A protein fasting day is recognized by nutritionists as one of the most nourishing and safest for the body: the main builder of tissues and cells, protein, is retained in the diet.
The diet has many advantages, but for good results it is important to be able to properly plan your diet and prepare food correctly.
We'll tell you how to quickly, tasty and inexpensively get your figure in order in a couple of days.
What it is?
It is expected that during such a day you will eat exclusively protein foods with a small amount of fresh vegetables. Unlike carbohydrates, the body needs more time and calories to “deal” with proteins, and since protein products themselves are low-calorie, a calorie deficit is created in the body and fat reserves are attracted to work. This is how excess weight loss occurs. During one such unloading you can lose from 800 to 1000 grams.
Advantages
Why is fasting days on protein-rich foods so remarkable? There is no secret here. Unloading has a lot of positive aspects and has enormous benefits on the body:
- There is no feeling of hunger. Calorie restriction entails a feeling of hunger in any type of fasting, but not in protein. The body spends the most energy, and therefore time, on protein processing. Having eaten the “right” product, you will feel full in your stomach for a long time.
- Availability. To unload and create a competent menu, you don’t need to go to elite supermarkets and look for scarce products. A huge range is available here and now in a nearby store at affordable prices. Even if finances are limited, you can always cleanse yourself this way.
- Protein is an essential component. The body needs it constantly. This is an essential element necessary for normal functioning. Agree that unloading on the main “building material” is much more useful than completely limiting nutrients. A person not only loses weight, but also receives all the necessary complex of vitamins and minerals, becoming healthier.
- Energy and increased productivity. Protein saturates with energy, has a positive effect on brain function - increased performance.
- Acceleration of metabolic processes. With the help of protein unloading, metabolism is accelerated, all unnecessary waste products of the body are eliminated, and the intestines are effectively cleansed.
Benefits and harms
Regular daily intake of protein allows you to cleanse the body and improve metabolism. In addition, the obvious advantages of protein unloading are the absence of hunger: protein, which takes a long time to be digested by the body, and fairly frequent meals simply will not let you feel hungry.
To some, however, protein restrictions may seem quite difficult to comply with, because some of the options are based on the consumption of one specific product (for example, beans, chicken or cottage cheese). But this can hardly be attributed to the disadvantages of the method, because no one forbids you to choose an option with a more varied diet.
In general, if you strictly follow the recommendations of the fasting diet and do not switch to protein nutrition if it is prohibited for medical reasons, you are unlikely to cause harm to your body.
Possible side effects
Due to the lack of the main source of energy - carbohydrates - in the menu, during the protein day you may feel weak and lack of strength, and your mood may worsen. An abundance of protein in the diet for kidney disease can lead to exacerbation - pain in the lumbar region. To avoid possible side effects, you need to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of liquid during the day (to help the body remove protein breakdown products) and move actively (so that protein is used for muscle recovery).
For expectant mothers
Pregnant women should take fasting days especially seriously. After all, nutritionists do not recommend expectant mothers to overeat. And this is sometimes so difficult!
If a mother feels that she has gained a lot of weight and it is time to slightly adjust her diet, then she should consult a doctor about hypothetical restrictions. If your doctor approves, you can do a protein fasting day for pregnant women. Only in this case you need to follow a number of rules. In particular, unloading is allowed only from the 28th week of pregnancy, when all the baby’s organs are formed. You cannot spend fasting days during toxicosis and take meals less than 5-6 times a day. On a protein day, the expectant mother is entitled to 500-700 grams of provisions. In this case, you need to drink at least two liters of liquid.
Protein Day Options
As I already said, there are many options for protein unloading using one or different protein-containing foods. Here are the most popular:
- Curd. At regular intervals, eat 600-700 grams of low-fat cottage cheese. You can add greens or berries to the cottage cheese.
- On chicken. A whole chicken is boiled, the fibers are separated from the bones and skin. The meat is divided into 5-6 servings, which should be eaten at regular intervals.
- Meat day. 400-500 grams of lean meat (beef, rabbit) is boiled, baked or steamed. The meat is divided into 4-5 meals, which can be supplemented with fresh vegetables.
- Fish. 500 grams of boiled fish is also divided into 4-5 meals, a vegetable side dish is allowed.
- White. In this option, the emphasis is on foods with a very high protein content: low-fat milk, chicken, white fish, egg whites. This daily diet allows you to activate the process of weight loss. However, due to the abundance of protein, it will be necessary to increase daily physical activity to 1 hour.
- A mixed option, in which it is allowed to consume all protein products and supplement the menu with fresh non-starchy vegetables.
Let's hit the meat!
The biggest advantage of holding protein days is the acceptable consumption of meat products. You can cook delicious meat with the simplest ingredients and basic spices. You don't even need to be a great cook! The main thing is to show imagination and wish to diversify your menu.
How to arrange a protein fasting day with chicken? Breast fillet is the most dietary part of the bird. It’s easy to prepare, but it can make the meat a little dry. Therefore, for greater juiciness, you don’t have to limit yourself to just cooking. The fillet can be stewed or even fried, but limit the dose of vegetable oil or do without it altogether if you have a grill pan. Pre-marinate the meat in a low-fat marinade. For it you will need low-fat mayonnaise sauce, mustard, grated garlic and spices. Leave the meat in the marinade for several hours, and then place it in a frying pan or on a baking sheet. The chicken cooks very quickly and becomes golden brown. To check the degree of doneness of the meat, pierce it with a fork or knife. When red juice stops coming out of the meat, you can turn off the heat. When serving, it is recommended to decorate the dish with herbs. Drink plenty of tea and water.
You can also eat beef, veal and turkey on the meat fasting day. Try to limit the amount of salt or replace it with soy sauce. For a day, 400 grams of meat is enough, which should be divided into 4 meals.
Rules for fasting days
When eating mainly protein foods, be sure to move a lot and drink at least 1.5-2 liters of clean water - this will help the body cope with the incoming protein and protect you from possible side effects.
Periodicity
If your weight is at a level that suits you, you can easily get by with one fasting day per week. If your goal is to lose weight, you can increase their number to two. To avoid harming yourself, do not have several strict fasting days in a row and take a break between them for at least three days.
Permitted Prohibited and Restricted Products
The protein diet will consist of the following products:
- Lean meat and fish.
- Dairy and fermented milk products.
- Eggs.
- Legumes (beans, chickpeas) and soybeans.
- Mushrooms.
- Fresh non-starchy vegetables.
Pay special attention to your drinking regime. The best options for unloading are:
- Unsweetened tea and coffee.
- Rose hip decoction.
- Still mineral or table water.
Prohibited for use:
- Bakery products, sweets.
- Cereals.
- Pasta.
- Canned food, sausages.
- Carbonated drinks, packaged juices.
- Alcohol.
- Sugar.
Reduce the amount of salt in dishes, give preference to boiling, baking and steaming dishes.
Authorized Products
- When preparing dishes, lean beef, turkey and skinless chicken are boiled without salt or with a minimum amount of it. Portion 400 g per day.
- Low-fat sea fish - you can take cod, pike perch, pike, pollock, blue whiting, hake, navaga, prepared by boiling, serving 400-500 g.
- Fresh and stewed vegetables in the amount of 500-600 g. Cucumbers, all types of cabbage, tomatoes, various salads, parsley, dill, Chinese cabbage, and green onions are used. Salt and vegetable oil are used in small quantities.
- Eggs during unloading of the same name.
- Low-fat milk and fermented milk products - up to 1.5 liters per day with a mono-diet and one glass at night with a combined protein fasting. Cottage cheese up to 500 g in combination with kefir.
- Grapefruit, 1-1.5 fruits per day.
- Weak tea, vegetable juices, herbal teas and rosehip infusion.
Table of permitted products
| Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g | Calories, kcal | |
Vegetables and greens | ||||
| salad vegetables | 1,5 | 0,2 | 2,2 | 16 |
| greenery | 2,6 | 0,4 | 5,2 | 36 |
| eggplant | 1,2 | 0,1 | 4,5 | 24 |
| cabbage | 1,8 | 0,1 | 4,7 | 27 |
| broccoli | 3,0 | 0,4 | 5,2 | 28 |
| bulb onions | 1,4 | 0,0 | 10,4 | 41 |
| cucumbers | 0,8 | 0,1 | 2,8 | 15 |
| salad pepper | 1,3 | 0,0 | 5,3 | 27 |
| radish | 1,2 | 0,1 | 3,4 | 19 |
| white radish | 1,4 | 0,0 | 4,1 | 21 |
| red radish | 1,2 | 0,1 | 3,4 | 20 |
| black radish | 1,9 | 0,2 | 6,7 | 35 |
| celery | 0,9 | 0,1 | 2,1 | 12 |
| asparagus | 1,9 | 0,1 | 3,1 | 20 |
| tomatoes | 0,6 | 0,2 | 4,2 | 20 |
| garlic | 6,5 | 0,5 | 29,9 | 143 |
| spinach | 2,9 | 0,3 | 2,0 | 22 |
Mushrooms | ||||
| mushrooms | 3,5 | 2,0 | 2,5 | 30 |
Dairy | ||||
| milk 1% | 3,3 | 1,0 | 4,8 | 41 |
| milk 2.5% | 2,8 | 2,5 | 4,7 | 52 |
| kefir 1% | 2,8 | 1,0 | 4,0 | 40 |
Cheeses and cottage cheese | ||||
| cottage cheese 0.6% (low fat) | 18,0 | 0,6 | 1,8 | 88 |
| cottage cheese 1% | 16,3 | 1,0 | 1,3 | 79 |
Meat products | ||||
| beef | 18,9 | 19,4 | 0,0 | 187 |
| veal | 19,7 | 1,2 | 0,0 | 90 |
Bird | ||||
| chicken breast | 23,2 | 1,7 | 0,0 | 114 |
| turkey | 19,2 | 0,7 | 0,0 | 84 |
Eggs | ||||
| eggs | 12,7 | 10,9 | 0,7 | 157 |
Fish and seafood | ||||
| boiled fish | 17,3 | 5,0 | 0,0 | 116 |
Non-alcoholic drinks | ||||
| mineral water | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | — |
| * data is per 100 g of product | ||||
Recipes for diet
- “Okroshka” with kefir. Boil 300 grams of chicken fillet. Finely chop the fillet and pour in a liter of low-fat kefir. Add chopped herbs (dill, parsley) - the soup is ready. This “okroshka” is eaten throughout the day.
- Egg white salad. Finely chop 6 whites and 3 yolks of chicken eggs. Mash 100 grams of canned anchovies and mix with eggs. Finely chop 300 grams of sorrel and mix all ingredients together. Dress the salad with low-fat yogurt.
- Curd cocktail. Puree fruits or berries in a blender (optional: orange, cherry, peach), add 200 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and 200 ml of milk and beat again. Add oatmeal. You can use this protein shake to complete your entire fasting routine or replace one of your meals with it.
Protein: why is it important for the body?
Protein is made up of amino acids, which is what makes it so healthy. Scientists, through numerous studies, have found that protein consists of 22 amino acids, 9 of which are not synthesized by the human body. That is, people can only get them by consuming animal products. Amino acids have their own names: leucine, histidine, isoleucine, glycine, tyrosine, valene, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine.
The amount of protein required per day for a person is determined by the formula: 1 gram of protein multiplied by 1 kilogram of a person’s body weight. That is, if a girl weighs 60 kg, it turns out that she should consume 60 grams of pure protein per day. 100 grams of chicken breast contains 20 grams of protein. This means she needs to eat at least 300 grams of chicken breast per day.
Not only the amount of protein consumed is very important, but also its ratio with other foods such as fats and carbohydrates. The ideal diet includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates in a ratio of 1:1:4.
Sample menu for the day
In addition to the options for unloading with monoproducts, with which everything is clear and which I described above, there are more comfortable mixed protein days. Here are some ideas for such a menu.
Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, green tea.
- Second breakfast: tomato and pepper salad.
- Lunch: 200 grams of baked chicken fillet with mushrooms.
- Afternoon snack: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese.
- Dinner: boiled fish, a glass of tomato juice.
Breakfast: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese with berries, rose hip decoction.
- Second breakfast: grapefruit, a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Lunch: baked fish with vegetables.
- Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir, fresh tomato.
- Dinner: 200 grams of stewed beans.
Breakfast: two-egg omelet, green tea.
- Second breakfast: egg salad with squid.
- Lunch: beef stew with prunes.
- Afternoon snack: vegetable salad of Chinese cabbage with tomato.
- Dinner: falafel with coleslaw.
Reviews and results of losing weight
On the Internet and from my friends, I heard very good reviews about the protein fasting day. This is an effective and stress-free way to cleanse the body and maintain shape after a diet. For example, my friend, who gained a lot of weight after giving birth and then lost 12 kilograms, now does chicken fasting once a week and looks great. Those who have tried the method on themselves say that on such a diet they feel great and even more energetic than with a full diet.
Although unloading takes up to 1 kg of weight, even this minimal movement is noticeable in the before and after photographs. Judge for yourself:
The importance of protein
There is no doubt that protein is an important component of a healthy diet. He takes an active part in the construction of all cells. With the help of protein, toxins are destroyed and energy is produced in the body.
Protein is the basic material in our body, which provides energy for the absorption of nutrients and helps actively transport oxygen. If this substance is not enough, then the functioning of the liver and brain is disrupted. So it is impossible to remove it from the diet.
Protein is present in all animal products, be it meat, fish, poultry or dairy products. At the same time, a protein fasting day greatly promotes weight loss, since when a complex organic compound enters the body, the rate of metabolic processes increases by a quarter. Food rich in protein fills you up faster and more densely, which means your daily caloric intake is reduced. With such a diet, there will be no noticeable hunger or sudden surges in blood sugar. It is not at all necessary that a protein fasting day will be boring in terms of diet. Many variations of fasting on protein products will allow you to create a menu based on personal preferences.
What nutritionists say
Doctors have a positive attitude towards fasting days and note their effectiveness. They are especially useful after the holidays, when the body needs a little rest, get into shape and get a boost to process the reserves received. To stay in shape, doctors believe, it is enough to practice such a limited menu once a week.
Fasting days are a good way to maintain the results achieved on a diet. But to look good the rest of the time, remember to eat healthy and exercise. And in general, love yourself and be the most beautiful.
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Main conclusions
Like any diet, protein fasting has its contraindications. It cannot be performed on pregnant women (or only with the permission of an obstetrician-gynecologist); it is prohibited for people with chronic diseases of the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, and liver.
It is also prohibited for obese people with a high degree of obesity to sit on it: since proteins increase the level of clotting in the blood, the risk of blood clots increases.
Beauty requires sacrifice - and this is an indisputable fact. But at the first signs of weakness, nausea or dizziness, it is important to forget about losing weight and stop the fasting day. “First aid” for the body is strong sweet tea with crackers. Lose weight carefully and be healthy!
