According to statistics, 8 out of 10 people who lose weight claim that the 6-petal diet helped them achieve maximum weight loss.What is special about this miracle food plan, why is it called the most optimistic and psychologically comfortable?In this article, you will receive comprehensive answers to questions about losing weight, and you will also find a sample menu for each day of the diet.
The diet is designed for 6 days, each of which is represented by its own "petal":
- the first day (petal) is fish;
- the second is vegetable;
- the third is meat;
- the fourth is cereal;
- fifth - cottage cheese;
- the sixth is fruit.
The principle of this food system is based on the separation of proteins and carbohydrates.Three out of six days are designed to consume exclusively protein foods, the other three - carbohydrates.This division has a physiological basis.The human body is designed in such a way that carbohydrates can only be fully absorbed when they are consumed together with proteins.Separate consumption of nutrients leads to the fact that the body cannot fully absorb them and is forced to draw energy from fat reserves.
Key questions
Who is the author of this meal plan?
The author of the system is considered to be a female nutritionist from Sweden, Anna Johansson.Although no documentary evidence has been found of the Swede's involvement in the development of the petal diet, the program is considered professional and competent.
What do petals have in common?
The idea of the petal diet is the psychological visualization of the food system.The author proposes to express it in the form of a large chamomile flower, where each petal symbolizes a separate dietary day.By plucking off one petal each day, slimmers gradually get closer to their goal.This serves as an important motivational element and helps to have a positive attitude towards dietary restrictions.
What daily routine should you follow?
You can eat according to the classic scheme with breakfast, lunch and dinner.No need to give up snacks;petal feeding is already low in calories, so there is no need to starve further.
Is it possible to change the days?
It is forbidden. Each of the six days of the diet prepares the body for the next stage of weight loss.By rearranging your eating days, you will completely disrupt the entire pattern on a physiological level.
Why does the fish day come first when the body is not yet hungry?
The task of fish in the diet is to "sleep" the vigilance of the body, saturating it with proteins and fats, forcing it to actively burn calories.
How can you handle such junk food?
Natural spices, fresh and frozen herbs, cinnamon, lemon juice and ginger will help you make dishes brighter and tastier.You can sweeten the food with a sugar substitute or a teaspoon of honey, but only as a last resort.
How often can you eat on such a program?
The six-petal diet can be repeated periodically, but no more than once a month.The body needs at least 4 weeks to restore the energy balance and replenish the reserves of vitamins and minerals.
What do doctors think about the Swedish diet?
Doctors strongly recommend that you consult them when planning a diet.With obesity, endocrine diseases and digestive disorders, it is dangerous to limit yourself in food.
Should you count calories?
Not required, but recommended.The recommended energy value of food for an adult on a diet is 1200-1400 kcal.
What is the difference between 6 and 7 petal diets?
The "7 Petals" diet includes the last "fast" day.At the end of the cycle, it is forbidden to eat any food, and stick only to water and drinks.
Who is the diet suitable for?
The original weight loss scheme successfully combines two factors: calorie restriction and psychological motivation.Therefore, the petal diet can be safely recommended to everyone who:
- cannot find internal motivational opportunities and will for food restrictions;
- wants to lose weight quickly without extreme physical exertion;
- does not tolerate hunger and low-calorie fasting days;
- he likes to plan his meals and not be "burdened" with the preparation of complex diet meals.
With the six-petal diet, you can get rid of 500-800 g of excess weight every day.The total reduction in body weight at the end of the diet cycle is at least 3 kg.
You can lose a lot more with a diet, but to do that you will have to go through several "chamomile" cycles.There are cases when men and women manage to lose 15-18 kg.
Who is not suitable for the diet?
The "6 Petals" diet is intended for healthy people who have no complaints about their health and do not suffer from chronic diseases.But in reality, meeting a person without a "chronicle" is almost impossible.
There are several categories of people who are strictly forbidden to undergo diets:
- diabetics - they should receive the optimal amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats prescribed by dietary table No. 9;
- adolescents - the growing body needs a supply of fats that are not provided in the nutrition of the petals;
- pregnant women - with rapid weight gain, pregnant women may be recommended fasting days in the 2nd and 3rd trimester;
- lactating women - their diet should be balanced, but hypoallergenic;
- patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - in the acute stage, they are prescribed days of fasting and a gentle liver diet;
- patients with pathologies of the liver and kidneys - the large amount of protein in the diet increases the load on these internal organs.
The Swedish diet involves complete abstinence from sugar, so it will be extremely difficult for those with a sweet tooth to eat such a diet.In their case, we can recommend the original chocolate diet.You will have to eat only dark chocolate throughout the day, dividing the bar into several meals.
Pros and cons of the diet
The benefits of the nutrition plan proposed by Anna Johansson are:
- optimal duration - in 6 days the body does not have time to exhaust itself, weight loss becomes smooth, but noticeable;
- lack of overeating - due to the monotony of food throughout the day, you will not want to eat large portions;
- simplicity of dishes - the menu for every day includes simple and familiar products available to everyone;
- sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals - the diet contains vegetables and fruits rich in useful nutrients;
- lack of "hungry" days - the diet can be considered soft and gentle;
- varied menu - no feeling of hunger, you don't have to eat the same food day after day.
But those who lose weight should also pay attention to the "pitfalls" that the diet is not without:
- with rapid weight loss, the skin becomes loose and the muscles lose tone;
- on protein days, a person may experience weakness caused by a deficiency of carbohydrate compounds;
- rapid weight loss can be stressful for the body and disrupt normal metabolic processes;
- it is not suitable for the season of hypovitaminosis, when the body is weakened;
- Chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines, which have not bothered the slimmer for a long time, can worsen;
- the diet does not guarantee significant weight loss - 20% of those losing weight fail to lose more than 2 kg in 6 days.
What you can and cannot eat
The main basis of the diet is the alternation of protein and carbohydrate foods every other day.Days 1, 3 and 5 will be protein days, days 2, 4 and 6 will be carb days.It is forbidden to mix days with each other, otherwise effective weight loss will not work.
important!Rapid burning of fat ballast is observed already on the first day of following the mono-diet.In the following days, the achieved results are consolidated and the body adapts to a new metabolic system.
The "white" list includes the following products:
- vegetables that do not contain a large amount of starch - zucchini, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, leafy greens, beets, allspice (parsley, coriander, basil, dill), celery, sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower;
- almost all fruits and berries - apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, pomelo, grapefruit, cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, strawberries, lemon;
- low-fat dairy products - kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, sour cream, yogurt without fillers, whole milk;
- meat - only dietary chicken is allowed, without skin and tendons;
- some types of cereals - buckwheat, oatmeal, unpolished rice, bran, sprouted grains;
- seafood and low-fat fish - bream, pike, pollock, hake, haddock, cod, trout, salmon;
- bran or wholemeal bread, rye crackers, crisp bread, sunflower seeds, nuts and seeds.
There are no strict restrictions on drinks.Rosehip decoction, herbal decoctions, natural freshly squeezed juices, homemade compotes, mineral water - you can drink all this.If possible, you should limit or completely abandon black tea and coffee in favor of chicory drink and green teas.Drinks with grated ginger, mint leaves and lemon slices will help quench your thirst.
The main taboos of the Six Petal Diet are:
- all types of fats - butter and vegetable oils, margarine, mayonnaise;
- foods from the fast food category - sandwiches, hamburgers, all kinds of fried foods;
- vegetables with a lot of starch - pumpkin, potatoes, beans;
- fast food - sausages, delicatessen, basturma, ham, smoked ham, boiled pork, canned goods;
- meat - veal, pork, veal, rabbit;
- flour products - patties, patties, dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, buns, pasta;
- all sweets - chocolate, candies, gingerbread, marmalade, halva, marshmallows, biscuits, marshmallows, jam;
- cereals - corn, millet, wheat, pearl barley.
Sugar is prohibited in any form – it cannot be added to meals and drinks.So that the food does not look lean, you can lightly add salt, add herbs and natural spices without flavor enhancers.Sometimes an exception is made for vegetable oil - you can consume no more than one teaspoon of olive or sunflower oil per day.
Menu description
Given the extensive list of products that the "6 Petals" diet offers, making a menu will not be so difficult.But you need to be patient, because you will have to eat only one type of product throughout the day.
Day #1 – fish
The first day, which includes only fish, is designed to supply the body with a sufficient amount of omega-3 polyunsaturated acids.This is the same healthy fat that cannot accumulate in the subcutaneous tissue in the form of cellulite and extra pounds.Proteins contained in dietary fish saturate well, block the feeling of hunger and are well absorbed.
What you can cook on fish day:
- salmon fillet, pollock, trout, hake steamed with herbs;
- fish steaks with garlic dressing baked in foil;
- fish soup with herbs and sea salt;
- fresh seafood cocktail.
The total amount of fish products should be about 300-500 grams per day.
Day 2 – vegetables
The amount of food in a vegetable day is limited to 1-1.5 kg.But basically, you can eat as many vegetables as you want - they do not give many calories, but contain a maximum of vitamins and trace elements.Vegetables rich in fiber (carrots, beets) give a feeling of satiety and at the same time promote high-quality bowel cleansing by increasing peristalsis.
What you can plan for a vegetable "petal":
- carrot, sweet pepper, cabbage and onion stew;
- eggplants and zucchini grilled or baked with spices;
- boiled cauliflower or broccoli seasoned with lemon juice and herbs de Provence;
- vegetable tomato soup with basil.
important!The Six Petals Diet cannot provide the body with all vital substances.That is why doctors forbid continuous eating according to this diet.
Day 3 – Chicken
Chicken meat is considered a favorite in the diet.It contains easily digestible protein and a whole complex of minerals - magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium.The amino acids contained in the product are used exclusively to strengthen muscles and are not transformed into subcutaneous fat.
Recipes of the day:
- steamed chicken breast cutlets with egg and fennel;
- chicken fillet baked in foil with spices;
- cooked meat in the form of a steak.
On this protein day, you are allowed to eat up to 0.5 kg of chicken.
Day #4 – cereals
For this stage of the diet, only those varieties of cereals that do not have a bran shell are suitable.This component belongs to slow carbohydrates - it takes a long time to digest and requires high energy consumption.To increase the dietary value of grains, they should be soaked in water overnight and boiled or steamed in the morning.
What you can cook:
- buckwheat porridge with added bran;
- "Hercules" muesli with nuts or seeds;
- rice porridge with herbs and sprouted wheat grains.
The total amount of dry grain should not exceed one cup.
Day No. 5 – cottage cheese
On the fifth day, you need to buy 500 g of dietary cottage cheese with a fat content of no more than 3.8%.The so-called boiled product is not suitable for the petal diet - it contains hydrogenated fats and additives that are not useful.Cottage cheese, like any protein product, neutralizes hunger well and promotes cell renewal.
Sample menu for this protein day:
- baked semolina and cinnamon cheesecakes;
- whipped cottage cheese with sugar substitute and two tablespoons of brewed coffee;
- cottage cheese dessert with natural yogurt.
Any dairy drinks with a moderate fat content are allowed on this day - kefir, milk, ayran, yogurt.
Day 6 – fruits
The fruit day of the Swedish diet is considered the most delicious and vibrant.You can eat any fruit, except bananas, grapes and dried fruits - they contain too many calories and sugar.Fruits and berries have antioxidant properties, prevent early aging and remove toxins from the body.The product performs a "final" cleansing of the body and prepares it to leave the diet.
On the fruit day, you can let your imagination run wild and combine the products as you wish.Salads, smoothies, fresh juices, freshly squeezed juices, baked fruits with cinnamon and cardamom - all this will be suitable for the last dietary "petal".
How to get out of a diet
Smooth exit from the diet will help maintain the results of the diet.Calorie content can be gradually increased, starting from 1200 kcal and increasing to 2000 kcal.One week after the end of the "petals", it is better to eat the same foods, combining several types of proteins on protein days and different types of carbohydrates on carbohydrate days.
If a person plans to continue losing weight, it makes sense to switch to a balanced diet.It should include proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but with a low energy value.At this stage, do not forget about physical exercises and lymphatic drainage massage.These procedures will help to tighten the "thin" skin and strengthen the muscles.
Conclusion
The Swedish meal plan is trustworthy because it is prepared by a professional nutritionist.The strict alternation of days, the lack of fat in the diet and an important motivational point make the diet effective and popular.But you should keep in mind that this program is designed for quick and short-term results.In order not to return the lost pounds, those losing weight should eat rationally and not overeat at the end of the diet.