The lean diet was invented for clinical use by American nutritionists in the 80s.At first, people with a body mass index of more than 35 were prescribed a strictly low-calorie diet, but later many people who lost weight began to use it, because it allows you to lose 5 to 10 kg by burning fat in the hips and waist.
What diet is this?
A lean diet consists of alternating different low-calorie and fasting days.Fat burning process starts due to low daily calorie intake.But for the same reason, mental and physical stress, as well as stressful situations, should be avoided during the diet.Outdoor walks and spa treatments are recommended.
Before starting a diet, you should be examined in a medical center and consult a doctor.In addition, it is recommended to follow it under the supervision of a specialist, because such a diet can lead to the exacerbation of chronic diseases and the development of new diseases.

If the diet is extremely difficult to tolerate, causes general weakness, dizziness and decreased performance, you should switch to a more balanced diet.
Basic rules
A lean diet requires compliance with the following rules:
- strictly follow the menu (any snacks are prohibited!);
- divide the list of proposed products into 3-4 meals and chew thoroughly to create the impression of regular meals;
- follow the drinking regime - drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day (teas and herbal infusions are allowed, but without sugar);
- You can drink pure still water by adding a slice of lemon or lime;
- The last meal should be taken 3 hours before bedtime, otherwise a late snack can slow down the metabolic process, which reduces the effectiveness of the diet;
- Some days, the diet includes freshly squeezed juice, but banana and grape juices should be avoided because they are high in calories, and pomegranate drink is harmful to the stomach.
Drinks bought in the store are strictly prohibited, because they contain preservatives, dyes and other harmful substances for long-term storage of the product.In addition, the fruits do not contain vitamins and trace elements that are destroyed during heat treatment.
Entering the diet
It takes 3 days.First of all, you should exclude the following foods from your diet:
- sweets and bakery products;
- fried and fatty foods;
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
In nutrition, the emphasis should be on plant foods - vegetables, fruits, dried fruits.It is recommended to prepare vegetable salads, dietary meat and fish, as well as natural juices and cocktails.
Menu options
The diet differs depending on the duration of the diet.It can be observed from 7 to 20 days.Of course, it is worth starting with a weekly selection to check your capabilities and also to evaluate the effectiveness of the diet.
within 7 days
It will allow you to lose about 5 kg.The weekly diet looks like this:
- Day 1.Drink 1 liter of milk.Additionally, it is important to drink your daily amount of water as part of your drinking regimen.It is allowed to start your morning with a cup of black coffee, but it is advisable to give preference to green tea.
- Day 2.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink 800 ml of tomato or citrus juice.Bananas, mangoes and any drinks with added grapes are prohibited.
- Day 3.Drink 1 liter of mineral water without gas.
- 4th day.Cook 4 potatoes without salt and spices.Drink 800 ml of water without sugar.
- Day 5.Eat 5 apples, preferably the green variety.
- 6th day.Eat 200 g of diet meat (chicken breast, beef, turkey) and drink 800 ml of juice.
- 7th day.Drink 1 liter of kefir.

As part of your diet, you should choose only low-fat fermented milk products.
within 14 days
The results of the two-week diet are promising - minus about 8 kg.Daily diet:
- Day 1.Drink any amount of green tea throughout the day.
- Day 2.Drink 800 ml of kefir.
- Day 3.Drink any amount of green tea or peppermint (melissa).A sweetener, stevia, can be used as a sweetener.
- 4th day.Drink only still mineral water.
- Day 5.Drink 1 liter of water and eat 1 apple, divided into 2 doses.If you want, the fruit can be baked in the oven.
- 6th day.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- 7th day.Drink unlimited green tea or mint.
- Day 8.Drink 1 liter of skim milk (skimmed milk).
- 9th day.Eat two fresh or cooked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
- 10th day.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- 11th day.Eat 400-600 g of fresh cucumber.
- 12th day.Drink unlimited green tea or mint.
- 13th day.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- 14th day.Eat three fresh or cooked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
within 20 days
This is the most long-term diet option that will allow you to lose about 10 kg.You need to start it with a 7-day diet, and from the 8th to the 20th day, the menu looks like this:
- Day 8.Eat reasonable amounts of cooked vegetables, lean meats, and dairy products.
- 9th day.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink freshly squeezed juice.With the exception of bananas and grapes, you can make a smoothie from several fruits.
- 10th day.Eat 200 g of lean fish (pollock, lemon fish) or shrimp.Drink the juice.
- 11th day.Boil 4 potatoes and drink the water.
- 12th day.Eat 5 green apples.Can be baked in the oven.
- 13th day.Eat 200 g of diet meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- 14th day.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 15.This is a "rest" day when you can get away from your diet.You can eat any healthy food.Preference should be given to porridges, soups and salads with weak meat or fish broth.
- 16th day.Eat 5 apples.
- 17th day.Eat 200 g of meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- 18th day.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- 19th day.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink 1 liter of water.
- Day 20.Eat 1 apple and drink 1 liter of kefir.
Quitting the diet
It is a mistake to think that you can immediately return to normal eating after a low-fat diet.This will not only lead to the "return" of lost kilograms, but also harm health.The fact is that the body is deprived of digesting normal food due to a decrease in the quantity and quality of digestive enzymes received during diet days.Thus, you should gradually "learn" to eat properly in order not to cause problems with the stomach and intestines.

When creating a menu, it should be taken into account that the diet should be dominated by soft foods with a minimum amount of coarse dietary fiber and fiber.Taking into account this rule, the scheme of leaving the diet is as follows:
- Day 1.Prepare a light vegetable soup without salt.Eat in 4-5 doses and portions should be medium - 200-250 ml each.It is forbidden to add beans and pasta to the soup.
- Day 2.Include steamed vegetables and baked or boiled fish in your diet.Such food will saturate the body with useful substances, but will not disturb the work of the gastrointestinal tract.You can include milk and herbal teas in your drinking regime.
- Day 3.Serve a portion of boiled meat without skin, bones and layers of fat.If you want, you can make cutlets baked or steamed.Broccoli puree or other boiled vegetables are perfect as a side dish.
- 4th day.To activate stomach and intestinal motility, prepare viscous porridge for breakfast - oats, barley or corn.It is better not to add salt to porridge, but it can be cooked with milk.After a week, you can include semolina and rice in your diet.
- Days 5-7.Gradually increase the portions and their calorie content to the daily requirement.
- 8-10 days.Include a limited amount of heavy foods recommended for breakfast to ensure digestion throughout the day.In any case, you should avoid excessively fatty and high-calorie foods.
The amount of coffee and tea should be limited to 1-2 cups per day.
Recipes
You will not have to indulge yourself with original dishes on a lean diet, but it is worth considering recipes that will make it easier to follow a low-calorie diet:
- Herbal decoction.Combine a bunch of lemon balm and 1 tbsp.l.green tea.Transfer the raw materials to a pot and pour 1 liter of water at 90 degrees.Dilute with hot water, brew and drink.
- Sweet green tea.Combine 1.5 tbsp.l.green tea and 1 tbsp.l.stevia herb.Boil 1 liter of water at 95 degrees, leave for 20 minutes and you can drink.
- Jacket potato.Line a baking sheet with paper and place the potatoes, first making cross-shaped cuts to prevent them from bursting.Transfer the baking tray to the oven for 30 minutes, preheat it to 180 degrees.During cooking, potatoes can be sprinkled with water or dill tincture.
- Baked apple.Cover a baking tray with parchment and arrange the fruits that are baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes.Golden apples are best suited for baking.
You can prepare the following fresh fruit juices on diet days when juices are allowed:
- Peel 4 oranges and squeeze the juice.Add 100g of raspberries and cranberries.Blend in a blender by adding 3-4 ice cubes.Leave for 2-3 minutes and drink.
- Peel 2-3 grapefruits and 500 g tangerines.Squeeze juice from citrus fruits, combine, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon, mix and drink.
- Peel 4 green apples and 1 pear.Remove the types, combine and beat in a blender.Add 1 stalk of celery, 3-4 ice cubes and shake again.If necessary, you can add cold water.
Warnings
A poor diet can cause gastrointestinal diseases, including gastritis.So, to stop weight loss in time, it is important to follow it under the supervision of a doctor.In addition, after such a diet, metabolic disorders, psychological problems and weakened immunity, as well as hair loss and brittle nails are possible.So, to normalize the situation, it is important to properly exit the diet, as well as take a course of vitamins.
Contraindications
For those with a normal body mass index who want to lose just a few pounds, going on a skinny diet is definitely not recommended.It is also contraindicated for people with any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys, as well as chronic diseases.Nursing mothers, pregnant women and teenagers should benefit from this method to lose weight, because the lack of vitamins and useful elements will have an extremely negative effect on their health.
So, a lean diet is a strictly low-calorie diet designed for people with a body mass index of 35 or more.To minimize its negative impact on the body, you should follow such a diet only after consulting a doctor and under his strict supervision.
























