In the summer, when vegetables on the market become more accessible, a vegetable diet becomes one of the most effective ways to lose extra pounds and relieve the body. In one week you can lose from 3 to 7 km of excess weight.
However, even eating only root vegetables, which are beneficial for the digestive tract in all respects, can be harmful to health. To know how to lose weight on vegetables and not get gastritis and all kinds of vitamin deficiencies, you need to know the pros, cons and safe period for this method of fighting extra pounds.
The essence of the diet
The vegetable diet is designed to quickly burn calories by eliminating fast carbohydrates, fats and proteins from the diet. In fact, a person eats only allowed vegetables for a week, not receiving the usual amount of calories, and due to this he loses weight. By consuming 1.5 kg of vegetables per day, the daily calorie intake is only 1300 kcal.
This method of reducing body weight is quite effective, but the results are short-lived. It is suitable if you urgently need to lose 5-7 kg before the weekend in order to fit into an evening dress or, without hesitation, relax on the beach. After stopping the diet, the lost kilograms return within a month.
How to end a diet correctly
To ensure that the weight lost during a week or 10 days of diet does not return with “supplement”, it is important to complete the weight loss process correctly. After completing the diet, those foods that were excluded from the diet are gradually introduced into the diet. Butter, sugar, bread and other foods begin to be consumed little by little. It is not advisable to eat canned food or baked goods under any circumstances.
In addition, it is important to remember that if during the process of losing weight you experience discomfort, dizziness, nausea, or stomach pain, you should stop the diet and consult a doctor.
When losing weight on a diet that includes cereals, fruits, vegetables and water, the harmful effects on health are minimal and in the absence of contraindications to losing weight at all, it is possible to get rid of 5-7 kilograms of excess weight without harm to health.
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Advantages and disadvantages
Nutritionists recommend sticking to a vegetable diet for no more than 7 days. Despite the fact that vegetables are considered to be the healthiest product, they have their drawbacks and cannot provide all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
Pros:
- Vegetables contain a huge amount of fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol by up to 35%. Fiber takes a long time to digest in the body and keeps you feeling full.
- Watery vegetables can replenish the water balance in the body. In addition, the stomach is quickly filled with vegetable water, and satiety comes faster.
- Vegetables are quickly digested and easily eliminated from the body, completely eliminating constipation.
- Two green apples eaten after training can restore carbohydrates lost from the liver.
- Vegetables (except starchy ones) contain a minimum of calories. The body begins to take energy from the body's reserves, and the person quickly loses weight.
Minuses:
- Vegetables for weight loss can be safely used only in summer and autumn, when the body does not yet need fats and proteins.
- Fruits do not contain healthy fats such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
- With a long-term diet on vegetables, a lack of chromium, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as vitamins B2, B5, B6, B9, B12, D, H, PP occurs.
- Some root vegetables cause strong fermentation in the intestines, which provokes flatulence more than from legumes.
- Vegetables are quickly digested, and you will have to eat 7-8 times a day, which is quite expensive, especially if you are on such a diet in winter, when the cost of fruits in the store doubles.
- Losing weight on vegetables occurs due to a decrease in muscle mass. Fat is not burned by the body, since the fruits completely replace the amount of carbohydrates from which the body takes energy. When proteins and fats are returned to the diet, muscle mass is restored.
Types of vegetable diet
There are several types of vegetable diet for losing weight by 10 kg. It should be emphasized that the number of kilograms that can be lost depends on the metabolism of a particular person. People with an accelerated metabolism lose 10 kg in a week without difficulty, and those who have a slower metabolism can get the same result in, say, a month. Lastly, in order not to harm your health, you should stick to a lighter version of the vegetable diet.
The strictest diet involves eating vegetables and fruits. No other products are allowed to be eaten, with the exception of fermented milk. You can sit on it for no more than a week. Only people in good health who have no contraindications can afford a strict diet.
The second option, a lighter one, includes in the diet, in addition to vegetables from the list of permitted ones, bread, sour cream and vegetable or olive (linseed, corn) oil for dressing salads. Sour cream replenishes the missing proteins, and vegetable oil replenishes the missing fats. But these products should not be abused. The calorie content of even the most low-fat sour cream is 116 kcal per 100 g, and the energy value of butter is even higher - 884 kcal per 100 g.
And the lightest version of the vegetable diet also includes the consumption of proteins in the form of low-fat fish and chicken breast. In this case, you can also consume kefir and fruit. In addition to fish and white meat, it is allowed to include nuts, seeds and boiled beef in the diet. Low-fat fish include hake, pollock, pike perch, pollock, cod, blue whiting, flounder, pike, as well as all crustaceans and molluscs.
Japanese vegetable diet
There is another type of vegetable diet, which was developed by Japanese specialists. It is more rigid, unlike the Russian one, so it is quite difficult to adhere to it. But, as Japanese nutritionists promise, in 14 days (the period for which the diet is designed) you can lose 7-8 kg. In addition, there is an opinion that this option normalizes digestion.
As a rule, no food is taken for breakfast in the morning, except a cup of black coffee and a slice of whole grain bread. For lunch, fish from 200 to 500 g or boiled eggs are served, and always a salad of green vegetables, seasoned with vegetable oil.
For dinner, which is present only 4 days a week, the Japanese eat either 200 g of beef with cabbage salad, or just a vegetable salad of carrots and apples. There is no second breakfast or afternoon snack in this diet. For a “snack” it is recommended to drink just warm water in unlimited quantities.
As you can see, this is a rather extreme type of vegetable diet that only a person in good health can withstand. However, it is worth noting that it is designed for Japanese citizens, who, in principle, are smaller in height and weight than Europeans. For a Russian person, all of the above products should be doubled in quantity.
Contraindications
A vegetable diet for weight loss, despite all the obvious advantages, has a number of contraindications. Even with one hundred percent health, you should postpone sports and other heavy physical activities that require large amounts of energy during the diet. Since weight loss occurs due to a decrease in muscle fibers, a vegetable diet in the gym can make you more dry than necessary.
A vegetable diet is contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding women. You cannot prescribe a diet for children - a growing body needs proteins and fats for full development. Only if the child is obese, a vegetable diet may be useful as a start to weight loss in other ways. It is contraindicated for a child to adhere to such a diet for more than a week.
If a person suffers from any form of gastritis, has a stomach and/or duodenal ulcer, flatulence, colitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, this diet is not suitable for him. The reason is the presence of fiber in fruits, which irritates the walls of the stomach. In addition, the acids contained in some vegetables and almost all fruits further increase the acidity of the stomach, which is strictly contraindicated for people with ulcers.
If you have liver and kidney diseases, you should also choose another method of losing weight. A vegetable diet negatively affects these organs even in a healthy person if he sits on it longer than necessary. This item also includes people suffering from allergies, since this disease is also the result of improper liver function.
People diagnosed with group I and II diabetes mellitus should not be on a vegetable diet. Despite the low amount of sugar in fruits, diabetics should receive adequate nutrition. For them, such a diet can only be useful as a fasting day 1-2 times a week.
Pros and cons of the diet
The name of the vegetable diet speaks for itself - the main principle of the diet is to eat vegetables. Moreover, in the classic version of the diet, all other food groups are excluded. Such nutrition benefits not only your figure, but also your health.
The main advantage of the diet is its cleansing effect - thanks to fiber, which is found in large quantities in vegetables. It absorbs all toxins and waste from our gastrointestinal tract and removes them naturally. Moreover, coarse dietary fiber helps reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the digestion process.
Also, foods with fiber are excellent satiators, as fiber swells in the intestines and leaves no room for other foods. And complex carbohydrates from vegetables provide the body with long-term energy and regulate blood sugar levels - which also reduces appetite. Therefore, with this diet you will not experience acute hunger.
A vegetable diet will provide you with excellent health and a feeling of lightness. After all, vegetables contain a real vitamin and mineral complex that strengthens our health. This vitamin nutrition will help improve the condition of your skin, nails and hair.
Of course, there were some downsides. In winter, this diet is not the most budget-friendly way to lose weight, as out-of-season vegetables are rapidly becoming more expensive. Also, the main disadvantage of the diet is associated with a sharp increase in fiber consumption. Yes, dietary fiber is undeniably beneficial for our body, but in such a volume it can cause flatulence and stool disorders. Especially if there were few vegetables in your diet before the diet.
There are other varieties of this diet that are more gentle. For example, fruit-vegetable or protein-vegetable diets. However, if you follow them, you will lose weight more slowly.
The vegetable diet is quite strict and has contraindications. Among them: chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, frequent constipation, pregnancy and lactation.
Interesting: Fruit and vegetable diet
Cooking conditions
The vegetable diet is not a raw food diet, so it is not necessary to consume all the fruits raw. Root vegetables can be boiled over a fire, steamed, baked in the oven or over a fire, and stewed. You can't just fry it. You can eat them in the form of salads, vegetable stews, juliennes, you can bite them hard, or you can grind them to a puree. Vegetable smoothies add variety to your diet. You can prepare lean soups or puree soups; you can eat dry and pickled vegetables and fruits.
An approximate version of a vegetable diet for 2 weeks
Breakfast: orange and lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed); any citrus. Lunch: vegetable salad from any non-starchy vegetables. Afternoon snack: a few prunes and dates. Dinner: salad of raw vegetables or boiled products of this type (priority turnips, spinach, cauliflower, carrots); any non-starchy fruit or nuts as a dessert.
Note
. This 14-day diet diet is not unchanged. You can create a menu at your own discretion, taking into account the basic dietary recommendations.
Additional Products
Since a diet based on vegetables cannot replace a good diet, which can cause various diseases, it should be diluted with some foods. For example, in order to replenish the missing amino acids in the body that are responsible for building tissue, you need to consume various fermented milk products. This can be kefir, yogurt, whey, sour cottage cheese - everything with a fat content of 1% or less.
Salt should be kept to a minimum. If you cannot eliminate it altogether, you can replace it with pickled vegetables, for example, pickles, which are added to dishes. Salads are allowed to be seasoned with olive, corn or flaxseed oil, no more than 1 teaspoon per plate.
Twice a week you are allowed to eat a couple of slices of bread made from rye flour or bran. Along with vegetables, you can eat fruits and various greens. It is advisable to choose unsweetened and watery fruits; bananas, for example, are a very high-calorie product, and a green apple is the best option. However, it should be remembered that if you eat sour, citrus fruits constantly, this can provoke gastritis.
Porridge, vegetables, fruits and water: weight loss without harm to health
For those who are serious about losing weight without harming their health, we can recommend a mixed diet, the menu of which consists of consumed cereals, vegetables, fruits and water.
The basis of nutrition for such a diet is porridge, unsweetened and without sugar. Excess weight is lost by eliminating sweets, fats, fast carbohydrates, and canned foods.
Read more about the porridge diet on the weight loss portal “Lose Weight Without Problems.”
This diet lasts at least 7-10 days, during which the body will get rid of 5-7 kilograms without harming your health. Although a diet of cereals, vegetables and fruits is also a low-calorie diet, it is easier to tolerate than a water-vegetable diet. In addition, there is no risk of feeling hungry when eating cereal porridges.
Porridge saturates the body with beneficial microelements and cleanses it of toxins. Cereals should be taken from whole grains; rice, brown rice, wheat (bulgur), and buckwheat are especially useful.
Diet features:
- Cereal porridges are cooked in water, without oil, salt and sugar;
- The cooking time for porridge should not exceed 10-15 minutes;
- Bread, pastries, confectionery products are excluded;
- Vegetables and fruits are allowed, except starchy ones;
- You can and should drink water, green tea, fruit drinks and decoctions without sugar (up to 1.5-2 liters of liquid per day).
Porridge, fruits, vegetables and water are the components of the diet that, according to hudeem-bez-problem.ru, will allow you to lose weight without harm to your health and without feeling hungry.
You should alternate cereals throughout the week to get different microelements. For one day, it is enough to cook porridge from 1 cup of cereal. The porridge should not be boiled, the daily portion is divided into 4-5 doses. Each meal consists of porridge, vegetables (raw or cooked), or fruits. You can drink both during meals and between meals.
Butter, salt and sugar, semi-finished products, canned food, carbonated and alcoholic drinks are strictly prohibited.
Vegetable oil is allowed in a volume of no more than 1 teaspoon; it is added for better digestibility of vegetables. Bananas and grapes are undesirable fruits; dried fruits can be consumed very limitedly, adding them to porridge.
A diet based on cereals, fruits, vegetables and water guarantees a feeling of fullness and maintains normal blood sugar levels. By consuming nutrients from foods that form the basis of your diet, you will not only lose weight, but also improve your complexion, strengthen blood vessels and nails.
Menu for the week
The table shows a sample menu for the week. Some foods can be changed at your discretion by checking the calorie table for vegetables and fruits.
| Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner | Snacks | |
| Monday | Green vegetable salad seasoned with lemon juice, green tea with a piece of ginger. | Soup from permitted vegetables, 2-egg omelet, fresh carrot juice. | Cauliflower, arugula and tomato salad, kefir 1%. | Green apples. |
| Tuesday | Baked pumpkin with apples, green tea with cinnamon. | Stewed vegetables (tomato, bell pepper, cauliflower), tomato juice. | Sauerkraut, seasoned with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, a glass of kefir 1%. | Plums or apricots. |
| Wednesday | Salad of grated fresh carrots, seasoned with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2-3 prunes, green tea with a slice of lemon. | Broccoli puree soup with the addition of 1 pickled cucumber instead of salt, carrot and apple juice. | Vegetable salad of cucumber, tomato and bell pepper, washed down with mint tea. | Fruit juices. |
| Thursday | Cabbage, cucumber and asparagus salad, seasoned with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, green tea with honey. | Mushroom soup and 1 potato, a piece of boiled chicken breast, multifruit juice. | A few slices of watermelon, vinaigrette without potatoes, 1 glass of kefir 1% with dill. | Raspberry or cabbage-celery juice. |
| Friday | Curd cheese pancakes with semolina instead of flour, green tea with a piece of ginger. | Green borscht with 1 potato, cabbage, tomato and cucumber salad, dressed with olive oil. | Small boiled beets with green or onions, pomegranate, 1 grapefruit. | Apples of red varieties. |
| Saturday | Strawberry, apple and kiwi smoothie. Green tea with added cinnamon. | Korean carrots, celery soup, steamed hake, pumpkin juice. | Beetroot puree, cabbage and apple salad, a glass of 1% kefir with dill. | Oranges (no more than 2 at a time) |
| Sunday | Fruit salad (kiwi, tangerine, pineapple, apple), sprinkled with liquid honey, tomato juice without salt. | Stewed vegetables (zucchini, tomato, bell pepper), radish salad with green onions, seasoned with vegetable oil, green tea with lemon. | Seaweed salad, 2-3 hard pears, a glass of 1% kefir with dill. | Tomato juice. |
An approximate version of a vegetable diet for 7 days
Day 1
Breakfast: cabbage salad with apples; a glass of berry compote. Lunch: a bowl of vegetable soup; green tea. Afternoon snack: grate carrots and season with olive oil. Dinner: stuff peppers with eggplants and tomatoes and bake; berry juice or compote.
Day 2
Breakfast: low-fat homemade yogurt or kefir; fresh berries. Lunch: salad of bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers; some cheese and olives; a glass of fruit jelly. Afternoon snack: medium-sized baked apple. Dinner: a serving of cabbage broth.
Day 3
Breakfast: radish salad with herbs; green tea. Lunch: several potatoes baked without oil; sauerkraut; tea. Afternoon snack: bake turnips. Dinner: vegetable stew (without potatoes); a glass of dried fruit compote.
Day 4
Breakfast: cabbage broth and green tea. Lunch: low-fat soup made from non-starchy vegetables. Afternoon snack: salad of boiled beets and a small amount of prunes. Dinner: salad of non-starchy vegetables plus a glass of low-fat kefir.
Day 5
Breakfast: 1 banana and a glass of low-fat yogurt without additives. Lunch: vegetable stew; green tea. Afternoon snack: raw or baked apple. Dinner: vegetable broth and unsweetened compote made with dried fruits.
Day 6
Breakfast: a glass of vegetable broth and berry compote. Lunch: low-fat soup cooked in cabbage broth. Afternoon snack: cucumber and tomato salad. Dinner: bake the pumpkin until golden brown without any additives; green tea.
Day 7
Breakfast: salad of various fruits, preferably non-starchy type. Lunch: pea porridge without butter and green tea. Afternoon snack: grate carrots and season with olive oil. Dinner: stewed zucchini plus a glass of low-fat kefir.
Quitting the diet
This diet can be conditionally classified as a mono-diet, because it places special emphasis on the consumption of complex carbohydrates and the exclusion of proteins and fats. If immediately after abstaining from these elements you start consuming them in unlimited quantities, as before, then all your efforts will come to nothing. In addition, various stomach upsets and pressure on the liver may occur.
Thus, upon completion of the vegetable diet, you should gradually add white low-fat meat to your diet, which is so needed by muscle fibers and light fats in the form of fish and nuts. Next, you need to start adding porridge to your diet, you can start with buckwheat - it is the lowest in calories.
The percentage of fat content of kefir and sour cream should be gradually increased. When going off a diet, vegetables and fruits should also be consumed, gradually reducing their quantity. You need to eat in this mode for at least a week before switching to full nutrition.
Attention! This article is for informational purposes only; all data contained in it requires verification by a nutritionist. Before you start following a vegetable diet, it is recommended to undergo examination for contraindications.
