How to lose weight in summer? The Watermelon Diet will help you do it quickly and cheaply

Almost all dietary restrictions prescribe the consumption of vegetables and fruits. At the same time, experts emphasize that fruits are in season because they are the healthiest. Late summer is the season for the giant sweet berries on which the watermelon diet is based.

Watermelon - History and Introduction

People have been eating watermelon since before our time began. Wherever the climate allows them to grow, of course. Because this heat-loving crop cannot tolerate long-term transportation, watermelons have been eaten only where they are grown for thousands of years. No one eats watermelon to lose weight; watermelon is something of a sacred food. For example, the ancient Egyptians placed watermelons in their tombs because the fruit was considered food for the afterlife.As trade links developed, watermelons spread further, including to the Roman Empire, where they were used both as a sweet and as a pickle. Centuries later, the striped fruit arrived in China, where it has been actively cultivated since the beginning of the tenth century.Watermelon appeared in Europe much later, until the 17th century, whence it was brought to our country as an overseas curiosity. In the 19th century, watermelons began to be grown in southern my country, especially on the fertile black soil.

Mineral composition and pharmacological properties

Although 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 the human body. Most of these substances must be supplied in the form of milligrams and micrograms for the normal functioning of the body, but would not be possible without them.Ripe watermelon ripened under the hot sun is not only rich in vitamins, but also mineral elements and the most important biochemical compounds. The table below shows the approximate content per 100 g of pulp. It was a very small piece, about half a slice. Generally speaking, no one would limit this amount, especially on a watermelon diet, which means that the supply of nutrients will be significantly higher.Watermelon macro and trace elements table

Item name	Quantity, 100 g	daily standard	% of daily value
Vitamin A	17. 00 micrograms	900 micrograms	1. 9%
β-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, folic acid	8 micrograms	400 micrograms	2%
Vitamin C, ascorbic acid	7 mg	90mg	7. 8%
Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol	0. 1 mg	15mg	0. 7%
Vitamin K, phylloquinone	0. 1 mg	120 mg	0. 1%
Vitamin PP	0. 3 mg	20 mg	1. 5%
Potassium, K	110 mg	2500 mg	4. 4%
Calcium, calcium	14 mg	1000 mg	1. 4%
silicon, silicon	12 mg	30 mg	40%
Magnesium, magnesium	12 mg	400mg	3%
sodium, sodium	16 mg	1300mg	1. 2%
Serra, S	6. 1 mg	1000 mg	0. 6%
Phosphorus, P	7 mg	800mg	0. 9%
Chlorine	24. 7 mg	2300 mg	1. 1%
Iron, iron	1 mg	18 mg	5. 6%
Cobalt, cobalt	2 micrograms	10 micrograms	20%
Manganese, manganese	0. 038 mg	2 mg	1. 9%
Copper, copper	42 micrograms	1000 micrograms	4. 2%
Molybdenum	1. 8 micrograms	70 micrograms	2. 6%
selenium, selenium	0. 4 micrograms	50 micrograms	0. 7%
Chromium, Cr	0. 23 micrograms	50 micrograms	0. 5%
zinc, zinc	0. 1 mg	12 mg	0. 8%

As with any natural raw material, data may vary slightly based on variety and growing location.

Calorie content and BZHU

But the content of trace elements is not the most important. Many people focus on the sweet taste of watermelon and avoid eating it under any dietary restrictions. This is fundamentally wrong and watermelon will never harm a dieter. After all, its main ingredient is water and has no calories. And it contains 97% striped fruit.

So to the question of whether eating watermelon can help you lose weight, the answer is definitely yes. As for nutrients, ripe watermelon pulp will bring it to the human body.

KBZHU table

Nutrient name	Quantity per 100 g
squirrel	0. 7 grams
Fat	0. 1g
carbohydrate	5. 8 grams
digestive fiber	0. 4 grams
water	93 grams
Calorie content	27 kcal

How to Pick Ripe Watermelons

The season for these berries usually begins in mid-July; earlier, the watermelons won't be their tastiest and, most importantly, won't be as healthy. If the watermelons are local, unscrupulous producers may over-fertilize them with fertilizers and growth stimulants. If the fruit came from a distant place, it was likely chemically treated to be able to withstand the long journey. Such watermelon has no use either in a watermelon diet or in your normal daily diet. Instead, you may develop serious digestive problems.Picking a fragrant and sweet watermelon is easy, the key is to examine the fruit carefully and not be fooled by the seller's persuasion. Signs of ripe watermelon:

• Ground-ripened fruits always have a slightly flattened yellow side. It is as hard as the entire crust and can be covered with a network of shallow cracks.
• In addition, the tail of a ripe watermelon will dry out and become dry and hard. Such a fruit may be sweet if it is green and soft, but it may be completely unripe.
• If you tap a ripe watermelon with your knuckles, the sound should be crisp, as if it is empty inside. A dull pumpkin, like a large pumpkin with cotton inside, indicates that it is either an immature specimen or a pumpkin that has begun to go bad.

However, as a rule, at the peak of the season, watermelons are sold everywhere and are already ripe, so if August is in full swing, you can almost eat any of them with confidence that it will definitely turn out delicious and suitable for a watermelon diet.

General rules for a watermelon diet

Watermelon diet will show excellent results if certain rules are followed. To lose 3-5 kilograms of excess weight that appears after summer barbecues and ice cream, you need to remember one main rule - for every 10 kilograms of body weight, you need to eat 1 kilogram of watermelon pulp per day. In other words, if you weigh 63 kilograms, you should eat 6. 3 kilograms of watermelon every day.

• Juice is not a substitute for fruit pulp, which contains much less fiber and can therefore lead to intestinal disorders.
• Although watermelon contains a lot of liquid, additional drinking is necessary. The diuretic effect of striped fruits causes the body to lose electrolytes.
• It is best not to eat watermelons before they are sold in large quantities to avoid nitrate poisoning. Farmers often "feed" watermelons nitrates in order to get a harvest as soon as possible.

As you can see, the Watermelon Diet is not complicated at all, and it’s easy and delicious to stick to for the required amount of time.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Watermelon Diet

Before starting to implement restrictive nutrition, it is recommended to study not only its positive aspects, but also its negative aspects. The watermelon diet is no exception in this regard. Although it is effective, it does have certain drawbacks, so it may not be suitable for certain people.

Advantages of diet

One of the reasons why the watermelon diet has so many fans is the excellent taste of the main ingredient in daily nutrition. The red pulp both quenches and quenches thirst, making it an excellent source of energy on hot summer days. In addition, watermelon diet enthusiasts note the following advantages:

• The watermelon diet really works and can help you get rid of a lot of body fat.
• No need to stand near the stove counting your daily calories.
• A generous amount of watermelon pulp can help reduce swelling, even chronic swelling.
• If you end the restriction period correctly, the results will last a long time.

Disadvantages of diet

Of course, there are pros and cons to the watermelon diet. First, excessive water intake puts a severe burden on the kidneys. Therefore, you need to ensure your health before trying to eat watermelon. Often, the watermelon diet gets a bad rap for the following reasons:

• Insufficient saturation of essential nutrients (protein and fat) in the diet. Therefore, this method cannot be practiced for a long time, and it is best to repeat it less frequently. Considering the seasonality of the sweet fruit, it’s a good idea to unload watermelons for several days once a year. Fasting from watermelon for one day will not produce such noticeable effects, so it can be repeated after 2-3 weeks.
• Not everyone can follow such a diet, so you need to check your health before determining whether you can lose weight through watermelon.
• If you "jump" off a diet plan and don't exit smoothly, the weight you lost may gain back.

Who is not suitable to eat watermelon?

The large amounts of liquid and moderate amounts of sugar that enter the body make the watermelon diet unsuitable for certain categories of people.

• First, these people have kidney problems. There are many chronic inflammatory processes that require careful analysis and normalization of incoming fluid.
• Large amounts of fiber and water can worsen chronic intestinal conditions, so you need to monitor this.
• Being too young or too old is a contraindication to any single diet as it requires a balanced and complete diet.
• People who are allergic to striped berries should not follow this diet. In this case, health hazards may occur.

It's worth noting that a strict watermelon diet is not suitable for all of the above conditions. If you eat a slice or two of sweet watermelon, it will only bring benefits and pleasure.

Can pregnant women eat watermelon?

For women in vulnerable situations, the watermelon diet deserves special mention. In fact, expectant mothers often experience severe discomfort from swelling, especially in the later stages. In this case, your doctor may limit the amount of fluids you consume each day.You can try a watermelon fast day to flush out excess water from your body. In addition, the pulp will contain a lot of vitamins and fiber, which is also useful during pregnancy.

You should not make this decision on your own; approval from your gynecologist is required, as a specialist can determine through tests and examinations whether this unloading will not be harmful.

dietary choices

The diet that must be followed during watermelon weight loss mainly depends on its duration. If it's easy to eat just a single nutrient for a few days, longer options require putting extra calories into the body. Therefore, it is necessary to keep an eye on deadlines.

watermelon fasting day

If the watermelon diet lasts only 24 hours, the entire menu consists solely of the pulp of the ripe fruit. You can add a few slices of whole wheat bread to it, and other beverages include water and unsweetened tea. The water can be mineral water or slightly saline water. Everything else is strictly prohibited.

Diet for 2 days

If during the day the number on the scale becomes more pleasant with watermelon, and the day itself passes easily, then you can continue to cleanse the body and extend it for another 24 hours with the same diet. Divide watermelon pulp into 4 or 5 portions at a ratio of 1 kilogram for every 10 kilograms of body weight, and eat them at roughly equal intervals.During the two meals, you can have small toasts made from whole wheat bread or rye bread.

3 days

Depriving the body of protein and fat for more than 48 hours will no longer be beneficial to the body, so the three-day marathon must be varied with supplementary products.The best choice is cottage cheese. It contains a lot of protein and some butterfat. Additionally, fermented dairy products are easy to digest and help improve digestion.For the other three days, you can eat a small amount of rice and other cereals to slightly strengthen your intestines. The menu for the three days is as follows:

• Breakfast - a cup of cheese with a fat content of 1. 5-5%, a few slices of watermelon at most;
• Snack – 2-3 slices of striped berries;
• Lunch - a plate of rice and slices of watermelon;
• Afternoon snack - 2-3 tablespoons cottage cheese and 2 large slices of watermelon;
• Dinner: Rice and watermelon.

After three days of nutritional intake, your weight will reach the ideal level - up to 3 kg.

5 days

If the motivation is strong enough and the body senses all restrictions completely normally, you can add 3 days to 5 days with roughly the same diet. The only thing is that the same group of products can be slightly more diverse.For example, for those who don't like cheese, boiled chicken breast will be a complete source of animal protein. If you're tired of rice, oatmeal mixed with water will work just as well. Once a day, you can eat a boiled egg, which will provide the necessary fat for the absorption of certain vitamins.

7 days

After a week on the watermelon diet, a slightly different mechanism comes into play. Red pith itself removes the breakdown products of fat deposits, enabling weight loss by reducing daily calorie intake. This way the body gets complete nutrients with some deficiencies, which helps with weight loss without losing muscle mass. All unnecessary things are eliminated from the body with the help of watermelon.Over a 7-day period, it is recommended to follow approximately the following menu:Breakfast: a cup of green tea, a portion of steamed porridge in boiling water, and a boiled egg;Second option: unsweetened tea or coffee, a bowl of cottage cheese, fresh fruit.Lunch: Freshly sliced raw vegetables, lightly seasoned with olive oil, and a side of steamed fish;Second option: vegetable soup with dill and green onions, 200 g of boiled chicken breast or beef, a few tomatoes.Dinner: Strictly speaking, it is watermelon pulp. If you weigh 30 kilograms, you need to eat 1000 grams of berries. It must be done at least 3 hours before bed so that the urge to urinate does not interfere with your night's rest.

10 days

In most cases, the watermelon weight loss diet is well tolerated. Since these fruits are in season during the hottest time of the year, appetite has subsided. So many people endure the restriction for a few days quite calmly and are ready to continue with the same spirit in order to obtain more noticeable results and find out from their own experience whether watermelon can help lose weight.The ten-day challenge principles are similar to the weekly routine suggestions:

• Breakfast - brown rice porridge or steamed oatmeal, a few slices of cheese;
• Lunch - a protein, either lean meat or fish, cooked in a double boiler with some salad or sliced greens;
• For dinner, you need to eat watermelon pulp, calculated in the same way as the seven-day diet.

If you have enough endurance to get through this period completely, the number on the scale will be 6-8 kg less than before starting the watermelon weight loss.

Mixed Watermelon Diet Options

A watermelon diet isn't limited to this melon crop. There are other varieties of watermelon with new ingredients added. In some cases, these are additional vegetables or fruits with roughly the same calorie content and similar effects.For those who feel hungry on a single diet, it is appropriate to add a protein component so that the body does not lose muscle mass and does not feel a loss of strength. Typically, externally fermented dairy products are cheese or natural yogurt.The third option is suitable for those who have gastrointestinal problems from overdosing on watermelon. Large amounts of fluid can lead to impairment of its function, and to avoid this, you can try adding carbohydrates to your diet, which will slightly strengthen the function of your intestines.

watermelon and melon

It's a popular combination of two Southern guests that hit shelves around the same time. Melons are also fairly low in calories, so you can successfully lose weight by consuming both types of melons.Experts recommend sticking to a melon and watermelon diet for six to nine days. To do this, you need to repeat the three-day nutritional cycle 2 or 3 times. The menu looks like this:first day:

• Breakfast - 100 grams of cheese, 200 grams of melon and a few slices of rye bread;
• Lunch - a portion of steamed fish, green salad, 200 grams of winter melon;
• Snacks - half a pound of watermelon pulp;
• Dinner - a small cup of rice, an apple, and 150 grams of winter melon.

the next day:

• Breakfast - two boiled eggs, a cup of unsweetened tea, 150 grams of watermelon;
• Lunch - 400 grams of winter melon, 200 grams of stewed low-calorie vegetables;
• Snack – a glass of kefir;
• Dinner - a small portion of chicken breast, a few slices of toast and half a kilo of watermelon.

Day three:

• Breakfast - 400 grams of watermelon, a cup of yogurt;
• Lunch - a plate of brown rice, a portion of steamed chicken breast, 300 grams of winter melon;
• Snacks - unsweetened green tea and a few slices of rye bread;
• Dinner - vegetable slices, 1 baked potato, 400 grams of watermelon.

watermelon and kefir

A watermelon diet combined with kefir is equally popular. Fermented dairy is one of the easiest dairy products to digest; it won't disrupt your diet and just fills the body with healthy protein.There is no specific menu for the watermelon-kefir combo, nor any add-ons. You can only adhere to such a diet for 72 hours, during which time various toxins and toxic compounds in the body will be significantly removed.A day you need to drink a liter of kefir and eat 2-3 kilograms of watermelon. To do this, drink a drink and 400-500 grams of sweet pulp every three hours. The last time - three hours before bed.

watermelon and cheese

Cottage cheese is another product popular among health-eating enthusiasts. This is well deserved, as such a rich source of protein and trace elements cannot be found in any product. The main principle of watermelon and tofu is not to eat them together, but to eat them alternately. For example, like this:

• In the morning - 200 grams of cheese;
• Lunch - 05 kg. watermelon;
• Afternoon snack - 100 grams of cheese;
• Evening – 05 kg. watermelon

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

watermelon and apple

A combination of watermelon and apple can provide similar low-calorie relief. This type of cleansing is especially effective when practiced in the fall. You should eat 1. 5 kilograms of watermelon and 1 kilogram of baked apples every day. This thoroughly cleanses the body from all directions.The diuretic properties of watermelon pulp will help flush the kidneys and remove excess fluid from the body. This will refresh, strengthen and give new strength to the body. Baked apples contain a lot of pectin. Not only does it mechanically cleanse the intestines, but it is also an excellent adsorbent that attracts, traps and removes harmful compounds from the body.

watermelon and buckwheat

All dieters' favorite cereal contains high amounts of protein, iron and vitamins. Therefore, the combination of watermelon and buckwheat porridge is the best choice for those who want to lose weight significantly, but cannot tolerate periodic hunger pangs.In the evening, weigh 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 2 to 3 kilograms of watermelon pulp and some green vegetables - and you have the permissible daily diet.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 need to add protein and fat and reduce the amount of grains.

Watermelon with brown bread

Combining a serving of watermelon by weight with a few slices of brown bread will curb hunger pangs. This kind of diet is not balanced, so it cannot be maintained for a long time.It's best to pre-dry the bread in a dry skillet or oven; such toast will keep you fuller longer. You can choose whole wheat bread or crisp bread instead of brown bread. It’s great if baked goods are yeast-free – this avoids the fermentation process in your gut.

How to get off a diet the right way

The peculiarities of the watermelon diet make the correct yield important not only to maintain results, but also to normalize the digestive process. When solid food is restricted for several days in favor of liquid food in large quantities, the body becomes accustomed to it, and a sudden switch to a normal diet can cause painful reactions in the gastrointestinal tract.To avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to gradually add denser but easily digestible foods to each meal. These can be liquid porridge, cheese of normal fat, starchy vegetables and bread. After a few days, you can introduce a variety of lean meats and fish.It is best not to eat food that is too rough, spicy, or greasy. The same goes for refined sugar. If watermelon fiber promotes smooth absorption of carbohydrates, the sweet treat in its pure form actually increases blood sugar levels immediately and causes an insulin spike. The system built with the help of Watermelon stopped working.You must abide by such restrictions and gradually lift them over a period of 7-10 days before you can resume your normal lifestyle. But if you start eating uncontrollably again, the chances of regaining the weight become very high.

Expert Opinion

The consumption of watermelon itself is popular among nutritionists because its rich vitamin content, large amounts of liquid and fiber are the most beneficial to the body. Experts are skeptical about monolithic diets and very restrictive choices. Nutritionists point out that not all the nutrients needed by the human body can be obtained from watermelon, so such weight loss cannot be called healthy.If we talk about giving up fatty foods, sweets and high-calorie foods and replacing them with watermelon pulp, any practitioner will welcome such a diet.

in conclusion

Watermelon diet can only be carried out during the season, and the time is not very long. This must be kept in mind when wondering whether watermelon can help you lose weight, or whether you should choose a different menu. It’s best to give it a try to find out if this diet is really as good and tasty as people who have successfully lost weight say in their reviews.