It is possible to lose weight easily, quickly and deliciously if you discover the watermelon diet.Watermelon is rich in vitamins and, apparently, only brings benefits to the body.But it remains to be seen whether this is really the case.Such a diet has its advantages and pitfalls, and in order not to fall into them, it is necessary to approach the matter responsibly, then you will not have to save yourself from more serious health problems instead of extra pounds.
Principles of the watermelon diet
On the one hand, the principle of the watermelon diet is simple: exclude everything from the diet except watermelon and lose weight.By eating this berry, you can really achieve results.
But how positive it will be depends on several factors:
- The diet is carried out during the watermelon season, in August-September.If you get carried away any more times, you can “feed” on nitrates and end up in hospital.
- When choosing a berry, give preference to fruits of small or medium size, without dents or cracks.
- If you choose a mono diet, it lasts no more than 3-5 days.Watermelon is nutritious and contains vitamins, but not enough to completely replace a nutritious diet.
- A long-term watermelon diet is necessarily accompanied by other foods: unsweetened fruits, vegetables, cereals, lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy products.
- The exit from the diet is gradual, with the daily addition of other foods, according to the principle: from lightest to heaviest.It is important to monitor calories and amount of food.A sudden load on the body will nullify all efforts, and the body will be happy to stock up on additional reserves for the future.This will immediately affect the rapid return of lost kilograms.
- Before cutting the watermelon, wash it well;this will help avoid getting an intestinal infection.
By following the rules, you can lose 3 kg in a few days with the watermelon diet.But you should understand that initially this will not be fat loss.In the first days of the diet, excess water that has remained stagnant in the cells leaves the body and with it toxic substances.Often this stagnation 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 ones.The sweetness of the berry and the high water content in it will allow you not to feel hungry, even if there is only watermelon on the menu for all three days.
But the main feature is the ability not only to lose extra pounds in a short period.During the diet, excess fluid, waste and toxins are removed from the body and the concentration of bad cholesterol decreases.Metabolic processes are restarted, the functioning of the digestive system and kidneys is improved.
Be careful!If during the diet you feel bad or an exacerbation of chronic diseases occurs, it is better to abandon the diet and visit a doctor.
To lose weight effectively, you need to take into account some features of the watermelon diet:
- To begin with, exclude salty and sweet foods and snacks, do not eat fatty foods and give up alcohol.
- For a long-term watermelon diet, create a menu to avoid the simultaneous intake of cheese, dairy products and eggs with berries.This combination can cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract with all the resulting consequences: bloating, flatulence (gas formation) and stool disorders.
- It is better to prepare for the diet in advance: 3-4 days before the start, introduce watermelon into the menu, with a gradual increase in portions, eliminate other foods from the diet, starting with the heavier ones.
- The watermelon diet lasts no more than 10-14 days.This time, if you follow all the rules, it is enough to lose up to 6 kg.If it is necessary to repeat the course, it is recommended to do so no earlier than one month later.
The benefits of the watermelon diet
The main advantage of the watermelon diet lies in the properties of the watermelon itself, or rather in its composition:
- Water stimulates metabolic processes, improves the flow of bile, normalizes the functioning of the excretory system, thereby eliminating bloating.
- Fructose – gives energy and tonicity, helps relieve tiredness.
- Vitamins and minerals – watermelon contains vitamins A, C, E, PP, group B vitamins, mineral salts, iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.This composition allows you to normalize sleep, fight chronic fatigue, help stabilize blood pressure and relieve muscle cramps and numbness.
- Pectins – clean blood vessels, reduce cholesterol levels and normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Antioxidants (lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin): increase immunity, reduce the risk of developing tumor cells, have a positive effect on the hormonal system and improve heart function.
This complex of nutrients will help not only fight excess weight, but also improve your health.
Equally important is the fact that watermelon is low in calories, right30–40 Kcalper 100 g of pulp.
Contraindications for the watermelon diet
Despite the rich and healthy composition of the berry, the watermelon diet has a number of contraindications.
It is better to refuse it if:
- kidney disease: may not be able to handle large amounts of fluids;
- 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 completely confident in your health, it is important to monitor how you feel during the diet.If you feel unwell or experience pain due to the strict regimen, it is best to refuse immediately and consult a doctor for advice.
Disadvantages of the watermelon diet
Before starting a watermelon diet for weight loss, you should consider its disadvantages.In some cases, they may outweigh the benefits of the berry's beneficial properties.
Minor disadvantages include:
- Seasonality.Healthy and affordable watermelons are sold only in late summer and early autumn.
- It is better to go on a diet during the holidays.The diuretic effect will create significant discomfort during work.More serious deficiencies can lead to more serious consequences than problems with extra pounds.
- Watermelon has a high glycemic index (GI).Such foods lead to spikes in blood sugar and the deposition of calories in fat reserves.
- The calorie content of watermelon is low, but it's easy to be fooled.If you count on 1 kg of watermelon per 10 kg of body weight, you can even exceed your calorie needs in a day.For example, with a weight of 70 kg, the norm for eating berries on a mono-diet will be 7 kg.It turns out: 7 x 10 x 35 = 2450 Kcal.At the same time, the norm with a sedentary lifestyle for a woman of 30 years old, height 170 and weight 70 kg is considered 2100 kcal per day.This puts you at risk of gaining even more weight.
- Reboot.There is a risk of overloading with nitrates and ending up in an infectious disease hospital with severe poisoning.
- Disorders.With a strict mono-diet, you may experience malaise and fatigue due to the lack of microelements that watermelon does not contain.
- Stomach problems. A sharp transition from a normal diet to eating a large amount of watermelons can provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract in the form of disorders, constipation, bloating and exacerbation of diseases.
Watermelon diet options
You can come up with many watermelon diets and diversify them somewhat, but only three options are common.
Mono-diet on watermelons
A mono-diet on watermelons is a diet on one product, that is, in this case, for a certain period, only watermelon is prescribed in the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Additional water and unsweetened green tea are allowed.
Despite the usefulness of watermelon, a mono-diet based on it is considered a strict diet that limits the intake of all the nutrients a person needs.It is used more as a fasting meal for no more than one or three days.Sometimes it is extended to five days.It is not recommended to store it longer, since due to the lack of essential microelements, health can be seriously affected.
The advantage of the diet is the ability to cleanse the body, remove excess stagnant fluid in the body and relieve swelling.
Less: you will lose 2-3 kg, but it will not be a loss of body fat.Weight will decrease due to the same excess water that is eliminated from the body;after a few days everything will return.
It is best to use a mono-diet as a fasting day before moving on to a long-term main diet or proper nutrition.It will not do any harm in a day and will help reboot the body.
Not just any watermelon
In this version, to the main dish - watermelon, 2 slices of rye bread are added to 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 that the bread gives will help you stretch it for a week.This is where the benefits end: during a watermelon detox, the body still does not receive enough vitamins.
In principle, on such a diet you could lose up to 7 kg in a week, but there is one “BUT”.If you calculate the total number of calories of watermelon, calculated for a dietary day, and the same bread, this amount will significantly exceed the recommended calorie intake for weight loss.
Light diet for 7-10 days
Light diet for 7-10 days with a balanced menu.In addition to watermelon, the diet contains vegetables, unsweetened fruits, a small amount of cereals and protein products.But it is important that the calories of each dish are strictly calculated, that the portion size does not exceed the recommended one and that there are no additives.The diet is designed for 10 days and is easy to maintain.
The best option for losing weight naturally: the body receives everything it needs, the diet is easily tolerated.
During this diet you can lose up to 6 kg.
The benefit of the diet will be the opportunity to exercise, which will help burn fat and gradually develop the habit of eating right.
Watermelon diet menu for a week
A watermelon diet menu for a week might look like this.
Monday
- Breakfast:oatmeal with milk, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + feta + basil, dressed with olive oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Tuesday
- Breakfast:rice porridge, tomato and a glass of juice.
- Dinner: salad – watermelon + boiled chicken fillet + low-fat cheese, season with olive oil, add pumpkin seeds if desired.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: buckwheat porridge with plums, unsweetened tea.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + tomato + cucumber + greens.Season with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Thursday
- Breakfast:brown rice with boiled beef, a glass of juice.
- Dinner:boiled beef and berry cocktail.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Friday
- Breakfast:muesli with water, a glass of juice.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + cantaloupe + unsweetened grapes + plums + walnuts.Season with lemon juice.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Saturday
- Breakfast: buckwheat with boiled chicken, pomegranate juice.
- Dinner:watermelon and boiled chicken fillet.
- Dinner:watermelon.
Sunday
- Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese casserole, unsweetened tea.
- Dinner:salad – watermelon + chicken fillet + plums + walnuts.Season with vegetable oil.
- Dinner:watermelon.
In addition to the main diet, it is recommended to consume kefir or low-fat yogurt with the addition of bran or flaxseed half an hour before bedtime.
Quit the watermelon diet
Giving up the watermelon diet should not be abrupt.
The basic rules will be for everyone:
- do not overload the digestive system with fatty and fried foods, at least for the first 3-5 days;
- Divide your daily diet into 5-6 meals and small portions;
- adding other dishes occurs according to the principle: from simple to complex.
After the diet it is advisable to switch to an adequate nutritional regime, so the result achieved in a week will not only be consolidated, but will also last a long time.
Watermelon diet: reviews of nutritionists
Let's take a closer look at the reviews of nutritionists about the effectiveness of the watermelon diet.
"I do not advise you to "prescribe" not only the watermelon diet, but also other diets. Everyone's body has individual characteristics. And what helps one person can seriously harm another. Therefore, it is impossible to do without consulting. The specialist will select a diet that suits each individual individually. In addition, modern research has shown that starvation diets do not give the desired effect at all, and a properly formulated diet ismuch healthier."
“I can't say anything good about a diet based only on watermelons: despite the benefits of vitamins, the amount of watermelon consumed, or rather the sugars contained in it, will negatively affect health. Firstly, kilograms of light carbohydrates will not disappear, and secondly, due to the high glycemic index, an increase in blood sugar can be provoked.”