves;
• you get used to smaller amounts of food, due to which even after leaving the diet you can maintain the achieved result for a long time;
• a minimum of culinary skills is enough to prepare dishes from the astronaut diet menu;
• no large financial investment is required - all ingredients can be purchased at a local store for a reasonable price.

Before choosing this method of losing weight, in addition it is worth considering the disadvantages of this method:

• the astronauts’ diet is carried out taking into account the principles of a carbohydrate-free diet, which can cause drowsiness, apathy and fatigue;
• Large amounts of protein products can ultimately have a negative impact on health. Thus, the risk of poisoning by elements of protein metabolism increases;
• the diet remains unchanged throughout the entire period of weight loss, which may affect adherence to the diet rules. A ban has also been imposed on the use of various seasonings and additives, including sugar and salt;
• Excessively low daily caloric intake can lead to breakdown and compulsive overeating. From the usual 2 thousand kilocalories you will have to switch to 700 kilocalories per day.

The space diet is not a choice for the weak, so before you start losing weight this way, you need to decide on your own capabilities and study the recommendations of nutritionists.

Cons of the diet

Despite all the undoubted advantages, this method also has significant disadvantages. Firstly, this is a monotonous menu that quickly gets boring. Secondly, during a diet, the body loses a large amount of calcium. In most cases, dizziness and nausea may occur.

The lack of carbohydrates and fats can negatively affect the functioning of many organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, as well as the condition of hair, skin and nails.

Doctors and nutritionists also have a lot of complaints about the astronauts’ diet. For example, too much protein consumed in the absence of carbohydrates and fats. An excess of such food greatly slows down its absorption, and only a completely healthy stomach can digest such an amount of protein. For others, this diet is contraindicated.

When you lose weight, your body volume decreases and your skin begins to sag.

Another disadvantage is the rapid weight gain. This is due to the fact that many people begin to consume large amounts of carbohydrates, which contributes to the return of extra pounds.

An unbalanced diet leads to a lack of vitamins and microelements in the body, so while following a diet it is worth taking a vitamin-mineral complex.

In addition, with such rapid weight loss, the skin may sag, which is unlikely to please you if you are striving for a slim and beautiful body.

READ ALSO: Calorie content of Candies and Sweets - You can’t forbid a tasty life!

Contraindications for the diet

This diet is strict and unbalanced, so you cannot follow it during pregnancy, the postpartum period or while breastfeeding.

To avoid side effects, those wishing to lose weight on this diet should find out whether they have any contraindications. Losing weight using the astronaut diet is prohibited for people with:

• impaired renal excretory function;
• diseases of the liver and pancreas;
• inflammation of the stomach and intestines;
• tendency to thrombosis;
• varicose veins on the legs;
• polyneuropathy.

A low-calorie diet of astronauts can cause metabolic disorders in the body. The deficiency of carbohydrates, plant fiber, vitamins, macro- and microelements in the menu of this diet makes it unbalanced, so you can use it for weight loss without risking your health more than once a year.

While on the astronaut diet, you need to be attentive to changes in your health. The appearance of severe weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, swelling should not be observed on this diet. If these side effects appear, you need to stop losing weight, drink sweet tea and consult a doctor.

Basic principles and rules for better results

The diet of astronauts involves not only strict adherence to the proposed diet, but also adherence to certain rules and principles.

1. This is a protein diet, which involves an almost complete absence of carbohydrates and fats in the diet.
2. Before the diet, it is necessary to carry out a preparatory period, during which you need to gradually reduce your carbohydrate intake.
3. The daily diet is divided into 4 meals. When you feel hungry, you are allowed to drink a glass of low-fat kefir.
4. It is imperative to remove any fats, potatoes, all confectionery products, sweet fruits, sausages, juices and nectars, honey and premium bread from the diet. Salt, sugar, all spices and any other food additives are prohibited.
5. The volume of portions is not specified separately. You are allowed to eat as much as you need so as not to feel hungry, but sticking to the daily menu. However, it does not change, but remains the same for all days of the course.
6. To remove toxic substances from the body, you need to drink a large amount of ordinary water without gas, about 1.5–2 liters.
7. The diet is designed for 20 days, but if you have no more than 10 kg of excess weight, then the program can be calculated for 10 days.
8. The diet of this nutritional system does not include sports due to its scarcity. Fitness activities are allowed only after completing the course.
9. It is important to exit the diet correctly and gradually, otherwise maintaining the results is impossible.
10. You should not stick to this diet for longer than the prescribed 20 days. It is advisable to repeat the course no earlier than after a year.

There are very few permitted foods in the diet. These include:

• kefir;
• tea or coffee without sugar or other additives;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• eggs;
• bouillon;
• boiled chicken without skin;
• fish or other types of dietary meat.

Photo gallery: foods that are allowed to be consumed

Kefir with a fat content of no more than 1% Eggs are an integral part of breakfast Boiled chicken should be eaten without skin and no more than half the carcass per day You should only drink black coffee without sugar or sweeteners Low-fat cottage cheese can be a good dinner

Which option should I choose?

This method of losing weight can be expressed in three schemes:

• for 3 days;
• for 10 days;
• for 20 days.

Depending on your preferences and your own capabilities, you need to choose the appropriate method, having first studied the features of each of them.

Express diet

Suitable for people who want to quickly lose excess weight. The rules of consumption are similar to the traditional version of losing weight. The diet is formed as follows:

• morning meal. Tea or weak coffee with the addition of 1.5 tablespoons of powdered milk;
• day. 1 boiled egg and cabbage salad dressed with olive oil or lemon juice;
• evening. Lean chicken or beef steak with coleslaw, but no dressing.

This way you can lose up to 3 kilograms.

Diet of astronauts: menu for 10 days

An average option that allows people who cannot stick to a diet for 20 days in a row to lose excess weight, but still want to lose up to 10 kilograms. You can achieve such results if you follow a specific menu:

• for the morning. One boiled egg and one glass of low-fat kefir. As an alternative to fermented milk, you can use one cup of coffee without milk or sugar;
• for lunch. 250 grams of boiled chicken breast and 500 milliliters of broth in which the meat was cooked. Drinks: zero-fat kefir or a cup of black coffee;
• for afternoon tea. Or a glass of fermented milk product, or coffee;
• for dinner. 200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and one glass of kefir.

And this menu must be followed throughout the diet. Any changes in the diet are unacceptable: food must be taken four times a day, strictly according to the schedule in the specified portions.

Diet of astronauts: menu for 20 days

The menu in this case is completely identical to the previous option. This is the difficulty of the astronauts’ diet - the diet is too meager. Eating this way even for 3 days is a serious test of willpower. Over the course of 20 days, it is difficult to maintain your desire to lose a few more pounds.

Reviews from those who have lost weight indicate frequent breakdowns after a week of such nutrition. There are also health problems. Therefore, according to their advice and prescriptions from nutritionists, it is recommended to resort to this weight loss regimen as rarely as possible. If there is no need to quickly lose excess weight, it is better to give preference to a more gentle weight loss option.

Diet for 20 and 10 days

The point of the diet is to eat the same food for the entire duration of the course. The menu cannot be changed.

Important! If your health worsens - dizziness, decreased performance or apathy - you should immediately stop the diet and seek help from a doctor.

If at the beginning of the diet you understand that it will be difficult to stick to such a menu for almost 3 weeks, then you should reduce the duration of the diet to 10 days.

READ ALSO: Porridge diet: Simple, Tasty and Healthy!

Table: option 1

Table: option 2

“Space menu” for 20 days

If you decide to curb excess weight in full and have set a time frame for losing weight for a longer period, namely three weeks, then the diet has not come up with anything special for you - all its rules and menus remain the same in this case. As in the previous version, you will find an egg with kefir in the morning, chicken with kefir for lunch, and kefir or cottage cheese in the evening . You can also drink tea or coffee without sugar or other additives. We do not add salt, pepper, or other spices to the food. Everything is ascetic, strict and on schedule.

If you have chosen this long-term option for losing weight on a space diet , we advise you to take a particularly close look at the tips and recommendations presented in the article, as well as the rules of the diet, since strict limits can greatly harm your health. It’s better, as they say, to be safe than sorry! Watch carefully and attentively, and if you have the slightest health problems, stop losing weight. However, you should not rush into all seriousness immediately after this, gorging yourself to satiety with fatty sausage and sweet pastries - this will only aggravate the situation. You should carefully and slowly exit the diet , as if you had gone through it completely. Read more about this.

Diet tip No. 1: when choosing between coffee and kefir for breakfast or lunch, give preference to kefir, since it will give the body some protein and carbohydrates, while coffee will not give anything, and you will quickly feel a pang of hunger.

Diet tip No. 2: for dinner it is better to choose cottage cheese rather than kefir, since solid food brings better saturation than liquid food. In addition, cottage cheese contains much more proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and this, without any doubt, is a huge bonus for the body on a strict diet. Plus, by eating a more complete and nutritious product, you carry out a kind of prevention against subsequent breakdowns, disappointments, pangs of conscience and self-flagellation for lack of willpower.

Express diet

There is also a more gentle version of this diet, which is suitable for those who cannot withstand a course lasting 20 days. The duration of this program is only 2 days. During this time, an average of 2.5 kg of excess weight is burned. You should drink 2 liters of plain still water every day.

Table: menu for express diet

results

According to numerous reviews of people who followed the astronaut diet, in 3 weeks you can get rid of 16-20 kilograms of excess weight. The final result of losing weight depends on the initial weight; the higher it is, the faster the extra pounds will go away. Reviews from those who have lost weight indicate that the result of losing weight on the astronaut diet lasts for a long time. With regular physical activity and moderation in diet, the lost weight does not return in the future.

How I lost half my weight in six months

( 2 ratings, average: 3.50 out of 5)

Recipes for dishes included in the diet

The dishes included in the astronauts' diet are easy to prepare. Let's give a few examples.

Egg in a bag

Ingredients:

• egg;
• water.

To prevent the shell from bursting during cooking, the water must be salted.

1. Place the egg in cold water.
2. After boiling, cook for another 4 minutes.
3. The egg “in the bag” is ready!

Protein shake based on kefir and raspberries

Ingredients:

• raspberries - 100 g;
• milk - 200 ml;
• kefir 1% - 200 ml.

1. Mash the raspberries.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.

The cocktail is ready!

Photo gallery: ingredients for making a cocktail

You need to add a handful of berries to a protein-vitamin cocktail. It’s better to take low-fat milk. Kefir for a cocktail is suitable 1%

Boiled chicken

Ingredients:

• chicken carcass - 1800 g;
• water - 3 l.

1. We clean the chicken, rinse thoroughly, remove the skin.
2. Place in a saucepan, add water and cover with a lid.
3. After 15 minutes, collect the foam, reduce the heat and close the lid again.
4. Cook for another 40 minutes and remove from heat.
5. Cut into pieces.

The chicken is ready!

Garnish chicken breast with herbs and serve

What should you avoid?

As with all diets, there are foods in this diet that you should avoid if you want to be successful in your weight loss journey. Below is a list of the main foods that you should avoid:

• Sugar and sweets.
• Milk and dairy products.
• Soda and fruit juices.
• Alcohol.
• Starchy vegetables including potatoes, beets, parsnips and carrots.
• Rice and pasta.
• Bread and cereals.
• Smoked meat products.
• Butter and margarine.

Exit from the astronaut diet

It takes about two weeks to quit the diet. It is necessary to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates. This process occurs differently for everyone. If you start gaining weight again, you should again reduce the amount of carbohydrates you consume so as not to lose results. At this stage, it is allowed to include bread, vegetables and fruits in the diet.

READ ALSO: Help with meal planning

It is necessary to eat properly, gradually increasing the amount of calories to the daily requirement, but avoid too fatty or fried foods.

You should control your fiber intake, since over a 20-day period the body simply gets used to such food.

Recommendations

Of course, the results are amazing! But we should not forget about the negative consequences of the space diet. To avoid them, follow a few simple tips:

1. Since weight loss occurs very abruptly, the skin loses its elasticity, which is why stretch marks and wrinkles appear. Keep your muscles active and take care of your skin with peelings, moisturizing and wraps.
2. Do not plan to follow the astronaut diet during a session or vacation. After all, it can cause loss of strength, poor health and decreased mental activity. The maximum physical activity you can afford is swimming or breathing exercises.
3. The diet is completely devoid of vitamins and minerals, so be sure to take vitamin-mineral complexes and dietary supplements.
4. Drink as much water as possible to remove waste and toxins from the body.
5. Strictly follow the procedure for properly exiting the diet.

Thus, go for a new slender body only after carefully assessing your strengths and capabilities and taking into account all contraindications.

Side effects

Frequent adherence to such a diet contributes to an eating disorder, which is fraught with cravings for carbohydrates and sweets.

Due to severe restriction in carbohydrate consumption, ketoacidosis can develop - poisoning by the products of protein metabolism.

Another side effect may be chronic constipation. Diet is also a cause of decreased brain activity. Therefore, to maintain health, it is better to adhere to a more balanced diet.

Pros and cons of the diet

Despite the amazing effect, nutritionists do not recommend sitting on it more than once or twice a year. Such strict requirements are due to the fact that the astronauts’ diet is quite strict and for the following reasons:

1. The menu does not change throughout the entire period. The use of sugar, salt, seasonings and other food additives is not allowed.
2. Daily calorie consumption is sharply reduced: if the daily calorie intake, on average, is about 2000 kcal, then with the astronaut diet this figure drops to 700.
3. The diet of astronauts is a carbohydrate-free diet. This means that your temporary companions will be drowsiness, apathy and fatigue.
4. A large amount of protein consumed does not have the best effect on health. There is a risk of ketoacidosis - poisoning by protein metabolism products.
5. There is a possibility of a breakdown, and in the future such an unpleasant phenomenon as compulsive overeating.

On the other hand, like all protein diets, the astronaut diet has a number of advantages:

1. Nutrients are absorbed slowly, so you are protected from the painful feeling of “sucking in the pit of your stomach.”
2. The body gets rid of not only stagnant fluid, but also fat mass accumulated over many years.
3. The skin is cleared of rashes, the condition of nails and hair improves.
4. The size of your stomach shrinks, so you will eat smaller amounts of food in the future.
5. There is no need to prepare any complex dishes from expensive ingredients: everything is extremely simple and cheap.

Before you get started, carefully evaluate the pros and cons. The main difficulty is the need to eat the same thing every day. Depending on your initial weight and morale, you can choose the 10-day or 20-day option.

Reviews and photos of people losing weight

Hi all! On this diet I lost 24 kg in 20 days. I strictly followed and stuck to it, and didn’t eat too much. Subsequently, I kept the diet similar, but included vegetable salads and yoghurts. A year and a half later, I already weigh 51 kg. Sometimes I allow myself ice cream, but I completely refuse other sweets and starchy foods. I am very happy with this result and wish everyone success!

belka1983, Bobruisk

https://otzovik.com/review_3777678.html

The astronaut diet helped the girl get rid of 24 kg in 21 days

The diet is designed for 20 days; it is strictly forbidden to sit on it any longer. Since I was losing weight for the New Year and had only 10 days left at my disposal, I cut it in half. I don't think I could have done any more. I was slim for the New Year! In 10 days I lost 8 kg! At the same time, I won’t say that I gained a lot of weight during the holidays, although the abundant feasts did not escape me. Although the diet is satisfying, it is difficult to tolerate. I often felt dizzy. When I was at the gym, my vision darkened, so I stopped playing sports during the diet. Natalya, Irkutsk.

Natalia

https://otzovik.com/review_3777678.html

How to get out of a diet correctly

The human body is designed in such a way that if it is severely limited in food for a long time, it adapts to the accumulation of, and not just anything, namely fat. After all, this way you can provide yourself with a reserve for a “rainy day” when you want to make him starve again. That is why, after any strict diet, if you immediately return to your previous way of eating, the lost kilograms will also return, and they will also bring back a couple of neighbors.

The second factor that causes the scale readings to shift towards higher values ​​is water. By limiting carbohydrates and salt, you automatically ensure that excess fluid is “drained”, but then the moisture level will be restored, which will cause slight weight gain. Knowing these two points, you can easily maintain the result for a long time. Here's what to do:

• you need to increase the calorie content of your diet and introduce carbohydrate and fatty foods gradually, day after day, adding a little bit of this or that food;
• greatly limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages, or better yet, eliminate them altogether;
• try to avoid fatty, smoked and salty dishes and foods that will bring extra calories and retain water, causing swelling;
• Try to look past all white flour and sugar products, because they carry a lot of calories and are full of fast carbohydrates, which contribute to weight gain. They simply don't exist for you!
• eat more non-starchy vegetables, berries and unsweetened fruits;
• Keep a food diary and write down everything you eat, this will help you control your diet and become a very strong motivational factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a slim body.

Be sure to drink water, even make a rule for yourself: drink a glass of water once every hour and a half, this way you can ensure normal fluid circulation in the body and avoid false attacks of hunger

Advice: the best way to control weight is by following your daily calorie intake, which can be tracked in a food diary. You can calculate the required amount of calories for yourself on our website here , see the calorie content of foods here . If you want to not only make sure not to overeat, but also eat a balanced diet, taking into account proteins, fats and carbohydrates, consult a nutritionist here .

As you can see, maintaining a normal weight and continuing to lose weight is not difficult at all. The main thing is to want it. It’s not for nothing that another wonderful proverb says that everything will come if you have the desire.

Benefits of the diet

The main benefit of the American astronaut diet is weight loss. Since it is a low-carb, high-protein diet, you will lose weight quickly. Therefore, it is recommended to start abruptly rather than gradually to motivate you at the beginning of your weight loss journey.

Once you introduce carbohydrates and healthy fats back into your diet, weight loss will slow down, but if you continue to eat healthy foods and add moderate exercise to your daily routine, you will continue to lose weight.

Another advantage of the American astronaut diet for weight loss is its simplicity. It's very easy to follow. Simply reduce your carbohydrate and fat intake and try to eat high protein foods at every meal. A short list of rules is easy to remember. This way, you will constantly keep in mind what you can and cannot consume for 13 days. As with other diets, keeping a food diary will help you keep track of what you eat every day and help you stay on track. If you study many of the “before” and “after” photos of the diet of American astronauts, you will see that the difference is impressive.

You should also remember that this is a short-term diet, so you only need to restrict yourself for two weeks to see results. Once this time is over, you can gradually return to a normal diet and thank NASA and the astronauts for your new slim figure.

Low-fat diet (Ornish diet, Ginsburg diet)

The main postulate of these diets is: “The body stores excess fat as a reserve.” Therefore, in order to get rid of what has already been accumulated, those losing weight are advised to radically reduce the amount of fat in their diet.

– up to 30-50 g per day. And all other foods can be eaten without restrictions. And sweet, and flour, and salty. In any quantity.

This diet is not very popular because weight loss is too slow by the standards of those who like quick results - no more than 5 kg per month. But within the same month it is enough to simply develop a deficiency of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids

, contained only in fats of animal and vegetable origin. The body will immediately notify you of this by increased fatigue – both physical and mental. But the body cannot absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K without fats.

Contraindications

There are a number of contraindications for which the use of the “cosmodiet” is not only not recommended, but is strictly prohibited:

• elderly, frail people;
• children, teenagers;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• people doing heavy physical work, athletes;
• patients undergoing rehabilitation (including postoperative);
• allergies (to dairy products, eggs, chicken);
• having disorders in the endocrine system;
• extremely obese;
• any chronic diseases of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, genitourinary systems.

Varieties of “space diet”

The classic “space diet” is designed for 20 days, but for those who cannot withstand such a strict regime for three weeks, there is a truncated mini-version - 10 days. Finally, if you need to get rid of a couple of extra pounds in a short time, there is a three-day express option.

Staying in this mode for more than 20 days is strictly not recommended, since the increasing kidney load every day creates a threat of serious complications from the excretory system.

Another advantage of the “cosmodiet,” if it can be accepted as such, is the approximate correspondence of the number of diet days to the number of kilograms lost. Here you can follow the rule: 1 “diet” day = 1 kilogram of weight lost.

A person who has proven strength of character and endured all 20 days can count on losing 16-20 kilograms. The ten-day option allows you to get rid of 8-10 kilograms. The express version gives an effect of 2-3 kilograms.

Flaws

But there are disadvantages, of which there are quite a lot, you should also be aware of them:

• menu consistency;
• blandness, since there is no sugar, salt, pepper, seasonings, spices;
• a permanent feeling of hunger throughout the entire period, since the calorie content does not exceed 800 kilocalories per day;
• drowsiness, fatigue, apathy;
• due to the large amount of proteins, there is a risk of poisoning by the products of protein metabolism, as with complete fasting;
• due to the complete lack of fiber, intestinal problems are possible;
• due to the rapid rate of weight loss, the skin may not have time to adapt and will lose elasticity;
• Along with fat loss, intense loss of muscle mass occurs;
• there is a risk of psychological breakdown, fraught with compulsive overeating;
• Of particular importance is the correct output, if it is violated, the weight will quickly be restored, possibly even with an increase.