Date diet for weight loss at home: menu, rules, recipes

The ability to lose weight without giving up sweets is not fiction, but a date diet for weight loss. If you take the matter seriously, you can say goodbye to ten kilograms in just a week and a half.

Sweets are the first thing to be eliminated from your diet when losing weight. The lack of this category of products causes great stress for many. The diet becomes a real torment, breakdowns begin.

For lovers of sweets, as well as those who cannot imagine life without sweets, a date diet has been developed. This is an interesting topic, especially suitable for people who are not inclined to deny themselves their favorite food. But the real date diet is not as simple and tasty as it seems. Reviews and results speak for themselves, but not everyone manages to lose weight without effort.

General rules

Many people are not even aware of the benefits of dates, which are provided by their vitamin and mineral composition.
And in the dried form, which is more familiar to us, they do not lose their quality. This delicious sweet treat can be eaten with tea, milk, kefir or cottage cheese. 100 g of dates contain: 2.5 g of protein, 0.5 g of fat, 69 g of carbohydrates, 6.0 g of dietary fiber.

The amino acid composition is characterized by the presence of 23 amino acids - this content is not found in most other fruits. The predominant vitamins are B5 , PP , B6 , B1 , and the predominant micro and macroelements are potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. The calorie content of the product is 292 kcal.

Their benefit is that:

• They are very nutritious, so they can be used as a source of energy. If you want to have a snack, then a date will be the best natural alternative to sweets or chocolate bars.
• The high fiber content (100 g contains 30% of the daily value) helps improve intestinal function.
• The presence of dietary fiber, selenium and other antioxidants (vit E and C) reduces the risk of cancer.
• Improve sleep and stabilize mental state. The amino acid tryptophan takes part in the synthesis of melatonin (sleep hormone) and is a precursor of serotonin , a neurotransmitter that in the blood turns into a hormone that regulates mood, sleep, human emotional reactions, as well as food reactions. When serotonin levels increase, a feeling of satiety occurs, appetite is suppressed and correct eating behavior is formed. Serotonin levels increase when eating foods high in carbohydrates and proteins.
• The high content of potassium and magnesium ensures the coordinated functioning of the cardiovascular system.

With all this, 100 g of dried fruit contains a third (32.8%) of the daily requirement of carbohydrates - this is the highest content compared to other fruits. The sweetness of the fruit is provided by the carbohydrate content (mainly fructose and glucose). Fructose is broken down only in the liver, and it can only process a small amount of it. The excess turns into fat, unlike glucose , which is stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen . In this regard, the consumption of dates is contraindicated for people suffering from diabetes and obesity .

In this regard, the question arises: is it possible to eat dates on a diet? On the one hand, this dried fruit provides a sufficient amount of fiber and vitamins, but on the other hand, the high sugar content adds extra calories. In addition, these fruits have a high glycemic index , so they have an undesirable effect on blood sugar levels - they cause a sharp rise in it, followed by a release of insulin , normalizing blood sugar and a rapid onset of hunger. This is not acceptable in a weight loss program.

During any diet aimed at losing weight, fewer calories should be taken in than the body uses. For weight loss, these dried fruits can only be used if you control your diet and strictly take into account calories. One fruit contains from 24 to 66 kcal, depending on the variety. For comparison, half a grapefruit contains only 40 calories, but is more filling, filling your stomach and providing more fiber.

The fructose contained in dates does not cause the release of leptin , the hormone that signals satiety, so it is easy to overeat them if you do not strictly control yourself. Overeating entails storing it in the form of fat “in reserve”, which was mentioned above. Moreover, fructose turns into fat much faster than glucose (30% of fructose immediately goes into fat).

You should not completely abandon these fruits. You need to approach the consumption of valuable fruit without fanaticism and limit their quantity. So, you can use dates in a low-calorie, balanced diet, as an alternative to sweets and as snacks. Their benefit in this case lies in the ability to suppress the feeling of hunger for a while, bring pleasure to the person losing weight and a good mood. The optimal norm is to consume 50-60 g of dates (6-8 pieces). It’s better to eat them in two doses in the first half of the day to burn off carbohydrates during the day (it’s even better to go to training).

If a special date diet is undertaken for weight loss, the amount of fruit increases. Let's consider several diet options.

Mono-diet

The diet only involves eating dates (optimally 12-14 dates per day, and the maximum amount is 500 g), water, green tea, and herbal infusions. When consuming 500 g of dried fruits you will get 1460 kcal. You can only stay on this diet for two to three days. Then nutritionists advise introducing fruits, vegetables and protein dishes (meat or fish for lunch).

However, there is the option of eating only dates, water and tea for 4 days, and from the 5th to the 10th, apples and pears are added to the diet. Eating fruits and dry fruits can be alternated or combined together in a fruit salad. From the point of view of separate nutrition, it is not advisable to combine sour fruits with carbohydrate foods in one meal, so if you choose citrus fruits, they should be consumed in a separate meal. According to the developers of this type of diet, you can lose weight by 6 kg in 10 days.

Nobody argues that these dried fruits are useful as a replacement for buns, sweets, waffles or halva, but not as such a long-term mono-diet. This is not an easy, and most importantly, unhealthy way to lose weight. A sweet diet quickly becomes boring, can increase appetite, and many experience physical and mental discomfort. Due to the complete absence of protein (there is very little of it in dried fruits), serious physical activity cannot be undertaken. To maintain the achieved results, it is recommended to adhere to a healthy diet including protein foods, vegetables and fruits and to actively engage in sports.

Date diet - second option

It is suggested to consume these dried fruits and milk (or kefir). This is a more affordable option, at least it contains protein products.

Its duration can vary between 3-7 days. It is impossible to observe longer than the specified period due to the imbalance of the diet - the predominance of carbohydrates, lack of protein and fats.

The diet consists of 25 dried fruits (200 g) and 3 glasses of milk (kefir). Fruits are divided into 3 doses of 8 pieces, they are eaten with milk (kefir). Daily calorie content will be 884-900 calories. Weight loss - from 300 g per day.

In any case, this is also an option for an unbalanced mono-diet, which it is not advisable to adhere to for more than 3 days. The reduced weight will quickly return to its original level, since mononutrition slows down metabolism .

The best nutrition option is to follow a balanced diet with the introduction of sweet treats in reasonable quantities.

• Breakfast - 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese, green tea (coffee) with 4-5 dried fruits.
• Second breakfast: kefir (yogurt) and 3 pcs. dates.
• Lunch: vegetable salad, grain bread, boiled chicken 150 g.
• Afternoon snack: apple (fruit salad) or vegetable salad if you are tired of sweets.
• Dinner: steamed fish, stewed vegetables, tea.
• At night: any fermented milk drink.

During the day you will eat 8 pieces of dried fruit (64 g), which will increase your daily calorie intake by 186 kcal. You can compose your diet at your own discretion and ensure that the total calorie content is no more than 1300-1350 kcal. Please note that the sweet treat is added to the diet in the first half of the day.

Should you eat while losing weight?

The question of whether you can eat dates on a diet or not is one of the most frequent requests addressed to nutritionists. Despite the high calorie content of this product, experts unanimously recommend its use in the diet during weight loss, but in reasonable quantities.

There are even various methods of fasting days, which are based on moderate consumption of the dried fruit in question.

Important! Dates, like any other delicacy, are recommended by nutrition experts to be eaten during main meals during the day or at least 3 hours before bedtime. This product, in a minimal quantity, will become a nutritious snack that can suppress the appetite of someone losing weight that develops in the evening.

Regardless of what product you eat or what diet you follow, those losing weight are not recommended to eat food less than 3 hours before going to bed, otherwise this will lead to the appearance of new fat deposits.

In the struggle for an ideal figure, it is important not to exceed the daily allowance of dates determined by a nutritionist. Otherwise, the calories they contain in large quantities will not only slow down the process of getting rid of extra pounds, but can also lead to gaining even more excess weight.

You may also be interested in: Lowest calorie nuts

Authorized Products

As we found out, a date diet for weight loss can include only this one fruit or in addition to it:

• Milk 1% or 1.5% three glasses a day.
• Kefir 1% three glasses a day.
• Apples, pears.

With a balanced low-calorie diet, the following are introduced:

• Vegetables (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, green beans, greens, all types of cabbage).
• Boiled (stewed) mushrooms.
• Boiled or baked lean meats, chicken fillet, fish.
• Berries and fruits.
• Cottage cheese 1% and 1.8%.
• Kefir, yogurt.
• Vegetable oils for salad dressing 2 tbsp. in a day.
• Chicken eggs, especially whites.

Table of permitted products

What are combined with and what products are not?

When drawing up a daily menu for weight loss, no matter how many dates a person plans to consume per day, it is important to understand which products they are combined with and which they are not.

Sweet fruits are ideally compatible:

• with each other (for example, it is permissible to use dates together with figs or bananas as a snack);
• with semi-acidic fruits (for example, apples, green pears, plums, peaches, etc.);
• with fermented milk products (for example, fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt).

Along with successful combinations, it is important to keep in mind those that will not only be tasteless, but also capable of causing stomach and intestinal upset.

It is advisable to avoid consuming dates together with:

• vegetables (cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.);
• sour fruits (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon and others);
• products containing a high amount of proteins (meat, fish, eggs);
• herbs and various hot seasonings (onions, garlic, coriander);
• fatty foods (cream, sour cream, vegetable oil, butter, margarine);
• sugars of various origins (sugar, honey, syrup, berry juice).

A well-designed weight loss menu that complies with the above rules of compatibility is one of the main keys to success in the struggle for ideal proportions.

Fully or partially limited products

• Sausages, canned food, smoked meats, fatty meats, refractory animal fats.
• Dough products, baked goods, sugar, candies, jam, chocolate, confiture, ice cream, confectionery products.
• Fatty dairy products.

Table of prohibited products

Menu (Power Mode)

Advantages and disadvantages

How much can you use?

The permitted amount of dates, like other high-calorie foods, when losing weight should ideally be determined by a specialist.

A person who leads a calm and measured lifestyle that does not require large energy expenditures and physical endurance is usually recommended to eat no more than 8-10 dried dates per day.

Fresh fruits are usually allowed to be consumed in quantities of 12-15 pieces.

By following the above standards, those losing weight will be able to not only treat themselves to a sweet snack that saturates the body with useful substances, but also minimize the risk of harm to the figure caused by the naturally occurring sugars contained in dates.

If there is regular physical activity in the life of a person trying to lose weight, nutritionists advise consuming 20-25 dried dates per day. The use of fresh fruits in the daily diet should not exceed 30.

Sports activities, especially strength and cardio exercises, require a lot of energy, the loss of which can be compensated by dates.

In addition, for physical training to be effective, an appropriate level of physical strength and endurance is required, and to restore muscle tissue from injuries received during training, amino acids are needed. To increase endurance and physical strength, dates can supply the body with the necessary amount of amino acids.

Date diet, reviews and results

Mono-diets exist and the most interesting thing is that there are their adherents. Perhaps this is due to the simplification of the diet and the fact that there is no need to prepare food. Nutritionists for a rational approach to nutrition in general and weight loss in particular. If you consider a mono-diet in which you are allowed to eat 500 g of these dried fruits, then you will get 1460 kcal per day. You can get the same number of calories by eating rationally, healthy and varied, including your favorite dried fruits in your diet. Sticking to a mono-eating diet is difficult and also unwise. Reviews from many confirm this.

• “... I think that losing weight on sweet carbohydrates is wrong - this is complete nonsense. Sweets greatly increase your appetite and make you want to eat something substantial. If you increase the portion of dates, then the calories will go off scale and there will be no benefit at all. I am for a normal diet without excesses and counting calories. I replace sweets with dates or eat 1-2 pieces each. with tea or kefir. And not every day, but when there is an irresistible craving for sweets. On a balanced diet (including various dried fruits and nuts), I lose weight at a normal pace, 500-700 g per week. Sometimes the weight will stop, but then it will slowly decline again.”
• “...I decided on a 10-day diet with dates. I can say that this is a hunger strike. I made it through the first day, being in a bad mood and hungry. On the first day it was minus 300 g. On the second day I broke down and ate a salad and washed it down with tomato juice. But this did not give rest to my stomach for a long time. The third and fourth days were normal in the morning, but then weakness appeared, hunger again, and in order not to feel it, I slept most of the day. In 4 days of suffering and poor health, I lost only 700 grams. I didn’t risk torturing myself further—it was physically impossible to withstand it. After that I had a breakdown and ate everything I lost in 4 days. I do not advise! Difficult and ineffective. Unless you sit on dates and kefir as a fasting day.”

Can I eat dates while on a different diet?

Dates are high in calories and therefore should be included in other diets with extreme caution. It is also recommended to listen to the recommendations for their use regarding the time of day. It is best to eat fruits for breakfast or lunch, so that carbohydrates from dates can be used up during the day (i.e. until the evening) and not be deposited in reserves in the body.

Of course, dates are much healthier than other sweets. If you feel like you want to add something tasty to your Lenten meal or can afford a few more calories per day, replace the cakes and sweets with a handful of dates. Firstly, you will have fun, secondly, you will not harm yourself, and thirdly, you will give your body a supply of vitamins and microelements.