Low carbohydrate diet - weekly menu with recipes

In pursuit of harmony, toned and harmonious figure, people begin to exercise and follow a healthy diet. The first problem to face is diet. Few people know that the problem lies in the excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates. And as soon as they study information in popular sources, without reading it to the end, they completely exclude carbohydrates from the diet. And here the breakdowns, health problems, loss of strength, etc. begin. Where is the balance and truth? Very close! Let's find out.

In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift in ideas about why a person gains weight. The masses have realized that carbohydrates, not dietary fats, turn into subcutaneous fat and become one of the main causes of obesity.

For a long time, low-fat diets were the basis of weight loss methods, but the real sensation was caused by a low-carb diet, which showed high results in losing excess weight. Studies have shown that simple and complex carbohydrates have different effects on the body. Excessive consumption of foods rich in carbohydrates leads to excess weight.

In this article you will learn:

• what is a low-carb diet and how does fat burning occur;
• advantages and disadvantages of the method;
• what foods are present in the diet of a low-carbohydrate diet;
• interesting low carb recipes for a complete menu.

What is the essence of the method of losing weight?

Carbohydrates provide the body with the necessary amount of energy that is spent during the day on vital processes and during physical activity. A total rejection of a macronutrient will cause malfunctions in the functioning of functional systems, and an excess of energy received will cause an increase in fat reserves. The diet of a low-carbohydrate diet includes slow (complex) carbohydrates that do not cause a sharp jump in blood sugar and take longer to be converted into energy.

The essence of the method lies in the fact that from the first day of the diet for safe and effective weight loss, every day the amount of carbohydrates consumed decreases and proteins increase. Thanks to this, the following processes are launched in the body:

1. The previously received energy is scarce, which forces us to look for a new source.
2. Glycogen in the first 2-3 days of the diet becomes the main supplier of energy.
3. In addition, fats break down, synthesizing an additional source of energy - ketone.

Studies comparing the benefits of low-carb and low-fat diets for weight loss have shown that people who minimized their carbohydrate intake lost more weight in 6 months than those who followed a low-fat diet.

On a low-carbohydrate diet, subjects felt full after eating, as protein and fat break down more slowly than carbohydrates. In addition, the increase in blood sugar and insulin production occurred gradually. This means that they did not have strong bursts of energy, which are replaced by fatigue and an increased feeling of hunger.

conclusion: the principle of the diet is the biochemical processes that contribute to the burning of fat and the loss of extra kilos.

It is important to remember that during the diet, the fat layer is evenly reduced throughout the body, so it is impossible to reduce the volumes locally.

Advantages and disadvantages

The low content of carbohydrates in the menu favorably affects the state of the body, normalizing digestion, increasing metabolic processes and rejuvenating.

Advantage:

• there is no hunger in the diet, strength remains at the same level, there is no weakness;
• suitable for diabetics;
• proper nutrition for men and women in order to lose weight;
• suitable for low, medium and high activity levels;
• does not require a significant change in the calculations of the daily calorie requirement for weight loss, the protein and carbohydrate indicators change.

Reducing the amount of a macronutrient helps to lose weight and improve health, it is recommended for:

• over weight;
• intensive training;
• Mellitus diabetes;
• hypertension;
• endocrine system disorders;
• oncological diseases.

The method has gained trust among athletes and bodybuilders - this is a reliable opportunity to get relief, reduce the percentage of subcutaneous fat and maintain muscle mass.

However, the diet has its drawbacks:

• constipation: reduced fiber, which is associated with a reduction in carbohydrate intake, can lead to digestive problems;
• lack of carbohydrates can cause headache, irritability and nervousness;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• increases the load on the liver;
• potassium and sodium are scarce;
• carbohydrate deficiency reduces concentration, which is essential for people who are engaged in mental work;
• an increase in cholesterol levels due to a large number of animal products, which provokes the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system;

A low-carb diet is not on the list of methods that can be followed for several years, since a large list of prohibited foods creates additional stress for the body. Therefore, after several weeks or months of restrictions, a person returns to his usual diet.

Balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates

The main source of protein on a low-carb diet is animal products: meat, poultry, organ meats, cottage cheese, eggs. For vegetarians, legumes and nuts are an alternative.

The proportion of BJU in the diet is within:

• Proteins 40-50%;
• Fats 30-35%;
• Carbohydrates 20-25%.

The opinion of dietitians

Nutritionists are wary of the method, because a low-carb diet (for a week or a month) involves the use of 50-70 g of a macronutrient per day. Deficiency leads to undesirable disorders with a number of side effects, such as excess.

Doctors recommend giving preference to proper and balanced nutrition, monitoring the intake of carbohydrate foods. Healthy eating habits combined with physical activity will help reduce the amount of body fat; the method can not be attributed to express weight loss, but without harm to health.

Contraindications

Before "going on a diet", you should consult a doctor, since a high content of protein foods is contraindicated for people with metabolic problems (for example, urolithiasis, gout).

The fact is that with a normal diet, these metabolic disorders may not manifest themselves, which means that you may not even know that you have a disease. By changing the diet in the direction of increasing protein intake, you cause the launch of a severe pathological mechanism in your body.

Excessive consumption of fatty foods is contraindicated in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, cholelithiasis, stomach ulcer, gastritis). Fatty foods lead to the intake of large amounts of cholesterol in the body, which can cause or accelerate the growth of atherosclerotic plaques.

Weight loss method is also not recommended:

• pregnant and lactating;
• people under the age of 18;
• with cardiovascular diseases;
• at the time of exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Basic rules for a low carbohydrate diet

The method involves the use of a minimum portion of carbohydrates sufficient to maintain the work of the body. For women, 2 grams per kilogram of weight is required, for men - 3 g. If the daily intake is 120-150 g, then for weight loss the figure gradually and gradually decreases to 50-70 g per day. Protein food becomes a substitute for an energy source and maintains muscle tone.

A low-carb diet lowers insulin levels, which suppresses your appetite. Ketone bodies, from animal and vegetable proteins and fats, block the flow of information about the sensation of hunger.

Following a few principles will help you achieve your goals:

• exclude products with a high glycemic index from the diet;
• take additional vitamins and minerals;
• the preferred cooking method is stewed, boiled, grilled, steamed. Fry the ingredients without adding oil or with a small amount;
• do not skip meals and do not cut calories;
• take out complex carbohydrates in the first half and before training, in the second - protein foods;
• be sure to eat breakfast;
• observe the drinking regimen - at least 2 liters of clean liquid.

Do not forget that the correct calculation of the daily energy requirement to lose weight is the first step before starting any diet.

approved products

The list of products to maintain a low carbohydrate diet is extensive, which diversifies the menu and will not leave you hungry. It is important to study the information about the component using food calorie charts or on the label.

Table of allowed products

The diet implies certain restrictions. With the help of the table, you can familiarize yourself with the products suitable for low-carb nutrition.

product groups	approved products
Meat	Lean pork, beef and veal, poultry, organ meats
fish and shellfish	Sea fish: salmon, salmon, cod, mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut Seafood - no restrictions
Dairy products	Cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, natural yogurt without additives, all with a low percentage of fat.
Eggs	chicken and quail
Vegetables, raw and canned	Everything except starchy vegetables: potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, sweet potato
Mushrooms	There are no restrictions in any way.
fruits, berries	Citrus, green apples without sugar
cereals	Cooked long oats, brown rice and buckwheat
Nuts and seeds	Without Borders
Oil	unrefined vegetable
sauces	Balsamic vinegar
sweeteners	Sorbitol and fructose free
Beverages	Coffee, tea - no added sugar, mineral water, vegetable juices

Prohibited Products

If your favorite product isn't on the list of allowed ingredients, it's most likely on the prohibited list:

• bakery and confectionery products;
• processed cereals (white rice, instant oatmeal, grits), premium wheat pasta;
• potatoes, corn;
• semi-finished products, smoked products;
• food ingredients (mayonnaise, ketchups and sauces, except soy);
• chocolate;
• sweet fruits (banana, grapes);
• sugar and sugar products;
• packaged juices, fruit drinks (due to added sugar);
• soda;
• alcoholic drinks.

It is necessary to abandon the above products for the first time, and after 3-4 weeks gradually introduce them into the diet in small portions.

Sample menu for the week.

At first glance, it seems that a low-carb diet is not very diverse, however, having prepared a menu a week in advance, you can ensure that the diet is saturated.

Table: sample low-carb diet menu for 7 days

The table contains possible combinations of breakfast, lunch and dinner, which can be taken as a base and substituted with your favorite food. Do not forget that it is important to correctly calculate the calorie content of the finished dish in order to meet the daily energy intake. Alternation and repetition of products is possible.

Day	Breakfast	2nd breakfast	Dinner	afternoon tea	Dinner
1 day	Cottage cheese casserole without sugar + tomato/cucumber	Pink grapefruit	Brown rice porridge with vegetables	Kefir 1%	Steamed fish + coleslaw + bread
2 days	Scrambled eggs or omelette with two eggs + chicken	Fat-free cottage cheese	Mushroom soup with low-fat sour cream + bread	Kefir 1% with chopped cucumber and herbs	Boiled beef + cucumber and tomato salad
3 days	Stewed vegetables with grated cheese	Apple	Vegetable soup with chicken broth	milk 1. 5%	Boiled breast + stewed cabbage
Day 4	Oatmeal with grated apple	Pink grapefruit	Buckwheat Porridge + Beetroot Salad	Fat-free cottage cheese	Beef or chicken ragout with vegetables
Day 5	Cheese + boiled eggs	Apple	Boiled brown rice + seafood	Kefir 1%	Vegetable salad + lean beef steak
day 6	Cheese + boiled egg + bread	Natural yogurt without sugar 1, 5%	Baked meat + vegetable salad	Kiwi	Stewed vegetables + boiled fish
day 7	Buckwheat porridge with milk	Fat-free cottage cheese	Baked fish with vegetables	Kefir 1%	Baked brisket + fresh vegetables and herbs

A long-term low-carb diet (30 days or more) should include a cheat meal or refeed to avoid slowing metabolism.

go off diet

A low-carb diet is effective and affordable, but after 2 months you should go back to your usual diet. The exit is done gradually in order to minimize the stress of the body and not return the previously lost kilograms.

Return to normal diet in 3-4 weeks:

• in the first and second week, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables (which do not contain starch);
• the third week - reduce protein foods by adding cereals;
• the number of calories also increases each day.

What can be cooked during the period of weight loss: delicious recipes

A low-carbohydrate diet is no reason to limit yourself exclusively to chicken fillet. The list of allowed products is extensive, so you can cook time-tested dishes or fantasize based on the available ingredients.

Chicken fillet in a slow cooker

Recipe #1

Cooking method:

• Rinse the chicken fillet, remove excess fat. Cut into arbitrary pieces, sprinkle with salt and spices, lay out at the bottom of the multicooker container.
• Pour the water, add the bay leaf.
• Cook for 1. 5 hours in the "Extinguishing" mode.

Total carbohydrates: 0g

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet - 250 g;
• water - 150g;
• salt, ground pepper - to taste;
• bay leaf - 1 pc.

Baked beef with cheese

Recipe #2

Cooking method:

• Rinse the meat in cold water, cut it lengthwise and beat it.
• Grease a baking sheet with oil, put the veal, pour milk.
• Send to the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Immediately after, salt the meat, add salt and spices to taste.
• Cut the cheese into thin slices, spread evenly over the meat, return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Total Carbs: 7. 7g

Ingredients:

• beef shoulder - 400 g;
• cheese - 100 g;
• milk 1, 5% - 100 ml;
• vegetable oil - 20 ml;
• salt, pepper, spices - to taste.

Oat bran soup

Recipe #3

Cooking method:

• Cut the turkey fillet into cubes, boil in 1 liter of water for 20 minutes.
• At the end, add the chopped onion and bran.
• Hard boil an egg, cut into small pieces and add to the broth.
• Finely chop the vegetables, send to the soup.

Total carbohydrates: 24g

Ingredients:

• turkey fillet - 150 g;
• water - 1 liter;
• onions - 60 g;
• egg - 58 g;
• oat bran - 25 g;
• chopped dill - 10 g;
• green onions - 5 g;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Chinese cabbage salad with fruit

Recipe #4

Cooking method:

• Peel the orange from the peel, remove the white layers.
• Fruit cut into cubes.
• Finely chop Chinese cabbage and onion. Combine all the ingredients.
• Add salt to taste to the salad, season with lemon juice, mix.

Total Carbs: 16. 5g

Ingredients:

• Chinese cabbage - 150 g;
• apple - 50 g;
• orange - 60 g;
• green onions - 5 g;
• lemon juice - 20 ml;
• salt to taste.

squid salad

Recipe number 5

Cooking method:

• Boil two hard-boiled eggs, peel. Cut into medium cubes.
• Rinse the carcass, shell and entrails of the squids, dip them in boiling water for 15-20 seconds - no more! Otherwise they will turn to "rubber".
• Cut shellfish into rings or thin strips.
• Cucumber cut into thin strips.
• Mix all ingredients.
• Dress the salad with juice and olive oil, mix.

Total carbohydrates: 3. 5 g.

Ingredients:

• chicken egg - 116 g (2 pcs. );
• squid - 150 g;
• cucumber - 70 g;
• lemon juice - 15 ml;
• olive oil - 15 ml.

White fish with vegetables

Recipe #6

Cooking method:

• Rinse fish, remove fins. Cut into medium pieces, rub with salt and pepper.
• Chop the vegetables into large pieces.
• Spread all ingredients evenly on a baking sheet.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Total Carbs: 8. 7g

Ingredients:

• cod - 500 g;
• eggplant - 80 g;
• tomatoes - 120 g;
• salt pepper.

cheese soup

Recipe number 7

Cooking method:

• Boil the chicken fillet until tender, remove the meat and let cool. Cut into medium pieces.
• Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, add to the broth, simmer for 20 minutes to a homogeneous consistency, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread the chicken fillet on each portion. Decorate with greenery.

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet - 300 g;
• processed cheese - 100 g;
• water - 1. 5 l;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• fresh herbs - to taste.

milk dessert

Recipe number 8

Cooking method:

• Pour milk into a deep form for whipping, put in the freezer until an ice crust forms.
• Pour gelatin with water, cook according to instructions, add gelatin. Cool down.
• Remove the milk, beat with a submersible blender, pour in the gelatin and continue beating.
• Take to the freezer for 20 minutes.

Total Carbs: 9. 9g

Ingredients:

• milk 0. 5% - 200 ml;
• gelatin - 10 g;
• water - 40 ml;
• sweetener - to taste.

Salad with canned tuna

Recipe #9

Cooking method:

• Finely chop the onion into half rings, pour over the vinegar, mix and leave for 15 minutes. After draining excess fluid.
• Boil the hard-boiled egg, grate with cheese on a coarse grater.
• Cut the cucumber into strips.
• If the tuna is too big, mash the pieces with a fork.
• Mix all the ingredients, season with oil, season to taste.

Total Carbs: 7. 5g

Ingredients:

• canned tuna - 1 can, about 180 g;
• egg - 58 g;
• hard cheese - 100 g;
• cucumber - 100 g;
• onion - 40 g;
• vinegar - 5 ml;
• olive oil - 15 ml;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

diet cutlets

Recipe number 10

Cooking method:

• Rinse all types of meat, dry on a paper towel, finely chop or chop with a blender / meat grinder.
• Onion cut into small cubes.
• Add the egg, onion, salt and spices to the minced meat. Mix well, form patties with wet hands.
• Steam for 20-30 minutes or fry in a non-stick pan without adding oil on both sides.

Total carbohydrates: 7g.

Ingredients:

• beef shoulder - 200 g;
• lean pork - 400 g;
• chicken fillet - 250 g;
• onion - 60 g;
• chicken egg - 58 g;
• salt, spices - to taste.

Low Carb Raffaello

Recipe #11

Cooking method:

• The curd must be dry. Grind a portion of cottage cheese with a sweetener through a sieve, add sour cream, mix.
• Dry the almonds in a hot nonstick skillet for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Blind a ball of cottage cheese, flatten, put an almond inside, make a ball.
• Roll the finished candies in coconut flakes and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Total Carbs: 28. 1g

Ingredients:

• cottage cheese 1, 8% - 250 g;
• sour cream 10% - 40 g;
• raw almonds - 20 g;
• coconut flakes - 100 g;
• sweetener - to taste.

A low carbohydrate diet is an effective method of losing weight with a varied menu. Following the recommendations, you can quickly achieve the desired results and not be afraid of the return of lost weight after leaving the low-carbohydrate regimen. Carefully study the contraindications, keep track of your well-being and be healthy!