Carbohydrate-free diet

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

The essence

As the name suggests, a carb-free program involves reducing carbohydrates 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, if you follow a diet without carbohydrates, after two weeks the plumb line 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. After all, carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body, therefore, by eliminating them completely from the diet, you will soon begin to experience periodic headaches, drowsiness, fatigue, mood swings, low concentration and other "pleasures". Nutritionists recommend staying with 20-30 grams of carbohydrates in your diet per day, while products with a low glycemic index have an advantage.

What is GI

The glycemic index is the rate at which carbohydrates in food are absorbed by the body and raise blood sugar.

The scale for measuring the glycemic index (abbreviated as 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 immediately turns into fat deposits. This is how the body provides 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 have just done strength training, fast carbs will benefit by 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, the method of preparation, the heat treatment, the combination with another food and other factors. However, the figures do not differ drastically: Brussels sprouts, for example, will in any case remain a product with a low GI (10-20 units), and the glycemic index of immediate cereals will still be high.

Foods with high glycemic index (95-70)

They include:

• White bread;
• rolls;
• pancakes;
• baked potatoes, boiled and mashed potatoes;
• rice noodles;
• soluble porridge, including rice;
• honey;
• cornflakes;
• sports drinks (PowerAde, Gatorade);
• sweet pastries;
• muesli with nuts and raisins;
• pumpkin, watermelon and melon;
• milk chocolate and chocolate bars;
• Pepsi and Coca-Cola carbonated drinks;
• dumplings;
• chips;
• sugar.

Medium GI (65-55)

• Wheat flour;
• packaged juices;
• canned and jams;
• rye and black leavened bread;
• marmalade;
• muesli with sugar;
• jacket potatoes;
• raisins;
• whole grain bread;
• canned vegetables;
• Pasta with cheese;
• bananas;
• sweet ice cream;
• long grain rice;
• mayonnaise;
• oatmeal;
• buckwheat brown;
• grapes and grape juice;
• ketchup;
• spaghetti;
• sweets.

Low GI (50-5)

• Sweet potatoes (yams, yams);
• 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);
• soybeans;
• spinach;
• greens: parsley, basil, oregano.

Important:even low GI foods contain calories, so you'll have to count them. There is no direct relationship between the 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 get enough carbohydrates, so it must use "fat reserves" to produce alanine. In order not to lose muscle mass, you need to eat protein foods.

Gradually you lose weight, the body is cleansed and unloaded. Vigilance and well-being are guaranteed.

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

Basic Principles

In order for the result to be quick and effective, we carefully monitor all aspects of this food system:

1. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. You will have to forget about snacks.
2. The norms of drinking water per day 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 are tormented by an unbearable feeling of hunger in the evening, cover your stomach with a glass of water and then go to bed.
4. Take vitamin and mineral supplements.
5. Gradually reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the menu: from the usual norm of 150-200 g, approach the minimum value - 20-30 grams.
6. Exclude 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 oil or linseed oil are allowed.
8. Fried food is allowed, but again only in olive or linseed oil.
9. Do not forget about 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 sag after losing weight, and the muscles will acquire a beautiful shape.

Basis of the diet

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);
• fruits, citrus fruits and other fruits with low GI;
• vegetables (cabbage, peas and fresh beans, leafy vegetables and vegetables);
• nuts and seeds.

Advantages and disadvantages

professionals

1. You can compile a menu according to your taste from different permitted products. Every day the diet will be different, which means that the diet is easily and painlessly tolerated.
2. You do not need to waste time preparing special dishes.
3. Eligible dietary costs.
4. Reliability, you will lose weight really fast.
5. By limiting the use of carbohydrate foods, the body produces ketones - substances that accelerate the process of burning fat. Ketones reduce appetite, energize the brain and act as antidepressants.

Cons

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 refusing foods that contain carbohydrates, one deprives one's body of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, experts recommend taking vitamins and supplements that have been proven.
3. In the absence 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", it indicates a violation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
4. Often the body does not want to accept a diet without carbohydrates, so a person has unpleasant symptoms: weakness, nausea, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
5. Foods rich in protein are high in fat, so be careful with your diet.

Menu

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

For 7 days

Monday

• Morning: omelet with cheese or egg; coffee or orange juice without sugar; diet bread.
• Day: vegetable soup with chicken broth; chicken with rice; a glass of kefir; instead of rice, you can use a vegetable salad with olive oil.
• Evening: assorted cucumbers and tomatoes seasoned with lemon juice; low-fat cottage cheese; grapefruit.

Tuesday

• In the morning: low-fat yogurt; a piece of cheese; orange or apples.
• Day: vegetable soup with beef broth; boiled beef; kefir or apple juice.
• Evening: boiled cauliflower with mushrooms; boiled egg; dried fruit compote.

Wednesday

• In the morning: oatmeal in water; casserole with cottage cheese; green tea.
• Day: fish soup without potatoes; boiled fish; celery salad; coffee.
• Evening: turkey meat with vegetables; tomato juice; Greek salad.

Thursday

• In the morning: scrambled eggs with tomatoes; apples; rosehip broth.
• Day: soup with cheese; boiled breasts with vegetables; yoghurt.
• Evening: buckwheat porridge; boiled beef; fruit juice.

Friday

• In the morning: cottage cheese with sour cream; boiled egg; coffee without sugar.
• Afternoon: vegetable soup with green sorrel; fried fish 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; yoghurt.
• Evening: boiled fish; cucumber and tomato salad; rosehip broth.

Sunday

• In the morning: cottage cheese and berry mousse; baked apples.
• Day: turkey borsch; roasted fish; tomato juice.
• Evening: beef liver; steamed cauliflower; compote.

For 10 days

Day 1

• Breakfast: two soft-boiled eggs; assorted cucumbers and tomatoes with the addition of Chinese cabbage (season with 1 teaspoon of olive oil); coffee without sugar or rosehip broth.
• Lunch: a piece of low-fat cheese and two lettuce leaves.
• Lunch: grilled breasts; radish and lettuce leaf salad; green tea.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir and a handful of fruit.
• Dinner: steamed fish fillet; roasted eggplant or zucchini with cheese.

Day 2

• Breakfast: omelette of two eggs with tomatoes; natural yogurt with fruit pieces; coffee without sugar and milk.
• Lunch: a glass of kefir and orange.
• Lunch: flounder fillet; vegetable stew prepared from tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, leeks.
• Afternoon snack: cucumber stuffed with grated yellow cheese (45 g).
• 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 fruit or fruit pieces.
• Lunch: boiled mackerel fillet; broccoli, leek and tomato puree soup.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir with berries.
• Dinner: grilled pork fillet; stewed 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 piece of cheese.
• Lunch: grilled tuna fillet; salad of white cabbage, radishes and cucumbers.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir and a handful of fruit.
• Dinner: breasts; zucchini pancakes; coffee.

Day 5

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

Day 6

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

Day 7

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

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

Solid variety

This option is suitable only for very motivated people with good health and strong will.

• 1st day. Starting at 10 am, we eat one boiled egg every two hours. Only 5 eggs a day.
• 2nd. During the day we eat 1 kg of lean fish, prepared without salt, in small portions.
• 3rd. 2 boiled breasts without salt.
• 4th. 5 boiled potatoes.
• 5th. Half a kilo of boiled beef or veal.
• 6th. 2 kg of any fruit, except bananas.
• 7th. 2 kg of all kinds 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.

For 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 mint, rosehip broth.
• Afternoon snack: salad of white cabbage and cucumbers.
• Dinner: 100 g of boiled pollock.

Day 2

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

Day 3

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

Day 4

• Breakfast: omelette of two eggs. Tea or coffee without sugar.
• Snack: pollock or stewed breast 100 g.
• Lunch: boiled pollock 200 g, roasted vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, various types of cabbage).
• Afternoon breakfast: assorted vegetables 200g.
• Dinner: grapefruit and apple juice.

Day 5

• Breakfast: oatmeal and boiled egg.
• Breakfast: vegetable salad, 50 g low-fat cheese.
• Lunch: boiled 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: omelette of two eggs with tomato.
• Snack: vegetable salad 150 g or 100 g of cottage cheese.
• Lunch: boiled rice and chicken breast.
• Afternoon snack: carrot salad in olive oil and cabbage.
• Dinner: 100 g of pollock 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 boiled beef porridge and pearl barley.
• Afternoon snack: 100 g of cottage cheese.
• Dinner: 200 g vegetable salad with a piece of cheese.

Day 8

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

Day 9

• Breakfast: a glass of kefir and an omelet.
• Snack: cabbage salad with cucumber 200g.
• Lunch: boiled rice and breasts.
• 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 100g.
• Lunch: 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 of grilled fish.
• Afternoon breakfast: tomato juice 200g.
• Dinner: beef steak 150g.

Day 12

• Breakfast: oatmeal and egg, coffee.
• Snack: 50 g 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: wholesale fish cakes and buckwheat porridge.
• Afternoon snack: apple and a glass of kefir.
• Dinner: salmon steak, lettuce leaves.

Day 14

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

For a month

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

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

Second week. We eat the following: eggs (2 pieces per day), low-fat cottage cheese, 1% kefir, 0, 5% milk (one cup), boiled beef, skinless chicken breast (it contains concentrated fat), boiled or roasted sea fish, seafood, fresh vegetables: cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs (unlimited), apples and oranges (one a day 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 protein), boiled breasts, boiled or roasted 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 parsley, 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 should Know

1. Even if you dry according to all the rules, it is not safe at all. The kidneys and liver are overloaded, which provokes weakness and lethargy, exacerbation of chronic diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. If you do not exercise, then there will be no drying of fat, this will be a normal low-calorie diet. You should not expect miracles from her, but health problems are quite expected.
3. Drying only makes sense if you have previously participated in sports training and 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 give up flour, fatty and sweet foods.
4. It's a long process and doesn't sound like a quick pre-vacation weight loss program. Short-term drying (for race preparation) takes one to two weeks, and long-term (gradual) drying takes five to seven weeks. Only gradually will it help to tighten the figure.
5. It is held no more than twice a year.

Perfect performance when drying

1. Two weeks before the start of drying it is necessary to maintain the liver. This will help hepatoprotectors - prophylactics that have a positive effect on the liver.
2. During this time, the body should not experience stress: travel, wedding, session, emergencies. Therefore, carefully plan the drying period.
3. It is not recommended for women to "dry out" for more than a month and a half, otherwise hormonal disorders will follow. At the end of the process there is a way out.
4. Training during this period should be short but very intense. Cardio training should last no more than 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 low calories (up to 1200 kcal per day) is only suitable if you weigh 55 kg or less before drying.
6. Protein shakes and other nutritional supplements are used in consultation with the trainer.

Nutritionists strongly warn: drying is not just a diet without carbohydrates, it is too serious a process to do it yourself at home. Experiments can have a negative effect on health.

Contraindications to a diet without carbohydrates

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. You suffer from some kind of chronic disease.

The diet is strictly forbidden:

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

Recipes for carbohydrates

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

Chicken balls with cheese

Take 0, 5 kg of chicken fillet and roll through a meat grinder. A dash of salt, pepper and two minced garlic cloves will improve the taste. Mix everything well. Beat in a raw egg. Grate 200 g of hard cheese on a large grater and add the resulting sawdust to the minced meat. Stir again. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and form small balls of meat. Bake them in the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes. When it turns red, turn to the other side. Serve hot, sprinkled with herbs.

Liver casserole

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

It is also possible to have casserole without onions and mushrooms.

Light chicken salad

Boil 100 g of chicken fillet. Squeeze the broth will be useful for soup. Take 50 g of 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 half a kilo of fresh mushrooms, chop finely, boil in salted water and put in a colander. When the liquid is drained, transfer the mushrooms to the pan and fry a little in olive oil. Then transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Use a spoon to make two holes in the table and pour the raw eggs. Bake in the oven until the eggs are done.

Pumpkin pancakes

Take 200 g of pumpkin and grate. Beat one raw egg in the resulting mass. Add 4 tablespoons flour and a pinch of baking soda. Stir in the pumpkin dough until smooth. Shape the pancakes and bake at 200 degrees. You can pre-sprinkle them with grated cheese. Instead of baking, pancakes can simply be 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 a marathon, you enter pasta in the menu. Fourteen days later - starchy vegetables, after three weeks - cereals and so on. . .
2. Continue to eat partially: in small portions several times a day. Nutritionists say that 5 meals a day are much healthier than the rare ones.
3. Follow the green tile rule. It sounds like this: half of them are full of leafy vegetables and crispy vegetables. A quarter of the plate: cereals - rice, bulgur, beans and the second quarter: healthy protein foods the size of a human palm - fish, chicken, beef and more.
4. The amount of carbohydrates consumed every day increases by only 30 grams. It's great if these are slow carbs.
5. Do not forget about exercise. You do not need to spend evenings in the gym, you can just walk at a brisk pace and do light exercises in the morning.
6. Limit your fat intake.