Diet with the lovely name "6 petals" is an express weight loss method developed by Swiss nutritionist Anna Johansson and is included in the list of the officially recognized European Association of Nutritionists. The peculiarity of the 6-petal diet is that, according to its developers, it makes it possible to get fast results in a relatively short time. Let's find out what the "6 petal diet" is, is it really effective, and what to do to lose that extra weight?
Lose weight in six days: the six petal diet
The popular Six Petal Diet was developed by Anna Johansson, a nutritionist from Sweden. It is based on the principle of separate nutrition and consists of six mono-diets, that is, each day the menu can include only one type of food. The diet is designed in such a way that so-called protein days alternate with carbohydrate days, which, according to nutritionists, help lose unnecessary weight as quickly as possible. The main requirement is that with this weight loss method, the daily menu, as well as the mono-diet order, cannot be changed.
Why the 6 petal diet? Everything is quite simple: before starting to observe it, the author proposes to draw 6 petals, mark each stage of the diet, and make flowers out of them, and then tear them each day as we move towards cherished goals. According to the author, this will help support the motivation of the person losing weight: getting rid of the next petal every day, he clearly sees which segment of the road has been traversed, and how many are still ahead.
Basic rules of the petal diet
Each weight loss technique has its own rules. The six-petal diet is no exception:
- meals should not be less than four, the interval between them should not be more than four hours. The best options are two breakfasts (after a certain time), lunch, afternoon tea and dinner (preferably no later than six in the evening);
- food in the process of consumption must be chewed thoroughly. This will help enrich with enzymes and improve the digestive process;
- observe the drinking regime. You can drink plain water (at least one and a half liters per day) and unsweetened green tea. It is forbidden to drink while eating, it is better to do it half an hour before or after eating;
- on one day of the menu, the volume of salt consumed should not exceed 5 g, this is about two-thirds of a teaspoon. You can use fresh or dry herbs as seasonings.
In the process of following a diet, six petals should be left out:
- all types of baked goods except a few slices of whole wheat bread per day;
- all kinds of sweets, the list of which includes grocery stores and homemade confectionery products, preservatives and jams, chocolate and all other products high in sugar;
- butter and vegetable oil;
- canned, smoked and fried foods, semi-finished products, fast food products;
- coffee of all kinds, sweet carbonated drinks, compote, jelly, store packaged juices. On the last day of the diet (fruit), you can treat yourself to a little fresh juice.
And the final rule: on any weight loss day, the menu should not contain products that do not belong to the specified group.
Pros and cons of losing weight with separate nutritional methods
The advantages of the petal diet are:
- it helps you lose a few pounds in just a week;
- a mono-diet switch is easier to transfer than, for example, one that has to be observed over several days;
- frequent meals help people who lose weight not to feel hungry.
This technique cannot be separated from its shortcomings, namely:
- Such a rigid diet, like any single diet, is stressful for the entire organism. She takes some products excessively, while others are clearly insufficient, in other words - the nutritional balance is disturbed;
- not paying attention to personal taste preferences. For example, some people don't like fish and have to eat it all day long. It's a kind of psychological stress;
- the effectiveness of separate feeding is not fully proven. It's like the placebo effect: when a person believes diet will help them slim down, it can work. She didn't believe it - she risked joining the ranks of the participants in the experiment, which did not help in losing weight in isolation. By the way, scientists from Israel's Weizmann Institute carried out a study, the results of which were found that organisms from different people can react differently to different foods. Therefore, dietary results may differ;
A study on the direct effects of food components on the human body was also carried out by scientists at the University of Colorado in 2016.
but the main drawback of an express diet is that such a technique cannot change a person's attitude to food. This can help you lose weight, but will not eliminate the causes for its appearance.
The daily menu of the 6-petal diet
If you started the weight loss process on Monday, it could be like this:
- Monday: fish menu
On the first day, the diet should be exclusively fish. Seafood can be boiled, baked in the oven or steamed. To enhance the taste, it is permissible to add a little natural spices or seasonings. An enjoyable moment - the use of fatty fish is allowed.
The menu on any diet day should consist of the first and second breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner (hereinafter we will mark them with numbers).
So Monday:
- boiled fish;
- fish cooked in the oven;
- fish soup without vegetables with few vegetables;
- steam fish;
- lobster or boiled seafood (squid, shrimp).
- Tuesday: vegetables
Like fish, vegetables can be cooked in the oven and steamed and stewed. Do all of this without butter, cream, and other products that make the dish tastier.
Can not:
- Boiled potatoes, as well as grated white cabbage.
- Double pan broccoli or cauliflower (you can combine both types of cabbage in one dish). Vegetable stew cooked without oil. You can put vegetables.
- Grilled pumpkin slices or mashed celery root. You can add fresh vegetables - carrots, cucumbers, sweet peppers.
- Grilled vegetables. The dish can be varied with fresh vegetables such as cabbage or carrots.
- Wednesday: chicken
The middle diet is often the most difficult, both physically and mentally. Protein will help prevent apathy that gets in the way of people's weight loss plans.
Sample menu for the day:
- Boiled breast fillet.
- Thighs without skin roasted in the oven.
- Chicken soup (drain first broth) without adding vegetables with meat and seasonings.
- Skinless steamed chicken thighs.
- Boil the breast on the bone (remove the skin).
- Thursday: cereal
On this day, all types of cereals without oil, cooked in water, are allowed.
Menu for the fourth day:
- Steamed buckwheat, pre-cooked in the evening.
- Rice porridge.
- Millet porridge.
- Oatmeal.
- Buckwheat porridge.
- Friday: curd
Today's diet should include exclusive cottage cheese and one glass of low-fat milk.
Recommended menu:
- Low-fat cottage cheese without any additives.
- Salted cottage cheese.
- Cottage cheese and half a glass of low-fat milk.
- Pure cottage cheese.
- Curd and leftover milk.
- Saturday: fruit day
On this day, only fruit is allowed, ideally raw.
Can not:
- One banana (large).
- Apples and oranges.
- Banana or kiwi.
- Any fruit (preferably seasonal and in a reasonable amount).
- Pomelo.
On this day, apart from plain water and unsweetened green tea, you can indulge yourself in fresh fruit juices.