Low carb diet - weekly menu with recipes

In the 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 begins collapse, health problems, loss of strength and so on. Where is the balance and the truth? Very close! Let's find out.

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic change in ideas about why a person is gaining weight. The masses have realized that carbohydrates, not dietary fat, are converted 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 created by a low-carbohydrate diet, which showed high results in losing excess weight. Studies have shown that simple and complex carbohydrates have different effects on the body. Excessive intake of foods high in carbohydrates leads to obesity.

Low carb diet - an effective way to lose weight with a varied menu

In this article you will learn:

  • what is a low carbohydrate 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, which is used during the day on vital processes and during physical activity. A complete rejection of a macronutrient will lead to malfunctions in functional systems, and an excess of received energy will lead to 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, the amount of carbohydrates consumed decreases every day, and proteins increase. Thanks to this, the following processes are launched in the body:

  1. Previously received energy is in short supply, forcing us to look for a new source.
  2. In the first 2-3 days of the diet, glycogen becomes the most important energy supplier.
  3. Additionally, fats are broken down and synthesize an additional energy source - ketone.

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

With a low-carb diet, subjects felt full after eating, as proteins and fats are broken down more slowly than carbohydrates. In addition, the increase in blood sugar and insulin production occurred gradually. This means that they did not have sharp energy outbursts, which are replaced by fatigue and an increased feeling of hunger.

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

The diet of a low carbohydrate diet consists of products that contain animal and vegetable proteins with fat.

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

Pros and cons

The low content of carbohydrates in the menu favorably affects the state of the body, normalizes digestion, increases metabolic processes and rejuvenates.

Advantage:

  • there is no hunger on the diet, strength remains at the same level, there is no weakness;
  • suitable for diabetics;
  • adequate nutrition for men and women for the purpose of losing weight;
  • suitable for low, medium and high activity levels;
  • does not require a significant change in the calculations of the daily caloric requirement for weight loss, the indicators for proteins and carbohydrates change.

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

  • overweight;
  • intensive training;
  • diabetes mellitus;
  • hypertension;
  • disorders of the endocrine system;
  • oncological diseases.

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

Bodybuilders lose weight while maintaining muscle mass with a low-carb diet

However, the diet has its drawbacks:

  • constipation - the reduction in fiber, which is associated with a reduction in carbohydrate intake, can lead to digestive problems;
  • Carbohydrate starvation can cause headaches, irritability and nervousness;
  • exacerbation of chronic diseases;
  • increases the load on the liver;
  • potassium and sodium are in short supply;
  • carbohydrate deficiency reduces concentration, which is essential for people 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 as a large list of forbidden foods creates additional stress for the body. Therefore, after several weeks or months of restrictions, a person returns to his usual diet again.

Balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates

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

The ratio of BJU in the diet is within:

  • Proteins 40-50%;
  • Fat 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 a day. Deficiency leads to unwanted disorders with a number of side effects, such as an excess.

Doctors recommend giving priority to proper and balanced nutrition, controlling 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 expressing weight loss, but without harm to health.

Contraindications

Before "going on a diet", you should consult a doctor, as a high content of protein foods is contraindicated for people with impaired metabolism (for example, urolithiasis, arthritis).

The fact is that with a normal diet, these metabolic disorders may not show up, which means you may not even know you have an illness. By changing your diet in the direction of increasing your protein intake, you trigger the launch of a serious pathological mechanism in your body.

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

Seek medical attention before following a low-carb diet

The weight loss method is also not recommended:

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

Basic rules of a low carb diet

The method involves the use of a minimum portion of carbohydrates sufficient to sustain 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 number gradually and gradually drops to 50-70 g per day. Protein food becomes a substitute for an energy source and maintains muscle tone.

A low-carbohydrate diet lowers insulin levels, which suppresses appetite. Ketone bodies, which come from animal and vegetable proteins and fats, block the flow of information about the feeling 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 method of cooking is stewing, cooking, grilling, steaming. Fry the ingredients without adding oil or with a small amount;
  • do not skip meals and do not reduce calories;
  • extract complex carbohydrates in the first half and before training, in the second - protein foods;
  • make sure to eat breakfast;
  • adhere to the drinking regimen: at least 2 liters of clean liquid.
To reach your weight loss goal, you need to follow a low carb diet plan.

Do not forget that the correct calculation of the daily energy requirement for weight loss 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 does not allow you to starve. It is important to study the information about the component using food calorie tables or on the label.

Table of permitted products

Diet involves certain restrictions. Using the table, you can familiarize yourself with the products that are suitable for low-carbohydrate nutrition.

Product groups

Approved products

Meat

Lean pork, veal and beef, poultry, offal

Fish and shellfish

Sea fish: salmon, salmon, cod, mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut

Seafood - no restrictions

Dairy products

Cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, natural yoghurt without additives - all with a low fat percentage

Egg

Chicken and quail

Vegetables, raw and canned

Everything except vegetables with high starch: potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, sweet potato

Mushrooms

No restrictions in any way

Fruits, berries

Citrus, green unsweetened apples

cereal

Long-cooked oatmeal, brown rice and buckwheat

Nuts and seeds

Without limits

Oil

Unrefined vegetable

Saucer

Balsamic vinegar

Sweeteners

Free of sorbitol and fructose

Drinks

Coffee, tea - without added sugar, mineral water, vegetable juice

Prohibited products

If your favorite product is not on the list of permitted ingredients, it is most likely on the banned list:

  • bakery and confectionery products;
  • processed cereals (white rice, instant oatmeal, semolina), premium wheat pasta;
  • potatoes, corn;
  • semi-finished products; smoked products;
  • food ingredients (mayonnaise, ketchup and sauces other than soy);
  • chocolate;
  • sweet fruits (banana, grapes);
  • sugar and sugar products;
  • packaged juices, fruit drinks (due to the addition of sugar);
  • soda;
  • alcoholic beverages.
Foods to avoid on a low-carb diet

It is necessary to abandon the above products for the first time, and after 3-4 weeks gradually introduce them back 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, but after preparing a menu a week in advance, you can make sure that the diet is saturated.

Table: try menu with low carbohydrate content for 7 days

The table contains possible combinations of breakfast, lunch and dinner, which can be taken as a basis and replaced with your favorite meal. Do not forget that it is important to calculate the calorie content of the finished dish correctly in order to comply with the daily energy intake. Replacement and duplication of products is possible.

Day

Breakfast

2nd breakfast

Dinner

afternoon tea

Dinner

1 day

Cottage cheese casserole without sugar + tomato / cucumber

Grapefruit

Brown rice porridge with vegetables

Kefir 1%

Steamed fish + coleslaw + bread

2 days

Scrambled or two-egg omelet + chicken

Fat-free cottage cheese

Mushroom soup with low-fat sour cream + bread

Kefir 1% with chopped cucumber and herbs

Cooked 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

Grapefruit

Buckwheat porridge + beetroot salad

Fat-free cottage cheese

Veal or chicken stew with vegetables

Day 5

Cheese + boiled eggs

Apple

Cooked brown rice + seafood

Kefir 1%

Vegetable salad + lean beef steak

Day 6

Cheese + boiled eggs + bread

Natural yogurt without sugar 1, 5%

Baked meat + vegetable salad

Kiwi

Stewed vegetables + boiled fish

Day 7

Milk buckwheat porridge

Fat-free cottage cheese

Fish baked with vegetables

Kefir 1%

Baked breast + fresh vegetables and herbs

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

Getting out of the diet

A low carb diet is effective and affordable, but after 2 months you should return to your usual diet. The exit is made gradually to minimize stress for the body and not to return the previously lost kilos.

The result of losing weight on a low-carb diet, which can be maintained through a gradual exit

Return to normal diet in 3-4 weeks:

  • in the first and second weeks increase the amount of fruits and vegetables (not containing starch);
  • the third week - reduction of protein foods by adding grains;
  • the number of calories also increases every day.

What can be cooked during weight loss - delicious recipes

A hypohydrate diet is not a reason to limit yourself exclusively to chicken fillet. The list of permitted products is extensive, so you can make well-tried 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, place on the bottom of the multicooker bowl.
  • Pour in water, add bay leaf.
  • Cook for 1, 5 hours in "Off" mode.

Total carbohydrates: 0 g

Ingredients:

  • chicken fillet - 250 g;
  • water - 150 g;
  • salt, ground pepper - to taste;
  • bay leaf - 1 pc.
Chicken fillet stewed in a slow cooker - a nutritious dinner on a low-carb diet

Veal with cheese in the oven

Recipe # 2

Cooking method:

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

Total carbohydrate: 7, 7 g

Ingredients:

  • veal shoulder - 400 g;
  • cheese - 100 g;
  • milk 1, 5% - 100 ml;
  • vegetable oil - 20 ml;
  • salt, pepper, spices - to taste.
Following a low-carb diet, you can cook veal with cheese in the oven

Soup with oat bran

Recipe # 3

Cooking method:

  • Cut the turkey fillet into cubes, cook in 1 liter of water for 20 minutes.
  • Finally, add the chopped onion and bran.
  • Boil an egg hard, cut into small pieces and add to the broth.
  • Finely chop the green, send to the soup.

Total carbohydrates: 24 g

Ingredients:

  • turkey fillet - 150 g;
  • water - 1 l;
  • onion - 60 g;
  • eggs - 58 g;
  • oat bran - 25 g;
  • chopped dill - 10 g;
  • green onions - 5 g;
  • salt, pepper - to taste.
Oat bran soup for lunch on a low carb diet menu

Chinese cabbage salad with fruits

Recipe # 4

Cooking method:

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

Total carbohydrates: 16, 5 g

Ingredients:

  • Chinese cabbage - 150 g;
  • apple - 50 g;
  • orange - 60 g;
  • green onions - 5 g;
  • lemon juice - 20 ml;
  • salt - to taste.
Chinese cabbage, orange and apple salad - a vitamin dish on a low-carb diet

squid salad

Recipe number 5

Cooking method:

  • Boil two eggs hard, peel. Cut into medium cubes.
  • Rinse the squid body, peel and viscera, dip in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, no more! Otherwise they become "rubber".
  • Cut seafood into thin rings or strips.
  • Cucumber cut into thin strips.
  • Mix all ingredients.
  • Grease the salad with juice and olive oil, mix.

Total carbohydrate: 3. 5 g.

Ingredients:

  • chicken eggs - 116 g (2 pcs. );
  • squid - 150 g;
  • cucumber - 70 g;
  • lemon juice - 15 ml;
  • olive oil - 15 ml.
Calamari salad with eggs and cucumber on a low carb diet

White fish with vegetables

Recipe # 6

Cooking method:

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

Total carbohydrate: 8, 7 g

Ingredients:

  • cod - 500 g;
  • eggplant - 80 g;
  • tomatoes - 120 g;
  • pepper, salt.
The weekly low-carb menu includes cod baked with eggplant and tomatoes.

Cheese soup

Recipe number 7

Cooking method:

  • Cook the chicken fillet until tender, remove the meat and allow to cool. Cut into medium-sized pieces.
  • Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, add to the broth, simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until a homogeneous consistency is achieved, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Distribute the chicken fillet in each portion. Garnish with green.

Ingredients:

  • chicken fillet - 300 g;
  • processed cheese - 100 g;
  • water - 1, 5 l;
  • salt, pepper - to taste;
  • fresh herbs - to taste.
Cheese soup with chicken for lunch on a low-carb diet menu

Milk dessert

Recipe number 8

Cooking method:

  • Pour the milk into a deep mold for whipping, put it in the freezer until an ice crust forms.
  • Pour gelatin with water, cook according to instructions, add gelatin. Cool down.
  • Take out the milk, whip with a dive blender, pour in the gelatin and continue whipping.
  • Take to the freezer for 20 minutes.

Total carbohydrates: 9, 9 g

Ingredients:

  • milk 0, 5% - 200 ml;
  • gelatin - 10 g;
  • water - 40 ml;
  • sweetener - to taste.
On a low-carb diet, you can treat yourself to a dairy dessert

Salad with canned tuna

Recipe # 9

Cooking method:

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

Total carbohydrate: 7. 5 g

Ingredients:

  • canned tuna - 1 can, approx. 180 g;
  • eggs - 58 g;
  • hard cheese - 100 g;
  • cucumber - 100 g;
  • onion - 40 g;
  • vinegar - 5 ml;
  • olive oil - 15 ml;
  • salt, pepper - to taste.
Canned tuna salad in a low carb diet

Diet chops

Recipe number 10

Cooking method:

  • Rinse all types of meat, dry on a paper towel, chop finely or chop with a blender / meat mincer.
  • Onions cut into small cubes.
  • Add eggs, onions, salt and spices to the minced meat. Mix thoroughly, shape steaks with wet hands.
  • Steam for 20-30 minutes or fry in a non-stick pan without adding oil on both sides.

Total carbohydrate: 7 g.

Ingredients:

  • beef shoulder - 200 g;
  • lean pork - 400 g;
  • chicken fillet - 250 g;
  • onion - 60 g;
  • chicken eggs - 58 g;
  • salt, spices - to taste.
Diet chops will relieve hunger on a low-carb diet

Low carb Raffaello

Recipe # 11

Cooking method:

  • 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 warm non-stick pan for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Blind a ball of cottage cheese, flat, put an almond inside, roll into a ball.
  • Roll the finished sweets in coconut flakes and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Total carbohydrate: 28, 1 g

Ingredients:

  • cottage cheese 1, 8% - 250 g;
  • sour cream 10% - 40 g;
  • raw almonds - 20 g;
  • coconut flakes - 100 g;
  • sweetener - to taste.
Raffaello, cooked at home - a dessert allowed on a low-carb diet

A low carb diet is an effective way to lose weight with a varied menu. By following the recommendations, you can quickly achieve the desired results and not be afraid of the return of the lost weight after leaving the hypohydrate diet. Carefully examine the contraindications, track your well-being and be healthy!