Fats have always been considered the main enemy for the figure, but nutritionists around the world say that carbohydrates are a more serious problem. We are talking specifically about fast carbohydrates, which in the shortest possible time are transformed into glucose in the human body. If we do not use the received glucose for physical activity just as quickly, then the body stores it in adipose tissue - in reserve. This fact is a real pain for the sweet tooth, because the most delicious desserts and pastries sin with fast carbohydrates. But you can’t completely exclude them from your diet, otherwise a serious failure will occur in the body.
A sufficient amount of energy is supplied by slow carbohydrates, and they are included in the menu designed for a low-carb diet. This diet is recognized by many nutritionists as the safest, since a person does not limit his diet to a critical level, and the body does not panic, thinking that troubled hungry times have come. It is better to regard such a diet not as a short-term method of losing weight, but as a transitional period to a proper nutrition system. Let's look at the basic principles of a low-carb diet, its effectiveness and an approximate diet for a few days.
The main nuances of dietary nutrition
In a low-carbohydrate diet, the main emphasis is on protein foods, and the necessary minimum is given to carbohydrates and fats in the daily diet. Due to the creation of a deficiency of the main supplier of glucose, the body begins to spend fat reserves in order to obtain the energy necessary for the full functioning of all systems. The basic postulate of such dietary nutrition says that starvation should not be allowed, otherwise the body will go into standby mode and will not consume fats, fearing that real hunger will soon come when they are needed more. It is necessary to competently reduce the consumption of carbohydrates, replacing them with the necessary amount of protein. The minimum amount of carbohydrate-containing products provides a person with the necessary vitamins and minerals, without interfering with weight loss.
This diet option - low-carbohydrate - is shown even to people suffering from diabetes. They already have a lot of sugar in their blood, and full consumption of carbohydrate foods will worsen their condition. When a large amount of carbohydrates in the blood enters the human body, the level of sugar jumps, which is why insulin is released. The release of insulin during weight loss is bad because it slows down and even temporarily completely stops fat burning. If a lot of insulin is produced due to carbohydrate bombardment, carbohydrates are absorbed by fat cells and turn into fat themselves.
There is only one way out of this situation: limiting the consumption of carbohydrate-containing foods and dishes. Then insulin will not enter the bloodstream, and fats will be broken down faster. Another good low-carb diet is that it suppresses the desire to eat. How does this happen? Insulin stimulates the center of the brain responsible for appetite. If it is not released into the blood, then the person will not pounce on food.
Appetite suppression on a low-carbohydrate diet is also due to the formation of ketone bodies. It is important to simultaneously increase the amount of protein in the diet while cutting carbohydrates. The body will use it for energy, and it will also help maintain muscle during weight loss. It is necessary to consume protein at the rate of 4-5 grams per 1 kilogram of human weight. And the amount of carbohydrates is reduced to 1-1. 5 grams per kilogram of weight. You need to keep track of your daily calorie intake. To lose weight and not harm your health, you need to consume at least 1200 calories daily.
An important rule of a low-carbohydrate diet is fractional meals in small portions. You can eat 5-6 times a day, dividing the menu into 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks in between. Breakfast is recommended an hour after waking up, and dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime.
All berries and fruits should be excluded from the diet, except for green apples. But they can be eaten just a couple a day and before lunch. During a low-carb diet, you must adhere to the drinking regime and drink 1. 5-2 liters of pure water per day. Juices and soda should be excluded, as well as alcohol. It is permissible to drink green tea or herbal decoctions.
Gross mistakes are harmful to health
Doctors and nutritionists focus on the fact that you can not completely abandon carbohydrates. It is only necessary to reduce their consumption and replace fast ones with slow ones. If you go to extremes, you can inflict a severe blow to your health. The body draws energy from glucose, and if there is a shortage of it, it begins to extract the necessary resources from the muscles. That is, the fat layer on your body will not disappear anywhere, but even before that undeveloped muscles will become even thinner.
The complete absence of carbohydrate foods in the diet will lead to an early deficiency of glycogen stored in the liver and muscle tissue. According to doctors, it takes less than a day to deplete these reserves. In this case, the liver begins to clog with fats that decay as a result of the diet. It will be incredibly difficult to remove them from this organ later, and in advanced situations this leads to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The next serious threat is the long-term use of low-carbohydrate nutrition in order to lose weight. Protein begins to accumulate in the body, and its excess leads to disturbances in the process of protein metabolism. As a result, stones can form in the kidneys, and uric acid crystals can precipitate in the joints. You also need to understand that if carbohydrates attract fluid to themselves, then proteins, on the contrary, expel it from the body, which with a long diet can lead to tissue dehydration. After such weight loss, you may notice that your skin has become noticeably drier and even sagging.
The produced ketones, on the one hand, suppress appetite and activate the fat burning process. But, on the other hand, with a long-term low-carbohydrate diet, a disruption in the functioning of various body systems and an exacerbation of chronic diseases can occur. Ketones will begin to accumulate in the body, and it will try to clear the excess. But in this case, the body will not be able to work pointwise, and together with ketones, it will remove useful minerals. In particular, potassium and sodium are under attack, the deficiency of which leads to dehydration and the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. When ketones are excreted through the liver and kidneys, they are put under additional stress. A person may experience negative symptoms such as dizziness, insomnia, irritability.
It is difficult to tolerate a low-carbohydrate diet for people whose profession is associated with creativity or great intellectual stress, as the level of mental activity decreases due to a glucose deficiency.
Protein foods are often saturated with cholesterol, which is also not good for health, in particular, for the state of the cardiovascular system. Even due to the long-term use of low-carbohydrate nutrition with an abundance of protein, calcium deficiency in the body can occur. Following a low-carbohydrate diet is strictly prohibited in case of pregnancy and during lactation. Also, it should not be used for weight loss in children and adolescents.
Diet effectiveness and product characteristics
Nutritionists have conducted studies to study the effectiveness of a diet based on a low intake of carbohydrates. According to the data obtained, experts recorded that people who adhered to this diet for 3 months lost more excess weight than those who excluded fatty foods from the diet. Study participants who were in the low-carbohydrate diet group noted that they were satiated more quickly with meals. This is due to the fact that fats and proteins are broken down more slowly than carbohydrates. And, accordingly, a person stays full longer. All participants in the three-month experiment were able to get rid of at least 10 kilograms of excess weight.
The basis of a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet is protein foods. Create a menu that includes the following items:
- dietary meats;
- meat by-products;
- Fish and seafood;
- mushrooms;
- dairy and dairy products;
- eggs;
- non-starchy vegetables;
- nuts and seeds;
- cereal porridge.
From meat, avoid eating pork and lamb, and from vegetables completely exclude corn, peas, beans, lentils, potatoes, olives and black olives. From cereals, it is allowed to consume no more than 150 grams per day of brown rice and buckwheat. You can also include some bran in your diet to stimulate normal bowel function, as protein foods can cause constipation.
Even a day, you can eat a couple of sour fruits, but in no case eat avocados, grapes and bananas. Their high calorie content does not allow these species to be included in the diet menu. Try to eat fish and seafood at least a couple of times a week. The protein that is part of their composition is much easier to digest by the body than the one found in meat. Chicken eggs are a good source of protein, but you can eat no more than three of them per week.
The list of prohibited foods that should be avoided on a low-carb diet includes:
- bread and pastries;
- sweets, cakes, sugar;
- pasta;
- smoked meats;
- sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise;
- juices, compotes, sodas;
- vegetable preservation and preserves.
Vegetables rich in slow carbohydrates are recommended to be eaten raw, as they retain more of the beneficial vitamins and minerals that the body needs on a low-carbohydrate diet. If you cannot do without heat treatment, then it is preferable to steam vegetables or boil them in lightly salted water. Choose dairy and sour-milk products with a fat content of no more than 2. 5-3%. You should not eat them with meat, it is better to combine them with sour fruits. Include a small amount of hard cheese of moderate fat content in the menu. But refuse processed cheese, as they are characterized by a high content of fats.
It is better to cook the meat yourself, rather than buying sausages, sausages and sardines. They contain a lot of fat and seasonings, in particular salt, which significantly inhibit weight loss.
Composing a complete low-carb menu
One week is not enough to achieve significant results. You need to eat on a low-carb diet for at least a month to really lose weight. We present a variant of the seven-day menu, which you can repeat four times or make your own changes to it.
| meal | Dishes |
|---|---|
| The first day | |
| Breakfast | Portion of cottage cheese with apple, green tea |
| Snack | natural yogurt |
| Dinner | Braised fish with vegetables |
| Snack | Green apple or orange |
| Dinner | Buckwheat with chicken fillet |
| Second day | |
| Breakfast | Egg and milk omelet, green apple, green tea |
| Snack | Cup of kefir |
| Dinner | Braised beef, fresh vegetable salad |
| Snack | Natural yogurt, apple |
| Dinner | Mushroom soup without meat |
| Day three | |
| Breakfast | Some hard cheese, orange, green tea |
| Snack | A handful of walnuts and an apple |
| Dinner | Chicken broth with brown bread crumbs |
| Snack | Low fat natural yogurt |
| Dinner | Boiled chicken fillet and stewed cabbage |
| Day four | |
| Breakfast | Buckwheat porridge |
| Snack | natural yogurt |
| Dinner | Boiled chicken breast with stewed vegetables |
| Snack | one apple |
| Dinner | Portion of boiled brown rice with steam fish |
| Day five | |
| Breakfast | Boiled eggs (2 pcs. ) with hard cheese (40 g), green tea or coffee without sugar |
| Snack | Any unsweetened fruit |
| Dinner | Boiled beef and fresh vegetable salad |
| Snack | A glass of low-fat kefir and an apple |
| Dinner | Braised chicken with vegetables |
| Day six | |
| Breakfast | Portion of cottage cheese and green tea |
| Snack | natural yogurt |
| Dinner | Chicken broth and vegetable salad |
| Snack | A glass of kefir with bread (2 pcs. ) |
| Dinner | Boiled rice with baked fish |
| Day seven | |
| Breakfast | Buckwheat porridge and green tea |
| Snack | Glass of freshly squeezed apple juice |
| Dinner | Mushroom soup and vegetable salad |
| Snack | Any unsweetened fruit |
| Dinner | Roasted lean pork and vegetable salad |
You can rearrange the menu in places. Or, if it suits you, repeat one option for several days in a row. But mixing dishes from different days is not worth it, so as not to cross the recommended calorie limit.
Appetizing diet meals
You can make grilled mackerel. To implement this recipe you will need:
- mackerel - 1 pc. ;
- dill - to taste;
- lemon - 1/3 pc. ;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- olive oil - 30 ml;
- salt, pepper, favorite spices - to taste.
Gut the fish and rinse thoroughly under running water. Cut the lemon into thin slices, and the garlic into slices. On each side of the fish, make several cuts of medium depth - so that you can put the filling into them. Salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Thoroughly rub the entire surface of the fish inside and out with spices to soak it completely. Put the filling in the middle of the mackerel - dill sprigs and a little garlic. And put garlic slices and lemon slices into the cuts on the outside.
Wrap the stuffed fish in food foil and put in the refrigerator for half an hour to marinate. Light up the grill, grease the grill grate with olive oil, so that later it will be more convenient to get the finished fish. Unpack the mackerel and lay it on the grill over the coals. Cook, turning fish occasionally to prevent burning. On average, it takes half an hour to cook on the grill. You can replace this option with baking in the oven. Try not to remove the foil, then the crust will not work, but the fish will remain juicy.
On a low-carb diet, the simpler foods are, the healthier they are.
For lunch, you can still cook a warm salad with duck fillet. For this you will need:
- duck fillet - 1 pc. ;
- leaf lettuce - 1 bunch;
- sesame - 1 tbsp. l. ;
- olive oil - 6 tbsp. l. ;
- cucumber - 1 pc. ;
- lime - 1 pc. ;
- honey - 1 tsp;
- salt, black pepper, ground ginger - to taste;
- soy sauce - 2 tbsp. l.
Beat the fillet a little on both sides and season, pour over with soy sauce and leave to marinate in a bowl for half an hour. Prepare the spicy dressing in a separate bowl. Squeeze lime juice, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a little ground ginger and black pepper, a teaspoon of liquid honey. Mix all ingredients. Cut the cucumber into thin strips, and tear the salad into small pieces. Put the fillet in a pan, draining the juice in advance, and fry it in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked. Cut the finished meat into cubes and put it on a pillow of cucumber and lettuce. Top with dressing and serve warm salad on the table.
You can also cook a warm liver salad with chickpeas. For this you need:
- chicken liver - 0. 5 kg;
- milk - 1 glass;
- olive oil - 7 tbsp. l. ;
- pickled cucumbers - 2 pcs. ;
- onion - 1 pc. ;
- zucchini - 1 pc. ;
- chickpeas - 100 g;
- sesame - 1 tsp;
- salt and pepper - to taste.
Soak the chickpeas in water for a couple of hours, and then drain the liquid and rinse it under the tap. Pour water again and put on fire, bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat. Drain water from cooked chickpeas. Soak the liver in milk, and then fry in oil. Cut the onion into half rings and send to the liver, then there - diced zucchini. Pour in some water and simmer until the dish is fully cooked. Cut the cucumbers into rings and add to the meat, send the chickpeas there. Season with oil and mix, and top with sesame seeds.
Perseverance and sport will bring significant results
With all the advantages of this system, not all people will be able to withstand a low-carb diet for a long period. "I can’t eat like this. After a couple of days, I'm already sick of meat, fish and eggs. I really want a banal piece of bread and a bowl of porridge. I realized that this system does not suit me, " the 28-year-old woman summed up.
But if you can overpower yourself and stay on a low-carb diet for a more or less long period, then positive results will not be long in coming. "In 20 days I was able to lose 7 kilograms, despite the fact that I didn’t infringe on myself in any way and made up a varied menu. A huge plus is that I don’t feel hungry at all, "a 22-year-old girl spoke about her victory over excess weight.
If you add physical activity to a low-carb diet, the results will be even more outstanding. "We lost weight as a family. As a result, I lost 8 kilograms in 3 months. After giving birth, I actively walked with a stroller with a baby. My sister lost 15 kilograms during the same period. She hooked up moderate exercise. But the husband drove 10 kilograms at once in 1. 5 months, but he was actively involved in sports, "said the 30-year-old woman.
Losing weight on a low-carb diet is definitely possible. But you should not completely cut down on carbohydrate-containing foods, so as not to harm your health. It is better to lose weight little by little and gradually, but with joy, than to immediately limit yourself in everything and drive into depression.