For some reason, it is generally believed that in the summer the fat accumulated during the winter evaporates on its own due to an active lifestyle. No matter how it is! Many of us, stepping out of light shorts and baggy summer dresses at the end of the season, find that we have gained significant weight. Immediately one remembers fun barbecue outings, cozy gatherings in an ice cream parlor, and exotic delicacies tasted at a foreign resort.
But now is not the time to be discouraged, we must act! August-September is watermelon time, and the sugar pulp of a striped berry is not only tasty, but also useful for those who dream of losing weight. Nutritionists call the watermelon diet one of the most effective and gentle. During this time, you won't have to deal with the excruciating hunger pangs that interferes with life and work. You just need to follow the diet, and the positive dynamics will not take long.
How effective is the watermelon diet
Watermelon pulp is a reservoir of precious micro- and macro-elements, vitamins and organic acids. The iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium salts it contains have a beneficial effect on the activity of the digestive, hematopoietic and cardiovascular systems. Watermelon fiber helps cleanse the body of toxins and remove harmful cholesterol. The acid-base balance is regulated by the presence of alkaline compounds in the product and the pectin fibers normalize intestinal motility. In addition, regular consumption of watermelon is an excellent cancer prevention.
How to calculate the share
No matter how invaluable the health benefits of watermelon are, uncontrolled consumption of juicy pulp, like any product, can have dire consequences - diarrhea, nausea, and severe abdominal pain.
The formula for calculating an individual daily allowance is simple: 1 kg of watermelon pulp for 10 kg of weight. That is, if you weigh 60 kg, without risk to health, you can not eat more than 6 kg of watermelon, of course, not all at once, but dividing it into equal portions.
Watermelon diet options
If you are worried that you will only have to eat watermelon pulp during the diet, this is not the case. The striped miracle berry goes well with other foods, allowing you to diversify the menu. Choose the version of the watermelon diet that's right for you:
- With melon: the famous aromatic parent - melon - helps sugar "bread". During this diet, you eat light, low-calorie foods (low-fat cottage cheese, hard cheese, lean meats, vegetables) and melon slices serve as a healthy snack.
- With kefir: very good in the summer heat. Within 3 days, you consume only the pulp of a striped berry and kefir-zero (you can take 1%). The interval between meals is 3 hours.
- With black bread: a good option for those who lack flour during a diet. You just alternate watermelon slices with rye toast and get almost 1kg lighter per day. The duration of the course is 10 days.
- With cucumber: for 2 weeks you eat only watermelons and cucumbers (1 kg per day). It is allowed to "dilute" the daily menu with 1-2 rye toast and a glass of zero yogurt.
- With rice: This option only allows watermelon and rice (parboiled, wild or brown). Daily standard of products: rice - 100 g, watermelon pulp - no more than 1 kg per 20 kg of weight.
- With cottage cheese: the optimal slimming program for dessert lovers. For breakfast and afternoon tea, you eat low-fat cottage cheese (150-200 g each) and for the rest of the meals, savor the pulp of a striped berry.
- With buckwheat porridge: an option that allows you to lose weight without feeling hungry. Buckwheat allowed (1 kg per day) in water without oil, watermelon (not more than 5 kg per day), salads with fresh vegetables and non-carbonated non-alcoholic drinks (herbal tea and herbal tea, lemon water) without sugar.
- Watermelon protein is the perfect diet for meat eaters. It is allowed to eat lean meat, low-fat fish, watermelon (2 kg per day) and dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free kefir, 1% milk). The optimal duration of the course is 10 days.
If you are on a watermelon diet, keep in mind that, first of all, a weight loss class means giving up starches, sweets, salt, carbonated drinks and alcohol. Coffee lovers can replace morning tea with a cup of your favorite drink.
Duration of the watermelon diet
So, the decision to lose weight was made. Now assess the extent of the problem (the number of extra pounds) and your own will. Now choose a course of a suitable duration:
- 1, 2 or 3 days is a hard but effective discharge from the body, during which it is allowed to consume only watermelon pulp and liquid (water, green tea).
- 5, 7, 10 or 14 days - milder programs in which the watermelon "works as a team" with other products.
Try not to show excessive fanaticism, because only a perfectly healthy person can endure a long mono-diet (the watermelon diet is one) without unpleasant consequences.
Menu
According to many people who lose weight, the most successful diet of the watermelon diet is the five-day diet, which allows you to use, in addition to watermelons, other low-calorie foods.
Here's what your meal plan will look like for this period:
Day 1
First breakfast:
- half a glass of tea (preferably green) or pure non-carbonated water;
- 1 soft-boiled chicken egg;
- a small portion of any porridge on the water.
Second breakfast: 2-3 slices of watermelon.
Having dinner:
- salad (cucumbers + tomatoes) in olive oil;
- 200 g of lean fish;
- green tea.
Snack: watermelon slices.
Dinner (3-4 hours before bedtime): watermelon.
Day 2
First breakfast:
- 200 g of unsweetened fat-free cottage cheese;
- 2-3 slices of watermelon;
- half a glass of tea or water (optional).
Second breakfast: a portion of watermelon.
Having dinner:
- unsalted rice porridge in water without oil;
- watermelon.
Snack:
- 50 g of low-fat cottage cheese without sugar;
- 2 slices of watermelon.
Dinner: we cook like for lunch.
Day 3
First breakfast:
- unsweetened tea;
- 180 g of fat-free cottage cheese;
- fruit salad (half a green apple + watermelon).
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2 small slices.
Having dinner:
- 100 g of boiled chicken breast;
- salad (fresh cucumber + herbs), seasoned with olive oil or lemon juice.
- tea or water.
Snack: watermelon.
Dinner: vegetables - cooked, boiled or steamed.
Day 4
First breakfast:
- one serving of oatmeal without oil. It can be boiled or steamed overnight in a thermos;
- a small slice of hard cheese;
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2-3 slices.
Having dinner:
- 250 g of any lean meat cooked in a bain-marie or on the grill;
- vegetable salad (tomatoes + peppers + cucumbers) in olive oil;
- the water.
Snack: a few slices of watermelon.
Having dinner:
- low-fat cottage cheese - 100 g;
- 1 pear or green apple.
Day 5
First breakfast:
- fruit salad (watermelon + green apple + prunes);
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon.
Having dinner:
- fresh vegetable soup;
- a slice of black bread;
- tea.
Snack: 1 chicken egg (hard cooked or omelet).
Dinner: "choc" portion of watermelon - 400 g.
Eating in this way, during the course, you can lose up to 4-5 kg. If you need to lose more and still have the strength to keep going, try sticking to this diet not 5, but 10 days. As a result, the menu on the first day is similar to the menu on the sixth day, etc.
How to get out of the watermelon diet
The end of the diet course does not at all mean that you can pounce on previously banned smoked meats, pickles and sweets, because the kilograms lost with such difficulty can quickly return to their original place. Continue to eat light, healthy foods such as grains, fresh and cooked vegetables, fruits, cooked meats, and lean fish. Portions of a fairly boring watermelon can be reduced, but you should not completely exclude the striped berry from the menu. The transition will take as long as the diet itself.
Contraindications
The health benefits of watermelon are an indisputable fact, but not everyone can consume it in large quantities. People at risk are people with pathologies of the kidneys, choleretic and genitourinary systems. Miracle berry is contraindicated in the last trimester of pregnancy, during breastfeeding and in diabetes mellitus.
And remember! A watermelon diet will help you achieve the desired result, but to maintain it you will need to lead a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking and heavy drinking, and also say goodbye to daily cheesecake buns. You can handle it! Good luck!