Porridge diet: which cereals to choose for weight loss and how to use them to lose 10 kg

8 main advantages Cons How much to eat for weight loss What you can eat on a diet Proper preparation Diet of 7 porridges Mono-diet for 7 days Fasting day

If you are looking for a simple, yet quite comfortable way to lose weight, try a porridge diet. It will help you lose a couple of extra kilos in a few days, or 7-10 kg in 2 weeks.

With such a diet, you get proteins, fats, carbohydrates, which is important for health, well-being and does not contribute to weight gain some time after losing weight. The main thing here is the correct calorie restriction without fasting, because cereals are low in calories, but contain a lot of fiber, which gives you long-term satiety and speeds up your metabolism. It is also responsible for the effective removal of waste and toxins from the body, which is important not only for the figure, but also for health.

Also, short diets on cereals can be an excellent preparation for a further transition to a properly balanced diet. We tell you which cereals are suitable for weight loss and how to use them correctly to say goodbye to excess weight.

General rules

The porridge diet for weight loss is a relatively simple mono-diet carbohydrate program that allows you to lose excess weight in a relatively short period of time at little financial cost. There is a wide variety of this type of diet - buckwheat diet , 6 porridge diet , five-day porridge diet , monastery diet , 7 porridge diet and others.
Any “porridge” diet involves refusing to include any foods in the diet, with the exception of one or more cereals taken according to a certain scheme. In essence, this is a strictly carbohydrate diet with the complete exclusion of proteins and fats from the diet. There are two options for such a diet: a strict diet, when only porridge and free liquid are included in the diet, and a less strict option, in which the menu, in addition to porridge, is allowed to include low-fat kefir, vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, herbs) and fruits (green apples, pears).

The basis of the diet is porridge from minimally processed cereals, preferably from whole or crushed grains. To lose weight from porridges, you can include in your diet porridges from almost any cereal (buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, rice, barley, wheat, pearl barley), boiled in water. Semolina porridge is not used. As a free liquid, it is recommended to drink purified or still mineral water, green/herbal tea.

Cereals contain predominantly complex carbohydrates, few vegetable proteins and a small amount of fat, as well as various vitamins and macro/microelements.

The energy value and nutritional value of cereals are given below (per 100 g):

Name of cereals	Carbohydrates	Squirrels	Fats	Calorie content
Buckwheat	69	12,8	3,3	337
Oatmeal	65	11,0	6,2	305
Rice	77	7,0	1,5	330
Barley	73,5	10,5	1,2	324
Pearl barley	71,8	10,8	1,3	347
Millet	73	9,5	1,1	356
Wheat	70,6	11,8	1,3	316

The beneficial properties of porridges, in addition to their nutritional value, are determined by their high fiber content, which stimulates general cleansing of the body, lowering cholesterol , and normalizing gastrointestinal function.

The essence of the diet is to include one type of porridge in the daily diet. It is prohibited to prepare other dishes from cereals, except porridges (soup, buckwheat cutlets, casseroles). The basic rules of dietary nutrition include:

• Porridges are prepared exclusively in water without adding oils or any additives, preferably without salt or using it in minimal quantities.
• The amount of porridge eaten throughout the day is approximately 250 g (based on dry cereal).
• During the day, only one type of cereal is consumed, without combinations.
• Throughout the diet, different types of cereals alternate daily, their order and choice is determined individually.
• The amount of free liquid should be at least 2-2.5 liters/day. In this case, you need to drink a glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach, and during the day drink water 30 minutes before or after meals.
• Calculate the daily volume of cooked porridge from 250 g of dry cereal, which you should eat during the day in 4-5 meals. Eat the last portion 2-3 hours before going to bed. If there is an urgent need, the volume of portions can be slightly increased, but this practice leads to worse results or no results at all.
• If we are talking about a gentle diet option, it is allowed to include low-fat kefir, cottage cheese, freshly squeezed juices, non-starchy vegetables and fruits, and a small amount of nuts in the diet, which makes the weight loss process more comfortable.

To increase efficiency, preliminary preparation of the body is recommended, which consists of excluding fatty, fried and smoked foods, alcohol-containing and carbonated drinks, and various sweets from the diet a week before the start. During the same period, it is recommended to expand the diet to include fish, poultry, fermented milk products, vegetables and fruits. Also during this period it is useful to reduce salt intake and reduce portion sizes.

Adviсe

A few recommendations for a good result.

1. Before breakfast, it is advisable to drink hot water, at least half a glass.
2. The recommended single serving of porridge is 200-250 g, but there is no strict limit.
3. During the diet, the following are allowed: milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, drinking yogurt. Fermented milk products are consumed in their natural form, without sugar, flavorings or additives. Greens, fruits, juices without added sugar are also allowed, once - even condensed milk.
4. There are many prohibitions. Salt, sugar, sweets, flour, animal products, alcohol - everything is excluded for a week.
5. There is another diet option in which you are allowed to add vegetable oil to porridge and snack on nuts and seeds. With this diet, a person also loses weight, but more slowly. This type of nutrition is used to cleanse the body.
6. The minimum break between porridge feeding cycles is at least 4 weeks.
7. For those who want to achieve results faster, enemas are recommended. The first procedure is carried out before starting the diet.

Authorized Products

The basis of the porridge diet is buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, pearl barley, barley, wheat and millet porridge cooked in water. It is advisable to use unpolished brown rice. The taste of dishes is adjusted with aromatic herbs (parsley, basil, dill, rosemary) and seasonings - paprika and a minimum amount of salt. With a non-strict diet, the consumption of almost all non-starchy vegetables (cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, asparagus) and sweet fruits (with the exception of bananas) is allowed.

The diet includes low-fat fermented milk products (yogurt, kefir), low-fat cottage cheese, freshly prepared vegetable and fruit juices. It is important to maintain drinking regime and water balance - the volume of free liquid consumed should be 2-2.5 liters per day from purified and still mineral water, green and herbal unsweetened tea.

Table of permitted products

Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
cucumbers	0,8	0,1	2,8	15
salad pepper	1,3	0,0	5,3	27
asparagus	1,9	0,1	3,1	20
buckwheat	4,5	2,3	25,0	132
oatmeal with water	3,0	1,7	15,0	88
pearl barley porridge on water	3,1	0,4	22,2	109
millet porridge viscous on water	3,0	0,7	17,0	90
white boiled rice	2,2	0,5	24,9	116
boiled brown rice	2,6	0,9	22,8	110
barley porridge on water	2,3	0,3	15,7	76
kefir 1%	2,8	1,0	4,0	40
fruit yogurt 1.5%	3,7	1,5	8,9	63
cottage cheese 0.1%	16,7	0,1	2,0	76
mineral water	0,0	0,0	0,0	—
green tea	0,0	0,0	0,0	—
apricot compote	0,5	0,0	21,0	85
Pineapple juice	0,3	0,1	11,4	48
cucumber juice	0,8	0,1	2,5	14
* data is per 100 g of product

Fully or partially limited products

Bakery products, animal and poultry meat, sausages, pasta, crackers, waffles, gingerbreads, fish, sugar, any sweets (cakes, cookies, pastries, chocolate, candies, sugar, honey, jam), cheeses, semolina are completely excluded from the diet. porridge, nuts, seeds, any pickles, smoked and canned foods, dumplings, dumplings. It is not allowed to include any animal, culinary or vegetable fat-based products (margarine, mayonnaise) in the diet.

Starchy vegetables are prohibited (potatoes, rutabaga, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, corn, squash, horseradish root, parsley, celery, all legumes). Alcohol containing and carbonated drinks, fast food, canned meat and fish, packaged juices, coffee, alcohol and foods that stimulate the appetite - sauces, spices, seasonings are completely excluded.

Table of prohibited products

Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
Vegetables and greens
canned vegetables	1,5	0,2	5,5	30
eggplant	1,2	0,1	4,5	24
beans	6,0	0,1	8,5	57
swede	1,2	0,1	7,7	37
peas	6,0	0,0	9,0	60
green peas	5,0	0,2	13,8	73
green onion	1,3	0,0	4,6	19
bulb onions	1,4	0,0	10,4	41
carrot	1,3	0,1	6,9	32
chickpeas	19,0	6,0	61,0	364
radish	1,2	0,1	3,4	19
beet	1,5	0,1	8,8	40
celery	0,9	0,1	2,1	12
pumpkin	1,3	0,3	7,7	28
green beans	2,0	0,2	3,6	24
garlic	6,5	0,5	29,9	143
Fruits
bananas	1,5	0,2	21,8	95
Mushrooms
mushrooms	3,5	2,0	2,5	30
Nuts and dried fruits
nuts	15,0	40,0	20,0	500
seeds	22,6	49,4	4,1	567
Snacks
potato chips	5,5	30,0	53,0	520
Flour and pasta
pasta	10,4	1,1	69,7	337
vareniki	7,6	2,3	18,7	155
dumplings	11,9	12,4	29,0	275
Bakery products
bagels	16,0	1,0	70,0	336
buns	7,2	6,2	51,0	317
white bread crackers	11,2	1,4	72,2	331
wheat bread	8,1	1,0	48,8	242
Confectionery
jam	0,3	0,2	63,0	263
jam	0,3	0,1	56,0	238
candies	4,3	19,8	67,5	453
Ice cream
ice cream	3,7	6,9	22,1	189
Cakes
cake	4,4	23,4	45,2	407
Chocolate
chocolate	5,4	35,3	56,5	544
Raw materials and seasonings
mayonnaise	2,4	67,0	3,9	627
honey	0,8	0,0	81,5	329
sugar	0,0	0,0	99,7	398
tomato sauce	1,7	7,8	4,5	80
vinegar	0,0	0,0	5,0	20
Dairy
cream 35% (fat)	2,5	35,0	3,0	337
sour cream 18%	2,5	18,0	3,6	184
Cheeses and cottage cheese
cheese	24,1	29,5	0,3	363
Meat products
pork	16,0	21,6	0,0	259
salo	2,4	89,0	0,0	797
beef	18,9	19,4	0,0	187
beef liver	17,4	3,1	0,0	98
bacon	23,0	45,0	0,0	500
ham	22,6	20,9	0,0	279
Sausages
boiled sausage	13,7	22,8	0,0	260
smoked sausage	28,2	27,5	0,0	360
pork sausages	11,8	30,8	0,0	324
Bird
chicken breast	23,2	1,7	0,0	114
turkey	19,2	0,7	0,0	84
duck	16,5	61,2	0,0	346
goose	16,1	33,3	0,0	364
Eggs
hard-boiled chicken eggs	12,9	11,6	0,8	160
Fish and seafood
boiled fish	17,3	5,0	0,0	116
salmon	19,8	6,3	0,0	142
sardine	20,6	9,6	—	169
salmon	21,6	6,0	—	140
tuna	23,0	1,0	—	101
trout	19,2	2,1	—	97
hake	16,6	2,2	0,0	86
Oils and fats
butter	0,5	82,5	0,8	748
animal fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
Alcoholic drinks
vodka	0,0	0,0	0,1	235
beer	0,3	0,0	4,6	42
Non-alcoholic drinks
cola	0,0	0,0	10,4	42
coffee	0,2	0,0	0,3	2
black tea	20,0	5,1	6,9	152
* data is per 100 g of product

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Diet porridge recipes for weight loss

Below are some recipes for preparing porridges for breakfast, lunch and dinner for weight loss.

Wheat porridge on water

Prepare wheat cereal (sort and rinse in warm water). Pour into a saucepan and pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:3. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Dietary buckwheat porridge with water

Sort out the buckwheat groats (kernels), rinse and pour boiling water over night in a ratio of 1:2. Or you can boil it in the same proportion with hot water over low heat for 15 minutes. It is highly undesirable to stir the porridge during cooking.

Dietary rice porridge with water

Take long grain rice. Carefully sort and rinse with running water, first warm and then cold. The temperature contrast helps reduce the starch content in rice. Pour the rice into the pan and pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:2 (rice to water). Cook in a covered saucepan over low heat until done.

Sample menu

If a woman prefers the seven porridges scheme, there will be a specific dish for each day. They must be used in the following order:

1. Wheat porridge. This is where the diet begins. This porridge is quite high in calories, which allows you to smoothly move on to other, less high-calorie cereals. Losing weight will happen without stress. Wheat porridge contains a large amount of selenium, zinc, silver and magnesium. These are important microelements that are required by everyone without exception during physical activity. This allows you to exercise in parallel with your diet.
2. Millet porridge. Dishes are prepared from bright yellow millet cereals. The brighter and more saturated the shade, the more beneficial the product. The porridge undergoes minimal processing. Thanks to this, it retains maximum fiber. This makes it possible to remove waste and toxins from the intestines, as well as breakdown products of antibiotics, if the woman has used medications previously. The second day of the diet is cleansing. The calorie content of porridge is 90 calories per 100 g. In addition, it contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
3. Oatmeal. It is necessary to select cereals for day 3 of the diet correctly. Instant oats will not work. The fact is that they contain a large amount of artificial colors, flavors and sugar. It is better to give preference to oatmeal. As a last resort, it is allowed to prepare porridge from rolled oats flakes, which require cooking for at least 5 minutes. Oatmeal is suitable for all people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. It contains a large amount of fiber, biotin, vitamins, minerals and pectin.
4. Rice. The benefits of this cereal are known in all Asian countries. It contains a large amount of B vitamins, healthy carbohydrates, as well as a number of other substances necessary for the human body. If a woman is concerned about the caloric content of a dish, it is worth including unpolished brown or brown rice in her diet. Day 4 may be a little higher in calories than the others.
5. Pearl barley. This porridge is prepared quite rarely. However, it contains a lot of nutrients. That is why the dish is often given to the army. Barley contains a lot of protein. As a result, it gives you a feeling of fullness for a long time. Pearl barley can help restore strength after sports and physical activity. It fills a person with energy. This porridge contains almost all B vitamins, as well as other useful microelements, selenium, manganese, copper and other substances.
6. Buckwheat. The cereal is green in color before processing. It acquires its usual brown tint and rich aroma after roasting. To eat healthy, you should include green or roasted grains in your diet. And if you can’t get such a product, classic buckwheat will do. It also contains a small amount of calories, which promotes weight loss. This porridge contains the daily requirement of iron and silicon, a large amount of protein and vitamins.
7. Mix. On this day it is allowed to eat all 6 cereals in large quantities. A woman can mix them and prepare cereal porridge. An alternative to the method is alternation. It is allowed to prepare several cereals separately and alternate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So, in the morning you can have a snack with oatmeal with fruit, for lunch eat it with stewed vegetables, and for dinner give preference to buckwheat with low-fat kefir.

Following this menu will give you the opportunity to lose 5-6 kg in 7 days.

Quitting the diet

A diet based on cereals is considered physiologically inferior and unbalanced. When leaving it, it is recommended to follow certain rules:

• expand your diet gradually, starting with cottage cheese, low-fat fish, meat, seafood, chicken eggs, low-fat cheeses, fermented milk products;
• last of all, introduce foods prohibited in dietary nutrition, especially fatty, smoked and fried foods, semi-finished products, sauces and spices;
• take food in small portions, 3-5 times a day, do not overeat, drink enough liquid.

Contraindications to dieting

Before you start losing weight using this method, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the contraindications. It is worth giving up a diet based on cereals during pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as if you have diabetes. Any pathology during the period of exacerbation also becomes an obstacle to the use of the method. In the presence of chronic diseases, you should follow a diet only after prior consultation with a specialist.

Advantages and disadvantages

pros	Minuses
Cereals are available all year round and are affordable. Cooking porridge does not require special culinary knowledge, skills or a lot of time. The diet can be combined with moderate physical activity.	There are many absolute and relative contraindications. The diet is physiologically inferior and cannot be prescribed for a period of more than 7-10 days and no more than 2 times a year. It is necessary to prepare for the diet and follow the rules for exiting it. Monotonous nutrition is poorly tolerated by many, which often leads to failure of the program.

Who is this diet not suitable for?

• Adolescents and older people are prohibited from restricting their diet. Weight loss occurs due to an imbalance that is not suitable for a growing body or an older person.
• Pregnancy and lactation are periods that exclude food restrictions. The main thing is the health of the baby; it is better to deal with beauty issues when the baby grows up.
• Eating porridge is contraindicated for persons with gluten intolerance.
• This nutritional system is not designed for people who exercise daily or do heavy physical labor.

Comments from nutritionists

Despite the claim that healthy cereals are the basis of a healthy diet, according to nutritionists, only healthy people can practice this diet. The diet is physiologically unbalanced, with a pronounced deficiency in the diet of proteins and fats. Such poor nutrition for 7-10 days with rapid weight loss can lead to the development of metabolic acidosis and negatively affect health, and is also a strong stress for the body. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce a small amount of foods containing protein and vegetable fats into the diet. It is mandatory to take a complex of water- and fat-soluble vitamins and mineral supplements.

Consuming a lot of fiber requires drinking a lot of fluids. constipation may occur .

In general, the imbalance and numerous contraindications for using such a diet are questionable. An alternative to such express mono-diets is a balanced therapeutic diet with a reduced energy value, prescribed for a period of 1-3 months.

Porridge diet: reviews from those who have lost weight and results

Reviews and results among people who have lost weight or not lost weight on this diet vary. Those who have lost weight, in most cases, speak approvingly of it, but there are also those who say that the diet is difficult to tolerate and that to lose weight on cereals you need to make significant volitional efforts. The results vary for most: from 2-3 to 5-6 kg per week.

• “...I learned about this diet from my friends. I spent a long time deciding whether to go on a diet with one porridge or several types of porridge, looking for which porridge was the most dietary. According to information on the Internet and reviews, the most dietary porridge is buckwheat, so I decided to use this porridge as a diet. I can't say I'm delighted. In 3 days I lost 1.2 kg, my general condition is terrible. Probably, such diets are not for me. I can’t live without soup and at least a little sweets. In a word, I barely endured it, the result was 2.1 kg in a week”;
• “... I’m summing up this 7-day diet. Weight was 83 kg. I ate porridge three times a day, and in the evening I ate a salad with kefir (fresh cucumbers and herbs doused in kefir). Lost 2.4 kg. The result is not amazing, but not bad for me. Now I’d like to maintain the new weight.”

Cooking porridge for weight loss

Porridge for weight loss should be prepared according to special rules. Cooking is done exclusively with water. Oils, spices, salt and sugar are not used. It is recommended to steam one glass of cereal with three glasses of boiling water in the evening and cook on fire for 5 minutes after boiling. Then the porridge needs to be wrapped and left until the morning. In the morning the dish is ready to eat.

There are a lot of options for a porridge diet. However, the period of weight loss should not exceed 2 weeks. During this period, you will be able to lose about 6-8 kg. The exact value of the indicators depends on the initial weight. To consolidate the results achieved, it is recommended to continue to eat properly after leaving the diet. Ideally, it is recommended to start playing sports. An alternative is walking at a distance of 3 km. You are allowed to follow a porridge diet no more than once every 6 months.