Most people who want to get their body into ideal shape can resort to low-calorie eating . This does not require expensive products, there is no need to prepare complex dishes, you can use simple, affordable food products that are always available for sale.
Quick navigation through the article:
- Diet menu for the week
- Calorie table for low-calorie foods
- Food diary
- Physical exercise
- Reviews and results of losing weight
The main point of a low-calorie diet is to limit fats and easily digestible carbohydrates . Everyone can create their own diet, limiting themselves to flour, fatty and sweet dishes.
Sample diet menu for a week
When using a low-calorie menu, you need to eat 5-6 times a day, in small portions , the weight of which does not exceed 200-250g.
First you need to use a kitchen scale, then you will learn how to determine the weight of portions by eye. Low-calorie diet for a week menu minus 5 kg (for people with very high weight).
1
The first day:
- Breakfast: rice porridge, boil 3-4 tablespoons, add a little low-fat milk. You can add a handful of raisins, dried fruits;
- Second breakfast: grated apple;
- Lunch: chicken soup, cabbage salad;
- Afternoon snack: kefir 1-2%;
- Dinner: baked fish, tomato and cucumber salad.
2
Second day:
- Breakfast: omelet of one yolk and two whites with low-fat milk;
- Second breakfast: grated carrots;
- Lunch: boiled chicken, cucumber and herb salad;
- Afternoon snack: tomato juice;
- Dinner: beef meatballs, lettuce with olive oil.
3
Day three:
- Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese with chopped orange;
- Second breakfast: baked apple;
- Lunch: stewed vegetables (carrots, cabbage, onions, herbs, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, whatever is available) with the addition of minced chicken;
- Afternoon snack: orange;
- Dinner: stewed fish, green pea and herb salad.
4
Day four:
- Breakfast: oatmeal with hot low-fat milk and berries;
- Second breakfast: baked or fresh pear;
- Lunch: vegetarian soup, boiled turkey, cauliflower salad with herbs and olive oil;
- Afternoon snack: kefir with berries, can be whipped in a blender;
- Dinner: boiled veal, grilled vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini.
5
Day five:
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge with low-fat milk and a little butter;
- Second breakfast: grapefruit;
- Lunch: chicken cutlets, salad of Chinese cabbage, herbs and fresh cucumbers;
- Afternoon snack: apple juice;
- Dinner: salmon steak or salmon, tomatoes.
6
Day six:
- Breakfast: millet porridge with milk, you can add some dried fruit;
- Second breakfast: low-fat yogurt without additives;
- Lunch: soup with veal meatballs, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon snack: bifidokefir with fresh berries;
- Dinner: two boiled eggs, cucumber salad, greens.
7
Day seven:
- Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with one raw egg and chopped fruits or berries;
- Second breakfast: grated apple;
- Lunch: boiled or baked chicken breast, stewed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, zucchini, onions, peas, tomatoes);
- Afternoon snack: low-fat fermented baked milk;
- Dinner: boiled turkey, two tomatoes, two cucumbers.
Having understood the basic principle of this diet , it is not difficult to select products yourself. You can choose your favorite ones that you personally like and cook them more often than others. In addition to the main menu, you need to supplement your diet with weak tea or coffee without sugar . You can add low-fat milk. The total daily calorie content should not exceed 1200 kcal. Also pay attention to the 1200 kcal diet, its principles will also be useful to you.
In order for weight loss on a low-calorie diet to be successful, you need to know which low-calorie foods should form its basis. In the table you can find a list of products that can be used in the low-calorie diet menu . The table is convenient to use when choosing side dishes from vegetable dishes for protein dishes.
Recipes
As you can see from the low-calorie menu for a week for weight loss, there is no need to fuss too much with recipes. There are many suitable options that work well within the diet.
Baked fish with vegetables
Ingredients:
- fish fillet with skin;
- mixed vegetables (green beans, leeks, broccoli);
- 1 tsp. olive oil;
- pepper, salt;
- lemon;
- green onions.
Preparation:
- Dry the fillet, sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Simmer the vegetables in lightly salted water until tender.
- Preheat oven to 230°C.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the fillets skin side down on it. Brush it with olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tsp in a frying pan. oil, add vegetables, season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the finished fish with stewed vegetables.
Minestrone soup
Ingredients:
- 400 g boiled white beans (canned);
- 400 g peeled, chopped tomatoes (canned);
- 300 g zucchini;
- 200 g oysters;
- 100 g quinoa;
- 1–2 carrots;
- 100 g spinach;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 tsp. ground red paprika;
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper;
- 2 bay leaves;
- juice from ½ lemon;
- 1 tsp. salt;
- a pinch of cumin;
- 1 tsp. Provençal spices;
- 2.5 liters of water.
Preparation:
- In a large saucepan, fry finely chopped onion and chopped garlic cloves in hot oil.
- Add finely chopped vegetables, spices, salt, stir for 2 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients and fill with water.
- Cook for 25–30 minutes.
Baked cabbage with egg
Ingredients:
- 700 g white cabbage;
- 4 eggs;
- 50 g spelled flour;
- 100 g ham (optional);
- 1 tsp. salt;
- ½ tsp. ground red paprika;
- ¼ tsp. caraway;
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper;
- 1 tsp. olive oil;
- 2 cloves of garlic.
Preparation:
- Wash the cabbage and grate it on a coarse grater.
- In a bowl, mix eggs with flour, chopped garlic cloves, salt, and spices.
- Add grated cabbage and finely chopped ham.
- Stir the dough, pour it into a greased baking dish (about 30 x 25 cm in size).
- Bake for 35–40 minutes at 200ºС until cooked.
Cauliflower risotto with chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth;
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) rice (the best variety is arborio);
- 1 cauliflower;
- 400 g chicken breast;
- 2 stalks of celery;
- 100 g peas (or asparagus);
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tsp. salt;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tsp. olive oil;
- juice from ½ lemon;
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper;
- parsley (to taste).
Preparation:
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Add rice, cook until soft.
- Wash the cauliflower, peel and cut into small pieces.
- After 5 minutes, add cauliflower to the rice and cook until tender. If necessary, add a little water.
- In a second, smaller pan, fry the chopped onion in hot oil.
- Add chopped garlic cloves, fry for 1 minute.
- Add chicken cut into small pieces.
- Season the meat with black pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add chopped celery stalks and peas, cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine meat mixture and cooked rice with cauliflower.
- Add chopped parsley, lemon juice, stir.
Calorie table for low-calorie foods
Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g | Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g |
Vegetables | broccoli | 33 | Meat (protein) | beef | 187-144 |
carrot | 35 | veal | 90 | ||
chilli | 20 | horsemeat | 143 | ||
artichoke | 40 | lamb | 191 | ||
cauliflower | 30 | rabbit | 199 | ||
kohlrabi | 36 | beef liver | 98 | ||
cucumbers | 15 | veal tongue | 163 | ||
tomatoes | 23 | beef sausage | 165 | ||
zucchini | 23 | chickens | 159 | ||
eggplant | 24 | chicken category 1 | 238 | ||
pumpkin | 28 | chicken category 2 | 159 | ||
spinach | 22 | turkey | 197 | ||
celery | 21 | chicken liver | 139 | ||
radish, green onion | 19 | chicken heart | 158 | ||
lettuce | 12 | chicken eggs | 157 | ||
asparagus | 20 | egg white | 44 | ||
greenery | 13 | egg yolk | 64 | ||
bulb onions | 41 | quail eggs | 168 |
Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g | Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g |
Fish and seafood (protein) | fruit juice cabbage | 5 | Milk and dairy products (protein) | cow's milk | 62 |
squid | 75 | milk n/w | 35 | ||
shrimps | 83 | goat milk | 67 | ||
crabs | 69 | kefir | 31-59 | ||
mussels | 77 | yogurt | 52-112 | ||
pollock | 69 | cottage cheese n/w | 86 | ||
flounder | 87 | cottage cheese 10% | 170 | ||
sea bass | 117 | Ryazhenka | 40-85 | ||
tuna | 101 | cream 10% | 115 | ||
cod | 75 | sheep milk | 107 | ||
blue whiting | 72 | serum | 25 | ||
mackerel | 153 | buttermilk | 40 | ||
icy | 74 | grain cottage cheese | 105 | ||
herring | 121 | sour cream 10% | 115 | ||
Argentina | 88 | sour cream 15% | 160 | ||
sprat | 137 | chocolate milk | 81 | ||
hake | 86 | drinking yogurt | 82 | ||
oysters | 72 | "Activia" | 104 |
Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g | Product category | Product Name | Calorie content per 100g |
Fruits | apples | 48 | Mushrooms (protein) | white dried | 34 |
pears | 42 | boletus | 20 | ||
plums | 43 | boletus | 22 | ||
grape | 69 | Honey mushrooms, saffron milk caps | 22 | ||
Peach, apricot | 45 | Chanterelles, boletus | 19 | ||
quince | 48 | Russula, milk mushroom | 18 | ||
cherry | 52 | Champignon | 27 | ||
Grapefruit, melon | 35 | nigella | 9 | ||
35 | Berries | blueberry | 39 | ||
mandarin | 38 | strawberries | 41 | ||
a pineapple | 52 | cranberry | 29 | ||
lemon | 34 | blueberry | 40 | ||
banana | 96 | rose hip | 101 | ||
kiwi | 47 | currant | 39-43 | ||
persimmon | 67 | raspberries | 46 | ||
figs | 54 | cowberry | 46 | ||
pomegranate | 72 | gooseberry | 45 | ||
cherry plum | 34 | strawberry | 34 | ||
mulberry | 53 | cherries | 50 |
Minus 5 kg per week - is it possible?
- Losing 5 kg in a week is really possible. Especially for those whose initial weight was too high and exceeded the norm by 20-30% or more.
- If you need to lose 5-10 kg , then a large weight loss will result in a rapid return of lost kilograms and a further decrease in metabolism. The fact is that the body does not like such sudden changes in diet, therefore, it begins to spend energy very sparingly, and losing extra pounds with each new diet becomes more and more difficult.
- In addition, with sudden weight loss, a problem arises with the appearance of excess skin , which does not have time to tighten along with the disappearance of subcutaneous fat. As a result, unsightly folds of skin appear, which can sometimes only be removed with the help of a surgeon.
Conclusion: you need to lose weight gradually, losing no more than 0.5-0.7 kg per week.
Mechanism of weight loss
The easiest way to lose weight is on a low-calorie diet. This explains its popularity. Its goal is to make a person spend more calories per day than he receives. To achieve this, physical activity increases and the daily diet decreases. By creating an energy deficit, you force the body to use up its own reserves. It can use either fats or proteins. The latter option should not be allowed, since this is muscle and connective tissue that performs important functions. To protect them from breakdown, your diet should have enough protein foods and you need to constantly exercise.
However, keep in mind that the fat burning process is quite long and will not begin immediately. The body needs to adapt to new living conditions and only then, as a result of improving overall metabolism, lipolysis will accelerate. In the first days, weight loss occurs due to other processes. The work of the stomach is facilitated (less food comes in, it is healthy), and it is freed from the “garbage” accumulated in it.
This in turn leads to blood purification - the access of oxygen to tissues increases, and it is known as a catalyst for fat burning. The functioning of the liver and kidneys improves, which will allow you to get rid of excess fluid that forms swelling.
A low-calorie diet triggers all these processes in the body, and they, in turn, lead to weight loss. The number of kilograms lost will depend on two indicators: by how much the daily ration will be reduced and on the duration of fasting. On average, if you sit on 1,200 kcal for one week while simultaneously increasing physical activity, you can lose 4-5 kg. But keep in mind that the pace may decrease further, since the body will have to lose weight not by removing harmful substances and excess water, but by burning fat, and this is a rather difficult and slow process.
Daily calorie intake for weight loss. Food diary
Below is a step-by-step weight loss plan , which is recommended for every patient in clinics when contacting a nutritionist.
Calories per day should be calculated as follows:
- first, you write down in a notebook everything you eat during the day on normal days (without a diet);
- calculate your usual caloric intake for several days, a week;
- find out what exactly you should give up, which foods are too high in calories, and why your weight increases or does not decrease;
- Gradually reduce your daily calorie intake . First, remove all fatty, floury, and sweet foods. Eliminate smoked meats and pickles, which retain liquid. Calculate your current caloric intake;
- Follow this diet until your weight drops steadily;
- when you notice that the weight has stabilized and measured, reduce the calorie content by 400-500 kcal from the previous values. To lose weight, calories must be reduced.
A month on a low-calorie diet
The menu for the month should be of the basic type - the most gentle. You can easily compose it yourself, guided by the following principles:
- taking into account the daily calorie content of foods (men - no more than 1400 kcal, women - no more than 1200 kcal);
- compliance with 6 meals a day;
- Any dairy products are allowed, but with reduced fat content;
- lean meat (baked or boiled, no more than 200 g/day);
- any vegetables (limit only potatoes and carrots);
- any berries (bananas and grapes are limited);
- eggs (preferably hard-boiled, 1-2 pieces/day)
Structure of a low-calorie diet
Using the products from these tables will help you adjust your diet and independently select products for your daily menu.
The structure of a low-calorie diet should be built as follows:
- In the morning - porridge, fruits, allowed sweets.
- Lunch – liquid hot dishes, protein dishes, vegetables.
- Dinner – protein and some low-calorie vegetables.
- Snacks – low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables in small quantities (100-150g).
The closer it gets to the evening, the less caloric the food should be .
In the evening, activity usually decreases, so it will no longer be possible to burn a large number of calories and, as a result, they will be deposited in your problem areas.
Recipes for first courses with proper nutrition for weight loss
Green borscht
- lean pork - 201 g;
- egg - 7 pcs.;
- onion (chopped) - 1 pc.;
- potatoes (chopped) - 4 pcs.;
- sorrel - 50 g;
- drinking water—1.7 l;
- seasonings - to taste.
- Chop the meat into cubes and cook until fully cooked.
- Add seasonings to the broth.
- Add potatoes to broth and cook until tender.
- Sauté the onion until golden brown.
- Boil the eggs, cool, peel and finely chop.
- Wash the sorrel and chop it.
- Add sorrel, onion, and eggs to the broth.
- Boil for another 5 minutes. with the lid closed.
- Let the borscht brew for 15-20 minutes.
Chicken noodle soup
- carrots (straws) - 1 pc.;
- onion (chopped) - 1 pc.;
- bell pepper (straws) - 1 pc.;
- chicken fillet - 201 g;
- noodles—99 g;
- seasonings - to taste.
- Boil the meat in one piece until done.
- Remove meat from broth.
- Add seasonings to the broth.
- Add vegetables to the broth and bring it to a boil. Then put the noodles in there and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Cut the chicken meat into cubes and add to the finished dish.
Physical activity on a low-calorie diet
As a complement to a low-calorie diet, it is necessary to include any physical activity in your daily program . This could be fitness, aerobics, cycling, swimming, etc. If you don’t have time for exercise, then:
- walk quickly;
- take the stairs without an elevator;
- overcome long corridors at work by running;
- do muscle exercises while in transport, alternately tensing and relaxing your muscles;
- buy a small ball, and while sitting at your office desk, squeeze it with your feet;
- find time for 15 minutes of morning exercises, getting up a little earlier or doing it in the evenings;
- do exercises while watching TV, combining business with pleasure.
If you wish, you can always find time for exercise by canceling some unimportant and non-urgent matters.
Here is a video about how important physical activity is when eating a low-calorie diet:
How much weight can you lose with proper nutrition?
Having developed a PP menu for a week for weight loss, you should not expect instant results. It takes time for your metabolism to accelerate. Kilograms lost in the first week - water. Puffiness goes away and proper metabolism is restored. The result also depends on physical activity; the more it is, the faster the process of losing weight goes.
Sudden weight loss is very harmful to health, and the goal of proper nutrition is to bring internal processes back to normal. Therefore, weight loss will be smooth, namely approximately 3-4 kg per month with average physical activity. This activity includes cardio training 3-4 times a week, daily walks lasting 20 minutes or more.
You can increase your weight loss through more physical activity. For example, doing a full strength training session 6 times a week can increase your weight loss by another 2 kg.
It is very important to remember that losing weight is an individual process. The number of kilograms lost depends on the initial excess weight. The larger it is, the faster the weight loss.
And, with each kilogram lost, it becomes more and more difficult for the body to part with its reserves, therefore, the longer you stay on PP, the slower the weight loss process will be.
But this does not mean that healthy eating has stopped working, it means that the body begins to process the last reserves “for a rainy day.” During this period, it is better to put the scales aside and start measuring body volumes, the changes in which can be monitored more clearly.
Limit fats and easily digestible carbohydrates
A low-calorie diet is always associated with limiting fats and easily digestible carbohydrates . You should give up all types of fatty foods. Avoid buying and eating the following foods:
- Fatty meat, sausages, frankfurters.
- Duck, goose, offal from them.
- Chicken skin.
- Cooking fat, margarine, lard.
- A large amount of vegetable oils.
- Fatty dairy products, glazed curd cheeses.
You should also avoid easily digestible carbohydrates.:
- Flour products, rolls, pastries, fried dough (pies, pancakes, pancakes, etc.)
- Confectionery (cakes, candies, cakes, cookies, etc.)
- A large number of cereals, porridges with butter, pasta. Porridge can be eaten only in the morning in the amount of 100-150g per serving.
- Large volumes of fruits and berries. We often think that if fruits and berries are low in calories, then we can eat as much of them as we want. But this is absolutely not true. During the season, many people try to fill up on fruit, eating 0.5-1 kg at a time. At the same time, the stomach stretches, and the body requires increasingly larger portions.
- Sweet carbonated drinks that contain about 5-10 tablespoons of sugar per 1 glass of liquid or harmful sweeteners.
What foods can and cannot be eaten when eating properly for weight loss
Can:
- seaweed;
- vegetables without starch;
- dietary meat (chicken/duck/turkey/rabbit);
- egg white;
- cereals (brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat; quinoa; bulgur; oatmeal; couscous);
- pasta (hard varieties up to 2 times a week);
- rye bread, multigrain;
- fats: red fish, low-fat white fish, cold-pressed olive/linseed oil, roasted nuts, egg yolk;
- seasonings;
- low-fat dairy and fermented milk products.
Possible in very small quantities:
- vegetables containing starch;
- cheese (fat content up to 30%);
- fruits in small quantities;
- cottage cheese.
It is forbidden:
- alcohol;
- corn;
- bakery;
- sugar.
Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Morning exercises for those over 40, 50. Gymnastics exercises for weight loss, video lessons.
What other low-calorie diets are there?
Low-calorie diets that are recommended for people who control their weight include the following:
- Japanese diet for two weeks;
- diet 1200 kcal per day;
- diet for the lazy or water diet;
- chocolate diet;
- spicy diet, etc.
Each of the proposed diets has its own characteristics. But each of them has disadvantages.
For example, a chocolate diet involves eating only chocolate and coffee , which in principle cannot be beneficial, since the body does not receive vitamins, proteins, and minerals. A spicy diet is only suitable for those who do not have stomach problems, because abundantly flavoring all dishes with hot pepper can provoke inflammatory processes and lead to gastritis.
Calorie base and its factors
A low-calorie diet is a diet in which the body is placed in conditions where it is forced to burn more energy than it consumes.
Each person has their own calorie base, when reduced, the process of weight loss begins, and it is better if a professional nutritionist helps you calculate it.
Here are the factors to consider:
- age (the body’s metabolism depends on it; the older the person, the slower the metabolism);
- gender (in men, compared to women, energy consumption is 200-300 kilocalories more, mainly due to muscle mass);
- lifestyle (sedentary or energy-intensive);
- previous diet (how correct or incorrect the person followed);
- chronic diseases (are there any contraindications);
- psychological state (ability to withstand a dietary test without breakdowns).
A person who decides to master a low-calorie diet must be prepared for culinary accounting. You will need to acquire tables of caloric content of dishes, since they are the basis for constructing a menu. You will have to scrupulously count calories, add them up, and write them down so as not to forget or get lost. Now, in an era where everyone has a mobile phone with a built-in calculator at their fingertips, this process has become much easier.
Gender differences should be taken into account, since they are of no small importance, expressed as follows:
Factor | Men | Women |
Number of meals/day | At least 5 | 6 |
Daily calorie content | Up to 1400 kcal | 1200 kcal diet |
Volume of dishes | 300 g | 200 g |
Last meal | 2 hours before bedtime | Do not eat after 18.00 |
Water regime/day | 2.5-3 l | Up to 2 l |
Cons of the diet
But a low-calorie diet, like all others, has its drawbacks . A typical low-calorie diet includes a variety of foods, although they are low in fat and carbohydrates. Therefore, it is considered the most useful and easy to use , suitable for those who do not have large funds to purchase expensive food products. However, many people neglect the simple rules of a low-calorie diet. For example:
- they are too lazy to prepare meat dishes, buying low-fat beef or chicken sausage or frankfurters;
- instead of natural vegetables and fruits, use canned ones;
- knowing that many fruits and vegetables are low in calories, eat them in kilograms;
- They use only those foods that they love more than others, and eat monotonously.
The main disadvantages are:
- Refusal of many favorite dishes, confectionery, sweets, fried and smoked foods, sauces and mayonnaise.
- The need to constantly weigh food and count calories.
- The need to have a constant supply of healthy products to eliminate the possibility of failure.
- It is difficult to give up your usual dishes if you are in a company or your family continues to eat high-calorie dishes.
- Lack of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. Be sure to additionally consume mineral-vitamin complexes, which contain a daily dose of the necessary vitamins and minerals.
If you overcome these difficulties and learn how to properly combine low-calorie foods with each other , then the diet will have no contraindications.
Winners stage – way out of the diet
The exit is desirable to be smooth and gradual. The best option would be to increase the daily intake by 50 kcal daily if diet therapy was carried out at a level below 1200 kcal/day. Having reached this mark, stay at it for 5-7 days, then increase your weekly calorie content by 100 kcal upon reaching the level of 2000 kcal. If weight loss began at 1200-1400 kcal, then the first stage is omitted.
Naturally, the products that are consumed at the exit should also belong to the category allowed on a low-calorie diet, the recipes for which should become a daily practice. We are talking only about increasing the total calorie content, but not about changing the principles of nutrition.
Reviews about the diet
Here are some low-calorie diet reviews to help you make your own decision:
Alisa, 34 years old, manager: My childhood years were spent in a constant struggle with excess weight, but my family kept repeating that I didn’t eat enough and prepared me such “delicacies” that it was impossible to refuse. As a result, by the age of 17 I weighed 94 kg. Not a single guy looked in my direction. Then I went to study in another city and settled in a rented apartment with one girl, who taught me to choose low-calorie and healthy foods. Literally in the first three months I lost 12 kg, then in two years another 26! I didn’t recognize myself, and when I finally went home, my family was shocked. Instead of a fat woman, a slender woman stood in front of them. Now I eat only this way, it’s healthy and I like it, and it’s inexpensive!
Arthur, 35 years old, mechanic I lost 15 kg in one year on a low-calorie diet. I made up my own menu, combining, for example, meat with lettuce or cabbage. I don’t like to cook, but that’s the good thing about a low-calorie diet – put the meat in water and cook for yourself. I cook it for 3-4 days and eat it piece by piece. I take it with me to work in the garage, at the buffet I only buy kefir or tea without sugar, and I often take apples with me. And our people at the buffet eat fast food and beer, all fat, with bellies as one. They are surprised when they look at me.
Anya, mother of 2 children, 26 years old After giving birth to my second child, I was simply devastated. I already had a belly, and here... I couldn’t fit into any dress, I didn’t even dream of trousers. She wore some enormous robes. 105-106kg was on the scales. My husband said that if I don’t lose weight, we will be divorced. I was offended by him then, but now I’m glad he said that, otherwise I wouldn’t have lost weight. I pulled myself together out of anger at him, I wanted to prove to him out of spite that I could become slim and then I would leave him myself. So, in the first 4 months I lost 25 kg by eating a low-calorie diet. The menu was 600 kcal per day, it was difficult, but I quickly got used to it, my stomach shrank, and my appetite also disappeared. Now I already weigh 65 kg, I continue to lose weight, I want to weigh 55-57. It was only difficult at the beginning, so anything is possible.
Watch the video about how a guy managed to lose 35 kg in a few months thanks to proper nutrition and calorie counting:
Necessary educational program
90% of all available diets are low-calorie, and this is scientifically explained. To force the body to use up its own fat reserves, you need to create an energy deficit. This can only be done by reducing daily calorie intake. For this purpose, some nutritional systems propose to minimize or completely remove carbohydrates from the diet, others - fats, and others are based on a specific category of products (vegetable, protein).
Everyone is free to choose how many calories to reduce their daily intake. Most diets suggest 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men. However, you should not blindly follow these patterns. If your goal is effective weight loss without harm to health, consider a few points.
Daily calorie content
Let's assume that two women chose the same low-calorie diet with a daily intake of 1,200 kcal. One of them is a 20-year-old student, an activist, constantly on the move, involved in fitness, gained 5 extra pounds during an illness while on bed rest and wants to get back into shape. The other is a 45-year-old department head who leads a sedentary lifestyle, has her own driver, and is constantly struggling with excess weight, which by this time has accumulated at least 15, or even 20 kg.
In the first case, a low-calorie diet with a daily allowance of 1,200 kcal will allow a girl to lose her 5 kg in just a week, well, in a maximum of 2. In the second, the results can be disastrous: by the end of the month the minus can be 4-5 kg (or, alternatively, weight in general will rise) + hypertension and other side effects with constant deterioration in health.
Conclusion . Whatever diet you choose, the daily caloric intake should be determined in accordance with your individual parameters: age, BMI, height, physical activity. But do not blindly take the approximate figures that are offered in the descriptions of the documentation.
How to reduce calories
There are special formulas for calculating daily caloric intake. You will need two numbers: the first will show how many kcal you need to consume daily in normal life, the second - for weight loss. The corridor (the difference between them) can range from 300 to 1,500 kcal. And here 90% of those losing weight make a total mistake: starting tomorrow (Monday, the 1st) they went on a diet. Before this, they consumed 2,500 kcal, and now - 1,200.
The body will be in a state of shock. He will not be able to adapt to a new caloric intake so quickly. The result is a deterioration in health up to fainting and a sharp decrease in performance. As for weight, in the first 3-4 days the minus can be significant, but only due to the removal of toxins and excess fluid. But then the scenario disappoints many: the decline will be catastrophically low, or may stop altogether (the so-called plateau effect). An even more unpleasant moment is when weight loss occurs, but fat deposits do not go away, because instead of them proteins, which are vital for the body, begin to be consumed. As a result, the figure leaves much to be desired, and the state of health becomes worse and worse every day.
Conclusion. You need to prepare your body for the upcoming weight loss. Every day, reduce your daily caloric intake by 150-200 kcal until you reach the minimum value that suits you (calculated using the formula). For those with a corridor of 300 kcal, entry will take only 2 days, for those with 1,500 - 10, but believe me: it’s worth it. As a result, the weight will be lost evenly and without harm to health.
And then organize your way out of the diet in exactly the same way: gradually increasing your daily caloric intake by 150-200 kcal until you reach your norm.
Low-calorie recipes (can be printed on the refrigerator)
Here are some recipes to help you get started on your diet.
Cottage cheese casserole
Take 300g of low-fat cottage cheese, add one raw egg, one chopped apple or pear, or orange, plum, pineapple or apricot, whatever you have. Grease the mold with vegetable oil and spread the curd mixture. Place in the oven.
Fish baked with vegetables
Clean the fish, salt, season with spices, place on a baking sheet, top with onion rings, tomato slices, slices of zucchini, eggplant, and herbs. From vegetables, you can choose what is available. Bake in the oven.
Chicken in molds or chicken muffins
Chop the chicken fillet into small pieces, add one raw egg, spices, salt, pieces of tomatoes and sweet peppers, herbs, place in silicone molds and bake in the oven.
Sample menu for a week with a daily calorie content of 800 calories
When eating 800 kcal per day, 3 meals a day are provided, no snacks. Cook vegetables and meat without oil. You can stew, steam and bake. Dairy products are low-fat or low-fat.
The PP menu for weight loss for a week at 800 kcal per day is suitable for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or cannot have a snack every 2-3 hours.
Monday | Morning 249 kcal | 101 g cottage cheese |
Day 299 kcal | 201 g vegetables + 2 eggs + drink | |
Evening 249 kcal | 299 g vegetables + 1 egg + glass of kefir | |
Tuesday | Morning 249 kcal | 149 g cereal with milk |
Day 299 kcal | 249 ml soup + unsweetened coffee with milk | |
Evening 260 kcal | 305 g vegetables +99 g red meat + glass of milk | |
Wednesday | Morning 249 kcal | 125 g salad |
Day 299 kcal | 203 g stew + 154 g chicken meat | |
Evening 259 kcal | 148 g fish, stewed with vegetables | |
Thursday | Morning 249 kcal | Repeat menu from Monday |
Day 299 kcal | 230 g salad + 2 boiled eggs | |
Evening 239 kcal | 208 g stew + 154 g boiled meat | |
Friday | Morning 249 kcal | 106 g cottage cheese with sour cream (20%) |
Day 299 kcal | 204 g green borscht | |
Evening 244 kcal | 154 g cottage cheese + 1 glass kefir with ½ tbsp. l. Sahara | |
Saturday | Morning 249 kcal | Repeat Tuesday breakfast |
Day 299 kcal | 249 g borscht according to PP + 3 rye bread with curd cheese, tomato and herbs 70 g | |
Evening 248 kcal | 205 g turkey and buckwheat hedgehogs + a glass of kefir | |
Sunday | Morning 249 kcal | 215 g omelet with cheese, tomato and herbs |
Day 299 kcal | 230 g stew without potatoes + 143 g chicken fillet + unsweetened coffee | |
Evening 240 kcal | 152 g meat + 201 g vegetables + glass of milk. |
Book “Low-calorie desserts”
On our website you can also download the book “Low-calorie desserts” by Alexander Seleznev. He is an excellent pastry chef, as well as a “star guru”. His dishes receive the highest ratings from celebrities. In the book, he compiled a collection of original and at the same time low-calorie desserts that you can treat yourself to on a diet. The book contains many beautiful illustrations that will appeal to every reader. You can download the book “Low-calorie desserts” for free