Almost all dietary restrictions prescribe the consumption of vegetables and fruits. At the same time, experts emphasize that fruits are seasonal, because they are the healthiest. At the end of summer comes the time for the giant sweet berry on which the watermelon diet is based.
Watermelon - history and brief description
Long before the beginning of our era, people ate watermelons. Of course, where the climate allowed them to grow. Since this heat-loving culture does not tolerate long-term transportation, for thousands of years watermelons were consumed only where they were grown. Nobody ate watermelon for weight loss; it was somewhat sacred food. The ancient Egyptians, for example, placed watermelons in the grave, as the fruit was considered food worthy of the afterlife.
As trade links developed, watermelons spread further, including to the Roman Empire, where they were used as sweets and pickles. Centuries later, the striped fruit reached China, where it has been actively grown since the beginning of the 10th century.
Watermelon appeared in Europe even later, only in the 17th century, and from there it was brought to our country as an overseas curiosity. It was only in the 19th century that watermelons began to be cultivated in the southern regions of our country, especially in fertile black soil.
Mineral composition and pharmacological properties
Despite the fact that watermelon contains a lot of water, this fruit is very valuable for a healthy diet. After all, it contains almost all microelements and vitamins necessary for humans. Most of these substances for the normal functioning of the body must be supplied in milligrams and micrograms, but without them it is impossible.
A ripe watermelon, baked under the hot sun, has a rich set of not only vitamins, but also mineral elements, as well as the most important biochemical components. The table shows the approximate content per 100 grams of pulp. This is a very small portion, about half a slice. As a rule, no one is limited to this amount, especially on a watermelon diet, which means that the supply of nutrients will be significantly higher.
Table of macro and micronutrients in watermelon
Item name |
Quantity, 100 g |
Daily rate |
% of daily value |
Vitamin A |
17, 00 mcg |
900 mcg |
1. 9% |
beta carotene |
0. 1 mg |
5 mg |
2% |
Vitamin B1, thiamine |
0. 04 mg |
1. 5 mg |
2. 7% |
Vitamin B2, riboflavin |
0. 06 mg |
1. 8 mg |
3. 3% |
Vitamin B4, choline |
4. 1 mg |
500 mg |
0. 8% |
Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid |
0. 221 mg |
5 mg |
4. 4% |
Vitamin B6, pyridoxine |
0. 09 mg |
2 mg |
4. 5% |
Vitamin B9, folate |
8 mcg |
400 mcg |
2% |
Vitamin C, ascorbic acid |
7 mg |
90 mg |
7. 8% |
Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol |
0. 1 mg |
15 mg |
0. 7% |
Vitamin K, phylloquinone |
0. 1 mg |
120 mg |
0. 1% |
Vitamin PP |
0. 3 mg |
20 mg |
1. 5% |
Kalium, K |
110 mg |
2500 mg |
4. 4% |
Calcium, Ca |
14 mg |
1000 mg |
1. 4% |
Silicon, Si |
12 mg |
30 mg |
40% |
Magnesium, Mg |
12 mg |
400 mg |
3% |
Sodium, Na |
16 mg |
1300 mg |
1. 2% |
Sera, S |
6. 1 mg |
1000 mg |
0. 6% |
Fosfori, P |
7 mg |
800 mg |
0. 9% |
Chlorine, Cl |
24. 7 mg |
2300 mg |
1. 1% |
Iron, Religion |
1 mg |
18 mg |
5. 6% |
Cobalt, Co |
2 mcg |
10 mcg |
20% |
Mangani, Mn |
0. 038 mg |
2 mg |
1. 9% |
Copper, Cu |
42 mcg |
1000 mcg |
4. 2% |
Molybdenum, Mo |
1. 8 mcg |
70 mcg |
2. 6% |
Selen, Se |
0. 4 mcg |
50 mcg |
0. 7% |
Chrome, Kr |
0. 23 mcg |
50 mcg |
0. 5% |
Zinku, Ms |
0. 1 mg |
12 mg |
0. 8% |
As with any natural raw material, the data may vary slightly depending on the variety and place of growth.
Caloric content and BZHU
But the content of trace elements is not the most important thing. Many people are focused on the sweet taste of watermelon, so they avoid it under any dietary restrictions. This is fundamentally wrong; watermelon will absolutely not harm those who lose weight. After all, its main ingredient is water, which has no calories. And it contains 97% of striped fruit.
So, to the question, is it possible to eat watermelon in the diet, the answer is definitely positive. As for the composition of nutrients, the pulp of a ripe watermelon will bring to the body.
KBZHU table
The name of the nutrient |
Quantity per 100 g |
squirrels |
0. 7 g |
fats |
0. 1 g |
Carbohydrates |
5, 8 g |
Dietary fiber |
0. 4 g |
water |
93 g |
Calorie content |
27 kcal |
How to choose a ripe watermelon
The season for these berries usually opens in mid-July; earlier, the watermelon will not be the tastiest and, most importantly, not so healthy. If the watermelon is local, then an unscrupulous grower can feed it with fertilizers and growth stimulants. If the fruit arrived from faraway places, then it may well have been treated with chemicals in order to withstand the long journey. Such watermelons will not be useful either in the watermelon diet or in your normal daily diet. On the contrary, on the contrary, you can get a serious digestive disorder.
It is quite easy to choose a delicious and sweet watermelon; the main thing is to carefully examine the fruit and not be deceived by the seller's conviction. Watermelon ripeness signs:
- A fruit that has ripened on the ground always has a slightly flattened yellow side. It is as hard as the entire crust and can be covered with a network of shallow cracks.
- Furthermore, the tail of a ripe watermelon dries up; it should become dry and firm. If it is green and limp, such a fruit may be sweet, but it may be completely unripe.
- If you tap a ripe watermelon with your fingers, the sound should ring out, as if there is emptiness inside. A dull pumpkin, like cotton wool inside a large pumpkin, indicates that this is either an immature specimen or one that is beginning to deteriorate.
But, as a rule, at the height of the season, watermelons are sold everywhere and are already ripe, so if August is in full swing, you can safely get almost any, it will certainly turn out tasty and suitable for a watermelon diet.
General rules of the watermelon diet
The watermelon diet will show excellent results if certain provisions are followed. To lose 3-5 kilograms of excess weight that appeared after summer barbecues and ice cream, you need to remember the main rule - for every 10 kg of body weight you need to eat 1 kg of watermelon pulp every day. That is, if you weigh 63 kg, you should eat 6. 3 kg of watermelon per day.
- Juice cannot be used to replace pulp; it contains much less fiber, so it can cause intestinal disorders.
- Despite the large amount of juice in watermelon, additional drinking is necessary. The diuretic effect of striped fruit can cause the body to lose electrolytes.
- Before the mass sale of watermelons, it is better not to eat them, so as not to be poisoned by nitrates, which farmers often "feed" their watermelons to get a marketable harvest as soon as possible.
As you can see, the watermelon diet for weight loss is not complicated at all, it is easy and tasty to stick to for the required time.
Advantages and disadvantages of the watermelon diet
Before starting to practice limited food, it is advisable to study not only the positive aspects, but also the negative ones. The watermelon diet is no exception in this respect. Despite its effectiveness, it has certain disadvantages, due to which it may not be suitable for a certain person.
The benefits of diet
One of the reasons why the watermelon diet has many fans is the excellent taste of the main ingredient of daily food. Red pulp quenches thirst and the desire to eat, so it is an excellent source of energy on a hot summer day. In addition, lovers of the watermelon diet note several other advantages:
- The watermelon diet really works and helps you get rid of a significant amount of body fat.
- No need to stand by the stove and count your daily calories.
- A large amount of watermelon pulp helps to remove swelling, even if it is chronic.
- If you complete the limitation period correctly, the result will last for a long time.
Disadvantages of the diet
Of course, the watermelon diet does not consist only of advantages, but also has negative aspects. First of all, this is a serious load on the kidneys due to the abundant intake of fluids. So you should be sure of your health before experimenting with watermelons. Typically, the watermelon diet garners negative reviews for the following reasons:
- Insufficient saturation of the diet with the necessary nutrients - proteins and fats. Therefore, you cannot practice this method for a long time, and it is also better to repeat it rarely. Considering the seasonality of sweet fruits, once a year unloading on watermelons for a few days would be a good decision. One day of fasting on watermelon will not give such visible results, so after 2-3 weeks it can be repeated.
- Not everyone can follow such a diet, so before you find out if you can lose weight from watermelon, you should check your health.
- If you "jump" off the diet and don't get off without problems, the lost pounds can return.
For whom is the watermelon diet contraindicated?
The abundant amount of fluids that enter the body and the appropriate doses of sugars make the watermelon diet an unsuitable option for some categories of people.
- First of all, these are those who experience any problems with the kidneys. There are many chronic inflammatory processes that require careful analysis and normalization of the incoming fluid.
- Chronic intestinal diseases can worsen with such amounts of fiber and moisture, you need to monitor this aspect.
- Being very young or very old is a contraindication for any mono-diet, as it requires a balanced and complete diet.
- People who are allergic to rowan berries should not follow this diet. In this case, it can be dangerous for health.
It is worth noting that a strict watermelon diet is not suitable for all of the above. If you eat a slice or two of sweet fragrant watermelon, it will bring only benefits and pleasure.
Is watermelon diet allowed for pregnant women?
The watermelon diet deserves special mention for women in delicate situations. The fact is that often, especially in the later stages, expectant mothers experience serious discomfort from swelling. In this case, your doctor may limit the amount of fluids you consume per day.
You can try a watermelon fasting day to remove excess water from the body. In addition, pulp will contain many vitamins and fibers, which are also useful during pregnancy.
You do not have to make such a decision yourself; the approval of a gynecologist is required, because a specialist can determine from the tests and during the examination whether such a discharge will not be harmful.
Diet options
The diet to be followed during the watermelon diet depends mainly on its duration. If a couple of days can easily be spent only on mono food, then longer options require additional input of calories into the body. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on deadlines.
Watermelon fasting day
If the watermelon diet lasts only 24 hours, the entire menu consists only of ripe fruit pulp. You can add a few slices of whole grain bread to this, and additional drinks include water and unsweetened tea. The water can be mineral or slightly salty. Anything else is strictly prohibited.
Diet for 2 days
If within a day the numbers on the scales have become more pleasant in the watermelon, and the day itself has passed easily, then you can continue the cleansing of the body and extend it for 24 hours with the same diet. Watermelon pulp at the rate of 1 kg per 10 kg of body weight, divided into 4 or 5 parts and consumed at approximately equal intervals.
At two meals you are allowed to eat small toast made from whole grains or rye bread.
For 3 days
More than 48 hours without the intake of proteins and fats will no longer benefit the body, so the three-day marathon should be diversified with additional products.
The best option for this is cottage cheese. It contains a lot of protein and little milk fat. In addition, fermented milk products are easily digestible and help improve digestion.
For another three-day diet, it is allowed to eat a small amount of grains such as rice to strengthen the intestines a little. The menu for three days looks something like this:
- Eat breakfast - a cup of cottage cheese with a fat content of 1. 5-5%, no more than a few slices of watermelon;
- Snack – 2-3 slices of striped berries;
- Lunch – a plate of steamed rice and a few pieces of watermelon;
- For an afternoon snack - 2-3 spoons of cottage cheese and 2 large slices of watermelon;
- Dinner: rice with water and watermelon.
In three days of such feeding you can see a good weight - up to 3 kilograms.
For 5 days
If the motivation is strong enough and the body perceives all the restrictions completely normally, then you can increase 3 days to 5 days, with approximately the same diet. The only thing is that it can be diversified a little with products from the same group.
For example, for those who do not like cottage cheese, boiled chicken breast will be a complete source of animal protein. If you are tired of rice, oatmeal with water will work just as well. Once a day you can allow yourself a hard-boiled egg, this will provide the necessary fats necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins.
For 7 days
With a watermelon diet for a week, slightly different mechanisms begin to work. The red pulp itself works to remove the breakdown products of fat deposits, and weight loss is achieved by reducing the daily intake of calories. In this way, the body receives complete food with some deficiencies, this helps to lose weight without losing muscle mass. And everything unnecessary comes out of the body with the help of watermelon.
For a seven-day period, it is advisable to stick to the following menu:
Breakfast: A cup of green tea and a portion of porridge boiled with boiling water, a hard-boiled egg;
Second option: tea or coffee without sugar, a bowl of cottage cheese, fresh fruit.
Lunch: fresh raw vegetables cut into slices, lightly seasoned with olive oil and a piece of steamed fish;
Second option: vegetable soup with fennel and green onions, 200 grams of boiled chicken or beef breast, a couple of tomatoes.
Dinner: Strictly watermelon pulp, for 30 kilograms of weight you need to eat 1000 grams of berries. This should be done at least 3 hours before bedtime, so that the urge to urinate does not affect the night's rest.
For 10 days
Watermelon diet for weight loss is very well tolerated in most cases. Since the season of these fruits falls in the hottest period of the year, during which the appetite is already silent. So, many people calmly tolerate a few days of restrictions and are ready to continue in the same breath in order to get even more visible results and find out from their own experience whether it is possible to lose weight on watermelon.
The principles of the ten-day challenge are similar to what the weekly routine suggests:
- Eat breakfast - rice porridge or oats boiled with boiling water, a few pieces of cheese;
- Eat lunch - a portion of protein, it can be lean meat or fish, cooked using a double boiler, some vegetable salad or feta is added to it;
- For dinner you should eat watermelon pulp, based on the same calculation as for the seven-day diet.
If the resistance is enough to completely pass this period, then the numbers on the scale will be 6-8 kg less than before the start of the watermelon diet.
Mixed diet options with watermelon
Watermelon diet is not limited to this melon crop. There are other varieties in which new ingredients are added to the watermelon. In some cases, these are additional vegetables or fruits that have approximately the same calorie content and similar effects.
For those who feel hungry on a mono diet, adding a protein component is appropriate so that the body does not lose muscle mass and the person does not feel a loss of strength. Usually ecto-fermented milk products are cottage cheese or natural yogurt.
The third option is suitable for those for whom an overdose of watermelon causes problems with the gastrointestinal tract. A large amount of liquid can cause disruption of its functions, and to avoid this, you can try adding carbohydrates to your diet, which will strengthen the intestines a little.
Watermelon and melon
This is a popular combination of two southern guests that hit our shelves almost simultaneously. Melon also has a fairly low calorie content, so you can successfully lose weight by consuming both types of melon.
Experts recommend sticking to the melon-watermelon diet for six or nine days. To do this, you need to repeat the three-day feeding cycle 2 or 3 times. The menu looks like this:
First day:
- Breakfast - 100 grams of cottage cheese, 200 grams of melon and a few slices of rye bread;
- Lunch – a portion of steamed fish with a salad of green vegetables, 200 grams of melon;
- Snack - half a kilogram of watermelon pulp;
- Dinner - a small cup of boiled rice, an apple, 150 grams of melon.
Second day:
- Breakfast - a couple of boiled eggs, a cup of tea without sugar, 150 grams of watermelon;
- Lunch – 400 grams of melon, 200 grams of boiled vegetables with few calories;
- Snack - a glass of kefir;
- Dinner - a small piece of chicken breast, some toast and half a kilogram of watermelon.
Third day:
- Breakfast - 400 grams of watermelon and a glass of yogurt;
- Lunch – a plate of brown rice, a piece of steamed chicken breast, 300 grams of melon;
- Snack – green tea without sugar and a few slices of rye bread;
- Dinner - sliced vegetables, a medium baked potato, 400 grams of watermelon.
Watermelon and kefir
The watermelon diet, which is combined with kefir, is no less popular. The fermented milk product is one of the most digestible products; it will not spoil your diet, but will only saturate the body with healthy proteins.
The watermelon-kefir combination does not have a specific menu or any additional products. You can adhere to such a diet only for 72 hours, during which time the body will be significantly cleansed of toxins and various toxic compounds.
You should drink a liter of kefir and eat 2-3 kg of watermelon per day. To do this, drink a glass of drink and 400-500 grams of sweet pulp every three hours. The last time - three hours before bedtime.
Watermelon and cottage cheese
Curd is another product that is highly respected by health food enthusiasts. And this is deserved, because such a rich group of proteins and microelements cannot be found in any product. The main rule of relieving watermelon and cottage cheese is not to eat them together, but to alternate them. For example, like this:
- in the morning - 200 g of cottage cheese;
- Lunch - 05 kg. watermelon;
- Afternoon snack - 100 grams of cottage cheese;
- Evening - 05 kg. watermelon
Three days of this diet will help you gain weight faster, especially in problem areas.
Watermelon and apples
Similar low-calorie relief is possible with a combination of watermelons and apples. It is especially good to practice this cleaning in autumn. You should eat 1. 5 kilograms of watermelon and 1 kilogram of ripe apples per day. This enables complete cleansing of the body in all directions.
The diuretic properties of watermelon pulp will help flush the kidneys and cleanse the body of excess fluids. This will rejuvenate the body, tone it and give it new strength. Ripe apples contain a lot of pectin. It is capable not only of mechanically cleaning the intestines, but is also an excellent absorbent, attracting, capturing and removing harmful substances from the body.
Watermelon and buckwheat
The favorite cereal of all those who are losing weight contains a lot of protein, iron and vitamins. Therefore, the combination of watermelon with buckwheat porridge is optimal for those who want to lose significant weight, but cannot tolerate the periodic feeling of hunger.
In the evening you need to weigh 200 grams of dry buckwheat and steam it with boiling water overnight. You will get about 800 grams of porridge, which is approximately 800 calories. Add to this 2 to 3 kilograms of watermelon pulp and some green vegetables - you get the daily allowance.
This way you can lose weight without starving your body. You can adhere to the buckwheat-watermelon diet for a week. If you want more, you should add proteins and fats, reducing the amount of grains.
Watermelon with black bread
Combining a piece of watermelon calculated by weight with a few slices of black bread allows you to suppress the urge of hunger. This diet is not balanced, so it cannot be followed for a long time.
It is better to dry the bread beforehand in a dry pan or in the oven; such toasts keep you full for a longer time. Instead of black bread, you can take whole grain bread or fresh bread. It is good if baked goods are yeast-free - this will avoid fermentation processes in the intestines.
How to get off a diet correctly
The specificity of the watermelon diet is such that correct production is important not only for maintaining results, but also for normalizing digestive processes. When the amount of solid food is limited for several days, and liquid food is supplied in abundance, the body gets used to it, and a sudden transition to the usual diet can cause a painful reaction in the gastrointestinal tract.
To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should gradually add dense, but easily digestible foods to each meal. These can be liquid porridge, normal fat cottage cheese, starchy vegetables and bread. After a few days, you can introduce lean varieties of meat and fish.
It is better to refrain from very rough, spicy, fatty foods. The same goes for refined sugars. If watermelon fiber promotes the smooth absorption of carbohydrates, then sweets in their pure form actually immediately increase the level of sugar in the blood and cause an increase in insulin. The system created with the help of watermelon stops working.
You must adhere to such restrictions, gradually removing them within a period of 7-10 days, then you can return to your normal lifestyle. But if you start eating uncontrollably again, then the possibility of regaining weight becomes very high.
Expert opinion
The very consumption of watermelons is welcomed by nutritionists, because the rich composition of vitamins, many juices and fibers have the most beneficial effect on the body. Regarding mono-diets and very strict options, experts experience some skepticism. Nutritionists point out that not all the nutrients the body needs can be obtained from watermelon, so such weight loss cannot be called healthy.
If we are talking about giving up fatty foods, sweets and high-calorie foods and replacing them with watermelon pulp, any practitioner would welcome such a diet.
CONCLUSION
Watermelon diet can only be practiced during the season and it is not very long. This should be remembered when there are doubts whether watermelon is okay for weight loss, or whether it is better to choose another menu. It is better to try it to understand if this diet is really as good and tasty as people who have successfully lost weight write in the comments.