“Three fists” threaten excess weight: a universal nutrition system for weight loss

Most weight loss methods are based on the principle of calorie counting or eating a limited amount of food. In contrast, the “Three Fists” diet gives those losing weight the opportunity to choose and does not force them to count calories, which makes it possible to turn it into a permanent nutrition system.

Diet rules are developed taking into account metabolic characteristics, safe rate of weight loss and nutrient needs.

“Three fists”: why don’t you count calories?

The author of the “Three Fists” diet is Kiev nutritionist and healthy eating ideologist Oleg Tern.
In his opinion, a diet should exist for a person, and not a person for a diet. Therefore, in order for healthy eating to be a joy, a person should navigate the quantity and composition of food easily and naturally. Oleg Tern offers a simple and understandable view of food, confirmed by personal and professional experience. In his opinion, one of the most essential places in our diet is occupied by proteins. They cannot be qualitatively replaced with fats and/or carbohydrates; they maintain body temperature and metabolism, and are also responsible for the formation of muscle mass. Fats and carbohydrates are also necessary for life support, but it is very important to carefully control their sources. In this, Tern’s opinion is similar to the opinion of most nutritionists in the world - not all fats, just like not all carbohydrates, are healthy and safe for humans.

The author of the “Three Fists” diet has compiled a list of recommended products, which he has arranged into 4 lists:

• protein products
• vegetables, mushrooms and herbs
• complex carbohydrates
• fruits.

By combining products from these lists with each other, a person can easily and safely control his weight depending on his needs: he can lose weight without harm to health, or vice versa - increase weight by gaining muscle mass.

About dietary restrictions

Weight loss diets are designed to help you lose excess weight by eliminating certain foods. They usually calculate the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and exclude a certain product. It is important to choose a diet according to your body so that it includes the substances you need.

Mono-diets can be very harmful. It is necessary that the menu be filled with healthy products, and that the food provides the body with a sufficient amount of energy and does not harm the stomach. Basically, diets are based on reducing the caloric content of food intake, replacing cereals with vegetables, and fatty meats with dietary ones.

Important! It is not recommended to limit yourself in food for people with gastrointestinal diseases, as well as for those who have any chronic diseases.

Basic foods on which the Three Fists Diet is based

It is allowed to eat meat, chicken, fish and seafood in the following forms: boiled, stewed, baked without fat, and grilled.

It is better to eat vegetables and herbs mainly raw, in the form of a salad, but they can also be stewed. Complex carbohydrates - and these are mainly cereals - are best consumed steamed or boiled. Fruits, accordingly, are mainly in raw form.

All that remains is to add that portions of food are measured by the size of your own fist - hence the original name of the diet. As a rule, at one meal you are allowed to consume a volume of food not exceeding the size of three of your fists. Agree – these are almost “royal” portions!

PREPARATION OF A DIETARY MENU

The diet can be combined according to your goals. There are 4 standard diets available: reduced calorie diet, support diet, fasting diet and weight gain diet.

The volume of food is measured at the rate of 1 fist = 1 serving

Please note the following table:

Here is the structure of the week corresponding to a particular diet

You may notice that it contains days such as “zigzag+” and “zigzag-”

“Zigzag+” is a day of all-permission, when you can allow yourself to eat your favorite dessert, ice cream or a slice of pizza, but only once. The remaining meals should remain within the standard diet.

“Zigzag” is a day of restrictions and training of will. Here you need to follow a diet that corresponds to a low-calorie or fasting diet.

Alternating two zigzags allows you to pump up your metabolism and prevent the body from switching to energy-saving mode. This cunning technique will allow you to lose weight in psychologically comfortable conditions and easily endure days with limited caloric intake.

Diet "Three fists" - version 2.0

Taking into account the popularity of the nutrition system and the first experience of its adherents, over time the author added an additional list to the basic table of products, designed to diversify the diet. For example:

• Lean pork and protein powder (sports nutrition) were added to protein foods;
• Vegetables and herbs were joined by leafy vegetables (spinach, arugula, lettuce), daikon, zucchini and zucchini;
• The “company” of complex carbohydrates included: brown and wild rice, barley, lasagna sheets, pita bread, and, with caution, baked potatoes;
• The following fruits were added: pomelo, cherry, watermelon, melon, with caution - persimmon, banana, dried fruits;

Dietary additions such as seeds, nuts, seeds (in moderation) and salad dressing (virgin oil, vinegar, olives, etc.) were also “allowed.”

Grocery list

The author has developed healthy eating standards specifically for the diet. He divided the healthy and affordable products that you will consume into four groups and sorted them by usefulness.

• Protein food. Fish and seafood provide the most protein, with eggs and poultry continuing the list. For poultry, it is better to choose turkey and chicken, in particular chicken liver. The diet recommends dairy products next, so add cottage cheese, milk, and cheeses to your diet. Oleg Turn indicates protein powders in fourth place, this is an item for athletes. Rounding out the list are meats and soy products. Seeds, nuts and seeds are rich in protein, but high in calories, so for weight loss they are allowed only in moderation.
• Vegetables and salads. The diet welcomes fresh vegetables, herbs and mushrooms. Boiled and canned vegetables lose some of their vitamins, so they are one step lower in terms of usefulness. Add olives to the menu occasionally and little by little.
• Complex carbohydrates. The group begins with porridge, buckwheat and oatmeal. Legumes are in second place, and durum grains are in third place. Potatoes are less useful.
• Fruits and berries. The diet offers these products for snacking. Apples, pears, plums, apricots and blueberries are the healthiest, and you can eat them every day. But add persimmons, bananas and dried fruits to your diet in moderation, they slow down the weight loss process.

Of course, a person does not get by on solid food alone. Therefore, it is reasonable to highlight another group – drinks. It is better to drink clean water, tea or coffee, compotes and fruit drinks. Avoid drinks that contain calories: sweet juices, lemonades.

The “Three Fists” diet is adapted for vegetarians. Poultry and meat are removed from the list, and legumes are moved to the protein foods section.

The list of products provided, although extensive, does not include junk food. Junk food is not completely prohibited: once a week you can eat your favorite non-diet food, such as cake or pizza.

What the Three Fists Diet can do

Using the “3 fists” weight control technique, you can completely control your own weight, namely:

• lose weight
• maintain existing weight
• To gain weight.

It is important that when choosing the third option, we will be talking about gaining muscle mass, and not rapid fat deposits. Judging by the reviews, athletes successfully use Oleg Tern’s “Three Fists” technique for the so-called “drying” - improving muscle relief while reducing the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer.

How to create a menu for a diet

Depending on the goal of the diet (you want to lose weight, or maintain your current weight, or gain a little), combinations are formed from the lists of listed products, which can be roughly represented as four basic diets. From these diets, in turn, like building blocks, an individual weekly nutrition plan is compiled that meets your goals. We’ll talk about how this is done a little lower, but for now let’s learn more about the diets themselves:

Low calorie diet

This diet is suitable for those who are trying to lose weight through a diet. In total, there are five meals per day at approximately equal intervals. The amount of food consumed per meal is equal to approximately three of your fists. It is advisable to take your last meal no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

One day on a low-calorie diet looks something like this:

• Three meals are made up of one serving of food from the “Protein foods” column and two servings from the “Vegetables, mushrooms and greens” column. For example: 1 fist (in other words, a portion the size of your fist) of grilled fish + 1 fist of salad + 1 fist of stewed vegetables or mushrooms.
• Two techniques are from the “Fruits” column. Each move is the volume of three of your fists. For example, in one fruit meal you can eat 1 large apple and 2 handfuls of berries.

Maintenance diet

This diet is suitable for those who have already lost weight and want to keep the weight in a static position. There are also five meals per day, which are distributed as follows:

• Two meals a day - fruits (3 fists per meal). For example: once a day you can eat a large orange, the second time - a cup of strawberries or currants (the volume of berries is about 3 of your fists).
• One trick - 1 fist from the “Protein products” column, 2 fists from the “Vegetables, mushrooms and greens” column. For example: steamed chicken (volume - one fist), accompanied by a salad of fresh vegetables (volume - two fists).
• Two receptions - 1 fist from the “Protein products” column, 1 - from the “Vegetables, mushrooms and greens” column, 1 - from the “Complex carbohydrates”. That is, one reception may look something like this: 1 fistful of seafood, accompanied by a side dish - a fistful of boiled green beans and a salad of fresh vegetables of your choice.

Fasting diet

It resembles a low-calorie diet, but - which is extremely important! - it uses only half portions (that is, instead of the serving size of one fist, we take portions of ½ fist).

The entire fasting diet consists primarily of protein foods (five meals a day, each of which consists of ½ serving from the “Protein foods” list + 2 apples (if you are tired of apples, they can be replaced at the rate of 2 apples = 1 carrot).

Please note: in the weekly Three Fist Diet plans you will find so-called “Zig Zag Minus” days. This means that you will have a day of strict diet based on one of two ascetic diets - “Low-calorie” or “Fasting”. However, the existence of “Zigzag minus” implies that there is probably also “Zigzag plus” - a kind of indulgence in the diet that allows you to satisfy your gastronomic desires. And she really is! However, about “Zigzag Plus” - a little later...

Diet for weight gain

The daily menu of this diet is reduced to 4 meals, which are distributed as follows:

• Three meals consist of 1 fist from “Protein products”, 1 - from “Vegetables, mushrooms and greens”, 1 - from “Complex carbohydrates”. In other words, one similar meal could, for example, look like this: a piece of grilled rabbit meat (about the size of a fist) + a salad of fresh and/or leafy vegetables (again, the size of a fist), and with them a portion of buckwheat porridge with water, or baked potatoes, or a portion of pasta.
• One technique - 3 fists from the “Fruits” column. For example: a cup of fresh strawberries (serving size is about 3 of your fists) or one large pineapple, or 3 pieces. kiwi, etc.

The essence of the program

This method is suitable for those who are reluctant to calculate the calorie content of dishes. It was developed by psychotherapist and nutritionist from Kyiv Oleg Tern. His goal was to come up with an effective, understandable system for bringing weight back to normal. The diet is based on the principles of healthy eating, so it does not harm the body at all.

The “Three Fists” diet menu does not get boring due to the variety of food, the body is saturated with all the useful and necessary substances. It is important to eat different types of food and alternate days with different amounts of calories.

The principles can be identified as follows: proper nutrition, plenty of clean water, reducing the amount of sweets in the diet, sports, recreation, lack of alcohol and nicotine, and an optimistic attitude. Following these rules improves your overall well-being and improves your mood.

The power supply is as follows:

• days of low calorie consumption, in which you need to eat low-fat and low-carbohydrate foods, for example, low-fat cottage cheese, steamed vegetables, boiled or baked white low-fat fish, fruits;
• supportive, with average calorie food, when you can eat beef, cereals, omelettes;
• Zigzag plus, when a cake or candy bar is acceptable;
• Zigzag minus – minimum amount of calories, you need to eat soy meat, boiled chicken breast, steamed cauliflower.

If you want to lose weight, you need to start the week with a fasting day, then eat low-calorie for three days, at the end have a maintenance day, and the last day of the week is Zigzag-plus, which means you can eat a piece of pie or something similar. Thanks to this, a person does not become embittered and nervous due to constant hunger, weight decreases and the body becomes healthier.

Important! In one meal, you need to eat as much food as there is in your three fists. One serving is the size of a fist. That's why the diet is called that.

“Zigzag plus” - zigzag of luck

So, the happy opportunity to include any of the clearly non-dietary, but beloved foods in the diet is called in the “Three Fists” method the promising concept of “Zigzag Plus”.

This concept implies a special daily diet, which exactly repeats the “Maintenance” diet scheme. With just one exception:

• One of the five meals looks like this instead of the usual: 1 serving (that is, 1 fist) of a protein product (for example, boiled turkey or lean grilled pork) + 2 servings (that is, the size of two fists) of vegetable salad + 1 serving of your favorite product from the “non-dietary” category: beer, ice cream, a piece of cake, fried potatoes, a piece of pizza, etc. The exact volume of this portion is not measured with fists and remains on the conscience of the person losing weight.

Why do we need Zigzags at all? “Zigzag plus” and “Zigzag minus” play the role of a so-called “swing” in “Three Fists” - a similar technique is used in other diets. Sharp, but regular and controlled jumps in the calorie content of dishes stimulate metabolic processes and prevent the body from getting used to the diet.

Menu options

An approximate menu of the “Three Fists” diet for a week is described below.

Monday – fasting day:

1. Breakfast: two fists of beans, boiled egg.
2. Lunch: two fists of apples, a glass of fermented baked milk.
3. Lunch: two servings of stewed cabbage, a piece of boiled fish.
4. Afternoon snack: a glass of milk, two fists of oranges.
5. Dinner: two fistfuls of pomegranates, fish.

Tuesday – low calorie:

1. Breakfast: two servings of boiled potatoes, an egg.
2. Lunch: three servings of strawberries.
3. Lunch: steamed fish, two servings of mixed vegetables.
4. Afternoon snack: three servings of bananas.
5. Dinner: tofu and two servings of steamed Brussels sprouts.

Wednesday – low calorie:

1. Breakfast: a fist of boiled chicken breast and two fists of vegetables.
2. Lunch: three fistfuls of pears.
3. Lunch: a fist of stewed lean fish, two fists of green peas.
4. Afternoon snack: three fists of apples.
5. Dinner: one fist of stewed turkey, two fists of beans stewed in soy sauce.

Thursday – low calorie:

1. Breakfast: one fist of soy meat, two fists of steamed cauliflower.
2. Lunch: three fists of oranges.
3. Lunch: a portion of salmon, two boiled potatoes.
4. Afternoon snack: three parts cherries.
5. Dinner: one fist of squid, two Brussels sprouts.

Friday – supportive:

1. Breakfast: one fist of boiled or baked chicken, one of pea porridge, one of cucumber salad and tomato.
2. Lunch: three persimmons.
3. Lunch: one fist each of boiled beef, stewed champignons, pearl barley porridge.
4. Afternoon snack: three servings of tangerines.
5. Dinner: one portion of tilapia baked in foil, two of stewed zucchini.

Saturday – Zigzag plus:

1. Breakfast: a portion of buckwheat porridge, a portion of vegetable salad, an egg.
2. Lunch: three servings of raspberries.
3. Lunch: a portion of baked meat, a portion of cabbage salad, a portion of rice.
4. Afternoon snack: three fists of bananas.
5. Dinner: fist of fish, fist of vegetable salad, dessert.

Sunday – supportive:

1. Breakfast: a portion of turkey breast, fresh tomatoes, buckwheat.
2. Lunch: three servings of pomegranate.
3. Lunch: a portion of beef, two of millet porridge.
4. Afternoon snack: three servings of banana.
5. Dinner: a piece of baked pollock, two servings of cabbage salad.

You can’t eat fried, carbonated, alcohol or anything fatty and unhealthy, such as hamburgers and mayonnaise.

Meal plans: weight loss, weight maintenance and weight gain

It would be ridiculous to hope that after living on any of the diets for just one day, you will achieve your desired weight. Alas, no. For each of the nutrition plans that correspond to a specific goal (lose weight, maintain weight, gain weight), there is its own “grid” of nutrition, combining different diets with each other. If we take a period of time per week, the meal plans would look like this:

A week to lose weight on the “Three Fists” diet:

• Day 1 – “Zigzag minus” (according to the Fasting diet type)
• Days 2, 3 and 4 - Low calorie diet
• Days 5 and 6 - Maintenance diet
• Day 7 - “Zigzag plus”.

A week to maintain weight:

• Day 1 – “Zigzag minus” (like a Low-calorie diet)
• Days 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 - Maintenance diet
• Day 6 - “Zigzag plus”.

Weekly meal plan for those who want to gain weight:

• Days 1 and 6 – “Zigzag plus”
• Days 2, 3, 4 and 5 - Diet for weight gain
• Day 7 - Maintenance diet.

conclusions

The Three Fists Diet is useful not only for those who want to change their weight, but also for everyone who cares about good health and energy.

The principles of fractional nutrition allow you to improve the functioning of your stomach, always feel full, and not overeat in the evenings.

With its help, you can both lose weight and gain muscle mass when playing sports. It is suitable for meat-eaters and vegetarians, because people choose products here based only on their taste.

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What can you drink on the Three Fists Diet?

Liquid occupies an important place in the Three Fists nutrition system: you must drink at least one and a half liters of pure still water per day, preferably at more or less equal intervals and in a volume of about 150 ml at a time. This way, the liquid will be optimally absorbed, and you will not have to experience discomfort due to a full bladder.

You can also drink unsweetened tea and, in moderation, coffee. If you are used to drinking these drinks with sugar and find it difficult to immediately adjust your receptors to the new taste, you can use sweeteners as a transitional measure.

It is better to avoid beer and other alcohol on normal days of following the diet, but there is a trick - you can drink a bottle of foam, a cocktail or a glass of wine as part of the Zigzag-plus diet, without fear of being branded a bore among your friends. Consider this loophole when planning your leisure time!

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of the “Three Fists” method are:

• gastrointestinal diseases (colitis, pancreatitis, dysbacteriosis, etc.),
• severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system, hematopoietic organs and kidneys,
• gout,
• childhood.

Elderly people, adolescents and patients with a history of any chronic diseases are advised to follow this diet with caution and only after consulting a physician.

Patients who are recovering from an infectious disease or surgery can adhere to this system, but they should not choose a low-calorie or fasting diet.

Prohibited Products

Despite all the diversity of the diet, it makes sense to irrevocably and without regret give up the following products (an exception can only be made within the framework of the “Zigzag-plus” diet, and then only one!):

• Sauces based on mayonnaise and sour cream (and, accordingly, mayonnaise and sour cream themselves);
• Meat fried using any fat;
• Chopped steaks and cutlets, as well as any semi-finished products;
• Smoked meats;
• Battered and breaded products;
• Sugar and confectionery;
• Sugar-containing drinks (especially carbonated): including juices, nectars, industrially produced fruit drinks, as well as fermented milk drinks, tea and coffee with sugar;
• Any alcohol;
• Foods high in sodium (salted nuts, chips, preserves and canned food).

Duration and results of the “Three Fists” diet

Since Three Fists is not a diet, but rather a nutritional system, there are no limiting recommendations for its duration. Knowing the basic principles, depending on your current goals, you can select the appropriate type of diet to gain, maintain or lose weight - and measure food portions with your own fists for the rest of your life. According to reviews, following the “3 fists” system for weight loss, you can lose from 2 to 7 kg per month. If we talk about weight gain, then Oleg Tern’s method promises a monthly increase due to the growth of muscle tissue by about 1.5 - 2 kg.

Features of the “3 fists” diet, author’s recommendations, main advantages

Why did Thorn give his diet this name? The psychotherapist believes that a volume of 3 fists is quite enough to satiate, but at the same time the consumption of proteins and dietary fiber should be strictly combined. That is, you should not eat 3 large meat cutlets at one time. The ideal combination would be 1 protein product, 1 small portion of vegetables and 1 fruit.

Interestingly, the volume of 3 human fists is literally magical, as it adapts to the various needs of a person: to lose weight, gain weight, or stay at the same level. Of course, to achieve such different goals, individual nutrition plans according to the “3 fists” system are used.

How does the diet work? We see in the program a set of 4 different days: fasting, maintenance, low-calorie and for weight gain. The combination of these days in various schemes allows you to achieve the goal that a person sets for himself.

Diet author's recommendations:

• the volume of each Lunch should not exceed 3 fists;
• In total, 3-5 meals per day are allowed, not counting drinks;
• Drinking plenty of fluids is encouraged; consume at least 1.5 liters of healthy fluid per day;
• during the diet, you can and should play sports, do physical activity, walk more often, swim, play dynamic games, dance;
• no less important is proper rest and, first of all, regular and sound sleep;
• We add meat proteins to the diet only twice a week;
• diet dishes undergo minimal temperature treatment (boiled, stewed, steamed or in the oven, and better served fresh and raw);
• salad dressings are clearly labeled: vegetable oil, unsweetened homemade yogurt, lemon juice, tomato paste, soy sauce, natural spices without salt;
• the daily menu must include fermented milk products, chicken eggs, lean sea fish and various seafood;
• the diet has a fasting day to cleanse the body, so its menu should be strictly followed;
• there is also 1 day of pleasure per week, when you can devour your favorite high-calorie product;
• During the diet and after it, it is better to give up bad habits and start leading a healthy, athletic lifestyle;
• during the diet, it is not allowed to eat immediately before bedtime (the last lunch is taken 2-3 hours before going to bed);
• overeating and exceeding the specified volume are also prohibited, as are hunger strikes.

The main advantages of the “3 fists” diet:

• the products offered by the author of the diet are natural, wholesome, healthy and contain all the elements necessary for normal life;
• the diet is balanced, so there is no need to take additional elements, vitamins, minerals and other supplements;
• a volume of 3 fists is quite conducive to satiation without overeating, so the likelihood of a diet failure is zero;
• there are no unpleasant sensations, discomfort and consequences for the body, as in the case of strict and starvation diets;
• gradual weight loss (weight gain) occurs, which will not have consequences for health and skin (avoid problems such as cellulite, sagging muscles, sagging skin, stretch marks);
• the diet goes well with sports and adapts to active training, which will not allow muscle mass to go away along with fat;
• there is no need to count calories, weigh each product, or study the carbohydrate content of food;
• all diet products are simple and familiar, do not require significant financial investments, as well as a lot of time and effort for preparation;
• an individual approach to a diet that allows you to lose weight, gain weight, and stay within the desired limits;
• the diet is safe for health and has a minimum of contraindications;
• after the diet, digestion improves, stool normalizes, metabolism accelerates;
• The diet also helps reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels and normalize blood pressure;
• after completing the course, the appearance of the skin, the health of nails and hair improves;
• strengthens the body's immunity and defenses;
• tones muscles and skin.