How to lose weight in the summer? The watermelon diet will help you do this quickly and cheaply

Almost all dietary restrictions involve the consumption of vegetables and fruits. At the same time, experts emphasize that fruits are seasonal because they are the healthiest. At the end of summer comes the time of the huge sweet berries on which the watermelon diet is based.

Watermelon - history and brief description

Long before the beginning of our era, people ate watermelon. Of course, where the climate allows them to grow. Because this heat-loving product does not tolerate long-term transportation, for thousands of years watermelons were consumed only where they were grown. No one ate watermelon to lose weight, it was a somewhat sacred food. For example, the ancient Egyptians placed watermelons in the grave because the fruit was considered a worthy food for the afterlife.

As trade relations developed, watermelons spread further, including to the Roman Empire, where they were used both sweet and pickled. Centuries later, the striped fruit reached China, where it was actively cultivated from the beginning of the 10th century.

Watermelon appeared in Europe later, only in the 17th century, and from there it was brought to our country as a curiosity from abroad. It was only until the 19th century that watermelons began to be cultivated in the southern regions of our country, especially in the fertile black soil.

Mineral composition and pharmacological properties

Despite the fact that watermelon contains a lot of water, this fruit is very valuable for a healthy diet. After all, it contains almost all trace elements and vitamins necessary for humans. For the normal functioning of the body, most of these substances must be provided in milligrams and micrograms, but it is impossible without them.

A ripe watermelon grown under the scorching sun contains not only vitamins, but also mineral elements, as well as a rich set of the most important biochemical compounds. The table shows the approximate content for 100 grams of pulp. This is a very small piece, about half a slice. As a rule, no one is limited to this amount, especially in the watermelon diet, which means that the supply of nutrients will be significantly higher.

Table of macro and micronutrients in watermelon

Element name	Quantity, 100 g	Daily norm	% of daily value
Vitamin A	17. 00 mcg	900 mcg	1. 9%
beta carotene	0. 1 mg	5 mg	2%
Vitamin B1, thiamine	0. 04 mg	1. 5 mg	2. 7%
Vitamin B2, riboflavin	0. 06 mg	1. 8 mg	3. 3%
Vitamin B4, choline	4, 1 mg	500 mg	0. 8%
Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid	0, 221 mg	5 mg	4. 4%
Vitamin B6, pyridoxine	0. 09 mg	2 mg	4. 5%
Vitamin B9, folates	8 mcg	400 mcg	2%
Vitamin C, ascorbic acid	7 mg	90 mg	7. 8%
Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol	0. 1 mg	15 mg	0. 7%
Vitamin K, phylloquinone	0. 1 mg	120 mg	0. 1%
Vitamin PP	0. 3 mg	20 mg	1. 5%
Kalium, K	110 mg	2500 mg	4. 4%
Calcium, Ca	14 mg	1000 mg	1. 4%
Silicon, Si	12 mg	30 mg	40%
Magnesium, Mg	12 mg	400 mg	3%
Sodium, Na	16 mg	1300 mg	1. 2%
Sera, S	6, 1 mg	1000 mg	0. 6%
Phosphorus, P	7 mg	800 mg	0. 9%
Chlorine, Cl	24, 7 mg	2300 mg	1. 1%
Iron, Fe	1 mg	18 mg	5. 6%
Cobalt, Co	2 mcg	10 mcg	20%
Manganese, Mn	0, 038 mg	2 mg	1. 9%
Copper, Cu	42 mcg	1000 mcg	4. 2%
Molybdenum, M	1, 8 mcg	70 mcg	2. 6%
Selenium, Se	0. 4 mcg	50 mcg	0. 7%
Chrome, Cr	0, 23 mcg	50 mcg	0. 5%
Zinc, Zn	0. 1 mg	12 mg	0. 8%

As with any natural raw material, data may vary slightly depending on the variety and place of growth.

Calorie content and BZHU

But the composition of micronutrients is not the most important thing. Many people notice the sweet taste of watermelon, so they avoid it under any dietary restrictions. This is fundamentally wrong, watermelon will definitely not harm those who lose weight. After all, its main component is water without calories. And it contains 97% of striated fruits.

So, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat watermelon in a diet is definitely positive. As for the nutritional content, the pulp of a ripe watermelon will bring to the body.

KBZHU schedule

Nutrition name	Quantity per 100 gr
squirrels	0. 7 g
Oils	0. 1 g
Carbohydrates	5, 8 g
Dietary fiber	0. 4 g
Water	93 g
Calorie content	27 kcal

How to choose a ripe watermelon

The season of this berry usually opens in mid-July, earlier watermelons are not the tastiest and, most importantly, not so healthy. If the watermelon is native, an unscrupulous grower may overfeed it with fertilizers and growth stimulants. If the fruit came from faraway countries, it might have been treated with chemicals to make it last longer. Such watermelons will have no benefit either in the watermelon diet or in your normal daily diet. On the contrary, on the contrary, you can get a serious digestive disorder.

It is quite easy to choose a tasty and sweet watermelon, the main thing is to carefully examine the fruit and not to be deceived by the seller's beliefs. Watermelon ripening signs:

• A ground-ripened fruit always has a slightly flattened yellow side. It is hard as the entire shell and may be covered with a network of shallow cracks.
• In addition, the tail of a ripe watermelon dries up, it should be dry and hard. If it is green and limp, such a fruit may be sweet, but it may not be fully ripe.
• If you beat a ripe watermelon with your knuckles, it should make a sound, as if there is a cavity inside. A dull pumpkin, like a large pumpkin with cotton wool inside, indicates that it is either an immature specimen or beginning to spoil.

But, as a rule, at the height of the season, watermelons are sold everywhere and are already ripe, so if August is in full swing, you can safely pick up almost any of them, which will certainly be tasty and suitable for eating. watermelon diet.

General rules of the watermelon diet

If certain provisions are followed, the watermelon diet will give excellent results. To lose 3-5 kilograms of excess weight that appeared after summer barbecue and ice cream, you need to remember the basic rule - for every 10 kg of body weight, you need to eat 1 kg of watermelon pulp per day. That is, if you weigh 63 kg, you should eat 6. 3 kg of watermelon per day.

• Juice cannot be used to replace pulp, it contains less fiber, so it can cause intestinal diseases.
• Although watermelon contains a lot of liquid, you need to drink more. The diuretic effect of bitter gourd can cause the body to lose electrolytes.
• Before the mass sale of watermelons, it is better not to eat them in order not to be poisoned with nitrates, which farmers often "feed" their melons in order to get a productive harvest as soon as possible.

As you can see, the watermelon diet for weight loss is not complicated at all, it is easy to follow and tasty.

Advantages and disadvantages of the watermelon diet

Before starting to engage in limited nutrition, it is advisable to study not only the positives, but also the negatives. In this regard, the watermelon diet is no exception. Despite its effectiveness, it has certain drawbacks, so it may not be suitable for a certain person.

Advantages of the diet

One of the reasons why the watermelon diet has so many fans is the excellent taste of the main component of daily nutrition. The red pulp suppresses both thirst and the desire to eat, so it is an excellent source of energy on a hot summer day. In addition, those who like the watermelon diet note several more advantages:

• The watermelon diet really works and helps you get rid of significant amounts of body fat.
• No need to stand by the stove and count your daily calories.
• A large amount of watermelon pulp helps to eliminate swelling, even if it is chronic.
• If you complete the limitations period correctly, the result will last for a long time.

Cons of the diet

Of course, the watermelon diet has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. First of all, it is a serious burden on the kidneys due to the abundant fluid intake. So, before experimenting with watermelon, you should be sure of your health. Typically, the watermelon diet collects negative reviews for the following reasons:

• Insufficiency of the diet with the necessary nutrients - proteins and fats. Therefore, you cannot apply this method for a long time and it is better to repeat it rarely. Considering the seasonality of sweet fruits, it would be a good decision to empty them on watermelons once a year for a few days. Even a day of fasting on watermelon will not give obvious results, so it can be repeated after 2-3 weeks.
• Not everyone can follow such a diet, so before you learn that you can lose weight from watermelon, you need to check your own health.
• If you "skip" the diet and don't go out smoothly, the lost pounds can come back.

For whom is the watermelon diet contraindicated?

A large amount of liquid and decent doses of sugar entering the body make the watermelon diet an unsuitable option for some categories of people.

• First of all, these are those who have any problems with the kidneys. There are many chronic inflammatory processes that require careful analysis and normalization of the incoming fluid.
• Chronic intestinal diseases can be aggravated by this amount of fiber and moisture, so it is important to watch this aspect.
• Being very young or very old is a contraindication for any mono-diet, as it requires a balanced and complete diet.
• People with a berry allergy should not follow this diet. In this case, it can be dangerous for health.

It should be noted that a strict watermelon diet is not suitable for all of the above. If you eat a slice or two of aromatic sweet watermelon, it will only bring benefits and pleasure.

Is watermelon diet allowed for pregnant women?

Watermelon diet should be specially mentioned for women in sensitive situations. The fact is that often, especially in the later stages, expectant mothers experience serious discomfort from swelling. In this case, your doctor may limit the amount of fluid you consume per day.

You can try a watermelon fasting day to remove excess water from the body. In addition, the pulp will contain a lot of vitamins and fiber, which is useful during pregnancy.

You should not make such a decision yourself, the consent of a gynecologist is required, because a specialist can determine whether such discharge is harmful or not during tests and examination.

Diet options

The diet that must be followed during the watermelon diet depends primarily on its duration. While several days can easily be passed with only mono nutrition, longer options require the body to consume additional calories. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the deadlines.

The day of fasting on watermelon

If the watermelon diet lasts only 24 hours, the entire menu consists only of the pulp of the ripe fruit. You can add a few slices of whole grain bread to this, and additional drinks include water and unsweetened tea. Water can be taken mineral or slightly salty. Everything else is strictly prohibited.

2 days diet

If the numbers on the scales have become more pleasant in watermelon during the day and the day itself has passed easily, then you can continue to cleanse the body and extend it for 24 hours with the same diet. Watermelon pulp at the rate of 1 kg per 10 kg of body weight, divided into 4 or 5 parts and consumed at approximately equal intervals.

It is allowed to eat a small toast made of whole grain or rye bread during two meals.

within 3 days

More than 48 hours without the intake of protein and fats will not benefit the body, so the three-day marathon should be diversified with additional products.

The best option for this is cottage cheese. It contains a lot of protein and some milk fat. In addition, fermented milk products are easily digested and help improve digestion.

For the other three days of the diet, you are allowed to eat a small amount of grain, such as rice, to strengthen the intestines a little. The three-day menu looks like this:

• Eat breakfast - a glass of cottage cheese with a fat content of 1. 5-5%, no more than a few slices of watermelon;
• Snack - 2-3 slices of striped berries;
• Lunch - a plate of steamed rice and a few pieces of watermelon;
• For an afternoon snack - 2-3 tablespoons of cottage cheese and 2 large slices of watermelon;
• Dinner: watery rice and watermelon.

In three days of such feeding, you can see a good weight - up to 3 kilograms.

within 5 days

If the motivation is strong enough and the body accepts all the restrictions quite normally, you can increase 3 days to 5 days with approximately the same diet. The only thing is that it can be diversified a little with products from the same group.

For example, for those who do not like cottage cheese, boiled chicken breast will be a source of complete animal protein. If you are tired of rice, oatmeal porridge with water will also work well. You can allow yourself a hard-boiled egg once a day, this will provide the fats necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins.

within 7 days

With a watermelon diet for a week, slightly different mechanisms come into play. The red pulp itself works to remove the breakdown products of fatty deposits, and weight loss is achieved by reducing daily calorie intake. Thus, the body is fully nourished with certain deficiencies, which helps to lose weight without losing muscle mass. And everything unnecessary comes out of the body with the help of watermelon.

During the seven-day period, it is recommended to follow approximately the following menu:

Breakfast: a cup of green tea and a portion of steamed porridge with boiling water, a hard-boiled egg;

Second option: Tea or coffee without sugar, a bowl of cottage cheese, fresh fruit.

Lunch: sliced fresh raw vegetables lightly seasoned with olive oil and a portion of steamed fish;

Second option: vegetable soup with dill and green onions, 200 grams of boiled chicken breast or beef, a few tomatoes.

Dinner: Serious watermelon pulp, you need to eat 1000 grams of berries for 30 kilos of body weight. This should be done at least 3 hours before bedtime so that the urge to urinate does not affect your night's rest.

within 10 days

Watermelon diet for weight loss is generally very well tolerated. Since the season of these fruits falls on the hottest time of the year, their appetite is already silenced. So, many people quite calmly tolerate several days of restrictions and are ready to continue in the same spirit to achieve even more noticeable results and learn from their own experience whether it is possible to lose weight on watermelon.

The principles of the ten-day challenge are similar to what the weekly routine suggests:

• Breakfast - brown rice or oatmeal porridge steamed with boiling water, a few cheeses;
• Have dinner - a portion of protein, it can be lean meat or fish, cooked in a double boiler, a little vegetable salad or slices are added to it;
• For food, you need to eat watermelon pulp based on the same calculation for a seven-day diet.

If the endurance is enough to completely pass this period, then the numbers on the scales will be 6-8 kg less than before starting the watermelon diet.

Mixed diet options of watermelon

Watermelon diet is not limited to this melon product. There are other types of watermelon with new ingredients. In some cases, these are additional vegetables or fruits with approximately the same caloric content and similar effects.

For those who feel hungry on a mono-diet, it is appropriate to add a protein component so that the body does not lose muscle mass and the person does not feel a loss of strength. Usually, ecto-fermented dairy products are cottage cheese or natural yogurt.

The third option is suitable for those who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract due to an overdose of watermelon. A large amount of fluid can disrupt its functions, and to prevent this, you can try to add carbohydrates to your diet, which will strengthen the intestines a little.

Watermelon and cantaloupe

It's a popular combination of two southern guests that hit our shelves almost simultaneously. Melon also has a fairly low calorie content, so you can successfully lose weight by consuming both types of melon.

Experts recommend sticking to the melon-watermelon diet for six or nine days. For this, it is necessary to repeat the three-day feeding cycle 2 or 3 times. The menu looks like this:

First day:

• Breakfast - 100 grams of cottage cheese, 200 grams of melon and a few slices of rye bread;
• Dinner - a portion of steamed fish with green vegetable salad, 200 grams of melon;
• Snack - half a kilo of watermelon pulp;
• Dinner - a small cup of boiled rice, an apple, 150 grams of melon.

The second day:

• Breakfast - a few hard-boiled eggs, a glass of unsweetened tea, 150 grams of watermelon;
• Lunch - 400 grams of melon, 200 grams of cooked low-calorie vegetables;
• snack - a glass of kefir;
• Dinner - a small portion of chicken breast, some toast and half a kilo of watermelon.

Wednesday:

• Breakfast - 400 grams of watermelon and a glass of drinking yogurt;
• Lunch – a plate of brown rice, a portion of steamed chicken breast, 300 grams of melon;
• Snack - unsweetened green tea and a few slices of rye bread;
• Dinner - sliced vegetables, one medium baked potato, 400 grams of watermelon.

Watermelon and kefir

The watermelon diet combined with kefir is no less popular. Fermented milk product is one of the most easily digestible products, it will not spoil your diet, but it will saturate the body with healthy protein.

A special menu of watermelon-kefir combination, without any by-products. You can follow such a diet for only 72 hours, during which time the body will be significantly cleansed of various toxins and toxic compounds.

You need to drink a liter of kefir and eat 2-3 kg of watermelon a day. To do this, you need to drink a glass of liquor and 400-500 grams of sweet pulp every three hours. The last time - three hours before going to bed.

Watermelon and cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is another product highly respected by health food enthusiasts. And it is deserved, because such a rich set of proteins and trace elements cannot be found in any other product. The main rule of watermelon and cottage cheese relief is not to eat them together, but to replace each other. For example, like this:

• Morning - 200 g cottage cheese;
• Lunch - 05 kg. watermelon;
• Afternoon snack - 100 grams of cottage cheese;
• Evening - 05 kg. watermelon

Three days of this diet will help you gain weight faster, especially in problem areas.

Watermelon and apple

Similar low-calorie relief is possible with the combination of watermelon and apples. It is especially good to apply this cleansing in autumn. You need to eat 1. 5 kilos of watermelon and 1 kilo of cooked apples per day. This allows the body to be completely cleansed in all directions.

Diuretic properties of watermelon pulp will help flush the kidneys and remove excess fluid from the body. It will renew, tone and give new strength to the body. Cooked apples contain a lot of pectin. It is not only capable of mechanical cleaning of the intestines, but also an excellent adsorbent, attracting, holding and removing harmful compounds from the body.

Watermelon and buckwheat

The dieter's favorite cereal contains a lot of protein, iron and vitamins. Therefore, the combination of watermelon with buckwheat porridge is optimal for those who want to lose weight significantly, but cannot tolerate the periodic feeling of hunger.

In the evening, take 200 grams of dry buckwheat and steam it with boiling water overnight. You will get about 800 grams of porridge, which is about 800 calories. Add to this 2-3 kilograms of watermelon pulp and some green vegetables - you get the permissible daily diet.

In this way, you can lose weight without starving your body. You can stick to the buckwheat-watermelon diet for a week. If you want more, you should add protein and fats by reducing the amount of grains.

Watermelon with black bread

Combining a portion of watermelon calculated by weight with a slice or two of black bread allows you to suppress hunger. This diet is not balanced, so it cannot be followed for a long time.

It is better to dry the bread beforehand in a dry pan or in the oven, such toasts keep you fuller for longer. Instead of brown bread, you can take whole grain bread or crusty bread. Baked products are better if they are yeast-free - this will prevent fermentation processes in the intestines.

How to get off the diet properly

The specificity of the watermelon diet is that proper access is important not only to maintain results, but also to normalize digestive processes. When the amount of solid food is limited and liquid food is given in abundance for a few days, the body gets used to it, and a sudden transition to a regular diet can cause a painful reaction in the gastrointestinal tract.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should gradually add denser, but easily digestible food to each meal. These can be liquid porridge, normal fat cottage cheese, starchy vegetables and bread. After a few days, you can introduce lean meat and fish.

It is better to refuse very rough, spicy, fatty foods. The same goes for refined sugars. If the fiber in watermelon helps smooth absorption of carbohydrates, sweets in their pure form actually immediately increase blood sugar levels and cause an increase in insulin. The system built with the help of watermelon stops working.

You should follow such restrictions, gradually lift them for 7-10 days, then you can return to your normal lifestyle. But if you still start eating uncontrollably, then your chances of regaining the excess weight are very high.

Expert opinion

A lot of consumption of watermelon is welcomed by nutritionists, because the rich vitamin content, a lot of liquid and fiber have the most beneficial effect on the body. When it comes to mono-diets and very strict options, experts face some doubts. Nutritionists emphasize that it is impossible to get all the nutrients the body needs from watermelon, so such weight loss cannot be called healthy.

If we are talking about giving up fatty foods, sweets and high-calorie foods and replacing them with watermelon pulp, any practitioner will welcome such a diet.

The result

Watermelon diet can be applied only during the season and not too long. This should be remembered when there are doubts about whether watermelon is suitable for weight loss or whether it is better to choose a different menu. It is better to try to understand if this diet is really as good and tasty as people who have lost weight write in the reviews.