Excess weight is a common problem for many women and men. However, the need to give up your favorite foods for the sake of being slim can be painful, which is why not everyone is ready to go on a strict diet that is highly effective and can quickly return the body to the desired shape. Especially for those who cannot help but pamper themselves, a diet is provided that allows you to find a compromise between the desire to lose extra pounds and delight yourself with delicious food.
The basic principle of this diet option is as follows: any food is allowed before noon. Undoubtedly, if you reduce calories, fat content and sweetness in the first part of the day, there are ways to get results faster, but you don’t have to limit your gastronomic desires. But the second half of the day requires close attention, since at this time fiber-rich, non-calorie foods are used.
Important! Unlike many mono-diets or diets with a small amount of calories, the midday diet does not impose restrictions on physical exercise of any intensity, since the body will receive enough energy. On the contrary, nutritionists strongly recommend combining this type of diet with a high load.
The benefits of the diet are as follows:
- You can create a custom menu with a wide variety of products and recipes;
- The menu has no restrictions on the size of portions, so it’s easy to create it so as not to feel hungry;
- A harmonious diet helps to smoothly lose weight; nutrients, vitamins and minerals are supplied in full;
- No grueling withdrawal from the diet is required; it can be used for an unlimited time;
- This type of diet can be combined with other options for proper nutrition or fasting systems.
There is probably only one downside - with some diseases you cannot refuse dinner.
Myth 1. There are special diets for “eliminating” fat only from the stomach and thighs.
Not true
I.P.: — There is no diet that can correct certain parts of the body. Solving the problem in the hips and abdomen is possible only with general weight loss. If you want to reduce the size of your waist and hips in relation to the overall proportions of your figure, various cosmetic procedures (SPA, body wraps, manual or machine massage) and physical exercises that affect subcutaneous fatty tissue in a specific area will be effective.
Myth 2. Before 12, you can eat anything, after 18, you can’t eat anything.
Not true
I.P.: — Recommendations to limit yourself to food after 6 p.m. have no scientific basis. A light dinner is not contraindicated, but the last meal should occur 3-4 hours before bedtime. As for the statement that before 12 you can eat as much as you want, this also does not seem to be true. If you eat simple carbohydrates in large quantities - that is, sweets and starchy foods, for example - I very much doubt that unpleasant consequences can be avoided. And it makes no difference what time you eat it all.
What can you eat throughout the day on the Midday Diet?
Breakfast should include those foods that you will have to give up in subsequent meals. You can afford sweet, smoked, fried, flour, baked goods, fatty foods, sauces, and other favorite foods. But, remember that after lunch you must exclude this entire list of products.
Eating before 12, the results of which are quite impressive, can make you feel very hungry throughout the day. If this problem starts to worry you, you can eat the following products:
- Any vegetables, no added salt. You can't fry.
- Vegetable juices.
- Raw fruits.
- Berries.
- Fruit juices, no added sugar.
- Only grain cereals are allowed. It should be cooked in water and without salt.
- Kefir.
- Milk.
- Cottage cheese or yogurt, the fat content of which does not exceed 3%.
- Non-carbonated and unsweetened drinks.
Myth 3. Even on a diet, you need to have a hearty and regular breakfast.
Is it true
I.P.: - You definitely need to have breakfast! As a rule, for most working people, the next full meal is possible only in the evening, but regular nutrition is necessary to maintain normal digestion, weight and, accordingly, health. The intervals between meals should not exceed 5 hours, since food must not only be received, but also absorbed, providing nutrition to every cell of the body. So, by depriving yourself of breakfast, you are missing out on a rare opportunity to eat properly. What to eat for breakfast? Porridge, fermented milk products, omelettes, and grain bread are suitable.
Recommended menu
In general, all of these foods should be eliminated from your diet immediately. And in order to eat proper and healthy food, you need to purchase the products listed in the list.
What to eat for breakfast? In the morning, eat everything that cannot be consumed after 12 o'clock. Except for those products that can significantly affect your health. Here you can eat any sausage, meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, cakes and other pastries. There is no prohibition on fat, which is contained in milk, cream, butter, and sour cream. You can use mushrooms, nuts, beans, peas, corn, melons, bananas, any dried fruits, except prunes. But after the clock strikes noon, all this should disappear as if by magic.
Lunch time should be around 14.00. After breakfast, you need to take a break of 4 hours so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract. Food remains in oblivion until 12 o'clock, it is forgotten, it is replaced by products from the new lunch list. This meal should not be dense; it is better to leave some feeling of hunger. In this case, the food will be better absorbed.
So, at this time you can eat:
Vegetables prepared in any way. It is best to eat potatoes, peas, corn, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, and cucumbers. The best option is to bake or steam vegetables. It is also useful to eat them raw.- Fruits. Here the exception is banana and grapes. They contain too many calories, so you should avoid consuming them.
- Berries.
- I love any fish. You can cook it by steaming, boiling or baking.
- White meat in any quantity. Boiled is better.
- Eggs.
- Buckwheat or oatmeal can be eaten as a side dish.
- Don't forget about drinks, they can be anything except soda.
- You can eat a little pickles.
- 1For lovers of sushi and rolls, it's the perfect lunch time.
It is best to eat meat and fish without side dishes. More often, such dishes are eaten together with sliced vegetables or green salad. Fermented milk products can be eaten with fruits and berries. But the porridge will be good with both fruits and vegetables.
It is best to skip a meal called dinner. But if this is not possible, then it should be made very limited and also quite light. Firstly, it will help you fall asleep faster, and secondly, it will not overload the esophagus. At night, the body works slowly, so heavy foods will take a long time to digest, and this can cause health problems.
You can eat before bed:
- kefir;
- cottage cheese;
- yogurt;
- juice;
- fruit puree;
- fruits and vegetables that were not eaten at lunch;
- porridge;
- bread, muesli, bran;
- lean fish;
- You can afford a glass of dry red wine.
These products will help saturate the body throughout the night, without overloading it or forcing it to work during sleep.
Myth 5. To lose weight, you need to use sweeteners.
Not true
I.P.: - There is a sweetener made from plant materials - stevia (honey grass). An extract is extracted from it, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia does not increase blood sugar levels, thereby not triggering the release of insulin. Whereas it is the increased level of insulin that contributes to weight gain, and fat is deposited mainly on the abdomen.
However, a healthy person still does not need to consume foods for diabetics (and a sweetener is one of them). To lose weight, I would recommend a balanced diet excluding the consumption of simple carbohydrates: chocolate, cream products, pastries, pies. Also exclude glazed cheese curds, curd mass, baked goods (products made from puff pastry and shortcrust pastry), halva, and ice cream. For those who cannot live without sweets, you can eat dried fruits, honey, sometimes marshmallows, and marshmallows (in reasonable quantities).
It is important to know!
When following most diets, you have to remove familiar dishes from the diet, and instead eat all sorts of healthy, but rather tasteless things. As a result of this, many break down and begin to eat even more than before, while others reproach themselves for their weak will. Here a vicious circle is formed: excess weight - diet - neurosis - breakdown, and so on ad infinitum.
And so, when the situation already seems hopeless, a diet comes to the rescue, on which you can lose weight and at the same time not deny yourself anything. At first glance this seems unthinkable, but in fact this approach is much more effective.
The secret here is quite simple. Until 12 noon, the body is able to cope with all the fats it has received. This is due to the fact that it is during this period that enzymes are most active and are in the highest concentration. This is where the Midday Diet came from.
Its essence lies in the fact that meals up to 12 hours can be completely free. You can also eat your favorite buns and fried potatoes. By the way, you can use all this in any quantity. But from lunch, that is, after 12 o’clock, you already need to limit yourself and eat those foods that are included in the special dietary list.
This method of getting rid of hated pounds will appeal to those who get up early enough. During the diet, you must have time to have breakfast before 12 o'clock. At the same time, it is still worth having lunch before the indicated time. In this case, the body will not feel the lack of your favorite foods. He will have time to be satisfied in the first half of the day, and it will not be difficult to eat foods from the list for the rest of the time. Of course, it is best to get into the habit of going to bed before 10 p.m. so that you are not tempted to look into the refrigerator.
Before you start losing weight, it is best to consult a specialist to help assess all the risks of developing harm to your health. Doctors usually do not recommend changing your usual diet if you have diseases such as gastritis, ulcers, anemia, or iron deficiency in the blood.
If there are no contraindications, then you can safely start losing weight. This process should not be postponed until unknown times. It's best to pull yourself together and start doing it here and now.
Myth 6. With age, all women gain weight, nothing can be done about it.
Not true
I.P.: — Women at a certain age really begin to gain weight: during menopause, the production of female hormones decreases, and this contributes to the formation of fat deposits. The threat of hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and other things is also increasing.
However, it is possible to treat the symptoms (and carry out prevention) of menopausal syndrome - and a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet play an important role in this.
To stay in shape, you need to reduce your fat intake. Eliminate from your diet foods containing “hidden” fats: sausages, glazed cheese curds, curd mass, baked goods, chocolate. Food needs to be baked in the oven, boiled, stewed. Consuming animal products in combination with physical activity helps preserve muscle tissue. Introduce fish into your diet (2-3 times a week). Sea fish oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which help reduce cholesterol fractions in the blood. In addition, fish oil contains vitamin D, which plays a key role in calcium metabolism, and therefore protects against osteoporosis. Seafood is also a source of protein: shrimp, squid, mussels, which contain PUFAs, B vitamins, iron, calcium, iodine. Also in the arsenal of modern medicine there are medications that will help improve your well-being and control your weight; they can be prescribed by a gynecologist-endocrinologist.
How to consolidate success: useful tips
Unlike many other diets, a diet based on “everything is possible up to twelve” will not require any special actions when switching to a standard type of nutrition. From such a diet it is easy to switch to a regular healthy diet that will help you maintain your ideal weight.
The main feature of this nutrition system: strict control over the diet, with no strict restrictions. Physical exercise, walking, and moderate activity throughout the day help to consolidate the results.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that this diet is not limited in time. Since the body receives all the beneficial substances, it does not require a sudden transition to another nutritional option. This means you can gradually lose weight over a long period of time.
Important! The menu you create should be quite varied, include protein foods at least three times a week, and combine fruits and vegetables. This is how the balance between proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins is achieved.
No matter how “lazy” this diet may seem, it, like others, requires the ability to control oneself. To avoid unforeseen breakdowns, make a menu for each day in advance - this way it will become clear when and what you are going to treat yourself to, and there will be no desire to eat something immediately.
Myth 7. Vitamins should only be taken in winter; fresh vegetables and fruits are enough in summer.
Not true
I.P.: - According to statistics from the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, vitamin C deficiency occurs in 100% of the Russian population, deficiency of B vitamins - in 70%, deficiency of beta-carotene (precursor of vitamin A) - in 60%. So everyone needs vitamins, and even more so in order to prepare for vacation and sunbathing.
To receive a sufficient dose of vitamins, a modern person needs to eat properly and take additional vitamin complexes. Beta-carotene, B vitamins, especially PP and B12, help strengthen the protective upper layer of the skin; vegetables and fruits, fish, cottage cheese, buckwheat, almonds, and grain bread are rich in them. Sun rays reduce the amount of vitamin C in the skin, so try to eat currants, citrus fruits, kiwi, bell peppers, herbs, tomatoes, etc. more often.
However, technological progress, unfortunately, has led to an increase in the share of refined and canned food products that have less vitamin value. For example, when making high-grade flour, up to 80-90% of all vitamins are lost, so it is better to eat dark or grain varieties of bread. In general, every adult should take advantage of any available vitamin-mineral complex. The main thing is to focus on meeting the daily needs of the body.
When does weight loss begin?
Such a relaxed diet is not a means of obtaining instant results, and in the first three days you should not get on the scale with excitement. It will take up to four days for the first kilograms to begin to fall off. If you follow the recommendations and don’t allow yourself to do too much, the effect will become much more noticeable and things will go faster, but you can also move at a relaxed pace.
Different types of fasting days help achieve what you want:
- Beetroot;
- Fruit one-day mono-diet;
- Kefir mono-diet for one day, etc.
You shouldn’t abuse such strict limits; nutritionists recommend resorting to fasting no more than once every two weeks.
In addition to the gradual reduction in body weight, other pleasant results are observed:
- Improves complexion;
- Hair and nails look healthier;
- Energy and vigor appear;
- My mood is getting better.
Such changes show that a balanced diet has been formed and benefits the body.
Myth 8. Sweets cause acne.
Not true
I.P.: - We are what we eat. The health of our skin largely depends on the state of the digestive organs and the nature of the food consumed. However, don't blame it all on sweets. Typically, people with problem skin are first recommended to eat a diet that is gentle on the gastrointestinal tract. And this means giving up smoked meats, spicy foods, fried foods, meat broths, sausages, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, carbonated sweet and fizzy drinks. Avoid eating canned and processed foods. It's better to eat a sandwich made with grain bread and butter than a bowl of cereal with sugar and flavorings. It is better to drink green tea with honey or dried fruits than to eat sweet yogurt with a month's expiration date. It's better to make pasta sauce from tomatoes and herbs than to pour ketchup on them. You are recommended to eat natural food, without preservatives. Cook it yourself.
Myth 9. Pregnant women should eat whatever they want.
Not true
I.P.: — Nutrition in the first months of pregnancy should be balanced in proteins, fats, carbohydrates and calorie intake. Because the child receives everything necessary for growth from the mother’s blood. Animal proteins must be consumed: through meat and low-fat fish, dairy products, eggs. This is approximately 100 - 150 g of veal or beef, or 150 g of cod, pike perch, sea bass, hake. Low-fat cottage cheese - 100 g, cheese - 50 g, fermented milk drink - 200 g. It is enough to eat no more than 2 - 3 eggs per week. The remaining proteins (vegetable) will come from eating vegetables, fruits, legumes, and cereals. For example: crumbly buckwheat porridge - 200 g, vegetables - 100 g, fruits - 300 g.
The amount of fat during this period is 80 g. It is enough to consume 25 - 30 g of unrefined vegetable oil per day. If you are prone to obesity, then you even need to reduce your fat intake per day.
But a pregnant woman’s need for carbohydrates increases - up to 400 g per day. Just keep in mind that if you are obese and prone to it, the amount of carbohydrates should be gained from wholemeal bread, grain products, and not sweets. It is advisable to include rosehip decoction in your diet and use multivitamins for pregnant women as prescribed by your doctor. Milk and dairy products are the main suppliers of calcium. Natural pink salmon, mackerel, cod liver, dried mushrooms, and green peas are rich in phosphorus. Plant products are rich in magnesium, especially seaweed, watermelon, wheat bran, apricots, oatmeal, beans, millet, peas, buckwheat and pearl barley, mackerel, squid, eggs. By including these products in your diet (egg - 1 piece, wholemeal bread - 100 g, oatmeal with milk, 50 g of cereal + 150 g of milk, 100 g of watermelon), you will provide the daily requirement for magnesium for a pregnant woman (450 mg) .
And be sure to take daily walks of 40 minutes to 1 hour. If you are prone to weight gain, 1 fasting day per week (meat or fish) is also recommended.
The essence of the midday meal
In the first half of the day, the concentration of enzymes that break down substances is highest. Therefore, the body is able to process any fats up to 12 hours. This is what the diet we are talking about is based on.
Before noon, you can eat any food, even the most high-calorie and undesirable from the point of view of other methods. This includes baked goods, fried potatoes, and pizza.
Another advantage of this diet: in order to have time to enjoy the “forbidden” foods, you will have to get up early. And the “lark” mode is certainly healthier for the body.
The rule “eat whatever you want before 12” is replaced in the afternoon by another: you can only eat foods from a special dietary list. It includes low-calorie foods rich in fiber and vitamins.
You should pay more attention to the liquid you drink. You need to drink about 2 liters of pure water per day (without additives or gas). This way the body gets rid of toxins and waste faster.
For ideal results, you should combine proper nutrition with physical activity. This combination helps not only burn fat deposits, but also tone and tighten muscles.
Myth 10. If you have gastritis, you absolutely cannot lose weight.
Not true
I.P.: — If you eat right, you can successfully control your weight even with chronic gastritis. Here are some recommendations for those who want to lose weight, but are afraid of harming their stomach:
1. Eat no more than 400-500 g of food at a time, try to eat at the same time every day.
2. It is important to eat small meals at least 4 times a day. The last meal is advisable three hours before bedtime.
3. Eat slowly, chewing each bite for at least 25 seconds. This way the stomach receives mushy food processed by saliva, which is easy for it to digest. Plus, when you chew your food thoroughly, the central nervous system receives information about the composition of the food and gives commands to the secretory parts of the stomach to produce the appropriate enzymes in the right quantities.
By the way, this rule is also very useful for those who want to lose weight: you feel full much faster, so you eat less and don’t gain weight.
4. To quickly restore stomach function, your diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products).
5. From your diet, exclude foods that linger in the stomach for a long time and stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid. These are meat broths, stringy meat, sausages, smoked fish, pickles, fried foods, saturated fats (beef, lamb, lard), margarine, rye bread, canned food, mayonnaise, ketchup, vegetables that cause bloating (white cabbage, legumes, onions), alcohol, natural coffee, tea, cocoa, carbonated, sweet and fizzy drinks, chips.
Afternoon diet
A diet in which you can eat everything before 12.00 suggests lunch time at approximately 14.00. That is, several hours will pass after the previous stage.
The lunch menu may consist of:
- Vegetables and vegetable side dishes of any method of preparation. Of course, steaming or baking is preferable. It’s a good idea to eat some types raw.
- Fish – both sea and river. Cook it to your liking, but do not fry it.
- Oatmeal or buckwheat groats are useful as a side dish.
- White meat. It can be consumed in large quantities.
- Fruits (except grapes and bananas, as they are too high in calories).
- Eggs.
- Rolls, sushi.
- Almost all drinks, excluding sparkling water.
Don't forget about product compatibility. So, eat fish or meat with red and green vegetable salads, and not with a side dish of cereals or potatoes. Fermented milk products go well with berries and fruits.
Thus, the rule “eat before lunch” is in fact not too strict, because even the lunch menu is quite varied and appetizing.
Light dinner
As for the evening meal, you need to be very moderate with it. Make your dinner as light as possible. This will make it easier for the body to digest food while you sleep. This will have the most favorable effect on your health.
An evening set of products may consist of:
- Low-fat fish.
- Kefir.
- Juice.
- Yogurt.
- Low-fat cottage cheese.
- Vegetables or fruits.
Such food will give you a feeling of fullness, and, at the same time, will not overload the body before bed.
