Each of us always wants to stay in great shape, be slim and fit. But, unfortunately, some begin to gain weight with age due to individual characteristics, which gain weight after childbirth, and some simply quit regular exercise and gained significant weight. Everyone has different reasons for the appearance of extra pounds, but everyone wants to eliminate them with the help of special diets and physical activity. Today it is widely used watermelon diet for weight loss.
If you do everything right, you will lose those extra pounds very quickly. This weight loss technique is seasonal. After all, you can’t buy watermelon at any time of the day. This mono-diet implies a special calculation, based on which you should consume 1 kilogram of watermelon pulp per 10 kilograms of your total body weight. So, you will lose excess weight very quickly. You will certainly enjoy the process of losing weight using this method. After all, almost everyone loves watermelon. And the very principle of losing weight with the help of this diet is to remove excess substances from the body, namely grains and toxins. Watermelon contributes to this.
The benefits of watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon is a real storehouse of microelements. The juicy, sweet pulp contains a huge amount of mineral compounds (phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron) and vitamins of groups A, B, E, PP, C. In terms of calorie content, the fruit is considered dietary: 100 g contains no more than 40 kcal. At the same time, the sugars contained in the pulp are completely processed by the body and are not stored in fat reserves. This is one of the main reasons why watermelon is so loved by those who are losing weight. In addition to this miraculous property, weight loss occurs for several other reasons:
- most of the pulp is water (about 85-90%) with minerals and vitamins dissolved in it;
- due to the diuretic ability, excess fluid stagnant in the body is actively released, thereby reducing body weight;
- the liquid removes waste, toxins and other harmful compounds;
- cellular metabolism improves due to folic acid contained in the pulp;
- the feeling of fullness appears quickly due to the sweet taste.
The glycemic index of watermelon is 72 units, and 100 g of pulp contains only 5.8 g of carbohydrates.
How to choose the right berry
Top tips for choosing watermelon:
- Choose according to the season. If possible, next to the field where they grow or from a farmer who keeps a mash tree. As a last resort - at the market and only as a last resort - in the supermarket.
- The crust should be firm and shiny, and the stripes of berries should contrast with one another.
- It is better to choose a medium size - a giant watermelon most likely grew this way due to the addition of nitrates to the soil, and ones that are too small are not yet ripe. The ideal weight for berries of any variety (except small ones) is 4-6 kg.
- The spot on one of the sides of the watermelon should be yellow or orange and no more than 6 cm in diameter for large fruits and 5 cm for smaller ones.
- When you tap on the crust, a ringing sound should occur.
Diet principles
Because of the above abilities, watermelon quickly found use in weight loss. Based on it, diets designed for 3, 5, 10 days have been developed. Nutritionists recommend arranging fasting days once or twice a week, this helps to lose a couple of kilos before some significant event. If you want to achieve more radical changes in weight, then you will have to adhere to a certain diet for at least a week. When the desired result is achieved, you need to exit the watermelon diet gradually and correctly so as not to encounter weight gain.
The main principle of the watermelon diet is its diuretic effect. Daily fluid loss ranges from 1 to 2 liters. Every day you can lose 1-1.5 kg, depending on your initial body weight, level of physical activity and lifestyle. However, we must not forget that losing weight on watermelons is a mono-diet, which means that during the day you may feel weak, slightly dizzy and drowsy. If your condition only gets worse every day, and you feel that you don’t have enough strength and there is no surge of energy, then you need to stop losing weight.
Prohibited and permitted products
In addition to watermelon, you can include in your daily diet other products listed in the list:
- fresh and boiled vegetables;
- greenery;
- fermented milk products with a low fat content;
- lean fish;
- lean red meat;
- chicken breast, turkey;
- cereals;
- fruits, mostly unsweetened;
- nuts;
- chicken and quail eggs;
- whole wheat bread;
- honey (in small quantities).
Of the prohibited foods, nutritionists advise avoiding:
- sausages, smoked meats;
- canned food;
- pickles;
- fast food products (hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, noodles);
- milk chocolate;
- Sahara;
- carbonated drinks;
- cocoa;
- compotes, fruit drinks;
- sweets;
- baked goods and white bread.
The diet should be varied, then you will feel great and there will be no malaise. Every day you need to consume about 1300-1500 kcal.
By the way, do you want to know the menu for 1200 kcal per day with recipes for the week?
Watermelon diet rules
Losing weight will happen effectively if you take into account several factors and follow them impeccably:
- Be sure to add protein foods to your daily diet. They will help maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time, and the energy supply will be replenished;
- drink at least 1.5 liters of clean, plain water. For drinks, you can drink green tea or non-mineral water;
- give up harmful foods: fast food, sweets are now prohibited for you;
- Avoid drinking alcohol. Losing weight and alcoholic drinks are incompatible things. Any drinks containing alcohol, even in low concentrations, lead to an exacerbation of hunger and water retention in the body;
- The maximum time for losing weight on a watermelon diet should not exceed more than 10 days. Then you need to take a short break, for about a month. After the break, you can resume eating.
The result of the watermelon diet can range from 2 to 6 kg in 7-10 days of its use. In addition to the newfound slimness and lightness in your body, you will be able to save money, because during the summer season, sweet fruits are sold at every turn and are inexpensive.
On a note! One of the disadvantages of the watermelon diet is the resulting deficiency of fats and proteins.
Find out what weight loss tea you can buy at the pharmacy.
Quitting the diet
In order for the positive effect of the watermelon diet to last as long as possible, you need to exit it carefully. Diet restriction awakens a sharp appetite and craving for prohibited foods. But here you need to show fortitude and not give in to attraction. Tips from nutritionists will help you avoid breakdowns and keep your figure in order:
- return to your usual diet gradually, increase the portion size slightly;
- in the first days, eat porridge cooked in water with added butter and kefir with a fat content of 2.5%;
- include bean pastes and porridges in your diet;
- increase the number of meals up to 6-7 times.
But what you should never do is throw yourself on sweets, buns and other unhealthy foods. You will not only ruin the achieved result, but also get an upset stomach.
Menu for the day
Breakfast - muesli with milk or milk porridge, tea, fruits, for example, apple or pear, are also not prohibited. Lunch – vegetable salad with herbs, greens, the more the better. You can season the salad with either olive oil or lemon juice. You can also eat an egg, but only one, a piece of meat or fish weighing no more than one hundred grams and, of course, you can drink a cup of tea or coffee. Dinner - watermelon, at the rate of one kilogram of berries per thirty kilograms of weight, this is more than enough to feel full. The main thing is not to get carried away and do not forget that watermelon is a diuretic berry. Most people, having tried the watermelon diet, are completely delighted and return to it again when they need to lose a few extra pounds.
Watermelon diet for weight loss
Contraindications
You can follow a watermelon diet only if you are confident in your health and there is no reason to worry. You should not restrict yourself in diet if you have the following problems:
- stones in the kidneys;
- diabetes;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- pancreatic diseases;
- liver disorders;
- heart disease;
- swelling of the limbs and soft tissues.
The diuretic effect and the ability to increase sugar make the watermelon diet for a certain category of people. Teenagers and children, as well as athletes and the elderly, should not lose weight in this way. Doctors do not recommend experimenting with your figure if you are pregnant, especially in the later stages, or are breastfeeding. Wait until the birth and breastfeeding stages are over before you can start losing weight.
Reviews and advice from nutritionists
Marina Konstantinovna, nutritionist:
If you regularly experience problems with the digestive system, then such a diet will only cause you a lot of inconvenience: constipation, bloating will begin, and stomach pain will become more frequent. To eliminate such negative consequences, do not engage in amateur activities, but rather seek advice from your doctor. Most diseases at the initial stage occur without symptoms, and a watermelon diet can aggravate them. If you experience any discomfort, stop losing weight and visit a therapist.
Ekaterina Alexandrovna, nutritionist:
I can’t say that the watermelon diet is healthy and will bring stunning results. Any weight loss, especially drastic one, is stressful for the body. Along with lost weight comes a number of health problems, sometimes serious. My advice, if you decide to try to lose weight this way, make your diet as varied as possible. Add vegetables, cereals, cereals, white and red meat to it, eliminate refined sugar and other useless light carbohydrates. Reduce your portion size and exercise. These simple recommendations will have a positive effect on your body weight, and you will immediately notice how you lose weight.
Is it possible for those losing weight to eat watermelon?
Many famous nutritionists advise using watermelon for weight loss . The diet is based on the fact that fruit pulp normalizes metabolism and improves digestion, and under the action of lipase, fats are broken down into fatty acids. The berry contains a lot of insoluble fiber, which absorbs and removes toxic substances and excess fluid from the body, provides quick and long-term saturation with one small portion, and allows you to avoid snacking.
Some experts believe that the watermelon diet, due to its low calorie content, has an adverse effect on health, because watermelon cannot contain a full range of vitamins and minerals. To meet the body's needs for micro- and macroelements, you need to include a variety of foods in your menu.
Watermelon diet options
If you have no contraindications and are mentally determined to lose weight with the watermelon diet, then first choose a suitable main product - ripe watermelon. Buy it only from trusted places, and wash it well before use. Nutrients and vitamins are found only in mature fruits grown naturally, without the use of chemical fertilizers. There are 3 ways to lose weight: an express method for 3 days, a weekly diet and a 10-day option.
Menu for 3 days
The most common and easiest way to lose weight is to go on a watermelon diet for 3 days. This is not difficult at all, and the weight loss will be 2-3 kg. You should eat about 5-7 kg of watermelon pulp per day. The norm is calculated based on your initial weight: for every 10 kg, 1 kg of pulp is required. For example, your weight is 60 kg, which means you need to eat 6 kg of watermelon daily. In addition, your diet should consist of:
- breakfast: oatmeal cooked in water, a slice of whole grain bread, a cup of tea;
- lunch: 150 g of boiled chicken breast, a plate of vegetable salad;
- dinner: 150 g low-fat cottage cheese.
About an hour before meals, eat watermelon. This will help fight off hunger, so during lunch or dinner you will eat less food.
Attention!
The last meal should be no later than 4 hours before bedtime. Do not eat watermelon at night: you will sleep poorly, and by the morning your whole face will swell.
Watermelon diet for 7 days, scheduled for every day
If you want to achieve significant weight loss, then the weekly option suggested in Table 1 will suit you.
Table 1 Watermelon diet for a week
| Day | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| 1 | A plate of oatmeal, a soft-boiled egg | 200 g low-fat cottage cheese with fruit | Tomato and cucumber salad – 150 g, 100 g boiled chicken breast |
| 2 | Cottage cheese casserole – 150 g | 120 g boiled beef with 200 ml broth | Vegetable soup - a bowl, a slice of whole grain bread |
| 3 | 2 chicken eggs, hard boiled | 150 g steamed fish with a side dish of fresh vegetables | Chicken broth – 150 ml |
| 4 | 150 g low-fat cottage cheese | 2 slices whole grain bread with cheese | soft-boiled egg |
| 5 | Bowl of buckwheat porridge with apple | 130 g steamed chicken fillet | Fruit salad with yoghurt dressing – 200 g |
| 6 | Rice porridge, boiled in water -150 g | Fish baked in the oven – 150 g | 200 g low fat cottage cheese |
| 7 | A plate of oatmeal on the water | 2 hard-boiled eggs | a couple of slices of whole grain bread with cheese |
Before and during each meal, you should eat a few pieces of watermelon. The norm per day is 5 kg, divide this amount evenly throughout the day. As for drinks, you are allowed to drink a cup of black natural coffee without sugar and milk or green tea during the day, no more than a couple of cups.
For 10 days
If you wish, you can increase the watermelon diet by 10 days, but only if you feel great and have no health complaints. The menu completely coincides with the diet for the weekly version; if you wish, you can replace products, but only with similar calorie content. If you adhere to the described scheme and eat 4-5 kg of watermelon daily for 10 days, then after a while you will be able to get rid of 6-8 kg.
Attention!
With the 10-day watermelon diet, reduce physical activity, otherwise you risk “overloading” the body.
Composition and value of watermelons
Many people ask questions about whether it is possible to lose weight by eating watermelon. The answer is clear - you can. But at the same time, if you were previously accustomed to eating watermelons with bread, then you will have to give up the latter. Bread is not a dietary product. The watermelon diet will help you eliminate extra pounds very easily. Watermelons themselves have high nutritional value.
They include the following components:
- Water 90%. This is exactly what you need for fasting days, besides, water is an excellent diuretic;
- Proteins that a person should eat daily;
- Sugar, namely fructose, sucrose and glucose;
- Vitamins and microelements necessary for the human body;
- Minerals – potassium, calcium, sodium and iron;
- Pectin and alkaline substances that reduce cholesterol levels;
- Fiber, normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Antioxidants that protect the body from age-related disorders.
So, a watermelon diet will saturate you with all the necessary vitamins and microelements. No wonder watermelon is considered an excellent remedy for obesity, treats gastritis, anemia, hypertension, Botkin's disease, gout, arthritis, atherosclerosis, gallbladder diseases, kidney stones, psoriasis, nosebleeds and so on.
It is important! During the watermelon diet, refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages, as they contribute to excess weight gain.
Losing weight with the watermelon diet is quite easy. Reviews and results of the watermelon diet indicate that you can lose up to 20 kilograms in a month without harming your health. This diet is quite tasty, you will not feel disadvantaged during this period, since you will receive all the necessary microelements in your food.
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