Body Drying Diet: A Review of the Best Eating Schemes for Men and Women * Crossfit

Almost every serious athlete sooner or later has a desire or even an urgent need to remove excess subcutaneous fat in order to more emphasize muscle relief and improve shape. This is done both in preparation for the competition, and simply in order to get rid of extra pounds during the beach season.

The topic of our article is a diet for drying the body. You will learn about the most effective healthy eating methods that will make your figure even more perfect, compare the most popular drying diets with each other and choose the most suitable option.

The essence of drying diets

Regular exercise, proper diet and body drying are the best ways to achieve perfect muscle definition.

The essence of any diet for drying is targeted burning of body fat by consuming fewer calories than the body needs to maintain a constant body weight.

The ultimate goal of this method of nutrition is to create a relief and toned body in a short time, beautifully highlighting the contour of the muscles.

Contraindications

Despite the positive aspects, body drying diets have many limitations. In some cases, such dietary regimens are strictly contraindicated. This is due to the individual characteristics of the body and the health of the athlete.

It is highly not recommended to "dry" in such cases:

with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
with violations in the work of the kidneys;
with liver diseases;
people with cardiovascular diseases.

Pay attention to this fact: in order to "sit down for drying", you must have a decent muscle mass. Only in this case it will turn out to beautifully outline the muscles, removing subcutaneous fat from them. Otherwise, drying will turn into ordinary exhaustion, and at the exit you will not get the coveted relief body, but an emaciated look.

The nuances of choosing a diet for a girl

If you are a girl and want to get results without harm to health, choose a diet for drying the body, based on the specifics of the female body. Before moving on to advice on choosing a suitable diet, let's talk about the characteristics of a woman's body (we also recommend useful material on drying the body for girls at home).

Features of the female body

Let's list the most important points:

In the female body, in comparison with the male, the metabolic rate is significantly lower. There are much fewer muscle fibers in the female body, so each kilogram of mass consumes significantly less energy. With the same high-calorie diet, a woman will gain excess weight faster than a man.
Thanks to the storage mechanism (necessary for carrying a child), a woman's body is much easier to transfer excess carbohydrates into body fat.
The stored fat in women is spent for energy needs more intensively than in men. Nature made sure that the female body works like an energy station, accumulating the energy of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen and fat reserves, and, if necessary, could easily spend these energy reserves. That is why a woman's muscles are more willing to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. This feature of the female body can be considered an advantage and used in order to properly dry the body in combination with competent training. The main thing is to ensure that the simple carbohydrates eaten do not turn into fat.
Another feature of the female body is the relatively disproportionate distribution of muscles throughout the body. The muscular corset of the upper body in women is much less developed than in men. However, in the case of drying, changes in the upper body in women are usually much more noticeable, since excess fat and water is first removed from the face, arms and chest, and lastly from the legs and buttocks.

Drying food rules for girls

Based on the characteristics of the female body, discussed above, we highlight a number of principles of the female diet for drying:

Complex carbohydrates are allowed (and in some cases especially recommended) for consumption. Their share in the diet should not exceed 30-40%.
The recommended percentage of fat is 10-20% of the diet. It is highly discouraged to completely eliminate fats during drying in women in order to avoid problems with the menstrual cycle, hormonal levels and general health.
The basis of food during drying is proteins (50-60% of the total daily diet).
Eat fiber during drying. Sources of fiber - all types of cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, greens, legumes, bran. Vegetable fiber quickly saturates and suppresses hunger.
Strictly monitor the amount of drinking water in the daily diet (the recommended amount is 2-2.5 liters per day). Increase your fluid volume at elevated temperatures and physical activity.
To avoid stress, we do not allow a complete abrupt rejection of carbohydrates: start drying with a gradual decrease in carbohydrates in the diet, replacing sweet and starchy foods with useful fiber from fruits and complex carbohydrates from cereals.
It is not recommended to eat 1.5-2 hours before training and for 1.5-2 hours after it. The exception is sports supplements that do not contain fats and carbohydrates.
Optimal weight loss during drying is 1.5-2 kg per week. If you start to lose weight much faster, you are most likely simply losing water and burning your own muscles.
It is recommended to eat food 5-6 times a day, dividing the daily diet for breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.

Features of choosing a diet for a man

The selection of an effective diet for drying the body for men also depends on the characteristics of the body, which we will discuss below.

Nuances of the male body

The main hormone of the male body is testosterone. In a free, bioavailable form, it participates in all biochemical processes: it accelerates muscle growth, affects the synthesis of proteins and endorphins in the blood, positively affects the distribution of body fat, and slows down the aging process.

Active muscle growth occurs only when the anabolic effect of testosterone exceeds the catabolic (destructive) effect of cortisol.

In the body of an adult man, about 3-11 mg of testosterone is produced per day. With age (after 35-40 years) testosterone levels gradually decrease by about 1% every year.

Many men working out in the gym, especially professional athletes, resort to using anabolic steroids to increase testosterone levels in the blood. However, there is an important nuance: while you are using synthetic hormones, strength indicators and external data improve, but the constant use of testosterone and its analogues is dangerous for serious dysfunctions of the body.

Often, after the abolition of anabolic steroids, its own testosterone ceases to be produced in the required volume, and the level of estrogen (female sex hormone) and prolactin (female hormone responsible for lactation) begin to rise sharply, leading to severe hormonal disruption and unwanted transformations. Therefore, experts recommend increasing testosterone only in natural ways, in particular, with the help of a properly selected diet and competent training.

Diet recommendations for drying men

A body drying diet for men should not only burn fat quickly, but also have a beneficial effect on health.

Based on the characteristics of the male body discussed above, we highlight a number of fundamental principles applicable to diets for drying the body in men:

The basis of food during drying is proteins, their share should be 50-60% of the total daily diet. Optimal sources of protein in drying conditions are foods such as: turkey, chicken, rabbit meat, lean pork, beef, lamb, fish, chicken eggs, cottage cheese, and hard cheeses with a low fat content.
During drying in men, complex carbohydrates are recommended for use. Their share in the diet should not be less than 30-40%. Sources of useful complex carbohydrates: buckwheat, barley, millet, oatmeal should be present in the daily diet. A significant decrease in the amount of carbohydrates on drying can lead to a decrease in testosterone.

For 200 grams of protein per day, there should be at least 300-400 grams of carbohydrates. In this regard, the standard low-carb diet, most often used for drying the body, loses to the zone diet, where the ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat is most optimal: 40/30/30.

Fat should make up about 15-25% of the diet. Give preference to unsaturated vegetable fats: olive oil, sesame oil, natural peanut oil, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, walnuts. It is recommended to eat fish rich in fatty acids: salmon, salmon, trout.
Eat foods rich in fiber and plant fiber. Such products include: cabbage of all kinds, zucchini, eggplant, squash, all types of salad, greens, legumes.
A diet for drying the body for men should not be too low in calories, since when the total calorie intake of the diet decreases below 2000 calories per day, the risk of a decrease in the amount of testosterone in the blood increases. Better to spend the required amount of calories in the gym.
Keep track of the amount of drinking water in your daily diet (the recommended amount is at least 2.5-3 liters per day, and even higher under adverse climatic conditions and increased physical activity). Water not only speeds up the metabolism, but also helps to remove toxins from the body, accumulated in large volumes with a high-protein diet.
Eat at least 5-6 times a day, while the calorie content of each individual meal should not exceed 500 calories.

A man's physical health, his mental state and quality of life in general largely depend on testosterone levels. That is why it is so important to follow the correct diet and carefully select products for drying, so as not to disrupt the male hormonal background.

Review of the best diets for drying

There are many ways to remove excess subcutaneous fat. We have selected 4 most effective options for you, described their basic principles and advantages.

Carbohydrate-free diet

The most popular among athletes is a carbohydrate-free diet. Formally, it is rather low in water, since in practice it is impossible to limit a small amount of carbohydrates from food. When choosing a diet for drying, many athletes stop at the classic "carbohydrate-free" because of its effectiveness. The essence of the diet is clear from the name - to limit the intake of any carbohydrates into the body.

Allowed Products

On a carbohydrate-free diet, it is allowed to consume:

lean meat: chicken, turkey, beef, lean pork, rabbit, lamb;
fish, seafood;
eggs;
green vegetables high in fiber;
dairy products: hard cheeses, milk, cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, sour cream;
drinking water (at least 2-3 liters per day).

Operating principle

The principle is based on the mechanism of gluconeogenesis - the formation of glucose from other compounds in the body in order to maintain metabolism. Without the intake of carbohydrates, the body begins to disassemble fats into fatty acid molecules and glycerin, and proteins into amino acids, from which it creates glucose. This process is very energy-consuming, and in the absence of carbohydrate food leads to rapid weight loss. But sticking to such a diet, be careful, as an acute lack of glucose in the body causes the phenomenon of ketosis.

Ketosis is the breakdown of previously accumulated fat by the body in order to obtain energy (glucose). With ketosis, the liver begins to actively produce ketonic acid, which increases the risk of poisoning with acetone products.

If the accumulation of ketone bodies reaches its maximum values, ketoacidosis can begin in the body - an acute poisoning with decay products. A sharp acetone odor from the mouth appears, the general condition worsens, there is severe dizziness, nausea or vomiting. With serious complications and the absence of therapy, ketoacidosis is fraught with death (especially if a person has diabetes mellitus or other metabolic disorder).

And yet, "carbohydrate-free" is the undisputed leader in choosing a diet for drying the body for many athletes, since it allows them to achieve excellent results in losing weight in a short time.

An analogue is the diet of Dr. Atkins, which traditionally takes place in four stages: the induction stage (preparatory), the stage of active fat burning, the transition stage and the maintenance stage. Dr. Atkins' diet is a classic low-carb diet.

Zone diet

The zone diet is often chosen by those athletes who train intensively even while drying. Thanks to its balanced nutritional composition (there is no strict restriction of carbohydrates), it allows you to exercise as intensely as possible without experiencing an acute energy deficit (an integral part of carbohydrate-free diets).

Operating principle

The essence of the zonal diet consists in dividing the daily ration into proteins, fats and carbohydrates in a ratio of 30/30/40, respectively. The zone diet requires an individual approach, since in order to draw up the menu, it is required to calculate the individual protein requirement of a particular athlete.

Zone diet principles:

The entire daily diet is divided into protein, carbohydrate and fat blocks. At the same time, one protein block contains 7 grams of protein, one carbohydrate block contains 9 grams of carbohydrates, and one fat block contains 1.5 grams of fat.
The ratio of protein and carbohydrate blocks should be 1: 1.
The number of meals per day is at least 5: 3 main and 2 snacks. If you are exercising too vigorously while drying, you should increase the number of meals, not the serving size.
The calorie content of the main meal should not exceed 500 calories, and the snack should not exceed 150 calories.
There are no breaks of more than 4 hours between meals.
Protein sources are best chosen with low fat content.
The fat in the diet should be unsaturated.
Carbohydrates should have a low glycemic index.

Featured Products

The zone diet does not impose strict restrictions on the foods consumed. Only their calorie content and a set of nutrients are under control.

Drying in such conditions may not be as effective, but in combination with intense physical activity, the results of the zone diet will not be long in coming.

Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is considered the most preferred diet among CrossFitters, as its creator is CrossFit founder Greg Glassman. This diet is based on eating only high-quality sources of protein: meat, fish, seafood, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as berries and nuts. In other words, only those products are consumed that could have been available to ancient people in the Paleolithic era.

Nutrition principles

The principles of the paleo diet:

It is allowed to use only natural products that have not undergone thermal or other processing or have been exposed to only minimal temperatures.
Dairy products, cereals, all sugars are banned.
It is not recommended to subject vegetables to prolonged heat treatment to avoid loss of vitamins.
If you follow the paleo diet, strictly follow the drinking regimen: drink at least 2-3 liters of liquid per day.
With intense physical exertion, an increase in the amount of carbohydrates in food is permissible due to the use of sweet berries and fruits. The amount of protein in such a situation is also allowed to be increased.

Priority products

The paleo diet is undoubtedly a healthy way of eating, because due to the consumption of a large amount of vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts, the body receives a lot of vitamins, macro and microelements, and general immunity is strengthened. In terms of drying, such a diet is also effective, since the rejection of simple carbohydrates and replacing them with fiber in any case leads to intensive burning of body fat.

Fractional nutrition

Fractional meals are another popular diet for drying the body. The essence of fractional nutrition is to divide the daily diet into 6-7 small meals at intervals of 2-2.5 hours. The fractional diet is aimed at reducing single portions of food in order to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, compress stomach volumes in a natural way, improve metabolism and burn accumulated fat deposits.

Nutrition principles

A fractional diet implies adherence to a number of recommendations:

Alternate days of nutrition with days of rest: 5 days - fractional meals, 10 days - consolidation of the result.
For the first 5 days of split meals, eat every 2 hours.
For 10 days of rest, eat the same foods, only reduce the number of meals while maintaining its total volume.
The recommended serving size is such that a slight feeling of hunger remains after a meal.
Don't forget about drinking water. At least 2.5-3 liters of clean drinking water per day is the key to successful drying.

Featured Products

The following products are in priority:

The diet with a fractional diet consists mainly of lean protein foods: chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef, fish, eggs.
From dairy products for the time of the fractional diet, the following are allowed: hard cheeses with low fat content (no more than 35%), cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, varenets.
Most of the diet consists of foods rich in fiber. These include: cucumbers, all types of cabbage, greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, beans, peas, bran.
Carbohydrates in fractional meals are complex, with a low glycemic index: oatmeal, buckwheat, barley, barley.
Fats are mainly of vegetable origin: olive oil, linseed oil, natural peanut oil.

This type of nutrition is considered to be effective in order to effectively burn excess body fat. In combination with physical activity, a fractional diet gives tangible results. It is perfect for athletes who plan to quickly and comfortably get rid of extra pounds.

Conclusion

The choice of a diet for drying depends on your individual preferences, body characteristics and the nature of the training process. In any case, the transition to a new way of eating should not cause discomfort and harm to the body. The diet will be safe and beneficial if you consult your doctor for contraindications before practice.