Choose a gradual and safe way to lose weight. We’ll tell you all about a gentle diet for weight loss: basic principles, allowed foods, and a weekly menu.
How to lose weight safely? Many nutritionists believe that a gentle diet is a great way to lose weight. Principles, contraindications, benefits and menus for the week at home - all the information is in the material.
There are many different weight loss diets for short sprint races.
A sustainable diet for weight loss compared to them is a marathon, it can last more than six months, and the calorie restriction of food is quite serious. Before you start losing weight this way, be sure to contact your doctor to find out if it is really safe for you to eat on a gentle diet for weight loss.
Gentle diet for weight loss: basic principles and contraindications
The gentle diet is divided into two main phases: the intense phase and the repetitive phase.
The intensive phase lasts up to 6 months. During this time, you need to limit your calorie intake to 1, 800 calories per day. When you follow a diet, you focus on foods that are high in protein. For example, poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese and tofu. Oil and other salad dressings are not included in the diet menu and the amount of carbohydrates does not exceed 20 grams per day. So initially, almost every meal will have some meat, usually without garnish or with dishes of certain vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and other foods on the list of allowed foods).
In the second stage, you can slowly add fat and carbohydrates and gradually reduce the amount of protein to 70-140 grams per day. The second stage lasts 6-8 weeks. Up to 45 grams of carbohydrates per day are allowed in the first month and up to 90 grams in the second.
Talk to your doctor that you may need to take an extra multivitamin, potassium, calcium, magnesium or sodium supplement during the first stage to protect your body from nutrient deficiencies. You should also monitor your condition and if, for example, it worsens, your performance decreases or you feel dizzy - you should move on to the next stage immediately or repeat or abandon your diet accordingly.
Why is a gentle diet good for you?
A gentle diet is not just good for losing weight. Additional benefits of a gentle diet:
- cholesterol reduction to 20%;
- normalization of blood sugar;
- lowering blood pressure;
- protection against metabolic syndrome.
Unfortunately, even a gentle diet is not an ideal weight loss recipe. Before you start, be sure to consult a specialist, as the diet has side effects. For example, it can cause nutritional deficiencies in the body.
The diet is not suitable for:
- the elderly;
- during lactation and in pregnant women;
- with gallbladder problems;
- people with eating disorders;
- patients with chronic diseases.
Gentle diet for weight loss: weekly menu
Taboo foods are also allowed
We have already described some of the foods you can eat on a light weight diet. Complete list of allowed products:
- poultry: skinless chicken, turkey, goose, duck;
- meat: lean meat, pork, lamb;
- fish: flounder, cod, catfish, halibut;
- vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini;
- low-fat dairy products: curd, low-fat cheese, skim milk;
- eggs and protein;
- tofu.
High-fat and high-carbohydrate foods are not included in the diet of a sustainable diet. Full list of taboo foods:
- fruits: apples, berries, oranges, grapes, melons, pears, peaches;
- starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn, peas;
- grains: wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat, millet;
- legumes: black beans, lentils, chickpeas, beans, peanuts;
- processed foods: foods, pastries, potato chips, fast food, candy;
- sweet drinks: juices, sweet tea, sports drinks, soda;
- sugar and sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, table sugar, molasses, brown sugar;
- fats and oils: olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oils, salad dressings, butter, margarine;
- wholesome dairy products: yogurt, fatty cheese, milk.
You need to eat little by little, but often. This diet has three main meals a day and a few snacks. It fits well:
- An egg;
- A piece of fried meat or fish;
- Curd;
- Fat low fat cheese;
- Several celery stalks;
- A handful of cooked vegetables from the whitelist;
- Tomatoes.
Do not forget to drink enough water, the daily rate is about one and a half to two liters, it is best to drink at least a glass half an hour or an hour before a meal, as well as drink unsweetened green or black tea as a snack. drown out a possible feeling of hunger. A good option is mineral water or rosehip broth, herbal tea, of course, no need to add sugar to these drinks and basically refrain from sugar. The best way to cook is steamed, cooked, fried, you can use a microwave.
A gentle diet for safe weight loss: menus and dishes you can cook at home
Monday
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes.
- Lunch: fried cod with steamed broccoli.
- Dinner: chicken breast with roasted Brussels sprouts.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: tofu with onions, garlic and peppers.
- Lunch: fried chicken with vegetable garnish (without sauce).
- Dinner: pork chops with fried asparagus.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: egg omelette with zucchini, tomatoes and garlic.
- Lunch: fried cod with boiled cabbage.
- Dinner: lean minced beef, mushroom, garlic, ginger and green onion salad.
Thursday
- Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese.
- Lunch: low-carb turkey meatballs with zucchini and tomato pasta.
- Dinner: fried chicken with garlic and lemon (without garnish).
Friday
- Breakfast: hard boiled eggs with salt and pepper.
- Lunch: fried tofu with steamed green beans.
- Dinner: fried steak with oven-baked eggplant.
Repeat any Saturday and Sunday.
Remember the limitations - in the intensive phase, the main part is made up of proteins, in the second part their amount decreases due to the increased carbohydrate content.
Mild diet recipes
Chicken stew with vegetables
Ingredients: chicken fillet, cauliflower, broccoli, eggs, low-fat cream, low-fat cream, cheese for sprinkling, garlic, spices to taste.
Preparation: if the vegetables are frozen - thaw, if not - wash in salted water, divide into inflorescences. Cut the chicken, mix with vegetables in a baking dish, pour sour cream, diluted with warm water, put in the oven for 20 minutes, temperature - 180 degrees. When pouring the cream a second time, mix with some cheese, eggs, finely chopped garlic or pass through a garlic press, add the spices, mix everything thoroughly. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven, fill it with the freshly prepared filling, and distribute the remaining cheese on top. We return everything to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Vegetable salad
Ingredients: low-fat cheese, celery stalks, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, herbs, lemon juice.
Preparation: Wash the vegetables, cut them into a deep bowl, send finely chopped low-fat cheese, chopped celery stalks, herbs or finely chop by hand. Add lemon juice and mix everything thoroughly.
Dietary soup with meatballs
Ingredients: turkey, chicken or rabbit fillets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, eggs, herbs, spices to taste.
Preparation: grind the meat with onion, add egg, salt, pepper, if desired, mix and form meatballs. Put the finished meat products in boiling water, add to them broccoli and cauliflower, previously divided into inflorescences (if you bought frozen vegetables, they do not need to be thawed in advance), grated carrots on a fine grater - this will give a golden color. to the broth, spices to taste. Cook until cabbage and meatballs are prepared, garnish with herbs. You can also add a hard-boiled egg to the soup - half in each plate.
Gentle diet reviews
Those who have tried this version of the gentle weight loss diet say that it is quite difficult to follow - the restrictions are strong, the daily caloric intake may be insufficient for those accustomed to physical activity or long walks, fatigue, dizziness may occur - if this happens, the diet calories will need to be increased, and then gradually reduce, monitoring health status and avoiding bigotry.
The food you can eat is delicious enough, but not too varied, the hardest for people to give up pastries and sweets and move on to vegetables as a side dish. They also recommend keeping in mind dietary supplements and reporting a feeling of hunger that may accompany you at first, but then you will most likely get used to the new diet.
Exiting the diet, as warned by those who have tried it, must be very smooth, even after completing the second stage, foods from the banned lists must be presented very carefully, otherwise there is a risk that all efforts on dieting will lose weight. The fact is that the long-term metabolism needed for this diet is restored, the body gets used to processing a certain type of food, so excess fat can be a consequence of excess exposure. It is best to move from this diet to a diet developed according to the recommendations of proper nutrition, in which case the chances of weight gain will be minimal, there will be enough strength and energy.