banana diet for weight loss

Most slimming menus deny the use of bananas in them, as it is considered that this fruit is not suitable for a slimming diet due to its high calorie content, but the existence of a banana diet casts doubt on this claim. Who is wrong - people who offer to lose weight with bananas or opponents of their use in the process of creating a slender body?

Is it possible to lose weight with bananas?

The reason experts are hesitant about banana weight loss schemes is the high calorie content of the main product: 100 g contains 89 kcal (according to some sources - 95 kcal), 21. 8 g of carbohydrates and a large amount of sugar. The last parameter is the reason why, according to nutritionists, the banana diet is not the best choice for those who want to lose weight with quality. Against the background of its own high amount of sugar, this fruit triggers a spike in insulin, which causes a new bout of hunger. Nonetheless:

  • if the diet involves a day of fasting, weight will be lost due to a sharp decrease in daily calories;
  • Bananas, like the rest of plant foods, when introduced in mono-diets, help to cleanse the body, which also leads to weight loss, but it does not improve the quality of the body.

Useful properties and composition of fruits

The entire group of plants, even with a considerable caloric content and natural sugar content, has a large number of valuable qualities. Therefore, bananas can be called champions in terms of potassium content, an important mineral for the heart: eating just 1 fruit, you can easily replenish your potassium level, since 100 g of ripe pulp contains 358 mg of this element. Minerals include:

  • calcium;
  • phosphor;
  • iron;
  • magnesium (indirectly helps metabolism).

Bananas are an excellent source of energy, in part due to their high glycemic index (above 70) and high starch contents. The latter makes it a good product for people suffering from gastrointestinal tract malfunction, gastritis, diarrhea, however, taking a banana weight loss regimen for such problems is not allowed.

banana to lose weight

banana diet

The authorship of such an unusual technique of body shaping is attributed to British nutritionist Jane Griffin, who was one of the first to tell how to use banana fruits to lose weight - before they were considered an anti-diet product. The system is smooth, but you can follow its rules for no more than a week. The estimated weight loss is 6 kg, but the exact amount can only be determined by clarifying the initial parameters. The power system has several important points:

  • The day before, you need to prepare yourself: drink only still mineral water and green tea, do not eat fatty foods and fried foods.
  • All plant foods should be eaten fresh whenever possible.
  • The menu cannot combine bananas with cereal: oats will have to be consumed separately, in another meal.

Indications for use

Most people think of diets designed to build a figure as the enemy of health, but a banana might even come in handy. This is explained not only by the large amount of valuable vitamins and minerals in this fruit, but also by the high content of starch, which reduces stomach discomfort and soothes the intestines. There is a list of diseases in which this menu for a short time will be curative:

  • hypoglycemia (low sugar, can be manifested by seizures);
  • chronic stomach problems - gastritis, gastroduodenitis;
  • diseases of the liver and urinary system;
  • violations in the work of the biliary tract;
  • circulatory problems.

What you can and can't eat on a diet

Any weight loss regimen is primarily built on reducing your daily calorie intake; therefore, if you create a menu, there cannot be "heavy" products in terms of calorie content and carbohydrate ratio in it. Some categories from the dairy and sour milk group, other fruits or vegetables are added to the main fruit. It is not excluded to use wholemeal bread, not to forget about complex carbohydrates. Mandatory waiver:

  • sugar sources (ie, not fruit, but factory-made candy);
  • fried foods;
  • fatty foods;
  • meat and fish (some diets, if long, allow a very small portion);
  • pickled and savory dishes.

Which fruits to choose for weight loss

Experts continue to argue about the degree of maturity of the main product of the banana diet: some nutritionists recommend eating unripe fruits (more precisely, those that have started to turn yellow), as they contain less sugar and pectin and fiber in the dense pulp is coarser. However, the percentage of starch that is dangerous for the figure, the degree of maturity is inversely proportional: the softer the fruit, the less this substance in it. An unripe fruit can have a glycemic index in the range of 42 units, so it is preferable in a diet. Banana chips are definitely not to be touched.

green banana for weight loss

How to lose weight with bananas in 3 days

A short and simple technique that helps to lose 2-3 kg of excess weight involves the use of fresh and dense bananas, green apples and cucumbers. These latter foods are diuretics and known for their cleansing properties, as well as their weight loss and weekend detox. Do not forget about clean water: 1. 8-2 liters should be drunk daily. The three-day diet will be built like this:

  • breakfast - 2 bananas;
  • snack - apple;
  • lunch - banana and apple;
  • dinner - cucumber.

7 day banana diet

For those who are not afraid of difficulties, a weekly schedule is suitable, with no obvious variety on the menu. For one day, 1 kg of fresh fruit is allocated (up to 950 kcal), 2-2. 5 liters of pure water, 0. 5 liters of green tea and mineral water. Only the breakfast that will be presented changes daily:

  1. 3 boiled quail eggs.
  2. 2 oranges.
  3. 2 boiled chicken eggs.
  4. Grapefruit. If the day seems hungry, you can have 300 ml of vegetable broth (no potatoes) in the afternoon.
  5. 3 boiled quail eggs.
  6. 2 oranges.
  7. 2 boiled chicken eggs.

fasting day

If you are not ready to memorize complex schemes of banana weight loss methods, but you want to start the weight loss process, then try to just sit on this fruit for a day. The meaning of the technique lies in the rejection of all other products: per day you can eat 1 kg of fruit (not more than 950 kcal), dividing this volume into 6-8 meals at equal intervals. Also, be sure to drink a lot, especially warm, clean water, but green tea and mineral water are also allowed. Some nutritionists allow you to add lactose-free skim milk to the diet - up to 0. 5 liter.

Varieties of mono-diet

There are many options for banana diets that do not involve a large number of foods in the diet, but mostly experts advise combining the main fruit with milk, kefir or cottage cheese. Such schemes are the most effective and relatively satisfactory once the protein is added to the starch. The more nutritious foods on the menu (cooked fish and meat, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs), the longer you can stick to your chosen food system, but most mono options require you to sit on them for no more than a week so you don't stop. harm your health.

banana milk

There are 2 versions of this technique, which differ in the degree of their rigidity. Softer is designed for 5 days but can be shortened to 3 days. About 500 g are lost per day, but if you are overweight, a person may notice a loss of 800 g. Basic rules:

  • For a day, you take 350 g of fruit (3 units) and 600 ml of lactose-free milk with a minimum fat content (0. 5%).
  • You can drink clean water in any amount.
  • You need to eat 4 times a day.
  • Last meal is required at 18: 00.

In the strict version of the banana-milk diet, which is designed for 10 days, the menu is almost the same, and the general rules for food and water regimen are similar. However, the proportion of milk increases to 1 liter per day and, if necessary, you can substitute low-fat kefir or liquid yogurt, without additives. However, the latter is allowed only 0. 5 liters. Fruits on a 10-day diet are eaten in the amount of 4 pieces. (about 450 g) per day.

banana and milk for weight loss

Cottage cheese with banana for weight loss

The rigorous four-day weight loss method, which suggests alternating days of banana and cottage cheese, is suitable for anyone who doesn't like to go hungry while losing weight. With its effectiveness, it overshadowed the rest of the mono-diets of this fruit, since the body does not suffer from a protein deficiency. You can lose 4-5 kg in 4 days while maintaining your efficiency as much as possible. The menu is constructed like this:

  • Odd days or banana: banana + milk (cup) in the morning, banana + egg (boil) in the afternoon, banana + chicken (breast, 150 g, boil) in the evening.
  • Even or curd days: in the morning curd + grapefruit (100 g), in the afternoon curd + apple (200 g), the evening is similar to the morning. 5% fat cottage cheese.

Japanese

The method, which came from Asia, doesn't fit well into the mono-diet format as it allows for the use of third-party products, requiring you to follow a single rule - eat 1-2 raw bananas every morning. After 3-4 hours you can have a full lunch, then have an afternoon snack and dinner. After 20 hours, nothing but water is brought to the mouth. The diet lasts for a week. During the day, preference is given to soft foods:

  • cereals in the water (dairy products are prohibited);
  • boiled/cooked vegetables.

kefir-banana

A simple substitute for a banana milk diet can be a diet based on low-fat kefir and unheated fruit. The latter are consumed in the amount of 6 pieces. per day, it will be about 700 g (you should not gain more than 700 kcal), and you can drink a whole liter of kefir - it will be 400 kcal. So your daily calorie intake will not be too low so the body will suffer minimally. The banana-kefir method can be observed up to 5 days.

diet recipes

There are many ways to use banana pulp in cooking - it is introduced into dough, it is used for fruit casseroles, salads, cocktails (smoothies), cold desserts. However, when losing weight, most of these recipes are prohibited: nutritionists advise using this fruit mainly fresh, in protein shakes or light salads.

Fruit salad with apple and yogurt

  • Portions: 1 person.
  • Calorie content of the dish: 239 kcal.

With fruit mono-diets, salads become the main dish, for which they constantly try to select the most different combinations of products from each other. Almost any fruit can be added to a banana base (the exceptions are sugared grapes and persimmons, as they are undesirable during a diet), but the combination with an apple is considered the most useful. As a sauce - natural yogurt.

Ingredients:

  • banana - 120g;
  • green apple - 200 g;
  • natural yogurt - 30 ml;
  • strawberries - 50 g.

cooking method:

  1. Cut the peeled apple into cubes, do the same with the banana pulp.
  2. Cut the strawberries into quarters and the very small berries in half.
  3. Place the salad ingredients in a bowl in layers, placing the yogurt between them.
banana salad for weight loss

Banana Cocktail with Kefir and Cinnamon

  • Portions: 1 person.
  • Calorie content of the dish: 264 kcal.

If you are looking for tasty and non-threatening recipes, you need to try a delicious cocktail. It consists of kefir (choose one that has stood for 2-3 days - not the freshest), or skim milk, which does not contain lactose, a pinch of cinnamon and mashed banana. If you wish, you can add some fresh strawberries here, and for sweetness, take a teaspoon of honey.

Ingredients:

  • banana - 120g;
  • kefir - 200ml;
  • honey - 1 tsp;
  • cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

cooking method:

  1. Using a blender, puree the banana (twist on high speed for one minute).
  2. Mix with a glass of kefir in the same place, add honey and cinnamon. Beat for another 20 seconds.

roasted bananas

  • Portions: 2 people.
  • Calorie content of the dish: 357 kcal.

The simplest banana dish for light weight loss, which is perfect for breakfast or as a dessert that is not too dangerous for the figure, is baked fruit sprinkled with yogurt and lemon juice. You can add egg whites and even a little skimmed milk: it will be even more satisfying. Blending this mixture with a blender, you get a delicious casserole that can be recommended for baby food.

Ingredients:

  • bananas - 240 g;
  • cottage cheese - 50 g;
  • lemon - 1/2 unit;
  • egg white - 20 g;
  • natural yogurt - 50 g;
  • cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon

cooking method:

  1. Place the sliced fruit in the bottom of the ceramic mold (take 2 - it's easier to divide portions).
  2. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
  3. Beat the protein with yogurt and curd (preferably in briquette format), cover the banana layer.
  4. Sprinkle with cinnamon, bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.
roasted banana for weight loss

How to get off a diet

Banana weight loss schemes are classified as rigid, therefore, to consolidate the result and avoid dysfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to carry out the correct output. Firstly, in terms of duration, it must correspond to the duration of the diet itself: if you lost weight for 4 days, you will slowly and gradually introduce familiar foods by exactly the same amount. The output algorithm looks like this:

  1. The first step is the addition of unsweetened vegetables and fruits that were not used during the diet. Increase your daily calorie intake by just 100-200 kcal.
  2. The second stage is the return to the cereal diet with water or milk, but without additives. Oats, rice, buckwheat are desirable.
  3. The third phase is to use a small amount (up to 150 g per day) of lean meat, fish or shellfish in the diet.
  4. The last step is the addition of the menu with wholemeal bread, cheeses, dairy products, pasta, but in turn: 1 day - 1 food group.

Contraindications and side effects

No banana flush variants and even milder regimens can be used in individuals suffering from diabetes due to the high glycemic index of the main product. A similar recommendation is given in case of individual intolerance to the main fruit and the appearance of allergic reactions. During weight loss, nausea, weakness are not excluded. Some experts note that no banana diet can be prescribed for:

  • liver diseases;
  • problems with the bile ducts;
  • exacerbated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • thrombophlebitis, high blood clotting rate;
  • ischemic heart disease;
  • diarrhea (if combined with milk).