According to statistics, 8 out of 10 people who lose weight claim that a 6-petalled diet helped them achieve maximum weight loss. What is special about this wonderful diet scheme, why is it called the most optimistic and psychologically most comfortable? In this article you will get comprehensive answers to questions about weight loss, as well as find a sample menu for each day of the diet.
The diet is designed for 6 days, each of which is represented by its own "petal":
- first day (petal) - fish;
- is another vegetable;
- third - meat;
- fourth - cereals;
- peta - skuta;
- the sixth is fruity.
The principle of such a diet is based on the separation of proteins and carbohydrates. Three of the six days are intended for the consumption of exclusively protein foods, the other three - carbohydrate foods. This division has a physiological basis. The human body is designed so that carbohydrates can be fully absorbed only if consumed along with proteins. Separate intake of nutrients leads to the fact that the body cannot fully absorb them and is forced to draw energy from fat reserves.
Key Questions
Who is the author of this power plan?
The author of the system is Anna Johansson, a female nutritionist from Sweden. Although no documentary evidence of Swedish involvement in the development of the petal diet has been found, the program is considered professional and literate.
What do petals have to do with this?
The idea of a baby with petals is a psychological visualization of the food system. The author suggests that this be expressed in the form of a large chamomile flower, where each petal symbolizes a separate food day. By tearing off the petal every day, losing weight gradually approaches its desired goal. This serves as an important motivating element and helps to positively adjust to food restrictions.
What daily routine should you follow?
You can eat according to the classic scheme with breakfast, lunch and dinner. You don’t have to give up snacks, the petal diet is already low in calories, so you shouldn’t starve further.
Can the days be swapped?
Not allowed. Each of the six days the child prepares the body for the next stage of weight loss. By rearranging your feeding day, you will completely disrupt the whole scheme on a physiological level.
Why is the first day a fish, when the body is not yet hungry?
The task of the fish in the diet is to "sleep" the body's alertness, saturating it with proteins and fats, forcing it to actively burn calories.
How can you survive such dirty food?
Natural spices, fresh and frozen greens, cinnamon, lemon juice and ginger will help dishes become brighter and tastier. You can sweeten food by substituting sugar or a teaspoon of honey, but only as a last resort.
How often can you eat with such a program?
The six-petal diet can be repeated occasionally, but not more than once a month. It takes the body at least 4 weeks to restore energy balance and replenish vitamin and mineral reserves.
What do doctors think about the Swedish diet?
Doctors warmly recommend that you consult them when planning any diet. With obesity, endocrine diseases and digestive disorders, it is dangerous to limit oneself to food.
Should I count calories?
Optional but desirable. The recommended caloric value for adults on a diet is 1200-1400 kcal.
What is the difference between a child with 6 and 7 petals?
The 7-petal diet includes the last "hungry" day. At the end of the cycle, it is forbidden to eat any food, but stick to only water and drinks.
Who is the diet for
The original weight loss scheme successfully combines two factors: calorie restriction and psychological motivation. Therefore, the petal diet can be safely recommended to anyone who:
- cannot find the inner motivation and willpower for food restrictions;
- wants to lose weight fast without extreme physical exertion;
- does not tolerate hunger and low calorie fasting days;
- likes to plan meals and not “bother” about preparing complex diet meals.
The six-petal diet manages to lose 500-800 g of excess weight per day. The total weight loss at the end of the diet cycle is at least 3 kg.
The diet can be much higher, but you will have to go through several cycles of "chamomile". There are cases when men and women managed to lose 15-18 kg.
Who diet is not suitable
The 6-petalled diet is intended for healthy people who have no complaints about well-being and do not suffer from chronic diseases. But in reality it is almost impossible to meet a person without a "chronicle".
There are several categories of people who are strictly forbidden to diet:
- diabetics - should get the optimal amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats prescribed by diet 9;
- for adolescents - a growing body needs fats that are not provided in the petal diet;
- pregnant women - with rapid weight gain, women in the position can be recommended the exact days of fasting during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters;
- breastfeeding - diet should be balanced but hypoallergenic;
- patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - in the acute phase they are prescribed "hungry" days and a sparing fractional diet;
- for patients with liver and kidney pathologies - a large amount of protein in the diet increases the load on these internal organs.
Swedish food involves a complete rejection of sugar, so it will be extremely difficult for those who have a sweet tooth to be on such a diet. In their case, an original chocolate diet may be recommended. You will have to eat only dark chocolate all day, dividing the bar into several receptions.
Child for and against
The benefits of the diet scheme proposed by Anna Johansson are:
- optimal duration - for 6 days the body has no time to exhaust, weight loss goes smoothly but noticeably;
- lack of overeating - due to the monotony of food during the day you will not want to eat large portions;
- simplicity of dishes - the menu for each day includes simple and familiar products available to everyone;
- sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals - the diet contains vegetables and fruits rich in useful nutrients;
- absence of "hungry" days - the diet can be considered soft and economical;
- varied menu - you don't feel hungry, you don't have to eat the same food every day.
But you should pay attention to those who are thin and to the "traps" without which there is no diet:
- with rapid weight loss, skin becomes flabby and muscles lose tone;
- on protein days, a person may feel weakness caused by a lack of carbohydrate compounds;
- rapid weight loss can shake the body and disrupt normal metabolic processes;
- is not suitable for the season of hypovitaminosis, when the body is weakened;
- chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines, which have not interfered with weight loss for a long time, may worsen; The
- diet does not guarantee significant weight loss - 20% of those who lose weight cannot lose more than 2 kg in 6 days.
Should and shouldn't
The basic basis of the diet is to change protein and carbohydrate foods every other day. Day 1, 3 and 5 will be proteins, days 2, 4 and 6 will be carbohydrates. It is forbidden to mix the days with each other, because effective weight loss will fail.
Important!Rapid combustion of fat ballast is observed on the first day of mono meal observation. In the following days, the results achieved are consolidated, and the body is renewed into a new metabolic system.
The following products are included in the "white" list:
- vegetables that do not contain a lot of starch - zucchini, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, leafy vegetables, beets, allspice (parsley, cilantro, basil, dill), celery, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower;
- almost all fruits and berries - apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, pomelo, grapefruit, cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, strawberries, lemons;
- low fat dairy products - kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, sour cream, yogurt without fillers, whole milk;
- meat - only dietary chicken pulp is allowed, without skin and tendons;
- some types of cereals - buckwheat, oatmeal in the form of flakes, unpolished rice, bran, sprouted grain;
- seafood and lean fish - bream, pike, pole, hake, sutomol, cod, trout, salmon;
- bread with bran or whole grains, rye croutons, crispy bread, seeds, nuts and seeds.
There are no strict drinking restrictions. Rosehip decoction, herbal infusions, natural freshly squeezed juices, homemade compotes, mineral water - all this can be drunk. If possible, you should limit or completely abandon black tea and coffee in favor of chicory and green tea drinks. Drinks with the addition of grated ginger, mint leaves and slices of lemon will help quench your thirst.
The main taboos of the six-petal diet are:
- all kinds of fats - butter and vegetable oils, margarine, mayonnaise;
- fast food - sandwiches, burgers, any fried food;
- vegetables with a lot of starch - pumpkin, potatoes, beans;
- instant food - sausages, meat delicacies, basturma, ham, smoked ham, cooked pork, canned food;
- meat - veal, pork, beef, rabbit;
- flour products - pies, pies, dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, buns, pasta;
- all sweets - chocolate, candies, gingerbread, jam, halva, marshmallow, cookies, marshmallow, jam;
- cereals - corn, millet, wheat, pearl barley.
Sugar is forbidden in any form - it cannot be added to food and drink. To prevent the food from looking slim, you can add a little salt, add herbs and natural spices without flavor enhancers. Sometimes an exception is made for vegetable oil - no more than a teaspoon of olive or sunflower oil can be consumed daily.
Menu description
Given the extensive list of foods that the 6-petal diet offers, it won’t be that hard to put together a menu. But you need to be patient, because you will have to eat only one type of product all day.
Day 1 - fish
The first day, which includes only fish, is designed to provide the body with enough polyunsaturated omega-3 acids. It is the same healthy fat that cannot accumulate in the subcutaneous tissue in the form of cellulite and extra pounds. The proteins contained in dietary fish are good for filling, blocking the feeling of hunger and digested with high quality.
What you can cook on a fish day:
- fillets of salmon, almonds, trout, hake in a double cauldron with herbs;
- fish steaks with garlic dressing, baked in foil;
- fish soup with herbs and sea salt;
- fresh sea cocktail.
The total amount of fish products should be around 300-500 grams per day.
Day 2 - vegetables
The number of products per day of vegetables is limited to 1-1, 5 kg. But in fact, you can eat vegetables as much as you want - it does not give a lot of calories, but it contains a maximum of vitamins and microelements. Vegetables rich in fiber (carrots, beets) give a feeling of satiety and at the same time contribute to high-quality bowel cleansing by increasing peristalsis.
What to plan for a vegetable petal:
- stew with carrots, peppers, cabbage and onions; grilled or baked eggplants and zucchini;
- boiled cauliflower or broccoli, seasoned with lemon juice and Provencal herbs;
- vegetable tomato soup with basil.
Important!A six-petal diet cannot provide the body with all the vital substances. Therefore, doctors continuously forbid eating according to this scheme.
Day 3 - chicken
Chicken is considered a favorite in the diet. It contains easily digestible proteins and a whole complex of minerals - magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium. The amino acids contained in the product are used exclusively to strengthen muscles and are not transformed into subcutaneous fat.
Recipes of the day:
- steamed chicken breast cutlets with egg and dill;
- chicken fillet baked in foil with spices;
- cooked meat in the form of steak.
On this protein day it is allowed to eat up to 0, 5 kg of chicken meat.
Day # 4 - Cereals
Only those cereal varieties that are not devoid of bran husks are suitable for this phase of the diet. This component belongs to the slow carbohydrates - it takes a long time to digest and requires a lot of energy. To increase the dietary value of cereals, they should be soaked in water overnight, and in the morning they should be cooked or steamed.
Food:
- buckwheat porridge with bran;
- Hercules muesli with walnuts or seeds;
- rice porridge with herbs and sprouted wheat grains.
The total amount of dry grain should not exceed one cup.
Day number 5 - cottage cheese
On the fifth day you should buy 500 g of diet fresh cheese with a fat content of not more than 3. 8%. The so-called cheese product is not suitable for feeding the petals - it contains hydrogenated fats and additives that are not useful. Cottage cheese, like any protein product, neutralizes hunger well and promotes cell renewal.
Sample menu for this protein day:
- baked cheesecakes with semolina and cinnamon;
- whipped cream cheese with sugar substitute and two tablespoons of brewed coffee;
- Fresh cheese dessert with natural yogurt.
On this day, any milk drinks of moderate fat content are allowed - kefir, milk, kefir, yogurt.
Day 6 - fruit
Swedish fruit day with a diet is considered the tastiest and brightest. You can eat any fruit, except bananas, grapes and dried fruits - they are too high in calories and sugar. Fruits and berries have antioxidant properties, prevent premature aging and remove toxins from the body. The product performs the "final" cleansing of the body and prepares it for exiting the diet.
On a fruit day, you can connect your imagination and combine products as you wish. Salads, smoothies, fresh juices, freshly squeezed juices, roasted fruit with cinnamon and cardamom - all this will be appropriate for the last dietary "petal".
How to get out of the diet
A smooth exit from the diet will help maintain the results of the diet. The calorie content can be gradually increased, starting from 1200 kcal and leading to 2000 kcal. A week after the completion of the "petals" it is better to eat the same food, combining several types of protein on protein days and different types of carbohydrates on carbohydrate days.
If a person plans to continue losing weight, it makes sense to switch to a balanced diet. It should contain proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but with a low energy value. At this stage, do not forget about physical exercises, lymphatic drainage massage. These procedures will help tighten the "thin" skin and strengthen the muscles.
Exit
The Swedish food scheme is reliable because it is compiled by a professional nutritionist. A strict change of day, the absence of fat in the diet and an important motivational moment make the diet effective and popular. But keep in mind that this program is designed for fast and short-term results. In order not to lose the lost kilograms, the weight loss and eventually the child must be fed rationally and not overeat.