The lean diet was invented in the 1980s by American nutritionists for clinical use.Initially, a strict low-calorie diet was prescribed to people whose body mass index exceeded 35, but later many people who were losing weight began to practice it, as it allows you to lose 5-10 kg by burning fat in the hips and waist.
What kind of diet is this?
The lean diet consists of alternating several low-calorie days and fasting.It is due to the low daily caloric intake that the fat burning process begins.However, for the same reason, during the diet it is necessary to avoid mental and physical stress, as well as stressful situations.Outdoor walks and spa treatments are recommended.
Before starting a lean diet, you must be examined at a medical center and consult a doctor.Furthermore, it is recommended to follow it under the supervision of a specialist, as such a diet can cause the worsening of chronic diseases and the development of new illnesses.
If the diet is extremely difficult to tolerate, causing general weakness, dizziness and decreased performance, you should switch to a more balanced diet.
Main rules
The lean diet requires compliance with the following rules:
- strictly follow the menu (any snack is prohibited!);
- distribute the proposed list of products over 3-4 meals and chew thoroughly to create the impression of a normal meal;
- follow the drinking regime - drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day (herbal teas and infusions are allowed, but without sugar);
- You can drink plain still water with the addition of a slice of lemon or lime;
- The last meal should be eaten 3 hours before bedtime, otherwise a late snack can cause a slowdown in the metabolic process, which will reduce the effectiveness of the diet;
- Some days the diet includes natural juice, but banana and grape juices should be avoided as they are high in calories, and you should also avoid pomegranate drink as it is bad for your stomach.
Store-bought drinks are strictly prohibited, as they contain preservatives, dyes and other substances harmful to long-term storage of the product.In addition, they lack vitamins and microelements, which are destroyed during heat treatment of fruits.
Entering the diet
It takes 3 days.First of all, you need to exclude the following foods from your diet:
- sweets and bakery products;
- fried and fatty foods;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
The emphasis in nutrition should be on plant foods - vegetables, fruits, dried fruits.It is recommended to prepare vegetable salads, dietary meat and fish, as well as natural juices and cocktails.
Menu options
The diet differs depending on the duration of the diet.It can be observed from 7 to 20 days.Of course, it's worth starting with a weekly option to test your capabilities and also evaluate the effectiveness of the diet.
For 7 days
It will allow you to lose about 5 kg.The weekly diet looks like this:
- Day 1.Drink 1 liter of milk.Furthermore, as part of the drinking regime, it is important to drink the daily amount of water.It is allowed to start the day with a cup of black coffee, but it is advisable to give preference to green tea.
- Day 2.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink 800 ml of tomato or citrus juice.Any drinks with added banana, mango and grapes are prohibited.
- Day 3.Drink 1 liter of still mineral water.
- Day 4.Bake 4 potatoes without salt or seasoning.Drink 800 ml of unsweetened juice.
- Day 5.Eat 5 apples, preferably the green variety.
- Day 6.Eat 200 g of dietary meat (chicken breast, beef, turkey) and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 7.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
As part of your diet, you should choose only low-fat fermented milk products.
For 14 days
The results of the two-week diet are promising - about 8 kg less.Diet per day:
- Day 1.Drink any amount of green tea throughout the day.
- Day 2.Drink 800 ml of kefir.
- Day 3.Drink any amount of green or mint tea.A sweetener, stevia, can be used as a sweetener.
- Day 4.Drink only still mineral water.
- Day 5.Drink 1 liter of water and eat 1 apple divided into 2 doses.If desired, the fruit can be baked in the oven.
- Day 6.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- Day 7.Drink green or mint tea without restrictions.
- Day 8.Drink 1 liter of skimmed milk (skimmed milk).
- Day 9.Eat two fresh or baked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
- Day 10.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 11.Eat 400-600 g of fresh cucumber.
- Day 12.Drink green or mint tea without restrictions.
- Day 13.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- Day 14.Eat three fresh or baked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
For 20 days
This is the longest-lasting diet option that will allow you to lose about 10 kg.You need to start with a 7-day diet, and the menu from the 8th to the 20th day looks like this:
- Day 8.Eat cooked vegetables, lean meat and dairy products in reasonable quantities.
- Day 9.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink freshly squeezed juice.You can make a smoothie with different fruits, with the exception of bananas and grapes.
- Day 10.Eat 200 g of lean fish (pollock, lemonfish) or shrimp.Drink juice.
- Day 11.Bake 4 potatoes and drink the juice.
- Day 12.Eat 5 green apples.Can be baked in the oven.
- Day 13.Eat 200 g of dietary meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 14.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 15.This is a “rest” day where you can step away from the diet.You can eat any healthy food.Preference should be given to porridge, soups with weak meat or fish broth and salads.
- Day 16.Eat 5 apples.
- Day 17.Eat 200 g of meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 18.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 19.Eat 200 g of curd and drink 1 liter of water.
- Day 20.Eat 1 apple and drink 1 liter of kefir.
Abandon the diet
It is a mistake to assume that after a lean diet you can immediately return to normal eating.This will not only cause the “return” of lost kilos, but will also cause harm to your health.The fact is that during the days of the diet the body is weaned from normal digestion of food due to the reduction in the quantity and quality of digestive enzymes obtained.So, you need to “learn” little by little how to eat correctly so as not to cause stomach and intestinal problems.
When creating a menu, it is necessary to take into account that the diet should be dominated by soft foods with a minimum content of fiber and coarse dietary fiber.Taking this rule into account, the diet exit scheme is as follows:
- Day 1.Prepare a light vegetable soup without salt.Eat in 4-5 doses, and portions should be moderate - 200-250 ml each.It is forbidden to add beans and pasta to the soup.
- Day 2.Include steamed vegetables and baked or boiled fish in your diet.These foods will saturate the body with useful substances, but will not disrupt the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.You can include milk and herbal teas in your drinking routine.
- Day 3.Introduce a portion of cooked meat without skin, bones and layers of fat.If desired, you can prepare baked or steamed cutlets.Broccoli puree or other cooked vegetables are perfect as a side dish.
- Day 4.To activate the stomach and intestinal motility, prepare viscous porridge for breakfast - oatmeal, barley or millet.It is better not to add salt to the porridge, but you can cook it with milk.You can introduce semolina and rice into your diet after a week.
- Days 5-7.Gradually increase portions and their calorie content in accordance with daily needs.
- Days 8 to 10.Include a limited amount of heavy foods, which are recommended to be served in the morning to allow digestion during the day.In any case, you should avoid eating very fatty and high-calorie foods.
The amount of coffee and tea should be limited to 1-2 cups per day.
Revenues
On a lean diet, you won't have to indulge in original dishes, but it's worth taking into account recipes that will make following a low-calorie diet much easier:
- Herbal decoction.Combine a bunch of lemon balm and 1 tbsp.I.Green Tea.Transfer the raw materials to a kettle and pour 1 liter of 90-degree water.Infuse and drink, diluting in warm water.
- Sweet green tea.Combine 1.5 tbsp.I.green tea and 1 tbsp.I.stevia herb.Prepare 1 liter of water at 95 degrees, leave it for 20 minutes and you can drink it.
- Potatoes with skin.Line a baking tray with paper and place the potatoes, first making cross-shaped cuts to prevent them from bursting.Transfer the baking tray to the oven for 30 minutes, preheated to 180 degrees.During cooking, potatoes can be sprinkled with water or dill tincture.
- Baked apples.Cover a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the fruits, which are baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees.Golden apples are best suited for baking.
On diet days when drinking juices is allowed, you can prepare the following fresh fruit juices:
- Peel 4 oranges and squeeze the juice.Add 100 g of raspberries and cranberries.Blend in a blender, adding 3-4 ice cubes.Leave for 2-3 minutes and drink.
- Peel 2-3 grapefruits and 500 g of tangerines.Squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits, mix, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon, mix and drink.
- Peel 4 green apples and 1 pear.Remove the seeds, mix and blend in a blender.Add 1 stalk of celery, 3-4 ice cubes and blend again.If necessary, you can add cold water.
Warnings
A lean diet can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, including gastritis.Therefore, it is important to follow it under a doctor's supervision to stop losing weight in time.In addition, after such a diet, metabolic disorders, psychological problems and weakened immunity, as well as hair loss and brittle nails are possible.So, to normalize the condition, it is important to get out of the diet correctly, in addition to taking vitamins.
Contraindications
It is strictly not recommended to go on a lean diet for those who have a normal body mass index and want to lose just a few pounds.It is also contraindicated for people with any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys, as well as chronic diseases.Breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women and teenagers should benefit from this weight loss method, as a deficiency of vitamins and beneficial elements will have an extremely negative impact on their health.
Therefore, the lean diet is a strict low-calorie diet that was developed for people with a body mass index of 35 or more. You should follow this diet only after consulting a doctor and under his strict supervision in order to minimize its negative impact on the body.