Low-calorie diet for weight loss for a week. Low-calorie diet - basic principles. The essence of low-calorie diets

Nutritional therapy for obesity involves the use of a “classical” low-calorie diet. Its goal is to influence metabolism to eliminate excess fat deposits.

General characteristics of a low-calorie diet

Diet: 5-6 times a day with enough volume to feel full.

Characteristics of products and cooking methods for a low-calorie diet

Bakery products. Allowed are rye and wheat bread made from wholemeal flour, protein-wheat and protein-bran bread - 100-150 g per day. Products made from premium and 1st grade flour, products from butter and puff pastry are prohibited.

Soups. Up to 250-300 g per dose. From various vegetables with a small addition of potatoes or cereals: cabbage soup, borscht, okroshka, beetroot soup. 2-3 times a week, soups in weak low-fat meat or fish broth with vegetables and meatballs. Dairy products are prohibited. Potatoes, cereals, legumes, pasta.

Meat and poultry. Up to 150 g per day. Lean beef, veal, rabbit, chicken, turkey; limited - lean pork and lamb, mainly boiled, stewed; baked in large and small pieces. The meat is fried after boiling. Beef jelly. Fatty meats, goose, duck, ham, sausages, boiled and smoked sausages, and canned food are prohibited.

Fish. Low-fat types up to 150-200 g per day. Boiled, baked, fried. Non-fish seafood products. Fatty types, salted, smoked, canned fish in oil, and caviar are prohibited.

Dairy products. Low-fat milk and fermented milk drinks. Sour cream - in dishes. Low-fat cottage cheese with 9% fat content (100-200 g per day) – natural and in the form of cheesecakes and puddings. Low-fat cheese varieties - limited. Fatty cottage cheese, sweet cheeses, sweet yogurt, fermented baked milk, baked milk, fatty and salty cheeses are prohibited.

Eggs. 1-2 pieces per day. Hard-boiled, white omelettes. Omelettes with vegetables. Scrambled eggs are prohibited.

Cereals. Limited for adding to vegetable soups. Crumbly porridges from buckwheat, pearl barley, barley due to the reduction of bread. Other cereals are prohibited, especially rice, semolina and oatmeal, pasta, and legumes.

Vegetables. They are consumed in all forms, some of them always raw. All types of cabbage, fresh cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, turnips are desirable. Sauerkraut - after washing. Limit dishes from potatoes, beets, green peas, carrots, rutabaga (total up to 200 g per day), as well as salted and pickled vegetables.

Snacks. Salads from raw and pickled vegetables, vinaigrettes, vegetable salads with boiled meat and fish, seafood. Jellied fish or meat. Lean ham. Fatty and spicy snacks are prohibited.

Fruits, sweet dishes, sweets. Fruits and berries of sweet and sour varieties, raw and boiled. Jelly and mousses based on methylcellulose, xylitol, sorbitol. Unsweetened compotes. Grapes, raisins, bananas, figs, dates, very sweet varieties of other fruits, sugar, confectionery, jam, honey, jelly, ice cream are prohibited.

Sauces and spices. Tomato, red, white with vegetables, mild mushroom, vinegar. Fatty and spicy sauces, mayonnaise, and all spices are prohibited.

Beverages. Tea, black coffee with milk. Unsweetened juices. Grape and other sweet juices and cocoa are prohibited.

Fats. Butter (limited) and vegetable oils - in dishes. Animal and cooking fats are prohibited.

Sample one-day menu (1635 kcal) of a low-calorie diet

First breakfast: calcined cottage cheese – 100 g, stewed carrots – 200 g, coffee with milk without sugar – 200 g.

Lunch: fresh cabbage salad without salt with sour cream – 170 g.

Dinner: Vegetarian cabbage soup (½ serving) – 200 g, boiled meat – 90 g, green peas without oil – 50 g, fresh apples – 100 g.

Afternoon snack: calcined cottage cheese – 100 g, rosehip decoction – 180 g.

Dinner: boiled fish (pike perch) – 100 g, vegetable stew (½ serving) – 125 g.

For the night: kefir – 180 g.

All day: rye bread – 150g.

Low calorie diet has three options. They differ in energy intensity (calorie content). At the first stage of normalizing body weight, a diet is prescribed that corresponds to the physiological norm in terms of calorie content, i.e. eliminate overeating. Often this is enough, but if this measure does not lead to weight loss, then you have to resort to greater calorie restriction, mainly by reducing the amount of fat and carbohydrates.

Chemical composition of low-calorie diet options

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These foods should not be eaten together
There are foods that, in certain combinations, have a very positive effect on the body: for example, jacket potatoes and cottage cheese are a source of protein and saturate well. But there are also foods that cannot be eaten together.

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Many diets promise quick results, but after them the weight quickly returns. The notorious yo-yo effect appears after a few weeks, and the scale shows even more than before the diet. But how to lose weight?

With such a dietary menu, the diet must be designed so that the body receives fewer calories than it spends. So, on average, a person should receive 2000 kilocalories per day. This is with average activity and normal weight. For people involved in sports, the number of calories is calculated taking into account energy expenditure during training.

How many calories do you need to lose weight? Anyone losing weight should know that a low-calorie diet is:

up to 1500 kilocalories for women
up to 1900 kilocalories for men

When compiling a daily diet, you will have to count the number of calories in each product and try not to go beyond the specified norm. A real salvation will be “calorie-free” food, that is, eating only foods with a calorie content of up to 60 kcal (calculated per 100 g). For example:

a salad of cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes and lettuce contains only 20 kcal;
dishes made from asparagus, zucchini, peppers, cabbage and champignons will only cost 30 kcal;
low-calorie desserts made from apples, peaches, lingonberries, strawberries, tangerines, oranges and melon contain only 50 kcal;
a glass of pineapple juice – 48 kcal.

Of course, dishes should not be seasoned with vegetable or animal fats. For comparison, the same 48 kilocalories contain half a glass of skim milk or 30 g of chicken. By correctly combining high-calorie and non-calorie foods, you can create an excellent diet without harm to the body!

A variety of foods is important for a low-calorie diet.

In addition, you need to follow a few simple rules:

Divide meals into 5 parts (instead of the usual 3).
Increase protein content in your diet.
Eliminate fast carbohydrates.
You can only allow yourself a glass of wine once a week, otherwise the entire effect of the diet will disappear.

It is important not to go to extremes and balance the reduction in calories with the benefits for the body. So, fats cannot be completely excluded - they should be consumed up to 80 g per day. Carbohydrates should also be consumed in the body in quantities of up to 100 g.

An excellent diet option can be its “colored” version. Its essence is to eat foods with the same colors every day - white, red, green, orange, yellow and purple. But you need to monitor the amount of calories, reducing high-calorie foods in your diet or increasing low-calorie ones.

Meal time: is dinner after six so bad?

Given the crazy pace of life, proper nutrition is not about eating given time, but in its even distribution throughout the day. To do this, you can take special containers to work. You can only eat the contents of one of them in one snack.

And waking up at 11 am and falling asleep at 2 am, it is very difficult not to eat even after 19. Yes, this is not necessary! The main thing is to eat at least 3-4 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bed is even beneficial, scientists say. After all, the body continues to work even in sleep, so it will still spend the energy received. But in the morning you can wake up much more cheerful!

Approximate low-calorie menu for weight loss

Monday Thursday: 200 g of oatmeal, yogurt - 150 g, 1 apple, tomato juice - a glass, 200 ml of vegetable soup, 200 g of fish, 150 g of beef and the same amount of vegetable salad.
Tuesday Friday: 1 egg, 1 apple, 2 crispbreads, 200 ml lentil soup, 100 g chicken, 100 g cottage cheese, 150 g baked fish and vegetable salad.
Wednesday: buckwheat porridge, 1 loaf of bread, 1 tbsp. kefir, 1 loaf of bread, 250 ml of borscht, 100 g of veal (boiled or baked), boiled beets with vegetable oil, grapefruit, boiled potatoes and 150 g of fish.
Saturday: egg, toast, 100 g of cottage cheese, half a grapefruit, 200 ml of soup (lean), 150 g of chicken, vegetables and berries (100 g each), 70 g of beans and a glass of kefir.
Sunday: 200 g of millet porridge, a glass of orange juice without sugar, peach, 200 g of veal, 150 g of cabbage (fresh or sauerkraut), 100 g of dried fruit, 100 g of cottage cheese, orange.

Drinks include unsweetened tea, coffee and still water. Meat and fish dishes can be boiled, steamed and baked. To diversify your diet, you can make a protein omelet for breakfast, and in the evening, eat hard cheese with tea as a replacement for a late dinner. The main thing is not to exceed the calorie limit.

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What are the benefits of a low-calorie diet?

Rapid weight loss is the main benefit that a low-calorie diet will give you. The menu with recipes for dishes for such a nutrition plan will also delight you with a variety of options, in contrast to the mono-diets that are fashionable today. You will be able to choose a diet in accordance with your preferences and will not splurge on something tasty. And another advantage of a low-calorie eating plan is that it won’t take you much time to get rid of those hated wrinkles. Typically, such a diet is recommended for 5 to 10 days, after which it is important to exit it correctly so that what was lost does not return.

Cons of a low-calorie diet

What's wrong with this diet menu? A low-calorie diet is not suitable for those who care not only about the number of kilograms lost, but also about the quality. Do you want to lose fat, not muscle? Then this meal plan is not for you, and here's why. By sharply reducing the number of kilocalories incoming, you put your body into the so-called emergency mode.

Instead of fat, more muscle mass and water will leave the body. This is explained by the fact that muscles are essentially not involved in the survival of the body. From an aesthetic point of view, it is muscle mass that makes the body attractive. But in cold or hungry times, it is precisely this that the body will “shed” faster than fat. Muscles do not heat and cannot serve as energy fuel. The fact that it is with them that a person looks like a god from ancient Greek mythology is indifferent to nature. The fat layer will protect internal organs from hypothermia and will help to use energy sparingly if there are not enough calories.

Worst of all, in women, fat is lost from the most important places for procreation - the hips and abdomen, where the reproductive organs are reliably protected. Whatever menu you choose, a low-calorie diet will first of all deprive you of volume in your chest, your cheeks will go away and your face will lose weight, but the bulk of the fat on your waist and butt will remain.

Beware of disruption

Another disadvantage of this method of losing weight is the possibility of failure. You will have to fight with yourself, and it is unknown who will emerge victorious in this heated battle - your desire to be more beautiful or your body’s desire to be healthier. After all, the body will consider a sharp reduction in calories a threat to its own existence, which means that you need to fight with all your might and prevent the depletion of your fat depot. Get ready that every day you go on a diet, your mind will be increasingly filled with thoughts of quitting this diet plan and finally eating normally, nourishingly and tasty.

How to make a low-calorie diet more effective

Get physically active. Even a carefully and intelligently designed menu of a low-calorie diet for weight loss is not able to preserve muscle mass while reducing incoming calories. But sports will significantly help, you will lose more fat, your skin will not sag, your body will remain in good shape. Try to burn at least 1,000 calories a day while doing any activity. This could be running, brisk walking, swimming, dancing or going to the gym.

Carefully develop a meal plan that includes a low-calorie diet. The weekly menu (1200 calories daily) gives plenty of room for imagination. Albeit with restrictions. The day before the “operation” begins, write down your personal low-calorie diet menu for weight loss with recipes. What do you love and hate about food? If you approach this issue carelessly, you will break down in 3-4 days.

Pay close attention to the macronutrients that will form the basis of your menu. Low-calorie diet will not work if you consume carbohydrates, even within the daily calorie limits. Leave sweets, pastries, and candies for later (ideally, forget about them altogether). The basis of nutrition on such a diet should be protein, slow carbohydrates, and healthy vegetable fats.

Try not to eat anything three hours before bed. Towards the end of the day, metabolism slows down and the body digests food more slowly. Good way Drinking pure water or herbal tea without sugar will help drive away the feeling of hunger.

Drink enough fluids. Drinks and juices do not count, since only pure water can quickly remove waste products from the body. During weight loss, the processes of breaking down internal tissues and fat begin. If you don't drink water to remove such compounds, your weight loss process will be slow.

How many calories can you eat per day on a low calorie diet?

Each of us has our own number regarding daily calorie intake for weight loss. Let's take for example two girls, each 20 years old, 170 cm tall and weighing 70 kg. Both girls decided to lose five kilos.

The first one works as an accountant five days a week, and after work she likes to watch her favorite TV series at home with her cat on the couch, hugging her. The second one is working sales agent six days a week from morning to evening, on his feet all day, and besides, he cannot live without a barbell - he works out three times a week in the gym with free weights.

When people talk about a low-calorie diet, they most often mean 1200 calories. This figure guarantees weight loss for any lifestyle, even the most sedentary one. But in our example it is clear that for the first girl such a figure will be appropriate and effective. But for the second, such a nutrition plan will become torture already on the first day; her rhythm and way of life prescribe a different caloric intake for weight loss, higher than that suggested by a low-calorie diet. The weekly menu (1200 kcal per day) will help you achieve results if your daily calorie burning rate is no more than 1800. If you have an overly active lifestyle, then with such a restriction you will not have enough energy, vigor and good spirits will disappear, and a breakdown is inevitable.

Some nutritional features

A low-calorie diet involves a huge variety of dishes, the main thing is not to exceed the established calorie limit. It is proposed to divide the entire daily amount of food into five meals of 250-300 kilocalories. Below we will look at the options for dishes that you can combine at your discretion and preferences.

Avoid fast carbohydrates for quick results

Of course, you won’t find any confectionery products on the list. Why, since the same Mars or Snickers bar contains no more than 250 kcal? The fact is that all flour products, sweets, and fatty fast food are filled with carbohydrates and fats. A low-calorie diet puts stress on the body, but high-protein foods will allow you to confidently lose weight. As soon as you eat something very sweet or fatty, the loss of pounds will slow down. If it’s unthinkable for you to give up your favorite sweets or chops, try the Kremlin or chocolate diet. There are also restrictions, but they don't affect macronutrient percentages like a low-calorie diet does.

Low-calorie diet: menu for the week

Minus 5 kilograms - that's it real results most of the men and women who decide to try this diet plan. For some, the number of kilos lost is even greater if the diet was accompanied by exercise. What can you eat these days and what menu should you stick to?

So, you can choose any food options and eat them 4-5 times a day at approximately equal intervals:

oatmeal, buckwheat or millet porridge, boiled in water without sugar (a portion of the finished product is 200 grams);
a serving of cottage cheese 200 grams (1-5% fat) + a spoonful of unsweetened yogurt;
chicken breast (250 grams), steamed, boiled or grilled;
any type of fish (250 grams), boiled, steamed or grilled;
beef, 250 grams, steamed or boiled;
two boiled eggs;
salad (250 grams) of green vegetables: cabbage, celery, cucumber, herbs, onion with a spoon of any vegetable oil, you can also add sesame seeds, flaxseed, several pieces of crushed nuts to the salad.

How many kilos can you lose in a week?

What results does a low-calorie diet promise (menu for a week)? Minus 5-7 kilos - is it real? It all depends on what your initial weight is, what kind of lifestyle you lead and how strictly you follow the instructions. The greatest losses will occur in people with a lot of excess weight. If you engage in sports along with your diet, the plumb line will be smaller, but of better quality. Then most of the weight lost will come from body fat and won't return. Don't forget to drink water between meals to remove waste products, and excess weight comes out with them.

How to get out of a low-calorie diet?

Some nutritionists joke that keeping a good number on the scale is more difficult than getting it. When you are obsessed with the desire to lose weight and know that in 5-7 days the agony of dieting will end, then sticking to the chosen nutrition plan is tolerable for many. But when the diet ends, you amaze everyone with your appearance at the holiday, then you can again indulge in gluttony. The lost kilos come back in a matter of days, and, what’s most offensive, they come back as fat.

In the first week after finishing the diet, it is strongly recommended not to consume carbohydrates in the form of sweets, as well as a combination of fat and carbohydrates. An example would be a cutlet with potatoes, pizza, or a piece of cake. At the same time, you need to increase the number of calories you eat. You can eat all the same permitted foods, increasing the serving weight in each meal by 50-70 grams. You can add sour cream and other vegetables to the salad. It is acceptable to eat lean meat or poultry fried in a small amount of vegetable oil. For a snack, choose one fruit - apple, orange, banana.

A constant healthy diet or endless swings - the choice is yours

It must be recognized that as soon as you return to your old eating habits, the weight you lost will return with them. Articles that offer diets with quick results are silent about this. Do you want to have beautiful body daily without diets and seasonal weight gain? You will have to eat the same way as after leaving the low-calorie diet, allowing yourself small joys and excesses from time to time. Otherwise, you will be in a constant swing between weight loss on a diet and the rapid return of kilograms in the form of fat.

Lose weight up to 5 kg in 7 days.
The average daily calorie content is 1300 Kcal.

It is a known fact that to lose weight we need to burn large quantity calories than we get from food. It is on this principle that the low-calorie diet was developed. By sticking to her menu, you can lose up to 5 unnecessary kilograms in a week.

Requirements of a low-calorie diet

The basic rule is to reduce your daily calorie intake. For women, the daily calorie intake should not exceed 1200-1300 units, and for the stronger sex - 1500. Other low-calorie options are described on the World Wide Web, in which the daily the nutritional value drops to 800 calories or even lower. But most reputable nutritionists are against such experiments with the body, since such tactics can lead to inhibition of metabolism. If at first you lose a few kilograms, then after the diet your body will get scared, think that lean times are coming, and intensively begin to store fat in reserve. Because of this, the weight loss process may not only come to naught, but you will also acquire new unattractive folds. Therefore, experts allow such a strong reduction in calories only on fasting days, carried out once or twice a week, but not for all 7 days.

If you exercise while following the rules of a low-calorie diet ( we're talking about not about exercise at home, but about full-fledged training using exercise equipment and iron), then ladies can consume up to 1500 calories daily, and men - up to 1700.

The classic weekly low-calorie diet includes the following products:

Turkey, chicken, veal, rabbit without fat and skin (up to 150 g daily).
Low-fat fish or seafood (also up to 150 g).
Vegetables that preferably have a low glycemic index (cabbage, celery, beets, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc.).
Buckwheat and pearl barley.
Low-fat dairy and fermented milk products. Cottage cheese, cheese, milk can be eaten in pure form and as puddings, casseroles and similar products.
Bakery products: bran bread or coarse flour (up to 100 g per day).
Sweet and sour fruits and berries.
Beverages:
- teas of any kind (preferably green and herbal) without sugar;
- homemade unsweetened juices from fruits and vegetables (it is recommended to dilute with water to remove the concentration of the drink and reduce calories);
- You should drink up to 2 liters of water per day, and even more on hot days and during active training.
Salt is allowed, but in small quantities and occasionally.

Products not listed on this list should be excluded from the menu.

When following a low-calorie diet, you need to cut calories by removing foods containing fats and simple carbohydrates from your diet. But the amount of lean protein should be increased. This will help ensure you feel fuller longer after eating, and weight loss will occur by losing fat, not muscle mass.

To fully accelerate your metabolism, it is recommended to eat 5 times a day, eating for the first time within the next hour after waking up and refusing to eat 3 hours before your night's rest. If you can limit yourself to dinner at 18-19 pm, just great.

To prevent extra pounds after a low-calorie diet from returning to normal at lightning speed, it is very important to complete the diet correctly. The basic rules for exiting this seven-day diet include the following.

Add no more than one or two forbidden foods per day. Avoid fatty and sweet foods for at least another week, and even then it is not recommended to be friends with her.
Every few days, increase your caloric intake by 100-150 calories (maximum 200) and monitor how your weight behaves.

This way you will determine for yourself a norm that will allow you to maintain your weight at a stable level. It is necessary to increase the calorie content of the diet, at least at first, with healthy carbohydrates and low-fat protein products, but not with fats and all sorts of gastronomic hazards.

Low-calorie diet menu

Sample menu of a low-calorie diet for women

Breakfast: a sandwich made from a piece of black or rye bread and 50 g of low-fat cottage cheese with a slice of fresh tomato; half a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (210 kcal).
Snack: 200 g persimmon (120 kcal).
Dinner: braised cabbage with chicken fillet (100 g of both); boiled chicken egg; 100 ml carrot juice (450 kcal).
Afternoon snack: a piece of curd pudding (up to 100 g) and 120 ml of peach juice (260 kcal).
Dinner: 100 g vinaigrette without oil; up to 120 g of boiled squid; half a glass of grapefruit juice (260 kcal).

If you feel hungry before bed, eat 150 grams of tangerines (60 kcal).

Sample menu of a low-calorie diet for men

Breakfast: steam fish cutlet (100 g); the same amount of crumbly buckwheat porridge; 50 g hard cheese; half a glass of apple juice (560 kcal).
Dinner: vegetable stew with lean beef (proportions of vegetables and meat - 150 g / 100 g); 150 ml of rosehip drink (400 kcal).
Afternoon snack: fresh cherries (200 g) (100 kcal).
Dinner: a portion of cabbage soup made from fresh white cabbage and pearl barley; 100 g of salad made from tomato, cucumber, canned green peas, herbs and a small amount of sunflower or olive oil (approximately 130-180 kcal).

When having an early dinner, closer to the night's rest, you can eat up to 200 g of fruit salad from persimmon, apple, orange, peach with a small amount of low-fat cottage cheese (150 kcal). Or, alternatively, you can consume this dish between your morning and lunch meals. Adjust your meals to suit your schedule and personal feelings.

Note: The approximate calorie content of each meal described in the menu is indicated in parentheses.

Contraindications for a low-calorie diet

It is not recommended for people who are overweight to go on this diet on their own, since this amount of calories may be too few for you. It is better to consult a qualified nutritionist to develop an individual diet. It is quite possible that its cost will be even 2000 kcal. But in your case, this caloric intake will be enough to start the process of losing weight, and over time this figure can be lowered.
Women during pregnancy, lactation and anyone who has serious health problems or exacerbation of chronic diseases do not need to adhere to this diet option.

The benefits of a low-calorie diet

The advantages of a low-calorie seven-day diet include that it helps you lose weight without significantly changing your eating habits. Of course, you need to avoid foods that are frankly high-calorie and fatty, but the choice of products allowed for consumption is also quite wide. Thanks to this, you will surely be able to find food that you like.
If you approach the diet wisely and exit it smoothly, you can speed up your metabolism, which will increase your chances of maintaining an attractive figure even when returning to a standard diet.
The diet is universal according to gender; representatives of both sexes can eat it.

Disadvantages of a low-calorie diet

Among the tangible disadvantages of a low-calorie diet, people who have tried it personally sometimes note a feeling of hunger. If a person is used to eating a lot, and his portions were significantly larger than those offered on the diet, it may be difficult for him to adhere to these rules.
With a low-calorie diet, many also feel lethargic and weak. Not everyone has enough calories to function properly, which can negatively affect their mood.
It also happens that when following the rules of a low-calorie diet, symptoms worsen. chronic diseases. So be careful. If you feel that your health is not in perfect order, it is better not to take risks.
You also need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to learn to count calories, both during the diet itself and at least for the first time after its completion. Soon you will learn to determine everything by eye, but you will immediately need to put in some effort and patience.

Repeated low-calorie diet

If after the diet you have not reached the desired weight, you can resort to this diet after 2 weeks. But you can transform your figure in the right, albeit slow, ways even in non-dietary times, by eating not 2000 calories a day if you are a woman, but 1700-1800, and actively playing sports.

Efficiency: from 1 to 5 kg per week (depending on diet option)
Dates: from 1 week
Product cost: from 100 to 150 rub. in a day

General rules

All low-calorie or low-calorie diets for weight loss (NCD) are based on the principle of a daily strict reduction in the number of calories consumed and limiting the usual diet, so if you want to get rid of extra pounds of weight using this dietary method, you will have to accurately count the calorie content of the foods you eat, which takes time and attention. In addition, a low-calorie diet will only be effective if correct drafting daily menu, in which it is necessary to take into account not only the calorie content of all dishes, but also their nutrient content, which primarily includes fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

It is natural that best result A similar diet in terms of weight loss will be achieved by people who use an individual balanced diet, purposefully developed by a nutritionist, taking into account all the needs and characteristics of each person. human body separately, however, a self-selected menu using a table of calories and nutrients will help get rid of excess body fat.

When compiling a dietary diet, you need to pay attention to the following circumstances:

age(speed);
gender (men need a more high-calorie diet than women, approximately 200-300 kcal per day);
weight and habitual diet (the greater the body weight and the habit of eating excessive amounts harmful products, the more difficult it is to adhere to a reduced nutritional diet);
chronic diseases (some painful conditions are contraindications to such a diet, others may worsen during the period of its adherence);
lifestyle (physical activity requires the use of more calories);
psychological attitude (the degree of decision made to lose weight with the help of this diet and the ability to follow all its rules).

The mechanism of action of a low-calorie diet

As you know, the human body receives its main energy from the food it consumes and subsequently spends it on the processes of internal (organ functioning, cell division and growth, metabolism, etc.) and external (physical activity) vital activity.

The well-known kilocalories (kcal) are considered to be the unit of energy measurement; if there is a lack of supply from the outside, the body is forced to replenish their deficit by burning previously accumulated fat reserves. It is on this process that the principle of low-calorie diets is built, which, by limiting calorie intake, “forces” the human body to borrow them from adipose tissue, thereby reducing its volume, which leads to a decrease in overall weight.

Calorie calculation

At this time, there are several standard recommended standards for calorie reduction as part of low-calorie diets, which are based on average statistical data on the amount of energy consumed and expended.

Standard low-calorie diet plans are most often designed to reduce the number of calories to an average of 1500 or 1200 per day (in the express version up to 800 kcal), however, they will only be correct in the case of a previous daily food intake of about 2000 calories and therefore are not entirely accurate . Theoretically, a low-calorie diet can be considered any dietary food that reduces the energy value of the usual diet by 300-500 calories from their daily consumption.

Therefore, the initial calculation of how much to reduce your caloric intake should first be based on your current body weight, your average daily caloric intake and expenditure, and your weight loss goal. If you are significantly overweight and have a large daily food intake, it is necessary to reduce the amount of incoming calories gradually and only over time switch to standard low-calorie diets. For example, if you are consuming 3,000 calories per day, you should initially reduce the number to only 2,250 for at least a week.

To calculate the existing metabolism and its subsequent adjustment, you can use special formulas and tables (for example, Harris-Benedict or Muffin-Jeora ), which without special labor can be found on the Internet, but it is better to entrust this matter to a nutritionist who can assess all the nuances of the problem and develop an adequate solution to eliminate it.

In general terms, to calculate a low-calorie diet, the following conditions must be met:

calculate the number of calories incoming (all food consumed throughout the day);
determine the number of calories consumed (energy spent during the day on basal metabolism, work, leisure, etc.);
reduce the calorie content of the daily menu in such a way as to create a 20-30% deficit in energy expenditure, which will be replenished by burning fat deposits.

Basic principles of a low-calorie diet

The classic version of a low-calorie diet is created on the basis of a number of important rules, the implementation of which promotes weight loss, and often even leads to improved functionality of the human body:

it is necessary to practice a fractional diet, dividing the daily amount of food taken into 5-6 separate meals;
the final meal should be taken at least 4 hours before bedtime;
Consumed food products are best baked in the oven, steamed or boiled in boiling water;
the daily fat intake should not exceed 80 grams, and preference should be given to vegetable fats (nuts, butter, seeds);
the daily limit of complex carbohydrates (fruits, grains, vegetables) should be limited to 100 grams;
proteins must predominate in a nutritious diet, then weight loss will occur by burning fat mass, and not by reducing muscle tissue;
it is necessary to limit the intake of animal fats and salt into the body, and eliminate simple carbohydrates (sugar) completely;
Alcohol and all kinds of sweets should also be removed from the diet;
The diet must include a sufficient amount of microelements and water (approximately 1.5 liters per day).

Varieties

Currently, there are 3 main types of low-calorie diets: basic , moderately limited And extreme , which differ in the recommended number of calories consumed per day, their duration and the amount of lost kilograms of excess weight. The choice of dietary option is naturally the prerogative of each individual person who wants to lose weight, but it should be approached carefully and thoughtfully.

It is worth noting that different sources quite often publish various recommendations according to the amount of required daily calorie intake when following a particular dietary regimen. For example, you can often find the main diet option, the number of calories in which is indicated by the number 1800 kcal, which differs from the average daily nutritional intake for women (2000 kcal) by only 200 kcal and is unlikely to lead to weight loss. Likewise, on the Internet you can come across a menu of a low-calorie diet for weight loss, limited to 500 kcal or even 350 kcal per day. This “calorie-free” diet is comparable to fasting and, most likely, will cause the depletion of all the body’s reserves, loss of strength, exacerbation of chronic pathologies, and possibly the emergence of new diseases.

Main (basic)

A basic low-calorie diet is the safest and is recommended for people leading an active physical lifestyle. This diet is designed for daily food consumption of 1400-1600 calories and is the standard for gradual loss of body weight without any significant deprivation in terms of nutritional intake. Theoretically, the main diet can continue for an unlimited time, but most often it is planned for a month, during which on average you can lose 2-3 kilograms of excess weight. Increase physical activity allows you to almost double this result.

Moderately limited

A moderately limited version of a low-calorie diet involves eating 1100-1300 calories per day and is more suitable for people who are not burdened with heavy physical labor. The calorie content of this type of dietary food is on the border of the minimum recommended calorie intake for women (1200 kcal/day) and therefore requires caution and the absence of any serious health problems. The duration of a moderately restricted low-calorie diet is usually 14-30 days. On average, in a week of such a nutritional regime you can get rid of 1.5-2 kilograms of excess body weight.

An extreme version of a low-calorie diet can only be followed by completely healthy people who are slightly overweight. This dietary option limits the daily diet to 650-950 calories and can last a maximum of 7-10 days. It is also possible to use this dietary regimen once a week as a fasting day when carrying out the above-described diets. The average loss of fat mass in 1 week of such a diet is 3-5 kilograms.

Authorized Products

The basis of any low-calorie diet should be dishes with a minimum fat content and a predominance of fiber and protein. Depending on the chosen dietary regimen, the amount of food consumed also varies, the energy value and calorie content of which must first be calculated using special tables.

Throughout any type of low-calorie diet, you can include in your diet:

bakery products made from coarsely ground wheat and rye flour, as well as bran bread;
lean veal, beef, rabbit, as well as turkey and chicken (lean lamb and pork can be consumed in limited quantities);
low-fat fish and seafood with minimal fat content;
barley, pearl barley and buckwheat;
low-fat kefir and cottage cheese (sometimes you can treat yourself to low-fat varieties of cheese);
chicken eggs in the form of omelettes or hard-boiled;
raw vegetables and herbs (cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, etc.);
unsweetened fruits, berries, as well as fresh juices and compotes based on them (citrus fruits, apples, cherries, pears, etc.);
nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.);
vegetable oil (a small amount of in salads and other dishes);
tea (preferably green), herbal infusions, coffee, mineral water without gas.

Important! All dishes from the above food products should be baked in the oven, steamed or boiled in boiling water.

Table of permitted products

	Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
Vegetables and greens
eggplant	1,2	0,1	4,5	24
zucchini	0,6	0,3	4,6	24
cabbage	1,8	0,1	4,7	27
cilantro	2,1	0,5	1,9	23
green onion	1,3	0,0	4,6	19
bulb onions	1,4	0,0	10,4	41
carrot	1,3	0,1	6,9	32
cucumbers	0,8	0,1	2,8	15
parsnip	1,4	0,5	9,2	47
squash	0,6	0,1	4,3	19
salad pepper	1,3	0,0	5,3	27
parsley	3,7	0,4	7,6	47
salad	1,2	0,3	1,3	12
beet	1,5	0,1	8,8	40
celery	0,9	0,1	2,1	12
asparagus	1,9	0,1	3,1	20
tomatoes	0,6	0,2	4,2	20
pumpkin	1,3	0,3	7,7	28
dill	2,5	0,5	6,3	38
zucchini	1,5	0,2	3,0	16
spinach	2,9	0,3	2,0	22
Fruits
pineapples	0,4	0,2	10,6	49
oranges	0,9	0,2	8,1	36
cherry	0,8	0,5	11,3	52
grapefruit	0,7	0,2	6,5	29
pears	0,4	0,3	10,9	42
kiwi	1,0	0,6	10,3	48
mango	0,5	0,3	11,5	67
tangerines	0,8	0,2	7,5	33
peaches	0,9	0,1	11,3	46
apples	0,4	0,4	9,8	47
Berries
cowberry	0,7	0,5	9,6	43
blackberry	2,0	0,0	6,4	31
raspberries	0,8	0,5	8,3	46
currant	1,0	0,4	7,5	43
blueberry	1,1	0,4	7,6	44
Nuts and dried fruits
walnuts	15,2	65,2	7,0	654
Pine nuts	11,6	61,0	19,3	673
cashew	25,7	54,1	13,2	643
pistachios	20,0	50,0	7,0	556
Cereals and porridges
buckwheat	4,5	2,3	25,0	132
pearl barley porridge	3,1	0,4	22,2	109
barley porridge	3,6	2,0	19,8	111
Bakery products
bran bread	7,5	1,3	45,2	227
rye bread	11,0	2,7	58,0	310
whole grain bread	10,1	2,3	57,1	295
Dairy
skim milk	2,0	0,1	4,8	31
kefir 1.5%	3,3	1,5	3,6	41
sour cream 10% (low-fat)	3,0	10,0	2,9	115
Ryazhenka 1%	3,0	1,0	4,2	40
buttermilk	3,3	1,0	4,7	40
acidophilus 1%	3,0	1,0	4,0	40
natural yogurt 2%	4,3	2,0	6,2	60
Cheeses and cottage cheese
feta cheese (made from cow's milk)	17,9	20,1	0,0	260
feta cheese (sheep's milk)	14,6	25,5	0,0	298
cottage cheese 0.6% (low fat)	18,0	0,6	1,8	88
Meat products
lean pork	16,4	27,8	0,0	316
boiled beef	25,8	16,8	0,0	254
beef stew	16,8	18,3	0,0	232
boiled veal	30,7	0,9	0,0	131
rabbit	21,0	8,0	0,0	156
Bird
chicken breast	23,2	1,7	0,0	114
chicken fillet	23,1	1,2	0,0	110
turkey legs	18,4	6,4	0,0	131
boiled turkey fillet	25,0	1,0	-	130
Eggs
omelette	9,6	15,4	1,9	184
boiled chicken eggs in a bag	12,7	11,5	0,7	157
hard-boiled chicken eggs	12,9	11,6	0,8	160
Fish and seafood
boiled fish	17,3	5,0	0,0	116
squid	21,2	2,8	2,0	122
mussels	9,1	1,5	0,0	50
scallop	17,0	2,0	3,0	92
cod	17,7	0,7	-	78
boiled oysters	14,0	3,0	-	95
hake	16,6	2,2	0,0	86
Oils and fats
vegetable oil	0,0	99,0	0,0	899
olive oil	0,0	99,8	0,0	898
sunflower oil	0,0	99,9	0,0	899
Non-alcoholic drinks
mineral water	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
coffee	0,2	0,0	0,3	2
green tea	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
black tea	20,0	5,1	6,9	152
Juices and compotes
Pineapple juice	0,3	0,1	11,4	48
Orange juice	0,9	0,2	8,1	36
Cherry juice	0,7	0,0	10,2	47
Apple juice	0,4	0,4	9,8	42

Fully or partially limited products

If you follow a low-calorie diet, you should avoid eating:

sugar and other sweeteners;
fried, spicy and smoked dishes;
fatty animal and poultry meat;
all sausages;
scrambled eggs and other fried foods with egg yolk;
fatty varieties of fish and seafood;
any canned food (meat, fish, etc.);
flour and pasta products;
dairy products with a high fat content (sweet yoghurts, cheese curds, full-fat cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, etc.);
salty and fatty cheeses;
ketchups, mayonnaise and other ready-made sauces with starch and stabilizers;
pickled and salted vegetables;
sweets (ice cream, puddings, cakes, jam, sweets, etc.);
alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks;
factory nectars, juices and cocoa;
culinary and animal fats.

In turn, it is necessary to significantly limit (it is best to completely eliminate) the consumption of:

salt, as well as other seasonings and spices;
dishes from legumes and potatoes;
sweet berries, fruits and dried fruits (grapes, figs, bananas, raisins, etc.);
porridges like semolina, rice and oatmeal;
natural delicacies (honey, jelly, etc.).

Table of prohibited products

	Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
Vegetables and greens
canned vegetables	1,5	0,2	5,5	30
peas	6,0	0,0	9,0	60
potato	2,0	0,4	18,1	80
corn	3,5	2,8	15,6	101
soybeans	34,9	17,3	17,3	381
beans	7,8	0,5	21,5	123
Fruits
bananas	1,5	0,2	21,8	95
Berries
grape	0,6	0,2	16,8	65
Nuts and dried fruits
raisin	2,9	0,6	66,0	264
dried apricots	5,2	0,3	51,0	215
dried apricots	5,0	0,4	50,6	213
dates	2,5	0,5	69,2	274
prunes	2,3	0,7	57,5	231
Snacks
potato chips	5,5	30,0	53,0	520
caramel popcorn	5,3	8,7	76,1	401
salted popcorn	7,3	13,5	62,7	407
Cereals and porridges
semolina	3,0	3,2	15,3	98
oatmeal	3,2	4,1	14,2	102
rice	6,7	0,7	78,9	344
Flour and pasta
1st grade wheat flour	10,6	1,3	67,6	331
pasta	10,4	1,1	69,7	337
noodles	12,0	3,7	60,1	322
ravioli	15,5	8,0	29,7	245
paste	10,0	1,1	71,5	344
pancakes	6,1	12,3	26,0	233
vareniki	7,6	2,3	18,7	155
dumplings	11,9	12,4	29,0	275
Bakery products
loaf	7,5	2,9	50,9	264
buns	7,2	6,2	51,0	317
donuts	5,8	3,9	41,9	215
bagel	7,9	10,8	57,2	357
bread	7,5	2,1	46,4	227
Confectionery
jam	0,3	0,2	63,0	263
jam	0,3	0,1	56,0	238
candy caramel	0,0	0,1	96,2	362
candies	4,3	19,8	67,5	453
cookie	7,5	11,8	74,9	417
cake	3,8	22,6	47,0	397
jam	0,4	0,2	58,6	233
gingerbread	5,8	6,5	71,6	364
dough	7,9	1,4	50,6	234
Ice cream
ice cream	3,7	6,9	22,1	189
Cakes
cake	4,4	23,4	45,2	407
Chocolate
chocolate	5,4	35,3	56,5	544
Raw materials and seasonings
ketchup	1,8	1,0	22,2	93
mayonnaise	2,4	67,0	3,9	627
honey	0,8	0,0	81,5	329
sugar	0,0	0,0	99,7	398
salt	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
tomato paste	5,6	1,5	16,7	92
Dairy
milk 4.5%	3,1	4,5	4,7	72
cream 35% (fat)	2,5	35,0	3,0	337
sour cream 40% (fat)	2,4	40,0	2,6	381
Cheeses and cottage cheese
cottage cheese 18% (fat)	14,0	18,0	2,8	232
Meat products
fried pork	11,4	49,3	0,0	489
salo	2,4	89,0	0,0	797
fried beef	32,7	28,1	0,0	384
fried lamb	20,0	24,0	0,0	320
bacon	23,0	45,0	0,0	500
cutlets	16,6	20,0	11,8	282
steak	27,8	29,6	1,7	384
Sausages
smoked sausage	28,2	27,5	0,0	360
smoked sausage	16,2	44,6	0,0	466
dry-cured sausage	24,1	38,3	1,0	455
smoked sausage	9,9	63,2	0,3	608
liver sausage	14,4	28,5	2,2	326
sausages	10,1	31,6	1,9	332
sausages	12,3	25,3	0,0	277
pork chops	10,0	33,0	0,0	337
Bird
smoked chicken breast	18,0	5,0	0,0	117
smoked chicken wings	29,9	19,5	0,0	290
smoked chicken legs	10,0	20,0	0,0	220
Eggs
fried egg	11,9	15,3	0,7	192
chicken eggs (yolk)	16,2	31,2	1,0	352
Fish and seafood
dried fish	17,5	4,6	0,0	139
smoked fish	26,8	9,9	0,0	196
marinated fish	1,7	3,0	11,4	82
salted fish	19,2	2,0	0,0	190
dried fish	52,4	5,8	3,3	275
Oils and fats
butter	0,5	82,5	0,8	748
vegetable-fat spread	0,0	40,0	0,0	360
animal fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
cooking fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
chicken fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
Alcoholic drinks
brandy	0,0	0,0	0,5	225
vermouth	0,0	0,0	15,9	158
whiskey	0,0	0,0	0,4	235
vodka	0,0	0,0	0,1	235
gin	0,0	0,0	0,0	220
cognac	0,0	0,0	0,1	239
liquor	0,3	1,1	17,2	242
beer	0,3	0,0	4,6	42
champagne	0,2	0,0	5,0	88
Non-alcoholic drinks
soda water	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
bread kvass	0,2	0,0	5,2	27
cola	0,0	0,0	10,4	42
lemonade	0,0	0,0	6,4	26
Pepsi	0,0	0,0	8,7	38
sprite	0,1	0,0	7,0	29
Fanta	0,0	0,0	11,7	48
Juices and compotes
pineapple nectar	0,1	0,0	12,9	54
orange nectar	0,3	0,0	10,1	43
grape juice	0,3	0,0	14,0	54
jelly	0,2	0,0	16,7	68
peach nectar	0,2	0,0	9,0	38
apple nectar	0,1	0,0	10,0	41
* data is per 100 g of product

Menu (Meal Schedule)

Main (basic)

The regime of the basic version of a low-calorie diet is built on the principle of proper nutrition with the entry into the human body of all the vitamins, mineral components and other useful substances it needs and is therefore quite balanced. The daily calorie content of such a diet should be within 1500 kcal (from 1400 kcal to 1600 kcal), which is quite enough to fully maintain strength while gradually losing weight. The menu of such a diet is not accompanied by a feeling of hunger and allows you to include low-calorie recipes for delicious dietary dishes and even low-calorie desserts (mainly fruit) into your nutritious diet.

The one-day menu for the main low-calorie diet looks like this:

for breakfast, eat 200 grams of buckwheat porridge cooked in water, one small apple and drink herbal tea without sugar or its substitutes;
for second breakfast, make 200 grams of salad from raw seasonal vegetables without adding salt and oil;
for lunch, prepare lean vegetable soup with 100 grams of veal;
for an afternoon snack, you can eat 50 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and drink a glass of unsweetened compote;
For dinner, eat 150 grams of boiled fish, a similar portion of stewed vegetables and green tea.

Throughout the day, you can eat 180 grams of bran or rye bread, and at night drink a glass of low-fat kefir.

Moderately limited

The regime of a moderately limited version of a low-calorie diet should include lower-calorie dishes in comparison with its basic version, however, even in this case, the diet can be sufficiently balanced and delicious dishes can be prepared throughout the entire diet. diet recipes. The average daily calorie content of such a dietary regimen should be 1200 kcal (from 1100 kcal to 1300 kcal) and therefore such a diet may be accompanied by some feeling of hunger.

The menu for one day of a moderately limited low-calorie diet looks like this:

for breakfast you can prepare 100 grams of protein omelet and grated carrots and drink a cup of coffee;
for second breakfast, eat 200 grams of fresh fruit;
for lunch, consume 200 ml of vegetarian pickle soup, 200 grams of cabbage salad and bell pepper, 70 grams of baked beef and a glass of compote;
for an afternoon snack, eat 1 grain bread and drink a glass of natural juice;
for dinner, allow yourself 100 grams of buckwheat porridge, white boiled poultry and stewed vegetables with a glass of tea.

Just as in the previous case, it is permissible to drink a glass of low-fat kefir at night.

Maximum limited (extreme)

The regime of an extreme version of a low-calorie diet is limited to an average daily consumption of only 800 kcal (from 650 kcal to 950 kcal) and is therefore “hungry” and even dangerous to health. Maintaining such a nutritious diet requires the additional inclusion of special mineral and vitamin complexes , taken to maintain normal metabolism, the violation of which can lead to serious disorders of the functioning of many systems and organs of the human body.

The menu for one day of an extreme low-calorie diet looks like this:

For breakfast you should eat 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and drink green tea;
for second breakfast, enjoy 1 green apple;
for lunch, eat 100 grams of boiled chicken fillet and 150 grams of stewed vegetables, drink a glass of herbal tea;
for dinner you can eat 100 grams of steamed beef, 200 grams of raw vegetables and a glass of low-fat kefir.

Very important! The amount of daily calories consumed for men should be on average 200-300 kcal more.

Sample menu of a low-calorie diet for weight loss

Below is sample menu for a week of the main version of a low-calorie diet with an average consumption of 1500 calories per day.

Monday

First breakfast	2 chicken eggs, hard-boiled; 1 raw medium tomato or cucumber; 1 whole grain bread, covered with a thin layer of low-fat cottage cheese; herbal tea.
Lunch	150 g cottage cheese (low-fat or 1% fat); 1 medium orange.
Dinner	2 baked chicken fillet cutlets; 2 tbsp. l. boiled buckwheat; 1 medium cucumber; Cup of tea.
Afternoon snack	cashew nuts in the amount of 10 pcs.
Dinner	150 g of boiled lean meat; 250 g of non-starchy vegetable salad, seasoned with 1 tsp. olive oil; a glass of kefir (at night).

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Recipes for dietary low-calorie dishes

Many people who want to lose weight prefer, regardless of any diet, to eat low-calorie dishes that help them gradually lose extra pounds of weight. Delicious dietary recipes for some of these dishes are presented below.

Required ingredients:

filtered water – 2 l;
chicken fillet – 450 g;
small beets - 1 pc.;
white cabbage – 20 g;
medium carrots – 1 pc.;
average onion- 1 PC.;
large potatoes – 2 pcs.;
Apple vinegar– 3 tsp;
grated tomato – 2 tbsp. l.;
vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.;

Pour filtered water into a 3-liter saucepan, boil the chicken fillet in it for 5 minutes and drain the first broth. Refill with the same volume of water, salt it and continue cooking the poultry for another 20 minutes.

At this time, grate the carrots and beets on a large-mesh grater, cut the onions into small cubes and simmer all the vegetables in a frying pan with vegetable oil for 5 minutes. After this, add apple cider vinegar and grated tomato to the chopped vegetables and cook the resulting mixture for another 10 minutes.

Remove the poultry from the pan with chicken broth, place in it the prepared roast, pre-cut potatoes into medium cubes and shredded cabbage. If necessary, add salt to taste.

Cook the borscht over low heat for about 20-30 minutes (until the potatoes are ready), then add chicken meat pre-cut into small pieces.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 46 kcal.

Required ingredients:

lean minced pork/beef – 450 g;
semolina – 1 tbsp. l.;
zucchini – 150 g;
onions – 100 g;
vegetable oil – as needed;
salt and other spices - to taste.

Carefully peel the zucchini from the outer peel, as well as large internal seeds, and grate it on a fine grater. Grind the onions using a meat grinder.

Add semolina, grated zucchini, chopped onion, a small amount of salt and other spices to the minced meat and mix the meat mixture well.

Fry the cutlets on non-stick frying pan with minimal addition of vegetable oil for approximately 5-7 minutes on each side.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 200 kcal.

Required ingredients:

9% cottage cheese – 750 g;
semolina – 2 tbsp. l.;
candied fruits – 2 tbsp. l.;
sugar – 4 tbsp. l.;
chicken eggs – 3 pcs.;
15% sour cream – 300 g;
vegetable oil – 1 tsp;
zest of one lemon, vanillin.

Initially, beat the first mixture of the entire amount of cottage cheese and semolina, 2 chicken eggs, 2 tbsp. l. sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. After this, add candied fruits to the resulting mass and mix thoroughly.

Grease a baking dish (24 cm) with vegetable oil, pour the prepared curd mass into it and cook for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 170 degrees.

At this time, beat the second mixture of 1 chicken egg, 2 tbsp. sugar and the entire amount of sour cream.

After preparing the first layer of casserole, remove the pan from the oven, pour the second layer of the future dish into it and bake in the oven for about 10 more minutes (the top layer of the finished casserole may ripple a little in the center).

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 215 kcal.

Required ingredients:

eggplant – 2 pcs.;
medium zucchini – 3 pcs.;
large onion – 1 pc.;
fresh tomato – 4 pcs.;
bell red pepper – 1 pc.;
lightly salted cheese – 200 g;
garlic – 2 teeth;
parsley - 1 bunch.

Cut 2 tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants into slices about 0.5 cm thick, and the cheese into thin slices.

Grease an appropriately sized non-stick baking pan with 1 tbsp. oil and alternately vertically place chopped tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and feta cheese on it.

Prepare the sauce by chopping the garlic in a garlic press and finely chopping the remaining tomatoes, red bell peppers and onions. Simmer the chopped vegetables in a frying pan with 1 tbsp for a few minutes. butter (later you can beat the resulting mixture with a blender or leave it in pieces).

Using a circular motion with your hand, pour the prepared sauce onto the vegetables in the baking tray, cover it with foil and bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. After this time, remove the foil from the baking sheet and cook the dish for another half hour.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 60 kcal.

Required ingredients:

minced beef – 300 g;
large grape leaves - 30 pcs.;
rice groats – 2 tbsp. l.;
medium tomato – 1 pc.;
onions – 2 pcs.;
vegetable oil – 1 tsp;
ketchup – 2 tbsp. l.;
filtered water - as needed;
pepper, salt - to taste.

First soak the rice grains in boiling water for 15 minutes. Wash the grape leaves, cut off their stems and also pour boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Cut 1 onion into small cubes. Remove the skin from the tomato by scalding it with boiling water and chop it finely.

Mix the minced meat with the swollen rice, chopped onion and tomato. Add spices, 1 tbsp. cold water and mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon on the wide edge of the smooth side of the grape leaf. prepared minced meat and wrap the leaf itself with an “envelope”, then roll it into a tube.

Place 3-4 on the bottom of a suitable thick-walled pan grape leaves, and place a layer of dolma tightly on top of them (each subsequent layer of the dish should be placed with grape leaves).

Fry a little in a frying pan with 1 tsp. oil, finely chopped onion, mix it with a glass of boiling water, ketchup, spices and pour into a saucepan.

Press the dolma on top with a smaller plate, cover the pan with a lid and simmer the dish over low heat for approximately 1 hour.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 180 kcal.

Required ingredients:

celery (stems) – 350 g;
cucumbers – 300 g;
garlic – 2 teeth;
squid (carcasses) – 600 g;
apples – 200 g;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
lemon – 0.5 pcs.;
dried dill – 0.5 tsp;
pepper, salt - to taste.

Peel the skins from the squid carcasses and boil them for 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water. Place celery stalks in boiling water for 1 minute.

Cut the celery stalks, cucumbers and apples into thin strips, and the squid meat into small pieces.

Prepare a dressing for the future salad by mixing vegetable oil with lemon juice, chopped garlic, dried dill and spices.

Add the prepared dressing to the mixture of squid meat with vegetables and apple and thoroughly mix all the salad ingredients.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 85 kcal.

Required ingredients:

chicken fillet – 300 g;
green beans – 400 g;
cauliflower – 400 g;
onion – 1 pc.;
carrots – 1 pc.;
chicken eggs – 3 pcs.;
hard cheese – 150 g;
10% cream – 200 g;
vegetable oil – 2 tsp;
dill - a small bunch;
salt - to taste.

Boil the chicken fillet in salted water until tender (approximately 20 minutes), then remove the poultry and grind it in a meat grinder or blender.

Boil the beans and cabbage in the remaining broth for 7 minutes and chop them together with the dill.

Grate the carrots, finely chop the onions and fry them a little in a frying pan with 1 tsp. oils

Mix chicken eggs, cream and grated cheese, salt the resulting mixture and mix with all other ingredients (chicken meat, vegetables, beans).

Grease a suitable baking dish with 1 tsp. oil, transfer the resulting mass into it and cook in the oven until golden brown (approximately 40 minutes).

Required ingredients:

double marshmallows – 1 pc.;
kiwi – 2 pcs.;
10% cream – 2 tsp.

Peel the kiwi and cut into medium cubes, leaving one circle of fruit for decoration.

Cut the two marshmallow halves into similar cubes.

Layer the kiwi and marshmallows into a glass of suitable volume and fill them with cream.

Decorate the prepared dessert with a circle of kiwi and leave it to brew for 15 minutes.

The calorie content of 100 g of this dish is approximately 115 kcal.

Quitting the diet

The correct slow and patient exit from a low-calorie diet (especially its moderately limited and extreme varieties) is no less important than strict adherence to such a diet, because with a sharp increase in the caloric content of consumed dishes after their restriction, the human body will actively accumulate fat mass in order to accumulate reserves for case of future possible starvation.

For this reason, the calorie content of a nutritious diet should be increased gradually, adding no more than one or two previously prohibited foods to the weekly menu and increasing the number of calories by a maximum of 200 kcal (100-150 kcal is best). If your weight remains stable throughout the week, you can add the next 200 kcal to your diet and stick to this calorie content for another 5-7 days.

bronchial asthma ;

oncological pathologies;

drug addiction;

in the post-stroke and post-infarction period;

in old age (after 65 years).

For children

Low-calorie diets should not be practiced by children under 16 years of age, since at this age their body is in the stage of active growth and therefore requires increased energy expenditure.

During pregnancy and lactation

The female body during breastfeeding and breastfeeding should not experience energy hunger and therefore following diets with calorie restrictions and the exclusion of many familiar foods is unacceptable.

The only dietary option that can be considered for pregnant and lactating women is the principle of proper nutrition, prescribed by a nutritionist exclusively individually.

Advantages and disadvantages

Types of diet	pros	Minuses
Basic	Stable reduction in body weight, without significant reduction in nutritional intake. Balanced daily menu. Virtually no feeling of hunger throughout the diet. Guarantee of maintaining the reduced weight when switching to the principle of proper nutrition. Fewer contraindications compared to other versions of this diet.	The need to daily count the calorie content and energy value of food taken (relevant for all types of dietary nutrition). Slow weight loss.
Moderately limited	Losing more extra pounds compared to the basic diet. The ability to balance your diet by consuming different acceptable foods. Quite effective weight loss without physical activity.	Availability large number contraindications. Health hazard. The likelihood of frequent feelings of hunger and breakdown. The need to follow the correct way out of the diet. Risk speed dial weight after finishing the diet.
Extreme	Rapid weight loss in a short period of time.	Many contraindications and health risks due to an unbalanced diet. Constant feeling of hunger. Development side effects in shape, fatigue, , weaknesses, etc. Reduce speed. The likelihood of exacerbation of chronic diseases. Mandatory additional intake of mineral and vitamin supplements. The need to follow the correct way out of the diet for a long time. Instability of weight loss results with a high probability of rapid regain of previous weight and even its increase.

Low-calorie diet, reviews and results

Of course, the method of reducing the number of calories consumed leads to a decrease in body fat mass (from 1 to 5 kilograms depending on the chosen option), but it comes with many “buts” and “ifs” that only a qualified nutritionist can fully understand.

It is in this regard that reviews of a low-calorie diet are quite varied and contradictory both among dietary specialists and among people who have ever followed such a nutritional regime. Many nutritionists even oppose significant restriction of calorie intake (with the exception of prescribing a diet according to medical indications), noting the significant health risks of such a diet and the rapid adaptation of the human body to existing nutritional conditions. Such specialists recommend that their patients simply adhere to the principle of a healthy diet with a minimal reduction in the calorie content of food intake and refusal junk food(fast food, convenience foods, etc.).

On the other hand, on various forums dedicated to weight loss there are many positive feedback about a low-calorie diet, which position it as the only The right way getting rid of excess weight. In fairness, it should be noted that a positive assessment of such a nutritional regime most often concerns its basic and moderately limited version, while the extreme version of the diet often lends itself to well-founded criticism.

The conclusion that can be drawn from the entire volume of positive and negative reviews about low-calorie diets speaks in favor of the need to prescribe such a dietary regimen only by a nutritionist who can take into account all the individual nuances of an individual and, based on them, develop an effective and safe diet for weight loss .

« ... A low-calorie diet, from my point of view, is truly the best among existing methods of losing weight. I myself have been on a diet of 1500 kcal for about 3 months. Of course, at first it was quite difficult to give up your favorite, albeit harmful, foods, but it was worth it, and your own figure is most important! The most important thing to remember is that such a diet should be compiled by a nutritionist, otherwise you can seriously undermine your health. But if you have no contraindications and a nutritionist has approved this diet, then be sure to try it, it will certainly help you lose extra pounds»;
« ... In my opinion, the most correct diet is one that is designed to consume 1400-1600 kcal, and is not rigid and, moreover, harmful to health. In essence, this type of diet involves excluding from your usual diet only harmful foods such as flour, fried and sweet foods and forces you to eat mainly low-fat protein dishes, healthy fruits and vegetables. Thus, you simply comply with all the requirements of proper nutrition, which is certainly an effective and proven way to lose weight»;
« ... Of course, I didn’t like everything about the 1200 kcal diet, but there is still a positive result (minus 3 kg in less than a month). The only thing that is very tiring is the constant calculation of the calorie content of dishes and their self-cooking(well, I won’t be able to correctly count calories in a restaurant), because you have to weigh virtually all the products. Although I admit that even approximate calorie calculations and relative adherence to this weight loss technique still leads to a positive result. That's why I rate it a solid four.»;
« ... If, like me, you go on a diet of 800 calories a day, you will definitely reduce the metabolic rate in your body. As a result, you will begin to lose weight more slowly, and in the future the weight will increase altogether (the doctors explained this to me later). In addition, due to a lack of vitamins and other useful and necessary substances, you will have problems with your nerves, the condition of your hair and skin will worsen, you will experience lethargy, fatigue, and even a decrease in brain performance. I advise you to think very carefully before starting such a diet.»;
« ... I read a lot of positive reviews about the low-calorie diet that is popular today and counts the calories eaten per day. It seems that you can eat whatever you want, but only a maximum of 800 kcal per day (the norm is 2200 kcal). Adhering to this diet, I lost as much as 5 kg in a week (plus I didn’t eat anything after 18 hours). Previously, with a height of 169 cm, it was 59 kg, but now it’s 54 kg. Everything seemed to be fine, although I was hungry, but then my mother came to visit and brought my favorite blueberry pie. I ate 2 pieces of pie at night (in total, about 1800 calories that day) and the next day the scales showed a weight gain of 1 kg!!! Now, as soon as I eat more than 1000 kcal per day, my weight gains double. Just awful!!! For me now there is no turning back and, apparently, for the rest of my life I will have to somehow survive on this hated diet».

Diet price

Since a low-calorie diet regimen completely eliminates the consumption of some foods and limits the consumption of others, the total cost of such a diet is affordable for almost every person.

When using the usual food sets for preparing dietary dishes (beef and chicken meat, vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs, cottage cheese, etc.), one day of a low-calorie diet, depending on its variety, will cost approximately 100-150 rubles.

Education: Graduated from Vinnitsa National Medical University named after. N.I. Pirogova, Faculty of Pharmacy, higher pharmaceutical education – specialty “Pharmacist”.

Experience: Work in the pharmacy chains "Konex" and "Bios-Media" with the specialty "Pharmacist". Work as a Pharmacist in the Avicenna pharmacy chain in the city of Vinnitsa.

Note!

The information about diets on the site is for reference and general information, collected from publicly available sources and cannot serve as a basis for making a decision about their use. Before using the diet, be sure to consult a dietitian.

General characteristics of a low-calorie diet

Characteristics of products and cooking methods for a low-calorie diet

Sample one-day menu (1635 kcal) of a low-calorie diet

Chemical composition of low-calorie diet options

A variety of foods is important for a low-calorie diet.

Meal time: is dinner after six so bad?

Approximate low-calorie menu for weight loss

More on the topic “Low-calorie meals for weight loss”:

What are the benefits of a low-calorie diet?

Cons of a low-calorie diet

Beware of disruption

How to make a low-calorie diet more effective

How many calories can you eat per day on a low calorie diet?

Some nutritional features

Avoid fast carbohydrates for quick results

Low-calorie diet: menu for the week

How many kilos can you lose in a week?

How to get out of a low-calorie diet?

A constant healthy diet or endless swings - the choice is yours

Requirements of a low-calorie diet

Low-calorie diet menu

Sample menu of a low-calorie diet for women

Sample menu of a low-calorie diet for men

Contraindications for a low-calorie diet

The benefits of a low-calorie diet

Disadvantages of a low-calorie diet

Repeated low-calorie diet

General rules

The mechanism of action of a low-calorie diet

Calorie calculation

Basic principles of a low-calorie diet

Varieties

Main (basic)

Moderately limited

Authorized Products

Table of permitted products

Vegetables and greens

Fruits

Berries

Nuts and dried fruits

Cereals and porridges

Bakery products

Dairy

Cheeses and cottage cheese

Meat products

Bird

Eggs

Fish and seafood

Oils and fats

Non-alcoholic drinks

Juices and compotes

Fully or partially limited products

Table of prohibited products

Vegetables and greens

Fruits

Berries

Nuts and dried fruits

Snacks

Cereals and porridges

Flour and pasta

Bakery products

Confectionery

Ice cream

Cakes

Chocolate

Raw materials and seasonings

Dairy

Cheeses and cottage cheese

Meat products

Sausages

Bird

Eggs

Fish and seafood

Oils and fats

Alcoholic drinks

Non-alcoholic drinks

Juices and compotes

Menu (Meal Schedule)

Main (basic)

Moderately limited