Harley Pasternak’s “5 Factors” Diet – Burn Fat and Maintain Muscle

The 5 Factor Diet is not an ordinary diet. Rather, it is a comprehensive lifestyle transformation system that will help you completely transform your figure in just five weeks. The author of the system is American celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak. With a degree in physiology and extensive coaching and sports experience, he created a system that can be effective for anyone, and quite convenient in everyday life. You don't have to starve or do hard fasting days. All you will do for five weeks is eat smaller meals and exercise. You will learn a healthy eating style that you can stick to for a very long time without harming your health. How it works?

Principles of Pasternak's five-factor diet

The nutritional system plus physical exercise according to Harley Pasternak’s method gives maximum results with minimal effort on the part of the person losing weight. To prepare dishes according to simple recipes from a fitness trainer, you need an electric stove, a refrigerator and a blender.

The Five Factors technique was followed by Jessica Simpson and Lady Gaga, and is also followed by young girls and women. Five Diet Factors :

  • the course lasts 35 days (5 weeks);
  • 3 basic meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus 2 snacks, total - 5;
  • All meals contain 5 mandatory ingredients - proteins (1), complex carbohydrates (2), fiber (3), vegetable fats (4), sugar-free drink (5);
  • 5 sports exercises lasting at least 5 minutes are performed daily;
  • 1 fasting day per week, when you can eat whatever you want, and a total of 5 days of rest from the diet.

sandwich on a diet
Sandwich with vegetables, turkey

Basic BJU of the Harley Pasternak diet – 30:20:50, 1300 calories

With fractional meals five times a day, there is no feeling of hunger, the psychological background is stable throughout the entire 35 days, because there are no strict restrictions.

Workout

During the diet you will not have to exhaust yourself with physical exercise. 25 minutes for a daily express workout :

  • Cardio exercise (5 minutes) – jump rope, bicycle (exercise bike), jogging;
  • strength exercises (5 minutes) – push-ups, squats;
  • exercises with dumbbells (5 minutes);
  • working out the abdominal muscles (5 minutes);
  • 5 minutes of running.

Fasting days

Pasternak welcomes gastronomic highlights. One out of seven days, for example, on Sunday, the person losing weight does not follow the diet rules and eats everything:

  • ice cream;
  • baking;
  • candies;
  • hamburgers;
  • fried potatoes.

porridge on a diet
Italian style mushroom risotto

Harley's recipes take no more than 5 minutes to prepare.

Nutritionists hold different views; they argue that the “food swing” is a strong stress; they recommend a reasonable alternative in the form of small liberties: a cake, a sandwich with caviar, a slice of cheese.

List of foods allowed on the Parsnip diet

To maintain muscle tone, the body needs proteins, so the first main component of each meal is lean meat or fish. Cereals are the second essential product; they contain a source of energy: complex carbohydrates .

The third component of the diet is fiber; it is found in abundance in vegetables and fruits. These products are needed for satiety and normal bowel function. The fourth ingredient is easily digestible fats, they are found in vegetable oils. Each meal during the diet ends with an unsweetened drink.

5 Factor Diet: Benefits

Today, the weight loss method presented by Pasternak has become a “lifesaver” not only for actresses and actors, who often have to lose weight in an emergency to participate in filming, but also for women who do not shine on television.

In order to follow the diet, you will need:

  • purchase the most common food products, and in small quantities;
  • have five minutes of free time necessary to prepare simple dishes;
  • be able to use kitchen appliances such as a stove, refrigerator and a blender, which is in the arsenal of almost every woman.

Harley Pasternak's diet: menu for every day

There are no strict restrictions on food, there is no strict list of prohibited and permitted foods. The daily menu includes a minimum of bread (whole grain), only low-fat dairy products .

Sweet fruits and desserts (low-calorie) are consumed before 5 pm

When you wake up, you need to drink a glass of water and start your first breakfast in an hour:

  • 150 g chicken fillet;
  • oatmeal cooked in water;
  • fried eggs;
  • fruits and berries that do not contain starch;
  • unsweetened drink.


benefits of carrotsCarrot salad
After 2.5-3 hours, it’s time for second breakfast, possible options:

  • 150 g cottage cheese + baked apple;
  • carrot salad;
  • fruits;
  • vegetables;
  • unsweetened drink.

Lunch (options):

  • meat or fish + vegetable soup;
  • meat or fish + rice;
  • meat or fish + baked vegetables;
  • unsweetened drink.

After 3 hours, second snack:

  • vegetable salad;
  • a small portion of fish, poultry;
  • almond;
  • apple;
  • unsweetened drink.


approximate dietOn a rest day, everything is possible
Dinner (options):

  • vegetable salad dressed with vegetable oil + grilled chicken;
  • vegetable salad dressed with vegetable oil + grilled fish
  • brown rice as a side dish;
  • unsweetened drink.

The fasting day menu is arbitrary, meals - 5

During the diet, all dishes are prepared according to simple recipes. Popular among those losing weight: barley risotto with champignons , salmon with fresh cucumber, green bean soup.

Five week plan

Harley Pasternak's system includes five components. It is on this figure that all its rules are based. This is where its name came from.

The diet course lasts five weeks. According to Pasternak, after 35 days women will certainly get the desired result. A precise time frame avoids the dreaded feeling that the diet will last forever. The person knows exactly how long the restrictions will last. This is very important for motivation. It is the uncertainty of the timing that makes many women break down.

Pasternak’s “Five Factors” Diet

According to psychologists, all our habits are formed within 3-5 weeks. Therefore, there is a chance that later you will get a taste for it and decide to continue this lifestyle. The principle of the Pasternak diet is that a person gradually takes it for granted.

Pros and cons of table No. 5

The advantages of this diet include:

  • physiological balance and easy tolerability;
  • the regimen helps normalize the function of the gallbladder and liver;
  • has a preventive effect and helps prevent relapses.

The disadvantages of the diet include the following:

  • the need for cooking skills, as well as time for it (some dishes are complex and take a long time to complete);
  • in most cases, the diet needs to be followed for quite a long time.

Cons of a fast diet

A simple diet seems only at first glance. It is no coincidence that this type of nutrition is called dotted fasting.

500 kcal is a quarter of the daily diet and less than half of the dietary requirement, which is negligible in terms of the amount of food eaten necessary to feel full.

It will not be easy for a person who is used to eating frequently (the intervals between meals for most people are 3.5-4 hours), especially at first. Popularizers of the diet say that over time a person should fall in love with the feeling of hunger. In reality, this does not always happen.

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Pros of a fast diet

In a month of following this diet you can lose up to 3 kg, and in six months - about 10 kg. In addition, partial refusal of food turns on the recovery gene, thanks to which the body begins to get rid of old and damaged cells. Studies have also shown that during fasting days the body reduces the production of the hormone IGF-1, which is responsible for the occurrence of many diseases, including cancer.


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Reviews and results of the diet

Yulia, 30 years old, Moscow. During an exacerbation of cholecystitis, I always go to the hospital and every time I am prescribed this diet, which I try to adhere to for at least 3 months after discharge. I feel great: no bitterness or bloating. It immediately becomes easy. It’s just difficult to cook for yourself separately.

Margarita, 44 years old, Krasnodar. The diet was prescribed after the gallbladder was removed. In principle, there is nothing complicated about it and a lot is possible. I feel good, I’ve lost weight (the surgery itself and dietary restrictions had an impact). From time to time I allow myself to “sin” a little with fried food, but then I get back on track.

Ekaterina, 25 years old, Orenburg. My cholecystitis was recently joined by pancreatitis and now I’m trying to monitor my diet even more strictly. When bitterness appears in my mouth, I immediately tighten up my diet according to table No. 5, then give myself small indulgences. I cook everything in a double boiler.

Diet No. 5 is used to nourish patients with liver and gallbladder diseases, as well as to improve general health. According to nutritionists, the diet also has a mild weight loss effect with long-term results. A weekly menu will help you start eating right.

Dishes

Pasternak recommends eating five ingredients at every meal:

  • Proteins – seafood, fish, rabbit meat, poultry, beef. Such foods are important for the formation of elastic muscles.
  • Complex carbohydrates – all grains (necessary for the body to obtain energy).
  • Cellulose. It is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, thanks to which the body is nourished and the gastrointestinal tract is cleansed.
  • Easily digestible fats, which include olive and other vegetable oils.
  • Any drinks that do not contain sugars.

Food should undergo only slight processing. It is worth giving preference to cereals, fruits and fresh vegetables.

Pasternak’s “Five Factors” Diet

Healthly food

In his book, Pasternak described different menu options, as well as recipes for dishes prepared from permitted products. The author believes that everyone can create a diet at their own discretion, based on the main principles. All dishes must be boiled or stewed.

Sample menu:

  • Breakfast: green tea, frittata with tomatoes.
  • Snack: tea and fruit salad.
  • Lunch: green salad, mushroom risotto, tea and apple.
  • Snack: boiled turkey breast, slice of cheese, herbal tincture.
  • Dinner: Vegetable salad, cereal porridge, greens.

Pasternak’s “Five Factors” Diet

Little tricks

On fasting days, eat protein foods. Although the creators of the diet allow you to eat whatever you want even on fasting days, experience shows that it is better not to waste precious calories on fast carbohydrates (buns, cakes, etc.), which promise instant but fleeting satiety. It is better to use “long-lasting” proteins (cottage cheese, eggs, legumes), which satiate well and for a long time.

Don’t overeat on normal days - then you’ll see the desired number on the scale faster.

Cook in non-stick cookware - this will allow you to use less high-calorie oil when cooking.

Add more leafy vegetables to your meals - they are low in calories, but at the same time fill the stomach, creating the illusion of fullness.

Weigh food after cooking (peeling, slicing, chopping, etc.) to ensure accurate calorie counts.

On fasting days, cook soup - it fills you up well and warms you up (many people on a strict diet complain of being chilly). The best choice is a light broth with plenty of leafy vegetables (miso soup is ideal).


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Use 5 days for rest

This is the easiest and most enjoyable part of the Pasternak system. In 5 weeks, a person has the opportunity to rest for 5 days. What does this mean? Once every 7 days, for example, on Friday or Saturday, you are allowed to take a break from the restrictions. Relaxation in nutrition is necessary so that the feeling of hunger and self-pity does not overpower the desire to bring the body back to normal. Pasternak believes that on this day a person can afford absolutely any food. You can even eat ice cream, sweets, popcorn or even hamburgers.

However, according to other nutritionists, food swings are incredibly dangerous. They are too much stress for the body. After all, within 6 days the intestines will receive the right food, and on day 7 they will begin to load it with preservatives and fried foods. Therefore, you should not go to extremes. You need to allow yourself to relax your diet, but not eat completely harmful foods. For example, you can enjoy good cheese or eat a cake from a pastry shop. But it’s better to avoid fatty ham, grilled chicken, and cakes with rich cream.

Pasternak’s “Five Factors” Diet

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Five meals a day

An important component of the system is five meals a day. The fitness trainer believes that you need to eat often and in small portions, consuming very little food. It is necessary to switch to five meals a day, this is very important. By following this regimen, you will not feel terrible pangs of hunger. A psychological complex will not form in your mind that you must constantly limit yourself in everything.

Pasternak’s “Five Factors” Diet

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