If you're on a diet and you really want cake, you're on the wrong diet. And on the “5 tablespoons” nutrition program, you can have cakes! Find out how to properly create a menu using your favorite foods to lose up to 5 kg in a week!
- Reviews from those who have lost weight
Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/10/2020
The “5 tablespoons” diet is a healthy weight loss method based on fractional meals with strictly controlled amounts of food. As a result of switching to regular consumption of small portions at regular intervals, not only weight loss occurs, but also a decrease in the size of the stomach, which prevents the lost kilograms from returning in the future.
Approximate daily diet ration 5 tablespoons
The menu for one day may look like this:
- Morning, 7:00: oatmeal prepared with milk (5 tablespoons) and a glass of unsweetened tea.
- Snack before lunch. 10:00: Eat a choice of fruit - orange, apple or banana.
- Day, 13:00: buckwheat with meat (5 tablespoons), meat can be replaced with fish or chicken. It is important to ensure that the total weight of the portion does not exceed 0.2 kg.
- Snack before dinner, 16:00: salad with vegetables with sunflower oil or sour cream dressing. A serving is equal to five tablespoons.
- Dinner, 19:00: rice porridge or boiled fish.
- Snack before bed: kefir or yogurt, but no more than 5 tablespoons. Fermented milk drinks can be spotted with a piece of fruit or a glass of water.
Basic principles of the diet
This diet does not require strict dietary restrictions. The main rule is not to eat more than 5 tablespoons at one meal.
The basic principles of the diet include the following:
- The serving size is 5 tablespoons, 15 teaspoons, or 200 g.
- The diet should be complete and balanced.
- Vegetables and fruits are chopped so that the required volume can be measured more accurately. If you don’t want to cut, you can simply weigh them.
- The liquid is consumed separately (after 30-60 minutes) from the main meal.
- In addition to water, coffee, tea, fruit drinks, and freshly squeezed juice are allowed as drinks. However, you cannot add sugar.
- The interval between meals should not be longer than 3 hours.
- There are no recommendations for avoiding salt and spices, but it is better to limit their consumption to speed up the weight loss process.
- Allowed cooking methods are stewing, boiling, steaming.
- Store-bought sauces are prohibited. To improve the taste of dishes, it is recommended to cook them yourself.
- For dinner or before bed, consume fermented milk products, chicken, and unsweetened fruits.
In one week of following the diet, you can reduce your weight by 2-3 kg. At the same time, there are no time restrictions - you can sit on it for a month or your whole life, since the system does not contradict the principles of healthy eating.
During the restructuring of the body, you will feel constant hunger, but after 3-5 days the condition will normalize, since the size of the stomach will decrease.
Menu for the week
| Breakfast | Dinner | Afternoon snack | Dinner | Before bedtime | |
| 1 | 100 g omelette, 60 g tomatoes, 40 g cheese, a glass of unsweetened coffee | 100 g soup with vegetables and chicken fillet, 80 g fresh vegetable salad, compote | 0.2 l yogurt | 180 g vegetables stewed with chicken fillet | 100 g casserole with cottage cheese and apple |
| 2 | 100 g sandwich with salted red fish, cheese and tomato, 100 g yogurt | 100 g white fish baked with cream sauce, boiled egg | 150 g salad with fruit | Stewed vegetables 100 g, duck breast – 70 g, a glass of tea | Pumpkin porridge 160 g, compote |
| 3 | 170 g muesli with yogurt, a glass of tea | Vegetable soup with croutons – 100 g, steamed minced fish cutlets – 60 g, fruit drink | 150 g pancakes with apple filling | 80 g durum wheat pasta, 60 goulash, 30 g beans in tomatoes, juice | Soufflé with cottage cheese and apples – 150 g, a glass of green tea |
| 4 | Steamed cheesecakes – 100 g and the same amount of kefir | Moussaka with vegetables 100 g, chicken pate with toasted bread – 50 g, tomatoes – 50 g, compote | Fruits with a total weight of no more than 180 g | Mashed potatoes – 100 g, terrine with chicken and vegetables – 100 g, a glass of tea | Stewed zucchini – 150 g, a glass of green tea |
| 5 | Casserole with cottage cheese – 150 g, a glass of coffee | 100 g sour cabbage soup, Chinese cabbage with chicken fillet in salad - 50 g, boiled egg | 160 charlottes | 100 g pilaf and the same amount of stewed cabbage, a glass of tea | A glass of kefir |
| 6 | 180 g omelette with cheese, unsweetened tea | Rice with vegetables, 100 g portion, baked chicken fillet – 70 g | 0.2 kg salad with Korean carrots and chicken fillet | Puree soup with mushrooms – 120 g, a slice of hard cheese, a boiled chicken egg and a glass of tea | Fruit salad |
| 7 | Oatmeal cooked with milk – 170 g, fruit and juice | 100 g fish soup, croutons with cheese and garlic - 100 g, a glass of tea | Apple | 100 g boiled buckwheat, 100 g chicken wings baked with honey, a glass of tea | Salad with cabbage and carrots |
Allowed products
As with any healthy diet, it is recommended to use healthy foods in your diet:
- Boiled meat - beef, pork;
- Chicken fillet, turkey fillet;
- Boiled eggs, omelet;
- Sea fish, seafood;
- Fresh, dried mushrooms (but not salted or pickled);
- Dairy products - cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, yogurt;
- Herbal teas;
- Sugar free coffee;
- Good quality vegetable oils – olive, sunflower. It is better to replace butter with melted milk, it is healthier.
Allowed and prohibited diet foods 5 tablespoons
The diet involves eating a wide variety of foods. A person should not limit their fat or carbohydrate intake to less than the prescribed limit of 5 tablespoons. In this case, you need to choose only those products that are considered healthy and do not contradict the principles of proper nutrition. Sources of carbohydrates should be cereals, vegetables, and fruits. They allow you to replenish the body's reserves of vitamins and microelements, as well as coarse fiber that is beneficial for the intestines.
Proportions of fats, proteins and carbohydrates consumed per day: 20%:40%:40%, where 20% is allocated to fatty foods. An adult should not consume more than 110 g of fat per day, otherwise, it will not be possible to lose weight. A salad with vegetable oil dressing or 200 g of fatty sea fish fillet, eaten in a day, fits into this norm.
As for prohibited foods, the following drinks should be removed from the diet:
- Drinks with sugar and gases.
- Drinks containing artificial sweeteners.
- Alcohol.
Table of prohibited products
| Products | Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates | Kilocalories |
| Jam | 0,3 | 0,2 | 53 | 263 |
| Jam | 0,3 | 0,1 | 56 | 238 |
| Candies | 4,3 | 19,8 | 67,5 | 453 |
| Ice cream | 3,7 | 6,9 | 22,1 | 189 |
| Granulated sugar | 0 | 0 | 99,7 | 398 |
| Sugar pieces | 0 | 0 | 99,9 | 400 |
| Coca Cola | 0 | 0 | 10,4 | 42 |
| Lemonade | 0 | 0 | 6,4 | 26 |
| Sprite | 0,1 | 0 | 7 | 29 |
| Fanta | 0 | 0 | 11,7 | 48 |
| Energetic drinks | 0 | 0 | 11,3 | 45 |
How to measure the required volume
One meal is limited to 5 tablespoons or 15 teaspoons. For convenience, the food is pre-chopped.
Everything that cannot be measured using this method is weighed on a kitchen scale. The maximum permissible weight is 150 g. If you don't have a scale, you can use a regular or measuring cup.
Since 5 tbsp. l. There is very little soup; a different scheme is used for it. First measure out 5 tbsp. l. grounds, and then pour 200 ml of broth.
You can also visually assess compliance with the required volume using a tightly clenched fist or bent palm.
Pros and cons of the 5 tablespoon diet
Obvious advantages of the diet:
- Diet teaches you to eat right.
- During the diet, there are no sudden jumps in blood sugar levels.
- A person's appetite becomes controllable.
- The diet does not prohibit eating your favorite foods.
Disadvantages of the diet:
- The diet has a number of contraindications. Thus, it should not be practiced during pregnancy and against the background of vitamin deficiency, which often develops in the cold season.
What is included in the diet
Initially, the authors of this method only advised limiting food intake, but it was allowed to eat any food. But, as practice has shown, you can achieve good results by changing your diet to a low-calorie diet. This is how a list of permitted and prohibited products appeared.
The first include:
- Vegetables and fruits (including bananas and grapes).
- Various greens.
- Dairy products with low fat content (1%).
- Porridge (only rice and semolina are prohibited).
- Bran. They are a source of fiber. They are recommended to be added to kefir or ready-made dishes.
- Lean meat - skinless chicken, veal.
- Vegetable oil for salad dressing.
- Butter for adding to porridge.
The diet does not prohibit the consumption of bread, pasta, sweets, fried foods, but only 1-2 times a week.
Many people are interested in the question of how to properly take first courses according to this system, since 5 tablespoons of soup will be a small portion. In this case, it is recommended to measure 5 tbsp. l. grounds and pour a glass of broth over it.
When following a diet, you must avoid animal and artificial fats:
- fatty confectionery products;
- fat meat;
- fast food.
Carbonated drinks and packaged juices are also prohibited.
Nutritionists allow you to replace one meal once a week with food you like. Even if the calorie content of this dish is high, it will help you not to break down.
Reviews and results
Reviews from doctors and specialists
Evgeniy Petrovich, nutritionist: “In my opinion, the 5 tablespoons diet is one of the most correct and effective diets that allows a person to get rid of bad eating habits. It does not require additional intake of vitamins, since its menu is quite balanced and allows it to cover all the needs of the human body. The weight will come off from the first days of the diet, which is the best motivation for anyone losing weight.”
Antonina Evgenievna, nutritionist: “The diet is very easy to tolerate. The feeling of hunger can only bother a person in the first few days after starting a diet. Gradually, the stomach decreases in size, which allows you to moderate your own appetite and not gain excess weight even after completing the diet. I recommend drinking green tea and herbal infusions between meals, and 1.5 hours before bedtime you can eat a portion of bran. Be sure to drink enough water during the diet. This will avoid problems with stool and control the feeling of hunger.”
Reviews from those who have lost weight
Asya: “I stayed on the diet for a month, and the fat literally melted before my eyes. At first I was a little hungry, since it’s quite difficult to instantly get used to miniature portions, but then I got used to it. Moreover, you can eat anything - cakes, fatty fish, noodles, but in limited quantities. You can’t eat more than five spoons, but when I had soup for lunch, I ate 10 spoons. This did not affect the result.
It was especially difficult not to eat after 7 pm. I drank water and green tea and went to bed with an empty stomach. Sometimes I even woke up at night because I was hungry, but I overcame myself. In a month I managed to lose 15 kg. 3 months after completing the diet, the weight returned, but I no longer limited myself in anything, it was my own fault. Nevertheless, the diet is wonderful, I recommend it to everyone.”
Katerina: “I really liked the diet because it doesn’t force you to give up your favorite foods, you just need to eat them in moderation. It is best to trust kitchen scales rather than tablespoons. The volume of one serving should not exceed 200 g. In a month on the diet, I lost 9 kg. At the same time, I ate homemade dumplings, sausage, and sweets. I think that if you eat right, and not like me, the result will be even more impressive. I didn't have any health problems. It is important to drink a glass of warm water 20 minutes before meals to speed up metabolic processes. In general, the diet is useful.”
Nina: “Looking at myself in the mirror, I decided it was time to lose weight. At the same time, I am very glad that I chose the 5 spoons diet. She allowed me to get rid of 16 kg of excess weight that I gained while I was at home. I think the main advantage of the diet is that it not only helps you lose weight, but also does not require you to prepare dishes separately for yourself, but separately for family members. Obesity is a disease that needs to be cured. The 5 Tablespoons Diet is a great way to cope with this problem.”
Preparing for the diet and getting started
Switching to a new type of diet in one day can be extremely difficult. People who are losing weight often face the following problems:
- constant feeling of hunger;
- decreased concentration;
- mood measurement, apathy, depression;
- changes in the condition of the skin, hair, nails;
- general malaise.
All problems are caused by a lack of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The negative impact can be somewhat reduced if you gradually move to a new power system. A few simple rules will help:
- Step by step. Reduce portion sizes day by day until they reach 150-200 grams. It is better to start 2-3 weeks before the expected start of the diet.
- Prepare food at home, take it with you in containers to school or work. This will help you avoid unplanned snacks.
- Keep a food diary, record meal times, portion sizes, and calculate the KBJU ratio.
A gradual and smooth transition will help the body adapt and adapt more easily to new conditions.
conclusions
The 5 tablespoons diet allows you to effectively lose weight without harm to your health. It is suitable for almost all people who suffer from excess body weight, as it has no contraindications. In 10 days of such a diet you can get rid of 3-7 kg, the specific weight depends on the person’s initial weight.
Author of the article:
Kuzmina Vera Valerievna |
Endocrinologist, nutritionist Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after. N.I. Pirogov, specialty “General Medicine” (2004). Residency at the Moscow State Medical and Dental University, diploma in Endocrinology (2006). Our authors
Who benefits and who harms
Experts recommend the five spoons diet in the following cases:
- overweight, obesity I degree;
- housing and communal services disorders;
- hypertension.
It is recommended to consult a doctor, since the 5 spoons diet is prohibited in the following cases:
- body weight deficiency;
- bulimia;
- rehabilitation period after surgery;
- taking medications that involve eating;
- eating disorders;
- stomach ulcer;
- 4 degree of obesity;
- diseases of the endocrine system.
Also, the five-tablespoon diet is prohibited in childhood, adolescence and old age, during pregnancy and lactation.
