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The 90-day diet is one of the most popular diets in recent years, and it is based on the separation of different food groups in a 4-day cycle. This means that you are allowed to consume protein one day while saving the carbohydrates, fruit, and starch for separate days.
In this article, we’re bringing you a detailed description of the diet with specified food-group days and allowed foods. But before we go into that let’s go over a few pivotal tips you should consider when following any diet.
Weight loss tips
Drink adequate amounts of water
Drinking enough water has numerous health benefits like improved weight loss and healthy skin. But besides that, it is essential for primary body functions and expulsion of toxins from the body. Different studies concluded that the human brain can confuse thirst with hunger. Because of that, you should always have a bottle of water near you to keep hydrated and to avoid eating unnecessarily.
Weigh yourself regularly
By weighing yourself regularly you can keep track of your progress. However, do not get discouraged if you don’t see immediate weight loss. The human body needs to get into weight-losing state before you start seeing results.
Avoid alcohol, soft drinks, and snacks
Alcohol in any form has a decent amount of calories. Besides that, it is bad for overall health. It is the same situation with soft drinks. While they don’t seem harmful at the first glance, most of the soft drinks are loaded with sugars, and just like the snacks, they can minimize the results, and even put you on the track to gaining weight.
Exercise and get enough sleep
Sleep in crucial when it comes to the proper functioning of the human body, and when the weight loss is in question, it holds the same importance. Lack of sleep can cause your body to over-produce hunger-stimulating hormone. On the other side, exercise is just as important. Regardless of the calories you consume in one day if you do not burn enough of them weight won’t go down.
90-day diet meal plan
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One of the biggest advantages of this diet is that you can eat almost everything as long as you follow assigned days. As mentioned above 90-day diet is divided into four days: protein, starch, carbohydrates, and fruit. You are supposed to rotate these 4 days continuously, however, after the cycle of 28 days, you are supposed to have a water-only day. During this day, as you might’ve guessed, you’re only supposed to consume water and nothing else. If food is a must for you, you can consume vegetable soup instead of water.
Day one – Protein day
As it is already stated, day one is all about protein. However, this does not mean that you have to eat only meat. Protein can be acquired from several sources besides meat. Foods like eggs, beans, dairy products, and even nuts are all great sources.
Breakfast
Breakfast in the 90-day diet is the same for all four days. You are supposed to consume fruit only, however, you can’t mix different varieties of fruit in the same breakfast meal. You can eat only one type, for example, apples.
Lunch
– 9 oz portion of lean meat, like lean beef, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, lamb, or up to 3 eggs
– One piece of whole-grain bread
– Salad in unlimited amounts with 1 tbs of olive oil
– Soup is mandatory unless you choose dairy products for your protein meal
It is important to mention that it is forbidden to mix different types of protein in one meal or one day.
Dinner
Dinner should look the same as the lunch, but without any bread. Do not forget, you have to eat the same type of protein as you ate for lunch that day.
Day two – Starch day
Breakfast
Breakfast always has to consist of fruit. However, keep it interesting and choose different one for each day.
Lunch
– One full plate of foods like, rice, lentils, potatoes, peas, etc. You can use salt or black pepper as well
– One piece of whole-grain bread
– Salad
Dinner
Dinner should consist of the same foods you ate for lunch, but the portion should be cut in half.
Day three – Carbs day
Breakfast
Instead of fresh fruit, you can mix in dried fruit. The portion should consist of 8 pieces of prunes, or something similar in size.
Lunch
– A portion of pasta seasoned with different herbs and spices, you can use ketchup as well
Dinner
– Surprisingly you can eat up to 3 cookies or 3 scoops of ice cream for dinner, and you must implement few pieces of dark chocolate
Day four – Fruit day
Breakfast
Breakfast should consist of one or more types of fruit.
Lunch
– You can eat unlimited amounts of mixed fruit
Dinner
– Consume mixed fruit but in smaller portion compared to lunch
Rules and limitations
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- You must avoid soft drinks, or any drinks containing sugar. Coffee and tea are allowed but in sugarless form.
- Pause between meals during a protein day should be approximately 4 hours, during starch and carbohydrates day 3 hours, while during the fruit day it should be 2 hours.
- You must implement a supplement that will provide a daily dose of minerals and vitamins, and it should be consumed after lunch.
- 3 times during the 90-day diet you must devote one day to water or vegetable soup.
- After each cycle, meaning after each fruit or water day, you must continue with protein day.
- After you’re done with a diet, you should continue eating fruit for breakfast for another 90 days. During this period you should eat your usual meals for lunch and dinner.
- No food is allowed after 8 pm.
- You must wait 3 months before you can repeat this diet.
This diet plan has a lot of rules and they all have to be followed meticulously if you want it to succeed. Every food separation day has its role, as well as the recommended food. For example, breakfast is devoted to fruit to give you an energy boost in the morning, while dark chocolate is supposed to protect your body from allergies.
Keep in mind that you will start to lose weight after ten days. During this diet you are expected to lose up to 10 pounds, depending on your body type. Since you are supposed to continue eating fruit for breakfast for an additional 90 days after the diet passes, you are expected to lose another 6 pounds.
Benefits
One of the main benefits of this diet is that it is effective. It is also open to a variety of foods, so you shouldn’t get easily bored if you put some idea into devising your meals. Besides this, it has a detoxifying effect on the human body.
Drawbacks
The main drawback of this dietary program is its length. Three months is a lot of time for any diet, even this one. Also, the implementation of vitamin and mineral supplements means that it does not provide your body with everything necessary for proper functioning.
