Most of the people who want to lose weight face an insurmountable obstacle - it is difficult to withstand the feeling of hunger. To avoid these problems, there are diets that only allow certain foods, but in large portions. Thus, two processes start simultaneously: certain foods activate the metabolism, and the body receives enough energy from food. This way you can successfully lose a few pounds without starving yourself.
The 6 Petals Diet, also known as the Horseshoe Diet, is one of those mild but effective options.
6 petal diet - a brief history
In our latitudes, it is better known as the Anna Johansson 6-day diet. The diet first gained popularity in Scandinavia and then came to us. Anna Johansson is the author of the evolved diet, a professional nutritionist from Sweden. The Six Petal Diet got its name because of the introduction of a system of moral rewards into the process. The author suggested the following technique: cut flower petals from cardboard, make an applique and sign the name of the day on each one. The next day, tear out the fragment with the name of the previous one and throw it away.
In fact, it adds a bit of playfulness and makes the restrictions easier. You can see how many days have passed and how the number remaining is decreasing. The right psychological attitude is one of the main components of any diet. In addition, add a personalized consumption program: tea and coffee without sugar, unlimited water - the example of many who have lost weight proves the effectiveness of the diet.
Principle of the 6 petals diet
The 6-petal diet has common characteristics with mono-diets, as it involves eating without combining foods belonging to different types. But unlike strict choices, the six-petal diet offers a fairly rich menu; it's just that food from one group isn't mixed with another during the day. It sounds simple enough. In fact, this style of eating accelerates the body's metabolism due to the fact that the days alternate and the body is tuned to the maximum acceleration of the metabolism.
Mechanism of action of the diet
Due to changes in the daily diet, certain processes occur in the body.
- Due to the fact that different foods are provided at long intervals, digestion occurs evenly. Usually, when we eat everything together, carbohydrates are broken down faster and go into energy production for the body. Proteins, whose assimilation process takes longer, are deposited in fat reserves as a result.
- If a protein day is followed by a carbohydrate day, then only a small part is absorbed, as digestion has already adjusted to protein on the last day, and so on throughout the weight loss cycle.
Sequence of diet days
The six-petal diet usually lasts exactly six days, although some prefer an extended version: after the first round, they have a day of fasting, and then go to the second round. But in this case, the following days are still in the same order.
- Fish day.Only the meat of aquatic inhabitants is eaten. This can be either the fish itself or the seafood. The food is prepared using one of the nutritional methods.
- Vegetable day.At this time, vegetables, as the name suggests, are allowed. They are allowed to be consumed both raw and cooked.
- Chicken day.Despite the name, eggs are not laid on this day. Dietary meat of this poultry only.
- Cereal day.During this day, the six-petal diet allows only grains and bran. But you can eat enough of them.
- Curd Day.It is better to spend this protein period eating cottage cheese, but with a fat content of no more than 5%. If necessary, you can replace it with low-fat varieties of cheese.
- Fruit days.The final petal allows you to eat fruit, but only from the allowed list, which you can find below.
When you cook, you can add salt and spices to the food for a more pleasant taste.
1. Fish monoculture
At the beginning of the six-petal diet, the body is not yet accustomed to fasting, so it must be loaded with proteins as much as possible. It is found in large quantities in fish and is easily digestible. Due to the protein-rich day, the start of the diet turns out to be quite smooth. The total amount of fish consumed should be within 500 grams; if you study the reviews, this is enough.
2. Mono-diet of vegetables
The body has received a lot of protein and the digestive system secretes active enzymes to digest it. Devoting the day to vegetables helps you take in minimal carbohydrates, in addition, high-fiber vegetables activate the peristalsis and help prevent stool problems.
3. Chicken Monodiet
The next day is again dedicated to proteins. On the third day, a person is already quite hungry, and since there are many more calories per gram of protein than per gram of carbohydrates, 500 grams of chicken breast per day will ensure satiety and the body will begin to compensate for the lack of fat by processingof his own stocks.
4. Cereal diet
The horseshoe diet has crossed the equator and today many are starting to feel hungry and want to stop all restrictions. This is why the waistline is such a satisfying diet. A glass of cereal is provided for the day, which of course needs to be cooked. This amount will fill the stomach and a feeling of fullness will accompany the person throughout the day.
5. Tigropreg mono-diet
The end of Anna Johansson's 6 petals diet is already in sight, so the day for curds is perceived with great optimism. You need to get cottage cheese that is not the thickest, nine percent is no longer suitable. On this day you can eat up to half a kilo of cottage cheese, which is enough to avoid hunger.
6. Mono-diet of fruit
The day the 6 petals diet ends turns out to be the most enjoyable for many people. The very fact that you managed to stick to the diet with dignity already brings joy. And a large amount of fresh fruit replaces the sweets that were missing throughout.
Advantages and disadvantages of dieting
The 6-petal diet has gathered a huge number of fans, whose reviews show that it is almost unique and suitable for most people. However, it has its drawbacks that must be considered, as with any dietary choice. Therefore, it is better to familiarize yourself with them first and check whether you are at risk for any items.
Benefits of the diet
Although there are some negative aspects, monofeeding with 6 petals nevertheless gathers many more advantages. The positive elements of such a diet include the following:
- The diet allows you to get rid of a large amount of excess weight in a short period of time.
- A person feels quite full most of the time.
- The motivation in the form of flower appliqué gives strength to continue the limitations.
- The food changes daily, unlike other mono-diets, this one is not that boring.
- There are no exotic ingredients, food products can be bought in any store and will not break your budget.
Disadvantages of the diet
Some of the disadvantages are related to organizational issues, some are manifested in the difficulties of eating food, which must be freshly prepared. For workers, the best option would be to start the 6-petal diet during the holidays, the menu for every day that requires cooking. In addition, the following disadvantages were pointed out:
- Feeling weak and dizzy, especially on protein days. This may be due to a lack of glucose.
- The diet is not the most balanced; unfortunately, not all the necessary micro- and macronutrients are provided with food in sufficient quantities. This problem can be solved with the help of special vitamin supplements.
- Monotonous diet all day. For some people this is a problem.
To whom is the 6 petal diet contraindicated?
All diets have certain limitations. There are whole groups of people, some of whom are not recommended to eat this type of food, and some of whom it is directly contraindicated. This is mainly due to either a large amount of protein or a general imbalance in the diet. These groups include:
- Children, teenagers and the elderly.If the first for proper mental and physical development is a complete set of nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates; then the second mono-feeding is not indicated for other reasons. A large load of protein on the right days can worsen the condition of the kidneys or cause an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- Pregnant and lactating women.This difficult and responsible period is completely unsuitable for experiments in your diet. Both when expecting a baby and during breastfeeding, the diet should be complete and to the maximum extent proportional to the energy expenditure of the body.
Relative contraindications to losing weight using a treatment such as the six-petal diet may be the state of health of a particular person.
If you are not sure that this option is right for you, you should consult a doctor.
How to get off the diet properly
To start eating normally after a period of restriction requires a smooth and competent exit from the diet. The 6 petal mono-diet is no exception. Therefore, you should follow a few simple rules:
- Do not immediately start eating everything that you denied yourself during the diet.
- Try to stick to a separate diet, gradually introducing different types of food. It is highly recommended to mix the same foods that were separated during the diet.
- The caloric content of a 24-hour diet should be increased slowly, bringing it to the usual standard within one to two weeks.
- Do not forget about moderate physical activity. They will help you tone up faster.
Do not forget about the alcohol consumption regime. Drinking plenty of fluids will help flush out toxins that have accumulated during the weight loss process.
List of permitted products
Since the 6-petal diet menu for each day is quite strict, the list of allowed foods is not very long. However, they are enough to create a nutritious yet satisfying diet.
| Name | squirrels | Fat | Carbohydrates | Calorie content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabbage | 1. 8 | 0. 1 | 6. 8 | 27 |
| Pumpkin | 0. 6 | 0. 4 | 4. 6 | 24 |
| Spinach | 2. 9 | 0. 3 | 2. 0 | 22 |
| Onion | 1. 4 | 2 | 10. 4 | 41 |
| Carrot | 1. 3 | 0. 1 | 6. 9 | 32 |
| Tomato | 0. 6 | 0. 2 | 4. 2 | 20 |
| Cucumber | 0, 8 | 0. 1 | 2. 8 | 15 |
| Sweet pepper | 1. 3 | 0 | 5. 7 | 27 |
| Radish | 1. 2 | 0. 1 | 2 | 70 |
| Daikon | 1. 2 | 0 | 4. 1 | 21 |
| Garlic | 6. 5 | 0. 5 | 29. 9 | 143 |
| Lettuce leaf | 1. 0 | 0 | 1. 0 | 13 |
| Beetroot | 1. 5 | 0. 1 | 8. 8 | 40 |
| apple | 0. 4 | 0. 4 | 9. 8 | 47 |
| Pear | 0. 4 | 0. 3 | 10. 9 | 42 |
| Apricot | 0, 9 | 0. 1 | 10. 8 | 41 |
| Kiwi | 1 | 0. 6 | 10. 3 | 48 |
| Orange | 0, 9 | 0. 2 | 8. 1 | 36 |
| Plum | 0, 8 | 0. 3 | 9. 6 | 42 |
| Buckwheat | 12. 6 | 3. 3 | 63. 2 | 330 |
| Oatmeal | 12. 5 | 6. 2 | 61 | 352 |
| Pearl barley | 9 | 1 | 67 | 310 |
| Pshenka | 11. 5 | 3. 3 | 65, 5 | 348 |
| Brown rice | 7. 4 | 1. 8 | 72, 9 | 337 |
| Rye bread | 6. 6 | 1. 2 | 34. 2 | 165 |
| Wholegrain bread | 13 | 4 | 43 | 265 |
| cottage cheese 0% | 16. 5 | 0 | 1. 3 | 71 |
| cheese 10% | 31 | 10 | 0 | 214 |
| Steamed chicken fillet | 20. 4 | 1. 1 | 1. 6 | 103 |
| Boiled chicken leg | 20. 7 | 8. 7 | 0 | 166 |
| Chicken liver stew | eleven | 3. 6 | 1 | 80 |
| Boiled cod | 17. 9 | 0, 8 | 0 | 79 |
| Pollen boiled | 17. 6 | 1 | 0 | 79 |
| Lightly salted salmon | 18. 1 | 13. 3 | 3. 9 | 209 |
| Baked mackerel | 16 | 13 | 0 | 185 |
List of prohibited products
The products listed in this table should be excluded from the menu for each day. Most of them are not suitable for dietary nutrition in principle, the rest will not allow you to start the process of losing weight on this particular diet. You can use the food calorie calculator to create a perfectly tailored diet for yourself.
| Name | squirrels | Fat | Carbohydrates | Calorie content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champignons | 4. 3 | 1 | 1 | 27 |
| Oyster mushroom | 2. 5 | 0. 3 | 6. 5 | 38 |
| Peanut | 26. 3 | 45. 2 | 9. 9 | 551 |
| Hazel | 16. 1 | 66, 9 | 9. 9 | 704 |
| Raisin | 2. 9 | 0. 6 | 66 | 264 |
| Chips | 6 | thirty | 53 | 610 |
| Corn sticks | 8 | eleven | 75 | 411 |
| white rice | 6. 7 | 0, 7 | 78, 9 | 344 |
| Semolina porridge with raisins | 3 | 3. 2 | 15. 3 | 98 |
| Wheat flour | 9. 2 | 1. 2 | 74, 9 | 342 |
| Boiled pasta | 11. 2 | 1. 1 | 69. 1 | 97 |
| loaf | 7. 5 | 2. 9 | 50, 9 | 264 |
| Butter roll | 7. 9 | 9. 4 | 55 | 337 |
| Paste | 2. 2 | 0 | 89 | 337 |
| Halva | 12 | 29 | 50 | 522 |
| Creamy ice cream | 3. 2 | 15 | 20. 8 | 227 |
| Fairy tale cake | 4. 5 | 18 | 40 | 340 |
| Milk Chocolate | 6. 9 | 35. 7 | 54. 4 | 550 |
| Black chocolate | 5. 8 | 33 | 50. 2 | 535 |
| Mayonnaise | 2 | 55 | 2 | 519, 9 |
| Whole milk | 2 | 3 | 4 | 59 |
| cottage cheese 9% | 8 | 9 | 3 | 125 |
| cream 15% | 2. 6 | 15 | 3 | 158 |
| Cheese 50% | 24 | 29 | 0. 3 | 363 |
| Fried pork | 11. 4 | 49 | 0 | 489 |
| Dried pork | 22 | 44 | 0 | 494 |
| Beef stew | 16. 8 | 18. 3 | 0 | 232 |
| Chicken skin | 18 | 15 | 0 | 212 |
| Fried lamb | 20 | 24 | 0 | 320 |
| Boiled sausage | eleven | 21 | 2 | 237 |
| Raw smoked sausage | 13 | 55 | 0 | 547 |
| Ham | 14 | 24 | 0 | 270 |
| Milk sausage | 10 | 19 | 0 | 211 |
| Roast duck | 18 | 28 | 0 | 308 |
| Roast goose | 19 | 41 | 0 | 447 |
| Salted herring | 19. 8 | 15. 4 | 0 | 217 |
| Salted fish | 17. 5 | 4. 6 | 0, | 139 |
| Butter | 0. 5 | 82, 5 | 0, 8 | 748 |
| Sunflower oil | 0 | 99, 9 | 0 | 899 |
| Light beer | 0 | 0 | 4. 7 | 47 |
| Semi-dry wine | 0 | 0 | 25 | 104 |
| Coca Cola | 0 | 0 | 10. 6 | 42 |
| Kvass | 0 | 0 | 7. 41 | 37 |
| Orange juice | 0. 6 | 1 | 12. 6 | 51 |
| Homemade compote | 0 | 0 | 14 | 60 |
| Berry fruit drink | 0. 1 | 0 | 11. 1 | 47 |
| Grape | 0. 6 | 0. 2 | 16. 8 | 65 |
| Banana | 1. 1 | 0. 3 | 23 | 89 |
Sample menu for a 6-day diet
| Name | What can you eat |
|---|---|
| Fish day |
|
| Vegetable day |
|
| Chicken day |
|
| Cereal day |
|
| Curd Day |
|
| Fruit day |
|
Recipes for every day of weight loss
In order not to get bored with the same foods, the 6 petals diet allows you to vary your menu for each day. You can prepare different dishes from allowed products, combining them based on the principle of belonging to the same type. For example, using natural yogurt can make your curd day less dry. That is, the daily mono-diet should remain so.
Dishes for fish day
A basic principle is that the daily consumption of cooked meat of river or sea dwellers should not exceed 500 grams. During breaks, you can drink the broth left over from cooking boiled fish. Adding salt, spices and herbs to it is not prohibited.
Trout in the oven
To prepare delicious and healthy fish you will need the minimum ingredients.
- Fresh trout - 1 pc.
- Salt, herbs - to taste.
Rinse the split fish under running water, put a few sprigs of parsley or dill in its belly and salt it inside and out. Cut the skin lightly on the sides, shallowly, at regular intervals. Make a boat out of aluminum foil, put the fish in it and put it in the oven for 40-60 minutes.
Baked pollen
The low-fat fish allowed by Anna Johansson is most often not available fresh in our latitudes. It can easily be substituted with frozen. To maintain the maximum benefits, whole fish or fillets should be thawed in the refrigerator and then slowly, but it allows you to preserve the texture of the fish. For the preparation you will need:
- Thawed pollen carcass - 1 pc.
- Salt, herbs - to your taste.
Pollock can be cooked faster than a whole trout. To do this, the fish is cut crosswise into pieces about 3 cm thick, salted, sprinkled with herbs and placed in a single layer in a non-stick pan. Then put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the pollen is golden brown.
Minced fish meatballs
It is best to make your own ground beef for this dish. In store-bought ones, various ingredients that are not suitable for mono diets can be added for weight: starch, flour, soy, etc.
To make fish balls, you will need:
- White fish fillet - 500 grams.
- Salt, fresh herbs.
Pass the fish fillet through a meat grinder or chop finely with a knife and then mix with salt and herbs. Roll the resulting mass into balls and bake them in the oven using a non-stick pan.
Dishes for vegetable day
You can eat up to one and a half kilograms of vegetables per day. In case of problems with the formation of gases due to a large amount of raw food, roasting any vegetables is allowed. Then problems with digestion can be avoided.
Salad with carrot and cabbage
The simplest of the accepted food options, to prepare it you need to take cabbage, chop it finely and add grated carrots. You can season the salad with a little lemon juice. You can add fresh herbs for taste.
Peppers stuffed with vegetables
To prepare such a dish, which finds a place not only in the diet of 6 petals, but can also decorate a vegetarian menu, you need to take:
- Zucchini - 1 pc.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Tomato - 1-2 pcs.
- Vegetable oil - 1 teaspoon.
Put the chopped onion, the grated carrot and the peeled tomato into cubes in a pan heated with a spoonful of oil. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil, add salt and fill half the peppers with this mixture. These vessels are placed in the oven or in a slow cooker, where they are baked for about half an hour.
To make it easier to remove the skin from a tomato, you must first cut it and then scald the tomato with boiling water.
Vegetable dish lazy cabbage rolls
Also called the "petal" diet, the recipes allow for a variety of recipes, but are all simple and adhere to the principles of a healthy diet. Although cabbage rolls have only the name and the presence of cabbage in common, this recipe is popular with many people who are losing weight. Since this meal is for a vegetable day, it contains only vegetables:
- Cabbage - 300 gr.
- Carrot - 1 pc.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Pepper - 1 pc.
- Tomato - 1 pc.
- Eggplant - 1 pc.
All vegetables must be chopped, and then, after adding salt, simmer in a saucepan until cooked. If they give a little juice, you can add a little water.
Chicken day dishes
This day is more satisfying than vegetable day, but much more monotonous. Therefore, it is important for your psychological state to cook something and not try to live a day only on boiled fillet. On the six-petal diet, menu images of mouth-watering dishes for each period include must-have chicken options.
Boiled chicken
This recipe is all about the cooking process to ensure that the tenderloin is juicy and melts in your mouth. Components:
- Chicken fillet - 2 pcs.
- Salt, herbs.
Cut the chicken fillet into large pieces, salt and place it in a saucepan with a thick bottom. Close the lid tightly and put it on the lowest heat. Cook for 2 hours without opening the lid. During this time, the meat will release enough juice and simmer.
Chicken fillet in the oven
The ingredients are the same as the previous dish. Salt the chicken fillet, sprinkle it with herbs and put it on an aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes.
Diet chicken cutlets
For the cutlets, the chicken fillet is rolled in a meat grinder, then mixed with salt and herbs, formed into cutlets and fried in a dry Teflon-coated pan. To make them even more dietary, you can microwave them at full power for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the workpiece.
Cereal day dishes
For this day, it is best to prepare the first breakfast of steamed cereal the day before, and for the rest of the meals do something else. This will help ease the digestive tract after a large amount of protein.
Buckwheat cutlets
To embellish the ordinary taste of buckwheat, you can make cutlets from it. To do this, the finished steamed cereals are crushed using a blender, mixed with herbs, cutlets are sculpted and sent to the oven for half an hour. Such cutlets acquire a beautiful crust and become tastier.
Buckwheat bread
This recipe is very similar to the previous one, the difference is that the workpiece is formed more flat, so that you do not bake it in the oven, but fry it in a pan. If the flatbreads do not form, you can add a little water to the crushed buckwheat to make them easier.
Oatmeal cookies
In this recipe, you can add a little low-fat milk and a pinch of vanillin to the oatmeal to bring the taste closer to real baked goods. A dish for those who are already tired of eating the same thing.
- Oat flakes - 1 cup.
- Skimmed milk - 1 glass.
- Vanillin - on the edge of the knife.
Pour hot milk over the oatmeal, stir and bring to a boil. Place the puffed mass by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Try to leave 1-2 cm gaps between the "doughs" Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.
Dishes for cottage cheese day
Not everyone can eat only cottage cheese in its pure form for a day, so it is worth adding a little culinary skill so as not to spoil at the last minute before completing your diet.
Dessert with curd
With the help of a calorie-free sweetener, you can slightly cheat the body. For the dessert with cottage cheese you need to take:
- Low-fat cottage cheese.
- Sugar substitute.
- Cocoa powder.
- Some water.
Proportions - according to your taste, all the ingredients are mixed and beat with a blender. The dessert is ready.
Cheesecakes
Such recipes stand out from Anna Johansson's strict diet due to the presence of chicken eggs and semolina in the composition. But, despite all this, you can afford such a dish once every 6 days.
- Cottage cheese - 300 grams.
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Semolina - 1 tablespoon. spoon.
Mix the ingredients well, form cheese cakes and fry them in a dry pan. To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, you need to wet them with cold water.
Casserole with cottage cheese
Also not exactly a diet dish, but very tasty. To prepare, mix cottage cheese with the lowest fat content, an egg white and a little skim milk. The mass should be more liquid than for cheesecakes. It is placed in a pan and sent to the oven until golden brown.
Fruit day dishes
The flower diet ends with a fruit day, and almost everyone loves them. Therefore, we can only recommend fresh smoothies as a light snack between main meals. If raw fruits also cause stool problems, then you can cook them. Fruit salad in the oven is a great dish for this day.
Mango Smoothie
To prepare the drink, peel and chop 1 ripe mango in a blender. You can add an orange and some fresh mint.
Smoothie with kiwi and banana
Banana is the least dietary of all fruits, but the fruit day is the last in the diet and you can celebrate the completion of the test with such a cocktail.
- Banana - 1 pc.
- Actinidium - 1 pc.
Blend everything in a blender until smooth. You can add apple juice - dilute if necessary to make the smoothie runnier.
Expert opinion
Experts believe that Anna Johansson has created a fairly successful diet. The 6 Petals Diet works like other mono-diets, but it doesn't put the body under such stress due to alternating protein and carbohydrate days. However, to the question of how many times a year such fasting can be done, nutritionists answer that once, at most two.
In addition, nutritionists and endocrinologists urge not to get carried away with mono-diets in case of health problems. Even if there are no contraindications, it is worth remembering the risk of kidney problems due to large amounts of protein on certain days, and that many carbohydrates at a time cause sharp spikes in blood glucose.
conclusion
The 6 Petals Diet is a good way to get in shape fast. A week before a holiday or a special event, with its help you can safely shape your figure so that you can show it off without hesitation in a swimsuit or your favorite dress. And for those who like to eat delicious food, Anna Johansson's 6-petal diet allows the menu to be quite varied and interesting.