A weekly diet is a reasonable compromise between exhausting fasting days and a long diet as a lifestyle. The latter option, of course, is the most effective in the long term, but what if you need to lose weight here and now - for example, for a vacation, a party or a date? We tell you how to build a balanced and satisfying diet menu for a week, the results of which will pleasantly surprise you.
Dieting for a week is a good solution if you need quick results. Find out what rules to follow to not only lose weight, but also consolidate your success.
Diet for a week: briefly about the essentials
Duration:one week.
Result:less than three kilograms.
Rules:limit the caloric content of the daily diet, exclude a number of foods.
Special features:a type of express diet, not suitable for regular use.
Authorized products:vegetables, fruits, cereals, lean meats, dairy products.
Prohibited products:fatty meats, lard, baked goods, foods with added sugar, sodas and store-bought juices.
Contraindications:it can be any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrinological disorders. Before starting a diet, be sure to consult a doctor and take the necessary tests.
What should your diet look like for a week? Does it make sense to suddenly stop eating all fatty foods or completely remove, say, carbohydrates from the menu? We won't surprise you, but the truth is that it is best to stick to a balanced diet and the principles of healthy eating. Most scientists share the same opinion, and there is no point in disbelieving them: their statements are based on a lot of research.
For example, Deirdre Tobias, an expert and associate professor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, spoke about this based on data from 53 dietary studies, in which more than 68, 000 people participated. The best results were achieved by those who followed a balanced diet.
A week is a good period for going on a diet, if only because you can survive such a period on motivation alone, and you will not have time to get bored with the limited list of products. However, the effect of a diet for a week will be as short-term as the period of restrictions. If you immediately return to your usual diet, the pounds will come back. Below we will tell you how to exit the diet correctly so that this does not happen.
Of course, there are many weekly diets. And although not all of them work according to the principle described above, some are very effective over a short distance. We will also tell you about some original diets, but we still suggest you adopt the following rules as the basis of a classic diet for a week.
Healthy eating rules for a week
Of course, a one-week diet will not help you get rid of what has been accumulating for much longer. But it will know how to instill a taste for good eating habits and motivate thanks to a still tangible "plumb line".
Eat a varied diet
The principles of healthy eating that should be followed when dieting for a week involve a varied diet. Let there be meat, cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, mushrooms and herbs on your table. If the body receives the full range of necessary substances, microelements, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, calorie restrictions will not cause any harm.
Count calories
There you have it, the main pitfall of the diet for a week. No matter how you look at it, to lose weight you have to eat less. We will not name the exact number of calories, because it is very individual, but it is easy to find special calculators on the Internet. Calculate your basal metabolic rate and subtract 20 to 30 percent. This should be the daily calorie intake. But in no case should you drop below 1000 kcal per day - such severe restrictions are not welcomed by nutritionists.
Eat five times a day
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks - eat little and often, and you simply won't have time to be hungry for the next meal. For a diet snack for a week, you also need to choose healthy foods - it can be a tomato with salt, but definitely not a sandwich. Although scientists have recently stated that the importance of breakfast is overrated and that you should eat when you are hungry, breakfast is important in this food system. If you don't want to eat very early in the morning, eat breakfast when your body is definitely awake.
Choose fresh foods over processed foods
You will definitely have to give up nuggets, burgers and deliveries of rolls and pizzas for a week. These foods often contain a variety of flavor enhancers and will only satisfy your hunger for a short time, and soon you will want to eat again. Well, let's not even talk about the fact that they are very caloric, but the quality of these calories leaves a lot to be desired.
Plan your menu in advance
All of the above rules should have led you to think that such a diet must be planned in advance. If you are hungry and for the planned meal there are only sausages in the refrigerator, you will eat them, convincing yourself that nothing will happen from just one meal. And you know how it ends. But if you prepare all the vegetables and meat the day before and plan the menu, the risk of breakdowns will be minimized.
Diet Results for a Week: What to Expect and How to Maintain It
If you follow all the rules, the result can be impressive. You can count on less three to five kilos. But if, immediately after the event for which you lost weight, you return to your usual diet, and even begin to move away from days of difficulties and difficulties, the weight will return with an increase. Therefore, you need to gradually abandon the diet for a week - you do not need to so closely monitor the calorie content of your diet, but continue to choose vegetables and lean meat as the basis of the menu. It is then possible that at least part of the weight lost will not come back.
Sample diet menu for a week
The advantage of a diet for a week is also that the menu can be drawn up in great detail for the entire period.
When dieting for a week, try not to skip meals so as not to feel hungry. It is best to simmer, boil or cook food. For drinks, choose unsweetened coffee or tea. If you feel that the portions are small for you, try drinking a glass of warm water before meals. We offer you a sample menu for the week, adjust it to your caloric intake.
Monday
- Breakfast: boiled egg, cereal bread, 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese, half a grapefruit.
- Lunch: lean borscht, 100 g of boiled veal, beetroot salad with prunes.
- Dinner: 150 g of lean steamed fish, one boiled potato.
- Snacks: apple, tomato.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: unsweetened oatmeal, carrots and celery.
- Lunch: 100 g of boiled beef, salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and radishes.
- Dinner: white yogurt without additives, bran, 100 g of low-fat white cheese.
- Snacks: half an avocado, cereal bread.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: chicken broth, 100 g of boiled chicken fillet, two rye loaves.
- Lunch: cabbage soup, 100 g of boiled lean meat, spinach.
- Dinner: 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese with grated apple.
- Snacks: orange, a few cucumbers.
THURSDAY
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge, a glass of low-fat kefir, fresh tomato salad.
- Lunch: grilled fish, rice, cucumber.
- Dinner: 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese with dried apricots or prunes.
- Snacks: kiwi, grapefruit.
Friday
- Breakfast: two hard-boiled eggs, tomato salad, cucumbers and peppers.
- Lunch: boiled chicken fillet, buckwheat, sliced vegetables.
- Dinner: tuna, boiled green beans.
- Snacks: apple, pear.
SATURDAY
- Breakfast: rice porridge with dried apricots.
- Lunch: low-fat fish soup, rice, grain bread, beet and carrot salad.
- Dinner: vegetable stew.
- Snacks: low-fat cottage cheese with prunes.
Sunday
- Breakfast: two-egg omelette, tofu.
- Lunch: 100 g of boiled beef salad, lentils, cucumber and tomatoes.
- Dinner: 100 g baked turkey, cereal bread, pepper.
- Snacks: natural yogurt, 30 g of almonds.
Original diets for a week
We talked about the most balanced food option of the week, which, however, will require your attention: you need to monitor calories and take care of daily cooking. There are other diet options in which the list of foods is significantly reduced, but these diets promise better results. The downside is that these diets are not suitable for everyone, so under no circumstances should you try them without consulting your doctor.
Japanese diet
The Japanese seven-day diet can be used as a weekly diet. Its basic principles are low calories, maximum protein and fiber, minimum carbohydrates. The diet is based on fish dishes, seafood, seaweed and soy cheese, as well as vegetables, with some fruits allowed. You are expected to use simple, often seasonal, ingredients when cooking. According to experts, the main benefit of this diet is that it is rich in fish, which contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Avoiding foods with added sugar will also benefit your health. However, the diet also comes with its own risks. It's quite strict, so it can lead to hunger stress. Doctors do not recommend sticking to it for a long time.
Kefir and buckwheat diet
A diet familiar to everyone, attractive in its budget and frightening in its severity. Only buckwheat and kefir seem normal if we are talking about a fasting day, and as a test of willpower if we are talking about a longer period. As a diet for the week, we suggest changing the approach slightly and adding fresh vegetables and dried fruits to the diet. Even with such relaxation, you can expect impressive results - from minus three kilos per week.
The advantage of a buckwheat diet for a week is that, despite the lean diet, you will not feel hungry. The carbohydrates contained in cereals are complex, so the feeling of fullness lasts a long time. In addition, buckwheat has a rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains fiber, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, folic acid, B vitamins and 18 amino acids. Kefir contains beneficial lactic acid bacteria that aid digestion. Prebiotic lactocultures help to properly digest not only kefir itself, but also other foods. Additionally, kefir is a source of protein and calcium.
Egg diet
Another diet that will give results quickly. But as in the previous case, we suggest changing the egg diet and adding at least some vegetables and grapefruit to the egg diet. The egg diet for a week gives the best results - in seven days you can lose five kilograms, but, of course, the final figure depends on your initial weight and personal metabolic characteristics. The effect is achieved thanks to biotin, which eggs are rich in. It accelerates the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. It is very simple to plan a menu: each meal includes eggs, you can eat grapefruit for breakfast and supplement the eggs with fresh or stewed vegetables at other meals.