You can lose weight easily, quickly and deliciously if you discover the watermelon diet.Watermelon is rich in vitamins and seems to only benefit the body.But whether this is really the case remains to be seen.Such a diet has its advantages and pitfalls, and in order not to run into it, you need to approach the issue responsibly, then you do not have to save yourself from serious health problems instead of extra pounds.
Basic principles of the watermelon diet
On the one hand, the principle of the watermelon diet is simple - exclude everything from your diet except watermelon and lose weight.Eating this one berry can really get you results.
But how positive it will be depends on several factors:
- The diet is implemented during the watermelon season - August-September.If you get carried away any other time, you can “feed” yourself nitrates and end up in the hospital.
- When choosing a berry, give preference to small or medium-sized fruits without dents and cracks.
- If a mono-diet is chosen, it lasts for 3-5 days at most.Watermelon is nutritious and contains vitamins, but not enough to completely replace a nutritious diet.
- The long-term watermelon diet is necessarily accompanied by other foods: unsweetened fruits, vegetables, cereals, lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy products.
- The withdrawal from the diet is gradual, with the daily addition of other foods, according to the principle: from lighter to heavier.It is important to watch the calories and the amount of food.A sudden load on the body nullifies all efforts, and the body is happy to accumulate additional reserves for the future.This immediately affects the rapid return of lost kilograms.
- Before cutting the watermelon, wash it thoroughly;this will help you avoid getting an intestinal infection.
By following the rules, you can lose 3 kg in a few days with a watermelon diet.But you need to understand that initially it is not the loss of fat deposits.During the first days of the diet, the excess water trapped in the cells leaves the body, along with the toxic substances.Such stagnation often causes a slowdown in metabolism and weight gain.
Features of the watermelon diet
The watermelon diet for weight loss is one of the relatively mild diets.The sweetness of the berry and its high water content allow you not to feel hungry, even if only watermelon is on the menu on all three days.
But its main feature is the ability to lose not only extra pounds in a short time.During the diet, excess fluid, waste products and toxins leave the body, and the concentration of bad cholesterol decreases.Metabolic processes start up again, the functioning of the digestive system and kidneys improves.
Listen!If during the diet you feel unwell or chronic diseases worsen, it is better to leave the diet and consult a doctor.
In order to lose weight effectively, some features of the watermelon diet should be taken into account:
- First of all, exclude salty and sweet foods and snacks, do not eat fatty foods and give up alcohol.
- For a long-term watermelon diet, make a menu to avoid the simultaneous consumption of cheese, dairy products and eggs berries.This combination can cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, with all its consequences: flatulence, flatulence (gas) and stool disorders.
- It is better to prepare for the diet in advance: 3-4 days before the start, add watermelon to the menu, gradually increasing the portions, and remove other foods from the diet, starting with the more difficult ones.
- The watermelon diet lasts no more than 10-14 days.This time, if all the rules are followed, is enough to lose up to 6 kg.If a repeated course is required, we recommend that you do it no earlier than one month later.
Benefits of the watermelon diet
The main advantage of the watermelon diet lies in the properties of the watermelon itself, or rather its composition:
- Water stimulates metabolic processes, improves the flow of bile, normalizes the functioning of the excretory system, thereby eliminating swelling.
- Fructose - gives energy and tones, helps relieve fatigue.
- Vitamins and minerals - Watermelon contains vitamins A, C, E, PP, B, mineral salts, iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.This preparation makes it possible to normalize sleep, combat chronic fatigue, stabilize blood pressure, and relieve muscle spasms and numbness.
- Pectins - clean blood vessels, lower cholesterol and normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Antioxidants (lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin) - increase immunity, reduce the risk of developing cancer cells, have a positive effect on the hormonal system, and improve heart function.
This nutrient complex not only helps in the fight against excess weight, but also in improving health.
Also important is the fact that watermelon is low in calories - only30-40 Kcalper 100 g pulp.
Contraindications to the watermelon diet
Despite the rich and healthy composition of the berry, the watermelon diet has many contraindications.
It is better to refuse if:
- kidney disease: they may not be able to handle large amounts of fluid;
- the presence of sand and stones in the bile and kidneys;
- diabetes mellitus;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- for allergies.
Even if you are absolutely sure of your health, it is important to monitor how you feel while dieting.If you feel unwell or feel pain due to the strict regime, it is better to refuse immediately and consult a doctor for advice.
Disadvantages of the watermelon diet
Before starting a watermelon diet for weight loss, you need to consider its disadvantages.In some cases, they can outweigh the benefits of the beneficial properties of the berry.
Minor disadvantages include:
- Seasonality.Healthy and affordable watermelons are sold only in late summer and early autumn.
- It is worth going on a diet while on vacation.The diuretic effect causes significant discomfort during work.Serious deficiencies can have more serious consequences than problems related to extra pounds.
- Watermelon has a high glycemic index (GI).Such foods lead to a spike in blood sugar and the deposition of calories in fat reserves.
- Watermelon is low in calories, but it's easy to be fooled.If we calculate 1 kg of watermelon per 10 kilograms of body weight, we can even exceed the daily calorie requirement.For example, the norm of eating berries weighing 70 kg will be 7 kg in the case of a mono-diet.It turns out: 7 x 10 x 35 = 2450 Kcal.At the same time, the norm of a sedentary lifestyle for a 30-year-old woman with a height of 170 and a weight of 70 kg is 2100 kcal per day.This puts you at risk of gaining even more weight.
- Restart it.You risk overloading yourself with nitrates and ending up in an infectious disease hospital with severe poisoning.
- Diseases.In the case of a strict mono-diet, malaise and fatigue may occur due to the lack of micronutrients that watermelon does not contain.
- Stomach problems. A sharp transition from a normal diet to eating a large amount of watermelon can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract in the form of upset, constipation, flatulence and exacerbation of diseases.
Watermelon diet options
You can come up with many watermelon diets and somehow diversify, but only three options are common.
Mono-diet on watermelon
Watermelon mono-diet is a diet of one product, that is, in this case, only watermelon is prescribed in the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a certain period of time.Additional water and green tea without sugar are allowed.
Despite the usefulness of watermelon, a mono-diet based on it is considered a strict diet that limits the supply of all the nutrients a person needs.Rather, it is used as a fast, for a maximum of one to three days.Sometimes it is extended to five days.Keeping it longer is not recommended, because the lack of essential microelements can seriously damage your health.
The advantage of the diet is that it can cleanse the body, remove excess stagnant fluid from the body, and reduce swelling.
Minus: 2-3 kg will be lost, but this will not be a loss of body fat.Weight will decrease, as the same excess water leaves the body;everything will be back in a few days.
It is better to use a mono-diet as a fasting day before switching to a main long-term diet or proper nutrition.It does no harm in a day and helps to restart the body.
Not just watermelon
In this version, 2 slices of rye bread are added to the main course - the watermelon - for each snack.The diet is not much different from the previous one.The only thing that makes it different is that the feeling of fullness given by the bread helps to stretch it out for a week.That's where the benefits end: the body still doesn't get enough vitamins during such a watermelon detox.
In principle, with such a diet, you can lose up to 7 kg in a week, but there is a "BUT".If you calculate the total number of calories in watermelon, for a day of eating and for the same bread, this amount significantly exceeds the recommended calorie intake for weight loss.
Easy diet for 7-10 days
Easy diet for 7-10 days, with a balanced menu.In addition to watermelon, the diet includes vegetables, unsweetened fruits, small amounts of cereals and protein products.But it is important that the calorie content of each meal is strictly calculated and that the portion size does not exceed the recommended amount and that there are no additives.The diet is designed for 10 days and is easy to maintain.
The best option for natural weight loss: the body gets everything it needs, the diet is easily tolerated.
You can lose up to 6 kg during this diet.
The advantage of the diet will be the possibility of physical training, which will promote fat burning and gradually form the habit of proper nutrition.
Watermelon diet menu for a week
A watermelon diet menu for a week can look something like this.
Monday
- Morning:oatmeal with milk, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Dinner:salad - watermelon + feta + basil, smeared with olive oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Tuesday
- Morning:rice porridge, tomatoes and a glass of juice.
- Dinner: salad - watermelon + boiled chicken fillet + low-fat cheese, flavored with olive oil, add pumpkin seeds to taste.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Wednesday
- Morning: buckwheat porridge with prunes, unsweetened tea.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + tomato + cucumber + greens.Season with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Thursday
- Morning:brown rice with boiled beef, a glass of fruit juice.
- Dinner:boiled beef and berry cocktail.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Friday
- Morning:muesli with water, a glass of fruit juice.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + melon + unsweetened grapes + plums + walnuts.Season with lemon juice.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Saturday
- Morning: buckwheat with boiled chicken and pomegranate juice.
- Dinner:watermelon and boiled chicken fillet.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Sunday
- Morning: low-fat cottage cheese casserole, unsweetened tea.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + chicken fillet + prunes + walnuts.Season with vegetable oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
In addition to the main diet, it is recommended to consume low-fat kefir or yogurt with the addition of bran or flaxseed half an hour before going to bed.
Quitting the watermelon diet
Leaving the watermelon diet should not be sudden.
The basic rules apply to everyone:
- do not overload the digestive system with fatty and fried foods, at least in the first 3-5 days;
- Divide the daily diet into 5-6 meals and small portions;
- other dishes are added according to the following principle: from simple to complex.
After the diet, it is advisable to switch to the appropriate nutritional regime, then the results achieved in one week will not only be consolidated, but will remain for a long time.
Watermelon diet: opinion of nutritionists
Let's take a closer look at nutrition experts' opinions on the effectiveness of the watermelon diet.
"I'm not advising you to prescribe not only the watermelon diet, but other diets as well. Everyone has their own characteristics. And what helps one person can seriously harm another. That's why you can't do it without consultation. The specialist chooses the right diet. In addition, modern research shows that starvation does not have the desired effect at all, and a properly designed diet is much healthier."
"I can't say anything good about a diet based solely on watermelon: despite the benefits of vitamins, the amount of watermelon consumed, or rather the sugars in it, negatively affects health. On the one hand, the kilograms of light carbohydrates do not disappear, and on the other hand, due to the high glycemic index, it can cause a rise in blood sugar."