For some reason, it's generally accepted that in summer, the fat accumulated over winter evaporates on its own due to an active lifestyle. No matter how it is! Many of us who step out of light shorts and baggy summer dresses at the end of the season find that we have gained significant weight. You immediately remember funny barbecues, cozy get-togethers in an ice cream parlor and exotic delicacies that you tasted in a foreign resort.
But this is not the time to be discouraged, you must act! August-September is watermelon season, and the pulp of a striped berry is not only delicious, but also useful for those who dream of losing weight. Nutritionists call the watermelon diet one of the most effective and gentle. Meanwhile, you don't have to deal with the appalling hunger pangs that affect your life and work. You just need to follow the diet, and the positive dynamic will not last long.
What is the effectiveness of the watermelon diet?
Watermelon pulp is a store for valuable micro and macro elements, vitamins and organic acids. The salts of iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium contained in it have a positive effect on the activity of the digestive, hematopoietic and cardiovascular systems. Watermelon fiber helps cleanse the body of toxins and eliminate harmful cholesterol. The acid-base balance is regulated by the presence of alkaline compounds in the product and pectin fibers normalize intestinal motility. In addition, eating watermelon regularly is a great prevention against cancer.
How to calculate the proportion
No matter how invaluable the benefits of watermelon, uncontrolled consumption of juicy pulp can, like any product, lead to catastrophic consequences - diarrhea, nausea, and severe abdominal pain.
The formula for calculating the individual daily requirement is simple: 1 kg of watermelon pulp per 10 kg of your weight. That is, if you weigh 60 kg, you can not eat more than 6 kg of watermelon without risk to health, of course, not in one sitting, but dividing it into equal portions.
Watermelon Diet Options
If you are concerned that you will only have to eat watermelon pulp while dieting, then this is not the case. The striped miracle berry can be combined well with other foods and thus enables a more varied menu. Choose the version of the watermelon diet that's right for you:
- With melon: The famous aromatic relative - the melon - comes to the rescue of the sugar bun. During this diet, eat light, low-calorie foods (low-fat cottage cheese, hard cheese, lean meat, vegetables) and melon slices serve as a healthy snack.
- With kefir: very good in the summer heat. Within 3 days, you will only consume the pulp of one striped berry and zero kefir (you can take 1%). The interval between meals is 3 hours.
- With black bread: a good option for those who avoid flour during a diet. You simply alternate watermelon slices with rye toast and become almost 1 kg lighter per day. The course duration is 10 days.
- With cucumber: only eat watermelons and cucumbers for 2 weeks (1 kg per day). It is allowed to "dilute" the menu of the day with 1-2 rye toasts and a glass of zero yoghurt.
- With rice: This option only allows watermelon and rice (parboiled, wild or brown). Daily product norm: rice - 100 g, watermelon pulp - no more than 1 kg per 20 kg of weight.
- With cottage cheese: the optimal weight loss program for dessert lovers. Low-fat cottage cheese (150-200 g each) is eaten for breakfast and afternoon tea, and the pulp of a striped berry is used for the rest of the meals.
- With buckwheat porridge: an option that will allow you to lose weight without being hungry. Allowed buckwheat (1 kg per day) in water without oil, watermelon (no more than 5 kg per day), fresh vegetable salads and non-carbonated soft drinks (green and herbal tea, water with lemon) without sugar.
- Watermelon protein is the ideal diet for meat eaters. The consumption of lean meat, low-fat fish, watermelon (2 kg per day) and dairy products (low-fat yogurt, low-fat kefir, 1% milk) is allowed. The optimal course duration is 10 days.
When following a watermelon diet, remember that a weight loss course primarily means cutting out starchy foods, sweets, salt, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. Coffee lovers can replace morning tea with a cup of your favorite beverage.
Duration of the watermelon diet
So the decision to lose weight has been made. Now assess the extent of the problem (the number of extra pounds) and your own willpower. Now select a course with a suitable duration:
- 1, 2 or 3 days is a tough but effective relief for the body, during which it is only allowed to consume watermelon meat and liquids (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 course of the watermelon diet is a five-day course, which allows you to use other low-calorie foods in addition to watermelons.
This is what your menu looks 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 porridge on the water.
Second breakfast: 2-3 slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- Salad (cucumber + tomatoes) with olive oil;
- 200 grams of lean fish;
- Green tea.
Snack: watermelon slices.
Dinner (3-4 hours before bed): watermelon.
day 2
First breakfast:
- 200 grams of unsweetened non-fat cottage cheese;
- 2-3 slices of watermelon;
- half a glass of tea or water (optional).
Second breakfast: a serving of watermelon.
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 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.
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 - stewed, boiled, or steamed.
Day 4
First breakfast:
- a 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.
Dinner:
- 250 g of lean meat cooked in a double boiler or grill;
- Vegetable salad (tomatoes + peppers + cucumber) with olive oil;
- Water.
Snack: a few slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- low-fat cottage cheese - 100 g;
- 1 pear or green apple.
Day 5
First breakfast:
- fruit salad (watermelon + green apple + plums);
- Tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon.
Dinner:
- fresh vegetable soup;
- a slice of black bread;
- Tea.
Snack: 1 chicken egg (hard-boiled or omelette).
Dinner: "shock" portion of watermelon - 400 g.
If you eat in this way, you can lose up to 4-5 kg during the course. If you need to lose more and still have the strength to move on, try sticking this diet out for 10 days instead of 5. Accordingly, the menu of the first day is similar to the menu of the sixth day, etc.
How do I get off the watermelon diet
The end of the diet course in no way means that you can greedily rush for previously banned smoked meat, pickles and confectionery, as the kilograms that were so heavily shed can quickly return to their original place. Continue to eat light, healthy foods like granola, fresh and steamed vegetables, fruits, cooked meats, and lean fish. Portions of a rather boring watermelon can be reduced, but the striped berry should not be completely excluded from the menu. The transition takes as long as the diet itself.
Contraindications
The benefits of watermelon are undeniable, but not everyone can consume it in large quantities. People with diseases of the kidneys, choleretic and genitourinary systems are at risk. The miracle berry is contraindicated in the last trimester of pregnancy, during breastfeeding and in diabetes mellitus.
And remember! A watermelon diet will help you get the result you want, but to get it you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, quit smoking and alcohol abuse, and also say goodbye to the daily bun cheesecake. You can handle it! Much luck!