watermelon diet

If you discover the watermelon diet, losing weight is likely to be simple, fast, and delicious.Watermelon is packed with vitamins and only seems to be good for you.But whether that is the case remains to be seen.Such a diet has its advantages and disadvantages, and in order to avoid encountering them, you need to deal with the problem responsibly so that you do not have to avoid more serious health problems than gaining weight.

Watermelon diet principles

On the one hand, the principle behind the Watermelon Diet is simple—eliminate all foods except watermelon and lose weight.By eating this one berry, you can actually get results.

But how positive it is depends on several factors:

  • This diet is carried out during watermelon season - August to September.If you indulge at other times, you may "feed" yourself with nitrates and end up in the hospital.
  • When choosing berries, give preference to fruits that are small to medium in size and have no dents or cracks.
  • If you choose a single diet, it should last no more than 3-5 days.Watermelon is rich in nutrients and contains vitamins, but it is not enough to completely replace a nutritious diet.
  • A long-term watermelon diet must be accompanied by other foods: unsweetened fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products.
  • The withdrawal from the diet is gradual, and other foods are added every day, following the principle from light to heavy.It is important to monitor calories and food amounts.A sudden load on the body can undo all efforts and the body will happily build up extra reserves for the future.This will immediately affect the rapid recovery of lost kilograms.
  • Wash the watermelon before cutting it; this will help avoid contracting an intestinal infection.

By following these rules, you can lose 3 kg in a few days on the watermelon diet.But you should understand that initially this will not be a reduction in fat deposits.During the first few days of the diet, excess water and toxic substances trapped in the cells leave the body.Often, this stagnation leads to slower metabolism and weight gain.

Watermelon slices hanging on stick

Characteristics of watermelon diet

The watermelon diet is one of the milder weight loss methods.The sweetness of the berries and their high water content will keep you from feeling hungry, even if watermelon is the only thing on the menu for three days.

But the main feature is not only the ability to lose excess weight in a short period of time.During the diet, excess fluid, waste products, and toxins are eliminated from the body, and concentrations of bad cholesterol are reduced.Metabolic processes are restarted, the function of the digestive system and kidneys is improved.

Notice!If you feel unwell or your chronic condition worsens while on a diet, it's best to abandon the diet and see a doctor.

For effective weight loss, you need to consider some features of the watermelon diet:

  1. First, eliminate sweet and salty foods and snacks, avoid eating greasy foods and stop drinking alcohol.
  2. For a long-term watermelon diet, create a menu that avoids consuming cheese, dairy, and eggs at the same time as berries.This combination causes fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, which can have a host of consequences: bloating, gas (gas formation), and uncomfortable bowel movements.
  3. It is better to prepare the diet in advance: 3-4 days before starting, include watermelon in the menu, gradually increase the portion size, eliminate other foods from the diet, starting with heavier foods.
  4. The watermelon diet should last no more than 10-14 days.This time, if you follow all the rules, you can lose up to 6 kg.If a course needs to be repeated, it is recommended not to do it earlier than one month later.
watermelon

Benefits of Watermelon Diet

The main benefits of a watermelon diet lie in the properties of watermelon itself, or rather in its ingredients:

  1. Water stimulates metabolic processes, improves bile flow, normalizes the function of the excretory system, thereby eliminating swelling.
  2. Fructose – Provides energy and vitality and helps relieve fatigue.
  3. Vitamins and Minerals – Watermelon contains vitamins A, C, E, PP, B vitamins, mineral salts, iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.This ingredient can normalize your sleep, fight chronic fatigue, help stabilize blood pressure, and relieve muscle spasms and numbness.
  4. Pectin – cleans blood vessels, lowers cholesterol levels, and normalizes the function of the cardiovascular system.
  5. Antioxidants (lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin) - improve immunity, reduce the risk of developing cancer cells, have a positive impact on the hormonal system and improve heart function.

This complex of nutrients not only helps fight excess weight but also improves your health.

Equally important, watermelon is low in calories—just30–40 kcalPer 100 g of pulp.

Watermelon dietary taboos

Although berries are rich and healthy, there are many contraindications to the watermelon diet.

It is best to refuse if:

  • Kidney disease: They may not be able to handle large amounts of fluid;
  • Presence of sand and stones in gallbladder and kidneys;
  • diabetes;
  • cardiovascular disease;
  • Gastrointestinal disorders;
  • For allergies.

Even if you're completely confident about your health, it's important to monitor how you feel while dieting.If you feel discomfort or pain due to a strict regime, it is best to refuse immediately and seek medical advice.

watermelon slices

Disadvantages of the Watermelon Diet

Before starting a watermelon diet for weight loss, you should consider its disadvantages.In some cases, they may outweigh the benefits of the berries' beneficial properties.

Minor disadvantages include:

  1. Seasonality.Healthy and affordable watermelon is only available in late summer and early fall.
  2. It's best to go on a diet during the holidays.The diuretic effect can cause great inconvenience at work.More serious deficiencies may cause more serious consequences than weight gain problems.
  3. Watermelon has a high glycemic index (GI).These foods cause blood sugar to rise and deposit calories into fat stores.
  4. Watermelon is low in calories, but it’s easy to be fooled.If you eat 1 kilogram of watermelon for every 10 kilograms of body weight, you can even exceed your daily caloric requirements.For example, with a body weight of 70 kg, the standard value for eating berries in a single diet is 7 kg.The result is: 7 x 10 x 35 = 2450 Kcal.At the same time, for a 30-year-old woman who is 170cm tall and weighs 70kg, the standard for a sedentary lifestyle is 2100 calories per day.This puts you at risk for weight gain.
  5. Restart.Excessive nitrate intake may lead to severe poisoning and be sent to an infectious disease hospital.
  6. disease.On a strict monodiet, discomfort and fatigue may occur due to a lack of trace elements, which watermelon does not contain.
  7. Stomach problems. Making a drastic switch from a normal diet to eating large amounts of watermelon may cause gastrointestinal problems that manifest as upset, constipation, bloating, and exacerbation of illness.
watermelon diet

watermelon diet options

You can come up with many watermelon diets and diversify them in some way, but only three options are common.

mono diet watermelon

A monowatermelon diet is a diet in which only one product is consumed, that is, during a period of time, only watermelon is prescribed on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Allow extra water and unsweetened green tea.

Despite its usefulness, a watermelon-based monodiet is considered a restrictive diet that limits the supply of all the nutrients a person needs.It is used more as a fasting meal for no more than one to three days.Sometimes this is extended to five days.Long-term storage is not recommended because the lack of essential trace elements will seriously affect health.

The benefit of diet is that it can purify the body, remove excess fluid from the body, and reduce swelling.

Loss: You will lose 2-3 kilograms, but this is not a loss of body fat.Since the same excess water is eliminated from the body, weight will be lost; everything will return after a few days.

It's best to start with a single diet for fasting days before moving on to a main long-term diet or proper nutrition.It won't hurt to do it in one day, and it's good for your body to reboot.

Not just a watermelon

In this version, in addition to the main dish of watermelon, two slices of rye bread are added to each snack.The diet is not much different from before.The only thing that makes it special is that the satiety from the bread can help you extend the week.This is the advantage of watermelon: during such a watermelon detox, the body still does not get enough vitamins.

In principle, with such a diet you can lose up to 7 kilograms a week, but there is a "but".If the total calories of watermelon and the same bread are calculated for one eating day, then this amount will significantly exceed the recommended calorie intake for weight loss.

7-10 days of light diet

7-10 days of light eating and a balanced menu.In addition to watermelon, the diet includes vegetables, unsweetened fruits, small amounts of grains and protein products.But the important thing is that the calories of each dish are strictly calculated, the portion size does not exceed the recommended amount, and there are no additives.The diet is designed for 10 days and is easy to maintain.

The best option for natural weight loss: the body gets everything it needs and the diet is easy to tolerate.

You can lose up to 6 kg during this diet.

The advantage of dieting is the opportunity to exercise, which helps burn fat and gradually develop correct eating habits.

Watermelon weight loss menu

One week watermelon diet for weight loss

A week's worth of watermelon diet menu might look like this.

on Monday

  1. breakfast:Oatmeal with milk and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
  2. dinner:Salad – Watermelon + Feta + Basil, drizzled with olive oil.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Tuesday

  1. breakfast:Porridge, tomatoes and a glass of juice.
  2. dinner: Salad - watermelon + poached chicken tenders + low-fat cheese, seasoned with olive oil, add pumpkin seeds if desired.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Wednesday

  1. breakfast: Buckwheat porridge with plums, tea without sugar.
  2. dinner:Salad - watermelon + tomato + cucumber + vegetables.Season with lemon juice and olive oil.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Thursday

  1. breakfast:Brown rice with boiled beef and a glass of juice.
  2. dinner:Boiled beef and berry cocktail.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Friday

  1. breakfast:Oatmeal with water and a glass of juice.
  2. dinner:Salad – watermelon + melon + unsweetened grapes + plums + walnuts.Season with lemon juice.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Saturday

  1. breakfast: Chicken cooked with buckwheat, pomegranate juice.
  2. dinner:Watermelon and boiled chicken tenders.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

Sunday

  1. breakfast: Low-fat cheese casserole, unsweetened tea.
  2. dinner:Salad - watermelon + chicken tenders + plums + nuts.Season with vegetable oil.
  3. dinner:watermelon.

In addition to the main meal, it is recommended to drink low-fat kefir or yogurt with added bran or flax seeds half an hour before going to bed.

girl eating watermelon diet

Quit the Watermelon Diet

Giving up the watermelon diet shouldn't be sudden.

Basic rules apply to everyone:

  • Avoid fatty and fried foods for at least the first 3-5 days to avoid overloading your digestive system;
  • Divide your daily diet into 5-6 meals and small portions;
  • The principle of adding other dishes is: from simple to complex.

After the diet, it is recommended to switch to a proper nutritional program, so that the results achieved during the week will not only be consolidated, but also last for a long time.

Watermelon Diet: What a Nutritionist Says

Let’s take a closer look at what nutritionists have to say about the effectiveness of the watermelon diet.

"I do not recommend that you "prescribe" yourself not only a watermelon diet, but also other diets. Everyone's body has individual characteristics, and what helps one person may seriously harm another. Therefore, it is impossible without consultation. Experts will choose a suitable diet according to each person's situation. Moreover, modern research shows that starvation diets do not have the desired effect at all, and that the correct diet is healthier."

"I can't say that there are any benefits to a diet based solely on watermelon: despite its vitamin benefits, the amount of watermelon eaten, or rather the sugar it contains, can have a negative impact on your health. Firstly, kilograms of light carbohydrates will not disappear, and secondly, due to the high glycemic index, you may cause a rise in blood sugar."