Is the chocolate diet a newfangled trend or a sweet but effective way to lose weight?


Who said that people who are losing weight can’t eat sweets? On a chocolate diet, sweets are not only possible, but also necessary! Get 12 diet options and find out how much chocolate you need to eat per day to lose 1 kg per day!
  • Reviews from those who have lost weight

Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/10/2020

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How great it is to enjoy chocolate and lose weight at the same time, many people think when they hear about the chocolate diet. However, don’t rush to conclusions! In fact, the chocolate diet is considered one of the strictest, and only the most persistent sweet tooth can withstand it.

How to properly go on a chocolate diet

The chocolate-based nutritional system is low-calorie; if you stick to it, you can lose 3-7 kilograms.

The classic version lasts 7 days. Experts do not recommend increasing the duration of the diet, as this can provoke metabolic disorders.

The basic principle of nutrition is the presence of chocolate bars and coffee in certain proportions in the diet.

You can also add skim milk to the drink. No more than 100 grams of real dark chocolate is allowed per day, and it is better if it is without additives. The permissible amount should be eaten in 3 doses, washed down with a cup of coffee without sugar.

During dietary restrictions, you are allowed to drink plain water without gas, the norm is at least 1.5 liters per day. Green tea and herbal infusions without sugar are also allowed. It is better to drink only 3 hours after eating so that weight loss occurs faster.

Recommendations

To lose weight using a chocolate diet without harming your health, try to follow all the recommendations from doctors and nutritionists.

  1. Get your doctor's permission.
  2. For a week, you need to eliminate harmful foods - fast food, everything fatty, salty, sweet, etc.
  3. The daily norm is 1 bar per day (no more than 100 g). It is divided into an equal number of slices for 5-6 meals.
  4. The duration should not exceed 7 days.
  5. Allowed drinks: coffee with milk, green tea without sugar (with a slice of lemon), 2 liters of clean water per day.
  6. It is necessary to take any multivitamin complex.
  7. It is advisable to be physically active, as much as your diet allows: do morning exercises, run, go to the gym for training.
  8. If side effects disturb the usual rhythm of life, the diet should be stopped.

To begin with, it is recommended to test your willpower on a fasting day. If you can endure it and the side effects are not too obvious, you can try the three-day diet option next time (in a week). If it goes well and pleases you with the results, then you can sit on the “sweetie” for the whole 7 days.

On a note. Under no circumstances should you eat chocolate with any confectionery or other sweets, either as part of losing weight or as part of a healthy diet. They are not compatible with each other.

Calorie content of the chocolate diet

The energy value of 100 grams of chocolate is 500 kilocalories. A person spends 1800-2000 kcal per day. A conclusion based on basic calculations indicates that 1300-1500 kilocalories will be expended from one’s own fat deposits, and as a result the person will begin to lose weight.

Eating dark chocolate promotes the production of joy hormones: serotonin and endorphin. A person enjoys eating and his mood improves. Chocolate also reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes weight gain. This protects against emotional overload, and those losing weight do not feel the need to break their diet.

What is the point?

Having figured out what the chocolate diet is, let's try to understand how it works. First, we are talking about strict calorie restriction. It is known that in order to lose weight, you need to consume slightly less food in terms of energy than you burn.

How much less? As nutritionists say, 30% is the optimal difference for healthy weight loss. On average, a woman 165 centimeters tall and weighing 65 kilograms burns about 2000 kcal daily. We are talking about processes such as breathing, blood circulation, and digestion of food. If the same woman eats 2000 calories daily, she will not gain weight; if she eats more, she will gain weight. To lose weight quickly and without harm to the body, she needs to absorb about 1400-1500 kcal per day.

One chocolate bar contains about 500 kcal, that is, we are talking about a serious calorie restriction, much more than the recommended level. In principle, you can eat any 500 kcal product (fruits, vegetables, lard or potatoes) and lose weight.

Pros of the chocolate diet

A huge advantage of the chocolate diet is quick results. A person losing weight can lose up to 1 kilogram of excess weight per day, so the result of his efforts will be reflected in his figure within 3-4 days. The diet is quite strict and involves serious dietary restrictions, but following it carries a number of significant advantages:

  • rapid weight loss;
  • acceleration of metabolism;
  • improved mood;
  • lack of hunger;
  • reducing the level of “bad” cholesterol;
  • positive effect on the functioning of the heart muscle;
  • cleansing blood vessels;
  • strengthening bones;
  • additional nutrition for the brain;
  • regulation of cellular metabolism;
  • decreased blood pressure;
  • prevention of caries development;
  • replenishment of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and fluorine;
  • reduction of pain syndrome;
  • increased tone;
  • slowing down the aging process;
  • strengthening the immune system.

Mechanism of weight loss

It’s worth mentioning right away that we are talking about losing weight with the help of dark chocolate, which contains at least 70% cocoa beans. All other varieties: white, porous, milky - do not count. They do not have such beneficial properties. How does weight loss happen?

Effect on hormones

Dark chocolate is a natural antidepressant that increases the body's production of endorphins and serotonin (hormones of joy) and reduces the synthesis of cortisol (stress hormone).

The former allow you to feel satisfied with the situation and eliminate the need to seize problems. A person is happy, satisfied with his life and does not feel the need to break off a diet, even such a difficult one.

Cortisol is a hormone that promotes excess weight gain: it leads to stress, stops protein synthesis, breaks down muscle fibers, and increases the volume of visceral fat.

Caloric content of the diet

We count the calorie content of a classic fasting day with dark chocolate:

The chocolate diet does not involve the consumption of other foods. It clearly follows from the table that it refers to:

  • one of the lowest in calories (the daily requirement for weight loss is at least 1,200 kcal for women, and for men the threshold is even higher);
  • low-fat (the daily fat intake when losing weight is reduced to 80 g);
  • low-carbohydrate (with the recommended carbohydrate intake of at least 100 g);
  • low-glycemic, since all components are healthy carbohydrates with low GI.

So the body will definitely not have enough energy, and it will begin to use its own resources (fat reserves). To prevent muscle fibers from being used, it is recommended to add a little cream and milk to coffee.

Other beneficial properties of dark chocolate:

  • accelerates metabolism, without which weight loss is impossible;
  • gives strength for sports that burn calories;
  • blocks the feeling of hunger.

Well, as a pleasant bonus, the body will receive all the benefits of cocoa beans, which have been repeatedly proven by numerous studies:

  • phenols eliminate “bad” cholesterol and activate “good” cholesterol - have a beneficial effect on the functioning of blood vessels and the heart;
  • antioxidants neutralize free radicals, slowing down the aging process and preventing cancer, increase immunity;
  • calcium, phosphorus, magnesium strengthen bones, nourish the brain and regulate cellular metabolism;
  • fluoride, phosphates, tannins are natural antibacterial “therapy” (they prevent the development of caries);
  • cocoa beans block pain syndromes.

At first glance, it seems that there are no shortcomings in such a diet: we lose weight, enjoy sweets, and at the same time strengthen our health. In fact, you shouldn’t delude yourself: it’s not for nothing that there are disputes about its dietary properties.

Scientific data. The study was carried out by Spanish scientists from the University of Granada. 1,500 teenagers from 12 to 17 years old took part. Results: with regular consumption of chocolate, the weight remained normal, and the fat layer was thinner, and completely absent in the abdominal area.

Cons of the chocolate diet

A large number of advantages of the chocolate diet do not deprive it of its disadvantages. Among them:

  • unbalanced diet;
  • the likelihood of quickly regaining lost kilograms;
  • headache;
  • sleep disturbance;
  • general weakness;
  • avitaminosis;
  • dizziness;
  • discomfort in the intestines;
  • stomach upset;
  • formation of kidney stones;
  • an impressive list of contraindications;
  • disturbance of metabolic processes in the body.


Pros and cons of the chocolate diet

Contraindications: who should not go on a chocolate diet

Before starting a chocolate diet, you should consult your doctor. Because dietary restrictions can negatively affect your health. The chocolate diet is contraindicated for:

  • diabetes mellitus;
  • liver and gastrointestinal diseases;
  • hypertension;
  • allergies to the product;
  • kidney and gallstones;
  • pregnancy;
  • gout;
  • lactation;
  • neuropsychic disorders;
  • sleep problems;
  • fungal diseases;
  • disruption of the heart.

Basic principles

While following the diet, solid foods are excluded . You can drink cocoa, hot chocolate and clean water. Of course, the dietary restrictions are strict, but impressive results are achieved.

The main principle is the ban on chewing . This allows you to reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract, remove waste and toxins, improve the functioning of internal organs, and overcome excess weight.

Cocoa has a mild effect. This drink is very tasty, everyone loves it since childhood, it quickly fills you up, so you won’t suffer from hunger pangs.

Choosing chocolate for a chocolate diet

The basis of the diet is natural dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70%. Its energy value is almost the same as that of milk bars, but it is healthier for the body. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa butter, vitamins and microelements, but less sugar.

White tiles are of no use to the diet and are a common treat. Diabetic chocolate is also prohibited because it contains sweeteners. And if we talk about bars with raisins, nuts, candied fruits and other additives, they have a high calorie content, so they cannot be combined with dietary nutrition.

As for coffee, it is advisable to replace the instant version with ground coffee. This drink improves memory, relieves fatigue, increases blood circulation and increases activity.


Contraindications to the chocolate diet

Chocolate-based diet options

There are several options for the chocolate diet - some of them are quite strict, but there are also quite gentle ones.

Fasting day

By devoting 1 day to a chocolate diet, a person can lose up to 2 kilograms. But, since fiber is not present in the diet, weight will go away without the effect of cleansing the body. A fasting day on chocolate can be arranged no more than twice a week. During the diet you are allowed:

  • eat 1 chocolate bar;
  • drink a maximum of 3 cups of coffee without sugar;
  • drink 1.5-2.5 liters of water.

A gentle fasting day

With a gentle diet, it is allowed to include low-calorie foods in the diet:

  • 3 glasses of milk or kefir;
  • 500 g green apples, grapefruits, tangerines or oranges;
  • 300 g strawberries, kiwi, cherries or peaches;
  • 3 cups of cocoa instead of coffee;
  • a handful of nuts;
  • 300 g mascarpone cheese.

For 3 days

The three-day mono-diet repeats the classic fasting day. Its main difference is that your lunch cup of coffee can be replaced with skim milk or green tea. If it is impossible to withstand such strict dietary restrictions, you are allowed to eat according to the gentle fasting day menu.

For 7 days

The classic version of the chocolate diet lasts 7 days. At this time, only chocolate and coffee are allowed. If this is difficult, you can add low-calorie foods to your diet.


Chocolate diet

conclusions

Losing weight on chocolate is tempting, especially since the effectiveness of this diet is supported by more than one girl who is eager to get rid of extra pounds. However, do not forget that this is an express method that will not allow you to either get rid of a lot of excess weight or consolidate the result for a long time without additional reinforcement. If you need to maintain and increase the effect, then you need to reconsider your diet and lifestyle in general.

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New chocolate-based diets

For those who are not inclined to eat only chocolates, derivative diets based on cocoa bean bars have been invented. In terms of effectiveness, such diets are not inferior to the classic version.

Italian

The diet is designed for a week. During this time you are allowed to eat:

  • bitter chocolate;
  • vegetables;
  • fruits;
  • pasta made from durum flour.

Pasta should be prepared without cheese, but with the addition of a little olive oil and poultry. Salads are allowed to be dressed with yogurt or lemon juice. But almost all fruits are allowed, except grapes and bananas. You will also have to give up potatoes. It won’t hurt to take a course of vitamins, and physical activity will only be beneficial.

Chocolate drinking

In this option, you should give up solid food; the main dish for the week is cocoa without sugar. You can drink up to 6 cups per day.

Chocolate kefir

The system is designed for 5 days. In addition to chocolate and coffee, you are allowed to add 2 cups of kefir to your diet.

Kinds

In addition to chocolate, the Italian chocolate diet has proven itself well, but unlike the method discussed in this article, in the Italian diet chocolate plays a secondary role.

In the Italian weight loss method, the main emphasis is on eating large amounts of vegetables and fruits; it is also possible to eat pasta without fatty sauce. Chocolate acts only as an additional energy boost for the body with a kind of emotional “pain-relieving” effect.

How to quit the chocolate diet

A successful step in weight loss will be the correct way out of the chocolate diet. Returning to your normal diet will take several days:

  • 1 day – you can have herbal teas, natural fruit and berry cocktails and juices;
  • Day 2 – unsweetened fruits and vegetables are allowed;
  • Day 3 – add broth from vegetables, poultry or lean fish;
  • Day 4 – fermented milk products are introduced into the diet;
  • Day 5 – you can already eat cereals and flour products made from durum wheat;
  • Day 6 – high-calorie foods are added in small doses;
  • Day 7 – switch to normal diet.

But even after leaving the diet, you should not overeat. It is advisable to eat small portions and more often, and also avoid flour, fast food and carbonated drinks.

The chocolate diet is very tasty and healthy, and following it brings amazing results. But in reality, those losing weight will have to face serious dietary restrictions. There are also contraindications to the diet, so before using it, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

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