A fat-burning diet helps get rid of excess fat in “problem” areas and speed up metabolism. Choose products to suit your taste, take into account the characteristics of your body and lose up to 6 kg per week!
Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/10/2020
Among the impressive variety of diets that are offered to those who want to bring their weight into line with their needs, the fat-burning diet stands out. Let's figure out what its main feature is.
The fact is that for a person who is fighting for a beautiful figure, most often an indicator of success is a decrease in the reading of the scale needle. Weight is lost, but excess weight does not go away from problem areas. Common situation? Fat deposits are distributed unevenly and most readily in those places from which ideal condition is required: thighs, buttocks, abdomen. The more dietary restrictions a diet requires, the more the body becomes depleted and loses weight due to loss of muscle mass, but those excesses that became the main reason for starting the diet treacherously remain in their original places.
The goals of this type of nutrition are completely different. They are aimed precisely at correcting the figure in a short time by getting rid of the lipid subcutaneous layer. Moreover, the rate of weight loss is very impressive: in a week you can easily get rid of 4-6 kg, and with active physical activity - even more.
The beauty of this method is that it is possible to select products to your liking, depending on personal preferences, and vary them so that you have virtually no dietary restrictions. And the health benefits in the form of a well-functioning system of metabolic processes will be a very pleasant bonus, as it is rightfully considered the key to good health. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Principle of the method
Since fat burning is a mechanism for the maximum speed of fat breakdown, to understand the processes occurring during this process, it is worth understanding some of the nuances of metabolism.
Protein serves as the main source of energy in the body and intensifies the formation of adenosine triphosphoric acid molecules, which is the key to a person feeling toned. At the same time, the breakdown, digestion and final absorption of protein products is a lengthy process that requires the consumption of body reserves, which ultimately provides long-awaited weight loss.
Protein is a highly desirable component in the diet for a number of reasons:
- It is an indispensable building material for muscle tissue cells.
- Protein is an element of cell membrane structures.
- In the food chain of transformations, it is not transformed into fat and is not deposited in the “reserve depots” of the body.
- Eating protein in optimal quantities helps reduce cravings for sweets.
- Protein foods are the key to a long feeling of fullness and decreased appetite.
- Protein promotes the absorption of vitamins.
- Thanks to it, the body is filled with energy.
The main element of the diet for quickly getting rid of fat is protein. Closely followed by fiber from fruits and vegetables. Proteins and fiber work in a harmonious duet. During the digestion of proteins, substances that are heavy and undesirable for long-term presence in the intestines are formed. It is fiber that accelerates the transport of these substances along the loops of the small and large intestines, relieves possible flatulence and serves as an assistant for eliminating toxins.
In addition to these two components, the supply of the required amount of water is important. It has long been known that lack of fluid has an extremely negative impact on health. But while following a fat-burning diet, you just need to make sure that you drink enough liquid. Intake of 2-3 liters per day is a must. Then the biochemistry of physiological processes will play into the hands of weight loss and accelerate the achievement of the expected results.
Nutritionists also recommend using a small amount of carbohydrates, since completely excluding them from the diet is strictly prohibited. But by type these should be so-called “fast carbohydrates”, which are broken down much faster compared to “slow carbohydrates”.
The essence of the diet
A fat-burning diet will help you achieve a beautiful figure. It is effective even when it is not necessary to remove a lot of excess weight, but to “burn” local fat deposits, which occur even in people with a slim figure. So, you will be able to achieve not just the ideal number on the scale, but also the ideal ratio of fat and muscle mass. These results are due to two factors:
- The proportion of carbohydrates in the menu is significantly reduced, and protein is chosen as the main source of energy. To process protein foods, the body has to use more energy than it receives. Due to this, fats are burned.
- The menu includes fruits and vegetables. It is thanks to such plant foods that the body receives fiber. It fills the stomach, so there is a feeling of fullness, while calories are consumed in deficit.
The complex effect of slow carbohydrates, proteins and fiber is the key to effective rapid weight loss. At the same time, physical activity is recommended that will strengthen the muscle frame and make it attractive.
On a diet, the optimal balance of proteins-fats-carbohydrates is disrupted, since proteins are a priority. To prevent this from causing harm to your health, you should lose weight on such a program for no more than 9 days. For the same reason, you can resort to a diet up to 2 times every 12 months.
Rules for the fastest results
- Meals should be fractional: 4-6 times a day. This will result in a smaller total volume of incoming food, but will ensure a constant feeling of fullness and absence of hunger.
- After waking up, you need to drink a glass of warm water. Have breakfast in the next two hours.
- At every meal you need to eat protein foods, fruits and vegetables.
- Since fruits can slightly increase appetite, it is better to consume them in larger quantities in the first half of the day, before 12 o’clock.
- You should strictly limit your consumption of sweet foods and foods rich in fat.
- Dinner should be served no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
- Drink at least 2-3 liters of water per day. Failure to comply with this requirement will disrupt metabolism, the process and rate of decrease in body volume will sharply decrease!
- It is recommended to enhance the effect of the diet with active physical activity and training.
It should be noted that the use of the fat-burning technique is not recommended to be repeated more than twice a year. The optimal time for its use is spring and autumn, since the metabolic processes of the body during these periods act synchronously with the processes occurring under the influence of active changes in the length of daylight hours, which directly affect life activity. But using it in winter and summer also shows good results.
Upon completion of the course, it is advisable to continue split meals without excluding protein from the diet - this will help not return to the previous weight. It will also be appropriate to continue active training.
Effect and results
If you followed a strict diet for a week and did not increase the calorie content of your daily diet, the effect will not take long to arrive. Reviews about the fat-burning diet are encouraging: in 7 days you will lose at least 2, maximum 4 kg.
During the diet, you should drink up to 2 and a half liters of water per day. This will speed up your metabolism and help you burn excess fat faster.
If you strictly adhere to your diet and take food on time, the effect will not be long in coming.
If at the same time you pump up your abdominal muscles throughout the day using any, even the simplest, methods (bicycle, raising and lowering your legs while lying down and sitting, etc.), you will quickly notice how your waist has changed. The muscles will become elastic, the body will become toned.
Who is it suitable for?
Most often, people who are overweight or want to meet certain parameters are interested in weight loss techniques. But the application of this diet is not so clear. It often comes under the close attention of people involved in active physical activity, as it ensures the preservation of protein muscle fibers that suffer from other types of weight-correcting nutrition. If we add to these facts the undeniable health benefits and the absence of many contraindications, it becomes clear why this diet is increasingly being used by people of different categories.
For athletes
People involved in sports may need it not only for weight loss, but also to quickly get into the desired shape and gain muscle definition, while fully preserving muscle tissue, which is usually depleted during severe food restrictions.
A fat-burning diet for athletes has its own characteristics: the number of calories consumed per day should be greater, as well as the amount of protein, approximately twice as much.
For men
In the case of using this nutritional plan for men, there are features that differ from the basic requirements. This is due to the fact that the metabolism of the female and male body is significantly different due to the influence of sex hormones. Thus, in men, carbohydrates are processed much faster, and in the female body, fat reserves are deposited much more intensively. Therefore, in the male version of the diet, it is allowed to eat a little red meat, no more than once a day - a small amount of ham, increase the proportion of potatoes and fish by 100 g. And since fats play a very important role in the functioning of the male body, they cannot be completely excluded, it is necessary just reduce their presence in the diet as much as possible. Physical activity is not necessarily necessary, as in the female version. But the volume of water you drink increases - at least (!) 2.5 liters.
For women
In the case of women using this nutritional method, there is a huge advantage: it does not deprive the body of necessary nutrients, and therefore does not negatively affect the condition of the skin, which can become dull and sagging, and does not worsen the condition of hair and nails, supplying all the substances necessary for them.
You need to select only low-fat varieties of fish on the menu; chicken and beef are preferred for meat. Preference should be given to low-fat dairy products, as an excellent source of calcium and a mechanism for activating calcitriol, the hormone responsible for burning female fat deposits.
For girls
It should be noted right away that we mean girls under 23 years of age. Before the age of 16, diets should be prescribed exclusively for medicinal purposes by practicing specialists. After 16, before using a fat-burning diet, a consultation with a doctor - nutritionist or teenage nutritionist is required.
This type of diet for burning fat is somewhat different from the previous ones due to the fact that metabolic processes in younger organisms have a number of features.
Firstly, it must be rich in vitamins, because the developing body’s need for them is increased.
Secondly, increased physical activity should be excluded; overload can be dangerous, since dysfunction of the circulatory system, pressure surges, and instability of heart rhythms are common due to attacks of growth hormones. During the use of the diet, such manifestations cannot be aggravated.
The most preferable diet for girls is one that is maximally rich in vegetable soups; onion soup fits perfectly into it. Adding seafood to your diet does a great job of providing the required amount of minerals.
Using this diet, girls should remember that the reduction in total caloric intake at this age should not exceed 20%, otherwise it may negatively affect the development processes occurring in the body, which affects the duration of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the main principle is not to overdo it.
Diet features
A protein-based nutrition system allows you to burn fat, converting it into muscle mass. These processes can be activated by taking into account some adjustments depending on who is losing weight.
For athletes
It is allowed to change the proportions of proteins and carbohydrates in favor of the former. It is advisable to include oatmeal, spinach and coconut oil in your diet.
Sample menu for the day:
- In the morning, boil two eggs, prepare a salad with cabbage and spinach, and drink berry juice.
- Snack on an apple and drink kefir.
- For lunch, cook oatmeal in water and steamed fish.
- Have a snack with fish salad and 1 piece of bread.
- For dinner, eat shrimp and grapefruit, drink freshly squeezed apple and pineapple juice.
For women
Women need to strictly adhere to all the rules, since their bodies contain estrogen hormones, and if there are any hormonal imbalances, the weight loss process will be disrupted. To normalize hormonal levels, women should eat more fruits, vegetables and berries. In addition, you can drink black coffee, but without sweeteners. Beef must be removed from the menu.
Sample menu for the day:
- In the morning, eat coleslaw and yogurt.
- For lunch, serve rice porridge and boiled shrimp. For dessert - fruit salad.
- Have a snack with cheese and bread, eat one piece of fruit.
- For dinner, boil fish and eat with grapefruit.
Women should drink 1.5 liters of water during the day.
For men
In the male body there are a larger number of muscles, the work of which activates the processes of fat breakdown and their processing into energy. In addition, food is processed faster than in women. Due to these features, men can allow themselves some indulgences on a diet:
- Instead of dietary meat, serve red meat, but not pork.
- At one of your meals, eat a small slice of lean ham.
- Increase fish consumption by 100 g. The same applies to potatoes.
- Drink 2.5 liters of water per day.
Sample menu for the day:
- In the morning, boil the beef and prepare a casserole with pumpkin.
- For lunch, prepare pasta and vegetable salad, boil fish. You can eat 1 loaf of bread.
- Snack on seaweed, drink a glass of kefir and eat a peach.
- For dinner, cook beef with vegetable stew, drink a glass of pineapple juice.
Fat burning diet plans
A group of portioned products that supply proteins:
- 60 g hard cheese (45% fat);
- 100 g low-fat cottage cheese;
- ham, beef, skinned chicken, boiled, stewed, or steamed – 130–200 g;
- 2 boiled chicken eggs, or scrambled eggs;
- 8 boiled quail eggs;
- natural yogurt or kefir – 100–150 ml, with the obligatory addition of half the dose of another protein product;
- nuts: walnuts, pine, Brazil, cashews, almonds, pistachios – 35 g (do not use peanuts!);
- cod, navaga, hake, pollock, bream, pike perch, pike, perch, flounder, mullet - up to 200 g;
- shellfish, shrimp, crab meat, crayfish – 200 g.
Products - sources of fiber:
- vegetable salads that do not contain potatoes and legumes;
- 300 gr. steamed vegetables (except potatoes, corn and peas);
- any dried fruits – 60 gr.;
- canned corn or green peas – 150 g;
- fresh or defrosted fruits, berries (oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, raspberries, lemons, pears, apricots, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, melon, etc.) - 200 g.
Sources of “slow carbohydrates”:
- pasta made from durum flour, buckwheat, rice - 2-3 tablespoons;
- 4 tbsp. spoons of boiled peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, corn;
- mashed potatoes or 2 potatoes baked in the oven – 150–200 g;
- a piece of bread, preferably rye or with added bran.
Menu for the week
Here is a diagram for a seven-day course of a fat-burning diet, which is considered optimal. During this time, those changes in metabolic processes that are necessary to get rid of fat cell deposits have time to occur.
Day 1
- Breakfast: boiled quail eggs, salad of pear and pineapple pieces.
- Lunch: steamed cod, boiled brown rice, 2 green apples.
- Afternoon snack: natural yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, 2 peaches.
- Dinner: shrimp, grapefruit.
Day 2
- Breakfast: cottage cheese, fruit salad.
- Lunch: a piece of boiled beef, baked potatoes, grapefruit.
- Afternoon snack: sea bass salad with orange, bran bread.
- Dinner: mussels, pineapple.
Day 3
- Breakfast: cheese, apple, pear, green tea without sugar.
- Lunch: boiled chicken, buckwheat, celery and carrot salad.
- Afternoon snack: boiled chicken eggs, boiled corn.
- Dinner: steamed pollock, vegetable stew.
Day 4
- Breakfast: boiled beef, pumpkin casserole.
- Lunch: pasta, hake, cabbage salad, rye bread.
- Afternoon snack: seaweed, kefir with pieces of fresh peach.
- Dinner: boiled chicken fillet, fruit and berry salad.
Day 5
- Breakfast: pineapple juice, seaweed, natural yogurt.
- Lunch: rice with boiled shrimp, pineapple-melon salad.
- Afternoon snack: tofu cheese, apple and corn salad.
- Dinner: boiled pike, grapefruit.
Day 6
- Breakfast: a glass of skim milk, tomatoes.
- Lunch: baked rabbit meat, sauerkraut, rye bread.
- Afternoon snack: walnuts.
- Dinner: steamed flounder with boiled asparagus.
Day 7
- Breakfast: Gaudette cheese, cucumbers.
- Lunch: onion soup, boiled quail meat, berries.
- Afternoon snack: egg, corn cob and apple salad.
- Dinner: crayfish meat, oranges.
Mayo Clinic Diet
One of the fat burning diet options. Based on the use of the so-called healthy weight food pyramid. According to this pyramid, food products are divided into five levels:
- in the first layer (it is the most basic and voluminous) there are fruits and vegetables;
- in the second (less) – carbohydrates;
- in the third (even smaller) - proteins;
- in the fourth product line - fats;
- and in the last, smallest, sweets were located.
This pyramid is a reflection of the type of nutrition that a person who wants to be healthy and slim should adhere to. Drinking alcohol is not recommended at all, as it significantly slows down the process of breakdown and elimination of fat. Stopping alcohol consumption should occur approximately 6 days before starting the diet.
The principle of operation is based on the use of vegetable onion soup as a main dish, the use of which is not strictly limited in time. That is, a person is free to adjust his food intake at his own discretion, and the result will be a loss of 4.5–8 kg per week.
pros
- While most nutritional plans for weight loss reduce the intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, this type of fat burning diet only limits daily calories by reducing fats and carbohydrates with a long breakdown period.
- The body is not exposed to monotonous foods, which, in turn, protects against the development of manifestations of vitamin deficiency and does not worsen overall well-being.
- The process of losing weight occurs smoothly, without sudden jumps, which meets the requirements of healthy weight loss.
- Organizes and makes habitual the correct diet in the broad sense of the word, accustoms to healthy principles of nutrition.
- The result achieved using this method does not go away after stopping the diet, but lasts for a long time. If a person’s metabolism is thoroughly adjusted, then the extra pounds will not return.
- Due to the fact that the Mayo diet has a rather gentle effect on the body, it can be repeated quite often without any harm.
How to use
Low-calorie onion soup, which burns fat, can be consumed during the diet whenever you feel hungry. The use of additional dishes is also provided, but they must be used strictly in accordance with certain days prescribed in the menu. Do not eat bread, carbonated drinks, fried foods or use fat.
At the same time, it is necessary to focus on the fact that it is strictly prohibited to tighten the requirements and exclude additional dishes, as this will inevitably cause deterioration in health due to insufficient intake of substances necessary for normal activity. And if the technique is used correctly, negative consequences are eliminated.
Recommended diet
Day 1
Onion soup, any fruit except bananas (they have too much starch), fresh, canned or raw vegetables, still mineral drinking water, cranberry juice, natural coffee and tea without sugar.
Day 2
Onion soup, raw, boiled or canned vegetables, leafy greens. Use all this together. For lunch you can eat baked potatoes with butter. Avoid fruits, corn and legumes! Drink still mineral water.
Day 3
Onion soup, fruits, vegetables (except baked potatoes), still mineral drinking water.
Day 4
Onion soup, fresh vegetables, fruits (you can eat 3 bananas), skim milk, still mineral drinking water.
Day 5
Onion soup, tomatoes, beef without fat, still mineral water.
Day 6
Onion soup, green leafy vegetables, boiled beef without fat. Optional steak. Mineral still water.
Day 7
Onion soup, brown rice, vegetables in any form (special emphasis on cabbage, tomatoes and green onions), fruit juice. You can use curry in preparing vegetable dishes. Drink plenty of mineral water without carbon.
If for some reason the diet was not followed to the end, then you need to start from the very beginning, from the first day, and not continue from the time you stopped - this is important. Total water consumption (namely water, not liquid!) is at least two liters per day.
After a week of such nutrition, a second week follows - a week of gradual transition to a normal diet. Over the next seven days, you need to strengthen the habit of eating a large amount of vegetables and fruits, eliminate sugar, remove the skin and trim fat before cooking meat, and do not eat fried foods. This will be a great help for maintaining normal weight and for feeling great in the future.
There are different diets
The choice of diet depends on many factors:
- your current weight;
- expected result;
- presence of chronic diseases;
- your general physical condition;
- your age, etc.
If your weight exceeds 120 kg, long-term diets, for example, the Protasov or Dukan diet, are suitable. If you need to slightly adjust your figure and lose just a couple of kilograms, you can choose any of the many short-term diets: English, French, medical diet, chemical, low-carbohydrate.
The latter diet is especially effective in getting rid of fat deposits in the abdominal area, which is important for many women of different ages.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that the fat-burning diet is rightfully considered gentle on the body, there are a number of restrictions for those who wish to use it, namely:
- Kidney problems.
- Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Chronic manifestations of hemorrhoids.
- Liver diseases.
- Pregnancy and lactation period.
In all of the above cases, it is necessary to follow completely different principles of nutrition, so you should definitely not experiment on yourself during such periods. In any case, before starting a fat-burning diet, it would be a good idea to get your doctor’s approval.
Fat Burning Soup Recipe
This onion or celery soup was mentioned in the proposed menu. It is very healthy and low in calories. After finishing the fat-burning diet, it can and should be left in your diet.
To prepare you will need:
- onions - 4 pcs. medium size;
- celery - 1 bunch (stems and leaves) and 1 root;
- carrots - 2-3 pcs.;
- tomatoes - 4-5 pcs. medium size;
- cabbage - ½ medium head of cabbage;
- pepper - 2 pcs.
Cooking steps:
- Finely chop the cabbage.
- Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
- Cut all other vegetables into strips, onions into half rings.
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan, cover with cold water and place over medium heat.
- After the soup boils, add salt, add the herb mixture and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Let the dish sit for 15-30 minutes and you are ready to eat.
Contraindications
This diet is contraindicated if:
- pregnancy and during breastfeeding;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (especially chronic);
- diseases of the kidneys, liver, pancreas.
Fat burning diet options
The described power system may have its variations. Types of diet differ in the number of allowed foods, portion sizes, timing, etc. The following options for fat-burning nutrition exist:
- Protein diet. It is very similar to the one described above, only the diet contains fewer vegetables, the choice of fruits is limited to citrus fruits and apples. The basis of the diet is protein products. Carbohydrates are almost completely eliminated.
- Japanese diet. Similar to protein, but consists of only 3 meals. For breakfast you can only drink coffee or tea.
- Fat burning diet for the belly. The basis is a fat-burning diet, but there are a lot of citrus fruits on the menu.
The fat-burning diet is easily tolerated and can be taken as the basis of nutrition in the future. Just reduce the amount of protein you consume, and, on the contrary, add carbohydrates. Consolidation of the result will be possible only if you change your usual diet.
The new diet should contain a lot of vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods. Additionally, give up high-calorie and unhealthy foods, reduce the amount of sweets and baked goods you eat, and then you will not only maintain your new figure, but will also be able to lose more weight.