Following a diet is quite difficult, tedious and costly. Many people cannot stand the usual menu and fall apart, nullifying all the results obtained.
That's why nutritionists began to become more sophisticated and create programs that were interesting to people, motivating and completely different from their minions.
One of these interesting programs was the "Six Petals" diet or "Petal Diet", authored by Swedish nutritionist Anna Johansson. A week-long course, according to the doctor, will be a successful solution to the problem of excess weight for every person, because you can lose 3-4 kg without much effort!
Characteristics of the 6 petals diet, author’s recommendations and advantages of the technique
First of all, the effectiveness of this diet depends on the psychological attitude towards a good result and strong motivation.
The diet itself represents a cycle of 6 monoprograms (petals), which alternate daily, but nevertheless represent a carefully thought out nutritional plan. Each of these "petals" is, in fact, a day of fasting, during which only one type of food is eaten, to the exclusion of others. Thanks to this restriction, you eat fewer calories and each of the selected products additionally cleanses, nourishes or strengthens the body. In addition, the diet is designed to alternate protein and carbohydrate days, which is suitable for those who play sports or work in stressful conditions. Furthermore, this separate meal rule means you don't mix foods with different compositions in a single meal, which will allow you to absorb the ingredients more efficiently and quickly, without causing excessive deposits on the sides.
Since the products on the menu alternate every day, the diet is considered quite interesting, not boring and not rigid.
Let's return to the psychological attitude and motivation for dieting. To bring her plan to life and really inspire your body to lose weight, Anna advises everyone to draw a bright, colorful flower with large petals (6 pieces) before starting a diet. Each of your chamomile's petals should be given a number or painted a special color, with the name of the specific diet day and a set of permitted ingredients written at the top. We place the resulting flower in some prominent place and at the end of each diet day we pluck the corresponding petal (only if all the requirements are met correctly). Psychologically, it will be easier for the body to survive a week of dieting if the number of "agonizing days" visually decreases and decreases.
The author's strict recommendations for the "6 petals" diet:
- for the day you receive a clear set of products that cannot be adjusted, replaced with similar ingredients or supplemented;
- do not consume more than the permitted amount of food, but also do not eat too little, which will also have negative consequences;
- the days of the week cannot be changed or skipped; in case of failure, the course must be repeated again;
- The last time you should eat is 4 hours before bed (whether during the day or at night);
- a prerequisite is compliance with the water regime, you must drink 6 cups of healthy liquids or more per day;
- during the diet, we exclude sugar, hot spices and seasonings from the diet, limit salt consumption;
- all foods can be steamed, boiled, stewed, baked, dried, eaten raw, but in no case should you add fatty sauces, marinades, salty seasonings, animal lipids (butter, lard, margarine, mayonnaise and others);
- you must exit the diet gently and carefully so that excess weight does not return;
- It is permitted to repeat the course a maximum of six months later.
The main advantages of the "petal" technique:
- the diet is very effective - you can lose 0. 5-0. 8 kg of excess weight per day without much effort;
- There is no need to weigh food or study the calorie and carbohydrate content of food;
- The diet is universal, suitable for both men and women;
- contains exclusively natural and healthy products that will have a beneficial effect on digestion and immunity;
- the diet allows you to cleanse the body of toxins, poisons, protein breakdown products, waste products, salts and suspended substances, radicals;
- the diet also allows you to remove excess fluids, eliminating swelling of the limbs, tissues and face;
- all products are familiar to European cuisine, distributed in markets and stores at reasonable off-season prices;
- the diet also dispenses with culinary delights, saves a lot of time and effort and allows you to cook for the whole family;
- discipline your diet and instill healthy habits;
- the diet is combined with moderate physical activity and sports;
- the menu is very varied, satisfying and interesting, which allows you to get enough of completely different products, including vitamins, in 6 days;
- after the course, your metabolism accelerates significantly and you will continue to lose weight due to inertia if you leave the diet correctly;
- The diet is quick and allows you to obtain excellent results in just 6 days, which is recommended for those who want to lose weight before an event or vacation.
A set of products for the "6 petals" diet, a written nutritional plan
So, let's find out what days the diet has in store for us. It will depend on them which products should be purchased to create a menu and which ones should be strictly excluded.
The first day will be a fish day. So you can eat any fish and seafood all day long. Preference should be given to low-fat marine fish (flounder, salmon, cod, mackerel, tuna, hake, hoki, pollock, flounder, etc. ), some river fish (carp, pike perch, pike) and seafood (squid, mussels, crab meat, rapana, octopus, oysters).
On the second day you must eat vegetables. Here we have total freedom, because there is a lot of greenery. Also on this day you can eat soy products and legumes, mushrooms and garden herbs. Consumption of potatoes, corn and other starchy vegetables should be limited. Forget about canned and pickled vegetables and sauerkraut. It is advisable to consume fresh salads and light soups, as well as steamed side dishes and stews.
Our third day is chicken day. In addition to any skinless chicken meat (preferably fillet and breast), it is allowed to eat lean parts of turkey, as well as chicken eggs and liver. It is forbidden to cook meat over a fire, fry it or add the usual amount of salt.
The fourth day will be marked by a transition to cereal-based foods. From complex carbohydrates, stock up on various cereals, seeds and seeds, whole grain breads and crackers, sprouted cereals and bran.
The fifth day recommends that we eat cottage cheese. Which is better to take? Of course, pay attention to the store's options. Sometimes they are healthier and more natural than homemade ones, and in addition, you can choose completely low-fat cottage cheese, which will contribute to more active weight loss. In addition, this day's menu allows you to consume a little skimmed milk.
The sixth and final monoday of the diet involves eating fruits and berries. Eat whatever your heart desires, but sweet fruits (bananas, figs, dried fruits, persimmons, grapes, melon, mango and others) should still be limited for best results. Also on this day, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, jams, jellies, berry smoothies and fruit drinks are allowed.
On all other days, it is allowed to drink ginger drink, rosehip decoction, green and herbal tea, natural coffee beans without sugar and milk and ordinary mineral water without gas.
All other foods during the diet are strictly prohibited. Strictly follow the recommendations regarding the quality of food composition and volumes.
Let's move on to a properly designed diet plan and nutritional recommendations. Each day of the diet is responsible for replenishing the amount of carbohydrates or proteins in the body. Therefore, it is better to train and perform loads on carbohydrate days, and on protein days the muscles will recover and grow, which will help you acquire a beautiful and sculpted figure.
When preparing food, you can use herbs, garden herbs, lemon juice, table wine, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil and limited salt. It is best to distribute the entire allowable amount of food into 4-5 small snacks evenly throughout the day.
Day 1."Suspect" (protein). It is not for nothing that this day became the first in the cycle, because fish is perfectly digestible, has a moderate calorie content, saturates the body with essential valuable fats and prepares the body well for the upcoming mono-days. Due to a nutritious diet, the body's "vigilance" becomes dull and the metabolism begins to actively consume calories, turning off the storage mode.
Thus, half a kilo of cooked fish of different varieties and seafood is distributed per day. You can also drink fish broth, which is not included in the specified volume.
Day 2."Vegetable" (carbohydrate). The mono-day with fewer calories, which nourishes the body with energy from vegetable carbohydrates and dietary fiber. On this day, the metabolism works at its limit and actively consumes existing fat deposits.
The menu consists of 1-1. 5 kg of various garden vegetables and herbs, as well as beans, soy products and mushrooms.
Day 3."Chicken" (protein). On this day, the body begins to experience a carbohydrate deficiency due to a purely protein menu, so the metabolism still burns fat cells to replenish energy.
Half a kilo of skinless poultry and 2 eggs are allowed as a snack per day.
Day 4."Cereal" (carbohydrate). The slow carbohydrates in food will replenish glycogen, which is where all the energy released will be spent. And new needs will continue to be met through the fat layer.
The daily cereal menu includes 200 g of dry cereals (different, but oatmeal, buckwheat and brown rice are better). Also included is a small handful of seeds and sunflower seeds, a few tablespoons of bran, a package of whole grain bread or 2-3 whole grain toast.
Day 5."Curd" (protein). On this day, the body will receive the most useful proteins for building the skeleton and muscles, and the supply of macro- and microelements will also be replenished.
The menu includes half a kilo of cottage cheese (fat content up to 5%) and 2 glasses of low-fat cow's milk.
6th."Fruity" (carbohydrate). Fruits provide comprehensive fortification of the body, enriching it with antioxidants, acids and valuable minerals.
The menu consists of 1-1. 5 kg of various fruits and berries, but we limit sweets.
Day 7."Unloading"The diet is called "6 petals", but it lasts exactly one week, which implies the presence of a seventh day. So, on this day we carry out a comprehensive cleansing of the body and consolidate the results of weight loss. The menu includes only drinks: milk and fermented milk, fresh and fruit drinks, smoothies, nectars, teas, coffee, herbal infusions, mineral water, meat and vegetarian broths with herbs.
After finishing the diet, you can repeat the course again if you feel normal and have permission from your doctor.
How to get off the 6 petal diet
A course consisting of mono-diets requires a correct and careful departure from such a restrictive and specific menu. During the first week of launch, the author recommends consuming only those foods indicated in the diet, combining them in small portions, for example:
- Breakfast can consist of any porridge with fruit, fresh fruit.
- Snack – cottage cheese with berries, low-fat milk.
- For lunch you can make any soup, eat an additional portion of baked breast with boiled vegetables.
- Dinner can consist of steamed fish with lemon and herbs, vegetable salad and fresh vegetable juice (carrots, beets, cabbage, tomatoes).
Gradually, the calorie content of this diet should be increased to 1, 400 kcal, or up to 1, 800 kcal for working or athletic people.
Also, when coming off the diet, we follow the drinking regime and consume at least 5-6 glasses of healthy liquids per day.
And, of course, immediately after leaving the diet, you should start actively playing sports to maintain metabolism and further lose weight.
Disadvantages of the "6 petals" technique, possible contraindications
The diet consists of mono-diets, so it simply cannot be without drawbacks. First of all, this is a sharp imbalance, a boring and strict diet. The diet requires taking dietary supplements, minerals and vitamins, but the promised strengthening of the immune system is out of the question.
Furthermore, such rapid and dramatic weight loss can lead to the following consequences:
- Diseases associated with fasting: nausea, weakness, headaches and dizziness, loss of strength, cramps and stomach cramps, flatulence, indigestion, apathy, sleep disturbances.
- Changes in appearance: appearance of stretch marks and cellulite, sagging and sagging areas of the skin, as well as depletion of the muscular corset.
Another important disadvantage is psychological discomfort, as it is very difficult to eat the same product throughout the day, throughout the week, whether drawing flowers or not. The diet is very boring, so there is a possibility of breakdowns.
And, of course, it is very difficult to maintain a complete diet without meat, juices (allowed only on one day), fermented dairy products, sweets and fried foods.
There are also contraindications to the diet, including the following:
- the presence of allergies to any food group included in the diet;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- children, elderly, adolescence, menopause;
- active diseases, inflammatory and viral processes;
- recent psychological breakdown, surgery, injury, serious illness;
- mental disorders, diseases of the nervous system;
- diseases of the internal systems of the body: cardiovascular, circulatory, endocrine, digestive, genitourinary, as well as liver and kidneys;
- stressful working conditions, professional sports.