A protein diet for 14 days is one of the most effective nutrition systems, allowing you to lose from 4 to 7 kg. If you follow all the rules and recommendations for nutrition, a person losing weight will avoid unpleasant consequences and maintain the results obtained for a long period.
The essence of a protein diet
The essence of the protein diet is simple: the basis of the diet of this weight loss system is food rich in protein (fish, meat, low-fat dairy products).
At this time, the body, deprived of carbohydrates and fats, burns fat reserves, due to which excess weight is lost. It is noteworthy that muscle mass remains intact.
In general, protein plays an important role in the functioning of the body. So, protein is involved in:
- tissue regeneration (protein is a kind of building material of the human body);
- acceleration of chemical processes (with a lack of protein in the body, growth slows down, negative changes occur in the functioning of internal organs, immunity decreases),
- production of hormones (if there is a lack of hormones, doctors always prescribe a protein diet),
- delivery of essential substances (for example, oxygen enters cells thanks to the hemoglobin protein).
However, excess protein in the body, as well as carbohydrates and fats, can lead to health problems. Excess protein breakdown products:
- interferes with the normal functioning of the excretory system,
- activates putrefactive processes in the intestines,
- increases nitrogen levels;
- leads to cycle failure in women.
Precisely because an increased level of protein can have both a positive and negative effect on the condition of organs and systems, experts do not advise following a protein diet for more than 14 days. By the way, for the same reason, the second week of this program involves some relaxations in the diet. However, courses should not be repeated too often: at least 4-6 months should pass between programs.
Wrong side
What is the essence of protein diets? We know that our main source of energy is carbohydrates. Here they are strictly limited, and the body begins to take energy, breaking down the fat layer. People lose weight, fat burns, extra pounds go away. Great theory.
In addition to fat, such a one-sided, harsh diet burns muscles and hurts the kidneys, liver, digestive, circulatory and skeletal systems. Here is such a “side effect” that for some reason it is not customary to talk about
Protein must be present in the diet. Especially if you want to get results in the form of a toned and slender body, and not sagging, flabby skin.
However, when protein is digested, it leaves toxins and poisons in the intestines, and to remove and neutralize them, we simply need carbohydrates. Especially fiber.
With protein diets, protein breakdown products accumulate in the intestines and blood. The kidneys, filtering the blood, become overloaded, and swelling appears.
Digestion is disrupted, as a result, rashes form on the skin, color and elasticity deteriorate. Plus, when protein is broken down, nitrogen is released - this is a blow to the reproductive system, and uric acid accumulates - this is salt deposition, gout, urolithiasis.
Frequent semi-starvation slows down metabolism, i.e., if at first there is minus 10 kg, then they begin to gain back - the body regards hunger as an existential threat and begins to accumulate energy “for future use.”
Advantages and disadvantages
However, if all the requirements are followed, a protein diet still has more advantages than disadvantages. You can see this for yourself.
Pros of a protein diet:
- quick effect;
- there is no constant feeling of hunger;
- provides energy for the whole day;
- good health;
- acceleration of metabolic processes;
- increase in muscle mass;
- strengthening bones;
- accelerates wound healing.
Disadvantages of a protein diet:
- ban on sweets, flour, fatty foods,
- giving up alcohol,
- lack of minerals and vitamins.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the nutrition system is considered to be a long absence of hunger. The body can work for a long time, waste energy and accumulated fat. This process is based on the fact that protein processing takes longer than fats and carbohydrates.
After completing the diet, the disappeared kilograms will not return again. Only for this you will have to adhere to a balanced diet.
The pronounced effect of proper nutrition is noticeable in those people who have a thick layer of fat in the hips and waist. Thanks to such a diet, a person becomes slim and also begins to eat less, seeing a positive result.
But there are also some disadvantages. Losing weight is the process that leads to the restructuring of the entire body. Before you go on a diet, you must take into account your wishes and follow all the rules.
If protein foods are consumed in large quantities, then water along with calcium will begin to rapidly disappear from the body. This process will increase the load on the kidneys. As a result, the patient will complain of excessive brittleness of nails, dull hair, fatigue and poor sleep.
Permitted and prohibited products
The last item on the list of disadvantages of a protein diet is a consequence of the varied, but still somewhat limited range of foods allowed for consumption.
However, this problem is easy to solve: all you need to do is stock up on a vitamin-mineral complex before starting the program and use it regularly while losing weight. But you should not include in your diet foods that are prohibited on a protein diet, even to compensate for the lack of nutrients.
Prohibited products include: baked goods and all pastries, pasta, cereals, fruits, potatoes, fatty fish, side dishes, butter, semi-finished products, alcoholic beverages.
Permitted products include: all types of meat (including kidneys, liver, tongue and other offal), all types of poultry (including offal), fish (tuna, cod, pink salmon, salmon, flounder), eggs, low-fat hard fish cheeses (as well as Tofu), seafood, yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese.
Protein drinks for fast weight loss
Protein drinks play an important role in the diet. By replacing food with a protein shake, the body's calorie intake is reduced, thereby reducing weight. The feeling of fullness after cocktails lasts longer than after eating foods.
The essence of the action is in their composition. Cellulose contained in cocktails reduces appetite when it swells. Imitation of saturation by supplying the body with vitamins and amino acids, but it is unacceptable to abuse protein shakes.
Replacing foods with cocktails will lead the body to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, which can provoke diseases of vital organs, even cancer.
For a protein diet, it is better to make the mixture yourself. At home this is quite possible. Industrial mixtures are sold in sports stores and are designed to improve sports records; their content of ingredients such as sugar, fat, cholesterol will not give the desired result when dieting.
Basic diet rules
In order to achieve the desired result, it is not enough to give up foods rich in carbohydrates and fats. It is also necessary to strictly follow the rules of the protein weight loss program:
- eat food at least 5 times a day;
- drink at least 2 liters of water per day;
- do not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime;
- Drink kefir with herbs once every 3 days (to cleanse the intestines);
- give up alcohol;
- if you are counting calories, then you should not consume more than 900-1000 Kcal per day (you can use a calorie calculator for this).
Dessert
You can prepare unsweetened protein desserts that will perfectly brighten up the days of diets, because modern people cannot imagine themselves without them.
Tea sorbet
- Lemon;
- green tea – 2 tbsp. l.;
- mint leaves;
- a pack of low-fat cottage cheese.
- Put mint in 100 ml of boiling water, add tea, brew.
- Mix cottage cheese and infusion.
- Transfer to a mold, place in the freezer for 2 hours, stir 2-3 times, serve the dessert chilled.
Almond jelly
- A glass of milk;
- gelatin strip – 1 pc.;
- almond flavoring – 5-6 drops.
- Heat flavoring in milk until boiling.
- Dissolve gelatin in milk.
- Pour into molds and keep in the refrigerator until thickened.
Protein diet: menu for 14 days
Based on the above lists of products, as well as on the principles and rules of the diet, you can easily create a fairly varied menu.
| * | Breakfast | 2nd breakfast | Dinner | Afternoon snack | Dinner |
| Mon | A cup of warm milk (with 10 grams of honey and 30 ml of lemon juice) | Cheese (3 slices), boiled eggs (2 pieces minus one yolk) | Stew of chicken fillet (100 gr.) and zucchini (100 gr.) | Grapefruit (1 pc.) | Vegetable Salad |
| W | A glass of water with lemon juice, after 30 minutes – a boiled egg (1 pc.) | Toast bread with a piece of salted salmon | Boiled fish (100 gr.), fresh cabbage salad | Apple (1 pc.), pear (1 pc.), boiled chicken fillet (no more than 80 g.) | Stewed vegetables (without potatoes) (150 gr.) |
| Wed | Cottage cheese (100 gr.) | Boiled egg (1 pc.), kiwi (2 pcs.), apple (1 pc.) | Boiled veal (120 gr.), fresh vegetables with olive oil | Carrot and Feta cheese salad, boiled egg (2 pcs.) | Chicken baked in the oven (100 gr.), fresh cucumber |
| Thu | Black coffee (no sugar or milk) | Boiled egg (1 pc.), fresh cabbage and carrot salad (100 gr.) | Boiled chicken fillet (100 gr.), rice (without salt) (80 gr.) | Cottage cheese (fat content up to 5%) (150 gr.) | Steamed hake (150 gr.), cucumber and sweet pepper salad |
| Fri | Cottage cheese (fat content up to 1.8%) (100 g), diluted with milk | A piece of dry bread with a slice of cheese, a green apple (1 pc.) | Boiled buckwheat (100 gr.), boiled chicken fillet (breast) (100 gr.) | Stew of zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes (150 gr.) | Boiled egg (1 pc.) |
| Sat | Rice porridge with milk (100 gr.) | Cabbage, tomato and cucumber salad, slice of bread | Boiled chicken fillet (130 gr.), pear (1 pc.) | Tuna canned in its own juice (70 gr.) | Boiled egg (1 pc.), apple (1 pc.) |
| Sun | Yogurt without additives | Mixture of 200 ml. water and 1 tbsp. l. flaxseed porridge | Vegetable salad (100 gr.), boiled chicken (100 gr.) | Carrots, grated on a fine grater, with 10 gr. oils | Soft-boiled egg (1 pc.), kefir with chopped dill |
| 2 week | |||||
| Mon | Warm milk with a spoon of honey | Fruit salad | Boiled chicken (100 gr.), fresh cucumber (1 pc.) | Handful of nuts | Boiled egg (1 pc.), boiled rice (70 gr.) |
| W | A glass of kefir with chopped herbs and a spoonful of bran | Boiled egg (2 pcs.) | Fish (150 gr.), vegetable salad | Cocktail of milk and berries (200 ml.) | Banana (1 pc.) |
| Wed | Buckwheat (without salt and oil) (150 gr.) | Fruit salad (half banana + apple) | Chicken fillet (150 gr.), slice of cheese, boiled egg (1 pc.) | Carrots, finely grated with olive oil (80 gr.) | Cottage cheese, grained |
| Thu | Toast bread, 2 slices cheese | Cottage cheese with milk and berries (150 gr.) | Boiled egg (2 pcs.), fresh cabbage salad, stewed chicken breast (100 gr.) | Buckwheat soaked in water (100 gr.) | A cup of low-fat fermented baked milk with chopped herbs |
| Fri | A mixture of 1 spoon of flaxseed porridge, a handful of oatmeal and hot milk | Carrot, apple and cabbage salad (100 gr.) | Boiled chicken fillet (150 gr.), salad of boiled egg, cucumbers and tomatoes | A glass of berries with a spoon of honey | 3 slices of cheese, cottage cheese (fat content 0%) (100 gr.) |
| Sat | Low-fat cottage cheese (100 gr.), a handful of nuts, a spoon of honey | Boiled egg (1 pc.), banana | Stewed fish (150 gr.), salad of sweet peppers, cabbage and tomatoes | Fruit salad (apple, orange, pear) | Boiled broccoli (100 g), tomato juice |
| Sun | Boiled rice with nuts and raisins (100 gr.) | Diet bread with a slice of cheese, boiled egg (1 pc.) | Stewed fish (150 gr.), vegetable salad | Boiled chicken breast (100 gr.), apple (1 pc.) | A glass of freshly squeezed juice |
Second courses
Beef fillet goulash
- Pulp – about 300 g
- dill, basil;
- bulb onions.
- Cut the fillet into pieces.
- Place in a frying pan, add a little water, and simmer.
- Cut the onion into half rings and place in the beef 10 minutes before cooking.
- Greens before serving.
Pink salmon baked in foil
- Pink salmon – up to 500 g;
- ½ lemon;
- onion - medium head.
- Place pink salmon on foil.
- Place onion, cut into rings, on top.
- Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 40 minutes at 180°.
The right way out of a protein diet
Experts advise exiting any diet gradually. The protein nutrition system is no exception. You should not immediately pounce on your favorite foods, the consumption of which was prohibited during the program. It is better to exclude sugar and flour products from your diet altogether.
In addition , you must continue to adhere to the regime: eat at least 5-6 times a day in small portions, do not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime, drink more water and give up alcoholic beverages.
In the first 2 weeks after a protein diet, physical activity should also be increased. This should be done in order to optimally use the incoming energy and maintain the result obtained.
Fundamental difference
Fasting on a 14-day protein diet is the easiest thing, reviews confirm this. In this case, you can and should:
- engage in feasible types of training three times a week (shaping, gym);
- eat six times a day, so as not to let yourself go crazy and get drunk on anything;
- eliminate carbohydrate foods as much as possible;
- limit the intake of fats into your body to a minimum.
Do it - and you will see the result!
Before you start, estimate your budget and consider the following list of products:
- lean meat - chicken, beef, maybe turkey;
- cottage cheese and kefir with reduced fat content;
- skimmed milk;
- hard cheese, and so that the percentage of fat is lower;
- all kinds of fish - flounder and cod, pollock or salmon;
- seafood for lovers;
- any vegetables (except potatoes), preferably cabbage, bell peppers (they hold a record for vitamin C), carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.;
- We don’t eat fruits, otherwise it will be protein-fruit, and this is a separate issue;
- rice in small quantities;
- a little lentils or beans, but it’s better to do without them.
According to the advice of experts, portions should be small, “two handfuls.” Let's say, 100-200 grams - no more. In general, the diet is more likely to be protein-carbohydrate (or protein-vegetable).
Contraindications
In order not to harm your health, people suffering from the following diseases are better off giving up a protein diet:
- hepatitis (and other liver diseases);
- arrhythmia (and other cardiac abnormalities);
- kidney dysfunction;
- dysbacteriosis;
- colitis;
- pancreatitis;
- increased thrombus formation;
- joint pain (and all related ailments).
Also, the protein nutrition system is not suitable for older people, pregnant and lactating women.
Why does the body need protein?
An adequate supply of protein is essential for the human body. Proteins form the basic structure of the body and are the central building blocks for muscles, bones, organs, blood, many hormones, and antibodies of the immune system. The body's cells are constantly renewed and therefore depend on regular protein intake. Thus, without proteins, the human body will not function.
However, it is a vital substance that we only need in a fairly small dose. The norm for an average weight adult is only 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight per day. The guideline value is 46 grams per day for women and 56 grams per day for men.
Athletes have a higher need for protein and, therefore, higher guidelines: 1.0 g per 1 kg of weight for an amateur athlete, 1.5 g per 1 kg for intense strength sports and 2.0 g per 1 kg for competitive athletes.
Reviews and results
Below you can evaluate photos of people in the “Before and After” format who were able to lose weight thanks to a protein diet, a healthy lifestyle and physical activity.
Leave your feedback about the diet in the comments. Describe your experience and tell our readers how effective the protein diet was for you!
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An effective weight loss system. Second week
Menu for the next seven days:
Day eight. In the morning, low-fat yogurt, two hours later - two eggs. During lunch, eat fish soup without potatoes during lunch. For an afternoon snack, drink low-calorie yogurt. For dinner, boil white chicken meat.
Ninth day. In the morning - oatmeal with water. Then an omelette. For lunch, boil the beef. For an afternoon snack, treat yourself to grapefruit. For dinner, cook any seafood.
Day ten. In the morning - low-fat cottage cheese, for lunch - salad with cheese. After three hours - low-fat yogurt. For dinner, cook a piece of beef.
Eleventh day. In the morning, boil two hard-boiled eggs. After a couple of hours, drink kefir. For lunch, allow yourself to eat a piece of fish baked in foil. If you get hungry afterwards, you can make a light cucumber salad. Dinner – boiled turkey fillet.
Twelfth day. In the morning, cook buckwheat porridge without salt and sugar, using skim milk. After three hours you can eat low-fat yogurt. Lunch – salad with boiled chicken fillet. Afternoon snack – grapefruit. For dinner - seafood salad.
Day thirteen. In the morning, prepare yourself cottage cheese with fruit. For second breakfast - salad with cheese. For lunch, boil sea fish fillets. For an afternoon snack, drink low-fat yogurt. For dinner - boiled turkey breast with boiled carrots.
Fourteenth day. In the morning, grate yourself some fresh carrots. For second breakfast, you can stew some chicken. For lunch, eat an omelet. Afternoon snack – apple. For dinner, prepare seafood and a salad of any green vegetables.
This is an effective protein diet for 14 days. We reviewed the menu in detail. Now those who want to try it out can do so without any problems.
But there are other similar diets. Let's look at them too.
