The Maggi diet is considered one of the most effective modern diets. The important thing is that this diet is gentle, that is, those who adhere to it do not feel hungry, they are always full. Moreover, in a fairly short time a person can lose a lot of weight without harm to health. Over the forty years of its existence, the Maggi diet has proven itself well; doctors and nutritionists speak positively about this method of losing weight.
The main rule of the diet is to eat only those foods that are included in the nutrition program. The diet is divided into two types: egg and curd. For those who are contraindicated from frequently eating eggs due to high cholesterol, it is worth sticking to the Maggi curd diet.
Principles of the Maggi Diet
The Maggi diet consists of 4 stages, each of which includes 7 days. A person losing weight will need to change his diet depending on what stage he is at.
- First stage. At this time, the body adapts to changes in diet, electrolyte balance returns to normal, and excess fluid leaves the cells. Fat deposits begin to break down from 4-5 days. In the first seven days of the diet, you can lose 2-4 kg.
- Second phase. The body gets used to the changed diet. At this time, a person needs to consume more eggs.
- Third stage. This week the weight continues to come off, but more slowly. Therefore, the body needs a shake-up. However, this stage is quite easy to endure.
- Fourth stage. It is necessary in order to properly complete the diet and consolidate the achieved results.
What can you eat?
Foods that can be eaten on the Maggi diet:
- Raw, boiled, baked, stewed or steamed vegetables. There are no prohibitions on them; you can eat carrots, broccoli, zucchini, beans, etc. Frozen vegetable mixtures are also not included in the list of excluded foods. If necessary, vegetables can be seasoned, but only with those seasonings that are not prohibited. Vegetables cannot be fried.
- Fruits and berries. Be sure to enrich the menu with citrus fruits: tangerines, oranges, grapefruits. Kiwis, apples, persimmons, cherries, etc. should also be present on the table.
- Dairy products. The maximum fat content of cottage cheese is 9%, cheese – 20%. Kefir and yogurt are allowed to be included in the diet only at the fourth stage of the diet.
- Low-fat fish: sole, haddock, pollock, and seafood.
- Eggs, skinless poultry, offal.
- Low-fat meat in boiled, stewed and baked form. Sometimes the menu can be diversified with 2 pieces of kebab.
- Bread made from rye flour, whole grain bread, or crispbread or bran. The maximum daily allowance is 30 g.
- Salt and pepper, soy sauce, garlic and onion, lemon, gelatin, ginger, balsamic vinegar, starch- and sugar-free seasonings.
- Unsweetened tea and coffee. Milk should not be added to drinks. You are allowed to drink a glass of Diet Coca-Cola once a day.
- Sometimes you can afford sugar-free lollipops. Sugar is replaced with stevia or agave syrup.
Efficiency and results - reviews from those losing weight
Margarita, 34 years old, Kyiv
I'm on my second week on the Maggi diet. I urgently needed to lose weight before going on vacation. The menu is suitable, you don’t have to go hungry - I love eggs in any form. In 2 weeks I lost 10 kg. This made me happy and a great incentive to stick with the course to the end.
Olga, 28 years old, Kovel
I liked the diet for its variety, and the portions allow you not to feel hungry. But I only lasted 1 week and broke down when a friend invited me to a bachelorette party. We'll have to start all over again.
Ekaterina, 31 years old, Rivne
The diet seemed difficult. I was constantly hungry. After 3 days I began to feel weak and dizzy. Severe heartburn developed. Maybe someone is losing weight this way, but I can’t force myself to eat so many eggs or cottage cheese - I don’t like both products. I will look for another option for losing weight.
What can't you eat?
On the list of prohibited products:
- All canned products. Including corn, green peas, etc.
- Fried foods.
- Sweets, including jam, honey, sorbitol, fructose.
- Milk.
- Potatoes and legumes.
- Bananas, avocados, figs, grapes, mangoes, dried fruits.
- All oil, all fat.
- Mushrooms.
- Alcohol.
- Chewing gum.
Maggi diet menu for the week
| Day | Meal time | I week | II week | III week | IV week | |
| 1 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet - fruit day. Low-calorie fruits in any quantity. | Products during the day (at any time): orange, can of tuna without oil, 4 tomatoes, 4 cucumbers, toast, 4 pieces of meat (boiled) | |
| Dinner | allowed fruits in any quantity (apples, apricots, pears) | salad, boiled meat | ||||
| Dinner | boiled meat in pieces (lean) | grapefruit, salad, 2 eggs | ||||
| 2 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet - vegetable day. Any vegetables other than potatoes | Products for the day: one type of fruit, toast, 4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, boiled meat - 200 g | |
| Dinner | chicken fillet cooked without salt | salad, meat | ||||
| Dinner | toast, vegetable salad, 2 boiled eggs, orange | orange, 2 eggs | ||||
| 3 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet – fruit or vegetable day (boiled vegetables) | Products for the day: grapefruit, boiled vegetables, toast, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, low-fat white cheese, a little cottage cheese | |
| Dinner | 2 tomatoes, whole grain toast, low fat cheese | cucumbers with meat | ||||
| Dinner | boiled meat | grapefruit, 2 eggs | ||||
| 4 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Fish day + leafy vegetable salad, boiled vegetables | Products for the day: orange, toast, 3 tomatoes, cucumber, half boiled chicken | |
| Dinner | non-forbidden fruits – 1st type (as much as you like) | low-fat cheese, boiled vegetables, a couple of boiled eggs | ||||
| Dinner | salad and boiled meat | 2 eggs | ||||
| 5 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet - boiled chicken, boiled vegetables | Products for the day: grapefruit, salad, 3 tomatoes, a couple of boiled eggs | |
| Dinner | vegetable salad and two boiled eggs | boiled fish | ||||
| Dinner | grapefruit, salad, boiled fish | a couple of boiled eggs | ||||
| 6 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet – fruit day (one type of fruit to choose from) | Ingredients for the day: an orange, a couple of boiled chicken breasts, 2 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, a little feta cheese or cottage cheese, yogurt | |
| Dinner | allowed fruits 1st in any quantity | Tomatoes, orange, meat | ||||
| Dinner | salad and boiled meat (lean) | fruit salad (tangerines, melons, peaches) | ||||
| 7 | Breakfast | half a grapefruit or orange, 2 boiled eggs | boiled eggs – 2 pcs., half a grapefruit or orange | Mono-diet – fruit day (one type of fruit to choose from) | Products for the day: 1 grapefruit, boiled vegetables, 1 toast, 2 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, a little cottage cheese or a can of tuna | |
| Dinner | orange, tomato, boiled vegetables, skinless chicken | grapefruit, boiled vegetables, tomatoes, boiled chicken | ||||
| Dinner | boiled vegetables | orange, boiled chicken, tomatoes, boiled vegetables | ||||
Allowed foods and drinks
The following foods and drinks are allowed in the Maggi diet:
- Hard-boiled eggs;
- Lean meat (except for lamb, pork);
- Fruits with a low glycemic index - apples, plums, apricots, grapefruit, orange;
- Cottage cheese (only in case of complete abolition of eggs);
- Lean fish;
- Cheese with a fat content of no more than 20%;
- Some vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, greens;
- Toaster bread (white or black to choose from) – 1 piece;
- Coffee and tea;
- Natural sugar substitutes.
Interesting recipes for the Maggi diet
Delicious salad “Red Trio”
To prepare the dish you will need the following food set:
- Cherry tomatoes – 20 pcs.
- One large red bell pepper.
- Head of red onion.
- Pomegranate.
- Parsley and cilantro.
- Salt, lemon juice, ground black pepper. Lemon juice can be replaced with wine vinegar. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed and will act as a salad dressing.
The pepper must be baked in the oven until its skin is charred. Then the skin of the pepper is removed and the pulp is cut into cubes. The onion is cut into half rings, the cherry tomatoes are divided into 2 halves. The greens are chopped. All components are mixed and filled with dressing. The salad is kept in the refrigerator for about a quarter of an hour and served.
Cocktail "Green"
To prepare it you will need the following products:
- Two fresh cucumbers.
- A bunch of parsley.
- 50 ml mineral water.
The cucumbers are passed through a blender, mineral water and finely chopped parsley are added to the resulting mass. The cocktail is cooled before serving.
Chicken with vegetables in the oven
To prepare the dish you need the following products:
- Chicken wings and legs – 0.5 kg.
- One bell pepper.
- One carrot.
- 0.1 kg pumpkin.
- 0.2 kg zucchini.
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Pumpkin and peppers are cut into cubes, carrots and zucchini are cut into rings, and onions are chopped into half rings. Place the chicken and vegetables in a mold, add a little water, salt and pepper and put it in the oven. While the chicken is cooking, you will need to baste it three times with the juices released.
Tomatoes with curd filling
To prepare the dish you will need the following products:
- 0.1 kg cottage cheese;
- 2 tomatoes;
- Garlic clove;
- A tablespoon of chopped greens;
- Sea salt.
Garlic is crushed using a press, ground with herbs and cottage cheese. The resulting mass is salted. The tops of the tomatoes are cut off, all the pulp is removed and filled with curd filling. The dish is ready.
Salad with cucumbers and chicken
To prepare the salad you will need the following products:
- Boiled chicken breast.
- Two fresh cucumbers.
- Hard cheese – 50 g.
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp. l.
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.
Chicken breast is boiled, cooled, cut into thin strips. Vegetables are cut into strips, cheese is grated on a coarse grater. All components are mixed, seasoned with lemon juice and soy sauce.
Baked shrimp
To prepare the dish you will need the following products:
- 800 g boiled shrimp;
- Lemon juice – 80 ml
- 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 3 cloves of garlic.
- A tablespoon of lemon zest.
- A little red pepper.
- Parsley.
Grease a baking sheet with a tablespoon of olive oil and place shrimp on it. Separately prepare a sauce from lemon juice, zest, garlic and pepper and pour it over the shrimp. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 250 °C and bake for 10 minutes. The finished shrimp are sprinkled with parsley and served warm.
Zucchini puree soup
To prepare it you will need the following products:
- One zucchini and one egg.
- 0.2 liters of water.
- Salt.
The zucchini is cut into rings without peeling, the core is cut out. Place the vegetables in a saucepan and add water, boil for half an hour. The finished zucchini is crushed using a blender, added some salt and served, with a boiled chicken egg placed on top of the puree.
Pros and cons of the Maggi diet
The following advantages of the Maggi diet can be highlighted:
- The diet allows you to saturate the body with nutrients, so the diet can be called almost balanced. During the weight loss process, you can refuse to take vitamin and mineral complexes. Experts recommend using only Omega-3 as an additional food supplement.
- The diet can be practiced at almost any age.
- The diet is not starvation. A person who is losing weight will not need to count kilocalories.
- Dishes are prepared very quickly and simply.
- If you exit the diet correctly, the results will last for a long time.
Disadvantages of the Maggi diet:
- The Maggi diet is quite long - it will take a whole month.
- During the weight loss process, you need to eat a lot of eggs.
- You must adhere to the diet very strictly.
Smooth exit from the diet
In order to stabilize your weight and not lose weight, you need to exit the diet correctly. You can gradually increase the portions of vegetables and fish. Each subsequent week, add 200 kcal to the diet, bringing it to normal in accordance with physical activity.
Harmful foods should be excluded: sugar, sweets, baked goods, flavorings. Cereal porridge should also be introduced gradually, in small portions. You should adhere to a balanced diet and drinking regime. A detailed description of the diet plan can be obtained from a nutritionist.
Contraindications
Contraindications to the Maggi diet:
- Pregnancy.
- Lactation.
- Kidney diseases.
- Stomach ulcer, gastritis and other diseases of the digestive system.
- Disturbances in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
- Taking medications that are aimed at lowering blood pressure.
- High blood cholesterol levels.
- Allergy to cottage cheese and eggs.
How to create your own menu
You can create your own diet according to the Maggi diet. To do this, you need to know the basic principles of product selection.
For example:
- Cottage cheese is allowed from dairy products, but sour cream and cream are prohibited.
- The meat is selected fresh, preferably homemade.
- You cannot change or remove any dish from the mode. Allowed only in one case: egg allergy.
- It is absolutely forbidden to overeat. It is better to eat little and often so as not to overload the stomach.
- Meals cannot be swapped.
- Vegetables are cooked in water, not broth.
- Consume fats and oils in any form.
- It is better to drink water or drinks without sugar.
- Instead of sugar, it is better to add a sugar substitute.
- Salads are prepared without dressing.
- You can eat a cucumber as a snack.
- Cottage cheese for the diet should be fresh and of high quality, just like chicken eggs.
- Eggs should not be eaten raw, as this can lead to salmonellosis.
Possible side effects
When following the Maggi diet, the following side effects may occur:
- During the breakdown of proteins and fats, toxic compounds are formed. The kidneys and liver are most involved in this process. When too much protein comes from food and fat deposits melt too quickly, the load on these organs increases, which negatively affects their functioning.
- During a diet, the level of cholesterol in the blood increases. Accordingly, the risk of developing cardiac ischemia, atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack increases.
- There may be difficulties with bowel movements, namely, the frequency of constipation increases. Therefore, the risk of developing hemorrhoids increases.
- Since the body receives few polyunsaturated fatty acids, this can negatively affect the vascular walls, which become more fragile.
- Due to insufficient intake of carbohydrates into the body, a person may experience headaches. He may become more nervous and irritable.
- The condition of the skin worsens.
- It is possible that the immune system is weakened and the central nervous system malfunctions.
Why can watermelon be eaten in limited quantities during a diet?
Watermelon is a tasty and healthy berry. During the Maggi diet, it is one of the permitted foods. But you shouldn’t get too carried away and eat three huge slices at once in one sitting. The fact is that despite its low calorie content (100 grams of berries contain only 27 kcal), its glycemic index is very high: 70 units. This is the highest GI level, even bananas have 60 units. 100 grams of this product contains 6 grams of natural sugars. For a person who wants to lose weight, this is too much.
Important! In any case, you shouldn’t eat a mountain of fruits in one sitting, and all of them in a row. In everything you need to know when to stop.
Even considering the low calorie content of watermelon, it is difficult to calculate the amount eaten. One bite, second, third: and now you, having apparently not eaten anything special, have gained 380 unaccounted calories.
And if you decide to eat the striped berry after a hearty lunch, it’s unlikely to help you lose weight.
But if you replace lunch with a piece of watermelon, there will only be benefits. The red pulp of this berry will help the liver get rid of toxins, normalize metabolism in the body, and remove excess water from the body.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Maggi Diet
- In the first week the weight came off very quickly, but in the second week it jumped off. What is the reason?
Since a person eats vegetables and fruits for weeks 2 and 3, the body begins to retain fluid. Therefore, one day it is possible to reduce weight by 300 g, and the next day the increase on the scales will be half a kilo. This is normal, the body is trying to prevent dehydration in this way. There is no need to worry, weight loss will continue. Starting from the fourth week, weight will decrease more steadily.
- I'm really tired of eating eggs, can I replace them with some other products?
It is strongly recommended not to deviate from the proposed nutrition plan. However, if a person feels that he will soon lose his temper, then it is best to allow himself a little relaxation in the menu. Some eggs can be replaced with low-fat cottage cheese. It contains a sufficient amount of protein and is able to strengthen bone tissue. To replace 1 egg, you need to eat 60 g of cottage cheese.
- Is it possible to eat fried foods, barbecue, etc.?
You can prepare dishes in any way, the main thing is not to fry them using oil. You can even fry food in a frying pan, but it must be dry.
- Are snacks acceptable while dieting?
If you are hungry, then 2 hours after the main meal you can eat a vegetable: carrots, cucumber or cabbage.
- What is allowed to be used as salad dressing?
You can use lemon juice, soy sauce without added sugar, vinegar (wine and apple), low-fat kefir and yogurt. Ideally, it is better not to dress salads at all. When the dish is prepared in advance, the vegetables release their juice, so you can skip the additional dressing.
- What kind of cheese can be used in food? What can be used to replace it?
It is allowed to eat low-fat cheese - up to 20% fat content. Finding it on sale can sometimes be difficult, so cheese can be replaced with cottage cheese (0-9% fat). Brands of cheese that can be used when creating a menu: Russian 17%, Domashny grained Karat 4%, Valio Oltermanni 17%, Amber 10%.
- Is it acceptable to eat honey, cream and milk?
These products are absolutely prohibited, and in any quantities.
- Is it possible to include sauerkraut in the menu?
Sauerkraut is on the list of prohibited foods because it contains too much salt.
- Is it possible to eat canned and pickled foods while on a diet?
The Maggi diet does not recommend consuming pickled foods and canned food.
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
How to prepare your body for a diet
In order for weight loss to be as effective as possible, you should properly prepare your body for future changes in your menu and lifestyle.
For example:
- Increasing protein intake: chicken, lean veal, seafood and fish.
- Consume fiber early in the day or before your main meal.
- Replacing simple carbohydrates with complex ones. This move will allow you to feel a surge of strength and energy due to a stable level in the blood.
- Fractional meals with intervals of 3 hours and reduced portions.
- Maintaining a drinking regime will help speed up metabolic processes.
- Before starting the diet, it is necessary to take oaga-3 fatty acids and multivitamin complexes.
- Physical activity is required. It is better to start with a 30-minute workout, gradually increasing the training time to 1 hour. The intensity of the load also increases gradually.
- The volume of water per day should be within 1.5-2 liters. In this case, it is better that it is plain water, tea, coffee without sugar.
- Healthy sleep is extremely necessary, and it is better to go to bed before 00.00, and sleep for about 8 hours.
