We continue our cycle of exotic ways to lose weight. For those with a calorie deficit and intense cardio workouts, the melon diet is an original alternative. Let's make a reservation right away - any mono-diet a priori cannot be healthy and beneficial for the body. The melon diet is no exception. Nevertheless, this method of losing weight exists and we could not pass it by.
The essence of the melon diet
Melon is a well-known, tasty and healthy fruit. People are happy to use it in their diet, even without the advice of nutritionists. This is one of the few products whose pleasant taste is successfully combined with beneficial properties.
A relative of pumpkin and cucumber, melon shares many similarities with these vegetables:
- contains a large amount of water;
- it contains plant fiber;
- contains vitamins, macro- and microelements, unsaturated fatty acids;
- used raw and in dishes after cooking (thermal or enzymatic);
- grows over large areas, is well transported;
- has a low calorie content - from 30 to 38 Kcal / 100 g, depending on the variety and degree of maturity.
At the same time, the fruit has a richer taste than its counterparts, and is richer in carbohydrate composition. This combination of properties determines the effect of the melon diet.
Its main advantages:
- High efficiency. Depending on the reasons for the appearance of excess weight for 1 week of consumption of melon, body weight is reduced by 3-10 kg.
- Quick result - weight decreases after the first 2 days.
- Good portability. Melon is a delicious dessert. A diet based on it is easily tolerated.
- Compliance without errors, even for a long time. Vegetable mono-diets (cucumber, watermelon) are often violated due to their weak taste and constant hunger. Melon diet is followed carefully. Taste qualities in it are combined with a persistent feeling of satiety, which helps to maintain a diet.
- Regular bowel function. Protein diets often lead to constipation. And the use of melon stimulates the intestines.
- Active breakdown of adipose tissue. The high content of organic acids, fiber and the complete absence of oils in fruits rebuild the body's metabolic processes to use its own fat. That is, weight loss occurs not only from bowel movements and the removal of excess fluid. When using melon, excess body fat is burned.
How to choose the right fruit?
The only diet product is melon. Not only weight loss, but also the tolerance of dietary changes directly depends on its quality and variety. What fruit should I buy?
These four tips will help you choose the right melon:
- Buy seasonal fruit. If melons have just appeared on the counter, then making them the basis of a diet is unsafe. These fruits are not only inferior to August and September fruits in taste, but may also contain additives that accelerate ripening. And this is a serious harm to health.
- Choose quality fruits. Do not buy melons that have dents, stains, irregular shapes, or damage. Also leave soft-touch fruits on the counter.
- Use the Kolkhoz Woman variety. These are medium-sized fruits of yellow color with a green or orange tint. Sometimes a mesh pattern appears on a smooth surface. The weight of one melon is 1-1.5 kg. Enough for 1 day of the diet. At the same time, the sugar content (9-11%) keeps this variety in the category of dietary ones.
- Tap the fruit gently. Melons are considered the best with a muffled sound. If you hear a ringing, then such a fruit is plucked too early and its use is fraught with indigestion.
Please note that neither the smell nor the severity of the mesh pattern has anything to do with the quality and ripeness of the fruit! They depend on the area and type of product purchased. Fully mesh-covered aromatic delicacy can easily turn out to be immature and watery.
Some nutritionists recommend using different varieties of melons. This will diversify the taste, but will not in any way affect the composition of vitamins, micro- and macroelements. If the goal of the diet is not deload, but weight loss, pay attention to the carbohydrate content. You should not choose varieties with a high sugar content (Charjou, Ethiopian, etc.).
The benefits of the melon diet
Melon is a real storehouse of nutrients. It contains vitamins, biologically active substances, trace elements, etc.
The composition of ripe melon fruits (per 100 g):
Substance | amount |
| Water | 90 g |
| Calories | 30-38 Kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 - 1 g |
| Fats | 0 - 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 - 9 g |
| Organic acids | 0.15 - 0.25 g |
| Potassium | 115 - 120 mg |
| Chlorine | 50 mg |
| Sodium | 33 mg |
| Calcium | 17 mg |
| Magnesium | 14 mg |
| Phosphorus | 13 mg |
| Sulfur | 11 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Zinc | 90 mg |
| Copper | 46 mg |
| Manganese | 34 mg |
| Fluorine | 21 mg |
| AND | 67 mcg |
| IN 1 | 0.03 - 0.05 mg |
| AT 2 | 0.03 - 0.05 mg |
| AT 5 | 0.18 - 0.22 mg |
| AT 6 | 0.05 - 0.07 mg |
| FROM | 18 - 22 mg |
| E | 0.1 mg |
| PP | 0.5 mg |
| Folic acid | 6 μg |
The main effect of melon on the body:
- Diuretic effect. Melon not only itself consists of water, which is excreted in the urine, but also rid the body of excess fluid. This is especially important for athletes who are prone to edema and who are in the rehabilitation period (after illness, injury, birth of a baby).
- Stimulates the digestive system. Regular bowel movements are especially important for athletes whose main diet is high in protein (weightlifters, strength sports).
- Positive effect on the nervous system. The look, aroma and taste of the melon have a positive psychological effect. Also, the substances that make up the fruits lead to an improvement in mood. Their effect is comparable to the "chocolate effect", but does not lead to overeating.
- Relief from toxins. This effect is especially important for athletes who have taken medications (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.), who have suffered injuries (especially after surgery).
- Stimulating immunity. A melon diet increases the body's resistance to infections during the training period.
Melon diet options
In the athlete's menu, melon is introduced alone (mono-diet) or in combination with other products. Particularly successful additions to the melon base are related crops (pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon). Less often, kefir, cottage cheese, cereals are introduced into the diet.
Mono diet for 3 days
This is the most efficient option. It has a fast, tangible result. Moreover, it is the most difficult to tolerate and has all the features of a mono-diet. During the day, you can eat 1.2 - 1.5 kg of melon in a raw or defrosted (thawed) form. Dried fruits are less commonly used.
Melon is divided into 4 to 6 servings. There should be equal intervals between meals. Dinner with a mono diet is scheduled 4 hours before bedtime. If you neglect this rule, the diuretic and laxative effects of the product will repeatedly interrupt the night's rest. This will affect the condition of the athlete and the effectiveness of training. The drinking regimen (1.7 - 2.3 liters) consists of plain water without gas and herbal teas.
Note that this diet significantly reduces protein and fat intake. Therefore, it is not recommended to increase its duration without consulting a doctor.
Weight loss with a mono-diet is more pronounced than with a combination of fruits with other foods. Therefore, it is recommended to start it on weekends in order to have time to adapt to the laxative and diuretic effects of the new diet.
If such a diet causes severe diarrhea, dizziness, palpitations or other effects that significantly impair health, it should be discontinued and a doctor should be consulted.
Combined 3-day diet
In addition to the basic component (melons), such a diet includes additional components (fruits, vegetables, dairy products). Enriching the diet with different flavors makes it more varied. The introduction of animal products in the menu due to their protein and fat content contributes to better tolerance.
Sample menu for 3 days:
| 1 day | 2 day | Day 3 | |
| Breakfast | Melon pulp (400 - 500 g) | Melon pulp (400 - 500 g) | Melon pulp (400 - 500 g) |
| Lunch | 1. Melon + apple salad 1: 1 (300-360 g) without dressing. 2. Herbal tea without sugar. | 1. Melon + kiwi salad 1: 1 (220-260 g) without dressing or in kefir sauce. 2. Melon + raspberry salad 1: 1 (330-360 g) without dressing or in kefir sauce. 2. A slice of coarse bread toast. 3. Herbal tea without sugar. | |
| Dinner | 1. Melon pulp (340-360 g) with cheese chips (20 - 30 g). 2. A slice of bran bread. 3. Melon pulp (340-360 g) with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cottage cheese (34-40 g). 2. A piece of dark bread. 3. Unsalted vegetable broth (200 g). 2. Melon salad + grated carrots 1: 1 (200 g). 3. A slice of bran bread. | ||
| Afternoon snack | 1. Kiwi is medium in size. 2. A medium sized apple. 2. A medium sized pear. 2. Herbal tea without sugar. | ||
| Dinner | 1. Curd 0.1-1% (100 g). 2. Melon pulp (400 g). 3. Fresh vegetable salad cucumbers + tomatoes + bell peppers 2: 2: 1 (200 g) with olive oil. 2. Melon pulp (200 g). 3. Green tea without sugar. | 1. Lettuce + cucumber salad 1: 1 (300 g) with olive oil. 2. Melon pulp (100 g). 3. Herbal tea without sugar. |
The Purifying 3 Day Diet
The purpose of such a diet is to free the intestines from toxins and toxins. This regulates the digestive process and becomes the first step towards weight loss. Start your day with a glass of water and lemon juice. It stimulates the bowels.
The menu consists of melons and additional permitted ingredients in a 1: 1 ratio. Preference is given to fiber-rich plants and fat-free animal products.
Recommended components:
- raw fruits;
- boiled cereals (oat, buckwheat, rice);
- raw, stewed and boiled vegetables;
- chicken breast, low-fat boiled veal;
- lean fish;
- fermented milk products up to 1% fat;
- broths (vegetable and secondary meat or fish);
- bread (bran or whole grain);
- unrefined vegetable oil.
Melon can be included in every meal in combination with other foods or used as breakfast and dinner without supplements. Suitable for snacks are carrot or fruit (apple, plum, apricot, melon) chips dried without oil.
The drinking regime consists of 1 liter of still water and 1 liter of other liquids (tea with lemon, rosehip broth, vegetable juices).
Please note that all dishes are prepared without adding salt!
Weekly diet
This option is diverse and well-tolerated. It's not as strict as the mono diet, and not as low in calories as the cleanser. The menu for the week contains more protein and fat. It's better balanced. A weekly diet reduces weight worse (up to 3 kg), but at the same time it remains at the achieved level longer. It is very similar to the classic diet, in which there are no fatty foods, and desserts are replaced by melon.
Breakfast consists of porridge with pieces of melon, apple or a light dressing (soy sauce, kefir 0.1%). Lunch of soup with lean fish or meat, salad and melon. Dinner of low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt or kefir with melon.
Combining Melon Diet with Other Foods
Using one melon on the menu gives the best result, but is less tolerated. Combining it with several ingredients reduces potency, making it easier to comply with dietary restrictions.
A good compromise, where a simple diet is good at losing weight, is to add another major component to your weekly diet. If watermelon is introduced as a dessert and snack, this diet is called watermelon and melon. When using fermented milk drinks instead of decoctions and tea, the diet becomes melon-kefir. These options compete successfully with the cucumber and watermelon diets.
Harm and contraindications to the melon diet
Contraindications for the melon diet:
- diabetes;
- allergy;
- breastfeeding the baby;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- impaired liver function.
In addition to the characteristics of the athlete's body, the characteristics of the product itself must be taken into account. Low-quality melon causes disruption of the digestive tract, poisoning.
