Almost all dietary restrictions require 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 of the giant sweet berry on which the watermelon diet is based.
Watermelon - history and brief description
Long before the dawn of our time, people ate watermelon. Of course, where the climate allowed cultivation. Since this heat-loving plant cannot withstand long-distance transport, watermelons were consumed for thousands of years only where they were grown. No one ate watermelon for weight loss, it was somewhat of a sacred food. The ancient Egyptians, for example, placed watermelons in the grave, as the fruit was considered a worthy food for the afterlife.
With the development of trade relations, watermelons continued to spread, including in the Roman Empire, where they were used as sweets and pickles. Centuries later, the striped fruit reached China, where it has been actively cultivated since the beginning of the 10th century.
Watermelon appeared in Europe even later, only in the 17th century, and from there it entered 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 on the 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 the microelements and vitamins necessary for humans. Most of these substances must be supplied in milligrams and micrograms for the normal functioning of the body, but it is impossible without them.
A ripe watermelon ripened in the hot sun is not only rich in vitamins, but also in minerals and the most important biochemical compounds. The table shows the approximate content per 100 grams of pulp. This is a very small piece, about half a slice. In general, no one limits this amount, especially with a watermelon diet, which means that the nutritional supply will be significantly higher.
Table of macro and micro elements of watermelon
Product name |
Quantity, 100 g |
Daily norm |
% of daily value |
The vitamin |
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, folates |
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% |
Phosphorus, P |
7 mg |
800 mg |
0. 9% |
Chlorine, Cl |
24. 7 mg |
2300 mg |
1. 1% |
Iron, Fe |
1 mg |
18 mg |
5. 6% |
Cobalt, Co |
2 mcg |
10 mcg |
20% |
Manganese, 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% |
Selenium, Se |
0. 4 mcg |
50 mcg |
0. 7% |
Chrome, Kr |
0. 23 mcg |
50 mcg |
0. 5% |
Zinc, Zn |
0. 1 mg |
12 mg |
0. 8% |
As with all natural ingredients, the data may vary slightly depending on the variety and place of growth.
Calorie content and BZHU
But the microelement content is not the most important. Many people focus on the sweet taste of watermelon, so they avoid it with all dietary restrictions. This is fundamentally wrong; watermelon does not harm weight loss at all. After all, its main ingredient is water, which has no calories. And it contains 97% of the striped fruit.
So, to the question of whether it is possible to eat watermelon on a diet, the answer is definitely positive. In terms of nutritional composition, ripe watermelon brings pulp to the body.
KBZHU table
Nutrient name |
Quantity per 100 g |
Squirrels |
0. 7 g |
Fats |
0. 1 g |
Carbohydrate |
5. 8 g |
Dietary fiber |
0. 4 g |
Water |
93 g |
Calorie content |
27 kcal |
How to choose a ripe watermelon
The season of these berries usually begins in mid-July, earlier the watermelon will not be the most delicious, and most importantly, not so healthy. If the watermelon is local, an unscrupulous grower can overdose on fertilizers and growth promoters. If the fruit came from a distant land, it could have been treated with chemicals to make it last the long journey. Such a watermelon will not be useful either during the watermelon diet or in the usual daily diet. On the contrary, you can get serious indigestion.
It is very easy to choose a tasty and sweet watermelon, the main thing is to carefully examine the fruit and not be deceived by the seller's persuasion. Signs of watermelon ripeness:
- The ground-ripened fruit always has a slightly flattened yellow side. It is as hard as the entire crust and is covered by a network of shallow cracks.
- Also, the tail of a ripe watermelon dries out and should be dry and hard. If green and limp, such fruit may be sweet, but it may be completely unripe.
- If you tap a ripe watermelon with your knuckles, the sound should ring as if there is emptiness inside. A dull gourd, like cotton wool inside a large gourd, indicates that it is either an immature or deteriorating specimen.
But usually at the peak of the season, watermelons are sold everywhere and they are already ripe, so if it is in full swing in August, you can easily take almost any, it will certainly be tasty and suitable. watermelon diet.
General rules of the watermelon diet
The watermelon diet will show excellent results if certain provisions are followed. To lose the 3-5 kilograms of excess weight that appears after summer barbecues and ice cream, you need to remember the main rule - for every 10 kg of body weight, you must eat 1 kg of watermelon pulp per day. In other words, if you weigh 63 kg, you should eat 6. 3 kg of watermelon per day.
- Fruit juice cannot replace pulp, it contains much less fiber, so it can cause intestinal disorders.
- Despite the large amount of liquid in watermelon, additional drinking is necessary. Due to the diuretic effect of the striped fruit, the body can lose electrolytes.
- Before mass selling watermelons, it is better not to eat them, so as not to be poisoned by nitrates, which farmers often "feed" to melons in order to get a marketable crop as quickly as possible.
As you can see, the watermelon diet for weight loss is not complicated at all, it is easy and tasty to follow for the necessary time.
Advantages and disadvantages of the watermelon diet
Before starting to practice limited nutrition, it is advisable to study not only the positive but also the negative sides. The watermelon diet is no exception in this regard. Despite its effectiveness, it has certain drawbacks that may make it unsuitable for a particular person.
Benefits of the diet
One of the reasons why the watermelon diet has many fans is the excellent taste of the main component of the daily diet. The red pulp quenches thirst and the desire to eat, making it an excellent source of energy on a hot summer day. In addition, lovers of the watermelon diet note a number of additional benefits:
- The watermelon diet really works and helps you lose significant amounts of body fat.
- You don't have to stand near 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 restriction period correctly, the result will last a long time.
Disadvantages of the diet
Of course, the watermelon diet is not only about benefits, it also has negative aspects. First of all, it is a serious strain on the kidneys due to the abundant fluid intake. So you need to be sure of your health before experimenting with watermelon. The watermelon diet usually gets negative reviews for the following reasons:
- Insufficient saturation of the diet with the necessary nutrients - proteins and fats. Therefore, you should not practice this method for a long time, and it is better to repeat it rarely. Taking into account the seasonality of sweet fruits, it would be a good decision to put it on the watermelon once a year for several days. A watermelon fast does not bring such noticeable results, so it can be repeated after 2-3 weeks.
- Not everyone can follow this diet, so before you find out if you can lose weight from watermelon, you should check your own health.
- If you "jump" off the diet and don't exit smoothly, the lost pounds may come back.
Who is the watermelon diet contraindicated for?
Due to the abundant amount of liquid and the appropriate amount of sugars entering the body, the watermelon diet is unsuitable for certain categories.
- First of all, these are those who have any kidney problems. There are many chronic inflammatory processes that require careful analysis and normalization of the incoming fluid.
- As a result of this amount of fiber and moisture, chronic intestinal diseases may worsen, this aspect should be observed.
- Being too young or too old is a contraindication to any mono-diet, as it requires a balanced and wholesome diet.
- People who are allergic to striped berries should not follow this diet. In this case, it can be dangerous to your health.
It is worth noting that a strict watermelon diet is not suitable for all of the above. Eating a slice or two of aromatic sweet watermelon will bring you only benefits and pleasure.
Is the watermelon diet allowed for pregnant women?
The watermelon diet deserves a special mention for women in a delicate situation. The fact is that often, especially in the later stages, expectant mothers experience serious discomfort due to swelling. In this case, your doctor may limit the amount of fluid you drink per day.
You can try a watermelon fast day to remove excess water from your body. In addition, the pulp contains a lot of vitamins and fiber, which is also useful during pregnancy.
Such a decision should not be made independently, a gynecologist's approval is required, because the specialist can determine during the tests and examination whether such unloading will not be harmful.
Diet options
The diet to be followed during the watermelon diet mainly depends on its duration. If a few days can be easily passed only on mono nutrition, longer options require additional caloric intake in the body. That's why you need to focus on deadlines.
Fast day on watermelon
If the watermelon diet lasts only 24 hours, then the entire menu consists only of the pulp of the ripe fruit. A few slices of whole wheat bread can be added to this, and other drinks include water and unsweetened tea. The water is mineral or slightly salty. Everything else is strictly prohibited.
Diet for 2 days
If within a day the numbers on the scale on the watermelon became more pleasant, and the day itself passed easily, then you can continue to cleanse the body and extend it by 24 hours with the same diet. Watermelon pulp 1 kg/10 kg of body weight, divided into 4 or 5 portions and consumed at approximately equal intervals.
At two meals, you can eat a small piece of toast made from whole grain or rye bread.
3 days
More than 48 hours without protein and fat intake is no longer good for the body, so the three-day marathon should be diversified with additional products.
Cottage cheese is the best solution for this. It contains a lot of protein and some milk fat. In addition, fermented milk products are easy to digest and improve digestion.
In another three-day diet, it is allowed to eat a small amount of cereals, such as rice, to strengthen the intestines a little. The three-day menu looks something like this:
- Have 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 couple of pieces of watermelon;
- For an afternoon snack - 2-3 tablespoons of cottage cheese and 2 large slices of watermelon;
- Dinner: watery rice and watermelon.
In three days of such nutrition, you can see good weight - up to 3 kilograms.
for 5 days
If the motivation is strong enough and the body perceives all restrictions quite normally, you can increase the 3 days by 5 days with approximately the same diet. The only thing is that it can be slightly diversified with products of 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're tired of rice, oatmeal porridge with water will also work. You can allow yourself a hard-boiled egg once a day, this provides the fats necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins.
for 7 days
With a week of watermelon diet, slightly different mechanisms start to work. The red pulp itself removes the decomposition products of fat deposits, and weight loss is achieved by reducing the daily calorie intake. In this way, the body receives complete nutrition with some deficiencies, which helps you lose weight without losing muscle mass. And everything unnecessary is removed from the body with the help of watermelon.
For seven days, it is recommended to follow the following menu:
Breakfast: a cup of green tea and a portion of porridge steamed with boiling water, a hard-boiled egg;
Second option: unsweetened tea or coffee, a bowl of cottage cheese, fresh fruit.
Lunch: sliced fresh raw vegetables lightly seasoned with olive oil and a portion of steamed fish;
Second option: Vegetable soup with dill and green onions, 200 grams of boiled chicken breast or beef, a couple of tomatoes.
Dinner: Strictly watermelon pulp, 1000 grams of berries should be eaten for a body weight of 30 kilos. This should be done at least 3 hours before going to bed, so that the urge to urinate does not affect your night's rest.
for 10 days
The watermelon diet for weight loss is very well tolerated in most cases. Because the season of these fruits falls on the hottest time of the year, when the appetite is already muted. Many people very calmly tolerate multi-day restrictions and are ready to continue in the same spirit to achieve even more noticeable results and find out from their own experience whether it is possible to lose weight with watermelon.
The principles of the ten-day challenge are similar to the weekly routine:
- Have breakfast - brown rice or porridge steamed with boiling water, a few slices of cheese;
- Have lunch - a serving of protein, it can be lean meat or fish, cooked in a double boiler, vegetable salad or a slice is added;
- For dinner, you should eat watermelon pulp, based on the same calculation as for the seven-day diet.
If the endurance is enough to get through this period completely, then the numbers on the scale will be 6-8 kg less than before starting the watermelon diet.
Mixed watermelon diet options
The watermelon diet is not limited to this melon crop. There are other varieties that add new ingredients to 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 with a mono-diet, it is appropriate to add a protein component so that the body does not lose muscle mass and the person does not feel a loss of strength. Ectofermented dairy products are usually cottage cheese or natural yogurt.
The third option is suitable for those for whom an overdose of watermelon causes problems in the gastrointestinal tract. A large amount of liquid can cause malfunctions, in order to avoid this, it is worth adding carbohydrates to the diet, which slightly strengthens the intestines.
Watermelon and melon
A favorite combination of two southern guests, which will be on our shelves almost at the same time. Cantaloupe is also quite low in calories, so you can successfully lose weight by consuming both types of melon.
Experts recommend sticking to the melon-watermelon diet for six to 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 kilo of watermelon pulp;
- Dinner - a small cup of boiled rice, an apple, 150 grams of melon.
The second day:
- Breakfast - a few hard-boiled eggs, a cup of unsweetened tea, 150 grams of watermelon;
- Lunch - 400 grams of melon, 200 grams of steamed low-calorie vegetables;
- Snack - a glass of kefir;
- Dinner - a small portion of chicken breast, a couple of toasts and half a kilo of watermelon.
The third day:
- Breakfast - 400 grams of watermelon and a glass of drinking yogurt;
- Lunch - a plate of brown rice, a portion of steamed chicken breast, 300 grams of melon;
- Snack – green tea without sugar and a few slices of rye bread;
- Dinner - sliced vegetables, one medium baked potato, 400 grams of watermelon.
Watermelon and kefir
The watermelon diet, which is combined with kefir, is no less popular. Fermented milk products are one of the most easily digestible products, they will not disturb your diet, they will only saturate your body with healthy protein.
The watermelon-kefir combination does not have a specific menu or additional products. You can follow such a diet for only 72 hours, during which time the body is significantly cleansed of various toxins and toxic compounds.
One day you should drink a liter of kefir and eat 2-3 kg of watermelon. To do this, drink a glass of drink and 400-500 grams of sweet pulp every three hours. The last time - three hours before going to bed.
Watermelon and cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is another product highly respected by lovers of healthy eating. And it is deserved, because such a rich set of proteins and microelements cannot be found in any product. The main rule to reduce the weight of 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
A three-day diet will help you gain weight faster, especially in problem areas.
Watermelon and apple
Similar low-calorie relief is possible with a combination of watermelon and apples. This cleansing is especially good to practice in autumn. It is worth eating 1. 5 kilos of watermelon and 1 kilo of baked apples per day. This allows the body to be completely cleansed in all directions.
The diuretic properties of watermelon pulp help flush the kidneys and remove excess fluid from the body. It renews the body, tones it and gives it new strength. Baked apples contain a lot of pectin. Not only can it clean the intestines mechanically, but it is also an excellent adsorbent, attracting, capturing and removing harmful compounds from the body.
Watermelon and buckwheat
The favorite cereal for those who are losing weight contains a lot of protein, iron and vitamins. Therefore, the combination of watermelon and buckwheat porridge is optimal for those who want to lose significant weight, but do not tolerate periodic hunger.
In the evening, measure out 200 grams of dry buckwheat and steam it overnight in hot water. You get about 800 grams of porridge, which means about 800 calories. Add 2-3 kilograms of watermelon pulp and some green vegetables - we get the permissible daily diet.
This is how you can lose weight without starving your body. You can stick to the buckwheat-watermelon diet for a week. If you want more, you need to add proteins and fats, reducing the amount of cereals.
Watermelon with black bread
If a serving of watermelon is combined with a few slices of black bread by weight, it can calm the feeling of hunger. This diet is not balanced, so it cannot be followed for a long time.
It is worth pre-drying the bread in a dry pan or in the oven, such toasts will keep you full longer. Instead of black bread, you can buy whole wheat bread or crusty bread. It is good if the baked goods are yeast-free - this avoids fermentation processes in the intestines.
How to exit the diet correctly
The peculiarity of the watermelon diet is that proper performance is important not only for maintaining results, but also for normalizing digestive processes. If the amount of solid food is restricted for several days and liquid food is supplied in abundance, the body will get used to it, and a sudden transition to a regular diet can cause a painful reaction in the gastrointestinal tract.
To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should gradually add denser, but easily digestible food to each meal. These can be liquid porridge, normal fat cottage cheese, starchy vegetables and bread. After a few days, you can introduce lean meat and fish.
It is better to stay away from too rough, spicy and fatty foods. The same goes for refined sugars. If the fiber in watermelon promotes the smooth absorption of carbohydrates, then sweets in their pure form immediately increase blood sugar and cause a spike in insulin levels. The system created using watermelon will stop.
You must adhere to these restrictions, gradually lifting them over 7-10 days, and then you can return to your normal lifestyle. But if you start eating uncontrollably again, the chances of regaining the weight will be very high.
Expert opinion
Even the consumption of watermelon is welcomed by nutritionists, because the rich vitamin composition, a lot of liquid and fiber have the most favorable effect on the body. Regarding monodiets and very strict options, experts experience some skepticism. Nutritionists draw attention to the fact that not all nutrients that the body needs can be obtained from watermelon, so such weight loss cannot be called healthy.
If we talk about giving up fatty foods, sweets and high-calorie foods and replacing them with watermelon pulp, then any practitioner would welcome such a diet.
Conclusion
The watermelon diet can only be practiced during the season, and not too long. This should be remembered if you have doubts about whether watermelon is suitable 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 their reviews.