Do fasting days help you lose weight and how do they work?

Fasting days - an effective way to lose weight

Fasting days will not help you lose 10-15 kg a month before summer. They are more suitable for those who want to keep in shape without making any special efforts or who need to "get in shape" again after the winter. Unloading days for weight loss do not bring as impressive results as we would like, but if you do them regularly and then don't rush to eat, the effects will certainly please.

What are fasting days for?

It seems that what can happen after a day of fasting, but that's only at first glance. The benefits of fasting days have long been proven, tested and double checked. And it consists of the following:

  • After a short hunger strike, a feeling of lightness sets in due to the colon cleansing;
  • Stress gets the body in shape;
  • It helps overcome the many known "plateau effect" of pain. In other words, it's a stagnation during the diet. The weight falls to a certain point and then stops because it doesn't want to move. A hunger strike canserve as a light stress for the body and a kind of catalyst for fat burning processes.
  • And of course the "strength test" and the development of willpower should not go unmentioned.

Types and features of food discharge

Unloading days are conditionally divided into two types:

  • "hungry"
  • "saturated".

These two options differ in the calorie content of the daily menu and the number of ingredients that are allowed to be used.

The essence and principles of "hungry" days

The easiest and most rigorous option is a day on the water. Relief, during which proteins, fats and easily digestible carbohydrates are excluded, is also called "cleansing". In other cases, in addition to liquid, a product is included in the diet. The maximum daily calorie content is 500 calories. Considering thatYou can eat low-fat kefir, cucumbers, apples, cabbage or citrus, generally low-calorie foods, it is easy not to exceed the allowable bar, for example, the calorie content of 100 grams of an ordinary cucumber is 15. 5 calories, with these restrictions, you canEat 3. 2 kg of fresh green cucumbers per day.

Important!Regardless of the type of food eaten, you need to drink 2 or more liters of water. Ordinary non-carbonated water is supplemented with green tea or a decoction of herbs.

"Full" unloading: types and rules

A more harmless option. They allow 2-3 combinable products: meat, vegetables, eggs, legumes, fruit, dairy products. The calorie state changes slightly, you can not go beyond the 800 calorie limit. Depending on the type of products used, "full" fasting days for weight loss are protein and carbohydrates.

  • Protein unloading is the best option when more restrictive diets cause weakness or dizziness, or are not suitable for health reasons. You can eat: lean meat; shellfish, crustaceans and fish; vegetable proteins. If desired, the menu can be varied with low-calorie vegetables. Chinese cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, greens are successfully combined with proteins. Depending on the method of preparation, it is better to give preference to boiling or steaming. During the day there is no strong feeling of hunger.
  • Carb Discharge – sounds tempting but has nothing to do with candy. In this case we are talking about foods rich in slow carbohydrates. Usually it is buckwheat, rice, dried fruit.

When putting together the menu for a "full" fasting day, it is important to consider the compatibility of the products.

Product group name Meat, Fish, Poultry legumes vegetable oil Grain Angry semi sweet Sweet and dried fruits vegetables Dairy products eggs
fruit
Meat, Fish, Poultry / - - - - - - + - -
legumes - / + 0 - - - + - -
vegetable oil - + / + + 0 0 + - -
Grain 0 - + / - - - + - -
Angry - - + - / + 0 + 0 -
fruit semi sweet - - 0 - + / + + + -
Sweet and dried fruits - - 0 - 0 + / + + -
vegetables + + + + + + + / + +
Dairy products - - - - 0 + + + / -
eggs - - - - - - - + - /

Benefits and contraindications

Fasting days help in the unequal struggle with obesity. They help get rid of heaviness after a hard vacation and contribute to the gentle cleansing of the intestines from toxins. Indicated for certain diseases. So, for example, with kidney disease, it is recommended to spend "watermelon" days, heart and blood vessels - "potatoes", and with joint problems - "cucumbers". Only without initiative, after consulting a doctor. Unloading should definitely be done by those who constantly follow various fitness diets, like protein foods, artificial proteins and other "heavy foods".

It is impossible to discharge patients with diabetes mellitus, pregnant and lactating women. People exhausted by a long illness and suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (only "full" discharges are indicated after consulting a gastroenterologist). It is undesirable to arrange discharge during menstruation.

Advice!You should not get carried away with the "hungry" unloading, they are carried out no more than once a week, while "full" can be carried out 2-3 times.

5 unloading rules

In order for fasting days to bring the expected result, five simple rules must be followed.

Rule 1: Compliance

Most fasting days are based on the principle of a mono-diet, i. H. You can eat a product, but you must do so as often as possible. In small portions, of course. In addition, the selected product should please, this will help relieve the already stressful situation for the body. The total energy value of products should not exceed 800 cal.

Rule 2: Choose the best product

As a rule, unloading is carried out using low-calorie foods with a minimum content of fats and carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, kefir). On a carbohydrate diet, you can stop at a low glycemic index grain (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal). Low-fat meat and lean fish are allowed in protein discharge. The most effective are "liquid" fasting days, when your teeth rest but you're only allowed to drink.

Rule 3: The right day

Many do not attach importance to this moment, but choosing one day is no less important. Nutritionists advise not to take the statutory days off, but to choose Monday. This option is not suitable if the work involves physical labor. It is best to unload weekly on the same day.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on a fasting day

Rule 4: Quiet

On the day of discharge, not only the digestive tract should rest, but the whole organism as a whole. It is important to exclude any physical activity, especially training. Alcohol is excluded per day. And for those who do not tolerate alcohol well, in 2 or even 3 days. In the list of recommended activities: a visit to the bath or sauna. Sauna sessions calm the body, help to cope with stress, improve lung ventilation and promote the elimination of toxins. Leisurely walks in the park are also shown.

Plenty of time to sleep. Ideally: at least 9 hours. Don't miss the opportunity to relax instead of lunch. Longer sleep strengthens the body and at the same time helps to transmit the feeling of hunger more easily.

Rule 5: no contrasts

It is very important to enter the fasting day smoothly, get through it calmly, and also leave it smoothly.

Smooth entry and exit: why is it important?

Any diet, even one for just one day, is a heavy burden on the body. Once, without explaining the reason, they suddenly stopped feeding him. When will it end, or will it end at all? Just as suddenly, he finally gets a portion of high-calorie food, and assimilates it to the maximum. That is why the lost weight quickly returns after long diets.

How to start a fasting day

Proper preparation of the body will help achieve the maximum effect of unloading. On the eve of lunch, they refuse heavy food. Dinner is replaced with a light salad, fruit and kefir. Before going to bed, it is recommended to do a cleansing enema. You can drink herbal tea, which has a laxative effect, but without fanaticism.

To complete the unloading smoothly

Of course, you shouldn’t start the next morning with fried potatoes. It is better to drink 200 ml of water on an empty stomach and eat some steamed vegetables or a spoonful of rice, and then not eat for 2-3 hours. Cereals, vegetables and fruits help the body switch to stable work. It is better to avoid meat, legumes, eggs or fish. The production of cortisol (stress hormone) increases appetite and food is absorbed to the maximum.

The most efficient way to unload

The effectiveness of any given diet is a relative concept. Each organism is individual, reacts differently to stress, perceives and processes products. Therefore, the best option for you can only be chosen empirically. Judging by the reviews of "users" and listening to the opinions of nutritionists, the most noticeable results can be achieved by adhering to the diets described below. You can stop at one type of discharge or switch between different ones. Therefore, we present you the most effective fasting days for weight loss.

Unloading day on the water

The most difficult and effective are called "liquid" unloading, if only done correctly. Many begin to "unload" the day after the feast or immediately after the holiday, but nutritionists recommend at least a day before the "X" day to exclude lactic acid, meat, flour dishes and switch to light food. Of course, everything is also greasy, fried, salted and smoked. It is better to prepare water in advance. It can be a non-carbonated mineral or ordinary cleaned, but not boiled.

Really effective fasting days for losing weight are as "strict" as possible. Completely eliminate food. It is necessary to drink every hour, so that at least 3 liters per day are obtained. Due to the fact that the stomach is constantly filled with fluid, shouldthere is no very bright feeling of hunger The strictest version of unloading says that you are not allowed to drink tea, coffee or juices that day, only water.

Advice!It is very difficult, but you must keep a positive attitude and persevere to the end. Listening to feel good, of course. If weakness, dizziness, or other severe symptoms occur, the attempt should be discontinued.

You must be very careful when getting out of the water. In the morning after fasting, they drink a glass of water and eat some steamed or stewed vegetables. The whole next day you can only eat cereals, vegetables and fruits.

The girl watches strict unloading on the water

Unloading day on cucumbers

The vegetable, which is 95% water, is revered by nutritionists, and the cucumber fast for weight loss is so popular it needs no publicity. Cucumbers are a product with a negative calorie content (the body spends more on their digestion than it receives) and it is much easier to get enough of them (albeit for a short time) than water.

Those who have not yet encountered the face-to-face diet of cucumbers should know that this vegetable is a powerful diuretic.

So during the day it is better to be near the toilet. An active social life has to be postponed, weakness may appear after dinner, especially in the legs. Some have increased bowel movements. One-day cucumber discharge is indicated for uric acid diathesis, obesity, hypertension, gout, arthrosis and atherosclerosis.

For "green" unloading you will need 1. 5-2 kg of fresh cucumbers. This amount is divided into 5-6 doses. Drink without restrictions. For a change, you can prepare a salad of cucumbers with herbs, which you are allowed to fill with a spoonful of vegetable oil. Salt is of course not allowed. Cucumbers remove excess water, which interferes with this process, but you can add lemon juice to the salad. At noon it is allowed to supplement the diet with a boiled egg. Too bad it won't save you from hunger.

Cucumbers - a low-calorie vegetable for unloading

Day to unload the kefir

Kefir can rival pickles in popularity. A lot has been written about the beneficial properties of the product, the main thing is that it is available all year round, helps normalize pressure, is effective in the prevention of atherosclerosis and, of course, normalizes the digestive tract.

The mono-diet on fat-free kefir will be the most effective. The discharge mode is extremely simple: every 2-3 hours you need to drink 1-2 glasses of kefir. Around noon, the product is fed up with the order. For taste, you can crumble dill or parsley into it and, for a change, not drink it, but eat it with a spoon. If you want to eat between meals (you definitely do), you can drink a glass of water. And if the feeling of hunger is very strong, a tablespoon of wheat bran, an unsweetened vegetable or fruit will help to kill it.

There are many ways to unload kefir. Kefir is often combined with vegetables, lean meat or honey. "Full" unloading days for weight loss on kefir are perfect for people with weak willpower and those dictated by certain health conditions.

One of the most popular is unloading on kefir

Apple unloading day

An apple is a slow-digesting, low-calorie fruit. It contains 85% water, the remaining 15% is a valuable store of vitamins and minerals, it is not for nothing that it is called "rejuvenating". Apples are affordable and healthy, they strengthen immunity, contain antioxidants, regulate intestinal flora and promote fat burning. A one-day apple diet is also called a fasting day for losing belly weight. But there are two sides to every coin. Apples can swell, and a strict apple diet is absolutely contraindicated in diseases of the digestive tract (gastritis, ulcers, hyperacidity, biliary dyskinesia). In these cases, theUse of baked apples allowed.

Let's start by describing the simplest version of unloading apples, which will require a few kilograms of apples.

The procedure is as follows: about every hour, 2 kg of green unsweetened apples are divided into 5-6 portions or eaten individually.

You can eat fruit fresh or baked and mix and match. It is better to use sour apples, but they can increase appetite.

If apples are difficult to sustain on your own, you can try malolactic discharge. It is allowed to eat 1. 5 kg of apples and 500 g of fat-free cottage cheese per day or drink 1. 5 liters of kefir.

Excellent shape thanks to a day of fasting on apples

Unloading day on buckwheat

Probably, you shouldn't say again that buckwheat is incredibly healthy, contains trace elements, vitamins and amino acids. In this case, it is more important that the cereal is rich in fiber, which improves digestion, helps restore normal functioning and cleanses the intestines. Like many other cereals, buckwheat belongs to the group of foods with a low glycemic index and therefore suppresses the feeling of hunger for a long time.

It is better to prepare for unloading buckwheat the day before. A cup of cereal (about 250 g) is poured into a small saucepan, pour boiling water (0. 5 liters), cover with a lid and leave overnight. Without salt, of course, but you can add vegetables as a spice. In the morning, the porridge is divided into 4-5 portions. By the way, it is better to use green buckwheat, not toasted brown. According to experts, all nutrients are preserved in it. If the feeling of hunger has worsened, it is permissible to have a snack with a green apple, but it is better to drink water.

Healthy buckwheat, ideal for a fasting day

Unloading day on rice

One of the most effective is the rice fasting day. It's good because it has practically no contraindications. The main problem is the likelihood of constipation. Therefore, if you suffer from hemorrhoids or irregular bowel movements, it is better not to discharge on rice. After eating, it is advisable to drink teas with a laxative effect, and the next morning to start with kefir and fresh vegetables. In the intestine, the grains act as sorbents, absorbing water and toxins, which are then removed from the body.

To prepare the right rice porridge, take 350-400 grams of low-calorie brown rice and 0. 5 liters of water. Beforehand, the muesli must be soaked in water for several hours. The grains are cooked to half. All porridge (up to 1 kg) is distributed in portions. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, you can water, green tea, herbal decoctions.

Unloading day on rice has no contraindications

Comparative review of popular fasting days

The table shows an example menu for each of the fasting days described above ("full" option).

Type of unloading day cucumber Apple kefir buckwheat rice
8-00 breakfast 2 cucumbers + 50 gr. boiled meat 2-3 apples + a glass of kefir 1-2 cups of kefir 100 g stewed buckwheat + cucumber or tomato 200 g rice + a cup of green tea
11-00 snack 2 cucumbers + green tea or juice 2-3 apples + 100 g of any porridge 200 g of any vegetables 100 g steamed buckwheat 200 g rice + 50 g fish or meat
14-00 dinner 2 cucumbers + boiled egg or 100 gr rice porridge 2 baked apples + fresh cucumber salad with a spoonful of rast. oils 1-2 cups of kefir + 50 g of lean meat 100 g buckwheat + 50 g meat 200 g rice + 1 fresh carrot
17-00 snack Cucumber and apple smoothie with lemon juice 2-3 apples + 1 banana 1 glass of kefir + banana 100 g buckwheat + apple or ½ grapefruit 200 g rice + glass of juice
20-00 dinner 2 cucumbers + a glass of kefir 2-3 apples + 100 g cottage cheese 1-2 cups of kefir 100 g steamed buckwheat 200 g rice + 1 glass of kefir

Coffee on fasting days

Coffee lovers are probably interested in the question: is it possible to drink coffee at all these days, or even to hold "coffee discharges" at all? According to nutritionists, only 1-2 cups of the drink will benefit. In this case, the coffee cup should not be equal to the soup bowl. The recommended volume is 90-120ml. Of course, coffee should be natural without sugar or cream, but you can add sweetener or skim milk.

Not wanting to limit themselves in any way, coffee lovers developed their own version of the diet. The fasting menu for losing weight is very simple - 5-6 cups of coffee at regular intervals. You can also eat fresh fruits and vegetables. The amount of other liquid must be limited. Many reviews write that after such a day they lost up to 3 kg. It's just a pity that this "weight loss" is deceptive. Coffee is a diuretic. During the day, about one liter is drunk instead of the prescribed 2 liters and much more is excreted from the body. Only the weight of the water lost is basically what the scale shows. But the big problem is that an already stressful situation for the body is exacerbated by a heavy load on the heart and kidneys.

You can supplement a fasting day with a cup of natural coffee.

The conclusion from this is simple: it is undesirable and even dangerous to organize coffee fasting days, but it will be useful to supplement the unloading with 1-2 cups of natural coffee. The key is to drink plenty of fluids.

Helpful Advice

Tips compiled from numerous reviews, but equally suitable for any type of unloading.

  • Hunger strike days are made a lot easier when you spend them on your favorite foods (but not cookies and sweets).
  • On fasting days, it is recommended to supplement the diet with decoctions of medicinal herbs. You can use ready-made herbal teas for weight loss. As a rule, they have a complex effect, they have a laxative, fat-burning, cleansing, appetite-reducing, diuretic and choleretic effect.
  • No need to try to do everything at once and combine diet with physical activity in one day. But breathing exercises will be just like that.
  • If it is difficult to stick to five meals a day, the daily portion can be divided into several meals.
  • Avoid sugar, salt and spices altogether.

Relief days to lose weight bring different results. In reviews they often write that they lose up to 2 kg of weight per day. Those who are attracted to this number should understand that it is not 2 kg of body fat that is lost! Excess fluid with toxins and "food debris", semi-digested food that accumulates on the intestinal walls, leaves. It is impossible to lose even 1 kg per day. With the strictest water release, you can get rid of a maximum of 100-200 grams of fat.