Carbohydrate-free diet

Among the many different weight loss systems, the carbohydrate-free method occupies a special place. It is also used by professional athletes for so-called "drying". The main goal in this case is to get rid of subcutaneous fat and build muscle, giving them nice relief. Before starting a diet, carefully study all the advantages and disadvantages, principles and contraindications.

The essence

As the name suggests, a carb-free program refers to cutting carbs in your diet by focusing on fats and proteins. Many other protein diets are based on the same rules - Ducan, Montignac, keto diet. According to reviews, susceptible to a diet without carbohydrates, in two weeks the height can be 5-10 kg, depending on the initial body weight.

However, it is impossible to completely abandon carbohydrates, they are necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive tract and nervous system. Finally, carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body, so completely excluding them from the diet, you will soon begin to feel occasional headaches, drowsiness, fatigue, mood swings, low concentration and other "pleasures. " Therefore, nutritionists recommend keeping 20-30 grams of carbohydrates. At the same time, products with a low glycemic index are preferred.

What is GI

The glycemic index is the rate at which the body absorbs carbohydrates in food and increases blood sugar.

The scale for measuring the glycemic index (abbreviated GI) consists of 100 units. Accordingly, 0 is the minimum value, ie products that do not contain carbohydrates at all, and 100 is the maximum possible. Foods with a high GI very quickly saturate the blood with glucose, as a result of which the body replenishes with extra calories. If no extra energy is needed at this point, it is immediately converted into fat accumulations. In this way, the body provides itself with a source of reserve energy.

Remember: it is not foods with a high GI that will interfere with slimness, but their uncontrolled use. Especially with an inactive lifestyle. For example, if you’ve just done strength training, fast carbs will be helpful in stimulating muscle growth. And if you just sit on the couch and watch TV, sweets and pastries will only worsen your figure and health.

Note:the actual GI index may vary depending on the amount of food consumed, method of preparation, heat treatment, combination with other foods, and other factors. However, the numbers do not differ drastically: for example, Brussels sprouts will in any case remain a product with a low GI (10-20 units), and the glycemic index of instant cereals will still be high.

Foods with high glycemic index (95-70)

These include:

• White bread;
• buns;
• pancakes;
• baked, boiled and mashed potatoes;
• rice noodles;
• instant porridge, including rice;
• honey;
• cornflakes;
• sports drinks (PowerAde, Gatorade);
• sweet pastries;
• muesli with walnuts and raisins;
• pumpkins, watermelons and melons;
• milk chocolate and chocolate bars;
• Pepsi and Coca-Cola carbonated drinks;
• dumplings;
• chips;
• sugar.

Medium GI (65-55)

• Wheat flour;
• packaged juices;
• cans and jams;
• rye and black yeast bread;
• jam;
• muesli with sugar;
• potatoes in a jacket;
• raisins;
• wholemeal bread;
• canned vegetables;
• Pasta with cheese;
• bananas;
• sweet ice cream;
• long grain rice;
• mayonnaise;
• oatmeal;
• buckwheat brown;
• grapes and grape juice;
• ketchup;
• spaghetti;
• pastries.

Low GI (50-5)

• Sweet potatoes (jam, jam);
• green buckwheat;
• basmati rice;
• unsweetened cranberry juice;
• oranges, kiwis and mangoes;
• unsweetened apple juice;
• brown rice;
• grapefruit;
• coconut;
• freshly squeezed orange juice;
• unsweetened carrot juice;
• dried apricots and prunes;
• tomato juice;
• cabbage of different types: cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage;
• nuts: peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts;
• rhubarb;
• bean curd (tofu);
• soy;
• spinach;
• greens: parsley, basil, oregano.

Important:even low GI foods contain calories, so you will have to count them. There is no direct relationship between glycemic index and calorie content.

How it works

To produce glucose and other energy sources, the body needs a substance called alanine. The body does not receive enough carbohydrates, so it must use "fat reserves" to produce alanine. In order not to lose muscle mass, you must eat protein foods.

You gradually lose weight, your body cleanses and relieves itself. Vigilance and well-being are guaranteed.

Note:alanine is an aliphatic amino acid that plays an important role in human energy metabolism. Thanks to the interaction of alanine with various biologically active compounds, other useful substances are formed in the body.

General principles

To make the result quick and effective, we carefully observe all aspects of this food system:

1. Eat 5-6 small meals during the day. You will have to forget about medium snacks.
2. The norms of water that is drunk daily are 2-2, 5 liters. Drink water before meals and half an hour after, but not at the same time.
3. Eat your last meal before seven or eight in the evening. If you suffer from an unbearable feeling of hunger in the evening, cheat your stomach with a glass of water and then go to bed.
4. Take vitamin and mineral supplements.
5. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the menu gradually: from the usual speed of 150-200 g, approach the minimum value - 20-30 grams.
6. Eliminate from the diet bread, sugar, coffee, foods containing starch (potatoes, beets, corn), fruits with high GI, semi-finished products; food labeled as "dietary" or fat-free, alcohol is also unacceptable.
7. Of the vegetable fats, only a few nuts and olive or flaxseed oil are allowed.
8. Frying food is allowed, but again only in olive or linseed oil.
9. Don’t forget to exercise. If you are completely unbearable to run in the morning or swim, take comfort in the fact that thanks to physical education, the skin will not lose after losing weight, and the muscles will get a nice shape.

The basis of nutrition

Foods you can eat without restrictions:

• meat (beef, veal, rabbit, turkey);
• poultry eggs and offal (liver, tongue, heart);
• fish and seafood (sea fish fillets, shrimps, lobsters, crabs);
• dairy products (cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, unsweetened yogurt);
• berries, citrus fruits and other low GI fruits;
• vegetables (cabbage, peas and fresh beans, leafy vegetables and vegetables);
• nuts and seeds.

Advantages and disadvantages

pros

1. From the various permitted products, you can compile a menu to your liking. Every day the diet will be different, which means that the diet is easy to tolerate and painless.
2. There is no need to waste time preparing special dishes.
3. Eligible food costs.
4. Reliability, you will lose weight very quickly.
5. When the use of carbohydrate foods in the body is limited, ketones are produced - substances that accelerate the process of burning fat. Ketones reduce appetite, energize the brain and act as antidepressants.

Minuses

However, not everything is so rosy; a carbohydrate-free diet also has significant drawbacks.

1. As a result of eating large amounts of protein foods, metabolic products overload the liver and kidneys. They work very intensively, which can lead to the development of chronic diseases.
2. By rejecting foods that contain carbohydrates, a person deprives his body of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, experts recommend taking vitamins and dietary supplements that have been proven.
3. With a lack of carbohydrates in the body, ketone bodies are formed. They accumulate in the blood and then pass into the urine. People call this symptom "acetone in the urine", which indicates a violation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
4. Often the body does not want to accept a diet without carbohydrates, so the person has unpleasant symptoms: weakness, nausea, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
5. Foods rich in protein are high in fat, so watch your menu.

To me

As mentioned earlier, this diet does not have a strict menu, you can compose it yourself.

7 days

Monday

• Morning: omelet with cheese or egg; sugar-free coffee or orange juice; diet bread.
• Day: vegetable soup with chicken soup; chicken with rice; a glass of kefir; instead of rice you can use a vegetable salad with olive oil.
• Evening: various cucumbers and tomatoes, spiced with lemon juice; low-fat cottage cheese; grapefruit.

Tuesday

• Morning: low-fat yogurt; a piece of cheese; oranges or apples.
• Day: vegetable soup with beef broth; boiled veal; kefir or apple juice.
• Evening: boiled cauliflower with mushrooms; boiled egg; Dried fruit compote.

Wednesday

• Morning: oatmeal on water; fresh cheese pans; green tea.
• Day: fish soup without potatoes; boiled fish; celery salad; coffee.
• Evening: turkey meat with vegetables; tomato juice; Greek salad.

Thursday

• Morning: scrambled eggs with tomato; apples; rosehip broth.
• Day: cheese soup; cooked breast with vegetables; yogurt.
• Evening: buckwheat porridge; boiled beef; fruit juice.

Friday

• Morning: cottage cheese with cream; boiled egg; sugar-free coffee.
• Afternoon: vegetable soup with green sorrel; fish fried in olive oil; green tea or berry juice.
• Evening: cabbage salad; beef steak; herbal tea.

Saturday

• Morning: 2 eggs; oatmeal and tea.
• Day: chicken soup without potatoes; millet porridge; yogurt.
• Evening: boiled fish; cucumber and tomato salad; rosehip broth.

Sunday

• Morning: cottage cheese and berry mousse; baked apples.
• Day: turkey borscht; roasted fish; tomato juice.
• Evening: beef liver; steamed cauliflower; compote.

10 days

Day 1

• Breakfast: two soft-boiled eggs; various cucumbers and tomatoes with the addition of Chinese cabbage (season with 1 teaspoon of olive oil); sugar-free coffee or rosehip soup.
• Lunch: a slice of low-fat cheese and two leaves of lettuce.
• Lunch: grilled breasts; radish leaf salad and lettuce; green tea.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir and a handful of berries.
• Dinner: lean lean fish fillet; roasted eggplant or zucchini with cheese.

Day 2

• Breakfast: omelette of two eggs with tomato; natural yogurt with fruit pieces; coffee without sugar and milk.
• Lunch: a glass of kefir and orange.
• Lunch: chipboard fillet; vegetable stew of tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, leeks.
• Afternoon snack: cucumber stuffed with grated cheese (45 gr. ).
• Dinner: grilled beef steak; spinach, arugula and avocado salad; carrot juice.

Day 3

• Breakfast: omelette of two eggs with tomato; two slices of celery and 45 g of grated cheese; rosehip broth.
• Lunch: a glass of yogurt with berries or pieces of fruit.
• Lunch: boiled mackerel fillet; broccoli, leek and tomato puree soup.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir with berries.
• Dinner: grilled pork fillet; steam cauliflower with the addition of 1 tsp. olive oil; herbal tea.

Day 4

• Breakfast: natural yogurt with pieces of fruit; two soft-boiled eggs; green tea.
• Lunch: two slices of celery and a slice of cheese.
• Lunch: grilled tuna fillet; salad of white cabbage, radish and cucumber.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir and a handful of berries.
• Dinner: breast; zucchini pancakes; coffee.

Day 5

• Breakfast: fresh cheese casserole with berries; herbal tea.
• Lunch: a small portion of Caesar and chicken breast.
• Lunch: seafood fillet; white cabbage, cucumbers and radishes with olive oil.
• Dinner: beef steak; asparagus baked in the oven, sprinkled with grated cheese.

Day 6

• Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese with berries and green tea.
• Lunch: fried salad and salsa salad.
• Lunch: Salmon and mushroom fillet soup.
• Afternoon snack: two slices of celery and 45 g of low-fat cheese.
• Dinner: steamed breast and asparagus with grated cheese.

Day 7

• Breakfast: egg omelette with tomato and herbs; natural yogurt with fruit pieces; coffee.
• Lunch: a small portion of Caesar seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
• Lunch: chipboard fillets and roasted cauliflower.
• Afternoon snack: cheese and two slices of celery.
• Dinner: breasts and a portion of Mexican guacamole salad and herbal tea.

From the eighth day we start from the beginning. In this version, it is allowed to drink a glass of low-fat milk or kefir at night.

Hard variety

This option is suitable only for highly motivated people of good health and strong willpower.

• Day 1Starting at 10 a. m. , we eat one boiled egg every two hours. Only 5 eggs a day.
• 2nd. During the day, in small meals, we eat 1 kg of lean fish cooked without salt.
• 3rd. 2 boiled breasts without salt.
• 4th. 5 boiled potatoes.
• 5th. Half a kilo of cooked beef or veal.
• 6th. 2 kg of any fruit except bananas.
• 7th. 2 kg of vegetables except potatoes. Method of cooking: cooking, steaming, grilling.
• 8th. 1 kg of low-fat cottage cheese.
• 9th. 2 liters of low-fat kefir.
• 10th. We drink rosehip decoction all day.

14 days

Day 1

• Breakfast: two boiled eggs, tea or coffee without sugar.
• Snack: 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese.
• Lunch: 200 g of boiled pollock, rosehip soup.
• Afternoon snack: white cabbage and cucumber salad.
• Dinner: 100 g of cooked pollock.

Day 2

• Breakfast: oatmeal, egg, green tea.
• Snack: a glass of kefir or natural yogurt with berries or pieces of fruit.
• Lunch: buckwheat porridge and fried breast 100 g.
• Afternoon snack: various cucumbers and tomatoes.
• Dinner: boiled pole 100 g.

Day 3

• Breakfast: oatmeal, egg, green tea.
• Snack: green apple.
• Lunch: a portion of brown rice and 100 g of chicken breast.
• Afternoon snack: casserole.
• Dinner: Brussels sprouts salad.

Day 4

• Breakfast: omelet of two eggs. Sugar-free tea or coffee.
• Snack: sea pole or breastfed breast 100 g.
• Lunch: boiled pole 200 g, roasted vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, different types of cabbage).
• Afternoon snack: various vegetables 200 g.
• Dinner: grapefruit and apple juice.

Day 5

• Breakfast: oatmeal and boiled egg.
• Snack: vegetable salad, 50 g low-fat cheese.
• Lunch: cooked rice and breast, vegetables 100 g.
• Afternoon snack: carrot salad and low-fat cottage cheese, 100 g each.
• Dinner: one green apple and unlimited cabbage.

Day 6

• Breakfast: omelet of two eggs with tomato.
• Snack: vegetable salad 150 g or 100 g of cottage cheese.
• Lunch: cooked rice and chicken breast.
• Afternoon snack: carrot salad in olive oil and cabbage.
• Dinner: 100 g of soap and a glass of kefir.

Day 7

• Breakfast: oatmeal with boiled egg. Tea with a spoonful of honey.
• Snack: apple or orange.
• Lunch: 200 g of cooked beef porridge and pearl barley.
• Afternoon snack: 100 g of cottage cheese.
• Dinner: 200 g of vegetable salad with a slice of cheese.

Day 8

• Breakfast: two boiled eggs, apple, green tea.
• Snack: orange.
• Lunch: buckwheat porridge or rice with almonds (150 g).
• Afternoon snack: boiled breast 200 g.
• Dinner: vegetable salad 200 g.

Day 9

• Breakfast: a glass of kefir and an omelet.
• Snack: cabbage salad with cucumber 200 g.
• Lunch: cooked rice and breast.
• Afternoon snack: carrot salad.
• Dinner: vegetable salad and small grapefruit.

Day 10

• Breakfast: oatmeal, egg and tea with a spoonful of honey.
• Snack: vegetable salad 100 g.
• Lunch: a portion of rice, chicken cutlets with steamed onions.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of natural yogurt.
• Dinner: low-fat cottage cheese and green apple.

Day 11

• Breakfast: two soft-boiled eggs, green tea or unsweetened coffee.
• Snack: orange and a handful of nuts.
• Lunch: 200 g grilled fish.
• Afternoon snack: tomato juice 200 g.
• Dinner: beef steak 150 g.

Day 12

• Breakfast: oatmeal and eggs, coffee.
• Snack: 50 g of low-fat cheese.
• Lunch: 200 g lentil soup, fish cakes.
• Dinner: banana and carrot juice.

Day 13

• Breakfast: vegetable salad, coffee and bun.
• Snack: cabbage salad.
• Lunch: steamed fish cakes and buckwheat porridge.
• Afternoon snack: apple and a glass of kefir.
• Dinner: salmon steak, lettuce leaves.

Day 14

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs of two eggs with a slice of bacon.
• Snack: 50 g cheese and two slices of celery.
• Lunch: a portion of brown rice and cooked breast.
• Afternoon snack: 200g sour cream.
• Dinner: vegetable stew and herbal decoction.

For a month

You can make a diet for such a long period yourself, following the following recommendations:

First week (introductory). In the morning we eat complex carbohydrates, for a snack and lunch - proteins and complex carbohydrates 50/50, in the afternoon snack and dinner - protein foods. Sweet and starchy foods are completely excluded, but vegetables and fruits with a low GI can be added. The goal of the first week is to prepare the body for a carbohydrate-free diet.

Another week. We eat the following: eggs (2 pieces per day), low-fat cottage cheese, 1% kefir, 0. 5% milk (one glass), boiled beef, skinless chicken breast (fat is concentrated in them), boiled or baked sea fish, fruitsea, fresh vegetables: cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs (unlimited), apples and oranges (one daily until 14-00), for dinner you can eat 1 tbsp. spoon of bran.

Third week. Low-fat cottage cheese, eggs (2 - whole, 2 more - only proteins), boiled breast, boiled or baked sea fish, cucumber (one piece per day), herbs, bran, 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day.

Fourth week. 2 boiled chicken breasts a day, boiled egg whites (7-8 pieces a day), a bunch of primroses, bran.

What is drying

This term has entered everyday life from fitness and bodybuilding. Athletes use it to burn fat while maintaining muscle mass.

What you need to know

1. Even if you carry out drying according to all the rules, it is not safe at all. The kidneys and liver are overloaded, which causes weakness and lethargy, worsening of chronic diseases and malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. If you do not exercise, there will be no drying of fat, it will be the usual low-calorie diet. You shouldn’t expect miracles from her, but health problems are quite expected.
3. Drying only makes sense if you have previously done sports training and if you have the muscle mass you need to get rid of the fat layer. If there are no pronounced muscles under the layer of fat, it will be more effective for you to leave flour, fatty and sweet foods.
4. It is a time consuming process and does not sound like a quick weight loss routine before a break. Short-term drying (to prepare for the competition) takes one to two weeks, and long-term (gradual) drying takes five to seven weeks. Only gradual will help you tighten the figure.
5. It is held no more than twice a year.

Perfect drying performance

1. Two weeks before the start of drying it is necessary to support the liver. This will help you with hepatoprotectors - prophylactic agents that have a positive effect on the liver.
2. During this time the body should not experience stress: travel, wedding, session, emergency at work. Therefore, carefully plan the drying period.
3. Women are not recommended to "dry" for more than a month and a half, otherwise hormonal disorders will follow. At the end of the process, an exit follows. In terms of duration, it is equal to the drying itself.
4. Trainings in this period should be short, but very intense. Cardio training should last a maximum of half an hour, and strength training should last 45 minutes.
5. The calorie content of the diet is only 300-350 calories less than usual. A menu with too few calories (up to 1200 kcal per day) is only suitable if your pre-drying weight is 55 kg or less.
6. Protein shakes and other dietary supplements are used in consultation with the trainer.

Nutritionists strongly warn: drying is not just a diet without carbohydrates, it is too serious a procedure to do it yourself, at home. Experiments can negatively affect health.

Contraindications to a carbohydrate-free diet

Before starting such a diet, you should consult your doctor in the following cases:

1. If you have recently had surgery.
2. You have problems with your kidneys, liver or gastrointestinal tract.
3. They suffer from some kind of chronic disease.

Diet is strictly forbidden:

• children under the age of 18;
• breastfeeding and pregnant women;
• with food allergy to protein products.

Carbohydrate recipes

To make your menu delicious and varied, we offer a few simple recipes.

Chicken balls with cheese

Take 0. 5 kg of chicken fillet and move through a meat grinder. A little salt, pepper and two minced cloves of garlic will enhance the flavor. Mix everything well. Beat a raw egg. Grate 200 gr on a coarse grater. hard cheese and noodles formed, also add to the minced meat. Stir again. Coat the baking sheet with olive oil and shape into small meatballs. Bake them in the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes. When it turns yellow, turn to the other side. Serve hot, sprinkled with herbs.

Liver casserole

Take one kilogram of beef liver, rinse it thoroughly with cold water, grind it to the consistency of puree using a meat grinder or blender. Finely chop one onion and 200 gr. mushrooms. Whisk 4 egg whites. Add 2 tbsp. spoons of oat bran. Mix the whole mass well. Put in a mold, greased with olive oil and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes. You can use sugar-free kebab spice during cooking.

A casserole without onions and mushrooms is also possible.

Light chicken salad

Cook 100 gr. chicken fillet. Drain the soup, it will be useful for the soup. Take 50 gr. lettuce leaves and cut into strips. Cut the finished fillet, cucumber, tomato and boiled egg into cubes. Combine all ingredients and add a drop of olive oil.

Mushrooms fried in eggs

Take a pound of fresh mushrooms, chop finely, cook in salted water and place in a colander. When the liquid has drained, transfer the mushrooms to a pan and fry a little in olive oil. Then transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Using a spoon, make two holes in the mass and pour in the raw eggs. Bake in the oven until the eggs are done.

Pumpkin pancakes

Take 200 gr. pumpkins and grates. Beat one raw egg into the resulting mass. Add 4 tbsp. spoons of flour and a pinch of soda. Stir in the pumpkin batter until smooth. Shape the pancakes and bake at 200 degrees. You can sprinkle them with grated cheese beforehand. Instead of baking, pancakes can be easily fried.

Getting out of the diet

How to get out of the diet properly:

1. Return to your normal diet gradually, adding new foods every week. For example, seven days after the end of the marathon, you enter pasta in the menu. Fourteen days later - starchy vegetables, after three weeks - cereals and so on. . .
2. Continue to eat in part: in small meals several times a day. Nutritionists say that 5 meals a day is much healthier than those that are rare.
3. Follow the rules of the green board. It sounds like this: half is filled with leafy greens and crispy vegetables. One quarter of the plate: cereals - rice, bulgur, beans and the other quarter: healthy protein foods the size of a human palm - fish, chicken, beef, etc.
4. The amount of carbohydrates consumed daily increases by only 30 grams. It’s great if it’s slow carbs.
5. Don’t forget to exercise. It is not necessary to spend evenings in the gym, you can just walk at a brisk pace and do light exercises in the morning.
6. Limit fat intake.